IRVING, Texas -- While much of the talk down here in Nebraska's camp has focused on how the Cornhuskers are going to deal with Auburn's team speed in Monday's Cotton Bowl game, Tigers' coach Tommy Tuberville contends that his team has similar concerns.

"They have team speed -- but they also have a lot of size and a lot of strength -- but don't be kidded or fooled," Tuberville said of the Huskers. "They have guys that can run. They know how to use it. They have good schemes, and that's what it all comes down to when you get into a matchup of two teams that have good athletes on both sides."

Oh, and by the way, several Auburn players have said there's no chance they'll be looking past Nebraska on New Year's Day -- especially after the Tigers came out flat last year in a 24-10 loss to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.

"I still feel that sickening feeling from Wisconsin last year," Auburn wide receiver Courtney Taylor said. "From the time we stepped foot back on campus, everybody reminded us of that. It was sickening."

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News from Nebraska's camp today ...

Nebraska's Big 12 Conference football schedules are set for the next nine seasons, as the Big 12 office released league schedules for the seasons of 2008 through 2015 on Tuesday.

Among the notes from Nebraska's future Big 12 schedules are:

• Nebraska will continue to conclude the regular season with a Thanksgiving weekend matchup against Colorado. The NU-CU games may continue to be played on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but that determination will not be made until after the Big 12 has completed a new TV contract.

• In five of the eight seasons between 2008 and 2015, Nebraska does not have a scheduled bye week prior to the Colorado game.

• The 2008, 2013 and 2014 schedules have 14 playing Saturdays, giving schools two off Saturdays during the course of the season. In those three seasons, the Huskers are scheduled to have a bye week before taking on Colorado to close the regular season.

• Nebraska will open conference play each year from 2008 to 2015 against either Missouri or Kansas State. The Huskers open against Missouri in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, and against the Wildcats in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

• The Huskers’ rotation against the Big 12 South will remain the same. Nebraska will face Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, and will take on Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

The Huskers’ 2007 schedule was set as part of the previous group of Big 12 schedules. Nebraska has completed its non-conference schedule for 2007, and has several future non-conference series’ set through 2017.

Minor changes to the Big 12 schedules could be made in the future to accommodate for television.

Future Nebraska Football Schedules
2007
Sept. 1 Nevada
Sept. 8 at Wake Forest
Sept. 15 USC
Sept. 22 Ball State
Sept. 29 Iowa State
Oct. 6 at Missouri
Oct. 13 Oklahoma State
Oct. 20 Texas A&M
Oct. 27 at Texas
Nov. 3 at Kansas
Nov. 10 Kansas State
Nov. 17 BYE
Nov. 23 at Colorado

2008
Non-Conference
Sept. 20 Virginia Tech
3 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Oct. 4 Missouri
Oct. 11 at Texas Tech
Oct. 18 at Iowa State
Oct. 25 Baylor
Nov. 1 at Oklahoma
Nov. 8 Kansas
Nov. 15 at Kansas State
Nov. 22 BYE
Nov. 28/29 Colorado

2009
Non-Conference
Sept. 5 Florida Atlantic
Sept. 19 at Virginia Tech
2 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Oct. 3 at Missouri
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 Texas Tech
Oct. 24 Iowa State
Oct. 31 at Baylor
Nov. 7 Oklahoma
Nov. 14 at Kansas
Nov. 21 Kansas State
Nov. 27/28 at Colorado

2010
Non-Conference
Sept. 18 at Washington
3 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Oct. 2 at Kansas State
Oct. 9 BYE
Oct. 16 Texas
Oct. 23 at Oklahoma State
Oct. 30 Missouri
Nov. 6 at Iowa State
Nov. 13 Kansas
Nov. 20 at Texas A&M
Nov. 26/27 Colorado

2011
Non-Conference
Sept. 17 Washington
3 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Oct. 8 Kansas State
Oct. 15 at Texas
Oct. 22 Oklahoma State
Oct. 29 at Missouri
Nov. 5 Iowa State
Nov. 12 at Kansas
Nov. 19 Texas A&M
Nov. 25/26 at Colorado

2012
Non-Conference
Sept. 8 at UCLA
3 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Sept. 29 Missouri
Oct. 6 BYE
Oct. 13 at Texas Tech
Oct. 20 at Iowa State
Oct. 27 Baylor
Nov. 3 at Oklahoma
Nov. 10 Kansas
Nov. 17 at Kansas State
Nov. 23/24 Colorado


2013
Non-Conference
Sept. 14 UCLA
3 non-conference games TBA
Big 12
Oct. 5 at Missouri
Oct. 12 Texas Tech
Oct. 19 Iowa State
Oct. 26 at Baylor
Nov. 2 Oklahoma
Nov. 9 at Kansas
Nov. 16 Kansas State
Nov. 23 BYE
Nov. 29/30 at Colorado

2014
Non-Conference Schedule TBA
Big 12
Oct. 4 at Kansas State
Oct. 11 Texas
Oct. 18 at Oklahoma State
Oct. 25 Missouri
Nov. 1 at Iowa State
Nov. 8 Kansas
Nov. 15 at Texas A&M
Nov. 22 BYE
Nov. 28/29 Colorado

2015
Non-Conference Schedule TBA
Big 12
Oct. 3 Kansas State
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 at Texas
Oct. 24 Oklahoma State
Oct. 31 at Missouri
Nov. 7 Iowa State
Nov. 14 at Kansas
Nov. 21 Texas A&M
Nov. 27/28 at Colorado

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Feeling a little nostalgic while waiting for Nebraska's Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl date with Auburn? Check out the results of ESPN Classic's All-Time Greatest College Football Playoff.

