Got questions about what has led to Nebraska’s struggles this season? Or how well Joe Ganz can fill in for Sam Keller? Or how hot the seat under Bill Callahan really is? Brian Christopherson of the Journal Star in Lincoln will join us to chat Thursday at 2:30 p.m. and answer all of your questions as the Huskers get set to face No. 8 Kansas.

HowMuchRice

With everything that’s gone on, have you gotten any sleep in the last six weeks?

gutter

Mr. Christopherson – Are you any relation to Kris? Alright, weak attempt at humor. What would it take for Nebraska to beat KU on Saturday?

Neuskuel

How good is this Joe Ganz, really. Do you think that he will Resuscitate this Nebraska offense back to life? Also, do you think that Ganz can get the job done in Lawrence, Kansas?

perryn07

What have you seen of Joe Ganz and what kind of player is he?

shannyvan1

We are all used to NU being a powerhouse in football. This year they’re obviously not. Where is the problem? Is it offense, defense? Where is the chink in this year’s team?

Moderator

Hello KUSports.com readers and welcome to today’s live chat session with Brian Christopherson, who covers Nebraska football for the Journal Star in Lincoln. I’m Ryan Greene, and I’ll be moderating today’s session. Brian, thanks for joining us. We’ve got tons of questions lined up, as there’s quite the buzz in Lawrence for this game. Is it the same in Lincoln as the Huskers go against the Jayhawks as heavy underdogs for the first time in, well, who knows how long?

Brian Christopherson

My pleasure to be here, Ryan. Looking forward to it.

Moderator

Well, let us get right to it.

hawk264life

Assuming you look at his question as a Jayhawk or a Cornhusker, do you feel the advantage to starting a new quarterback (Joe Ganz) on the road this week is more advantageous to Nebraska or Kansas? KU has the disadvantage of very little advanced scouting but NU has the disadvantage of a possibly nervous quarterback in a hostile road environment. Who get the advantage and why?

Brian Christopherson

My first thought is to say Advantage Kansas. But Joe Ganz is one confident guy, who might actually present more problems to Kansas because of his running ability. Ganz has been in the program for four years. He knows the offense inside and out. I think the big question is whether he’ll be able to control his emotions and not try to force the action in his first start.

Brian Christopherson

I don’t think Ganz will be rattled, but I don’t think Kansas is going to be underprepared for the mobility he brings to the table, either.

hskrbkr

Brian, it was good to see lots of agressiveness by the Husker defense last week against UT. But, obvious problems creaped back in the latter part of the game for the Black Shirts. Any clue as to why exactly Nebraska’s dead-last-in-the-nation defense can’t defend the zone-read option worth a hoot? I imagine they’ll see plenty of it against KU.

Brian Christopherson

D-line. D-line. D-line. Nebraska’s has just been getting whipped all year up there. I think most Husker fans underestimated the loss of last year’s defensive ends: Adam Carriker and Jay Moore. Those guys were capable of slowing plays down up front, even when teams spread Nebraska out. This year, Nebraska’s d-line isn’t slowing anything down.

jgage

How will the outcome of the Texas game effect the mindset of the Husker players on Saturday?

Brian Christopherson

It’s weird to say in Nebraska, but I think it was a loss that actually left a positive feeling with some Huskers. For the first time in a long time, they weren’t embarrassed with how they played. That said, you wonder how that fourth-quarter meltdown — letting Jamaal Charles run for 216 yards in one quarter — is going to play on guys’ minds.

HowMuchRice

Looking at Nebraska’s last three games, how are they possibly going to get bowl eligible considering how they’ve played the last month?

Brian Christopherson

They certainly aren’t going to a bowl game if they played the way they did the past month. They might not go to a bowl even if they step up their game.

It’d be hard to pick Nebraska in any of its final three games. Certainly, hardly anyone is picking them this week.

A previous poster is right. Nebraska looks confused against the zone-read option. Kansas will surely have plenty of it for Nebraska. If KU runs right down the field on the first drive or two, this one could get pretty ugly.

You wonder what the Texas score might have been if the Longhorns had spread the Huskers out before the fourth quarter.

byron

What has been the biggest surprise for the huskers this year?

