Thursday, Jan. 3, 2002 | 10:41 a.m.
PASADENA, Calif. -- When fourth-ranked Nebraska takes the field at the Rose Bowl for tonight's national championship game against No. 1 and unbeaten Miami, the Cornhuskers will find themselves in an unfamiliar position -- underdogs.
Miami opened a 10 1/2-point favorite and has since been bet down to 8 1/2. It is only the second time Nebraska's seniors have been an underdog in a game in their careers. The last time the Cornhuskers went into a game in which they weren't favored to win was in 1998 when Kansas State was an 11-point favorite in Manhattan, Kan. The Wildcats won, snapping a 29-game losing streak to the Huskers, 40-30.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska has been an underdog just five times in the past decade, covering a span of 125 games. The last time the Cornhuskers weren't favored in a bowl game was against Florida State in the 1994 Orange Bowl. Nebraska, a 17 1/2-point underdog in that one, came within a field goal of upsetting the Seminoles before losing, 18-16.
The only other times Nebraska wasn't a favorite since 1992 were against Florida State in the 1993 Orange Bowl (10 1/2-point underdogs) and in road games against Washington in 1992 (7-point underdogs) and 1997 (3 1/2-point underdogs). The Cornhuskers' 1994 meeting with Colorado was listed as pick 'em.
"If you look back over the years, we've been favored in so many games and normally by so many points that you don't even think about it," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said.
Here's an even more remarkable stat: Since Solich joined the Nebraska program as an assistant coach in 1979, the Huskers have been favored in 251 of 284 games. Seventeen times the game was listed either even or there was no line listed because Nebraska was such an overwhelming favorite.
The Cornhuskers have been underdogs only 16 times in that 23-year span, seven times in bowl games. Nebraska's only win as an underdog in that stretch came in the 1997 regualr season game in Seattle when the Huskers upset Washington, 27-14. Nebraska also tied Colorado, 19-19, in 1991 as a 1 1/2-point underdog.
"We don't think about that stuff much," Husker defensive tackle Jeremy Slechta said. "We know that we're underdogs for this game, but it's never really specifically brought up to use as motivation. ... We want to go out and show everyone that we can play well, no matter what the point spread is."
Police presence will be beefed up and there will be a three-mile no-fly zone around the Rose Bowl with the exception of police helicopters and the Goodyear blimp. No backpacks, coolers or handbags larger than 8 inches by 8 inches will be allowed into the stadium. People will searched to make sure no weapons are brought into the stadium.
"We're searching all bags," Mitch Dorger, chief executive officer of the Tournament of Roses, said. "We don't allow anything to come in that can be thrown. We're very restrictive."
Undercover police and FBI agents will also be in the crowd and hidden cameras will be used to monitor the crowd.
For Miami, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, running back Clinton Portis and tight end Jeremy Shockey said they have or will consider petitioning the NFL for their draft status and then make a decision before Jan. 11, the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft.
For Nebraska, guard Toniu Fonoti could make the jump to the next level. But he said he will not think about the possible move until after tonight's game.
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