Delusional?

OK. I'm ready to make my USC game prediction. Well, OK, maybe not.

I came into the season cautiously optomistic that we could beat USC. Then, after watching Courtney Grixby falling down trying to keap up with a LA Tech receiver, I started to get some jitters. I had visions of tall, fast USC receivers scampering about behind our secondary unimpeded. I started to believe all of the "USC is the greatest football team ever, period" hype coming from the sports media.

So, around that point in time I started to think that Nebraska didn't stand a chance against USC. My prediction:
NU: 20 (2 touchdowns, 3 field goals)
USC: 31 (4 touchdowns, 1 field goal)

But, I've been rethinking my prediction. Yes, USC is good. Bill Callahan said in an interview that they didn't have a single weakness anywhere in their program. But, Arkansas was hanging in there with USC until they had a turnover meltdown in the second half and Nebraska is a better team than Arkansas.

I also find myself wondering if they really are that good, or if they are just receiving the standard media darling treatment they normally do. In a post written following the national championship game in which Texas defeated the glorious USC Trojans, I wrote about the media's gratuitous use of the term "dynasty" to describe USC's supposed three-peat:

Notre Dame is USC's only competition for the title of "Over-hyped Media Darling." So, is this team riding the same wave? Perhaps.

Maybe USC if absolutely amazing, and maybe they're not. One thing I know is that Zac Taylor and the Husker offense are too disciplined to follow in Arkansas' self destruction footsteps. I'm starting to think that we may have a chance… My prediction?

NU: 34 (4 touchdowns, 2 field goals)
USC: 31 (4 touchdowns, 1 field goal)

Might just be my heart telling me what I want to hear, but I'm cautiously optomistic about Nebraska's chances of pulling an upset.