Herbstreit, Corso agree on Big 12 pick: OU, Nebraska will play for championship
Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN “College GameDay” analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso often disagree on their predictions on the popular show, but they both are predicting that Oklahoma and Nebraska will meet in the Big 12 football championship game.
And Herbstreit thinks the winner of that game will play for the BCS championship.
Corso, in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, said he thought OU would face Nebraska for the championship after going undefeated through the regular season. “They are loaded,” Corso said. “Landry Jones is going to be a Heisman candidate.”
In a conference call Thursday afternoon, Herbstreit agreed with his broadcast partner.
“I definitely like Oklahoma to win the South. I think Landry Jones is going to have a great year. I think it’s pivotal if you think about their schedule. Four of those first five games, if you exclude Utah State, will be challenging. You have Florida State, Air Force, at Cincinnati and then Texas in Dallas. If they are able to get through those five games, then take their bye week, this team should be unbeaten going into the Big 12 championship game. I don’t see another team on paper that can play with them. They go to A&M with Jerrod Johnson, who can score points. I think those first five are going to tell you everything you want to know about Oklahoma.
“And I think Nebraska is the real deal. I think we want to find out who emerges to be their quarterback. A lot of people nationally think their defense can’t be as good without (Ndamukong) Suh. I beg to differ. I think this defense is still going to be dominant. I think they have an outstanding secondary. Right now, Bo Pelini and his brother Carl are kind of on the cutting edge on the way they are utilizing seven defensive backs, then six and five. They are kind of using safeties as slash linebackers, kind of a hybrid guy. It creates a ton of confusion for an offensive line as we witnessed against Texas. Suh got most of the attention from that, but if you went back and watched the film, it had as much to do with confusion of Colt McCoy and not being able to get rid of the football, which allowed Suh and company to get to him. And they do that by mixing up their looks in the secondary with five, six and seven defensive backs constantly evolving and moving.
“I think Nebraska is real, and I think Oklahoma is real. I think they will eventually end up meeting in the Big 12 championship game. One day I think Nebraska is going to win that game, the next day I think Oklahoma is going to win that game. I will say this, whoever wins that game will go on to play in the national championship.”
Herbstreit said he the Big 12 will be hurt when it drops its conference championship game in 2011.
“Very different from the SEC, I think a lot of times it really matters who the matchup is and how much buzz is created in that region for the game. I have enjoyed watching those games. I have enjoyed calling them and being a small part of it. I think it hurts the conference because it’s fun to be able to play in a prime-time game on the last Saturday, for everybody to kind of watch your two best teams compete against each other. So I think you lose that. I’ve heard a lot of talk from (commissioner) Dan Beebe and others that they may be they are going to move some of the regular-season games around and still try to take advantage of that window late in the year. Maybe they can still be out there and be recognized late in the year. I think that’s important when you’re trying to sway votes and be part of the BCS standings.”
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Comments
Kirk Herbstreit is a Big 10 homer and really likes the fact they Big 10 is now “one upping” the Big 12 by having a championship game. I really think there needs to be some reform on guys that have that much face time/influence in terms of the biased comments.
thanks for jinxing us herbstreit. your picks always turn out wrong. I was so excited for this season now im hoping we don’t turn the ball over 10 times against Iowa State.
It sounds like you don’t like being in the Big T(exas)welve Conference!
I couldn’t hope for a better scenerio, the old Big 8 rivals having one last go… no SWC involvement, save that the game is in Dallas….
Heck, that plays out better for me, Dallas is mighty close to this Cornhusker!
GBR!
Amazingly, I completely agree with the selections made by these two. I truly believe, that for once, they are being objective in their assessment. OU and NU are by far the top two teams in the Big 12 heading into the season. Of course, it’s up to them to take care of business each week. If they fail to, several teams are ready to take their place. No easy weeks in this conference, and no wins are to be taken for granted. This is the only legitimate way to forecast the the Big 12 Title Game this year. I really applaud their recognition of OU as one of the best teams in the country. Big Red is already on everyone’s radar. Too many have missed or otherwise ignored that FACT with regard to the Sooners. We will all see very soon that they are the real deal. Props to Lee and Kirk for making the pick, even if it’s a no-brainer for 2010. Go Big Red!
It would be great to see an NU – OU Championship game. For the first 25 years of my life that was THE GAME. As an avid Husker fan I am excited about the opportunities that await in the Big 10, but I will miss playing the Sooners.. Good Luck Sooners – Stay unbeaten until the Championship game.
Holy Crap…love Kirk and Coach, I also hope they are right but feel like they hexed us! I am really wondering how good the sooners will be. I believe it hinges on Murray!
How can you say Nebraska is the real deal, and then the next sentence say you want to see who emerges to be their quarterback? They dont even know who their starting QB is gonna be and they showed they are gonna have to have a passing game to win the BIG XII.
