Enemy Blogger Interview: Nebraska

First posted at Inside The Shoe

The Enemy Blogger Interview is back this week, after not being able to reach a willing MSU blog. Perhaps, in the end it's better we didn't. This week, as the Buckeyes travel to Lincoln to face off against the Huskers, the guys from Corn Nation were nice enough to answer our questions, and in return we have done so for them. So, on to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Give us a little bit of background on your website, Corn Nation.

Jon Johnston: Corn Nation appeared on the Internet in 2006 after all of the good names for Nebraska sites were taken. The following Q&A is actually answered by different authors from our site, each of which is a sentient being, this being contrary to the popular opinion that I suffer from a multiple-personality disorder.

1. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses, to Wisconsin and Michigan State. How do the Cornhuskers come into this game at home vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes, who aren't what they were in years past?

Ricky Smith: That’s the million dollar question in Husker Nation. My hunch is they won’t pout and they’ll move on. They have to. Hopefully, coming back home will help them. That is, of course, they play well. If things get rocky and the fans start booing, all bets are off. It could go downhill quickly. I get the impression that this is an emotionally fragile team right now.

Aaron: This feels a lot like the Texas game from last year. Big time opponent coming into Lincoln with their backs against the wall. We wasted that opportunity. I think Nebraska gets back to the basics against Ohio State and plays fairly conservative. The coaches have taken a lot of heat this week for throwing the ball as much as they did against Wisconsin.

Mike: What a lot of Husker fans lost sight of was that Nebraska was actually playing pretty well the first 20 minutes against Wisconsin.  Then the turnovers began and the defense disappeared. I think the Huskers bounce back and try to pound away at Ohio State.

Jon Johnston: The team has taken a lot of crap this week - how the rest of the season plays out depends on how they respond in this game. I would think that we’d come out and see right away what our offensive line can do with a power running game against Ohio State. See how strong we are, see how the Buckeyes respond. Hate to say it, but given the Buckeye’s offensive woes, we shouldn’t have to score a ton of points to win this game.

2. Who are the #1 play makers on offense (not counting Taylor Martinez) and defense for Nebraska?

RS: It starts and ends with Rex Burkhead with offense. The sooner Tim Beck (OC) realizes this, the better off the offense will be. This year is all about time of possession and ball control.  As for defense, Lavonte David’s (LB) play is critical. He seems to be the only one with any type of presence out on the field.

Aaron: Ameer Abdullah leads the nation in yards per kick off (35.13ypk). Nebraska had great field position quite often during the Wisconsin game but couldn’t capitalize on it. The defense seems to really be lacking play makers right now, but the focus is always on Jared Crick, David and Alfonzo Dennard. On offense, true freshman Jamal Turner leads the team in receiving.

Mike: Look for tight end Kyler Reed and freshman receiver Kenny Bell as well in the passing game for the Huskers. On defense, keep an eye out for safety Daimion Stafford, who’s a big hitter.

Jon: The #1 playmaker on the defense will be the cornerback that finally earns a stable starting position alongside Dennard. Seriously - the defensive secondary has been horrid this year, and we’re not sure if it’s because of a change in the secondary coaching or because the players are inexperienced. If that gets fixed, Nebraska’s defense will be on the mend.

3. Coming into it's first Big Ten season, Nebraska has already played Wisconsin in Camp Randall and are about to play Ohio State. What are some of the things that Cornhusker fans are excited for in the remainder of this season in the B1G?

RS: I’m excited to see teams like Ohio State and Michigan in Memorial Stadium. That’s pretty cool. (sorry Iowa and Michigan State, you’ve been here before)

Aaron: I’m excited for it all. I was reved up to follow the team to Wyoming and loved that game. Win or lose, every game this year should be fun as we get to see how we stack up with the B1G.

Mike: That first road trip to the Big House is shaping up to be huge, as I expect the Wolverines and Huskers to battle for the B1G’s West division title.

Jon: Well, I live in Minnesota, and even though it won’t be much of a game, I’m looking forward to a massive migration of Husker fans to Minneapolis. If 30k-40k can go to Madison, imagine what will come here.

4. Who scares you most as Nebraska's defense: Braxton Miller (young, inexperienced and didn't look good vs. MSU) or Joe Bauserman?

RS: Mobile QBs scare the bejeezus out of me right now.

Aaron: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Joe Bauserman worries me the most. I watched the OSU-MSU game and though he missed some receivers down field, he also hit some good passes on that last drive. Anything that puts pressure on our secondary is the top concern right now. That being said, I wasn’t too impressed with either QB last Saturday.

Mike:  I’m with Ricky. Mobile quarterbacks are the biggest challenge. All you had to do was watch Russell Wilson to know why.

Jon: Joe Bauserman is just ready to break out, isn’t it? Seriously, though, this should be a fairly close game, and if Bauserman hits one or two long balls, it could be the difference in the game.

5. How do you think this game plays out? How will Nebraska finish out it's season? (W/L, Bowl Game)

RS: Really depends on what team we see out there. If it’s the team that flew to the ball on defense and rammed the ball down Wisky’s throat for a quarter in a half, it could get ugly for OSU. If it’s the OTHER team from last Saturday, there are going to be a LOT of fans reaching for the Xanax rather quickly.
As for the season, I think NU is looking down the barrel of a 9-3 season with losses to Michigan and some other team we really shouldn’t get beat by. Let’s go with.....Northwestern.

Aaron: During Bo Pelini’s tenure, it seems like Nebraska’s defense gels in the second half of the season and is lights out by the bowl games. It will be interesting to see if that happens this year. I see two or three losses in conference the rest of the way. The division will probably come down to the winner of the Nebraska-Michigan game. They will probably be headed to Florida somewhere for their bowl match up. As for this weekend, if the Huskers can avoid the turnovers, I think they beat OSU in a low scoring game. The Buckeyes defense deserves respect and it’s unfortunate that they don’t have an offense to go along with such a great unit on defense.

Mike: I don’t see any indication that Ohio State is going to bounce out of their offensive slump.  So it all comes down to whether Nebraska gets their act together or not, as I think Ohio State’s defense is actually pretty good.  My guess is they will, and the Huskers should win somewhat comfortably.

Jon: Probably not much different than a typical Buckeyes game, actually. Ohio State is going to pound the ball as much as they can at Nebraska, hoping to pick up some big plays with play action. Play stout defense. The question is - can Nebraska make some big plays against Ohio State’s defense? If they can, they’ll win by double digits. If they can’t, and it becomes a slugfest, it’s going to be another 10-7 game that goes to the team with the least turnovers.