A lot still needs to happen and I know Dean and Jon are rolling their eyes that I am even bringing this up but by winning out, is it even possible for NU to get into the BCS Championship game?
Currently we are #14 in the BCS and we need to move ahead of 12 teams to be in the top 2.
Big 12 Teams
In order to have a shot, we need to beat Missouri and win the Big 12 Championship. This moves us above 2 teams(Mizzou and OU).
Pac 10 Teams
Stanford
I am going to assume that a one loss NU team would jump a one loss Stanford team in the final standings. Win in the Big 12 Championship would likely allow NU to jump Stanford in the AP which should be enough to move ahead of them in the BCS as well. (They may even be able to jump Stanford this week)
Oregon
They need to lose (at least) 1 game but don't have the easiest schedule remaining. They are favored by 7 this week @ USC and will probably be favored by less than 10 points @ California, vs Arizona, and @ Oregon State. A loss this week may not drop them below NU but with no Conference Championship, another 1 loss team may be able to jump them in December.
Teams from Non-BCS conferences
Boise State
Boise would need to lose because they would be the most difficult undefeated team of the 3 to jump. Boise will be favored in all their remaining games but their best chances to lose will be 1) @Nevada on Nov. 26th (Boise will be favored by around 7), 2) @ Idaho on Nov 13 (Boise will be favored by around 14). They will likely be favored by 3 touchdowns or more in their other 3 games
TCU and Utah
They play each other on Nov. 6th which will take care of one of them. TCU will be favored by 20 or 30 points in every other game so we need Utah to beat TCU. If Utah wins out, NU would still probably jump them based on strenth of schedule.
Big 10 Teams - Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Best Chances to lose
Michigan State - @ Iowa, @ Penn State
Wisconsin - @ Michigan, Northwestern
Ohio State - @ Iowa, Michigan, Penn State
Nebraska fans need to root for Iowa (as hard as it is) and Penn State. It will be impossible to jump MSU if they win out but there might be a chance to jump Wisconsin or Ohio State
SEC Teams - Auburn, Alabama, LSU
Best Chances to lose
Auburn - Really only one tough game left (@ Alabama on Nov 26th). Even with a loss we probably won't jump them.
Alabama - @ LSU, Auburn
LSU - Alabama, @ Arkansas
2 of these 3 teams will knock each other out. Assuming the SEC winner comes out of the West (either of these 3 teams), it is likely that a one loss SEC winner would be in the BCS Champ game for sure.
It is possible (but not probable) for NU to get into the BCS game (likely vs SEC champion). Iowa beating MSU, Nevada beating Boise, Utah beating TCU and Oregon losing (hopefully multiple games) are the keys. If any one of these things does not happen, we really don't have a chance.
What we need to root for this weekend
(Obviously NU has to beat Mizzou)
1. Iowa has to beat Michigan State. If MSU wins, they should run the table which would all but guarantee an SEC Champ vs Boise/MSU BCS game
2. USC vs Oregon - Oregon doesn't have to lose this week, with 2-3 more chances to slip up, but it wouldn't hurt.
3. Air Force vs Utah - I think we can jump Utah without them losing (currently #8) but teams ahead of us losing always helps. Air Force let us down last week against TCU but they are always a tough team to play.
4. Every week we need to root for Boise and Auburn to lose and Oklahoma to win.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Mack Brown Blames Everyone but Himself
Mack Brown threw everyone under the bus in his post game press conference after an embarrassing home loss to Iowa State.
“I’m trying, I’m fighting my guts out to get them turned. It’s what I did in ‘07. I fought my guts out every day. Just gotta stay after them every day.
“Can’t trust your team, can’t trust your coaches when they’re not getting things ready to go so you gotta go back every day and try to look at every little thing and figure out where you can help them.”
“I’m trying, I’m fighting my guts out to get them turned. It’s what I did in ‘07. I fought my guts out every day. Just gotta stay after them every day.
“Can’t trust your team, can’t trust your coaches when they’re not getting things ready to go so you gotta go back every day and try to look at every little thing and figure out where you can help them.”
Dennard Steps Up
-Steve Sipple
If I had to vote for Nebraska's defensive MVP of Saturday's win at Oklahoma State, Alfonzo Dennard might get the nod in an upset.
Stay with me on this.
Never mind that the junior cornerback recorded only one tackle and a pass breakup. It's impossible to place a statistical value on the confidence he showed in openly pleading with coaches to allow him to cover gifted wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
His teammates no doubt noticed.
In the second quarter, Dennard already had seen enough of Blackmon wreaking havoc with deep routes against standout corner Prince Amukamara.
"I saw what he was doing against Prince, so I wanted to guard him and see how he is," Dennard said. "I did pretty good."
Said Nebraska secondary coach Marvin Sanders: "Alfonzo came back to the sideline at one point and said, ‘Put me on him!' He said it loud enough for everybody to hear."
Such fearlessness rubs off on teammates on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Blackmon is arguably one of the top five wideouts in the nation. He's capable of severely damaging a defense's overall confidence.
Dennard would have none of that. Blackmon never did catch a ball against Dennard, at least not that I saw.
"Prince tried his luck. I wanted to try mine," Dennard said.
In the first half, Blackmon made three catches for 129 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception on which Blackmon beat Amukamara to the ball on a pass that was thrown a bit short. Blackmon also drew an interference penalty on Amukamara on a deep pass.
In the second half, Blackmon had only two receptions -- a 3-yarder midway through the third quarter and a 25-yard touchdown on Oklahoma State's final scoring drive. He entered the game averaging 9.5 receptions per game.
Oklahoma State showed extreme confidence in Blackmon by attacking Amukamara with a deep pass on the Cowboys' first possession of the game. Bear in mind, NFL draft guru Mel Kiper ranks Amukamara third among all 2011 draft prospects. Quarterbacks seldom have thrown his way this season.
"Prince redeemed himself," Dennard said. "He came back at one point in the second half and said, ‘I got him.'"
If I had to vote for Nebraska's defensive MVP of Saturday's win at Oklahoma State, Alfonzo Dennard might get the nod in an upset.
Stay with me on this.
Never mind that the junior cornerback recorded only one tackle and a pass breakup. It's impossible to place a statistical value on the confidence he showed in openly pleading with coaches to allow him to cover gifted wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
His teammates no doubt noticed.
In the second quarter, Dennard already had seen enough of Blackmon wreaking havoc with deep routes against standout corner Prince Amukamara.
"I saw what he was doing against Prince, so I wanted to guard him and see how he is," Dennard said. "I did pretty good."
Said Nebraska secondary coach Marvin Sanders: "Alfonzo came back to the sideline at one point and said, ‘Put me on him!' He said it loud enough for everybody to hear."
Such fearlessness rubs off on teammates on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Blackmon is arguably one of the top five wideouts in the nation. He's capable of severely damaging a defense's overall confidence.
Dennard would have none of that. Blackmon never did catch a ball against Dennard, at least not that I saw.
"Prince tried his luck. I wanted to try mine," Dennard said.
In the first half, Blackmon made three catches for 129 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception on which Blackmon beat Amukamara to the ball on a pass that was thrown a bit short. Blackmon also drew an interference penalty on Amukamara on a deep pass.
In the second half, Blackmon had only two receptions -- a 3-yarder midway through the third quarter and a 25-yard touchdown on Oklahoma State's final scoring drive. He entered the game averaging 9.5 receptions per game.
Oklahoma State showed extreme confidence in Blackmon by attacking Amukamara with a deep pass on the Cowboys' first possession of the game. Bear in mind, NFL draft guru Mel Kiper ranks Amukamara third among all 2011 draft prospects. Quarterbacks seldom have thrown his way this season.
"Prince redeemed himself," Dennard said. "He came back at one point in the second half and said, ‘I got him.'"
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Mussmann is Famous (or infamous)
Click the link below for an interview with Ben about his soap bet
http://www.thewizofodds.com/the_wiz_of_odds/2010/10/wiz-podcast-ben-mussmann-the-soap-eating-fan.html
Thanks for the shout out to the No Option Tailgaters at the end Benny!
http://www.thewizofodds.com/the_wiz_of_odds/2010/10/wiz-podcast-ben-mussmann-the-soap-eating-fan.html
Thanks for the shout out to the No Option Tailgaters at the end Benny!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Nebraska/Texas Photo Game Summary
Not sure if anyone actually wants to see these again but I thought these pictures were a great summary of the Texas Game...
(The pics of the dropped passes hurt especially bad)
(The pics of the dropped passes hurt especially bad)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Score Predictions - Oklahoma State
Enter your Score Predictions for this week's game in the comments section.
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
Week 5: Kovar - Off by 5 Points - (Guess 52-12, Actual 48-13)
Week 6: Kovar - Off by 9 Points - (Guess 22-20, Actual 13-20)
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
Week 5: Kovar - Off by 5 Points - (Guess 52-12, Actual 48-13)
Week 6: Kovar - Off by 9 Points - (Guess 22-20, Actual 13-20)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Niles Paul Can't Catch a Break
LINCOLN — Niles Paul’s rough time didn’t end Saturday when the Nebraska receiver walked off the field after the Huskers’ 20-13 loss to Texas.
Reminders of what NU football means to some fans followed him into the night.
Paul said Tuesday that a few people said things to him as he left Memorial Stadium with family and later as he was getting something to eat at a Wendy’s. Nearly 20 people left unwanted messages on his Facebook page before he deactivated his account.
“It hurts,” Paul said. “It hurts when I’m walking back to the car and people are yelling stuff at me. It’s disrespectful.”
Paul said he tried to keep his family calm, especially his older brothers, rather than react to what they were hearing.
“It was just a couple people, just yelling stuff at me from afar, from a distance,” he said. “Just stuff like, ‘You suck,’ and, ‘You lost us the game,’ and, ‘Texas can have you,’ or whatever.”
Paul seemed more bothered by the Facebook content.
“A lot of people wrote the worst stuff they could possibly put on there about a college football player, a human being,” Paul said. “It was getting real personal.”
No stranger to criticism, Paul said it was different this time, “never to this extent.” NU coach Bo Pelini said the two talked about it Sunday, and he’s convinced that Paul will respond to it the right way.
“I told him, ‘Don’t believe it when they’re saying good things about you, don’t believe it when they’re saying bad things — the truth is somewhere in between,’ ” Pelini said. “All you’ve got to worry about is the things you can control, and that’s one of the things you can.”
Asked if he found it disturbing, Pelini pointed out that it’s usually a small minority doing it. It happened to him, he said, as he left the field Saturday night.
“I mean, believe me, I get the same thing,” Pelini said. “We all get it. It’s part of the deal. It goes with the territory. You try to educate them that you can’t let that stuff affect you.”
Continued in the comments section...
Reminders of what NU football means to some fans followed him into the night.
Paul said Tuesday that a few people said things to him as he left Memorial Stadium with family and later as he was getting something to eat at a Wendy’s. Nearly 20 people left unwanted messages on his Facebook page before he deactivated his account.
“It hurts,” Paul said. “It hurts when I’m walking back to the car and people are yelling stuff at me. It’s disrespectful.”
Paul said he tried to keep his family calm, especially his older brothers, rather than react to what they were hearing.
“It was just a couple people, just yelling stuff at me from afar, from a distance,” he said. “Just stuff like, ‘You suck,’ and, ‘You lost us the game,’ and, ‘Texas can have you,’ or whatever.”
Paul seemed more bothered by the Facebook content.
“A lot of people wrote the worst stuff they could possibly put on there about a college football player, a human being,” Paul said. “It was getting real personal.”
No stranger to criticism, Paul said it was different this time, “never to this extent.” NU coach Bo Pelini said the two talked about it Sunday, and he’s convinced that Paul will respond to it the right way.
“I told him, ‘Don’t believe it when they’re saying good things about you, don’t believe it when they’re saying bad things — the truth is somewhere in between,’ ” Pelini said. “All you’ve got to worry about is the things you can control, and that’s one of the things you can.”
Asked if he found it disturbing, Pelini pointed out that it’s usually a small minority doing it. It happened to him, he said, as he left the field Saturday night.
“I mean, believe me, I get the same thing,” Pelini said. “We all get it. It’s part of the deal. It goes with the territory. You try to educate them that you can’t let that stuff affect you.”
Continued in the comments section...
2 Quarterback System a Viable Option
Bo Pelini appeared to question his decision to pull Redshirt Freshman QB Taylor Martinez in the third quarter against Texas last weekend. Senior Zac Lee came in with a "calming influence" to settle the team down. While not the explosive play maker Martinez has shown at times this season, Lee was able to move the ball in smaller chunks, and with a little more consistency. Instead of using just one quarterback or the other, Pelini should not question his decision and look at a third option. Mixing in both players at different times in a game, and even on the same plays could be the best approach.
For this type of system to work, the coaches should certainly look at why it didn't work last year to pull Lee and put Cody Green in at times. Green did not have the benefit of a year in the football program like Martinez, and Green did not appear to catch up with the game speed. Martinez, while still seeing the field for the first time this year, is more like Rex Burkhead was last year. His athletic abilities were enough to make him react to the defenders and break the big ones. Green's straight line speeds may be better, but his explosiveness cannot match the potential breakaways that Martinez brings every time he touches the ball.
It's clear that many college football programs have taken advantage of getting the ball into the hands of the most athletic player on the field on as many plays as possible. Guys like Martinez, Dennard Robinson, Cam Newton, and countless other "athlete" quarterbacks are now the first one to touch the ball on a play (right after the center). It's no mystery why many coaches employ the wildcat, as it gives one of the best players on a team the extra second with the ball before the defenses can react.
