Going Bowling

This time last year, the coaching search was freshly completed to replace the deported Bill Callahan. If you would have told me a year ago that the Huskers would get back to a New Year's Day bowl game and finish 8-4 and tie for the Big XII North title (well, sort of) I would have taken it. It wasn't the prettiest season, but the team and program have improved tremendously.

Nebraska will square off January 1st against the Clemson Tigers in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl at noon on CBS. The Tigers have survived a tumultuous season and the firing of Tommy Bowden. Under then interim and now permanent head coach Dabo Sweeney, the Tigers won four of their last five just like the Huskers.

Clemson will bring a potent running attack against a solid Huskers run defense. Junior running back C.J. Spiller is the speedster out of the backfield with the potential to break out and make a big play with his speed each snap he gets. The key for the Huskers will be to key in on him and make sure to hold him to minimal games and not allow him to reach the second level of the defense. Senior James Davis is the power back and has been used to set up Spiller in the running game, lulling defenses to sleep before bringing in the faster Spiller.

The Tigers also will show up with their 16th ranked defense, which includes their 12th ranked passing defense. Nebraska's rushing attack will be the key which is not a great strength for Clemson. Softening up the front seven and bringing in the secondary will help the passing game for the Huskers.

The bottom line to get our program turned around this year was to be competitive. Against good teams, we were. Two games we should have and could have won were against Virginia Tech in September and two weeks later in Lubbock, Texas against Texas Tech and finish 10-2. After going 5-7 in 2007, that would have made national headlines. Winning those two games would have made a world of difference in the post season picture and the Big XII North, especially the game against the Red Raiders. Win that game, and we would have had the pleasure of getting steamrolled by the Sooners last night.

The second element was getting back to the post season. My initial prediction was that the Huskers would finish 7-5 and make the Insight Bowl in Arizona. It would have been respectable and acceptable to a majority of Husker nation. However the New Year's Day game in Florida will do more for confidence among returning players and for recruiting. Now with the extra practices, the Huskers of the future will have more time to play together as a team rather than having to wait for spring to get together again.

Watch the ESPN breakdown of the Gator Bowl...

Winning this game will be a springboard into 2009 where Nebraska will have a realistic shot at winning the North against a rebuilding Missouri and suspect Colorado. Kansas State and Iowa State I would imagine will be solid victories with both of them coming to Lincoln. The big road test could be against Kansas who will have quarterback Todd Reesing and go to wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe. The Jayhawks, I expect, will be the favorites to win the Big XII North starting next season.

Also, congratulations to Buffalo head coach and Nebraska great Turner Gill for winning the Mid-America Conference Friday night against then undefeated Ball State. The Bulls were the worst team in all of FBS college football when he took over and has turned them into a competative team over his tenure. Auburn and Syracuse are reportedly interested in Gill for their vacant head coach spots. Here's to Gill, couldn't have happened to a classier individual.

Late To the Party

Once again, we'll wrap up last weekend a couple days too late. The picks from the weekend at TSL ended up being 4-2 in the Big XII with Texas A&M and Texas Tech winning on the road against North opponents. Non-conference was 1-1 once again, I'm no longer picking LSU for anything this season. The good thing was that Ohio State lost, dashing any hopes for a third consecutive national title game berth. Thank God.

Nebraska played in inverse order in terms of their performance two weeks ago in Ames, Iowa. The first half made me believe that Baylor would stand a chance to win in Lincoln. The though made me ill. I can't imagine how many problems Robert Griffin is going to give us down in Waco next year. But the defense adjusted in the second half and didn't give up any more points in a 32-20 win for the Huskers.

Our safety play is atrocious. Anyone who has been watching this year knows that. Matt O'Hallon is quite possibly the slowest safety to ever play for the Huskers, and Larry Asante, while improving, still looks lost in coverage. I will say that O'Hallon did make a career saving tackle to prevent a score in the second half.

Quentin Castille needs to hang on to the ball. This is the second straight week we've left points on the field, and this week was due to Castille fumbling on the two yard line that would have made the score 36-20 and nailed the coffin shut on Baylor. Instead, they had to rely on the defense to come up with a safety, which was nice to see.

The one big bright spot on the weekend and the win was senior wide receiver Nate Swift breaking the all-time receptions record set by the Heisman Trophy winning Johnny Rogers with 143. Swift finished the day with 147 for his career. Rogers was only at Nebraska for three years compared with Swift's four, however it shouldn't diminish the feat that much. People traditionally think of Nebraska as a run first school, however the Huskers did toss the rock around quite a bit under legendary coach Bob Devaney.

The Huskers are going to have to play mistake free if they plan to give Oklahoma a game down in Norman this Saturday night. My prediction is if the Huskers can move the ball and play virtually mistake free, we could be looking at a Texas Tech-esque game. However, if they turn the ball over and commit stupid penalties, as this team has show a propensity to do, they'll lose big.

This weekend in Norman, both schools will commemorate the "Game of the Century" between the Huskers and the Sooners which was played on November 25th, 1971. From what I've read, most of the players from both squads will be on hand before the game. I'd take a Nebraska win to cap off the event.

Obviously, I wasn't around for that game, however all the highlights I've seen and condensed versions of the game how could you forget it? How many times have you heard Lyle Bresmer's famous "Man, woman and child!" call from that game when Rogers returned one of the greatest punt returns in college football history? If you watch that highlight and don't get goosebumps, you might want to a have a trained medical professional examine you.

It's not often a school hosting a game will acknowledge a loss, however this game between #1 and #2 to decide who played for the national title in '71 was historic. It would be nice if things got back to normal with these teams playing each other every year, sadly since the Big XII is a please Texas first conference now, the Red River Rivalry took over the day after Thanksgiving clash between our one true rival. Anyway...

Here is how the picks stand on the year. In the Big XII, the record stands at 14-4 and overall is 17-7. Hopefully this week I'll have something other than SEC and Big 10, although the Georgia Florida match up will be hard to ignore.

Weekend Roundup

Hey fans! It's Baylor week!

I know that this doesn't inspire a big reaction with Husker fans, however this year's Baylor squad is bringing a phenom in the making to Lincoln at quarterback. Robert Griffin the Third is basically an Olympic caliber athlete with pads. As a freshman who graduated high school after the fall semester last year, he set Big XII records in the 110 meter and 400 meter (I think) hurdles and finished third in the NCAA National Tournament in some other hurdle event.

Keeping Mr. Griffin contained is going to be a task for the Nebraska defense that played it's best game against the Iowa State Cyclones last weekend. More on that when we break down the game at Memorial Stadium later on.

#8 Texas Tech at #23 Kansas - 11am: Kansas is coming off a stinging loss to Oklahoma where the Jayhawks defense gave up over 700 yards of total offense. Ouch. That being said I still like their chances now that I think about it. I don't think the Red Raiders are for real given their performance against the Huskers and making Texas A&M look like a decent squad last weekend. I think it will be a see-saw battle, but I think Reesing and the Hawks come out on top. For the Raiders their upcoming schedule looks something like this. At #23 KU this weekend, at home against #1 Texas, home again versus #6 Oklahoma State and on the road to #4 Oklahoma. Yikes.

Kansas 41-Texas Tech 35

#4 Oklahoma at Kansas State - 11:30am: The Sooners have given up a ton of offense the past two weeks to Texas and Kansas, both of whom have great starting quarterbacks. The Wildcats on the other hand have a struggling at worst and inconsistent at best Josh Freeman under center. Point being, I don't believe Ron Prince and his Cats have enough in the tank to pull an upset like they did in '06 against Texas.

