Cotton Bowl

Auburn ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense by only allowing 13.9 points a game. Quick math

Entering the Big 12 Championship, Nebraska was averaging 183.3 rushing yards per game. The

revels that the Tiger defense is giving up less than two touchdowns a game. Talk about keeping opponents out of the end zone, Auburn registered two shutouts this season (at Mississippi St. and vs. Arkansas St.), held offensive juggernaut LSU to only three points and lowly Buffalo to seven. How the hell did Auburn lose two games this season? With that kind of defensive number, the Tigers should be playing on January 8 and not January 1.

Huskers absolutely abused opponents on the ground this season. Nebraska’s success came from the duo of junior Brandon Jackson (951 yards, seven TDs) and sophomore Marlon Lucky (640 yards, six TDs). Now Bill Callahan just has to stick to the game plan. After falling behind 14-0 to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, Callahan ditched the run for 20 straight pass plays with quarterback Zac Taylor. Taylor was intercepted three times during Callahan’s pass-happy approach and the Huskers fell to the Sooners 21-7. Stick to the plan coach.

DE Quentin Groves vs. RT Matt Slauson. Groves needs to dominate this match up. First and foremost,

Nebraska’s front four vs. Brandon Cox. The Huskers front four of Adam Carriker, Ola Dagunduro, Jay

Slauson is an inexperienced sophomore and is battling an ankle injury. Groves is explosive off the line and can create havoc of the edge of Auburn’s defense. If Slauson is slow at the point of attack, Groves might have a field day. Groves is a fantastic pass rusher, but if he can get into the Husker backfield to disrupt the running game too, the Tiger defense might dominate. Groves’ first job, however, is going to be getting pressure on quarterback Zac Taylor, because the Tiger secondary has been inconsistent as of late. Groves needs to make Slauson feel like he’s constantly on a turnstile all day.

Moore and Barry Cryer need to have a solid game for two reasons. The first reason is so that Brandon Cox doesn’t regain any of the confidence that he had at the beginning of the regular season. Nebraska’s secondary is a weakness so if Cox can get into a rhythm with receivers Courtney Taylor and Rodgeriqus Smith, the Huskers will probably fall. The second reason is so that Auburn running back Kenny Irons doesn’t get any wide gaps to run through. Irons has battled injuries and may still not be 100 percent. So, if the front four can get a consistent push at the line of scrimmage, Irons will be held in check and the Tiger offense may stall.

Do what you do on defense Auburn. The Tigers defense has been fantastic this season thanks in

Not that this will be an easy task, but Nebraska just has to stick to what it does best and pound the

large part to defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s aggressive style. Auburn’s front seven is tough, fast and absolutely flies to the football. Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor is a tough kid, but can be pressured into making mistakes. That’s where speed rusher Quentin Groves comes in from his d-end spot. Groves finished the ’06 regular season with 9.5 sacks, so unleash the beast and get after Taylor early. Will Herring has done a nice job adjusting from playing safety last season to his first full season as a linebacker. Herring has proven to be a playmaker and he’ll need to be active against the Huskers’ rushing attack. Stopping the run shouldn’t be much of a problem for Auburn, but the pass is a different story. The Tiger secondary just hasn’t been that consistent this season. Cornerback David Irons is a true playmaker, but the unit as a whole is a bit undersized. The Auburn offense will actually determine if the secondary sees a lot of action in this contest. Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan knows that he screwed up in the Big 12 Championship by abandoning the run too early. Callahan isn’t going to make the same mistake twice, but he may not have a choice if the Tigers can get rolling on offense. Due to nagging injuries, stud running back Kenny Irons was really limited this season. Irons has only been able carry the rock 20-plus times in five games this season. With Irons battling his bumps and bruises, a lot of pressure wound up on the shoulders of quarterback Brandon Cox. The junior seemed to lose some confidence as the season wore on and began to throw interceptions at an alarming rate. The best thing for Cox is to get 6’2”, 202lbs Courtney Taylor in the mix early and often. Taylor had 48 catches for 634 yards this season, but only two TD's. The best approach for the Tigers would be to get Cox into a rhythm early. If Cox can complete a few passes to Taylor or even Irons out of the backfield, his confidence may carry him through the stretch run.

football. Head coach Bill Callahan has done a great job of re-hauling the Huskers offense. Back in the day, Nebraska was going to run the option. If you couldn’t stop it, then the Huskers were going to put 56 points on the board and there was nothing you could do about it. But teams started to stop the option and the Huskers were left struggling to complete passes. Not anymore. Callahan has added balance to this scheme and has players like Zac Taylor, Brandon Jackson and Marlon Lucky believing. Nebraska will win this game if either Jackson or Lucky (preferably both) can get going against Auburn’s stingy defense. If not, all is not lost, but Taylor is going to need to have a decent day throwing the ball. Taylor lacks impressive arm strength, but he’s smart and besides a bad outing in the Big 12 Championship, rarely throws interceptions. He also has a ton of weapons in wide receivers Maurice Purify, Terrence Nunn and Nate Swift and tight end Matt Herian. Another reason why Callahan has Nebraska turning heads again is the rebirth of the “black shirts” on defense. The Huskers defensive line is solid - Adam Carriker, Ola Dagunduro, Jay Moore and Barry Cryer are all athletic and can get a great push. If Auburn running back Kenny Irons is still feeling hobbled by injuries, he won’t like going against this front four. In the linebacker core, strong side ‘backer Stewart Bradley is the headliner. Much like the Tigers, however, Nebraska’s secondary can be had. It’s not completely for lack of size, especially in the safety department. The unit has just been inconsistent and lacks overall experience. Nebraska will have a lot of success if the front four can get consistent pressure on Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox. If Cox feels pressured, he’s liable to make a big mistake and then the Huskers can mask their deficiencies in the secondary.

Don’t laugh, but the punter is good. A freaking punter as an x-factor? Got to be kidding right? No, Kody Bliss

Forget about the Big 12 Championship. Nebraska can do one of two things about its 21-7

can be a weapon in what should be a low scoring affair. Auburn’s offense lacks the punch to score quickly, so the Tigers have relied all season on a stout defense and, yes, great special teams. If Bliss is on his game, he’s one of the best in the country. What’s one of the big components of a football game that consistently gets overlooked? Special teams and field position, folks. Nebraska isn’t going to roll up and down the field on Auburn at will, but the Huskers' offense is explosive. Pin the unit deep in its own territory and maybe the Tiger defense scores a TD or two on its own.

loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. The Huskers can either allow what the Sooners exposed on both sides of the ball to engulf them or rebound and learn from the mistakes that cost them a championship. Everything from Zac Taylor’s unprecedented interceptions to Bill Callahan’s abandoning of the running game to the secondary resembling Swiss cheese. It all has to be learned from or else Auburn is going to roll.

Success in T-Ville. In the past seven years, Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville has led the Tigers to the

Nebraska is synonymous with the word “bowl.” Only Alabama (54), Tennessee (46), Texas (46)

top of the SEC standings, leading the team to an SEC Championship and five Western Division titles. Under Tuberville’s direction, Auburn has made six consecutive bowl appearances including four New Year’s Day bowl berths. In 2004, Tuberville was a unanimous choice for Coach of the Year while leading the Tigers to a 13-0 record and a win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

and USC (45) have made more bowl appearances than the Huskers. The ’06 Cotton Bowl marks the 44th time that Nebraska will appear in college football’s “postseason.” The Cotton appearance will be the Huskers’ first New Year’s Day bowl game in more than a decade, however. You’ve made it back to the big Jan. 1 game Nebraska, so don’t blow it.