On Saturday, September 1, all the talking and speculation across Nebraska will end for three or four hours when the Cornhuskers and their new coach, an alumnus from Wood River, take the field and treat the Akron Zips to a sound thrashing. To many folks watching, it will be just another noncon foe treated to a 48-10 pounding and some polite applause as they bleed down the tunnel afterward.
But in the state of Ohio, the pain will be sharper. The Akron Zips football team is currently the flagship sports program in the state, college or pro, and being slapped around by the Huskers has the potential to leave deep scars.