Oklahoma 49 - Kansas State 25

#6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas - 2:30pm: Can Texas get up for another big game? Yes. With the ordained Heisman front-runner Colt McCoy calling the shots on offense and Will Muschamp freaking out on the sideline and pumping up the Horns defense, the only way Mack Brown's team will lose is if they are out played. Yes, the Cowboys went on the road to Columbia and upset Missouri, but Missouri ain't Texas as we saw last Saturday night. Sorry Mike Gundy, you might be 41 and still a man, but your team won't win in Austin.

Texas 38 - Oklahoma State 28

Colorado at #15 Missouri - 5:30pm: Missouri has had two losses in the last two weeks to bring them (and their fans) back down to Earth. I still like the Tigers to win out and win the North, however winning this game decisively is key to not having a giant meltdown like some past Gary Pinkel coached teams have been prone to. Dan Hawkins and Colorado are having offensive woes and a quarterback controversy at the wrong time. Homecoming in Columbia this weekend, expect a big win from Chase Daniel and company.

Missouri 45 - Colorado 14

Texas A&M at Iowa State - 6pm: Ever hear that old expression that goes "only a face that a mother could love?" It pertains to this game. If you aren't a fan of these teams, and even if you are, it would probably be best to avoid this one. Despite the Clones losing big to the Huskers at home, I generally like how they play in Ames. They nearly beat Kansas earlier this month. I expect they'll handle the Aggies.

Iowa State 27 - Texas A&M 21

Baylor at Nebraska - 11:30am: Nebraska has been here before. Early kickoff, at home, mobile quarterback. The Huskers are improved over their second game of the season they played against San Jose State and they'll need to be because this isn't your older brother's Baylor Bears. I fully expect the Huskers to prevail on Saturday morning, however I don't think it will be easy. I'm confident that the coaching staff is taking Baylor seriously, and they should. Most of the players of the roster have never played Baylor, and most of the Bears have never been to Lincoln. In front of 85,000+, it will be their first game in front of a huge crowd. We'll see how their freshman star does on Saturday.

Nebraska 38 - Baylor 21

So last week Ohio State bit me in the ass, and I suppose they'll probably do the same this week since they're in my next pick as one of my two out of conference matchups.

#3 Penn State at #9 Ohio State - 7pm: Maybe it's because I've seen this before. Maybe it's because the entire college football watching population has seen this before. Ohio State, once again, is poised to win the Big 10 and get a crack at the national title for the third year in a row. I'm going to pick Penn State because I think they are the better team. If these two played on a neutral field, Penn State would be the clear favorite. Since it's in Columbus and at night, the Buckeyes will probably win. Please God, please don't let the Buckeyes win this game. Consider it an early Christmas present for yours truly.

Penn State 31 - Ohio State 28

#7 Georgia at #13 LSU 2:30pm: Good Lord I'm really getting tired of picking a Big 10 game then an SEC game, but there just isn't anything out there that has two ranked teams playing each other. So, we'll make the best of it. I know that the Tigers got their pants pulled down in front of America two Saturday's ago, and had a gritty comeback win in Columbia, South Carolina but I really like them back in Death Valley this Saturday afternoon. What? An afternoon game in Baton Rouge? Hope that's not a bad omen for the Bayou Bengals. Georgia's inexperienced offensive line on the road will be a liability, however it's hard to bet against Mark Richt's road record in the SEC, which is one of the best over the last seven seasons he's been head coach of the Bulldogs. Still, LSU in this one.

LSU 24 - Georgia 13

Weekend In Review (Late Edition)

Ok, so I’m a little late to the party, but this week was back to class and some other busy work around my house. Better late than never, right?

Our boys looked pretty darn good on Saturday in Ames against Iowa State. Aside from the one big play which was pretty basic and we just forgot to tackle, it was a great day for the defense. In fact, had that play not occurred we would have held the Cyclones to under 200 yards of total offense. Regardless, the Blackshirts held the Clones and Texas Tech (last weekend) to their lowest total offense per game of the season.

Nebraska also cut down on the penalties that have been driving everyone nuts this year to four. It looks like the team is moving in a good direction and with five conference games left, now would be a good time to improve week to week so we can finish the season between six and eight wins.

Going into the game with Baylor this weekend I wouldn’t take it being Baylor for granted. I really believe we will win, and this game will fly under the radar considering the other games in the Big XII, but ONLY if Nebraska wins. If Baylor gets their first road win in the Big XII, stuff will hit the fan.

On my picks from the weekend, let’s get the bad news out of the way first. I completely whiffed on Ohio State and Michigan State. Ohio State is doing something I’ve been having nightmares about the past few weeks, and that’s beating (sometimes pounding) Big 10 foes. If they beat Penn State this weekend (if there is a God, let the Nittany Lions win) in Columbus they will be in the hunt for yet another crack at the BCS Title. Ugh. But I guess this is what the rest of the country felt like when the Huskers would choke year after year playing Miami or Florida State for the title.

On to the good news, I picked a perfect weekend in the Big XII and hit my other non-conference game between Georgia and Vanderbilt. For the year the record now moves to 12-4 overall and 10-2 in conference. Go me.

Looking ahead before I make my official Friday picks, this is how I see it this weekend.

#8 Texas Tech at #23 Kansas – The Jayhawks will finally expose Texas Tech’s poor defense. KU wins.

#4 Oklahoma at Kansas State – Easy pick here, OU big on the road.

#6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas – If the Horns win, it will be (basically) three top 10 teams in three weeks. I’m going to wait on this one.

Colorado at #15 Missouri – Homecoming in Columbia, night game at The Zou and two stinging and embarrassing losses? I like the Tigers big against a team with a quarter back controversy.

Texas A&M at Iowa State – Wow, could there be a worse game than this one? Iowa State at home.

Baylor at Nebraska – Of course you’ll have to wait for this one, but I think you know what I’m thinking.

This weekend I’ll miss my second Husker game (missed New Mexico State) of the year and will not make it up to Lincoln. Saturday night I’m going to pretend like I’m 14 again and see Metallica in Kansas City. Now, I’m off to buy some black Lee jeans and white Reebok high tops.

Weekend Roundup

Well, let’s hope that this week I can be a little more on the mark than I was last weekend. Missouri and Oklahoma bit me as far as my Big XII predictions. Out of conference I was 1-1 picking LSU over Florida. Looks like the Gators are a better team than I thought losing to Ole Miss a few weeks ago in The Swamp.

So as the season stands (starting last week) i'm 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big XII.

