Pre-Season Picks

This is sort of last week’s news, but in the midst of previewing the Big 12 North, it’s necessary to note that some Huskers have made some conference preseason watch lists. We’ll take a look at three players from both sides of the ball, some with experience playing for the Huskers, and one other player starting his first season at Nebraska

Returning senior linebacker Bo Ruud was chosen as a preseason all-conference pick in the Big 12. Ruud recorded 65 tackles as a junior and seven tackles for a loss in 2006. In his career following in the footsteps of older brother Barret Ruud, the younger Ruud has racked up 162 tackles including 21 tackles for a loss. The Ruud brothers are preceded by their father Tom Ruud who played in the early 70's and who's brother also played for the Huskers. I can't remember his name though.

On the other side of the ball, one of the six returning starters on offense will be another preseason all-conference pick in guard Matt Slauson. Slauson will make the move from tackle to guard this season in hopes of having an experienced lineman play the position that requires a good amount of movement in Bill Callahan’s complicated scheme. Slauson is 6-5 335 pound junior who was a second-team All-Big 12 pick in 2006.

Senior quarterback Sam Keller was selected as the Preseason Newcomer of the Year in the Big 12. Keller racked up more than 3,000 with the Arizona State Sun Devils and was Nebraska’s scout team MVP last season while he waited out his transfer year. The Huskers will look to Keller to produce like he did with the Sun Devils.

The Huskers will begin fall practice on Monday, August 6^th preparing for their season opener in Lincoln against a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opponent in the Nevada Wolfpack.

ESPN Ranks The Husker Program '97-'07

Over at the World Wide Leader, they have been counting down the top 119 programs in college football over the past decade this week. I was surprised by Nebraska's position and thought it was generous considering the last four or five seasons. It shows our overall record, and bowl record on top if you couldn't figure that out. Nebraska is tied with Wisconsin for 13th, check out the other 117 schools here.

Out of the winningest programs in history, with Nebraska being 4th, Michigan ranked in at #6, Notre Dame at #23 and Texas at #3. It's disappointing to see the Huskers fall from where they were in the 90's when I started following the team and the history. Nebraska and Florida State were the two best programs in the 90's, as far as I'm (and a lot of experts) concerned, with Nebraska maybe edging them out because I'm biased.

T-13	Nebraska	94-34	.734	1 national; 2 conf.	5-4
The Huskers shared the 1997 national championship with Michigan. Frank Solich maintained the success for four seasons, but they haven't been the Mighty Huskers since.

Big 12 North Preview - Kansas State Wildcats

A preview from the "Little Apple."

The Kansas State Wildcat’s tale (not tail) is that of a program that was almost there. Former K-State coaching legend Bill Snyder turned a perennial loser into a national powerhouse in the late 90’s and early on this decade. Not long before his retirement you could tell that the grind of the season and the season of recruiting had taken its toll on Snyder, with the Cats going 9-13 in his final two seasons. There was a time in the not too distant past that going for nine wins in a single season was considered a letdown in Manhattan, Kansas.

Last season was an up and down affair for first year head coach Ron Prince. Big wins against Oklahoma State and Big 12 South power Texas were huge for a first year coach trying to turn around a once promising program. This was something that even a team like Nebraska, with it’s media attention and it being tagged as a team on the upswing, could not pull off last season. However, losses against division rivals Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri negated any real progress. This year with sophomore sensation Josh Freeman at quarterback will be an exciting one. Prince is hoping that the excitement does entail a lot of mistakes, which were happening more often than not while Freeman was a freshman. The 37-10 drubbing in the Texas Bowl at the hands of 2006 Cinderella story (until Boise State upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl) Rutgers Scarlet Knights was also a downer after being selected to a bowl game.

This season will start off with a bang when the Wildcats travel down to Alabama to face an SEC power in the Auburn Tigers. It’s a far cry from when the Snyder regime would schedule Sister’s of the Poor University and other assorted cream puffs to pad the record before turning to conference play. This is a trend in college football I’d like to see continue, and that’s big time BCS conferences playing other big time BCS conferences during the opening of the season.

