Almost August

It’s the last week of July and as the days grow shorter and NFL teams are already in training camp it can mean only one thing. College football programs around the country will start their own fall camps within the next week. Nebraska will start practice August 4th in preparation for their 2008 season that starts with Western Michigan in Lincoln on August 30th.

In roughly four and a half weeks we’ll have the opportunity to see the new version of Nebraska Football. However, the offense may look a little familiar. As most of you probably know Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson and Wide Receivers coach (and Recruiting Coordinator) Ted Gilmore have been retained by Bo Pelini from Bill Callahan’s staff.

The big change that everyone is looking for is on the other side of the ball. A few weeks ago, before the Big XII Media Days down here in Kansas City took place, Pelini stated that there are no Blackshirts on the team as of yet. I like the attitude and mentality that these things are not just handed out because you start for Nebraska on defense, because as last year clearly showed, the starting unit was in no way deserving of the notoriety of having a Blackshirt.

I’m personally not expecting the jump the defensive unit made from 2002 to 2003 when Pelini thrust the Huskers from a middle of the pack squad to nearly tops in the nation defensively. I’m hoping for it, but it’s a big hill to climb. The main thing I want to see is a team that doesn’t look like they have cement in their cleats and doesn’t die. It’s hard to imagine things staying status quo, or God forbid, get worse.

The team is leaner. Offensive Guard Matt Slauson has lost weight as has MIKE Linebacker Phillip Dillard. How will this translate into success on the field? Remember in Rocky III when Rocky got all inflated and soft fighting “suckas” as Clubber Lang put it? It wasn’t until he trimmed down after finding the eye of the tiger (not a not to Missouri, mind you) that he knocked out Lang. This is probably a really dumb analogy, but I really love that movie. I’m not saying that the defense will be able to knock everyone out, I’m just saying and hoping it’s not a repeat of last year on the field.

When you have as much time as the fans of Nebraska to ponder last year and look for any sign of progress that points towards any improvement this season, you look under just about every stone you can find. As of today there are 33 days between now and August 30th. Let the countdown begin.