A two quarterback system is nothing new, either. Just look at Florida with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. It seemed unique to bring in a shotgun spread quarterback for goal line and short yardage situations, but it wasn't the first time a team utilized both running and passing oriented types of quarterbacks. Nebraska has utilized guys like Brook Berringer, Matt Turman, and Tommie Frazier all at multiple times in the same season. And while often times it may be a necessity due to injury, taking advantage of strength of a couple of guys is not a bad idea.
When utilizing a Freshman quarterback, there are bound to be some growing pains. Utilizing the experience and "calm" surrounding an experienced senior leader is one way to alleviate some of those issues. When both players understand that they each have a vital role in helping the team win as many games as possible, it can remove the hurt and and concern each individual player may have about not starting or playing a whole game. With Lee and Martinez both a part of the game plan, it gives the Huskers a better chance to win this season, not just build experience for Martinez in future seasons.
For this type of system to work, the coaches should certainly look at why it didn't work last year to pull Lee and put Cody Green in at times. Green did not have the benefit of a year in the football program like Martinez, and Green did not appear to catch up with the game speed. Martinez, while still seeing the field for the first time this year, is more like Rex Burkhead was last year. His athletic abilities were enough to make him react to the defenders and break the big ones. Green's straight line speeds may be better, but his explosiveness cannot match the potential breakaways that Martinez brings every time he touches the ball.
It's clear that many college football programs have taken advantage of getting the ball into the hands of the most athletic player on the field on as many plays as possible. Guys like Martinez, Dennard Robinson, Cam Newton, and countless other "athlete" quarterbacks are now the first one to touch the ball on a play (right after the center). It's no mystery why many coaches employ the wildcat, as it gives one of the best players on a team the extra second with the ball before the defenses can react.
A two quarterback system is nothing new, either. Just look at Florida with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. It seemed unique to bring in a shotgun spread quarterback for goal line and short yardage situations, but it wasn't the first time a team utilized both running and passing oriented types of quarterbacks. Nebraska has utilized guys like Brook Berringer, Matt Turman, and Tommie Frazier all at multiple times in the same season. And while often times it may be a necessity due to injury, taking advantage of strength of a couple of guys is not a bad idea.
When utilizing a Freshman quarterback, there are bound to be some growing pains. Utilizing the experience and "calm" surrounding an experienced senior leader is one way to alleviate some of those issues. When both players understand that they each have a vital role in helping the team win as many games as possible, it can remove the hurt and and concern each individual player may have about not starting or playing a whole game. With Lee and Martinez both a part of the game plan, it gives the Huskers a better chance to win this season, not just build experience for Martinez in future seasons.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Reader Emails, 00:01, and Soap
This week I’ll be answering a few of the countless emails I’ve received from our blog readers over the last few weeks. Thanks for all your support and keep sending me your questions and feedback. On to the emails…
Q: Does Taylor Martinez actually have a shot at the Heisman?
-- Craig, Lincoln, NE
BM: Yep. But not this year. He is going to make a few too many mistakes in 2010. However, T-Magic is a shoo-in for El Trofeo Jeisman (or as we call it here in the States, the Latino Heisman).
Q: Hey douchebag, how come you didn’t post a rant before the KSU game? It’s not like you had an extra fricken week to do so.
-- Mike, Omaha, NE
BM: I was on vacation with your mom.
Q: A buddy of mine, who was born and raised in Elkhorn, NE and is a life-long Husker fan, recently decided to attend UT for college. Is it within my rights, as a fellow Nebraskan, to light his car on fire?
--LaMarcus, Omaha, NE
BM: Umm…you see…I can’t say that I really blame your friend. Austin, TX is a FANTASTIC town. I absolutely love visiting there and would move to Austin in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. I just got back from Austin City Limits Music Festival (3 days, 8 stages, over 130 bands) and had a blast, despite all the dirty hippies (or maybe because of all the dirty hippies?). So I would say torching his car would be a no-no. However, you could nail his girlfriend a few times after he leaves for Austin. That’d be fair.
Q: Do Texas fans think Mac Brown is a better coach than Bo Pelini?
--Jebediah, Santa Cruz, CA
BM: That is a good fucking question. I can’t imagine they would ever admit it…but I bet deep down they know that both Stoops and Bo are smarter, better coaches. Hell of a talker that Mac Brown though. I actually enjoy listening to him and his goofy-ass drawl and can see why parents send their kids off to play for him. So as a figurehead leader…Mac is probably better than either of his two rivals. If I were the University of Texas, I’d give Mac an honorary doctorates degree…that way he could go by Doc Brown and could charm recruits by spouting gems like … “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.”
Q: Do you think Texas’s consecutive losses will have an impact on how the Huskers view this game? Could there be a tiny bit less motivation for Nebraska? And how do you like your chances in the soap bet?
--Lt. James Clark, US Marine Corps, Kabul, Afghanistan
BM: Lt. Clark, first of all I’d like to thank you for writing in all the way from Afghanistan. I really appreciate you and what you are doing for our country. God Bless America. But sir, what makes you think that, just because you are in the armed services, that you get to ask 3 fucking questions? Do you know how many emails I get? Do you know how lucky people are to get just one question answered by me? Obviously not. Oh well…just this once I’ll answer your questions. Just don’t bother writing in again, okay?
Anyway…do you really think Bo Pelini cares that Texas has lost 2 straight? You think Watson cares? Carl? The team? Nope. None of them care. To them, this game is still about 00:01. It’s still about unfinished business. It’s still about Nebraska taking the next step. We will be focused. We will be poised. We will be determined. If our rookie QB and our untested offense struggle on Saturday (very possible), I think the Blackshirts will still find a way to win this game. The 10 point spread is justified (and smart betters will give the points). We have the better team. We have the home crowd. We have the momentum, the focus, and the motivation. So don’t compare this to Alabama vs South Carolina. This one is a done deal. This mofo will not be eating soap.
Q: Does Taylor Martinez actually have a shot at the Heisman?
-- Craig, Lincoln, NE
BM: Yep. But not this year. He is going to make a few too many mistakes in 2010. However, T-Magic is a shoo-in for El Trofeo Jeisman (or as we call it here in the States, the Latino Heisman).
Q: Hey douchebag, how come you didn’t post a rant before the KSU game? It’s not like you had an extra fricken week to do so.
-- Mike, Omaha, NE
BM: I was on vacation with your mom.
Q: A buddy of mine, who was born and raised in Elkhorn, NE and is a life-long Husker fan, recently decided to attend UT for college. Is it within my rights, as a fellow Nebraskan, to light his car on fire?
--LaMarcus, Omaha, NE
BM: Umm…you see…I can’t say that I really blame your friend. Austin, TX is a FANTASTIC town. I absolutely love visiting there and would move to Austin in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. I just got back from Austin City Limits Music Festival (3 days, 8 stages, over 130 bands) and had a blast, despite all the dirty hippies (or maybe because of all the dirty hippies?). So I would say torching his car would be a no-no. However, you could nail his girlfriend a few times after he leaves for Austin. That’d be fair.
Q: Do Texas fans think Mac Brown is a better coach than Bo Pelini?
--Jebediah, Santa Cruz, CA
BM: That is a good fucking question. I can’t imagine they would ever admit it…but I bet deep down they know that both Stoops and Bo are smarter, better coaches. Hell of a talker that Mac Brown though. I actually enjoy listening to him and his goofy-ass drawl and can see why parents send their kids off to play for him. So as a figurehead leader…Mac is probably better than either of his two rivals. If I were the University of Texas, I’d give Mac an honorary doctorates degree…that way he could go by Doc Brown and could charm recruits by spouting gems like … “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.”
Q: Do you think Texas’s consecutive losses will have an impact on how the Huskers view this game? Could there be a tiny bit less motivation for Nebraska? And how do you like your chances in the soap bet?
--Lt. James Clark, US Marine Corps, Kabul, Afghanistan
BM: Lt. Clark, first of all I’d like to thank you for writing in all the way from Afghanistan. I really appreciate you and what you are doing for our country. God Bless America. But sir, what makes you think that, just because you are in the armed services, that you get to ask 3 fucking questions? Do you know how many emails I get? Do you know how lucky people are to get just one question answered by me? Obviously not. Oh well…just this once I’ll answer your questions. Just don’t bother writing in again, okay?
Anyway…do you really think Bo Pelini cares that Texas has lost 2 straight? You think Watson cares? Carl? The team? Nope. None of them care. To them, this game is still about 00:01. It’s still about unfinished business. It’s still about Nebraska taking the next step. We will be focused. We will be poised. We will be determined. If our rookie QB and our untested offense struggle on Saturday (very possible), I think the Blackshirts will still find a way to win this game. The 10 point spread is justified (and smart betters will give the points). We have the better team. We have the home crowd. We have the momentum, the focus, and the motivation. So don’t compare this to Alabama vs South Carolina. This one is a done deal. This mofo will not be eating soap.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Experts Predictions for Saturday's Game
Nebraska 31, Texas 14 Ralph D. Russo, The Associated Press
Nebraska victory Petros Papadakis, Fox Sports
Nebraska 26, Texas 20 John Tamanaha, MSNBC.com
Nebraska victory J. Darin Darst, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com
Nebraska 23, Texas 17 Jason Horowitz, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Adam Jacobi, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Chip Patterson, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska victory Richard Cirminiello, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska victory Matthew Zemek, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska 27, Texas 17 The Sports Network
Nebraska 24, Texas 21 Kevin Kugler, Big Red Wrap-Up
Nebraska 20, Texas 17 Adrian Fiala, Big Red Wrap-Up
Nebraska 31, Texas 17 Garth Glissman
Nebraska 21, Texas 17 Pat Forde, ESPN.com
Nebraska victory Mike Huguenin, Rivals.com
Nebraska victory Tom Dienhart, Rivals.com
Nebraska victory Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com
Texas victory Gerry Ahern, Rivals.com
Nebraska victory Petros Papadakis, Fox Sports
Nebraska 26, Texas 20 John Tamanaha, MSNBC.com
Nebraska victory J. Darin Darst, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com
Nebraska 23, Texas 17 Jason Horowitz, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Adam Jacobi, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Chip Patterson, CBSSports.com
Nebraska victory Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska victory Richard Cirminiello, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska victory Matthew Zemek, CollegeFootballNews.com
Nebraska 27, Texas 17 The Sports Network
Nebraska 24, Texas 21 Kevin Kugler, Big Red Wrap-Up
Nebraska 20, Texas 17 Adrian Fiala, Big Red Wrap-Up
Nebraska 31, Texas 17 Garth Glissman
Nebraska 21, Texas 17 Pat Forde, ESPN.com
Nebraska victory Mike Huguenin, Rivals.com
Nebraska victory Tom Dienhart, Rivals.com
Nebraska victory Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com
Texas victory Gerry Ahern, Rivals.com
Score Predictions - Texas
Enter your Score Predictions for this week's game in the comments section.
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
Week 5: Kovar - Off by 5 Points - (Guess 52-12, Actual 48-13)
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
Week 5: Kovar - Off by 5 Points - (Guess 52-12, Actual 48-13)
UT Trademark Police Call Foul Over Possible Infringement
As part of the "wear red" frenzy for Saturday's Texas-Nebraska game in Lincoln, one company was selling T-shirts and hoodies to Cornhuskers fans with an ".01" on the back and an inverted longhorn's head on the front.
The Red Out Shirts creation marketed by J&S Distributing was either a big hit with fans or took a big hit from the University of Texas. On Tuesday, a website selling the merchandise no longer displayed any pictures, only a terse message that the merchandise was sold out.
"That may be their way of responding without responding," said Craig Westemeier, director of UT's trademark licensing. Texas, through the legal department of its licensing partner, the Collegiate Licensing Company, recently informed J&S Distributing that the logo might infringe on a Longhorns trademark.
The ":01" refers to the one second placed back on the game clock last year after Texas quarterback Colt McCoy had thrown an incomplete pass out of bounds in the final seconds. That set the stage for a game-winning 46-yard field goal that gave Texas a 13-12 win over Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game.
The .01 was not a problem for Texas. The upside-down Longhorn logo was a different story.
Click on Comments for rest of story....
The Red Out Shirts creation marketed by J&S Distributing was either a big hit with fans or took a big hit from the University of Texas. On Tuesday, a website selling the merchandise no longer displayed any pictures, only a terse message that the merchandise was sold out.
"That may be their way of responding without responding," said Craig Westemeier, director of UT's trademark licensing. Texas, through the legal department of its licensing partner, the Collegiate Licensing Company, recently informed J&S Distributing that the logo might infringe on a Longhorns trademark.
The ":01" refers to the one second placed back on the game clock last year after Texas quarterback Colt McCoy had thrown an incomplete pass out of bounds in the final seconds. That set the stage for a game-winning 46-yard field goal that gave Texas a 13-12 win over Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game.
The .01 was not a problem for Texas. The upside-down Longhorn logo was a different story.
Click on Comments for rest of story....
Dear Children of the Corn, Part II
By Mike Blackwell, Inside Texas Magazine Editor
Posted Oct 13, 2010
Dear Children of the Corn: it's me again. I apologize. And also, congratulations.
I apologize for the column I wrote earlier this earlier this year, the one in which I said you have become a “loud, antagonizing, arrogant, ignorant, fact-ignoring, excuse-riddled shell of the program you used to be.”
You are not ignorant, and I apologize.