At 6’-6” and 238 pounds, Freeman is an imposing threat for the defenses he will face. Scheming for him will be a challenge for any defensive coordinator and his staff. Freeman took the freshman quarterback records and smashed them last year with 1,780 yards passing and six tosses to the end zone. In the final four games he played in, the Cats went 3-1 and Freeman hit 64.5 percent of his passes. Maybe not as important as his understanding of the offensive game plan and his conventional quaterbacking skills, but none the less a huge upside to Freeman is his ability to create plays with his legs when the called plays break down.

At running back, K-State doesn’t have much experience, but they do have some talent in the backfield. Two backs from last year will compete for the lion share of playing time this season. Sophomore Leon Patton and senior James Johnson will create a 1-2 punch of small back excitement for the team. Johnson is a bit bigger and packs a little bit bigger of a punch, but at 5’-11” and 200 pounds, he’s not going to be running over too many strong safeties across the Big 12. Patton set another K-State freshman record last year rushing for 609 yards on 108 attempts. He finished on top of the running back heap with six touchdowns and three 100-yard rushing performances.

In the receiving core there are a couple of question marks, however there will be on explanation point on the roster at the end of summer camp. That point is the return of senior receiver Jordy Nelson. Nelson has led the Cats in receiving the last two seasons, he has amassed 84 receptions for 1,216 yards and nine touchdowns in his career in Manhattan. Last season, he was a pre-season Biletnikoff Award candidate and came away with 30 receptions for 500 yards. Along side Nelson will be other experienced receivers in senior Daniel Gonzalez and junior Cedric Wilson. Prince is injecting the receiver squad with two solid junior college performers in Ernie Pierce and Deon Murphy. Look for freshman Lamark Brown and Danny Hogan to rope in some playing time as well. That’s a lot of receiving firepower, and their deepest position will be at tight end. Senior Rashaad Norword, who had the second most catches on the team last season (26) will be joined by sophomore Jeron Mastrud who is a monster on the line and will no doubt be lining up against opposing defenses and handling them quite well. They’ll both be challenged by a pair of late bloomers in senior Michael Pooschke and junior Brett Alstatt. The surprise end could be freshman stud, and the number one rated end to come out of Texas, Dante Pinchback.

The offensive line needs to be more consistent this year than they were last season. They played in games where they were responsible for helping the team score over 30 points. At other times they were plagued with inconsistency and were on the losing end scoring less than 10 points a game. The anchor of the line will be junior Jordan Bedore who is not only strong and mobile, but relishes his role as the “quarterback” of the offensive line. The only other solid starter will be All-Big 12 freshman performer Nick Stringer. If he can avoid being bitten by the injury bug, he’ll be the starter for the duration of the year. The rest of the lineup will be fought over by players waiting for their shot and season transfers from other programs.

Kansas State will have a potent defensive line in junior Ian Campbell and senior Rob Jackson. Campbell was at the top of the conference in terms of performance, he lead the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks with 11.5, which is a school record. His 17.5 tackles for a loss was also tops in the Big 12 in 2006. Johnson is big run stopper who is a perfect compliment to Campbell’s athletic style of play. Despite being big boys, either of the aforementioned players are athletic enough and could be standup outside linebackers in the 3-4 defense. In the middle of these two ends in the revamped 3-4 defense will be filled by two players primarily in senior Steven Cline and junior Alphonso Moran.

The linebacker core is going to be a little tougher to find answers for. Out are the top two stoppers Brandon Archer and Zach Diles who had 205 tackles between the two. When you lose two guys that can play on Sunday, that will set your team back a couple of years. There will be serious competition for linebacker spots on this team in the month of August. Junior Reggie Walker, senior Justin Roland and Sophomore John Houlik will take their turns shuffling around in the midfield and trying to find their niche. They Cats also have All-American JUCO transfer Chris Patterson at their disposal and incoming freshmen Kevin Rohleder and Brandon Walls.

The defensive backfield is no doubt, by any stretch of the imagination the strongest facet of the K-State defense. Senior safety Marcus Watts was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in '06. He along with other experienced players in junior Andrew Erker and sophomore Courtney Herndon will give the safety position big hits and a lot of game time experience. The depth gets deeper when you look at the amount of playing experience at defensive back. All of them can play, and all of them will play in what will be probably one of the most experienced backfields on the defensive side of the ball in the conference.

