Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska football team worked out in full pads for two hours on Wednesday on Tom Osborne Field in Memorial Stadium. 

Offensive Coordinator Troy Walters addressed the media following the conclusion of practice to talk about how the team is handling the national attention on Saturday's game against Ohio State.

"Good, good. We stress the preparation," Walters said. "There is no difference. The preparation doesn't change whether you're playing Bethune-Cookman, or you're playing Ohio State, or you're playing anybody. You're playing in the conference championship or in the first game of the season, the preparation is the same. What we do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday is not going to change…It is really [about] what goes on between the white lines and don't get caught up in the hype. It is good that the hype is here, it is good that [ESPN's College] GameDay is going to be here, all the attention, but don't get caught up in it.  It all comes down to what we do between the white lines and the guys, their preparation so far, has been good."

 Walters also addressed the challenge that Ohio State's defense will bring.

"They probably have five or six first-or-second-round [draft] picks on that defense," Walters said. "Overall, they fly around to the ball. They are physical [and] athletic. It really starts up front. They have some creatures up front with size, with strength, and they are athletic so they can rush the passer. They can create havoc in the run game. The linebackers are fast-flow guys. The secondary guys are going to get up in your face, pressure you, not let you get off the line of scrimmage. So, across the board they are an excellent defense. We have our work cut out for us. The guys understand that. They understand the challenge ahead and we have had a good couple of practices, so we are ready to go."

Walters also commented on the role that ball security will play in game against a team like Ohio State.

"We emphasize it every day in practice," Walters said. "We do ball security every day and the guys have to realize that the hopes and dreams of this program is that football. So, when you have that football in your hands, you have to make sure you end with it in your hands. The guys are focused on that. Sometimes the defense makes a good play and they put their [hand] on the ball and it happens. But, if you turn the ball over four times against Ohio State it is going to be a long, long evening. So, we understand the importance, the guys are focusing on it. We don't want to make too big of a deal where it is in our head but, we want to stress the importance of ball security."

Huskers Excited for Prime Time Matchup

Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska football team practiced inside the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields for two hours Tuesday morning.

Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander spoke after practice about what the focus has been like so far this week.

"The focus has been good," Chinander said. "Coach Frost, he set the tone right away in the team meeting. There's going to be a lot of distractions, a lot of media around, a lot of hype going around but we need to focus on our job, and I think the kids have done a good job of that so far."

Chinander went on to talk about Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and what stands out about him on film.

"Probably the same thing when you watch it," Chinander said. "He's big, he's fast, he can throw really well, and he's operating their offense right now. The question mark with him was can he come in and take command of that offense, and so far he's done a pretty good job at doing that, and he's a really good football player and he's going to be a good challenge for us."

Chinander recalled what his defense did well last year, where the Huskers had four takeaways against the Buckeyes.

"I think that was the first game where I just saw a good look in their eyes before the game," Chinander said. "We went out that first series where the onside kick kind of went haywire on us and we made a big stand. I think that set the tempo. We got some turnovers which was huge in that game and they played really, really hard. Obviously, Ohio State did a good job formationaly with a few plays that we needed to fit that we probably hadn't got to because we were still getting to the base of the system. So now we just have to be able to fit all the different formations. I think [Ohio State] Coach Ryan Day does a good job of giving you a lot of condensed formations... a lot of just, things you don't see on a day to day basis. So it's not necessarily the plays, it's just being able to fit all the formations that they give you."

Chinander finished up discussing if he believes his defensive line can slow down J.K. Dobbins and get to Fields.

"Their offensive line is a good group," Chinander said. "They're a big group, it's a physical group. They've done a nice job, they have a grad transfer in there, they have a couple of returning starters.. but I think our defensive line is pretty good. So I think it will be a really good matchup up front. it's going to be competitive, they're probably getting ready for a good matchup in the trenches. I don't think they've seen a defensive line as good as ours and we probably haven't seen an offensive line as good as theirs. I'm looking forward to that matchup and what gets done there."

Husker Walk-on Q-n-A: Lane McCallum

Sophomore Lane McCallum, a native of Norfolk, joined the Nebraska program in January of 2018, transferring from Air Force and accepting a walk-on offer. He began his Husker career as a safety and has served on the scout team but has been thrust into kicking duties because of injuries. Originally a kicker at Air Force, McCallum has made 7 of 8 extra point attempts, and also had a successful field goal against Illinois that was nullified because of a penalty. McCallum visited with Brian Rosenthal for this week's Husker walk-on Q-n-A segment.
 
