After a full year of hype for the rematch between Johnny Football and Texas A&M against Nick Saban and Alabama it would be to completely forget that there are 60 something other college football games being played this weekend. If you can tear your focus away from College Station for a couple of hours this afternoon there is a fantastic meeting between two ranked teams taking place in Lincoln, Neb., as UCLA visits the Cornhuskers.
Much like the ballyhooed SEC matchup later in the day the game between the 16th ranked UCLA Bruins and the 23rd ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers is a rematch from a game last season. Nebraska traveled to Los Angeles and got run over by the UCLA offense as they gave up 653 yards, the second most in the history of the school, while falling to the Bruins 36-30, according to ESPN.
That loss has to sting for the Huskers and it might provide them a little bit of extra motivation, although Coach Bo Pelini told ESPN that he doesn't think his team needs revenge to motivate them.
"I would home, and I'm pretty positive, our team is motivated no matter what the situation," Pelini said. "It just so happens we played this team a year ago, so if that provides our guys with extra motivation, so be it. I would hope it does. Hopefully that motivation will come in the form of great preparation, because that's how you win a football game."
UCLA looks to be the cream of the crop from the Pac-12 South, especially after their bitter rival USC looked horrible against perennial doormat Washington State last week. A road win against a ranked team from the Big 10 would do a lot to bolster the status of the Bruins.
With the crowd completely clad in red Lincoln can be a tough place to play for an opposing team but if the Bruins expect to be able to actually compete for the Pac-12 title this year they are going to have to win a couple of really tough games like this one.
The game starts at 12:00 p.m. ET and a live stream can be accessed at this link.