Brian Christopherson

Hate to keep harping on the defensive line, but I think it’s been that. I don’t think people thought the defensive line would be great, but they thought it’d be adequate. It just hasn’t been. Nebraska has some decent enough skill players, but the Huskers are consistently losing battles in the trenches. You can talk all you want about your Sam Kellers, Joe Ganzes and Marlon Luckys, but if a team doesn’t have some maulers on its defensive line, it doesn’t have much hope.

jgage

Would a win in Lawrence save Bill Callahan’s job?

Brian Christopherson

I don’t think so. I think Tom Osborne is evaluating a bigger picture than just results on a given week. Now, IF this team suddenly looked completely different, and just won its last three games in stirring fashion, certainly that might change the climate surrounding this coaching staff a bit. But the way things have been going, that is certainly a big and almost unrealistic IF.

91hawk

When Nebraska fired Frank Solich, the AD had a difficult time securing a new coach for the program. If Bill Callahan is fired less than a year after fans were talking about “Order Restored” at the Big XII Championship Game, what will Nebraska have to do to attract their next coach and avoid the impression that the fan base is too fickle to risk taking the job?

Brian Christopherson

Great question. I think you’re right. Nebraska is entering a dangerous territory where some coaches might be slow to come here given what has happened in the past five years. (It should be noted that “Restore the Order” was a nice little slogan, but hardly accurate. Nebraska was just 8-4 the year that slogan was all the craze, order restored if you compare it to the previous three decades of Nebraska football.) I think Tom Osborne might help Nebraska if a new hire is indeed made. He is a coach’s coach, and he’s not the guy that fired Solich after a 9-3 regular season, so perhaps he’ll be able to talk to potential candidates in a way that Steve Pederson could not have. But your point is well-taken. The expectations are through the roof here, some outsiders would even say unrealistic given the current climate of college football. I could see it making a few coaches back away, certainly.

Moderator

All right, two more questions lined up and we’ll let you go…

sshroyer

What are the odds of seeing Bo Pelini roaming the sidelines in Lincoln next season?

Brian Christopherson

By the way, to the last answer, I left out a word. I meant to write: “hardly order restored if you compare it to the previous three decades of Nebraska football.”

Brian Christopherson

Oh, I was waiting for the Bo question. There is obviously a groundswell of support for Bo Pelini here. He captured a lot of hearts in his one year as defensive coordinator. Mostly, people admired the fire his defenses played with.

I can’t get in Osborne’s head, but obviously he hears the Bo chatter. If he makes a coaching change, you have to think he’ll at least give Pelini a lookover. That said, Osborne doesn’t strike me as the type of guy to just bring someone in to coach because the masses are screaming for him.

I think Pelini would be considered but I have no predictions because I don’t know anymore on that than anyone else. I think only Osborne knows right now.

nebraska_jayhawk

I’m up here in Omaha where I get to hear local sports talk radio. Not one person I’ve listened to, radio host or caller has said Nebraska can win the game against KU. But since Joey Ganz knows the Callahan offense better than any other player, do you think that he could be a spark for NU this Saturday or do you think that with KU’s spectacular quarterbacking play and smothering defense that NU still doesn’t stand a chance?

Brian Christopherson

I think Joe Ganz could be good for this offense. Sam Keller was a solid enough quarterback and vocal leader, but I do think the college game is fit for guys like Ganz, guys who can scramble on a third-and-six and move the chains for their team. So yes, I think Ganz’s feet can give something to this offense that was previously lacking.

That said, I don’t think Ganz alone can turn the tide. The fact is, Nebraska’s got serious issues on defense. Unless Ganz can go both ways and play some defensive tackle or linebacker, I don’t see Ganz alone altering the outcome of this game in NU’s favor.

Moderator

Brian, thanks for taking the time again to join us and answer some reader questions. Have a safe trip down to Lawrence, an enjoyable stay in Lawrence and we’d love to have you back again for a KUSports.com chat in the future.

Brian Christopherson

Thanks everyone. Enjoy the game.

Moderator

Yes, thanks to our readers for submitting your questions. We’ll see you soon for another KUSports.com live chat.