I apologize, because your Nebraska Cornhuskers are better than I thought, so far, and maybe a lot better. If I tell my kids to be accountable when they are wrong, then I have to be accountable, too. Your offense, so far, is better than I thought. Your quarterbacking, so far, is much better than I thought it would be. You've handled your schedule, so far, better than I expected, though the Jackrabbits gave you more of a run for your money than you or I expected. Pesky Jackrabbits.
Still, I'm sorry, and I was wrong. I’m trying here. I’m sorry.
Some of you responded to my column with some words of your own. Some of you bemoaned the fact that I made generalizations about you being a little, um, back-woodsy. The very next day, one of you, the Real Bernie the Husker, sent me a photo of yourself with overalls and a Fosters beer in your lap. Some of your responses directed at me used the word “ass” as both a noun and an adjective, which I certainly appreciate. Creativity is good.
One of you said you wanted to punch me in the neck, which I found more baffling than disturbing; why the neck? One of you called at 2:30 in the morning, and you were quite cordial to me when I denied my identity. And if it makes you feel any better, my wife was more angry at me than you about that call. She said it was my fault. Thanks a lot.
But again, I'm sorry.
But “sorry” is not the most important feeling I need to pass along. After all, the column was written a half of a football season ago. It's water under the bridge, the harvest is in the barn. You have your foot halfway out of the Big 12 door. Today’s a new day. Saturday’s a new day.
There is a chance – a good chance – that this will be the last time Texas and Nebraska play a conference game against one another in our lifetimes. This is a big game: hence the video your school produced earlier this year. This is a really important game for you, isn't it? You feel slighted about the Big 12 championship game last year, and you know this is the last time – the last chance – for you to beat Texas. It’s only natural that you – and your players and coaches – feel a little extra pressure this week, isn’t it?
The game is in your house, which is often a Big Red nightmare for opponents. You're ranked in the top five, you're undefeated, and you've got a quarterback named Magic. It is good to be a Husker now; real good. You expect to win. Others expect you to win. You should win. You must win.
Read on in the comments section...
Posted Oct 13, 2010
Dear Children of the Corn: it's me again. I apologize. And also, congratulations.
I apologize for the column I wrote earlier this earlier this year, the one in which I said you have become a “loud, antagonizing, arrogant, ignorant, fact-ignoring, excuse-riddled shell of the program you used to be.”
You are not ignorant, and I apologize.
I apologize, because your Nebraska Cornhuskers are better than I thought, so far, and maybe a lot better. If I tell my kids to be accountable when they are wrong, then I have to be accountable, too. Your offense, so far, is better than I thought. Your quarterbacking, so far, is much better than I thought it would be. You've handled your schedule, so far, better than I expected, though the Jackrabbits gave you more of a run for your money than you or I expected. Pesky Jackrabbits.
Still, I'm sorry, and I was wrong. I’m trying here. I’m sorry.
Some of you responded to my column with some words of your own. Some of you bemoaned the fact that I made generalizations about you being a little, um, back-woodsy. The very next day, one of you, the Real Bernie the Husker, sent me a photo of yourself with overalls and a Fosters beer in your lap. Some of your responses directed at me used the word “ass” as both a noun and an adjective, which I certainly appreciate. Creativity is good.
One of you said you wanted to punch me in the neck, which I found more baffling than disturbing; why the neck? One of you called at 2:30 in the morning, and you were quite cordial to me when I denied my identity. And if it makes you feel any better, my wife was more angry at me than you about that call. She said it was my fault. Thanks a lot.
But again, I'm sorry.
But “sorry” is not the most important feeling I need to pass along. After all, the column was written a half of a football season ago. It's water under the bridge, the harvest is in the barn. You have your foot halfway out of the Big 12 door. Today’s a new day. Saturday’s a new day.
There is a chance – a good chance – that this will be the last time Texas and Nebraska play a conference game against one another in our lifetimes. This is a big game: hence the video your school produced earlier this year. This is a really important game for you, isn't it? You feel slighted about the Big 12 championship game last year, and you know this is the last time – the last chance – for you to beat Texas. It’s only natural that you – and your players and coaches – feel a little extra pressure this week, isn’t it?
The game is in your house, which is often a Big Red nightmare for opponents. You're ranked in the top five, you're undefeated, and you've got a quarterback named Magic. It is good to be a Husker now; real good. You expect to win. Others expect you to win. You should win. You must win.
Read on in the comments section...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Getting to Know Texas
Texas (3-2) at Nebraska (5-0)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma did everything it could to keep Texas in the Red River Rivalry two weeks ago, but the Longhorns ultimately couldn’t capitalize and leave Dallas with a win.
The Sooners took a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, seemingly sealing a victory with a 20-yard run by DeMarco Murray.
Texas never gave up, despite a frustrating day filled with costly penalties and bad breaks.
The Longhorns pulled within eight points with less than two minutes left. They just missed a chance to go for the tie when OU quarterback Landry Jones’ fumble bounced out of bounds before the UT defenders could maintain possession. Aaron Williams muffed the ensuing Sooner punt.
The 28-20 loss was just Texas’ second in six years in its annual matchup with Oklahoma. After dropping a game to UCLA the week before, the Longhorns fell out of the AP poll for the first time in 10 years. They’re now in danger of losing three straight for the first time since 1999.
Sophomore quarterback Garrett Gilbert was 27 for 41 for a career-high 266 passing yards. James Kirkendoll caught eight of Gilbert’s throws.
RUNNERS SPUTTERING
Texas’ new-look running attack hasn’t had the impact the Longhorns sought.
More under-center, downhill-style runs. Fewer shotgun-oriented calls. That was supposed to be the way Texas would fix some ground-game deficiencies, transforming the offense into a more balanced unit.
The philosophical shift hasn’t worked.
Sophomore D.J. Monroe, junior Cody Johnson and junior Fozzy Whittaker are all operating out of the backfield, but the identity crisis hasn’t helped the young backs find consistent holes. The Longhorns average 129.8 yards rushing yards per game, the third-lowest total in the conference.
It could be quite possible that the Texas coaches ditch their plans and revert to a spread-like approach Saturday.
UNDAUNTING DEFENSE
Texas’ defense is filled with star power, but the unit hasn’t exactly lived up to lofty expectations.
It’s true there is no Big 12 team that gives up fewer than 254.2 yards per game (UT’s average through five games this year).
But the Longhorns’ defense has struggled during the past two games, allowing UCLA to run all over the field one week and failing to keep Oklahoma from delivering a back-breaking touchdown early in the fourth quarter last week.
And Texas has forced just seven turnovers. Kansas is the only Big 12 team with fewer.
Conference writers included five Longhorns on the preseason All-Big 12 team: defensive end Sam Acho, linebacker Keenan Robinson, cornerback Aaron Williams, cornerback Curtis Brown and safety Blake Gideon. But at least during the past two weeks, those guys haven’t been able to make enough plays to carry Texas to a win.
COACHES UNDER FIRE
When you win at least 10 games nine straight seasons, your fans don’t tend to have much patience for losing.
After two straight disappointing efforts, the passionate Longhorn followers are already starting to turn on 13-year offensive coordinator Greg Davis. The desired firing of Davis seems to be an increasingly popular discussion topic lately on the various Texas-based message boards and blogs.
Head coach Mack Brown, now in his 13th year, doesn’t seem to be receiving much support, either. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp already has been announced as Brown’s eventual successor. But many UT fans worry that Georgia and LSU might consider Muschamp as a coaching candidate if their seasons don’t end more positively than they’ve started.
So maybe even more than ever, the pressure’s on the Texas staff to perform.
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma did everything it could to keep Texas in the Red River Rivalry two weeks ago, but the Longhorns ultimately couldn’t capitalize and leave Dallas with a win.
The Sooners took a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, seemingly sealing a victory with a 20-yard run by DeMarco Murray.
Texas never gave up, despite a frustrating day filled with costly penalties and bad breaks.
The Longhorns pulled within eight points with less than two minutes left. They just missed a chance to go for the tie when OU quarterback Landry Jones’ fumble bounced out of bounds before the UT defenders could maintain possession. Aaron Williams muffed the ensuing Sooner punt.
The 28-20 loss was just Texas’ second in six years in its annual matchup with Oklahoma. After dropping a game to UCLA the week before, the Longhorns fell out of the AP poll for the first time in 10 years. They’re now in danger of losing three straight for the first time since 1999.
Sophomore quarterback Garrett Gilbert was 27 for 41 for a career-high 266 passing yards. James Kirkendoll caught eight of Gilbert’s throws.
RUNNERS SPUTTERING
Texas’ new-look running attack hasn’t had the impact the Longhorns sought.
More under-center, downhill-style runs. Fewer shotgun-oriented calls. That was supposed to be the way Texas would fix some ground-game deficiencies, transforming the offense into a more balanced unit.
The philosophical shift hasn’t worked.
Sophomore D.J. Monroe, junior Cody Johnson and junior Fozzy Whittaker are all operating out of the backfield, but the identity crisis hasn’t helped the young backs find consistent holes. The Longhorns average 129.8 yards rushing yards per game, the third-lowest total in the conference.
It could be quite possible that the Texas coaches ditch their plans and revert to a spread-like approach Saturday.
UNDAUNTING DEFENSE
Texas’ defense is filled with star power, but the unit hasn’t exactly lived up to lofty expectations.
It’s true there is no Big 12 team that gives up fewer than 254.2 yards per game (UT’s average through five games this year).
But the Longhorns’ defense has struggled during the past two games, allowing UCLA to run all over the field one week and failing to keep Oklahoma from delivering a back-breaking touchdown early in the fourth quarter last week.
And Texas has forced just seven turnovers. Kansas is the only Big 12 team with fewer.
Conference writers included five Longhorns on the preseason All-Big 12 team: defensive end Sam Acho, linebacker Keenan Robinson, cornerback Aaron Williams, cornerback Curtis Brown and safety Blake Gideon. But at least during the past two weeks, those guys haven’t been able to make enough plays to carry Texas to a win.
COACHES UNDER FIRE
When you win at least 10 games nine straight seasons, your fans don’t tend to have much patience for losing.
After two straight disappointing efforts, the passionate Longhorn followers are already starting to turn on 13-year offensive coordinator Greg Davis. The desired firing of Davis seems to be an increasingly popular discussion topic lately on the various Texas-based message boards and blogs.
Head coach Mack Brown, now in his 13th year, doesn’t seem to be receiving much support, either. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp already has been announced as Brown’s eventual successor. But many UT fans worry that Georgia and LSU might consider Muschamp as a coaching candidate if their seasons don’t end more positively than they’ve started.
So maybe even more than ever, the pressure’s on the Texas staff to perform.
Compton Returns to Practice
Will Compton returned to practice Monday, but the Nebraska sophomore linebacker was limited during the session, his head coach said.
Compton, who hasn't played this year because of a foot injury, is steadily improving and could be available soon.
But Bo Pelini said after Monday's practice that he wasn't sure if the team's most experienced linebacker would be ready for Saturday's game against Texas.
“It really depends on how he feels,” Pelini said.
Junior Lavonte David has been filling in admirably for Compton this season. David leads the team with 60 total tackles.
Compton, who hasn't played this year because of a foot injury, is steadily improving and could be available soon.
But Bo Pelini said after Monday's practice that he wasn't sure if the team's most experienced linebacker would be ready for Saturday's game against Texas.
“It really depends on how he feels,” Pelini said.
Junior Lavonte David has been filling in admirably for Compton this season. David leads the team with 60 total tackles.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Quotes of the Week
Associated Press-
"Instead of resenting the No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers for leaving the Big 12, maybe Kansas State should thank them.
Who wants to keep playing a team that always beats you silly?"
K State Defensive Back David Barrett on T-Magic's 80 YD TD Run-
"He was 50 yards up the field before I looked up"
Niles Paul-
"The fans were saying some pretty harsh things when we got there, so we had to shut them up. We just are going to finish with a bang, win the Big 12 North and the
Big 12 conference and then leave."
Bill Snyder-
"He's awfully quick. He's more than just quick. He's quick and fast. And we're not very fast. That's not a good matchup" when asked about Taylor Martinez
"Happy birthday," he said grimly he opened his postgame news conference. "I hope yours was better than mine."
"We didn't run the ball very well, we didn't throw it extremely well, we didn't play defense against the run or the pass very well. I told our players that this could easily come down to the kicking game and we did well enough in the kicking game that everything else fell on its face."
Kansas State defensive end Antonio Felder-
"I thought he was the fastest I've ever seen at quarterback. He's got a lot of speed. If you've got a good angle on him, he can still outrun you."
"Film speed is definitely different, because you always feel like you are faster than who you are watching. Once you get into the game and get moving you start to get a feel for how fast the other team is. We were not able to adjust to their speed throughout the game."
Carson Coffman-
"They're obviously very good and very talented at every position, but I don't think they're more talented than we were."
"Instead of resenting the No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers for leaving the Big 12, maybe Kansas State should thank them.
Who wants to keep playing a team that always beats you silly?"
K State Defensive Back David Barrett on T-Magic's 80 YD TD Run-
"He was 50 yards up the field before I looked up"
Niles Paul-
"The fans were saying some pretty harsh things when we got there, so we had to shut them up. We just are going to finish with a bang, win the Big 12 North and the
Big 12 conference and then leave."
Bill Snyder-
"He's awfully quick. He's more than just quick. He's quick and fast. And we're not very fast. That's not a good matchup" when asked about Taylor Martinez
"Happy birthday," he said grimly he opened his postgame news conference. "I hope yours was better than mine."