If you want the short version, Nebraska's 1995 national championship team was voted as the winner, beating the 1971 Nebraska team in the title game.

The 1995 Huskers also took out the 1983 Nebraska team in the quarterfinals. Obviously, this thought isn't a new one in Husker Nation, but man, just think if the "Scoring Explosion" had any kind of a defense. Wow.

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It looks like it's already been a good week for Nebraska's secondary and no, it isn't because the Cornhuskers don't have a game.

The Lincoln Journal Star's Web site reported Wednesday that cornerback Zackary Bowman plans to return to Nebraska next season. Bowman, who was expected to be a senior starter this past fall, suffered a season-ending knee injury in August.

However, there was some doubt about Bowman coming back as there were reports in NFL draft publications that Bowman, despite the injury, was considering entering this spring's NFL draft.

Prior to news of Bowman's return, it was learned that junior college cornerback Armando Murillo has given his verbal commitment to Nebraska. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is listed as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Murillo, who is expected to enroll at Nebraska in January and take part in spring football, will join Bowman and returning starters Cortney Grixby and Andre Jones in competition for the cornerback spots.

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It's official: Nebraska vs. Auburn in the Cotton Bowl.

The info for Nebraska's sports information department:

Huskers Set to Face Auburn in AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic announced on Sunday afternoon that the 2007 game will pair Nebraska against the Auburn Tigers. The 2007 Cotton Bowl is set for New Year’s Day with kickoff at 10:40 a.m. CST and the game televised on Fox.

Nebraska’s appearance in the Cotton Bowl marks the Huskers’ first trip to Dallas for the game in 27 years, dating back to a loss to Houston in the 1980 Cotton Bowl. Nebraska also appeared in the Cotton Bowl following the 1964 and 1973 seasons.

Auburn will enter the AT&T Cotton Bowl with a 10-2 record and ranked 10th in both the USA Today Coaches poll and the Associated Press poll. The Tigers were ranked as high as second in the polls in early October and own victories over second-ranked Florida and No. 4 LSU. Auburn’s lone setbacks this season came against Arkansas and Georgia. The matchup with Auburn will mark Nebraska’s fourth game of the season against a top-10 opponent, its most since also meeting four top-10 teams in 1995.

The Tigers are among the nation’s best defensive units, ranking seventh in scoring defense and 25th in total defense. Offensively, Auburn has a strong rushing attack, ranking fourth in the Southeastern Conference in that category.

Tommy Tuberville is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Tigers and has guided Auburn to a bowl appearance in each of the past seven seasons. Over the past three years, Auburn has compiled the third-best record in college football (32-5), trailing only USC and Texas, who also appeared on the 2006 Nebraska schedule.

Nebraska owns a 3-0 series advantage over the Tigers, including a 13-7 victory in the 1964 Orange Bowl. The Huskers also defeated Auburn in the regular season in 1981 and 1982. Nebraska’s bowl appearance will be the school’s 44th all-time postseason trip, the fifth-most in NCAA history. Nebraska has played in several January bowl games in recent years, but this year will mark Nebraska’s first bowl game on New Year’s Day since a 24-17 victory over Miami in the 1995 Orange Bowl.

Tickets for the Cotton Bowl are available on Huskers.com, in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office (Stadium Parking Garage) or over the phone by calling 1-800-8 BIG RED. Nebraska’s allotment of tickets for the Cotton Bowl is 12,500, with tickets costing $90 each.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The drought is over. Nebraska is back in the Big 12 Conference championship game for the first time since 1999 and once again has an opportunity to lock up what would truly be a "signature" win for Cornhuskers' coach Bill Callahan.

Certainly, No. 8-ranked Oklahoma provides Nebraska with a formidable foe as the Huskers once again try to prove that they are truly "back" on the national scene.

It's still more than an hour before kickoff, but it definitely doesn't look like a fun night to be an offensive players. When special teams players are out on the field going through early pregame warmups dressed like they're going on a hunting trip, you know it's cold.

While the Big 12 title and a BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl rank as the big stories, Nebraska senior quarterback Zac Taylor provides the ultimate subplot. Born and bred a Sooner in Norman, Okla., Taylor has a chance help the Huskers knock off his hometown Sooners on a national stage. If he does, it's a true-to-life story destined for Hollywood.

The picks:
Terry Douglass, sports editor: Nebraska 17, Oklahoma 14
Dale Miller, sports writer: Oklahoma 28, Nebraska 21
Kevin Schuster, correspondent: Oklahoma 24, Nebraska 21
Tony Boone, correspondent: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 21

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