I’m sitting high in the Memorial Stadium press box, two hours before game time.
I’ll get to some thoughts about tonight’s game, but first I want to talk about one of the greatest college football environments around.
I always heard Nebraska fans were some of the most hospitable in all college sports. After this weekend, I know that to be the truth.
I spent the last two days hanging out in Lincoln with some of my Hokie friends, and the Cornhusker faithful couldn’t have treated us any better. Walking down the street, many people in Huskers T-shirts stopped us and chatted us up, always ending the conversation with “good luck.” The Tech fans really appreciated that.
We walked around Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium this morning, taking in the sites. We actually got on the field while the band practiced. Ran into some Huskers fans with Virginia ties, too. One of the band members was from Stephens City, Va., and another fan was from Bedford.
A man in a Huskers’ T-shirt stopped us right before I headed up to the press box. He said something interesting: “Football is not a game in Nebraska, it’s a religion.” I believe it.
Anyway, Nebraska does it right. They have a proud football tradition, but they aren’t arrogant about it.
The highlight today for me was probably the Heisman Trophy room, where the Huskers allow fans to get up close and personal with the Heisman trophies Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and Eric Crouch won.
As for tonight’s game, I see a very close battle between two proud programs. I think the Hokies are in for quite a shock when they walk out onto the field and witness 80,000-plus fans dressed in red and screaming their heads off.
The teams match up fairly well. Nebraska’s offense is more advanced than Tech’s, but I don’t think I’m being out of line when I say the Hokies’ defense is better. The famed Nebraska Blackshirts of old have yet to show up, but they’re bound to come around under the tutelage of defensive mastermind Bo Pelini.
Tech is well-versed in Pelini’s defensive style. He was the LSU defensive coordinator last season, and you remember what the Bayou Bengals did to the Hokies last season, right?
Here’s a reminder: 48-7.
Tech has a great shot of winning this ballgame, if only because it’s been challenged the last two weeks and responded favorably both times. The environment will be crazy, but the Hokies have been historically good on the road. They just haven’t done well against big-time non-conference opponents. Think LSU and Kansas last season, and Georgia two years ago.
For that reason, and because they’re playing in front of their very supportive home crowd, I’m giving Nebraska the edge. The Cornhuskers win tonight 24-16.
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