# 7 Texas Tech at Texas A&M – 11am: This one should be an easy road win for the Red Raiders. Some Aggie fans are trying to do a “foil out” at Kyle Field this weekend. Like tinfoil. Seriously. The Aggies are absolutely horrid and made Kansas State QB Josh Freeman look like Jamarcus Russell in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. The Raiders (the Red one’s) will win big.
Texas Tech 45 – Texas A&M 25

Baylor at #8 Oklahoma State – 2pm: Is this a possible trap game for the Cowboys? Sandwiched between road games against Missouri and Texas it’s possible. Not unlike how the Boys caught Mizzou last weekend with their game between Nebraska and Texas. Baylor is improved, but will not win in Stillwater come Saturday. The Boys are for real.
Oklahoma State 37 – Baylor 21

#16 Kansas at #4 Oklahoma – 2:30pm: I’ve had this game circled on my calendar since last year. Why? Because I want Kansas and their fans brought back down to Earth, and OU coming off a loss to Texas will be just what the doctor ordered. I’m hoping Stoops will have his team focused and ready to go. If they are, the Jayhawks could be in for a long afternoon in Norman.
Oklahoma 38 – Kansas 17

Kansas State at Colorado – 6pm: The Wildcats picked up their first conference win last weekend at A&M. It may be awhile before they win another. The Buffs have been knocked around the past two weeks by ranked opponents. It could be a tight one, but I expect Colorado to come out on top.
Colorado 24 – Kansas State 14

#11 Missouri at #1 Texas – 7pm: Obviously the matchup of the week. The storyline of Chase Daniel in his home state taking out his aggression by not even getting a look by Texas will be told ad nausea on ABC. Daniel might have a chip on his shoulder, but if the Tigers thought they had a solid defense in their face last weekend in the comfy confines of Farout Field, Texas will be even scarier. Texas has a raw and untested secondary, but hell, the handled Oklahoma. I’m guessing the vaunted front seven will pressure Daniel all night. The Tiger offensive line will have to play lights out to help their team win. The X factor is how prepared will Texas be after their huge win and number one ranking? If Mack Brown can get his team up emotionally and they did their homework this weekend, this game might get out of hand. I’m thinking it stays close though.
Texas 38 – Missouri 27

Nebraska at Iowa State – 11:30pm: This game actually has me nervous. Iowa State is about as consistent as the Huskers are, so anything is up for debate with this one. We typically play crappy in Ames, and the Cyclones are a different team in Jack Trice Stadium than they are when they are on the road, like last week when they lost to Baylor by 28 points. I think Nebraska sticks to their plan from last weekend against Texas Tech to keep their defense on the sideline.
Nebraska 33 – Iowa State 24

Alright, with the Pac 10 being atrocious and a general lack of big games in the ACC and Big East, I’m having to turn to the Big 10 and SEC for my two out of conference picks this weekend. You would think Michigan at Penn State would be huge given Joe Pa’s futility against the Big 2 (the Wolverines and Ohio State) since joining the Big 10 (11). However, since Michigan is 2-4 we’ll have to look elsewhere.

#12 Ohio State @ #20 Michigan State – 2:30pm: I really don’t like either of these teams this season. The Buckeyes were embarrassed by USC earlier in the year, and Michigan State hasn’t really played anyone yet. I’d like to think with freshman phenom Terrell Pryor at quarterback and Chris “Beanie” Wells back at running they would beat the Spartans in East Lansing. Not this year. With senior QB Brian Hoyer and outside shot Heisman candidate Javon Ringer in the backfield, I like the Spartans to win and go undefeated in Big 10 play until their showdown with Penn State at the end of November.
Michigan State 20 – Ohio State 14

#22 Vanderbilt @ #10 Georgia – 2:30pm: If this game were in Nashville, I’d like to think the Commodores could give the Bulldogs a game. Now, being in Sanford Stadium I would reduce their chances to nil. Georgia is playing tough after being gutted on national television by Alabama. What people don’t remember is that when the Bulldogs woke up they tried to climb back in during the second half and outscored the Tide 30-10 but still fell short. Vandy is getting into the tough part of their schedule and will get beat up.
Georgia 27 – Vanderbilt 13

What Will Be

The championship picture in college football is shaping up to be a convoluted mess come the end of November. You may not have noticed, but this weekend was the tipping point which will irritate football fans more than a two loss team winning the BCS title last year.

The presumptive (and one of my picks ) first half of the national title contenders, Oklahoma, lost to a Texas team that many college football experts predicted would not win at least nine games for the first time in over a decade under Mack Brown. Seems like most of those critics hope the wives of guys who bought their preview mags back in June threw them in the trash.

Looking at the old adage of if you lose early enough in the season, by the time the bowl bids come out, all will be forgiven. This will be the case for one USC. Yes, the same Trojans that laid an egg up in Corvallis, Oregon. Ohio State who lost to SC by more than 30? It’s a possibility if not a long shot, but the fact that it’s still on the table shows there is something wrong with the BCS. I know, I know “hey, I already knew that.” And you’re right, you did already know that.

A year ago from last weekend, LSU lost to Kentucky. No biggie, they'll recover. Well, in their last regular season game they lost to Arkansas and looked to be on the outside looking in. West Virginia went on to lose to Pitt and Missouri lost to Oklahoma in the Big XII championship and opened the door for LSU and Ohio State.

Look folks, these two teams were not the best two teams by the end of the year, but USC had to go and lose to Stanford earlier in the year and Orgeon as well. So they were relegated to playing Illionis who had three losses in the Rose Bowl. If we had a playoff, my guess is USC and Georgia would have settled it for the title, and would have been one heck of a game.

But no, the teams with the best shot at BCS glory are the teams with the path of least resistance. That's why my pick for the big game will be USC and OU, yes, two one loss teams. But if all goes according to plan, that should be their only marks in the loss column by the end of the year.

Two teams that can mess it all up, (well three) are Alabama and Penn State (and Texas) provided they win out. A one loss Bama team would make it in, so would an undefeated Penn State team (so long as Texas and Oklahoma have more than one loss). Got all that? Playoff people, playoff!!

Now, regarding this weeks poll First things first, Texas should not be number one. I know most are impressed by their win on a neutral site over then top ranked Oklahoma, but I still think Alabama’s win in Athens is still more impressive. The Crimson Tide should be number one. In fact, this is how I see the top 10.

1. Alabama - not playing shouldn't help or hurt you.
2. Texas - jumping from #5 to #1? They're a good team, but come on people. Calm down.
3. Penn State - quietly one of the most impressive teams this season.
4. Florida - Tim Tebow back with a vengence.
5. Oklahoma - down but not out, best shot at Big XII South title.
6. Texas Tech - sneaking in, will be exposed.
7. Oklahoma State - still undecided if this team is legit, but thinking they are.
8. USC - shouldn't be ranked above undefeated teams in the Big XII, sorry Petey.
9. Georgia - waiting for the showdown with Florida, shouldn't look beyond Vandy this weekend.
10.Missouri - off weeks suck, Daniel proving me right that he's not even the best QB in the Big XII.

At the moment both polls have BYU in the top 10. I’m calling BS on that one. Had it not been for a horrible penalty on Washington’s Jake Locker the Huskies would have probably won that game against the Mormons. Then Washington lost by 50+ points to Oklahoma. Washington is a horrible team and almost beat the Cougars. BYU should not be within 10 spots of Oklahoma in the rankings.

Speaking of non-BCS schools being in the top 25, along with BYU, Utah and Boise State are all undefeated. There is a very real possibility that two of these three teams could make an argument to be in a BCS Bowl game. If BYU wins out, they could make an arguement for the BCS Title game. In my opinion, Boise State was the worst thing that could happen to the BCS system when it defeated Oklahoma two years ago.

Why? Because it’s going to legitimize the case for teams like Hawaii to go to the Sugar Bowl and get shattered by team that didn’t even play in it’s conference championship game. My guess is more of these games are going to turn out like last years Sugar Bowl and less like the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

So I’m still holding on to my prediction that Oklahoma will face USC for the national title. Oklahoma has a much easier road to the end of the year despite the loss to Texas. Their only major hurdles come at the end of the year when they face Texas Tech in Norman, Oklahoma and when they travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State. I wouldn't be worried about the Jayhawks in Norman this Saturday.

Texas on the other hand has to play #11 Missouri (who was #3 before last weekend), #8 Oklahoma State, at #7 Texas Tech, Baylor, at #16 Kansas and then at home to Texas A&M who they haven’t beat since Vince Young was around. If Texas makes it to and wins that Big XII championship they shouldn’t have to play in the national title game. But that won’t happen, Texas will lose one or probably two of those games, and if they don’t, they would be one hell of a team for it.

