End 'O Year Spectacular

Sit down, relax, and prepare for my longest entry yet. Hope you’re ready…It's like six entries rolled into one! It's a New Year's steal!

So, the 2007 college football season is now history. Finally, for some like me. The season was a blessing and curse at the same time, Nebraska fans had to endure embarrassment in order to get what they wanted but didn’t even know it at the beginning of the season.

You’re going to hear about the crazy season that was college football for a few years, maybe less, until it happens again. Schools that are not traditional powers will become more competitive and the will catch the Oklahoma’s, the Michigan’s and yes, even the USC’s of the world. It will become more like the NFL, not exactly, but similar.

Look at USC, for example, they have a couple of injuries to key players and end up dropping games to Oregon and (gulp!) Stanford. It’s hard to call yourself a juggernaut if you lose to Stanford. At home. I’m also just about sick hearing the media talking heads say “well, if USC has all their players healthy…” Well, come on now. If any team has all their key players healthy of course they have a better shot to win. They got injured, they lost, better luck next year.

Big 12 North Emerges

Ok, so you’re bummed about the second losing season at Nebraska in 45 years. We all are and we have been, but we’ve had some time to heal and get over it. It’s time to be optimistic and look towards the future. We all saw on Monday night that Bo Pelini can coach, no worries there. Now we’ll get to see if he can run a program. Having Osborne as the final word until 2010 won’t hurt, but I’m sure he’ll give Bo some room to breath and run the program his way.

Pelini will have a challenge in front of him with the emergence of teams like Missouri and Kansas. To top it off, a familiar rival is starting to come back around with Dan Hawkins running the show in Boulder, Colorado. I’m not sure what Kansas State is trying to accomplish in Manhattan, but with the talent they get each year you still have to be mindful of their team as well. Dare I say that the Big 12 North is starting to become as competitive as the South? We’re not there quite yet, give me a few years of both Missouri and Kansas repeating what they did this year and maybe I’ll be willing to proclaim the greatness of the North.

Still, you can’t discount what transpired this year. Kansas won the Orange Bowl, Missouri embarrassed an SEC opponent in the Cotton Bowl and Oklahoma won another Big 12 title and looked unmotivated and uninspired while losing the Fiesta Bowl yet again. Negative for the Big 12, fun and awesome for me.

Bo Looks Solid

Now Tom Osborne looks like a genius. People on a national level always doubt him, from going for two to letting the new head coach finish what he started in Baton Rouge. Somehow Osborne always comes through and makes himself and his decisions look wise and calculated. Having Pelini winning a national championship on the sideline on Monday was excellent PR for Nebraska.

You could tell his team loves him, they rallied around him and didn’t waiver when Ohio State came out swinging in the first quarter. He kept his confidence in the defensive backs to pin down Buckeye receivers and allowed his physical front seven to tee off against OSU QB Todd Boeckman.

Monday night's game was also a great statement for coaches that honor agreements and stay loyal to their players in college football with the likes of Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino dominating the coaching headlines as of late. It shows not only great character in Pelini but in both schools as well. As far as recruiting goes, if we can get the talent expect to see the same brand of defense in Lincoln in the next couple years. Repeat, that’s if we can get the talent.

Bo will be back in Lincoln on Thursday to resume his duties as head coach now that the recruiting dead period is over. With classes resuming at Nebraska on the 14^th, he’ll address the team regarding winter conditioning and get back on the recruiting trail Sunday. Just to let you know, it’s 101 days until the Red-White Spring Game.

Tim Beck Named Running Backs Coach

This is couple days old, so if you’ve heard it you skip this section. Pelini announced that the final piece of the coaching staff was put in place with the hiring of Tim Beck. Beck is coming over from the Kansas Jayhawks after spending this year helping shape one the nation’s most prolific offenses as receivers coach. At the beginning of the year he was also named pass game coordinator. Beck is recognized as one of the minds that helped the Jayhawk attack form over his three year run for head coach Mark Mangino.

With the addition of Beck to the staff this makes the combination of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Coach Shawn Watson and receivers coach Ted Gilmore even more potent. The Huskers improved radically at the end of the year while shifting focus from West Coast to Spread/Option Read offensive schemes. With Beck now on board he should be able to bolster the already potentially potent core of Husker running backs while contributing to the offense overall.

Before his past three seasons with the Jayhawks, Beck was a highly decorated high school coach in Texas. He won 2003 District Coach of the Year while leading the Summit High Jaguars to their first playoff appearance and district championship after only opening the school’s doors in the fall of 2002. He was also head coach at R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas from 1999 to 2001.

A bit of interesting Husker trivia you can wow your friends with the next time you’re at the bar. Ask them if they know who coached Nebraska All-American safety Mike Brown in high school. You can tell them the Husker’s new running backs coach of course, Tim Beck. You’re friends will be in awe of your Husker knowledge. It’s also a great way to pick up chicks.

Just an added note for trivia lovers, Beck attended the same high school (Cardinal Mooney) in Youngstown, Ohio as the Pelini brothers.

