Shatel: Nebraska is going to a bowl game again — and here are some dream matchups

First downs and second guesses: It feels like the last time I went to a bowl game, Bob Devaney and Bear Bryant were flipping a coin to see who would go to the Orange and Sugar Bowls.

All signs point to the Nebraska-Iowa winner on Friday heading to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

Thats the bowl speculation.

Man, Ive missed it.

The ReliaQuest is the former Outback Bowl, which has never had Nebraska.

I always heard that the Outback Bowl served steaks in the press box.

These guys will make sure your laptop doesnt get hacked.

Its a good matchup, with the Big Ten going against the SEC.

Which is why Music City would be my preference for a spot if NU doesnt win on Friday.

Some of the potential SEC teams Ive seen in Nashville are LSU, Oklahoma, Missouri, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

The Huskers against any of them would be a dream matchup.

Of course, the last bowl game Nebraska played in was the Music City Bowl, losing to Tennessee in 2016.

My memory of that week was hitting the music honky-tonks on Broadway Street and realizing that none of them had TVs.

You were there to listen to music.

What a concept.

Ill be happy with any bowl.

First-time-in-a-long time bowlers cant be choosers.

Nebraskas name pops up in several different bowl projections.

Theres the Pinstripe Bowl (USA Today) vs.

Pitt and vs.

Georgia Tech (ESPN), the Dukes Bowl in Charlotte vs.

Syracuse (Action Network) and vs.

Georgia Tech (ESPN), Nebraska vs.

Texas Tech in the Rate (Phoenix) Bowl and in the Music City Bowl vs.

LSU (247Sports).

The Huskers will be happy to play in any of them.

A good thing about the Dukes is a Jan.

3 date.

But that might be an awkward fit with coach Matt Rhule heading back to the city and stadium where he was fired two years ago.

That storyline would dominate the week.

Whatever happens, perfect.

Its just nice to be speculating again.

I have to admit, the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl looks intriguing.

Is there a trophy? One day, someone very smart will come up with an NIL Bowl, which will pay the players involved.

Thats sort of what Creighton is doing this week, participating in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

The tourney will put $1 million into the CU Bird Club collective.

Meanwhile, Coach Greg McDermott will earn his money this week and beyond, until point guard Steven Ashworth recovers fully from an ankle injury suffered against Nebraska.

Wonder if Mac will have a committee approach to running the offense, including Pop Isaacs and freshman Ty Davis.

Fred Hoiberg said on Monday that he has used tough coaching with his team twice in the last week the day after the loss to St.

Marys and again on Sunday to make sure his Huskers have come down from their win over Creighton.

When a coach gets on his team like that, he knows they can handle it.

Thats interesting because a good portion of this years NU team is new.

Hoiberg is obviously going after an older, tougher-mindset kind of player in the portal.

It works.

Wow, how cool will it be to have Lindsay Krause, Kendra Wait and Ally Batenhorst all on the Omaha Supernovas this season? And Merritt Beason, the No.

1 overall pick to Atlanta in the Pro Volleyball Federation Draft, and Norah Sis, the overall No.

3 pick to Orlando, coming back to Omaha to play.

I wonder how John Cook and Kirsten Bernthal Booth feel about having a pro draft in the middle of the season, with the NCAA tournament next week? Im guessing the players will be focused.

But what if the NFL Draft was now? And the NBA Draft was in February? All the talk this season about Nebraska Class A football being in trouble, and yet I couldnt wait for the Westside-Millard South game on Monday night.

It seems to me that there have always been two or three teams better than everyone else.

When I arrived here in 1991, it was Omaha Creighton Prep and Lincoln Southeast.

Then it was Prep and Millard North.

And Millard West.

And Omaha North.

Westside.

Gretna.

The difference is the disparity between the top and the middle of Class A is now widening.

You see more blowout games.

You didnt used to see those.

The transfer issue is a factor, sure.

So is OPS shutting down in 2020.

And some new schools in districts where the population (and talent) in the district split into different schools.

Based on conversations with several coaches, I would add specialization to the list.

A lot of football programs have lost kids to playing other sports, like baseball and basketball, full-time.

I still love the Friday Night lights, the marching bands, the student sections, all that.

And, marquee matchups at state.

Theres still a lot of good things going on.

Should there be a Nebraska-Creighton basketball traveling trophy? I cant think of one.

But the teams should wear blue and red every year.

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