Omaha World Herald sports writers Rick Kaipust, Mitch Sherman, Jon Nyatawa and Max Olson made some predictions for the season ahead. The writers believe the Huskers will lose two games on the road in Stillwater and College Station. Interestingly, they have Nebraska winning by three at home over Texas. Of course, it’s a lot of fortune telling. Right now, I’m interested in September, particularly in week three when Nebraska travels to Seattle to face the Huskies.

Here’s what the World Herald writers have to say about this game:

So this might not be like going to Virginia Tech a year ago or to Southern California in 2006, considering the Huskies were just 5-7 a year ago and haven’t had a winning season since 2002. But Husky Stadium is a challenge based solely on the atmosphere that can be generated on Lake Washington, which some former Huskers know from going to UW in 1992 (29-14 loss) and 1997 (27-14 win). Assuming Nebraska is a Top 10 team at this point, expect the media to throw a little “prove it” challenge at the Huskers.

The story surrounding this game changed dramatically last winter when Washington quarterback Jake Locker said he would return for his senior season. It will force Nebraska to defend a player that some are projecting as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, and he just happens to have one of the best receiving corps in the nation for targets. Nebraska might be the better team on paper, but what about the element of unknown taking five new defensive starters on the road to face such a weapon?

Don’t believe for a moment that this is a gimme, considering NU is 1-4 against non-Big 12 teams from BCS conferences in regular-season games since 2006. Any winning ending would have to be considered a happy ending. No free pass for the offense, which better be ready to show it can move the football in case the defense is having trouble with Locker. You wonder if kicker Alex Henery might just be needed in a game like this.

Nebraska 23, Washington 21

And here’s a highlight reel of Locker’s moves provided by UW Athletics.

Personally, I have faith in our front four. It’s not easy to sit in the pocket (or to scramble for that matter) when Pierre Allen and company are coming for your head. Therefore, my prediction for the Washington game is a bit more generous.

Nebraska 31, Washington 10.

In preparation for our Oct. 16th showdown with Texas, and another amazing season, University of Nebraska alumni, the athletic department and Omaha World-Herald are unveiling microsites, encouraging fans to post photos to a designated Flickr Group, and to connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Husker Nation, are you ready for the social?

When you look at Nebraska’s schedule this fall, you can’t help but see how favorable it is, and how this season could potentially map out to be one for the record books.

Of course, you never know how the team is going to do until you see players emerge as leaders and the team play as one impassioned unit. Be that as it may, just about everyone in Husker Nation, and beyond, believes the team will be 5-0 when we line up against Texas on October 16th in Lincoln. How we fair on that day may determine the team’s fate. Emerge victorious and the route to an undefeated regular season and a meeting with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game seems pretty clear. Lose to Texas, and all of a sudden Oklahoma State, Mizzou and A&M seem like troublesome match ups.

It’s not just our potential to win every game that has me ready for game day. I’m also excited to see Roy Helu Jr. and a healthy Rex Burkhead run behind a crushing offensive line.

“Coach (Barney) Cotton’s got ’em going really well,” Burkhead said. “They’re showing a lot of energy, I guess you could say, and a lot camaraderie within the offensive line. You’re always seeing them tap each other on the helmet and running down the field, finishing plays.”

It’ll also be fun to see which of our QBs emerges this season, but I have to be honest here, I want to see us run people over. Smash mouth football, old school Husker-style.

It’s true that we did not play well on the offensive side of the ball last year, although we changed that in a big way at The Holiday Bowl in San Diego where we manhandled Arizona 33-0.

Okay, let’s hear from Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson after practice last week:

I like how Watson says, “Experience breeds confidence, and confidence breeds a higher level of play.”

Links to other Husker news around the web from the last week.

2010 Nebraska Football Schedule
(Huskerzone.com)

Tom Shatel: View of the Big Ten from here is great
(Omaha World Herald)

Puerto Rico Trip Highlight of NU Men’s Basketball Schedule
(HuskerExtra)

Ndamukong Suh Wires Up 2010 Huskers with 123 iPads
(SBNation.com)

QB tops list of burning questions for Huskers
(Omaha World Herald)

Big 10 Championship Goes to Indy
(Husker Mike’s Blasphemy)

Tracy Webster Rounds Out Husker BB Coaching Staff
(Nebraska State Paper)

Huskers Brace for Big 12 Hate
(Yahoo! Sports)

Huskers Buzz of Big 10 With a Year to Go
(Associated Press)

The Detroit Free Press reports that Ndamukong Suh (by the way, his Wikipedia page could use a photo or two) is adjusting well to his role in the NFL with the Lions after his first week of practice.

