Nebraska was able to get through its first three games in pretty good shape, posting a couple of impressive wins and coming back to win a third.
They take a 3-0 record into what will be a very difficult stretch of games over the next three weeks, and this could very well determine the path the Huskers will travel on the road back to being among the nation's elite.
First up is Saturday's matchup with Virginia Tech, a team that finished in the top 10 and is playing fairly well in spite of a variety of injury and discipline issues. Coach Frank Beamer brings a team in that can mix things up offensively, and this will give Nebraska a different test after facing three teams that feature variances of the spread offense.
Next is the Big 12 opener against Missouri, which will undoubtedly be Nebraska's toughest homecoming game in a long, long time. The Tigers feature 2007 Heisman finalist Chase Daniel and All-American speedster Jeremy Maclin, and the Tigers have been lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine early on. They also have a very solid defense, one that absolutely embarrassed Nebraska last year. The only negative working against Missouri is that they haven't won in Lincoln since 1978, and will be looking to end three decades of road frustration when they come to town Oct. 4.
The final game in the trifecta is Nebraska's first road game of the year, and it won't be easy as they'll have to head down to Lubbock, Texas to take on another high-powered offense in the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Coach Mike Leach has developed one of the most potent offensive schemes in all of college football, and Tech knows how to move the ball vertically early and often. Quarterback Graham Harrell has a lot of great targets to throw to, including All-American Michael Crabtree, and they have developed a defense that is doing better at stopping opposing offenses from finding the end zone.
The Huskers do have another tough stretch later in the season with Oklahoma and Kansas in back-to-back weeks, but this three-game run will go a long way to telling us how much this team has improved from last year's train wreck of a 5-7 season. If Nebraska can win one or two games in this stretch, it can position itself for a good finish and a quality bowl game at season's end.
Don't miss out on catching Nebraska football in action. You can get tickets for all Husker games, home and away, with Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.
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