"We didn't run the ball very well, we didn't throw it extremely well, we didn't play defense against the run or the pass very well. I told our players that this could easily come down to the kicking game and we did well enough in the kicking game that everything else fell on its face."
Kansas State defensive end Antonio Felder-
"I thought he was the fastest I've ever seen at quarterback. He's got a lot of speed. If you've got a good angle on him, he can still outrun you."
"Film speed is definitely different, because you always feel like you are faster than who you are watching. Once you get into the game and get moving you start to get a feel for how fast the other team is. We were not able to adjust to their speed throughout the game."
Carson Coffman-
"They're obviously very good and very talented at every position, but I don't think they're more talented than we were."
Bama's Tough Schedule
I am not sure how this is even fair but beginning Saturday against South Carolina, all 6 of the remaining Alabama SEC opponents have a bye week the week before the game.
It's almost as rough of a conference schedule as the hazing the Big Ten is giving Nebraska next year.
It's almost as rough of a conference schedule as the hazing the Big Ten is giving Nebraska next year.
NU Submits 2 Building Projects for Board of Regents Approval
The University of Nebraska Athletic Department has submitted two building projects to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for approval at the Oct. 15 Board Meeting.
The Board of Regents will be asked to approve the proposed program statement and $55.5 million budget for improvements to the East Stadium in Memorial Stadium as well as a proposed capital improvement expenditure of $4.75 million for a new baseball and softball indoor practice facility at Haymarket Park.
The proposal calls for funding to come from athletic private donations and bond revenues generated from the new seating. No state appropriated funds will be used for either project.
The Board of Regents will be asked to approve the proposed program statement and $55.5 million budget for improvements to the East Stadium in Memorial Stadium as well as a proposed capital improvement expenditure of $4.75 million for a new baseball and softball indoor practice facility at Haymarket Park.
The proposal calls for funding to come from athletic private donations and bond revenues generated from the new seating. No state appropriated funds will be used for either project.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Source: “UT may encourage Mack Brown to retire”
Longtime DAILY OKLAHOMAN columnist Berry Tramel sources a speculative piece on Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp soon replacing Mack Brown as the team’s head coach - but later dismisses his own source.
A Texas source said over the weekend that UT might encourage Mack Brown to retire, that the ‘Horns might be ready to commence with the Muschamp era. Not because of any dissatisfaction of Brown, but because of a belief in Muschamp. That’s the extent of Texas’ devotion to Muschamp, who is in his third year as the UT defensive coordinator and has been designated Brown’s successor.
The apparent impetus behind such talk is the shaky status of Georgia coach Mark Richt. The thinking is, if the Dogs come calling for Muschamp, Texas might try to throw in with its defensive coordinator instead of its current head coach.
Tramel makes the case that Muschamp-to-Georgia is a logical summation:
But it would make perfect sense for Muschamp to go to Georgia job, which is a great job and a great fit for Muschamp. Muschamp, 39, grew up in Rome, Ga., and was a walkon safety at Georgia before entering coaching. Muschamp was a successful defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, so his SEC roots run deep.
So Georgia seems the likely school to come calling for Muschamp in 2010. Georgia fell to 1-4 with a loss at Colorado, and suddenly Richt’s hold on the job seems perilous.
A Texas source said over the weekend that UT might encourage Mack Brown to retire, that the ‘Horns might be ready to commence with the Muschamp era. Not because of any dissatisfaction of Brown, but because of a belief in Muschamp. That’s the extent of Texas’ devotion to Muschamp, who is in his third year as the UT defensive coordinator and has been designated Brown’s successor.
The apparent impetus behind such talk is the shaky status of Georgia coach Mark Richt. The thinking is, if the Dogs come calling for Muschamp, Texas might try to throw in with its defensive coordinator instead of its current head coach.
Tramel makes the case that Muschamp-to-Georgia is a logical summation:
But it would make perfect sense for Muschamp to go to Georgia job, which is a great job and a great fit for Muschamp. Muschamp, 39, grew up in Rome, Ga., and was a walkon safety at Georgia before entering coaching. Muschamp was a successful defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, so his SEC roots run deep.
So Georgia seems the likely school to come calling for Muschamp in 2010. Georgia fell to 1-4 with a loss at Colorado, and suddenly Richt’s hold on the job seems perilous.
Don't Forget Your Power Towel.....
...Bring it to every game!!!
I know this is about 3 years old but if this Video doesn't pump you up, I don't know what will.
I know this is about 3 years old but if this Video doesn't pump you up, I don't know what will.
NU/OU in 2021?
Oklahoma and Nebraska have officials have discussed a possible future football series, perhaps in 2021, which would be the 50-year anniversary of the original Game of the Century.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne confirmed to USA Today that he has had discussions with OU, and Sooner sources said OU AD Joe Castiglione instigated the idea of a series in 2020-21 or 2021-22, with the 2021 game to be played in Norman, site of Nebraska's 35-31 victory in 1971 that remains one of the greatest college football games ever.
With Nebraska's departure to the Big Ten after this season, OU-Nebraska, once one of the sport's grandest rivalries, will go dormant, with no future games scheduled.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne confirmed to USA Today that he has had discussions with OU, and Sooner sources said OU AD Joe Castiglione instigated the idea of a series in 2020-21 or 2021-22, with the 2021 game to be played in Norman, site of Nebraska's 35-31 victory in 1971 that remains one of the greatest college football games ever.
With Nebraska's departure to the Big Ten after this season, OU-Nebraska, once one of the sport's grandest rivalries, will go dormant, with no future games scheduled.
5th Down - 20 Years Ago Today
I still can't believe Colorado won a (split) National Championship
This play sure helped.
This play sure helped.
Monday, October 4, 2010
One Crazy Prediction
Kirk Bohls from the Austin American-Statesman thinks KSU can win it all...
One crazy prediction: If Kansas State gets by Nebraska this week — and it's possible, even though Bill Snyder's club isn't that good — the Wildcats will run the table with a weak schedule, go 12-0 and play for the Big 12 crown and the national championship.
Compared to Bama, they may have a weak schedule but they still have to play Oklahoma State, Texas and go to Missouri
One crazy prediction: If Kansas State gets by Nebraska this week — and it's possible, even though Bill Snyder's club isn't that good — the Wildcats will run the table with a weak schedule, go 12-0 and play for the Big 12 crown and the national championship.
Compared to Bama, they may have a weak schedule but they still have to play Oklahoma State, Texas and go to Missouri
No Red Allowed!
Kansas State Facebook Event:
Link
Nebraska week is finally here! K-State fans have eagerly anticipated this matchup since last year's season ending loss in Lincoln culminated with the Huskers jump to the Big 10 this summer.
Bill Snyder enforces a 'No Red' policy throughout the Vanier Football Complex. Let's extend that policy this week and KEEP ALL RED OFF CAMPUS starting MONDAY (October 4) through FRIDAY (October 9). Obviously, if you could wear something PURPLE or K-STATE related that would be even better. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE INVITE ALL YOUR K-STATE FRIENDS.
DONT FORGET TO WEAR YOUR PURPLE BIG 12 SHIRTS TO THE GAME ON THURSDAY! GO CATS!!!!!!!!! BEAT NEBRASKA!!!!!!!!!
Link
Nebraska week is finally here! K-State fans have eagerly anticipated this matchup since last year's season ending loss in Lincoln culminated with the Huskers jump to the Big 10 this summer.
Bill Snyder enforces a 'No Red' policy throughout the Vanier Football Complex. Let's extend that policy this week and KEEP ALL RED OFF CAMPUS starting MONDAY (October 4) through FRIDAY (October 9). Obviously, if you could wear something PURPLE or K-STATE related that would be even better. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE INVITE ALL YOUR K-STATE FRIENDS.
DONT FORGET TO WEAR YOUR PURPLE BIG 12 SHIRTS TO THE GAME ON THURSDAY! GO CATS!!!!!!!!! BEAT NEBRASKA!!!!!!!!!
Huskers-Horns to be Televised on ABC @ 2:30
Lincoln - The Big 12 Conference and ABC/ESPN has announced that Nebraska's Oct. 16 game with Texas will be televised nationally on ABC, with kickoff for the contest set for 2:30 p.m. CDT.
The ABC coverage areas for the game will be determined next week. However, fans in most markets not receiving the contest on their local ABC affiliate will receive the game on ESPN-HD.
The Nebraska-Texas meeting will be the 10th between the two schools since the start of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, including three Big 12 title games. Of those 10 games, nine have been televised by ABC, with the lone exception the 2002 game in Lincoln. Six of the previous nine meetings between the teams have been decided by four or fewer points.
In addition to the Texas contest, Nebraska's Nov. 26 regular-season finale with Colorado will be televised to a national audience on ABC, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. Game times and television information for Nebraska's other remaining games will be announced six to 12 days in advance.
Other Big 12 games set for telecast on the week of Oct. 16 include: Kansas State at Kansas (Thursday, Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m., FSN), Missouri at Texas A&M (Oct. 16, FSN, 11 a.m.) and Iowa State at Oklahoma (6 p.m., FSN).
The ABC coverage areas for the game will be determined next week. However, fans in most markets not receiving the contest on their local ABC affiliate will receive the game on ESPN-HD.
The Nebraska-Texas meeting will be the 10th between the two schools since the start of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, including three Big 12 title games. Of those 10 games, nine have been televised by ABC, with the lone exception the 2002 game in Lincoln. Six of the previous nine meetings between the teams have been decided by four or fewer points.
In addition to the Texas contest, Nebraska's Nov. 26 regular-season finale with Colorado will be televised to a national audience on ABC, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. Game times and television information for Nebraska's other remaining games will be announced six to 12 days in advance.
Other Big 12 games set for telecast on the week of Oct. 16 include: Kansas State at Kansas (Thursday, Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m., FSN), Missouri at Texas A&M (Oct. 16, FSN, 11 a.m.) and Iowa State at Oklahoma (6 p.m., FSN).
Score Predictions - Kansas State
Enter your Score Predictions for this week's game in the comments section.
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
It was actually a 3 way tie but I decided (on the fly) that the tiebreaker will be whoever has the NU score the closest (and I'm playing favorites a little)
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Week 4: Kristin - Off by 31 Points - (Guess 41-10, Actual 17-3)
It was actually a 3 way tie but I decided (on the fly) that the tiebreaker will be whoever has the NU score the closest (and I'm playing favorites a little)
College Jersey Hipocrisy
-Daren Rovell
A.J. Green finally played on Saturday.
In his absence his Georgia Bulldogs went 1-3.
While Green has been apologetic for selling his Independence Bowl jersey to a person the NCAA terms an agent, which resulted in a four-game suspension, many haven’t been so gracious towards the NCAA’s hypocrisy.
For years, I’ve been saying to pay the players for their jersey sales. Well, if that’s not going to happen, at least we can stop colleges from selling the jerseys themselves.
Nebraska is selling every single jersey (158 of them!) that supposedly will be worn by its players on Oct. 16 against Texas. They’ve already put them up for auction and they’ll be raising thousands of dollars.
Just like the NCAA gets away with not paying the players by not putting the player’s name on the back of the jerseys, Nebraska says they will take the name off the back before sending it to the winning bidder.
Any collector knows that devalues the jersey and will result in a lower bid.
So why not be transparent in the best interest of Nebraska raising more money and the players being a part of it?
College football is a business. It’s absurd to pretend it’s not. Let's set up a structure to give players a piece of the merchandising action. It's not that hard.
Bid for yourself
http://www.huskers.com/sellnew/SellHome.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&_MODE_=AUCTION
A.J. Green finally played on Saturday.
In his absence his Georgia Bulldogs went 1-3.
While Green has been apologetic for selling his Independence Bowl jersey to a person the NCAA terms an agent, which resulted in a four-game suspension, many haven’t been so gracious towards the NCAA’s hypocrisy.
For years, I’ve been saying to pay the players for their jersey sales. Well, if that’s not going to happen, at least we can stop colleges from selling the jerseys themselves.
Nebraska is selling every single jersey (158 of them!) that supposedly will be worn by its players on Oct. 16 against Texas. They’ve already put them up for auction and they’ll be raising thousands of dollars.
Just like the NCAA gets away with not paying the players by not putting the player’s name on the back of the jerseys, Nebraska says they will take the name off the back before sending it to the winning bidder.
Any collector knows that devalues the jersey and will result in a lower bid.
So why not be transparent in the best interest of Nebraska raising more money and the players being a part of it?
College football is a business. It’s absurd to pretend it’s not. Let's set up a structure to give players a piece of the merchandising action. It's not that hard.
Bid for yourself
http://www.huskers.com/sellnew/SellHome.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&_MODE_=AUCTION
Friday, October 1, 2010
Boise State Takes Heat for Schedule, but is Nebraska's any Better?
With debate raging over Boise State's schedule and merits of playing in the BCS championship game, it's worth revisiting Perlman's statement. Would the Broncos -- or TCU or Utah, for that matter -- really prove that much more by playing Nebraska's 2010 schedule?
So far, No. 3 Boise State has beaten two ranked foes (Virginia Tech and Oregon State). If No. 25 Nevada continues its torrid play over the next two months, the Broncos could well face a third ranked team on Nov. 26. Meanwhile, the sixth-ranked Huskers could feasibly end up playing ... none.
Having opened the season with wins over heavyweights Western Kentucky (0-4), Idaho (2-2), Washington (1-2) and FCS member South Dakota State, the Huskers open Big 12 play next Thursday at 4-0 Kansas State, which is currently listed among the "others receiving votes" in both major polls. Nebraska's marquee game figured to come the following week against Texas, but the Longhorns' disastrous 34-12 loss to UCLA last week may have ruined that possibility. Texas plummeted from seventh to 21st in the AP poll, and it's fair to assume the 'Horns will drop out completely if they fall to No. 8 Oklahoma this weekend.