Kicker Jeff Snodgrass is gone, which will no doubt make an impact on the team. He wasn’t the greatest on field goals (17-for-24) but what he lacked in accuracy he made up for in distance, scoring on many 50 plus yard attempts. He was also perfect on extra points. They’ll replace him with senior Time Schwedt and junior Jared Parker. They’ll get competition from freshman Josh “I should have been a Husker” Parker. Parker is out of Nebraska and one of the best kickers to come out of high school in 2007.

Ron Prince has his work cut out for him trying to rebuild a once promising program into a program that is consistently at the top of it’s conference. He’s got the tools and the supporters to back him, all he has to do is recruit and execute. Easier said than done in the Big 12, especially with the strides Kansas and Missouri have been making the past few years, no longer willing to play second fiddle in the North to the Cats or the Huskers. If they can make it out of Auburn without being beaten to death, they’ll do okay in the weaker North division. Oh, did I mention they start out their conference schedule in Austin, Texas? Yeah, good luck boys.

2006 Overall record: 7-6
2006 Conference record: 4-4
Offensive returning starters: 7
Defensive returning starters: 6

Offense: B-
Defense: B-
Special Teams: A-
Overall: B

2007 Prediction: 7-5 (5-3, Big 12)
2007 Big 12 North Ranking: 3rd

Next Preview: Missouri Tigers

Big 12 North Preview - Kansas Jayhawks

I know that I’m not defying anyone else’s predictions with where I’m going in my own take on the Big 12 North and how it will shake out, I just believe it’s basically in the same shape it was in during the 2006 season. That’s why my next up in the Big 12 North preview is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Hawks of old were basically a team where coaches would pencil in a victory when teams would go over their schedules in the summer. Not so much anymore. The past five years under Coach Mark Mangino have brought KU back to the realm of respectability, taking them to bowl games, winning seasons and a level of play not seen since the Glen Mason era.

Let's get things started on this year's version of the Jayhawks. The running game is going to take a big hit. Last year was senior Jon Cornish’s last, who ran for more yards than any other Jayhawk in history at the school. Also gone are three out of the five linemen that blocked for him and allowed their 4^th ranked (in the Big 12) rushing offense to rack up yards on opposing defenses.

Sophomore Kerry Meier looks to be the frontrunner for the starting position under center this year. Meier came to the forefront of the QB mix at KU last year tossing 1,193 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight starts. Meier also has the gift of mobility on his side, rushing for 447 yards and five touchdowns. On the flip side, Meier also threw 10 picks in 184 passing attempts, so when KU faces an opponent with a decent secondary, offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach Ed Warinner will have to limit play calling to short routes, screens and running plays.

So, who is going to fill the large shoes left by Cornish who ran away with the Big 12 rushing title in ‘06? Sophomore Jake Sharp, who saw some playing time last year and came up with some respectable numbers, rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on only 21 carries. He can also catch out of the backfield. He added six receptions for 73 yards. How will he respond to the pressures of being the number one guy with an inexperienced line? The first Big 12 matchup of the year for the Jayhawks will be in state rival Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas. You’ll find everything you need to know about Sharp and the new look offensive line then. At least they’ll have their tackles back from last year in junior Anthony Collins and senior Cesar Rodriguez.

The only loss at wide receiver is Brian Murph who caught a team high 467 yards and three touchdowns. He also took care of punt returning duties. Returning receivers include juniors Dexton Fields and Marcus Herford will make up KU’s inside/outside threat. Tight End Derek Fine was instrumental in Cornish’s role in his record setting season and should help Sharp out quite a bit with his ability to block for the run. He isn’t too shabby in the open field either, Fine had 28 catches for 355 yards and five touchdowns last year.

KU’s defense is basically in tact from last season. They only have to replace a few key players. On the front seven defensive end Paul Como will be missed with his 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Their top run stuffer in defensive tackle Wayne Wilder who ended his senior season with 31 tackles and three sacks will be replaced by senior James McClendon who was an honorable mention to the All-Big 12 team in 2006.