Weekend In Review

So I was wrong. It happens a lot. What I saw yesterday against Texas Tech was a surprise to say the least. Sometimes a team's best defense is it's offense, and that statement rang true yesterday down in Lubbock.

The constant penalties are still irritating as hell to see. Although I will say that some of the officiating was enough to make me pull out what little hair I have left. Some of the calls on us and non-calls on the Red Raiders was nuts. Despite the poor discipline and being unable to stop the big play, the Huskers took it to overtime and played a pretty decent game.

The big stat in our favor was the time of possession which was about two-thirds in our favor. Also, we racked up about 50 more total yards on the day with 472 I think. Marlon Lucky looked good, as did our receivers who are mostly possession guys who don't get a whole lot of yards after catch.

Three big things heading into next week in Ames, Iowa, a place where we've played like crap or sub par the last few times.

1. Penalties. We look very sloppy and confused a lot of the time. Suh is good for one personal foul per game the last few weeks. This obviously has to stop. I like his intensity, and he had a hell of a stop on third down in the fourth quarter yesterday, but Carl needs to get through to this kid that his actions the last three games are unacceptable. I can take a guy getting a personal foul every so often, but three weeks in a row? That shows me something is going on there that isn't either being addressed, or absorbed by the player.
   
2. Emotion. We've had to "get up" emotionally three weeks in a row against a team that would be in the top 10 had it not lost it's first game to Eastern Carolina, and two top ten teams when we played them. This has happened only one other time in Husker history. I'm wondering when we drop a bit as far as motivation. Is it this weekend against the Cyclones or when we return home against Baylor? Tough to stay high for that long.
3. What to do about Joe Ganz? I know most of you want to rally behind the kid, and I do too. He's a good, solid QB and has done very well considering the extenuating circumstances. That being said, I'm getting a little leery of him holding on to the ball and trying to force plays to develop. There are times to unload and take a few yards rather than looking for a big play, and tossing it out of bounds when you're about to take a sack. I'm not saying we bench him, because if you are saying that you have to ask who starts in his place. Patrick Witt? Zac Lee?

Well, I sure didn't pick 'em that well this weekend, against any sort of points spread anyway. Straight up wins and losses I went 5-3, with my losses being LSU, Oklahoma and Missouri. Picking against OU and the Tigers of Missouri didn't enter into my mind, but LSU did. Should have went with my gut. Oh well, live and learn.

Here is what the Big XII looks like for next week and my early bird picks...

#7 Texas Tech at Texas A&M: Tech, duh. At this point A&M is clearly the worst team in the Big XII.

#16 Kansas at #4 Oklahoma: Too bad this game didn't happen last year, then I could have been saved from the dumb KU fans in the area sqwaking about their team. OU big in this one. The Sooners still have a good shot at winning the South (explaination below) and the national title.

Baylor at #8 Oklahoma State: Baylor with the upset? Doubtful.

Kansas State at Colorado: The only reason the Wildcats looked good this past Saturday was because they played the Aggies. The Buffs will pick up their first conference win this weekend.

#11 Missouri at #1 Texas: Is there anything better than watching Jeremy Maclin cry? I know I sound like a brat after Mizzou torched us last week, but it was still good to see. The only thing better would have been finding a picture of Chase Daniel with is mohawk and dirty upper lip.

So, how will the Horns respond after their big win over rival Oklahoma? Will the Tigers be able to rebound against a better opponent they lost to in Austin? Sorry Tigers, this will be your second straight loss. Texas' schedule is absolutely brutal the rest of the way. Check this out. #8 OSU at home, at #7 Texas Tech, Baylor (don't laugh, possible trap), and then at #16 Kansas. They'll wrap up against rival Texas A&M who they haven't beat since Vince Young was in the gun either. That's four opponents in the top 16 in five weeks. Yikes.

Nebraska at Iowa State: The Clones nearly took out the Jayhawks at home but lost a lot of fire in the emotional loss, and it showed yesterday losing 38-10 to Baylor in Waco. Total homer pick here, but I'm going with the good guys in this one.

Familiar Territory

I’ve been here before.

After seeing Missouri get upset last night at home to Oklahoma State, I realized something this morning watching the replay or recording, if you will. I have had to suffer through a Missouri team doing well against my team who traditionally beat the crap out of them. No, I’m not speaking of the 42-6 loss in 2007, and I’m not talking about our first loss the Tigers since 1978 back in 2003 even. I’m talking about a different league here.

Back in the late 90’s, in my football world all was well. Nebraska was just coming off another national championship, and everyone in my house was happy. My NFL team was a perennial playoff and Super Bowl contender. Something I had enjoyed since as long as I could remember. But a funny thing happened on our way to the end of the millennium.

Tom Osborne retired, even though the Huskers did accomplish another conference title and a couple BCS Bowl appearances, but I’m not here to talk about the Huskers. I’m here to talk about my pro football team, the San Francisco 49ers.

I can’t imagine I’m not unlike a lot of guys my age who were children of the 80’s. How could you not be a fan of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and being a Husker fan, players like Roger Craig and Tom Rathman?

I’d have to say in my football watching career, 1994 was the greatest year for me. Nebraska exercised some major demons by winning their first national title since 1971, in the Orange Bowl, against Miami. That’s poetic justice on the prairie. To top it off a few weeks earlier, the 49ers beat San Diego in the Super Bowl in dominating fashion. A football sweep! Unheard of.

Fast forward back to 1999 and I’m at Northwest Missouri State going to college. The St. Louis Rams are one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. The 49ers are working on missing the playoffs for the first time in about 20 years. A blend of disappointment I’d come to have to deal with regarding both teams over the next five years.

“The Greatest Show on Turf” is something I heard about as the “same old sorry ass Rams” put it on my team year after year for the next few years. Watch a former sacker at a grocery store win league MVP's and constant shots of his annoying wife while telling his heart warming story. Watching Marshall Faulk wrap up a nice career. Seeing Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt pick up 10 yards at a time with ease. And while at home, playing that stupid Todd Rundgren song after every touchdown.

So, like I’ve said. I’ve been here before. Once dominate team I cheered for is now a doormat for former doormat. Now, the Rams are back to where they used to be and the 49ers are no better than mediocre. But, the important thing to remember, is that everything will pass. Missouri may never return to a doormat, but everything plays out in cycles. I know Nebraska fans aren't used to that, because the top of our last cycle last for about 35 years, so dealing with the bottom is hard for us to do.

We’ll beat Missouri again. We’ll even beat them in Columbia, even though we haven’t done it since 2001. Yesterday showed that this team is moving in the right direction. Sure, we didn’t win and we still made a lot of boneheaded mistakes, but it was much better than the previous week, right?

If watching the NFL and one of the pro Missouri teams has taught me, it’s that even if I have to sit through a few years of the media being all over said Missouri team, things will eventually reshuffle. Now, if someone can somehow convince Jeremy Maclin to go into the 2009 Draft, that would be awesome. And have Blaine Gabbert transfer to South Florida or something.

Ready Or Not

This Saturday the Nebraska Cornhuskers will travel down to Lubbock, Texas and try to avoid an embarrassing loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. That’s right, not try to win but try to avoid falling on their faces. Hey, at least this week it won’t be on national TV for the entire (or at least 30% of it) country to witness.