Scheduling
Head-to-Head CollegeBCS.com ratings in parentheses.
Nebraska
W. Kentucky (116)
Idaho (86)
Washington (75)
S. Dakota State (N/A)
Kansas St. (26)
Texas (15)
Oklahoma St. (25)
Missouri (21)
Iowa St. (55)
Kansas (72)
Texas A&M (34)
Colorado (50)
Average rating: 58*
Boise State
Va. Tech (35)
Wyoming (85)
Oregon St. (36)
New Mexico St. (117)
Toledo (48)
San Jose St. (89)
La. Tech (98)
Hawaii (73)
Idaho (86)
Fresno St. (49)
Nevada (24)
Utah St. (105)
Average ranking: 70.4
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Or click here for link to story
So far, No. 3 Boise State has beaten two ranked foes (Virginia Tech and Oregon State). If No. 25 Nevada continues its torrid play over the next two months, the Broncos could well face a third ranked team on Nov. 26. Meanwhile, the sixth-ranked Huskers could feasibly end up playing ... none.
Having opened the season with wins over heavyweights Western Kentucky (0-4), Idaho (2-2), Washington (1-2) and FCS member South Dakota State, the Huskers open Big 12 play next Thursday at 4-0 Kansas State, which is currently listed among the "others receiving votes" in both major polls. Nebraska's marquee game figured to come the following week against Texas, but the Longhorns' disastrous 34-12 loss to UCLA last week may have ruined that possibility. Texas plummeted from seventh to 21st in the AP poll, and it's fair to assume the 'Horns will drop out completely if they fall to No. 8 Oklahoma this weekend.
Scheduling
Head-to-Head CollegeBCS.com ratings in parentheses.
Nebraska
W. Kentucky (116)
Idaho (86)
Washington (75)
S. Dakota State (N/A)
Kansas St. (26)
Texas (15)
Oklahoma St. (25)
Missouri (21)
Iowa St. (55)
Kansas (72)
Texas A&M (34)
Colorado (50)
Average rating: 58*
Boise State
Va. Tech (35)
Wyoming (85)
Oregon St. (36)
New Mexico St. (117)
Toledo (48)
San Jose St. (89)
La. Tech (98)
Hawaii (73)
Idaho (86)
Fresno St. (49)
Nevada (24)
Utah St. (105)
Average ranking: 70.4
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
South Dakota State Blog Post of the Week
By Matt Zimmer
I really dislike the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
I always have. It was sort of a rite of passage in my family, to root against the Huskers on Saturdays, but then a friend of the family started taking us to games and certain people in the family were converted.
I was not.
I didn't like the boring red jerseys, and the even boringer white helmets with the tiny 'N' on the side.
I didn't like Tom Osborne. It's nothing personal, I just have a general disdain for sacred cows. It's fairly certain that by saying I dislike Tom Osborne, I'll get some hate mail from conservative folks who will equate such a statement to Godlessness or a general evil, but the fact is, I just think it's silly that the guy is treated like royalty in that state and among followers of the team. He's just a football coach. A football coach who recruited Lawrence Phillips. And Jason Peter. And Mark Vedral. And Shevin Wiggins.
It's not Osborne I dislike, really, it's the idea that he is unimpeachable that I dislike.
I dislike the way the Huskers play football. They are, and always have been, a boring football team, running a boring offense that is more similar to what you would see in high school football than what you'd see in the NFL.
They won with it in the 80s and 90s, but Osborne wisely got out when the speed and athleticism of the SEC got to the point that you could no longer win a national championship by running the I-formation behind a big offensive line. The Huskers didn't begin fading as a program because of Osborne's retirement, the rest of the nation simply passed them by.
Bill Callahan was a failure as the Huskers coach, and most of his ideas were, in hindsight, terrible, but I do think he was onto something in trying to drag the Nebraska offense into the 21st century. He just wasn't a good enough coach to do that succesfully.
I dislike the whole "blackshirts" thing. It's stupid. It's just a nickname for their defense. Whether it's good or bad. Guess what? Every team that plays football has a defense. You should have to do something special to have a nickname (at least, something more special than wear black shirts in practice). It would be one thing if they played some unique style of defense, or were known for inventing some kind of widely-used scheme, but nope, it's just another name for their defense. Their plain-old, regular-ass defense.
If you're a Husker fan reading this and you're getting ornery, think of it this way: It'd be pretty damn annoying if every other football team went around calling their defense the yellowshirts, or whiteshirts, or purpleshirts, or whatever, wouldn't it? There is nothing anymore special about the Husker defense than anyone else's, so the nickname is freakin' dumb.
The reason the Huskers (and their fans) are so annoying, is because it's the only team in the entire state.
Nebraska has no major pro sports teams, and, because it's - depending on where you are in the state - roughly the same distance away from Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Denver, there is no consensus team or teams that they adopt, in the way that the Dakotas - at least on the east side of the states, have largely adopted the Twins and to a lesser extent, the Vikings.
The University of Nebraska is the only Division I school in the state and it always has been. Nebraska-Omaha, Nebraska-Kearney, Wayne State and the numerous private schools in the GPAC, have their share of fans, but because they're at a lower level, their fans are ALSO Husker fans.
This means that the Nebraska football team is, to put it somewhat crudely but not incorrectly, the one and only team for the people of the state.
And to an outsider, that is annoying. I'm not saying it's wrong - it isn't. I'm generally of the opinion that if you are a true sports fan, you root for the team that is your default home team. If you don't, you'd better have a really good reason.
But when you get that many like-minded people together, all agreeing on the fact that the country would be a better place if Tom Osborne were president, and all (giggle) saying with a serious face that this year's team is going to win a national championship, all while wearing ugly red shirts that are two sizes too small, well, it's enough to make you really want them to fail.
More Hate continued in the comments section....
I really dislike the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
I always have. It was sort of a rite of passage in my family, to root against the Huskers on Saturdays, but then a friend of the family started taking us to games and certain people in the family were converted.
I was not.
I didn't like the boring red jerseys, and the even boringer white helmets with the tiny 'N' on the side.
I didn't like Tom Osborne. It's nothing personal, I just have a general disdain for sacred cows. It's fairly certain that by saying I dislike Tom Osborne, I'll get some hate mail from conservative folks who will equate such a statement to Godlessness or a general evil, but the fact is, I just think it's silly that the guy is treated like royalty in that state and among followers of the team. He's just a football coach. A football coach who recruited Lawrence Phillips. And Jason Peter. And Mark Vedral. And Shevin Wiggins.
It's not Osborne I dislike, really, it's the idea that he is unimpeachable that I dislike.
I dislike the way the Huskers play football. They are, and always have been, a boring football team, running a boring offense that is more similar to what you would see in high school football than what you'd see in the NFL.
They won with it in the 80s and 90s, but Osborne wisely got out when the speed and athleticism of the SEC got to the point that you could no longer win a national championship by running the I-formation behind a big offensive line. The Huskers didn't begin fading as a program because of Osborne's retirement, the rest of the nation simply passed them by.
Bill Callahan was a failure as the Huskers coach, and most of his ideas were, in hindsight, terrible, but I do think he was onto something in trying to drag the Nebraska offense into the 21st century. He just wasn't a good enough coach to do that succesfully.
I dislike the whole "blackshirts" thing. It's stupid. It's just a nickname for their defense. Whether it's good or bad. Guess what? Every team that plays football has a defense. You should have to do something special to have a nickname (at least, something more special than wear black shirts in practice). It would be one thing if they played some unique style of defense, or were known for inventing some kind of widely-used scheme, but nope, it's just another name for their defense. Their plain-old, regular-ass defense.
If you're a Husker fan reading this and you're getting ornery, think of it this way: It'd be pretty damn annoying if every other football team went around calling their defense the yellowshirts, or whiteshirts, or purpleshirts, or whatever, wouldn't it? There is nothing anymore special about the Husker defense than anyone else's, so the nickname is freakin' dumb.
The reason the Huskers (and their fans) are so annoying, is because it's the only team in the entire state.
Nebraska has no major pro sports teams, and, because it's - depending on where you are in the state - roughly the same distance away from Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Denver, there is no consensus team or teams that they adopt, in the way that the Dakotas - at least on the east side of the states, have largely adopted the Twins and to a lesser extent, the Vikings.
The University of Nebraska is the only Division I school in the state and it always has been. Nebraska-Omaha, Nebraska-Kearney, Wayne State and the numerous private schools in the GPAC, have their share of fans, but because they're at a lower level, their fans are ALSO Husker fans.
This means that the Nebraska football team is, to put it somewhat crudely but not incorrectly, the one and only team for the people of the state.
And to an outsider, that is annoying. I'm not saying it's wrong - it isn't. I'm generally of the opinion that if you are a true sports fan, you root for the team that is your default home team. If you don't, you'd better have a really good reason.
But when you get that many like-minded people together, all agreeing on the fact that the country would be a better place if Tom Osborne were president, and all (giggle) saying with a serious face that this year's team is going to win a national championship, all while wearing ugly red shirts that are two sizes too small, well, it's enough to make you really want them to fail.
More Hate continued in the comments section....
Monday, September 27, 2010
New Mexico to Fire Coach and Hire Mike Leach
A former executive producer of University of New Mexico Lobo TV sports programming and long-time news producer for KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported yesterday on his Facebook page that UNM will fire football coach Mike Locksley and hire Mike Leach as Locksley’s replacement after the Lobos play in-state rival New Mexico State on Oct. 9
New Mexico’s football radio broadcast flagship KOB-AM reportedly then picked up the Facebook entry from Gerges Scott, who is now a crisis communications consultant. KOB-FM subsequently mentioned its sister station’s report about the Locksley’s firing on its Twitter page:
“Rumors coming from our sister station 770 KKOB that UNM Lobos football coach Mike Locksley will be fired after the game at NMSU on October 9th, and replaced with ANOTHER controversial coach!”
Click on Comments for entire story...
New Mexico’s football radio broadcast flagship KOB-AM reportedly then picked up the Facebook entry from Gerges Scott, who is now a crisis communications consultant. KOB-FM subsequently mentioned its sister station’s report about the Locksley’s firing on its Twitter page:
“Rumors coming from our sister station 770 KKOB that UNM Lobos football coach Mike Locksley will be fired after the game at NMSU on October 9th, and replaced with ANOTHER controversial coach!”
Click on Comments for entire story...
Going for 2
USC football coach Lane Kiffin has quietly employed an extra point strategy this season that is, in college football’s modern era, unprecedented.
Despite have a healthy, competent placekicker, Kiffin has attempted two-point conversions on half of the USC’s 14 touchdowns so far this season. The pattern of those attempts has been indiscriminate, as Kiffin leaves the decision up to backup quarterback Mitch Mustain. Mustain’s job is to read the defense before the conversion play and if he thinks the opposing formation is conducive for a two-point try, the Trojans attempt it.
So far the result has been a miserable success rate, with the Trojans converting on just two of those seven tries.
Click on Comments to read the rest of the story...
Despite have a healthy, competent placekicker, Kiffin has attempted two-point conversions on half of the USC’s 14 touchdowns so far this season. The pattern of those attempts has been indiscriminate, as Kiffin leaves the decision up to backup quarterback Mitch Mustain. Mustain’s job is to read the defense before the conversion play and if he thinks the opposing formation is conducive for a two-point try, the Trojans attempt it.
So far the result has been a miserable success rate, with the Trojans converting on just two of those seven tries.
Click on Comments to read the rest of the story...
Gill Bans Phones/Girlfriends
Turner Gill has banned players from not only using cellphones on game days, but the day before kickoff . When the team plays on a Saturday, players turn in their phones to KU coaches on Friday morning. They get them back after the game.
Also in the players’ manual is a rule that states that KU’s players cannot be with girls past 10 p.m. on any night. That means either having a girl over or being at her house.
Though Gill told the players that the rule was difficult to enforce, he explained the penalty would be more severe if a KU player was involved with an incident and it was discovered that the player had broken the policy.
Player reaction to Gill’s policies haven’t exactly been overwhelmingly positive. Veteran KU receiver Daymond Patterson said, “I think everybody was just like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it without my cell phone. I think everybody was just kind of in shock, because we hadn’t had anything like that here in the past years.”
Mark Mangino, who led an astonishing revival of the Jayhawk football program, until he was unceremoniously fired by now-ousted athletic director Lew Perkins, did not have such restrictions on players the previous eight seasons in Lawrence.
Last season Mangino actually addressed the girlfriend issue to McCollough:
“We don’t talk to players about who their girlfriend should be, what they should look like, all that. I’m telling you, our coaches aren’t sitting up here until 10:30, 11 o’ clock at night worried about our players’ girlfriends.”
Jayhawk player Lubbock Smith also noted at the time, “I don’t listen to my girlfriend when it comes to football. I listen to my coaches.”
The funny thing about Gill’s phone ban is that he has no such embargo on computers, so players can while away their time on laptops - communicating every bit as readily as they do on cellphone. Including in the locker room.
While there’s nothing wrong with Gill installing a curfew for player social activities and instituting what is largely a symbolic ban on cellphones to promote team unity, the moves might not go over too well with recruits.
And so far KU’s results on the field give no indication that policing the data plans of players is of much use.
Also in the players’ manual is a rule that states that KU’s players cannot be with girls past 10 p.m. on any night. That means either having a girl over or being at her house.
