| 01 January 2012
There are three bowls games today that match Big 10 and SEC teams, and all three start at 1:00 pm Eastern. The Capital One Bowl is the second such game, and it features Nebraska against South Carolina.
Both teams spent time in the top ten this season; South Carolina is still there. Nebraska harbored Big 10 title and national championship aspirations coming into the season but lost two of their final four games to finish 9-3. The vaunted Blackshirt defense struggled this year and was hardly the dominant unit of years past. Led by running back Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez, the Cornhuskers deploy a rugged ground game that averages 223.9 yards rushing a game. Martinez has struggled throwing the ball this year as Nebraska is outside the top 100 in passing offense.
South Carolina is one win away from posting the most wins in a single season in school history. Coach Steve Spurrier is known as an offensive coach from his Fun’n’Gun days at Florida, but at South Carolina, he’s been getting it done with defense a strong running game. Leading rusher Marcus Lattimore was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury, and starting quarterback and perennial headache Stephen Garcia was dismissed from the team earlier this season, forcing sophomore Connor Shaw into the spotlight. Shaw has played well down the stretch and is coming off an outstanding game against archrival Clemson. Still, South Carolina is going to lean on its tenacious defense, led by All-American lineman Melvin Ingram and his 8.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Key matchup: RB Rex Burkhead vs. South Carolina's defense
RB Rex Burkhead (L, red) goes up against DL Melvin Ingram (R, on top) and the ferocious South Carolina defense
Burkhead rushed for 1,268 yards and 15 touchdowns this year and is the primary weapon in Nebraska's ground-based attack. The Cornhuskers aren't built to throw the ball all over the field, so it's critical that Burkhead be able to grind out some yards and take the pressure off of Martinez's and the passing game. If South Carolina can limit Burkhead and force Martinez to beat them with his arm, they stand a good chance of winning this game.
Why you should watch: These are two powerhouse programs that are competing for SEC-Big 10 bragging rights. South Carolina has a ferocious defense while Nebraska has a reputation for ferocious defense. South Carolina enters on a roll, and the Ol’ Ball Coach (Spurrier) is always entertaining. His press conferences alone are worth watching.
Why you shouldn’t watch: This isn’t Spurrier vs. Nebraska circa mid-1990s. Nebraska has mainly gotten by on its reputation this year. Nebraska’s defense has struggled this year, and Martinez has not thrown the ball well. The Cornhuskers were blown out by Wisconsin and Michigan. Given the Gamecocks’ defensive prowess, Nebraska will likely have trouble moving the ball and scoring points. South Carolina has struggled on offense most of the year as it has tried to overcome the loss of Lattimore and inexperience of Shaw. This could be a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: I don’t think Nebraska will be able to do much against South Carolina’s defense. The Gamecocks won’t score much, but they’ll do enough to beat Nebraska. South Carolina is the pick.
