LET’S GET READY TO ROSE BOWL RUMBLE. Hurricane Warning in effect as Huskers prepare to battle #1 Miami. By Jim D. Berryman Content Editor So close you can almost smell it. And boy does it smell good. After everything said about the upcoming showdown between Miami and Nebraska, the time has come to take to the field and settle the score. Or at least try to. It’s the grand daddy of them all, and this year that statement is true, not just a slogan. It’s the Rose Bowl. And there ain’t a Pac 10 or Big 10 team in sight. It’s Nebraska and Miami. Thursday night at 8 Eastern, 7 Central, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific on ABC. BCS #1 vs. BCS #2. The National Championship game presented by AT&T. It doesn’t get any better than this. What a wild and bumpy road it was in arriving in Pasadena. No one could have forecasted the strange end of the college football season that allowed Nebraska to sneak into the national championship game, but the Huskers are there nonetheless, and are making no excuses. The 11-1 Huskers will try to silence critics and crybabies nationwide, many who say Nebraska has no business being there after a shocking loss to Colorado. Our advice to the critics and crybabies: Mind your own business. The 11-0 Hurricanes are the Huskers’ toughest foe of the season and feature Heisman candidate quarterback Ken Dorsey. In addition, a hard-as-steel Miami defensive line is licking its chops to get at Husker quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. Will Miami be able to stop Nebraska’s option? Will Nebraska be able to contain Miami’s passing game? It’s anybody’s guess right now, as trying to predict the outcome of a bowl game is becoming about as tough as finding someone from Miami in Pasadena right now. That said, the Rose Bowl is going to feel like home to the Huskers on Thursday night. Both teams quickly sold out their 21,000 ticket allotment, but even some Miami officials admit that many Miami fans sold tickets to eager and hungry-to-travel-to-warmer-climes-Husker fans. Many estimate that as many as 60,000 Big Red fans will be at the game cheering on the Huskers. So it’s time to play the game. No more whining from Colorado. We all see what happened to them on New Years Day. Sure, if Nebraska beats Miami, there will be another controversy ready to explode, as many will argue that Oregon, who crushed Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, is as deserving of the national championship as the Cornhuskers. After watching the Ducks’ performance Monday, they do have a case. There could very well be co-national champions. Somehow I don’t think a lot of Husker fans will have too much of a problem with that. Of course, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here, so we’ll talk about all that later. For now, let’s wish the Huskers the best of luck against the Canes, thank them for a terrific season, and shout from the rooftops with our biggest Husker voice: GO BIG RED! GAME PREVIEW STORIES: Game Preview From ESPN Miami holds edge in title games. More from AP No rivalry between Huskers and Canes. Just history. More from KC Star and Yahoo! Crouch wants to leave a champion. Story from Lincoln Journal-Star Miami expects to dominate Huskers. Story from Omaha World Herald Blackshirts face daunting task. Story from Omaha World Herald Sea of Husker red startles New Zealand tourists. Story from Lincoln Journal-Star Nebraska linemen hard to ignore. Story from ESPN Huskers ready to show that CU loss was a fluke. Story from ESPN Husker fans take in Rose Parade. Story from Omaha World Herald Nebraska vs. Miami: GUESS THE SCORE! How will the Nebraska-Miami game turn out? Take the poll Feedback