The linebacking core will be back in full force with junior Mike Rivera and his 90 tackles that led the team last season. However, he was seemingly beat out of the middle linebacker role by junior Joe Mortenson, who is smaller but more mobile and better suited to the MIKE role in the team’s defensive scheme. SAM and WILL linebackers will be filled by junior James Holt and sophomore Arist Wright respectively. Not too shabby to have Rivera, the team’s returning leading tackler, as your backup for middle linebacker.

The secondary only suffered one key loss as well. Jerome Kemp who amassed the third most tackles on the team with 82, also played on the team with the worst pass defense in the league. Hopefully for the Jayhawks, this year will not be as chaotic as the ’06 campaign. The one big bright spot will be junior cornerback Aqib Talib who was a first team All-Big 12 selection. Talib finished fourth in the country and first in the conference with six interceptions.

The Jayhawks have a lot of question marks in their special teams with new returners for the punt squad, but have Herford, Sharp and Brandon McAnderson available for kick and punt returns. Senior kicker Scott Webb was inconsistent at times during the season last year, including missing four field goal attempts in a row at one point.

KU will have stars for their special teams, and a solid front seven. If the secondary can come together as a unit and play to their potential the defense will keep their questionable offense in the game. Scoring points will be the big question for the retooled Jayhawks. It may be too much to over come and they may miss bowl season, but I’m picking them for a return to postseason play. With a soft pre-conference schedule coupled with Baylor and Iowa State coming to Lawrence, they should be able to get at least six wins.

2006 Overall record: 6-6
2006 Conference record: 3-4
Offensive returning starters: 6
Defensive returning starters: 8

Offense: C
Defense: B+
Special Teams: B-
Overall: B-

2007 Prediction: 7-6 Overall (3-4, Big 12)
2007 Big 12 North Ranking: 4th

Next Preview: Kansas State Wildcats

'95 Nebraska Cornuskers - The Greatest of All Time

Created and Edited by: David Pillen



The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers represented the University of Nebraska in college football. The team Coach Tom Osborne fielded in 1995 is widely believed to be the best team in the history of college football. In a live, 2-hour broadcast on the ESPN2 and ESPN Classic networks, on December 14, 2006, viewers selected the 1995 Nebraska team as the greatest team in the history of college football.

Following the success of the 1994 season, in which Tommie Frazier led the team to Tom Osborne's first national championship, the 1995 version improved in every facet. With the powerful rushing offense and a dominating defense, Nebraska captured its second consecutive national title. The 1995-1996 season set up a record-breaking three championships in four years, as the 1994 and 1995 seasons were followed by Tom Osborne's third title in 1997.

Entering the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, Nebraska was thought of by some an underdog (including Sports Illustrated in their 12/26/1995 issue), even though it came into the game riding a long streak as the #1 team in the country. Their opponent, the University of Florida Gators, were considered to possess a defense with overwhelming speed. Many favored the Florida defensive speed in contrast to the traditional run-first, power-option offense of Nebraska, even though odds makers had made Nebraska a 3-point favorite. On January 2nd, 1996, Nebraska defeated Florida 62-24, marking the largest margin of victory and highest score in a national championship game in history.

Due to their performance against Florida as well as beating 4 teams that finished in the top 10 by an average score of 49-18, their record setting offensive performance, and their statistically impressive defense throughout the season, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers are widely considered one of the greatest teams in college football history. Comparisons to current highly-regarded champions, such as the 2001 Miami Hurricanes (who defeated Nebraska in the Rose Bowl to claim the title), the 2004 USC Trojans, and the 2005 Texas Longhorns, are often made. Such comparisons, as noted by the experts themselves, are nearly impossible to make, as rankings vary from evaluation to evaluation.

1995 National Champions
Overall: Won 12, Lost 0, Tied 0
Big 8: Won 7, Lost 0, Tied 0, 1st
Coach: Tom Osborne
Oklahoma St. W 64-21
Michigan St. W 50-10
Arizona State W 77-28
Pacific W 49-7
Washington St. W 35-21
Missouri W 57-0
Kansas St. W 49-25
Colorado W 44-21
Iowa State W 73-14
Kansas W 41-3
Oklahoma W 37-0
Florida W 62-24

Amen, David.

