Chris Dufresne’s college football top 25 countdown: No. 3 Nebraska

The Times’ Chris Dufresne unveils his preseason college football top 25, one day (and team) at a time.

No. 3 Nebraska

After Nebraska thrashed Arizona, 33-0, in last season’s Holiday Bowl, during which one team misinterpreted the “holiday” part, the winning coach, Bo Pelini, proudly proclaimed: “Nebraska’s back, and we’re here to stay.”

And then Nebraska left.

So much of the off-season talk was devoted to the Cornhuskers’ bitter departure from the Big 12 Conference for the Big Ten, its general loathing of Texas, and the politics that come with nearly destroying a conference.

Nebraska has never liked Texas . . . ever. It escalated in the mid-’90s when the Big 12 was cobbled together out of sticks and stones and Texas refused to allow the “partial (academic) qualifier” recruits that for so long fueled the Cornhuskers’ dominance under coach Tom Osborne.

At the time of Big 12 inception, Nebraska was up and Texas was down, except for one epic upset in the league’s first championship game, which knocked Osborne’s team out of the national championship game.

After winning a share of the 1997 title, the Huskers’ slow slide began. Osborne retired, leaving the franchise to coach Frank Solich, who made one more run in 2001 before getting pummeled by Miami in the title game.

Meanwhile, Texas under Mack Brown took the conference by the horns.

And so it has come to this: Nebraska’s last year in the Big 12, except don’t expect a farewell tour in which opposing teams give the Cornhuskers rocking chairs and gold watches.

Nebraska is back, all right, just in time to stick it to the Big 12 and head east. In two short years since taking over for Bill Callahan, whose attempt to change the culture and the offense failed miserably, Pelini has rebuilt Nebraska on the bedrock of defense.

He has made Nebraska a fortress again, surrounded by secrecy — the way it was in the glory days. Pelini recently tried to ban the media from practice, as if there were other things in town for reporters to cover.

He has kept everyone guessing about whom he is going to start at quarterback for Saturday’s opener against Western Kentucky, which finished 0-12 last year.

The options are veteran Zac Lee, who sat out spring ball after undergoing surgery on his throwing arm, sophomore Cody Green and redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.

And although Nebraska has to replace defensive tackle Ndamkong Suh, the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, the defense has its swagger back, led by tackle Jared Crick and cornerback Prince Amukamara.

The Cornhuskers finished first last year in scoring defense, giving up 10.4 points per game, and came within a clock-tick of defeating Texas and winning the Big 12 title.

Nebraska won 10 games for the first time since 2001, with Pelini instilling defensive pride and toughness back into the famed “black shirts.”

The Holiday Bowl pounding of Arizona was Nebraska’s “take that” answer for Texas clock management — and a wake-up call to the nation.

That’s why all eyes are upon Texas’ trip to Lincoln on Oct. 16 — perhaps the most anticipated game in Big 12 history. It may be the last time the schools ever play — and the winner might emerge on a fast track to the national title.

The countdown so far: 25. Washington; 24. Navy; 23. Utah; 22. Houston; 21. Pittsburgh; 20. USC; 19. Stanford; 18. Auburn; 17. Arkansas; 16. Oregon State; 15. Florida State; 14. Georgia Tech; 13. Wisconsin; 12. Oklahoma; 11. Miami; 10. Iowa; 9. Oregon; 8. Texas; 7. Virginia Tech; 6. Florida; 5. Texas Christian; 4. Alabama; 3. Nebraska.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com