BR: How did you make your original decision to attend Air Force, and what was your experience like?
Lane: "They were my first offer, and I loved it there when I visited, and I saw an awesome future. A great opportunity for life, to be successful. I committed pretty early, right after my offer, and had no regrets with it."
 
BR: What led to your decision to transfer and accept a Nebraska walk-on offer?
Lane: "I didn't necessarily enjoy Air Force. I definitely could've got through it. Then Coach Frost came back, and that was definitely a big thing. I saw an interview one time where he said there were guys from the state that aren't here that we definitely think they should be here. I kind of took that personally. My heart was definitely always here in Nebraska, and it worked out to come here."
 
BR: What positions did you play at Air Force?
Lane: "When I started there, I was a kicker, and definitely just got bored sitting on the sideline during practice. I was behind an all-conference kicker, so it was going to be hard for me to play. I wanted to do anything just to be a part of the team, help them grow, so I played scout team wide receiver for pretty much the whole fall, and that was pretty fun."
 
BR: When did you begin working on kicking at Nebraska?
Lane: "In the spring it was just Barrett, and one of the coaches had said, 'Hey, your leg still feeling good?' I jokingly said, 'Yeah, it's always feeling good.' Then I took it more serious. I was thinking about it, how I could definitely help the team out there. So I kicked a little bit in the spring and a little bit over the summer, but they had more kickers come in so I didn't think that they would really need me. I was just there to fill the need. And obviously both of our kickers have gone down, so they asked me to start back up again, and here I am."
 
BR: How have your experiences kicking here gone so far?
Lane: "Against Northern Illinois, it was pretty cool. I never really thought it was going to happen. Definitely a dream come true to put a couple of balls through the uprights, for sure."
 
BR: How much pride do you take in working on scout team as a walk-on?
Lane: "A lot of pride. I think that's where our team grows, those guys on scout team who don't get noticed who are busting their butt every single day and making the ones and twos a lot better throughout the week. I think Coach Frost knows that, too. That's why he puts an emphasis on how important our walk-on tradition is, because those guys make us a lot better."
 
BR: What kind of bond do the walk-ons have?
Lane: "It's a big bond. Honestly, there's not really a divide. It's more so one team, one heartbeat, not walk-ons and scholarship guys. We practice what we preach; whether it's meals or playing time, you see a bunch of walk-ons on the field every week. The one team, one heartbeat really means something."

BR: Did you have any walk-ons growing up that you admired?
Lane: "Oh, man. I mean, my dad (Kent) was a walk-on here, so I always thought growing up it'd be cool to fill in his shoes. My uncle (Kurt) was also a walk-on, both in the 80s. I think that's really cool to look up to those guys and know what they've gone through. They talk about how tough it was, especially being a walk-on, you have to pay your dues and just keep working your butt off, and eventually your opportunity is going to come and you've got to make the most of it. I think that's what every walk-on would say. It's not an easy path but it's definitely worth it."
 
BR: When you see a walk-on earn a scholarship, what does that mean to you?
Lane: "That's awesome. That's honestly one of the coolest things, I think, to see that, see their hard work has paid off, because they definitely have earned them."
 
BR: What's the biggest piece of advice you've taken from Coach Frost?
Lane: "No fear of failure, obviously. It's the easiest but also the hardest thing to truly believe until you finally do it. At first, when I got here, I was like, 'Don't mess up, don't mess up,' anything to not get your name called. Once you figure out how great the coaches are and how they're not going to cuss you out and they're not going to get on your butt, it's really easy to get out there and fly around, I think. They honestly want us to mess up, but 100 percent, full speed. It definitely makes you play so much more confident. I think you're really starting to see that with the defense this year."

BR: It's that big of a factor?
Lane: "It really is. Coach Chins tells us to fly around and shoot your guns. That's pretty much his motto. If one guy misses, the next guy's going to make a play, or if the next guy misses, the next guy is going to make a play. It's going to be a gang tackle and everybody is going to be swarming him."
 
BR: What other sports did you play in high school?
Lane: "I played basketball, and I also did soccer and track."
 
BR: How does playing multiple sports in high school translate to playing on the Division I level?
Lane: "I think it just shows much more raw potential you have. Specializing in one sport all through high school, I think you probably hit your peak quicker. Having those other sports and not focusing on one and then coming here and specializing in one sport, you definitely grow. That's how it was for me, for sure. Finding just any way to be competitive and having those clutch situations, where you have to go through pressure, I think all of those situations help instead of just playing one sport."