Nebraska is wrought with problems. Allegedly there has been some rumblings about certain coaches not getting along and having some heated disputes. Once again, take the “allegedly” and “rumblings” with a giant grain of kosher table salt. Nothing has been confirmed and until it is, we’re only talking about heresy here.

The current betting line (not that I gamble much, ahem) on the game has the Huskers as 20.5 point dogs. Yikes. Vegas doesn’t have much faith in Pelini and his reconstructed defense apparently.

Why the giant separation set by Vegas odds makers? Well, this make come as a shock to you but Tech’s offense is pretty darn good. While Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy get all the press clippings (typical) along with Missouri’s Chase Daniel (painful). Tech’s QB Graham Harrell, with his 12,000+ career passing yards, is quietly having a darn good year. Actually, he’s passed for more yards than any gunslinger in the country with 2027.

The statistical matchups are enough to make you cry. Nebraska’s return to defensive mediocrity might take a bit of a slide after tomorrow. Currently, the Huskers and Pelini rank 83rd nationally in total defense and we’ve only played one Big XII opponent. If the team doesn’t start coming together on the defensive side of the ball, we could dip down into familiar 2007 territory.

Texas Tech doesn’t run the ball a whole lot. In fact they are 63rd in that nation pounding the rock. However, they defend the run fairly well. I’ll be honest though, Tech really hasn’t played anyone, but neither did Missouri (sans Illinois) up until last week and they had no issues stopping our offense. What we need to worry about is Tech’s ability to pass, something we couldn’t stop in hurricane winds. Nebraska is giving up an average of 243 yards per game which shakes out to being 93rd in the country. Ouch.

Remember 2003 and how we nearly led the entire country in takeaways? Remember Daniel and Josh Bullocks? Barrett Ruud? Demorrio Williams? Yeah, that’s a nice thought. Waking up back in reality in 2008, the Huskers are 88th in turnover margin.

So let’s review. We can’t stop the pass, we can’t create turnovers. Sorry to say, but if you read my prediction for the Big XII yesterday you can see I don’t have much confidence of the Huskers avoiding a blowout. I think I tossed out 63-21 and I’m sticking with it unfortunately.

I’ll leave you with something a little more disturbing. Before October of 2001, when we beat #2 Oklahoma in Lincoln with the toss play from Mike Stuntz to Eric Crouch, in the eight years previous to that the Huskers beat 26 opponents that were in the top 20. In the eight years since then? Zero. That’s right, a big fat goose egg. Since we beat the Sooners and when we melted down against Colorado 36-62 and lost to Miami in the Rose Bowl, we have defeated zero opponents in the top 20.

Now I live in Kansas City and Missouri and Kansas are top 25 teams. A Missouri quarterback is leading the Heisman voting too. I'm worried about a home game against Baylor. Baylor!! If I told my 17 (1997) year old self this, he'd say I'm living in bizzaro world.

Weekend Roundup

Every Thursday until the end of the season I’m going to make some not so scientific predictions that come from my even less intelligent understanding of football. Just kidding. But I will go around the Big XII and make my picks along with some other big games across the country. Without further adieu, let’s jump right in.

Iowa State at Baylor- 6pm: These two teams will bring their identical 2-3 (0-1 in the Big XII) records to Waco Saturday night. Apart from these two teams being the presumptive bottom feeders in their respective divisions, they are also breaking in brand new quarterbacks. Sophomore Austen Arnaud will bring his 63.3% completion rating and seven touchdowns Floyd Casey Stadium. True freshman Robert Griffin will try to help the Bears rebound after their demoralizing loss to Oklahoma last week.
Baylor 27 – Iowa State 20

Kansas State at Texas A&M – 1pm: Two more teams that are much maligned going into week six of the college football season. They are both 0-1 in the conference and have both lost non-conference games. The only difference is that the Aggies have lost to Arkansas State. At home. This is probably the best shot either team has at winning an in conference game and I’m going with the away team on this one. Unfortunately it’s not on TV, because I’d like to see how bad both teams really are.
Kansas State 24 – Texas A&M 20

Colorado at #16 Kansas – 11:30pm: Dan Hawkins has his program moving in the right direction. They beat rival Colorado State to start the year and beat then ranked West Virginia. However, they looked a little shaky against Eastern Washington of all teams. Away from Folsom Field, they aren’t doing so hot losing to Florida State 39-21. Plus they dropped their conference opener at home to Texas, losing 38-14. Kansas on the other hand had a gusty comeback on the road in Ames. I like KU at home in this one.
Kansas 35 – Colorado 20

#17 Oklahoma State at #3 Missouri – 7pm: Chase Daniel will get the spotlight of an ESPN channel for the second consecutive week to further push his campaign for the Heisman Trophy. It’s not hard to see why. Daniel and company are putting up the third most yards through the air with 375.6 yards per game. They’re also just coming off a big win for the first time in 30 in Lincoln, Nebraska and might be caught off guard looking forward to Texas in Austin next weekend. Don’t fall for that though, this team seems to be the real deal and incredibly focused. The Cowboys will bring their third ranked rushing attack to Columbia against an untested Missouri defensive squad. The folks at Farout Field better add a third digit to the scoreboard.
Missouri 55 – Oklahoma State 38

#5 Texas at #1 Oklahoma – 11pm: Undoubtedly the most important game in the Big XII and arguably the most important game in the country this weekend. The Red River Shootout is typically not one to disappoint. Texas has been doing well all season outscoring opponents by an average of 35.8 points. They’ll have their work cut out for them facing one of the most well rounded teams in the entire country in what people are calling Bob Stoops’ best team. So far. Oklahoma to me always comes out firing but slips up every now and again, however they always get up for big games (well, sort of). Just from memory, only the ’05 Vince Young team really handled OU, so I’m giving the nod to the Sooners to continue on undefeated and remain number one in the country. If Texas wins, they have a tough road to remain unbeaten. Games against Missouri, Texas Tech and Kansas on the road could take a toll on the Horns.
Oklahoma 37 – Texas 27

Nebraska at #7 Texas Tech – 2pm: Anyone who is a Nebraska fan and lived to tell the tale of 2004 in Lubbock may have been lucky enough to suppress the memory of 70-10 and Beau Davis’ five interceptions. Oops, sorry Husker fans. Bones is still on the team too. I’m not looking forward to this game at all. It’s Bo Pelini’s first game away from the confines of Memorial Stadium where his team is still ranked 115th in penalties. Going on the road probably won’t do him or the undisciplined Huskers any favors. They are essentially facing the same offense, only with less running, that they faced last week against the Missouri Tigers. One big difference is that Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel exercised some class and let off the gas a bit. Red Raider head man Mike Leech isn’t so thoughtful. Get ready Nebraska fans, this one could be painful. Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree must be licking their chops while watching film of the Huskers this week.
Texas Tech 62 – Nebraska 21

This weekend gave me no shortage of non-Big XII matchups that will keep my remote hand happy.

