16 BIG 12
MISSOURITIGERS
Confidence the key to Missouri's chances
By Matt Gerstner The Maneater
(Editor's Note: This column was written before Thursday game against Nebraska.)
COLUMBIA, Mo. — It has come to my attention that I angered a few Nebraska fans in my last column when I said, "Nebraska is not as good as people thought."
I would like to apologize for that comment. I admit it was a little inaccurate. In conjunction with my apology, I would like to issue another statement in regard to the upcoming epic-ness that is Thursday's Missouri-Nebraska contest.
Missouri will either kill or get killed by Nebraska. For some reason, I don't think this is going to be a close game. I think if one team is on, the other will be more turned off than a hot girl at a World of Warcraft convention.
If you haven't noticed, I'm a big believer in having the right mindset to win ball games. I think that goes further than talent. That's how most upsets happen.
That being said, if Missouri doesn't go
into this with some confidence, they're going to get rolled. Same goes for Nebraska. If there are any reservations about what might happen, what might go wrong, things will go wrong. Very, very wrong.
I absolutely despise Soulja Boy, but I'm going to use what most people believe to be a song.
Simply put, the Tigers have to turn their swag on and do it when they hop up out the bed if they're going to beat the Huskers.
It's all about confidence with this game. Emotions will already be riding high, this being a rivalry and all. The game is on ESPN, so the stomach butterflies will be battering around on the inside. Add those to a game that will give the winner momentary supremacy in the Big 12 North, and you'll be able to see the nerves firing on the field.
Luckily, both coaches have had about two weeks to prepare for this game. That's plenty of time to get your team buying into the rivalry, the revenge aspect, the drive to keep the streak going and what it could do for their season.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Cornhuskers eager for showdown with Tigers
By Spencer Schubert Daily Nebraskan
(Editor's Note: This column was written before Thursday game against Missouri.)
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska football team has been able to dwell on last season's 52-17 laugher against Missouri for just less than a year now.
After Nebraska's 55-0 blowout of Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend, tight end Mike McNeill tried to bite his tongue when asked about facing the Tigers.
If the Huskers do what most are expecting them to do against a young and inexperienced Mizzou team, this can only represent a ticking time bomb.
"I'm looking forward to it," McNeill said. "Obviously, it's a big game. It's still a ways away, so I don't want to get too anxious too early."
The Cornhuskers have been the joke of the Big 12 Conference North Division for the last few years, mainly because they
Too late.
can't figure out how to beat the Tigers or Kansas at home - something they need to do at both venues this year if they even want to sniff a December conference championship game in Dallas.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini doesn't like to be the butt of any football jokes, either. His response after NU's game with Mizzou last season was far from pleasant.
"I'm not used to losing — I'm not used to getting beat soundly," Pelini said after the loss. "Yes, damn right, I'm embarrassed, I apologize to the team, I apologize to the state of Nebraska. I was hired to do a job, and I didn't do that job tonight."
Pelini hasn't had to act like that recently, but the Thursday night primetime game with the Tigers on ESPN will only remind him of that embarrassment.
Nebraska rightfully should be 4-0 and potentially a top-10 team but this team isn't about what should or would have happened
Instead, the No. 23 Huskers, who will probably be ranked higher next week, will have something to prove.
THE WAVE OCTOBER 9,2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN