Shatel: Huskers raise tent for revival

Good news. Spring football starts on Wednesday, and Bo Pelini already has his game face on.

Expectations for Nebraska football are back (if they ever left). Top 10, Big 12 championship, short list for BCS title. Realistic or not, they will be there. The national media folks love a good comeback story. The rumblings have been there all winter, since Zac Lee introduced himself at the Holiday Bowl. The nation is good and ready for a little Husker revival.

So what about those expectations?

Have no fear, your coach is ready with a bucket of cold water.

“I haven't talked about that, and we won't talk about it,'' Pelini said. “We don't ever change. We are focused on what we're doing, on the process, on being better every day. Nobody puts more pressure on us than we do. People can say what they want, but we don't get caught up in that.''

Pelini said that on Thursday, but it could have been the Thursday before the Texas Tech game last year. That's his spiel, and he's sticking to it.

And yet I would submit that Pelini is embracing the momentum and opportunity that 2010 offers. Third year of the system. Lots of quality players back and meaningful depth. The big league games on Nebraska turf. Privately, Pelini and his staff think they have a championship contender pick a championship, any championship and they are preparing to crack the whip.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into a statement Pelini made last December and continues to make: “I think our defense will be better next year.''

Does he really think a group sans Ndamukong Suh, Phillip Dillard and Larry Asante will take it up a notch? Or is Pelini just raising the psychological bar to keep his team focused, sort of the way Pat Riley once guaranteed back-to-back NBA championships to motivate his Lakers?

When I asked Pelini, he laughed and said, “It's a little of both.''

“I think we would be hard-pressed to improve on being No. 1 in the country in scoring defense,'' he said. “But I think because it's our third year together in the system, things will come faster for them. We're not there yet, but we're close. I'm excited about it. Guys understand the system. It's to the point where they can just play.

“We're so deep in the secondary. I'm excited about the youth we have there. Same with linebacker, too. I just love where we are.''

And then there's this to warm the hearts of Nebraska: “We had a great winter. We had great results from our workouts. I'm excited about what they accomplished. They see the opportunity, they want to get better. They worked harder. They have high expectations. We have a long ways to go, but we want to win a championship. And we're real close to getting it.''

There will be plenty to keep Pelini occupied this spring. There will be competitions galore, as the depth needs to be sorted out and playmakers and leaders identified. There are still plenty of questions to be answered before any trophies are hoisted.

For starters, is there a reliable, consistent playmaking quarterback in the house? Lee will spend the spring on the mend. The staff hopes this is the spring of Cody Green. Coaches want the sophomore to emerge, for two reasons. One, because they really want a starting quarterback with Green's talents. Two, because Green's emergence could motivate Lee into consistently doing what he did at the Holiday Bowl, when he was motivated by talk of Green getting more playing time.

Could a healthy Kody Spano be that guy? Can Taylor Martinez do more than just run? Do coaches create a “Wildcat'' role for Martinez? Will taking off the green jerseys mean more of a commitment to a quarterback run game?

“It's time for them to get used to (contact),'' Pelini said.

More questions: Will newly minted receiver Mike McNeill become a playmaker in the slot? Do Jermarcus Hardrick and a healthy Keith Williams elevate the offensive line to dominant? Can Eric Martin channel his inner Tasmanian devil into a disciplined starting linebacker? Is this Rickey Thenarse's turn to shine? Baker Steinkuhler doesn't have to be Suh can he be as good as his brother Ty?

Did Alex Henery put some new square grooves on that shoe that keeps spinning punts back inside the 5-yard-line?

And while his players may use it for their own internal motivation, Pelini says he's not obsessed about the one-second deal against Texas.

“It doesn't matter. It's over,” Pelini said. “You can't change it. Move on. At the end of the day, you have to look ahead to the new season.''

We're ready.

Contact the writer:

444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com

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