#4 LSU at #11 Florida – 7pm: This game actually features one of my picks to play in the national title game. Yes, I picked LSU to go back to the title game against Oklahoma at the end of the season despite the lack of experience at quarterback. Even with Glenn Dorsey departing for the NFL and former defensive coordinator Bo Pelini packing for colder weather in Nebraska, their defense is still basically second to none. Florida has a lack of dependable weapons around Heisman Trophy winner and all-around swell guy Tim Tebow to really dominate this LSU defense. Stranger things have happened in the SEC however, like the Gators losing to Huston Nutt and the Rebels in Gainesville two weeks ago. I like the road team in this one.
LSU 24 – Florida 20

#6 Penn State at Wisconsin – 7pm: Unfortunately for the formerly in the top ten Badgers, they have had to travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan and then turn around and host Ohio State and now Penn State this weekend. Say what you want about the Big 10, that’s a tough stretch for any team. Penn State is coming off a strong win against Illinois two weeks ago and seems poised to win the Big 10 if (and that’s a big if) they can win on the road in Madison and then later in Columbus. Two places that have been houses of horrors for the Nittany Lions. Do you know what a Nittany Lion is? It’s named after the mountain lions that live on Mount Nittany near the campus of Penn State University. Consider that your trivia for the weekend you can impress your friends with while watching the game.
Penn State 28 – Wisconsin 21

A Little (Big) Something

I posted this on a Nebraska message board but I think it bears repeating on here as well for you to read. Those of you that are still around anyway. Don't worry, I think I've got my juggling act down to a science so I should have time now.

After five games, it looks like we are all hitting the panic button, myself included to a certain degree. Saturday night was sickening. If there are people that didn’t feel that knot in their stomach when we were on the receiving end of one of the worst beat downs in recent conference history, I might question just how much people are paying attention.

Unless recruiting picks up and we make significant strides, this team is in for a long and painful few years. The teams that are in recruiting hotbeds will make strides within their borders and where they are showing a significant presence. Success breeds interest, and with our culture quickly becoming “what have you done for me lately,” the more we lose, rebuild and struggle to get back to the top of a now powerful conference, the further we slip behind Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and even Colorado. The more distant our success gets in the minds of the kids we are recruiting, the harder it will become to convince kids to come to Lincoln. When our head guy says the process never interested him much, I think that’s a problem.

Just to give some perspective, a 17 or 18 year old senior in high school was 11 or 12 the last time we had a player win a Heisman or play in a national title game. The last time we won the Big XII conference they were 10 or 11. And, the last time we won a national title they were six and seven years old. We have a ton of advantages built in at Lincoln, we all know that. But when those same advantages are becoming more even around the nation at big existing programs and upstart programs who are on a winning streak the past couple seasons I think that creates another big problem. We have a ton of tradition, but who does that mean more to? The fans and supporters who have been with this program for years and decades? Or to a kid from Southern California who has maybe seen a few of our nationally televised games from the last few years where we consistently get dominated? The team their parents tell them was dominate before they watched football.

This brings us to another argument I’ve seen here lately. What should appeal to big name recruits is that they will be able to come in, start early and help turn around the deficiencies they see on the field while on their visits. Right now if the staff is using that approach for selling something very intangible and something that is very hard for a high school senior to wrap his head around. If this were the case, then why have some teams been consistently bad? Why haven’t recruits flocked to programs on a backslide because they’ll be able to help restore a winning tradition and attitude?

This staff deserves more time, at least most of it anyway. Repairing the damage from the last several years can’t be solved in a spring practice session, fall camp and five games into their first season. It takes time, patience and some tolerance from the fan base. Look no further than at the team that beat us Saturday night. Pinkel has had his head called for too many times to count down in Columbia. But they stuck with him and now look where they are. Say what you will about him being a poor coach, but the Tigers are firing on all cylinders at this point.

2001: Pinkel’s first season, they went 4-7 with a 3-5 conference record. Not much to say other than this looks like what we could possibly be in store for this year. But they did beat their big rival, although KU still was a poor program at the time. The notion of comparing our situation now to that of Oklahoma’s when Bob Stoops entered seems almost laughable at this point. Hey, I’ve seen the parallels drawn on here.

2002: 5-7, non conference wins a against Illinois, Ball State and Troy State. They lost to Bowling Green on the road. Missouri beat their rival Kansas for the second year in a row.

Other than that it was a less than stellar conference record. They went 2-6.

2003: Enter Brad Smith as a major player. They lost to Kansas but had wins over rivals Illinois and Nebraska. Finished 8-5 (4-4 Big XII) falling in their first bowl game under Pinkel to Arkansas. They finally get over the hump against Iowa State and beat Texas Tech for the first time also. It took them three years just to have a winning record and not have a losing one in the conference. Three years to get to a bowl also.

2004: Disappointing loss to Troy State on the road in their second game. The Tigers regressed and finished 5-6 after their first bowl appearance in years. They finished 3-5 in the Big XII and had a five game losing streak in the conference and lost to Kansas. They barely won in Ames in overtime. Had they not won they would have been 4-7 and 2-6 in conference, dropping their final six.

2005: The Tigers got back to a bowl game in Smith’s final year at Missouri. They lost at home to New Mexico. Imagine that happening here. They finished 6-5 with a conference record of 4-4. Keep in mind that 4-4 is the best conference finish they’ve had in Pinkel’s first five years. They pull out their first bowl win in decades against South Carolina in the Independence Bowl.

It’s important to note that at this point the spread is the norm, Pinkel is splitting time between Smith, who was seen as the best shot for the Tigers to win, and true freshman Chase Daniel. I remember Tiger fans that I knew having a fit when he would do this because they felt they could have won more games with Smith “under center” most of the time. As we now know, preparing Daniel was paramount to his progression as a player. Also, their now vaunted spread offense was still working out it’s growing pains. Pinkel’s record is also 28-30 overall, 16-25 in the Big XII and 1-1 in bowl games. Does any of this look remotely familiar? I’m not saying we should have retained Callahan, because at this point Pinkel had some signature wins, but this data does deserve a look.

2006: Daniel’s first year on his own. This season, in my opinion, was the major turning point when you could tell something was going on down in Columbia that was for real. The Tigers start the season 6-0 and beat Texas Tech for the first time in Lubbock since the Big XII formed. They get their first win over Kansas State since Pinkel’s started. They get to their second consecutive bowl game but lose to Oregon State finishing 7-5 and 4-4 in the Big XII. Once again, no winning record in conference play. Six. Seasons. In. A. Row. Keep that in mind.

2007: This is the season where it finally came together for the Tigers. Rucker and Coffman step up and become probably the best tight end tandem in the country, Maclin returns and Daniel is in this third year and second as a starter. The Tigers go 11-1 in the regular season and rank as high as #1 in the entire country. Pinkel finally gets over the hump and goes 7-1 in conference and the Tigers win their first Big XII North title in their history. They would lose to Oklahoma for the second time, but went on to defeat Arkansas soundly in the Cotton Bowl. The Tigers registered wins over Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State (first time in Manhattan in like 25 years I think).

We all know how this year is stacking up. If Missouri can avoid dropping the trap game this weekend against Oklahoma State and beat Texas in Austin, they have a chance at something bigger than last year. If (and probably when) they get to the Big XII title game in Kansas City they’ll have to get over a hump they couldn’t do last year. I don’t think it’s likely they beat OU, but they are in line for a big time bowl game. I know the Big XII championship game loser is supposed to be relegated to the Cotton Bowl, but I think with their offense and the fact that Daniel seems to be the frontrunner for the Heisman, they could possibly pick up an at large bid if the only loss is to OU in the conference title game.

My point with all this Mizzou talk is that building a program takes time. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, as the saying goes. Sure, they had a losing tradition and mild fan support to say the least, but they do have a good pipeline into Texas and they are locking down their borders with each passing year, which is full of talent. You can change your losing tradition and mild fan support easier than generate home grown talent. We can counter our lack of top notch in-state talent (not to say we don’t have any, because we do) with our tradition, facilities and fan support, however we need to build on that tradition we have and look to the present and future for answers, not the past. Just because something worked in the infallible days of the 90’s doesn’t mean it applies today. You adapt or you become irrelevant, bottom line. Our facilities will continue to be a step above most of the country, but if we continue to lose (and support starts to decline) this could be compromised. And, the worst possible scenario would be losing the support of the fans. It’s hard to imagine, but how many people will continue to shell out a good chunk of change to watch our team lose? Especially for how impatient our fans are.