“It felt good, been not too bad of a day,” Suh said. “It felt like today was a lot better than the previous two days just for the simple fact that I’ve gotten a little more into a groove and understanding back to what I needed to do, (from) back in the minicamps and OTAs.”

It will be interesting to see just how many Huskers convert to Lions fans. Detroit is a 115-to-1 longshot to win the Super Bowl. If NFL betting is your thing, that is a vast improvement over last year’s 200-to-1 preseason odds as the Lions look to improve on their 2-14 record. It doesn’t help that they are playing in what is likely the NFL’s toughest division in 2010.

The first USA Today Coaches poll is out and Nebraska starts the fall practice season ranked #9. Personally, I’m not a big fan of preseason polls but a #9 ranking is giving the Huskers a ton of respect going in to the season.

The rest of the top 25:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. TCU
8. Oklahoma
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami (FL)
14. Penn State
15. Pittsburgh
16. LSU
17. Georgia Tech
18. North Carolina
19. Arkansas
20. Florida State
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. Auburn
24. (Tie) Utah
24. (Tie) West Virginia

The University Athletic Department released the survey results from season ticket holders and visitors to Huskers.com on the addition of new seats to Memorial Stadium. From the wording, it appears that 90,000+ seats is the target, but sensitivity to the current sell-out streak is of great concern.

There was overwhelming support for the addition of new seats, both general seating and club level seatings.

For full results, including PDF results of the survey, please visit: Huskers Announce Survey Results.

It’s done. Nebraska has officially joined the Big 10 Conference.

According to several reports, including this one from Chicago Tribune:

Chancellor Harvey Perlman said a major attraction of the Big Ten was stability “that the Big 12 simply cannot offer.”

Not only that, but there’s a promise of increased revenue once Nebraska becomes an equal member. The Big 12 paid out about $10 million to Nebraska in 2009, half of what Big Ten schools received.

Perlman and Osborne also talked about fit.

“We don’t feel like we’re walking into a room of strangers,” Perlman said.

Added Osborne: “We feel we share a lot of common values with what we know of Big Ten institutions.”

The last time the Big 10 expanded was 20 years ago when Penn State joined the league.

Personally, I’m totally pumped about the move. I want to see the Huskers line up against Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan. Those are five potentially epic battles, to say nothing of new rivalries, in the making.

Huskerzone.com reader Keith Balmer spit out a couple thousand words on the subject of college football expansion on his blog.

While I disagree on a couple of points, we find common ground on our dislike of Notre Dame, and acceptance of the power college football has – second behind the NFL.

College football is second only to the NFL in terms of power and influence. I don’t know why I’ve been so damn stubborn. I love the NBA. I have a love-hate relationship with MLB. But I never wanted to give college football the benefit of the doubt. Even though I saw with my own eyes (when I worked at a sports bar in Atlanta) just how P.O.P.U.L.A.R. college football is. Who are we kidding here? It’s a freaking professional sport!

Good perspective from outside of the cornbelt. You can also follow Keith on Twitter at @KeithSmooth

Citing an unnamed executive at a Big 12 school, the Omaha World Herald is reporting that Nebraska is expected to announce their joining of the Big 10 as early as Friday.

An executive at a Big 12 school relayed to The World-Herald on Tuesday that he expects Nebraska to become a member of the Big Ten as early as Friday.

NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman has declined all interviews about conference realignment and expansion. He is expected to address the topic with the Board of Regents at its Friday meeting in Lincoln.

Direct confirmation from Nebraska of a conference change for the Huskers wasn’t immediately available. Sources at two other Big 12 schools told The World-Herald that their athletic directors have instructed them to be ready by week’s end for a briefing on probable Big 12 changes.

Those following the @Huskerzone Twitter stream made note of a tweet I posted earlier today regarding rumors of a pending news conference. At the time, I had yet to receive any corroborating evidence and declined publication on Huskerzone.com. In the hours since, new issues have come to light, including numerous reports of Colorado Regents voting tonight on bolting to the Pac-10.

I still lack details at a level I’d be comfortable reporting. However, not being a professional journalist – nor pretending to be one – the ancillary evidence is becoming overwhelming that a change to the college football landscape appears to be rapidly approaching.

As always, if you have something to share, our email address is available over on the sidebar.