The Nebraska Cornhuskers are being welcomed into the Big 10 with open arms this year, but the competition on the field is going to be hot and heavy from start to finish when they go up against the best and brightest in the conference. An up and coming Penn State Nittany Lions team is waiting on the conference slate this year in what could be one of the best games of the season in conference play.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions Date: Saturday, November 12th
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn St. Nittany Lions Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions Spread: Penn State Nittany Lions +2

The Cornhuskers are definitely in a position to waltz right into the Big 10 and come away with a conference crown. QB Taylor Martinez is hopefully going to take strides in the right direction this year, and the hope is that a year of offseason conditioning can get his arm to match the quality of his legs. RB Rex Burkhead is going to have his work cut out for him in this one against a traditionally stout run defense, but the good news on the other side of the ball is that Head Coach Bo Pelini has the Black Shirts hitting and hitting hard once again. Penn State’s offense probably isn’t good enough to score all that much against Nebraska, and if this is the case, Big Red is justifiably favored to take this late season tussle in November.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Past Games (Since 1995)
2003: Nebraska 18 – Penn State 10
2002: Penn State 40 – Nebraska 7

The last time the Nittany Lions welcomed in the Cornhuskers to Happy Valley, Nebraska was the No. 1 ranked team in America, and Penn State blew it out 40-7. No one is thinking that the result is going to be this lopsided this time around, but an upset of this proportion would rival that 33 point bombing from 2002. QB Matt McGloin had a solid season down the stretch last year, but whether it is he or Robert Bolden getting the call under center for Head Coach Joe Paterno, there is going to be a heck of a lot of work to do. RB Evan Royster needs to be replaced, and he was such a tremendous portion of this Penn State offense over the last few seasons. The defense ranked No. 34 in the land last year, and if that doesn’t pick it up in this one, the Nittany Lions could be in some trouble.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/28/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers (-2) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (+2)

Each and every season, the Big XII seems like it comes down to the Red River Shootout between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas might have dropped just a tad over the course of the last year, but that isn’t going to take away the importance of this game, especially with the Sooners eyeing the National Championship this season.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Picks & Info
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Date: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Spread: Texas Longhorns +8

For the entire early part of the 2000s, the Sooners dominated this series against Texas, taking it behind the woodshed seemingly every year. That changed over the back end of the decade though, as OU dropped four out of five. Last year’s 28-20 win almost seems tainted for how bad the Longhorns really were. Now, things definitely appear to be back on the Sooners’ side once again. A potent passing attack led by QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles is going to be one of the best in the nation, and historically, quarterbacks for Sooners have a field day in this fixture. There are still questions about this defense, which ranked No. 53 in the nation last year at 362.5 yards per game. Still, we know that things are going to get better and better for this unit with a ton of returning starters, and by the time this game rolls around, this unit should be back in fine form once again.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Oklahoma 28 – Texas 20
2009: Texas 16 – Oklahoma 13
2008: Texas 45 – Oklahoma 35
2007: Oklahoma 28 – Texas 21
2006: Texas 28 – Oklahoma 10
2005: Texas 45 – Oklahoma 12
2004: Oklahoma 12 – Texas 0
2003: Oklahoma 65 – Texas 13
2002: Oklahoma 35 – Texas 24
2001: Oklahoma 14 – Texas 3
2000: Oklahoma 63 – Texas 14
1999: Texas 38 – Oklahoma 28
1998: Texas 34 – Oklahoma 3
1997: Texas 27 – Oklahoma 24
1996: Oklahoma 30 – Texas 27

The Longhorns have their work cut out for them this year. Not only do they have to find some viable offensive options after a disastrous year without any real success from QB Garrett Gilbert, but they have to replace a number of key defensive players and Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp. Texas is really in the danger zone right now with Head Coach Mack Brown, and another bad season might bring up some cause for concern in Austin about the future of the Longhorns’ leader. Texas has never had a history of putting up a slew of points in games in this series, and Gilbert and company could really have a hard time in this one if the Oklahoma defense improves this year as well.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/28/11):
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Oklahoma Sooners (-8) @ Texas Longhorns