So, what happens if we go 4-8? Or what if we don’t win another game the rest of the year? What if it takes us seven more years to get a winning conference record again? Or we don’t get to a bowl game until 2010? What happens if we turn into Iowa State? How many of you will tell yourselves, “hey, we’re Nebraska that can’t happen to us.” Really? Why not? Sure our traditions will be different, but what about right now? Personally, I’d rather watch us win now than watch my DVD sets from our national title years. How many of you will stick around? How many will still donate to the school and drive hundreds of miles every weekend to Lincoln? How many of you will still care if it takes us just as long to get to the top as it did for Missouri? How many lives does Bo have? Because I can tell you this, if we run him out of town if he doesn’t turn things around to our timeframe, we could be in for a lot of trouble. He could prove to be in over his head, but I’m willing to sit and watch it play out for several years if we have to. Life is full of risks.

Will the rest of the Nebraska faithful be as patient? This is my final point, and something I’ve seen here for awhile that causes me my biggest bone to pick with my own fellow Husker fans. A bit of self-loathing, if you will. Where do we get our sense of entitlement? Because we are Nebraska we will be back? For a group of fans that prides itself in being honest and humble, these are not the words of a man that expects little in return for his hard work. We deserve to be on top of the Big XII. Why? Why do a great deal of Husker fans feel it is their God given right to have their team be top dog in a conference they can no longer compete in? If you don’t go out and earn it every year, every game and every down that talk of rights amounts to a steaming pile of BS. Some of us need to temper our expectations with a healthy dose of reality. Because if we don’t, we will become a forgotten entity. They’ll talk about the ghosts at Memorial Stadium and talk of a time when you could win in a state like Nebraska, but no more. We’ll no longer be relevant, then in my mind the unthinkable will happen. We’ll lose our identity and we’ll lose our record as fans. Think about it.

Also, if you made it to the end of this, congrats, I have a tendency to be a little “wordy” as my wife puts it. To those that construe this as whining and that I should give them my season tickets (I’ve seen this posted on here today) because I’m voicing my opinion on an internet message board, you need to step off and check yourself before you get a verbal beat down. I put my money where my mouth is every year, and it’s a damn good amount of money too. So the next time you rail on someone who shells out over a grand or much, much more each year in donations, game tickets, gas money, hotel fair, the money spent on campus for merchandise and Runza’s at the game, you best think about clicking that “Post Message” button below the text screen you’re probably drooling on. Anyway, end rant.

Almost August

It’s the last week of July and as the days grow shorter and NFL teams are already in training camp it can mean only one thing. College football programs around the country will start their own fall camps within the next week. Nebraska will start practice August 4th in preparation for their 2008 season that starts with Western Michigan in Lincoln on August 30th.

In roughly four and a half weeks we’ll have the opportunity to see the new version of Nebraska Football. However, the offense may look a little familiar. As most of you probably know Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson and Wide Receivers coach (and Recruiting Coordinator) Ted Gilmore have been retained by Bo Pelini from Bill Callahan’s staff.

The big change that everyone is looking for is on the other side of the ball. A few weeks ago, before the Big XII Media Days down here in Kansas City took place, Pelini stated that there are no Blackshirts on the team as of yet. I like the attitude and mentality that these things are not just handed out because you start for Nebraska on defense, because as last year clearly showed, the starting unit was in no way deserving of the notoriety of having a Blackshirt.

I’m personally not expecting the jump the defensive unit made from 2002 to 2003 when Pelini thrust the Huskers from a middle of the pack squad to nearly tops in the nation defensively. I’m hoping for it, but it’s a big hill to climb. The main thing I want to see is a team that doesn’t look like they have cement in their cleats and doesn’t die. It’s hard to imagine things staying status quo, or God forbid, get worse.

The team is leaner. Offensive Guard Matt Slauson has lost weight as has MIKE Linebacker Phillip Dillard. How will this translate into success on the field? Remember in Rocky III when Rocky got all inflated and soft fighting “suckas” as Clubber Lang put it? It wasn’t until he trimmed down after finding the eye of the tiger (not a not to Missouri, mind you) that he knocked out Lang. This is probably a really dumb analogy, but I really love that movie. I’m not saying that the defense will be able to knock everyone out, I’m just saying and hoping it’s not a repeat of last year on the field.

When you have as much time as the fans of Nebraska to ponder last year and look for any sign of progress that points towards any improvement this season, you look under just about every stone you can find. As of today there are 33 days between now and August 30th. Let the countdown begin.

In the Door

The Nebraska Athletic Department Development office made the information available for new season ticket holders today and I was able to get my foot in the door as a season ticket holder in our first year of donating. I will be able to look down upon all the Husker faithful as I am in section 39, row 99 and seats 15 and 16. So we are basically in the northeast corner of the stadium, but at least we have a backrest. Hopefully as the years go on, the donations go up and the "priority points" accumulate, I'll get a little closer.

GO BIG RED!!

A Return to Form

Now that the calendar has gone from May to June and now into July, the Husker blog here will be heating up again. Recruiting is about to start taking a turn for the more exciting with a prospect by the name of Cody Green making a decision between either a stint in Lincoln or down in Texas for the Aggies. Green is one of the higher rated dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and could make a sizable impact for this team in the next few years provided he commits to Nebraska and then signs in February of 2009.

According to my calculations the season will begin in no less than 53 days, which can put a smile on anyone's face considering if you aren't a die hard baseball fan, this time of the year can prove to be very boring on the sports front. Although watching my Red Sox and following Formula 1, once we move past the 4th of July, my focus tends to return to my beloved Huskers. So in the coming days and weeks I'll be back on with some insight into the team and some opinions on the Big XII and the college football landscape at large.

One thing that will be spun into the mix this year will be a considerable amount of information regarding a rising North power in the Missouri Tigers. Since my last post, I've been hired by an individual who has close, very close ties, to the University of Missouri. I'll actually be behind enemy lines September 20th (a Nebraska bye week mind you) to help work the sidelines while the Tigers take on a team led by former Nebraska QB and current Husker legend Turner Gil. Will I secretly be cheering for Buffalo? Probably. But as the scoreboard will probably read 87-10 at the end of the game, I may keep that to myself. I'll be sure to wear some sort of parphenilia to keep me honest. It's an experience I can't pass up, even if it is the Tigers.

Great Expectations

You may or may not have noticed as a Husker fan that your program is in good hands. Tom Osborne is at the helm as Athletic Director, and Bo Pelini has returned from the South to save our program and restore Nebraska as a national power again. Just like in the 90's when we won the Big 8 and Big XII on a consistent basis. Dreams of Blackshirts and Sears Trophies dance in the heads of many Husker faithful. Ah, to once again go toe to toe with Oklahoma again. Hopefully every year in the Big XII Championship Game. Right?

Not so fast. I know the buzz across the Cornhusker State is ecstatic, and the positive vibes aren't a bad thing, however these lofty expectations should be tempered a bit. Most realistic fans that I converse with are looking at us going 7-5 or even 8-4 next season at best. Teams like Virginia Tech, Missouri and Oklahoma may be too much for Pelini and company to handle. Sounds reasonable right?