Big 12 North Preview - Colorado Buffalos

The one time "rival" of Nebraska is looking to do better than their worst season in recent memory. 2006 was a rough year for the program and it's fans. Like Nebraska of a few years ago, they are rebuilding their program under second year coach Dan Hawkins. Hawkins turned around Boise State and made them into the Cinderella story they were in last year’s Fiesta Bowl, upsetting perennial power Oklahoma in the waning seconds with a Statue of Liberty play on a two point conversion to win rather than tie and play in overtime, which is probably second only to Matt Don’t be fooled, those were Hawkins’ recruits out there on that field. Credit him for the players.

The Hawk has a big job to do out in Boulder, and that’s turn a once proud franchise back into a national contender. He’s a mover and full of energy, which is something that coaching and operating in a conference like the Big 12 is going to require. Earlier in the decade they were competing, and getting the best of, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Kansas State Wildcats for the top of the heap in the Big 12 North. Those days are a thing of the past and they will have to find a new identity under Hawkins. It’s not as if former coach Gary Barnett left the cupboard bare, quite the opposite.

The Buffs will have nine starters returning on the offensive side of the football this year. The big question is who will be under center? Senior Bernard Jackson will be switching positions this year, and may be used as an option to mix things up a bit if quarterback play becomes stale. The QB job will be left up to junior college transfer Nick Nelson who was impressive in his sophomore year at Saddleback (Cal.) Community College. He was ranked in the top 10 JUCO quarterbacks last year. He compiled 2,241 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions leading his Gauchos to an 11-1 record. His direct competition will come from coach Hawkins’ son, redshirt freshman Cody Hawkins. The senior Hawkins promised that won’t factor in to the final decision.

The rest of the offense is made up of plenty of experienced players. Senior running back Hugh Charles will try to rebound from an unimpressive junior season. In the 2006 preseason he was on the Doak Walker watch list, by the end of the season he had only started nine games with 779 yards. The receiving core is in tact from last year as well. Watch for senior Dusty Sprague if he can stay healthy.

Colorado’s defense is nothing to sneeze at either. With returning defensive end Abraham Wright who totaled 11.5 sacks last year and potential All-American senior linebacker Jordan Dizon the front seven should be at most solid and at the least serviceable. Dizon had a career high 19 tackles against the Cornhuskers last season, and had 137 tackles overall which turned out to be the most in nine years at the school. The secondary is taking a nasty hit and will be the Achilles Heel for the Buffs defense. Three of the four starters from last year graduated, however the lone starter from the ’06 squad is Terrence Wheatley. He was a 2006 All-Big 12 pick after missing the entire 2005 season.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the loss of senior kicker Mason Crosby to the NFL. He set the Colorado scoring record with 307 points and set over 33 single season and career records at the school.

Oh yeah, remember that rant that Hawkins went on last winter? You'll also get some social commentary from Best Damn Sports Show host John Salley. Here you go...

2006 Overall record: 2-10
2006 Conference record: 2-6 (5^th Big 12 North)
Offensive returning starters: 9
Defensive returning starters: 7

Offense: C-
Defense: B-
Special Teams: B
Overall: C

2007 Prediction: 3-7 Overall, (2-6) Big 12
2007 Big 12 North Ranking: 5th

Next Preview: Kansas Jayhawks

Big 12 North Preview - Iowa State Cyclones

Obviously, the big news up in Ames, Iowa this year is the fact that they’ve got a new coach walking the sidelines. Former defensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns Gene Chizik will no doubt at least change the mentality that has hung like a mediocre cloud over Ames for the past 12 years. Dan McCarney did a lot of great things with a program that is supposed to play second fiddle to instate rival and Big 10 power Iowa Hawkeyes, but just never broke out and made a lot of noise. From where Chizik is coming from he’ll be ready to change the minds of Iowans and Midwest college football fans in the near future. Previous to his two year tour of duty with the Horns that produced a National Championship under head coach Mack Brown, Chizik was a defensive coordinator in the SEC for the Auburn Tigers for three seasons. Chizik will no doubt bring a winning attitude to his first go round in the head coaching role.

Senior QB Brett Meyer and senior WR Todd Blythe will make their presence felt throughout their swan song as Cyclones this year, just don’t expect too much from anyone else. Their offensive line is completely decimated with the departure of four graduating senior starters from 2006 and their prominent running threat in Stevie Hicks. The defense may not fair much better with six players exiting after last year, and that includes all-Big 12 defensive tackle Brent Curvey.