Though Gill told the players that the rule was difficult to enforce, he explained the penalty would be more severe if a KU player was involved with an incident and it was discovered that the player had broken the policy.
Player reaction to Gill’s policies haven’t exactly been overwhelmingly positive. Veteran KU receiver Daymond Patterson said, “I think everybody was just like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it without my cell phone. I think everybody was just kind of in shock, because we hadn’t had anything like that here in the past years.”
Mark Mangino, who led an astonishing revival of the Jayhawk football program, until he was unceremoniously fired by now-ousted athletic director Lew Perkins, did not have such restrictions on players the previous eight seasons in Lawrence.
Last season Mangino actually addressed the girlfriend issue to McCollough:
“We don’t talk to players about who their girlfriend should be, what they should look like, all that. I’m telling you, our coaches aren’t sitting up here until 10:30, 11 o’ clock at night worried about our players’ girlfriends.”
Jayhawk player Lubbock Smith also noted at the time, “I don’t listen to my girlfriend when it comes to football. I listen to my coaches.”
The funny thing about Gill’s phone ban is that he has no such embargo on computers, so players can while away their time on laptops - communicating every bit as readily as they do on cellphone. Including in the locker room.
While there’s nothing wrong with Gill installing a curfew for player social activities and instituting what is largely a symbolic ban on cellphones to promote team unity, the moves might not go over too well with recruits.
And so far KU’s results on the field give no indication that policing the data plans of players is of much use.
Even God Hates KSU
Dark, swirling clouds seemed to envelop Kansas State's stadium during a delay of almost 1 1/2 hours in Saturday's game against Central Florida.
The game was stopped early in the first quarter because of lightning that accompanied a storm system rapidly bearing down on the area.
For the next 20 minutes or so, fans watched the strange-looking clouds roll in from the northwest.
On the horizon, they seemed almost to touch the ground. When they reached the stadium, they were dark and angry-looking. They seemed to be boiling in the sky like a dark liquid bubbling in a pot. The rotation suggested the formation of funnel clouds.
Finally, heavy rain began. By the time play was resumed after a delay of 1 hour, 26 minutes, officials said more than half an inch of rain had fallen.
The game was stopped early in the first quarter because of lightning that accompanied a storm system rapidly bearing down on the area.
For the next 20 minutes or so, fans watched the strange-looking clouds roll in from the northwest.
On the horizon, they seemed almost to touch the ground. When they reached the stadium, they were dark and angry-looking. They seemed to be boiling in the sky like a dark liquid bubbling in a pot. The rotation suggested the formation of funnel clouds.
Finally, heavy rain began. By the time play was resumed after a delay of 1 hour, 26 minutes, officials said more than half an inch of rain had fallen.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blackshirts
A dozen Nebraska defenders were wearing their Blackshirts for the first time Thursday, the earliest any unit has received the coveted practice jerseys under coach Bo Pelini. (2008 - Mid November, 2009 - October)
But the Huskers' third-year coach didn't have much commentary about his decision to reward his first-team defenders.
“We thought it was the right time,” Pelini said. “It is a tradition, and it's one that I believe in. You pick the time you think is right.”
Nebraska's first-team defenders have been wearing black in practice since the 1960s, when coach Bob Devaney wanted to distinguish the defense from the offense.
Wearing black Thursday were all 11 starters
Pierre Allen, SR
Jared Crick, JR
Baker Steinkuhler, SO
Cameron Meredith, SO
Eric Martin, SO
Lavonte David, JR
Alfonzo Dennard, JR
Eric Hagg, SR
Prince Amukamara, SR
DeJon Gomes, SR
Rickey Thenarse, SR
And Dime Sub..
Sophomore safety P.J. Smith
Through three games, the Huskers have accumulated more sacks and more interceptions than they had during the first quarter of the 2009 season. On average, they're allowing 28.6 fewer yards per game, too.
But the Huskers' third-year coach didn't have much commentary about his decision to reward his first-team defenders.
“We thought it was the right time,” Pelini said. “It is a tradition, and it's one that I believe in. You pick the time you think is right.”
Nebraska's first-team defenders have been wearing black in practice since the 1960s, when coach Bob Devaney wanted to distinguish the defense from the offense.
Wearing black Thursday were all 11 starters
Pierre Allen, SR
Jared Crick, JR
Baker Steinkuhler, SO
Cameron Meredith, SO
Eric Martin, SO
Lavonte David, JR
Alfonzo Dennard, JR
Eric Hagg, SR
Prince Amukamara, SR
DeJon Gomes, SR
Rickey Thenarse, SR
And Dime Sub..
Sophomore safety P.J. Smith
Through three games, the Huskers have accumulated more sacks and more interceptions than they had during the first quarter of the 2009 season. On average, they're allowing 28.6 fewer yards per game, too.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Rail Scenario
I think Alabama is going to have another undefeated regular season. Probably Ohio State too. Boise for sure. Cool huh? Wait…that’s not cool at all. What if a Big 12 team goes undefeated? Three BCS teams and one sexy Cinderella all undefeated? Shouldn’t that be the makings of the greatest climax for a college football season ever? Yeppers, but its not. Actually it would be the opposite. An anticlimactic bunch of horseshit is what that would be.
Obviously Boise gets left out (no BSU sympathy from me...play a schedule Boise State…play a schedule). I’d have to guess that a decent majority would want to see Alabama v Ohio State as the NC matchup. Those are a couple of powerhouse programs in powerhouse conferences, so one can hardly argue with that. Well f*** that! I’ll argue with that. Whoa whoa whoa…don’t tell me to settle down!! Don’t tell me it’s too early in the season to start talking about the possibility that 3 BCS teams go undefeated. Don't tell me that somebody always pulls a late season upset. Don’t tell me that I shouldn’t wear a colored t-shirt underneath my button down when I go out on the weekends…I don’t care what GQ told you. Fine, I’ll wear white undershirts, but goddammit, I’m not going to chill out about the stupid BCS.
One of these days it is going to happen. It has to. Someday there will be three deserving teams with unblemished records. And that will be the day when an entire fan base flips the f*** out. If that fan base is Nebraska…oh man oh man…how much of a stomach punch would that be? Actually it wouldn’t be a stomach punch at all. It’d be more like one of those YouTube clips where the skateboarding teenager is grinding a rail, biffs it, and takes it right in the gouch. You press play. You see what is going on. You know he is going to eat it. You do your best to turn your head before the pain. Ewwwww…ouchhhh…right in the gouch.
Hold on…this is acceptable to the powers that be? It would be acceptable for NU (or UT or OU) to go undefeated in the Big 12 and get the shaft? It is acceptable that EVERY SINGLE college football fan would be enraged at the process? THAT IS ACCEPTABLE??? C’mon. Really? That is an acceptable end to a college football season? Get the f*** out of here. That is not acceptable.
This is not a pro-playoff rant. It’s an anti-rail-to-the-gouch rant. 16-team playoff? Fine. Not my cup of tea, but fine. 8-team playoff? Getting better. 4-team playoff (the plus one)? Now we’re talking. But if we absolutely can’t accomplish any of these formats, then how about we just fix the rail-gouch scenario? Build in a contingency plan that says if, and only if, 3 or more BCS teams finish the season undefeated, we add a game and figure this shit out on the field. How tough is that? Who does that hurt?
If the nightmare scenario (which really should be the money scenario) happens this year, it will be pandemonium. ESPN will be unwatchable. Sports talk radio will be unlistenable. Cocoa Puffs will be untasteable. It will be miserable. Even if it isn’t the Cornhuskers taking the rail, it will be miserable. WHY OH WHY CAN’T THEY AVOID THIS VERY POSIBLE DISASTER???
Corp of Engineers: We built you a nice levy.
New Orleanian: It is a nice levy. I love the levy.
Corp of Engineers: Yep…it’ll hold against most hurricanes.
New Orleanian: Most?
Corp of Engineers: Yeah, just not the really big ones.
New Orleanian: Is it possible that a big one will come?
Corp of Engineers: Well someday…yeah…for sure.
New Orleanian: Well what will happen if a big one comes?
Corp of Engineers: Total collapse. Total disaster. Total pandemonium. Rail to the gouch.
New Orleanian: Can’t we make the levy stronger?
Corp of Engineers: Well sure…I guess. But why don’t we just wait and see what happens. I mean so far, so good…right?
New Orleanian: You're f***ing loony, aren’t you? You have no concept of reality. I mean, you really are dumber than shit.
Obviously Boise gets left out (no BSU sympathy from me...play a schedule Boise State…play a schedule). I’d have to guess that a decent majority would want to see Alabama v Ohio State as the NC matchup. Those are a couple of powerhouse programs in powerhouse conferences, so one can hardly argue with that. Well f*** that! I’ll argue with that. Whoa whoa whoa…don’t tell me to settle down!! Don’t tell me it’s too early in the season to start talking about the possibility that 3 BCS teams go undefeated. Don't tell me that somebody always pulls a late season upset. Don’t tell me that I shouldn’t wear a colored t-shirt underneath my button down when I go out on the weekends…I don’t care what GQ told you. Fine, I’ll wear white undershirts, but goddammit, I’m not going to chill out about the stupid BCS.
One of these days it is going to happen. It has to. Someday there will be three deserving teams with unblemished records. And that will be the day when an entire fan base flips the f*** out. If that fan base is Nebraska…oh man oh man…how much of a stomach punch would that be? Actually it wouldn’t be a stomach punch at all. It’d be more like one of those YouTube clips where the skateboarding teenager is grinding a rail, biffs it, and takes it right in the gouch. You press play. You see what is going on. You know he is going to eat it. You do your best to turn your head before the pain. Ewwwww…ouchhhh…right in the gouch.
Hold on…this is acceptable to the powers that be? It would be acceptable for NU (or UT or OU) to go undefeated in the Big 12 and get the shaft? It is acceptable that EVERY SINGLE college football fan would be enraged at the process? THAT IS ACCEPTABLE??? C’mon. Really? That is an acceptable end to a college football season? Get the f*** out of here. That is not acceptable.
This is not a pro-playoff rant. It’s an anti-rail-to-the-gouch rant. 16-team playoff? Fine. Not my cup of tea, but fine. 8-team playoff? Getting better. 4-team playoff (the plus one)? Now we’re talking. But if we absolutely can’t accomplish any of these formats, then how about we just fix the rail-gouch scenario? Build in a contingency plan that says if, and only if, 3 or more BCS teams finish the season undefeated, we add a game and figure this shit out on the field. How tough is that? Who does that hurt?
If the nightmare scenario (which really should be the money scenario) happens this year, it will be pandemonium. ESPN will be unwatchable. Sports talk radio will be unlistenable. Cocoa Puffs will be untasteable. It will be miserable. Even if it isn’t the Cornhuskers taking the rail, it will be miserable. WHY OH WHY CAN’T THEY AVOID THIS VERY POSIBLE DISASTER???
Corp of Engineers: We built you a nice levy.
New Orleanian: It is a nice levy. I love the levy.
Corp of Engineers: Yep…it’ll hold against most hurricanes.
New Orleanian: Most?
Corp of Engineers: Yeah, just not the really big ones.
New Orleanian: Is it possible that a big one will come?
Corp of Engineers: Well someday…yeah…for sure.
New Orleanian: Well what will happen if a big one comes?
Corp of Engineers: Total collapse. Total disaster. Total pandemonium. Rail to the gouch.
New Orleanian: Can’t we make the levy stronger?
Corp of Engineers: Well sure…I guess. But why don’t we just wait and see what happens. I mean so far, so good…right?
New Orleanian: You're f***ing loony, aren’t you? You have no concept of reality. I mean, you really are dumber than shit.
Red Out Around The World
Log onto http://www.redoutaroundtheworld.com/ and place yourself on the map for a chance at daily prizes. Enter by October 2nd for a chance at the Grand Prize which is 2 tickets to the Texas game and a two night stay at the Downtown Lincoln Holiday Inn.
Score Predictions - South Dakota State
Enter your Score Predictions for this week's game in the comments section.
(This is getting embarrassing as the ladies are dominating)
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
(This is getting embarrassing as the ladies are dominating)
Previous Winners
Week 1: Denise - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 50-10, Actual 49-10)
Week 2: Luke - Off by 1 Point! - (Guess 38-16, Actual 38-17)
Week 3: Denise - Off by 11 Points - (Guess 45-21, Actual 56-21)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Is Big 10 Expansion Over?
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is quoted as saying that he believes the Big Ten's expansion efforts essentially are over.
A snippet from the Lantern, OSU's student paper:
"We're finished (with expansion)," Smith said. "The only thing that would cause us to look at it further is if someone contacted us."
Smith acknowledged that few Big Ten representatives have closed the door to further expansion.
"The reason most of us say it's not done is because we think there are some schools that are going to try to talk to some conferences. But we're not actively out looking at expansion," Smith said. "After our October meetings, that's going to be the last we talk about it."
The Big Ten, of course, added Nebraska to its stable in June, bringing conference membership to 12. After adding the Cornhuskers, commissioner Jim Delany said the league would return to its scheduled timetable for examining further expansion, which is scheduled to wrap up between this December and June 2011.
Sounds like the league has gauged the interest of its top targets (Notre Dame, Texas, etc.) and is just waiting to see whether any of them will change their mind.
A snippet from the Lantern, OSU's student paper:
"We're finished (with expansion)," Smith said. "The only thing that would cause us to look at it further is if someone contacted us."
Smith acknowledged that few Big Ten representatives have closed the door to further expansion.
