The Nebraska Cornhuskers, who arrived here earlier than they usually do for a New Year's Day bowl game, are calling an airport hotel home for the holidays.
That's one of the sacrifices the No. 2-ranked Cornhuskers must make if they are to best top-ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 and win their first national title since 1971.But the Cornhuskers wanted the extra time they got with their Wednesday arrival to prepare for the Orange Bowl's grass field and South Florida's heat and humidity.
Ironically, as the Cornhuskers prepare for a less-than-traditional Christmas, a cold front is keeping South Florida cooler and drier than normal.
"I'm going to sleep a lot," free safety Sedric Collins said Thursday.
"I'm going to relax. I'll sleep, go to church and sleep some more," echoed cornerback John Reece.
The players were due to scrimmage Friday morning, then get Christmas Day off before meeting for a team dinner Christmas night.
The routine may be toughest on quarterback Tommie Frazier. His family lives in Bradenton, Fla., a five-hour drive from Miami.
"It's hard to be away from your family for Christmas. It's tougher to be this close but not see them," said Frazier, who will be joined by his family several days before the game.
"But I'm here to prepare for a national championship game, and that's what I'm going to focus on."
Frazier said he would make up for the lost time by staying behind with his family before the spring semester begins.
Coach Tom Osborne joined the team Wednesday night after staying behind in Lincoln, Neb., to spend time with his family after the death of his 86-year-old mother, Erma, Monday night.
Osborne gave a conditional thumbs-up to Nebraska' first contact workout.
"It was a really good practice for the first day," Osborne said. "It took a while to get adapted to the grass and the humidity. We weren't real sharp, but that's not a bad thing at this point."
Linebacker Trev Alberts, recovering from a dislocated right elbow, sat out the contact drills. The Butkus Award winner will sit out the physical part of Nebraska's preparation.