Zac Lee 6/19 39yards 0td 3int. OUCH!!
Predictions are like….. You know where I’m going. Coaches are too smart to buy into that crap. And never ever rule out Texas. They’re not just going to lay down for OU.
Nebraska will play hard this year because it’s there last against these teams. But they’re just as capable of underachieving as any team. Sure looking forward to watching it, and that is all one can say right now.
GO BIG RED!
For the first time in my life I have hear Kirk Herbstreit say something good about Nebraska. This is the guy that always want to say bad thing about Nebraska. Could it be because they are going to his beloved Big 10 that he may change his mind on them now? GO Big Red restore the order.
Sorry forgot to say if it it OU and NU in the Big 12 title game it will be a fitting end to the Big 12. OU and NU played for the Big 8 title many time and lets not forget the Big 12 was started to save the Texas teams since the SWC was going under.
[...] Herbstreit, Corso agree on Big 12 pick: OU, Nebraska will play for championship | Sports Media [...]
[...] Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman says College Gameday co-horts Herbstreit and Lee Corso agree on which teams will play in the Big 12 [...]
SO I GUYS AFTER MCCOY AND SHIPLEY LEAVE EVERYBODY IS JUST WRITING THE LONGHORNS OFF….I LIKE IT MAKES FOR GOOD STORY LINES WHEN THESE GUYS HAVE TO GO AND RETRACT WHEN THE HORNS MAKE IT TWO TRIPS IN A ROW TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN DALLAS
What is it with Husker fans always saying Herbstreit is anti Nebraska? I am a huge Husker fan and the fact that Herbstreit has recognized that our talent level hasn’t matched up to the nations top teams has Husker fans up in arms. The bottom line is we haven’t had very talented football teams over the last 10 years and he has called it like it is. I believe our talent level is back and the future will bring us back to our glory days once again.
Go Big Red.
UT fans are delirious, this is the only article I’ve seen that says anything about any chance that OU will make it to the conference championship game. Everyone besides these two have Texas in it. So no it’s not going to be a big shocker if UT makes it and no UT is not under the radar. Stop crying because one article out of 100 have OU in it and not UT
A fitting end for the final Big XII Championship game. Former Big 8 rivals NU vs OU! I have my calendar marked.
Huskers all the way!
As a Husker fan for life I will miss the Big 12 and ALL the teams that are a part of it. I look forward to going to the Big 10 with excitement yet reservation as I haven’t followed The 10 as closely as I probably should have until the end of each season. I just hope that the fans and the players have a good time and make college football the best it can be!! It WILL be interesting no doubt.
So Blake…your pretty much saying that Herbie and Corso have as much influence in College football circles as say a Rush Limbaugh does in conservative circles. Remember, there are pleanty of conservatives who think Rush is insane and inflamitory. The same can be said for Corso and Herbie. I think Corso has lost credibility and Herbie is the most inteligent football comentator working Saturdays. Just because Herbie was a QB at Ohio St doesnt make him a big 10 homer. His level of professionalism far exceeds that of Craig James and you can take that to the electrical closet,
Brandon Keeley:
As a Sooner fan, I agree Texas won’t lay down for us….but don’t forget the Longhorns are coming to Lincoln too. At least you’ll get them at home. Regardless, I still think it will be OU and NU at the end of the day. Boomer!
I agree Brandon, Texas doesn’t lie down for anyone, especially us. But I want to see OU and NU play for the title, and we will…Good Luck SOONERS…but GO HUSKERS!!!
Herbie and Pelini were teammates (maybe even roommates) at Ohio State. He is hoping for a Nebraska-OSU Championship game. That could be a preview of the Big 10 Championship game for the next decade.
Scott Stacy….Look up on youtube, Kirk Herbstreit is a whining little girl. He clearly hates Nebraska… I hope these guys are right, but I’d rather us be a little bit more under the radar.
10/16/10 
I am cautiously optomistic about the Huskers this year. I would love to see us beat Texas in Lincoln and then finish it off with OU in Dallas. As for Kansas, MU, and the other teams in the new Texas Ten Conference, good luck to you all and best wishes to the Buffalos in the PAC10…….Anybody that thinks the Texas Ten is better off without a Texas Championship is crazy. And with the PAC10 and BIG10 now with a conference championship, your are crazy to think anyone will want to see anything you have to offer the first weekend of December usless Texas changes their Union Fair to the that weekend and have the Texas OU game one…..GBR!!!!!!
Response to Big XII? = Little 10, how do you expect to make it to the Big 12 (Soon to be the Texas 10) with 2 a mimimum of 2 losses……Boomer Sooner and GBR!
I think this is the first time I’ve ever completey completely agreed with these guys… GO BIG RED!!!