"The reason most of us say it's not done is because we think there are some schools that are going to try to talk to some conferences. But we're not actively out looking at expansion," Smith said. "After our October meetings, that's going to be the last we talk about it."
The Big Ten, of course, added Nebraska to its stable in June, bringing conference membership to 12. After adding the Cornhuskers, commissioner Jim Delany said the league would return to its scheduled timetable for examining further expansion, which is scheduled to wrap up between this December and June 2011.
Sounds like the league has gauged the interest of its top targets (Notre Dame, Texas, etc.) and is just waiting to see whether any of them will change their mind.
Move to Big 10 will cost NU $9 Million
The price tag for Nebraska leaving the Big 12 will amount to almost $9 million. The Big 12 announced it was withholding $9.255 million in revenue from the school as part of its decision to join the Big Ten in time for next season.
Nebraska can lower the financial hit because it will receive $500,000 if the Cornhuskers reach a BCS bowl game.
"The University of Nebraska believes this is a fair settlement of our disagreement regarding the appropriateness in this instance of imposing any monetary fee on the university for withdrawing from the conference," said chancellor Harvey Perlman. "We continue to value our ongoing relationships with the institutions of the Big 12 and have great respect for their leadership and the leadership of the conference."
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe issued the following statement:
"This agreement was accomplished through a collegial, respectful process among the conference, its institutions, and the University of Nebraska that led to a resolution that all parties believe is fair. I appreciate the cooperation of chancellor Harvey Perlman and Nebraska staff. The Big 12 has enjoyed its relationship with Nebraska and wishes it well in the future."
Nebraska can lower the financial hit because it will receive $500,000 if the Cornhuskers reach a BCS bowl game.
"The University of Nebraska believes this is a fair settlement of our disagreement regarding the appropriateness in this instance of imposing any monetary fee on the university for withdrawing from the conference," said chancellor Harvey Perlman. "We continue to value our ongoing relationships with the institutions of the Big 12 and have great respect for their leadership and the leadership of the conference."
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe issued the following statement:
"This agreement was accomplished through a collegial, respectful process among the conference, its institutions, and the University of Nebraska that led to a resolution that all parties believe is fair. I appreciate the cooperation of chancellor Harvey Perlman and Nebraska staff. The Big 12 has enjoyed its relationship with Nebraska and wishes it well in the future."
Meet the Jackrabbits
Team: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Location: Brookings, SD
Collors: Yellow & Blue
Enrollment: 12,376
Conference: Missouri Valley (FCS)
Head Coach: John Stiegelmeier 83-62 in 14 seasons
Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator: Luke Meadows
2010 Record: 0-2
Series Record vs. Nebraska: First meeting
Game Date: Saturday, Sept. 25
Game Time: 6 p.m. CT
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (81,091) in Lincoln, Neb.
TV: FSN Pay Per View
Radio: Husker Sports Network
To Avoid a lengthy Post, See the comments section for specifics on the Offense and Defense
- SDSU opened the season ranked in the top 10 (No. 9 by the media and No. 10 by the coaches) in the FCS before dropping its first two games by a combined 50-17 margin.
- The Jackrabbits did not get an offensive touchdown until more than 105 minutes into the season when Tyler Duffy scored on a 3-yard run with 14:51 left to play in second game of the year.
- Eight of the 12 players listed on the SDSU offensive line depth chart are either redshirt freshmen or sophomores. Overall, 16 players on the offensive side of the depth chart are sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.
- The Jackrabbits have given up 449 rushing yards in two games (224.5 ypg) to Delaware and Illinois State to open the season. On the flipside, SDSU has rushed for only 77.0 yards per game (154 total).
- South Dakota State has yet to record an interception through two contests. Opponents have completed 34-of-54 pass attempts for 315 yards.
- The SDSU defense has been on the field for extended periods of time as opponents have had the ball for an average of 36:27 over the first two games.
- Teams are churning out drives by converting third downs. Opponents have made 48 percent (15-of-31 attempts) on third down tries.
- Opponents are finding success when it matters most as they have scored on 7-of-8 trips (88 percent) into the red zone this fall. SDSU has converted on just 3-of-7 (43 percent).
South Dakota State has 13 players on its roster from the state of Nebraska, including: Jorge Dunklau (Wayne), Brandon Hubert (Gretna), Josh Kage (Omaha), Eric Koehlmoos (Pierce), Matthew Korus (Humphrey), Nick Krings (Humphrey), Travis Lindstrom (Oakland), Jacob Ludemann (Norfolk), Skyler Luxa (Blair), Andy Mink (Ashland), Matt Peitz (Crofton), Taylor Suess (Columbus) and Justin Taylor (Hallam).
South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2010 Schedule
Sept. 11 at Delaware, L, 3-26
Sept. 18 Illinois State, L, 14-24
Sept. 25 at Nebraska, 6 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Northern Iowa, 4 p.m.
Oct. 9 Western Illinois, 6 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Southern Illinois, 2 p.m.
Oct. 23 Youngstown State, 2 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Indiana State, 2 p.m.
Nov. 6 Missouri State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 13 at North Dakota State, 3 p.m.
Nov. 20 North Dakota, 1 p.m.
See the Comments section for specifics on the Offense and Defense
Teams with Losing Records in Bowls?
With 35 bowl games scheduled for college football this season, Brent Schrotenboer of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reports today that the NCAA has confirmed it has been discussing how to handle the prospect of being forced to place losing teams in postseason bowls in order to maintain the staging of such games.
Schrotenboer reports the NCAA has promised a “contingency plan” in the past if there aren’t enough teams with winning or .500 records to fill out the bowl game roster. That plan has yet to be presented to the public.
The decision will be made by the NCAA’s football postseason licensing subcommittee, chaired by Nick Carparelli, associate commissioner of the Big East Conference. Carparelli said Tuesday discussions are “ongoing” and no timetable has been set to form a contingency plan if fewer than 70 teams have 6-6 records or better.
Click on the Comments Section to Read on....
Schrotenboer reports the NCAA has promised a “contingency plan” in the past if there aren’t enough teams with winning or .500 records to fill out the bowl game roster. That plan has yet to be presented to the public.
The decision will be made by the NCAA’s football postseason licensing subcommittee, chaired by Nick Carparelli, associate commissioner of the Big East Conference. Carparelli said Tuesday discussions are “ongoing” and no timetable has been set to form a contingency plan if fewer than 70 teams have 6-6 records or better.
Click on the Comments Section to Read on....
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
FMS Update
So the preliminary plan is for everyone to meet up for a month long vacation. Probably in late April or early May (we need to give everyone enough time to get yachts). Who would've thought we's all have YACHTS!!! Unreal. So we'll take our yachts down to the Cape Good Hope and then from there we'll head to .... what?...
You: Yeah, um I don't have a yacht.
Me: Yet? Do you mean you haven't gotten your yacht yet?
You: Well..actually...I'm not buying a yacht.
Me: (looking disapointed) Well then... who the hell's going to be my yachting buddies???? People with yachts??? Uh...no. People with yachts are freaking crazy. I'd never fit in. I'm just not that reckless. And I've only played a minimal amount of lacrosse. I'm much more of a beer guy...and not really much of a cocaine/prescription drugs guy.
You: Pipe down you psychopath. Why would I buy a yacht out of the blue? Yachts are pretty expensive you know.
Me: Just use some of your Free Money.
You: Free Money??
Me: Yeah. Just use a small portion of the money you got, for free, on Free Money Saturday. Then we can be cruising buddies.
You: Yeah, um I don't have a yacht.
Me: Yet? Do you mean you haven't gotten your yacht yet?
You: Well..actually...I'm not buying a yacht.
Me: (looking disapointed) Well then... who the hell's going to be my yachting buddies???? People with yachts??? Uh...no. People with yachts are freaking crazy. I'd never fit in. I'm just not that reckless. And I've only played a minimal amount of lacrosse. I'm much more of a beer guy...and not really much of a cocaine/prescription drugs guy.
You: Pipe down you psychopath. Why would I buy a yacht out of the blue? Yachts are pretty expensive you know.
Me: Just use some of your Free Money.
You: Free Money??
Me: Yeah. Just use a small portion of the money you got, for free, on Free Money Saturday. Then we can be cruising buddies.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mini Rants
Instead of a full-sized rant this week, let’s do 5 mini rants.
Mini Rant #1
Washington sucks. September 18th, 2010 shall from this day be known as Free Money Saturday. FMS needs to be appreciated as it only comes once a year (on average). And it’s here!!! Horrayy!!! So sure, I have a little hop in my giddy-up. Actually I have a buttload of hop in my giddy-up. This line makes no freaking sense. Locker has a better chance of being concussed than winning this game. FMS. Book it.
Mini Rant #2
Why, after riding out Hurricane Ike 2 years ago and with full knowledge that many Houstonians were without power for WEEKS, do I still secretly root for Hurricanes to come right at us? I mean Ike was the craziest, scariest thing I’ve ever witnessed and the thought being without power for even a few days is terrible (especially during football season). But yeah, I secretly want a massive hurricane to come this way.
Mini Rant #3
The PPV for the Idaho game malfunctioned for the entire Houston viewing area. 200+ Husker fans sat in horror at the Houstonians for Huskers watch party, as the screen remained solid blue. We didn’t see a single snap of from the first half. Missed all the action. All of the pick 6s. TMagic’s big run. Missed it all. So my question is…who knows a lawyer? It’s an egregious offense and somebody needs to pay. How much, you ask? Well, we each paid $7 for an entry fee. And at one point during the first half I said “I’d pay $1000 dollars to watch this game”. So the game was worth about $1007 to me. Emotional damages are probably around $800. And we need to punish these villains (still trying to figure out who to sue) so we should add on $3193 in punitive damages. That will give us a nice round number of $5000. That seems fair. Oh and we could do one of those class-action thingies. Sign up a bunch of Husker Fans who suffered through that blue-screen-of-death ordeal. Now that I think about it, this is EXACTLY like Erin Brockovich...except substitute college football PPV and former Husker great Kris Brown (yup, he was there) for contaminated water and Julia Robert’s cleavage.
Mini Rant #4
As I mentioned, former Husker great Kris Brown was at the Houstonians for Huskers watch party with his wife and kids. Kris is living in Houston, waiting for his injured foot to heal, before he attempts to catch on with another NFL team…blah blah blah…not the point. Point is that Kris’s wife Amy grew up two houses down from me and would often babysit us. Hot babysitters were always appreciated, amirite?
Mini Rant #5
I just read Maurice Clarett’s Wikipedia page. Uhhh...hey Omaha Nighthawks...I’m not 100% sure signing this dude was a good idea. I know it’s a publicity stunt (there are no less than 100 better, available running backs in the world), but isn’t there a pretty good chance this is going to blow up in O-towns face? The guy was arrested with an AK-47 and a samurai sword. He was wearing Kevlar body armor. He had a half a bottle of vodka, and he was calling the police the N-word. Oh, but he did have one good year of football…8 years ago! Thank god we signed him fast…I’m sure his agent’s phone was ringing off the hook. Luckily for the community of Omaha, OJ Thunder and Laurence are unavailable this season.
I apologize for the lack of Husker talk this week, but Washington is going to be a cakewalk and last week I didn’t see the first half of the game. So not much to talk about. Enjoy your FMS!
Mini Rant #1
Washington sucks. September 18th, 2010 shall from this day be known as Free Money Saturday. FMS needs to be appreciated as it only comes once a year (on average). And it’s here!!! Horrayy!!! So sure, I have a little hop in my giddy-up. Actually I have a buttload of hop in my giddy-up. This line makes no freaking sense. Locker has a better chance of being concussed than winning this game. FMS. Book it.
Mini Rant #2
Why, after riding out Hurricane Ike 2 years ago and with full knowledge that many Houstonians were without power for WEEKS, do I still secretly root for Hurricanes to come right at us? I mean Ike was the craziest, scariest thing I’ve ever witnessed and the thought being without power for even a few days is terrible (especially during football season). But yeah, I secretly want a massive hurricane to come this way.
Mini Rant #3
The PPV for the Idaho game malfunctioned for the entire Houston viewing area. 200+ Husker fans sat in horror at the Houstonians for Huskers watch party, as the screen remained solid blue. We didn’t see a single snap of from the first half. Missed all the action. All of the pick 6s. TMagic’s big run. Missed it all. So my question is…who knows a lawyer? It’s an egregious offense and somebody needs to pay. How much, you ask? Well, we each paid $7 for an entry fee. And at one point during the first half I said “I’d pay $1000 dollars to watch this game”. So the game was worth about $1007 to me. Emotional damages are probably around $800. And we need to punish these villains (still trying to figure out who to sue) so we should add on $3193 in punitive damages. That will give us a nice round number of $5000. That seems fair. Oh and we could do one of those class-action thingies. Sign up a bunch of Husker Fans who suffered through that blue-screen-of-death ordeal. Now that I think about it, this is EXACTLY like Erin Brockovich...except substitute college football PPV and former Husker great Kris Brown (yup, he was there) for contaminated water and Julia Robert’s cleavage.
Mini Rant #4
As I mentioned, former Husker great Kris Brown was at the Houstonians for Huskers watch party with his wife and kids. Kris is living in Houston, waiting for his injured foot to heal, before he attempts to catch on with another NFL team…blah blah blah…not the point. Point is that Kris’s wife Amy grew up two houses down from me and would often babysit us. Hot babysitters were always appreciated, amirite?