There are a few (and I put that label on them because I would like to think they are the minority) that the Huskers have a shot at numbers like 9-3 and 10-2. While I appreciate people that set high goals for themselves, I'm not a big fan of people placing unrealistic ambitions for things that are out of their control. It's one thing to have faith, it's another to be blinded by it.

Some would be content to rub the two sticks of tradition and history together and hope that it sparks a fire that ignites the Husker program as it was during Devaney and Osborne. There are a few things wrong with this. While it may make for a renewed enthusiasm to tell bedtime stories to your young Husker fans while tucking them into bed, it doesn't automatically restore the balance of power in the Big XII North, let alone the entire conference.

While we were wallowing through the Bill Callahan experiment, teams caught up and passed us by. Annual punching bags Missouri and Kansas each pummeled Nebraska last year by a combined score of 117-45. In case you weren't taking notes because you were too stunned that your worst nightmares have come true, those two games should have shown as an example of a team with no identity and a team that was lost. Despite all the great offensive scheming and recruiting under Callahan, Nebraska had lost it's way. All under the patient guise of the good natured, down-home attitude of the Nebraska people and it's fans. Do you still feel robbed? Or have you moved on?

The presence of Pelini and Osborne alone won't be enough to start anew and rebuild what was lost. To regain what we once had, if it can ever be obtained again, is going to take great effort and perseverance from not only the people within the walls of Memorial Stadium, but the fans that fill it every Saturday. What are you going to do if 2008 yields another 5-7 bowless team? Are you going to leave at halftime? Are you going to boo? Or, are you going to partake in the unthinkable and not buy a ticket? It seems harsh and unrealistic to even speak of the beloved sell-out streak ending, but the present state of affairs warrants the question being posed.

So it all boils down to this I suppose. What do you expect? Where do you realistically see our team? If you still see us presently with the Texas's and USC's of the world, I'm sorry. Of course traditionally with our forth ranked overall record, our nearly four dozen conference championships and five national championships we belong. Right now we are on life support. Right now I'm engaged in a thread on a Nebraska message board that asked the question of "which of Texas's recruits would you most like to have?" I remember when a kid would have been labeled certifiable if he chose Texas over Nebraska. Now we fantasize about which one of their players we covet and wish upon a star we could have.

How far we seem to have fallen. But I have faith that the program, just like the people in the area, have the ability to pick themselves up off the floor and dust themselves off and return to striving for excellence. The only question is how much patience will you have? Are you willing to let Osborne drag his legendary name into the muck that could be created from unmet expectations? How about this, do you even remember when Osborne was under criticism from his own fans because he couldn't beat Oklahoma? Or schools in the South? Just keep in mind over the next few seasons that even legends had their time facing the firing squad. Pelini will be no different.

Nebraska Highlights

Ok, so I took a little heat for my last post regarding the return of Richie Incognito the week prior to the Spring Game. Well, I did attend the game and did happen to get a photo snapped with Heisman Trophy winner and Nebraska legend Johnny Rogers. I'm also including the highlights from the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, just to show you all how much I love you. Things will probably be slow for the next several months. I'll try to post what I can regarding 2009 commits but won't give too much detail considering how I was burned by posting about some 2008 decommits. I'll try to keep things interesting and do what I can to update on the regular now.

Cheers.

Mixed Signals

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the old adage goes. The picture to the right is more telling than most pictures I’ve seen coming out of the 15 practices this spring and last Saturday’s Spring Game in Lincoln, Nebraska. A few of the characters you may recognize, but the man in the white shirt and hat may throw you for a loop, since you are looking at the back of his head. That person is none other than formerly disposed and troubled offensive lineman Richie Incognito arm in arm with Bo Pelini. Forget who he was after the tenuous Bill Callahan era? Well, here is a refresher course.

Incognito hails from Englewood, New Jersey and was the first freshman offensive lineman in Nebraska history to start. This was either an indication of greatness, or that the offensive line was starting to crumble under the watch of former head coach Frank Solich. I thought this way then, as I still do now. To make a long story short, Incognito was accused of getting into many an altercation with male and female members of the University along with citizens of Lincoln. The final straw reportedly was in 2004, after Callahan took over the team, Incognito allegedly assaulted a teammate. It was at that point when Callahan placed him on injured reserve and suspended him indefinitely which led to Incognito requesting a transfer to Oregon. He never played a down as a Duck, but was drafted in 2005 by the St. Louis Rams with the 81^st pick overall.

It was yet another troubled Nebraska player, but in Incognito's case, praying on people smaller than him for no reason other than his rampant steroid abuse and resulting “roid rage.” To see him welcomed back to a program who rightly tossed him aside borders on ridiculous, sickening even. After his dismissal his Father even took it upon himself to accost Nebraska fans on internet message boards. Classy.

Now it seems in an effort to get back to the Nebraska way, there has been somewhat of an abandonment of certain integral foundations the current staff is attempting to perpetuate. I attended this past weekends Spring Game, and also attended a luncheon for my booster club that I belong to. The featured speakers included a video from basketball coach Doc Sadler, who was originally schedule to appear but could not attend due to recruiting engagements. Baseball coach Mike Anderson was also a speaker, talking up togetherness and the respectful coach Bo Pelini. Nebraska saint Tom Osborne was introduced by former All-American and Super Bowl champion Grant Wistrom and Pelini himself was introduced by one of his prodigies and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer linebacker Barrett Ruud.

Pelini talked about the value of being a good citizen and representing the University in a positive manner. He spoke about how a solid foundation was being built by the young student athletes. He referred to how he wanted to mold the young men to exude confidence and a good clean lifestyle not only on the field, but off “from the moment they wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night.” I couldn’t help but thing as the members of my booster club in attendance ate this up thinking that Incognito, and his father, had been at practice no more than 24 hours previous to this speech. I wondered how many people were actually aware of this fact, or how many people would even care if they did.

I’m all for redemption. I stuck by Osborne’s decision (and still do) to not kick Lawrence Phillips on the team. I always maintain that kicking him off the team wouldn’t have helped him. However, I saw Osborne’s intentions, as good as they were, fail amid a national spotlight that would help drive him out of the game two years later. However, Phillips has been persona non grata since he was drafted in 1995 by the same Rams team that picked up Incognito. Welcoming Richie back would be easier had he issued some sort of apology for his actions, embarrassing the University or his lack of respect for any order on and off the field while in Lincoln. This has not happened. Not even a simple acknowledgement. Just a return by a player who is mediocre when compared to other great linemen with ten times the heart, integrity and ability to represent the Cornhusker program better than Incognito.

Out of all the Adam Treu’s, Zach Weigert's and Aaron Taylor’s of the world, why bring back Incognito to stump for Pelini’s new regime? Is there something more there? Is our new coach that has Nebraska fans feeling on cloud nine about our program hiding an agenda that includes undoing the rights that were done by Callahan? As much of a pariah as Callahan is, deservedly so to a certain extent, I believe that the rose colored glasses may be so thick that people will be unable to recognize the picture I posted for what it’s worth.

Here is another thing to munch on. Josh Williams (pictured on the left) who was the 2008 signee I wrote about a few weeks ago who’s legal issues are still to be resolved, was in attendance for the Spring Game. Now, this may just be my opinion, but I believe he should be somewhat shunned until the truth of his situation is revealed. He shouldn’t be kicked off the team and have his scholarship pulled either, however I don’t think he should have been able to attend the game.

Are these first few months pointing towards what could be swirling around Lincoln in the next few years? I certainly hope not. Could it just be some amazing coincidences? Could be. All I know is that dunking your head in the Kool-Aid tank for an extended period of time may help you to take your eye off the ball if something is coming.