LINCOLN - Like a mad scientist, Kevin Cosgrove stood in the bowels of Memorial Stadium smiling and staring into space as he listed his preseason experiments: four-man fronts, three-man fronts, disguised fronts.

The defensive coordinator talked about "hybrid" players, schemes that put six linebackers and five defensive backs on the field at the same time, and linebackers lining up at nose tackle? Oh, the possibilities.

"I think coach 'Cos' kind of gets bored with stuff, so he tries new things," linebacker Corey McKeon said. "If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, it doesn't. He likes to move guys around."

The Cornhuskers have a deep and talented stable of linebackers, and Cosgrove plans to build around them.

A 3-4 alignment will be prominent against offenses that favor the pass. The three-lineman, four-linebacker look gets more speed on the field and lends itself to a wider variety of blitzes and coverages.

Cosgrove said he needs to get creative to counter the wide array of offenses in the Big 12 Conference.

"You have to be able to get good matchups," Cosgrove said. "By us getting those (more athletic) guys on the field, our matchups are improved."

Coach Bill Callahan said he likes the makeup of his defense, especially its athleticism.

"I keep harping on the same message: You have to be versatile," Callahan said. "I tell the guys we have to be able to play you just about anywhere to create the matchup we want."

GROWING SUPPORT: From the air near Wooster, Ohio, Scott McIntyre's pride can be seen in the scarlet and gray spelled out in yellow and green.

In May, the Ohio State research associate carefully planted plots of yellow-leafed soybeans amid a more typical green-leafed variety in an unused, four-acre field at the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center about 50 miles south of Cleveland.

Since the plants started coming up in late July, the two-tone field has displayed the words "OHIO STATE BUCKEYES" with an accompanying smiley face.

McIntyre, 43, pointed out his tribute is best seen from an aircraft, flying about 1,000 feet.

Yellow-leafed soybeans yield less and aren't used often, and they start to turn green as they mature, he said, so the message might not last more than another week.

ETC.: Florida receiver Percy Harvin has been limited in practice because of Achilles' tendinitis. "It's just a pain in the butt," coach Urban Meyer said. "It's frustrating for him." Harvin, a sophomore, had 428 rushing yards, 427 receiving yards and scored five touchdowns last season for the national champion Gators. . . . Missouri tailback Tony Temple returned to full-contact drills for the first time in a week, but backup Marcus Woods will miss more than one week with a high-ankle sprain. . . . Backup center Chase Beeler has left the Oklahoma team, coach Bob Stoops said. . . . Indiana receiver James Hardy is expected to miss two weeks after breaking a finger on his left hand during practice. . . . Freshman quarterback Pat Bostick returned to Pittsburgh's preseason camp after dealing with an undisclosed personal issue since Aug. 6. . . . Junior college transfer Tyler Lorenzen won quarterback competition for Connecticut and is scheduled to start the opener at Duke.