Prelude to the 2007 Season

Tickets? Check. Binoculars? Check. Parking pass? Check. Just about ready to kick off the most anticipated season opener of the Bill Callahan era, from my perspective. No, it's not just to see the new tunnel walk... though judging from the number of hits today, I'd say a lot of you are focusing on that. I get the feeling that this might just be much ado about nothing, based on Randy York's N-sider blog on huskers.com. Mikey Bo's contributions apparantly are just a prelude to the actual tunnel walk, which will still feature the Alan Parson Project's Sirius. I've heard all sorts of speculation on both sides of the equation, but perhaps it's best to leave final judgement until tomorrow. (What are you going to do about it now anyway?)

For the first time in the Steve Pederson era, Nebraska is trying to get control of a story rather than waiting for it to blow up in their face. Randy York is starting to look like Pederson's second-best hire since arriving in Lincoln, trailing only Doc Sadler.

In any event, the real story is football. Here are my areas of focus for tomorrow:

Sam Keller: Keller acknowledged his gunslinger past, and mentioned that this offense forces him to play within the system. How fast and how well has Keller learned this offense. Will he trust his mind over his arm? What kind of decision making will he show tomorrow.

Defensive Line: While the 2007 line has talent, they lack a lot experience and depth. They have some big shoes to fill, replacing 3 guys still in NFL training camps and another (Ola Dagunduro) who was just cut.

Running Back: Has Marlon Lucky turned it up a notch? How healthy is Cody Glenn? How much of the offense have freshmen Roy Helu and Quentin Castille grasped while Lucky and Glenn have been sidelined this fall?

Also of interest: How is the depth in the secondary? Can the receivers get seperation and hang onto the ball? Can the offensive line protect Keller better than they protected Zac Taylor?

The 2007 season is finally here. I'm tired of questions; it's time for some answers.