On the recruiting front, Chizim obviously wasn’t able to accomplish much only taking the job a few months ago. If the Cyclones can score an upset against the Hawkeye’s like they did on their home turf in 2005 and win a conference game or two at home, they’ll likely have something to build on for 2008 and 2009. Just don’t expect too much in 2007.

2006 Overall record: 4-8
2006 Conference record: 1-7 (6^th Big 12 North)
Offensive returning starters: 5
Defensive returning starters: 5

Offense: C-
Defense: C-
Special Teams: B-
Overall: C

2007 Prediction: 4-8 Overall, (2-6) Big 12
2007 Big 12 North Ranking: 6th

Next Preview: Colorado Buffalos

Big 12 Media Day

Today in San Antonio, Texas the Big 12 kicks off it’s annual media day. Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Baylor will get things started this afternoon. As of right now, Oklahoma is in the driver’s seat to win the Big 12 title for the second year in a row. The only thing they need right now is a quarterback. Coach Bob Stoops will have his work cut out for him with the hole that former QB Rhett Bomar left the program in at the start of last season. The Sooners will have a redshirt freshman in Sam Bradford, true freshman Keith Nichol or junior college transfer Joey Halzle to choose from. The Texas Longhorns will be the other contender in the South (hey, what else is new?) with sophomore QB Colt McCoy coming back for his second year under center. Well, maybe not too much time under center with the Horns’ style of offence being out of the spread. Another team with a lot of offensive firepower in the South will be the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys will travel to Lincoln on October 13th.

Up North, Nebraska is not picked to repeat as champions of the divison. The Missouri Tigers have been picked by nearly a two to one margin to take the North title over the Huskers. The Tigers have an open week to prepare for Nebraska before the Huskers come to Columbia. Nebraska has not won at Missouri since the Eric Crouch era in 2001. Clearly, the Big 12 North is Missouri’s to lose, on the other hand, the Tigers haven’t posted a better conference record than going 4-4 under head coach Gary Pinkel. Kansas State may be a sleeper pick if sophomore QB Josh Freeman can cure his turnover woes and if second year coach Ron Prince can win in Lincoln against the Huskers. They have their North rivals at home in the Kansas Jayhawks and Mizzou. The only road game in the North this year will be against rebuilding Iowa State.

Nebraska has set the bar fairly high with their schedule in 2007. If (and this is a HUGE if) the Huskers can win two early in a row against Wake Forest on the road and USC at home, that should provide enough confidence and momentum to carry them through Missouri on the road and to the October 27^th rematch with Texas in Austin. If Nebraska wants to get serious and reestablish themselves as a national title contender and not just a contender for the Big 12 North division title each year, they need to either beat USC or Texas. Beating Missouri on the road will be nice on a conference level, but not what Husker Nation is expecting. From what I can tell, it may be another couple years of being a tier under teams like USC and Texas before any realistic resurgence back into the national spotlight.

QB Sam Keller may be the make or break factor in Callahan’s complicated West Coast Offence. As long as skill players can stay healthy, like junior RB Marlon Lucky and other players can either stay out of trouble and get serious about learning routes and plays. A good example of the latter would be senior WR Maurice Purify who was reinstated to the team earlier this week after plea bargaining his felony charge down to a misdemeanor. Purify will sit out for the season opener against the Nevada Wolfpack. Nebraska has a fragile position this season, and one game, quarter or series could change the momentum to having a breakout year, or yet another mediocre one based on the standards set by players and coaches of the past.

In other Husker news of note today, oft criticized athletic director Steve Pederson was granted a 5-year contract extension. Pederson has taken a lot of flack from Husker Football fans, but has done an admirable job as far as I'm concerned not only with the football program, but with all aspects of the athletic department and putting them all in a better position to win in their respective sports. Back to the football topic, it's not an easy thing to replace everything that has worked in a system for over 35 years of winning to evolve into a more modern team and program. For all intensive purposes, the turnaround time back to respectability hasn't really been that bad or extensive considering that the past 10 seasons have been spent trying to find an identity after replacing a college football legend in Tom Osborne.