Week 8: Texas A&M at Nebraska

Can it get any worse?

Worse for Nebraska, whose best coach in the stadium might be in the athletic director’s suite (legendary coach Tom Osborne was named interim A.D. on Tuesday, replacing Steve Pederson, who was fired Monday)?

Or worse for Texas A&M and embattled coach Dennis Franchione, whose insider newsletter has landed him in hot water?

Neither the Huskers, 45-14 losers to Oklahoma State nor Texas A&M, hammered by Texas Tech 35-7, enter on a high.

“Every week you have to put the last one behind you, win or lose,” said Franchione, seeking the glass-half-full notion.

You have to wonder how much time Nebraska coach Bill Callahan has remaining, now that the man who brought him to Lincoln is gone. The Huskers laid a major egg at home against the Cowboys, a setback so horrific that fans were flooding the exits before Nebraska emerged from its locker room for the second half.

Callahan’s charge is to keep from losing a team during a season that has turned south.

“They try to remain focused,” Callahan said. “It’s tough on everybody. That’s an honest opinion.”

Texas A&M, 5-2 and 2-1, appears to have one big edge on Nebraska. Check turnover margin. The Aggies are second in the Big 12, 17th in the nation, at plus-1.00. The Huskers, 4-3 and 1-2, are 96th in the country at minus-0.86.

If there is a bright spot for Nebraska, freshman running back Quentin Castille rushed for 120 yards in 20 carries against Oklahoma State, and he’ll test a Texas A&M rush defense that ranks eighth in the conference.

BOTTOM LINE: If Nebraska loses, don’t be shocked if fans beg Osborne to double as interim coach for the rest of the year. Texas A&M also has its issues, but might just be stable enough in comparison to the Huskers to get by in this one.

Texas A&M by 3