R.I.P Bill Callahan

With the end of the season comes the final word on the Callahan era. Not so much the era, but more the man and how it that translated to and affected his reign in Lincoln. Maybe you’ve heard some of the darker comments from Callahan, maybe you haven’t. My favorite was when the local media was criticizing him and he was quoted as saying, “I don’t read the local papers, in fact I’m going to get me a real newspaper, I’m going to read the New York Times.” Maybe he was checking the classifieds for a new career, who knows.

This was not even as close to as bad as his alleged comments he made about Osborne which I picked up from my new issue of Sports Illustrated this past week. During this season after a phone conversation not long after Osborne replaced Steve Pederson, an unidentified trainer alleged that Callahan referred to Osborne as a “crusty, old f*ck.

Callahan was also one delusional crackpot from the sound of this next quote. Despite hacking and wheezing to a 5-and-7 record Callahan was still claiming that the program was headed in the right direction saying “I have done an excellent job in every area.” This was quoted the week of his final game when he lost 65-51 at Colorado.

This week the Tampa Bay Buccaneers relieved their offensive coordinator of his position after a dismal performance in their Wild Card game against the New York Football Giants. Callahan is one of the candidates to replace him as offensive coordinator in 2008 rejoining head coach Jon Gruden from their Raider days. Full circle indeed.

Wrapping It Up

A lot of talk is surfacing who is the dominate conference in the country. I’m not a huge fan of this but I’m willing to rate the “BCS Six” for now to close out the season. Below this are the final AP and USA Today/Coaches Polls. Here we go in order from top to bottom.

1. Southeastern Conference (SEC)

Why? – LSU wins National Title, Georgia shellacs Hawaii in Sugar Bowl, Tebow wins greatest citizen of the world award along with Heisman. Kentucky starting to look good, Darren McFadden is the best college football player (sorry Gator Nation).

Why not? – LSU did lose two games to conference opponents and needed miracles to win others, Georgia didn’t even play for the conference championship, Tennessee’s stunning road loss to a bad Cal team, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

2. Big 12

Why? – The rise of the Big 12 North with Mizzou and KU leading the way. Oklahoma and Texas could still rule the world when properly motivated and programs like Colorado and Oklahoma State on the rise.

Why not? – Baylor, Iowa State and even Nebraska this year even with a 3-1 non conference record. Oklahoma loses four BCS games in a row and Texas wound up in the Holiday Bowl again after a few years of BCS glory. Mark Mangino’s ticker. Sorry, couldn’t help it.

3. Pacific 10 (Pac-10)

Why? – USC. Period. It’s the only reason this conference is on the map at all. Arizona State was clearly overrated. So was Cal. And Oregon without Dennis Dixon.

Why not? – When injured they’re awful. No JD Booty, lose to Stanford; No Dennis Dixon, choke at Arizona. UCLA is a debacle, Washington is underachieving. Where is Washington State?

4. Big 10

Why? – The constant BCS Title Game meddling of Ohio State, at least they get there. However I'm starting an online petition to ban them from the title game for at least three seasons. Michigan still potential sleeping giant and cross-state rival Spartans looking better. Penn State always a player and Wisconsin looking like they’re coming back. Indiana improving.

Why not? – Northwestern, Minnesota (North Dakota State and Florida Atlantic? At home??) and underachieving Iowa. What is Kirk Ferentz doing?? Inability to win BCS games (or even match up, Illinois) or have consistent winning record in bowl games. Stop playing so many softies in pre-conference play!

5. Big East

Why? – West Virginia, when they aren’t losing to Pitt. South Florida and Rutgers on the rise. Cincinnati too. UConn coming out of nowhere.

Why not? – Syracuse and Pitt, Dave Wannstedt can recruit but can’t coach himself out of a wet paper bag. Sound familiar? Louisville underachieving with one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

6.Atlantic Coast Conference

Why? – Boston College looked like a team that was emerging this season, Virginia as well. Clemson looked good and so did Virginia Tech winning the conference. Georgia Tech and North Carolina State on the rise with new coaches?

Why not? – No FSU, no Miami, no national appeal. Without the Florida schools in the top 10 (or 25 for that matter) no one will care about this conference. North Carolina with Butch Davis is a bust (give him more time?)

Final Coaches/USA Today Poll

1. LSU

2. USC

3. Georgia

4. Ohio State

5. Missouri

6. West Virginia

7. Kansas

8. Oklahoma

9. Virginia Tech

10. Texas

11. Boston College

12. Tennessee

13. Arizona State

14. Auburn

15. BYU

16. Florida

17. Hawaii

18. Illinois

19. Michigan

20. Cincinnati

21. Wisconsin

22. Clemson

23. Texas Tech

24. Oregon

25. Penn State

Final AP Poll

1. LSU

2. Georgia

3. USC

4. Missouri

5. Ohio State

6. West Virginia

7. Kansas

8. Oklahoma

9. Virginia Tech

10. Texas (tie)

10. Boston College (tie)

12. Tennessee

13. Florida

14. BYU

15. Auburn

16. Arizona State

17. Cincinnati

18. Michigan

19. Hawaii

20. Illinois

21. Clemson

22. Texas Tech

23. Oregon

24. Wisconsin

25. Oregon State