Mini Rant #5
I just read Maurice Clarett’s Wikipedia page. Uhhh...hey Omaha Nighthawks...I’m not 100% sure signing this dude was a good idea. I know it’s a publicity stunt (there are no less than 100 better, available running backs in the world), but isn’t there a pretty good chance this is going to blow up in O-towns face? The guy was arrested with an AK-47 and a samurai sword. He was wearing Kevlar body armor. He had a half a bottle of vodka, and he was calling the police the N-word. Oh, but he did have one good year of football…8 years ago! Thank god we signed him fast…I’m sure his agent’s phone was ringing off the hook. Luckily for the community of Omaha, OJ Thunder and Laurence are unavailable this season.
I apologize for the lack of Husker talk this week, but Washington is going to be a cakewalk and last week I didn’t see the first half of the game. So not much to talk about. Enjoy your FMS!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Neuheisel Addresses Crowd After Loss
Can anyone imagine Pelini doing this after a losing a home game 0-35?
Tickets Still Available
StubHub.com issued a press release today saying that demand is huge for the UW-Nebraska game and that "in fact, it's the highest grossing college football game of the week on StubHub.com. There are over 600 tickets still available, starting at prices in the mid-$100s: So far, fans have paid an average of $196 to see the game, scooping up tickets for as low as $35 (Upper Sideline 50) and as high as $648 (Lower Sideline 26). Washington buyers outnumber Nebraska buyers 2:1, but there are a significant number of traveling Nebraska fans.''
Washington Radio Rips Pelini
Here is the actual quote from Pelini when asked how he expects T-Magic to handle the crowd noise at Washington
“I don’t anticipate it being an issue,” said Pelini, calling Martinez “a pretty calm, cool, collected guy.”
“I think he understands what’s in front of him. But until you’re out there in that environment … I’m sure he’ll need to settle down a little bit and be ready to go.”
Listen to the reaction on Washington Local ESPN Radio:
“I don’t anticipate it being an issue,” said Pelini, calling Martinez “a pretty calm, cool, collected guy.”
“I think he understands what’s in front of him. But until you’re out there in that environment … I’m sure he’ll need to settle down a little bit and be ready to go.”
Listen to the reaction on Washington Local ESPN Radio:
Jake Locker runs a 4.39???
Jake Locker, who is an early favorite to be the No. 1 player taken in the 2011 NFL draft, apparently ran a 4.39 40 recently. “Cornerback Desmond Trufant ran the fastest 40 at 4.33 when the team did its testing in May. Quarterback Jake Locker was next at 4.39. Chris Polk … was the fastest running back at 4.43.”
Would have been the 4th best time at the 2010 NFL Combine:
WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson 4.28
RB Jahvid Best, Cal 4.35
RB CJ Spiller, Clemson 4.37
Top QB: Jarrett Brown, West Virginia 4.54
Best Combine 40 times since 99:
4.24 — Rondel Melendez, (WR), Eastern Kentucky — 1999
4.28 — *Champ Bailey, (CB), Georgia — 1999
4.29 — 3 times including Fabian Washington 2005
For some reason, I'm not buying Locker's time
Would have been the 4th best time at the 2010 NFL Combine:
WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson 4.28
RB Jahvid Best, Cal 4.35
RB CJ Spiller, Clemson 4.37
Top QB: Jarrett Brown, West Virginia 4.54
Best Combine 40 times since 99:
4.24 — Rondel Melendez, (WR), Eastern Kentucky — 1999
4.28 — *Champ Bailey, (CB), Georgia — 1999
4.29 — 3 times including Fabian Washington 2005
For some reason, I'm not buying Locker's time
Monday, September 13, 2010
Score Predictions - Washington
Get your score predictions in for this week's game against Washington
Enter your score prediction in the comments section
(Try not to pick the same score as someone else...Kristin)
Previous Winners
(I need to ask Luke and Denise how to change the time stamp on comments so I too can enter my score after the game is over)
Week 1 : Denise - off by 1 point! (Guess 50-10 Actual 49-10)
Week 2 : Luke - off by 1 point! (Guess 38-16 Actual 38-17)
Enter your score prediction in the comments section
(Try not to pick the same score as someone else...Kristin)
Previous Winners
(I need to ask Luke and Denise how to change the time stamp on comments so I too can enter my score after the game is over)
Week 1 : Denise - off by 1 point! (Guess 50-10 Actual 49-10)
Week 2 : Luke - off by 1 point! (Guess 38-16 Actual 38-17)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Pay zat Man his Money
Jeeze…how does one follow up a passionate, hate-fueled rant about what is probably the most anticipated regular season Husker game this millennium? No seriously, give me a call with some ideas. Since I can’t do two FU UT rants in consecutive weeks, I guess we can talk about the Nebraska defense (this mofo knows better than to dedicate an entire post to how Taylor Martinez is the second coming...after one game...against a JV program...no matter how sexy his arm tattoos are). So how about that defense? Obviously, no one earned a Blackshirt after WKU racked up 300 yards.
Side rant: Are we seriously going to be subjected to week after week of dumb reporters and stubborn coaches going back and forth about something as trivial as when the damn Blackshirts are being handed out? C’mon Bo, give us a break and give the defensive starters freaking shirts that are freaking black. Yes folks, that was an actual criticism of Lord Bo Pelini. Luckily, other than the Blackshirt / no-Blackshirt pissing match and maybe the temper issue (which, for the record, I find his downright embarrassing at times), Bo is simply the best there is. End of side rant.
But yeah, the defense wasn’t very good in week 1. Good enough to pull out a coverlicious cover, but not good enough to excite the Husker faithful. I mean, I didn’t hear one SUUUUUUHHHHHH yodel the entire game. Say what? Suh what? Graduated? Lions? Oh no. Oh God no. NOOOOOO!!!! Haha, I kid. Obviously the loss of that ridiculous beast is going to be a huge factor this season. And I am ready to concede that our defense will not be as good as last year. Repeat: We will NOT be as good as last year on defense. Suh was a disruptive dude. No player or group of players is going to give us that…not this year…and maybe never again in our lives. No problem though. We are going to be a top defense. The non-quite-yet-but-soon-to-be-Blackshirts defense will get better every week and we should be ready for the big boys when the time comes (10/16/10). There is no possible way our offense can suck as bad as last year, so we are cool. And how about that AP ranking? Dang, I liked the 8 spot a little better. We’re getting some respect though…just not enough for ESPN to show one freaking Husker highlight all freaking week. Suck it ESPN.
So yeah, Bo Pelini is a defensive guru. Bo is soooo good, that I get a little worried about how much money other coaches, inferior coaches, make. Eventually, we need to pay this guy some money. But how much is enough??? Enter Jim Brazda and his brilliant mind. (Let’s do the conversation thingy again, as it seemed to work out well last week.)
Me: How much do you think NU should be prepared to pay Bo Pelini when the inevitable poaching attempts begin?
Brazda: As much as he wants. Seriously, as much as he freaking wants.
Me: Do you think Nebraska would be down with paying as much as Alabama pays Saban? Or USC pays Kiffin?
Brazda: They better. As much as he wants. And if the state of Nebraska needs to raise taxes to keep him, I have no problem with that. I’d be all for that.
Me: (Nodding in total 100% agreement)
Brazda: You know what they should do…they should put out jars at gas stations similar to the ones for crippled kids or cancer research. Except this jar would be for Nebraskans to voluntarily donate to the “Keep Pelini” fund.
Me: If I see that jar...I donate. Every. Single. Time. Honestly I’d have to fight the urge to hit the ATM if I didn’t have any cash.
Brazda: Yep. Sorry crippled kids. Daddy needs some Peso defense.
Side rant: Are we seriously going to be subjected to week after week of dumb reporters and stubborn coaches going back and forth about something as trivial as when the damn Blackshirts are being handed out? C’mon Bo, give us a break and give the defensive starters freaking shirts that are freaking black. Yes folks, that was an actual criticism of Lord Bo Pelini. Luckily, other than the Blackshirt / no-Blackshirt pissing match and maybe the temper issue (which, for the record, I find his downright embarrassing at times), Bo is simply the best there is. End of side rant.
But yeah, the defense wasn’t very good in week 1. Good enough to pull out a coverlicious cover, but not good enough to excite the Husker faithful. I mean, I didn’t hear one SUUUUUUHHHHHH yodel the entire game. Say what? Suh what? Graduated? Lions? Oh no. Oh God no. NOOOOOO!!!! Haha, I kid. Obviously the loss of that ridiculous beast is going to be a huge factor this season. And I am ready to concede that our defense will not be as good as last year. Repeat: We will NOT be as good as last year on defense. Suh was a disruptive dude. No player or group of players is going to give us that…not this year…and maybe never again in our lives. No problem though. We are going to be a top defense. The non-quite-yet-but-soon-to-be-Blackshirts defense will get better every week and we should be ready for the big boys when the time comes (10/16/10). There is no possible way our offense can suck as bad as last year, so we are cool. And how about that AP ranking? Dang, I liked the 8 spot a little better. We’re getting some respect though…just not enough for ESPN to show one freaking Husker highlight all freaking week. Suck it ESPN.
So yeah, Bo Pelini is a defensive guru. Bo is soooo good, that I get a little worried about how much money other coaches, inferior coaches, make. Eventually, we need to pay this guy some money. But how much is enough??? Enter Jim Brazda and his brilliant mind. (Let’s do the conversation thingy again, as it seemed to work out well last week.)
Me: How much do you think NU should be prepared to pay Bo Pelini when the inevitable poaching attempts begin?
Brazda: As much as he wants. Seriously, as much as he freaking wants.
Me: Do you think Nebraska would be down with paying as much as Alabama pays Saban? Or USC pays Kiffin?
Brazda: They better. As much as he wants. And if the state of Nebraska needs to raise taxes to keep him, I have no problem with that. I’d be all for that.
Me: (Nodding in total 100% agreement)
Brazda: You know what they should do…they should put out jars at gas stations similar to the ones for crippled kids or cancer research. Except this jar would be for Nebraskans to voluntarily donate to the “Keep Pelini” fund.
Me: If I see that jar...I donate. Every. Single. Time. Honestly I’d have to fight the urge to hit the ATM if I didn’t have any cash.
Brazda: Yep. Sorry crippled kids. Daddy needs some Peso defense.
Week 1 Tailgate Notes
Thank you for making the first tailgate of the year a success! With the first Husker win, we are on our way to the Big 12 Championship.
Just a couple of notes and reminders:
BEER:
The beer at the tailgate is provided by Jose Rivera and Ryan Kenney. This is not paid for through sponsorships as these two are paying for it out of their own pocket. Please be sure to find one of them each week and give them some money to help with the beer. Thanks!
SPONSORSHIPS:
If you are a sponsor and haven't already paid, please be sure to find Gail or Denise at the Idaho tailgate to pay. If you are not going to make it to this weeks tailgate, please email Gail at dglist@cox.net or Denise at dgzehoviak@yahoo.com to arrange for payment.
HOUSEKEEPING:
Last but not least, please help keep our tailgate clean by throwing your trash in one of the bags located around the tailgate.
Just a couple of notes and reminders:
BEER:
The beer at the tailgate is provided by Jose Rivera and Ryan Kenney. This is not paid for through sponsorships as these two are paying for it out of their own pocket. Please be sure to find one of them each week and give them some money to help with the beer. Thanks!
SPONSORSHIPS:
If you are a sponsor and haven't already paid, please be sure to find Gail or Denise at the Idaho tailgate to pay. If you are not going to make it to this weeks tailgate, please email Gail at dglist@cox.net or Denise at dgzehoviak@yahoo.com to arrange for payment.
HOUSEKEEPING:
Last but not least, please help keep our tailgate clean by throwing your trash in one of the bags located around the tailgate.
AD Admits A&M “Not Ready” For SEC Competition
4 months ago, Texas A&M and the Southeastern Conference confirmed that the Aggies nearly moved their sports programs from the Big 12 to SEC. Since then, there’s been much conjecture about why A&M elected to stay in the Big 12 instead of bolting for the SEC.
Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne cleared up much of that speculation with a brutally honest assessment of the situation during a guest appearance on WTAW-AM in College Station, Texas, this week.
Byrne on why A&M didn’t make the move to SEC:
“I was concerned with changing conferences that we may not be ready for the level of competition if we decided to leave. I was very concerned about trying to take things slowly, and not rush.”
Byrne also cited the school’s athletic dept. balance sheet for staying in the Big 12:
“If we looked at where we stacked up financially in the Pac 10 conference, we were about third. If we looked at where we stacked up in the Southeastern Conference, we were eighth out of 12. We didn’t rank very well.”
Byrne cited the Aggies move from the now-defunct Southwest Conference to the Big 12 as an instructive lesson:
“My big concern was that when Texas A&M made the move from the Southwest Conference to the Big 12 conference [in 1996], they were not ready for the level of competition that was out there.”
“[A&M] had not made the investment in facilities, staff or salaries - all the things you need to build a great program. And you saw the results of that. We had a good football team in 1998, then we had problems.
“We had terrible basketball [teams]. … We had significant issues in track and field. We had problems with most of our sports because we were not ready for the level of competition.”
While non-A&M observers appreciate Byrne’s honesty, I can’t imagine his sentiment will go over too well with a good many, diehard Aggie fans. (Longhorn fans? Completely different story.)
Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne cleared up much of that speculation with a brutally honest assessment of the situation during a guest appearance on WTAW-AM in College Station, Texas, this week.
Byrne on why A&M didn’t make the move to SEC:
“I was concerned with changing conferences that we may not be ready for the level of competition if we decided to leave. I was very concerned about trying to take things slowly, and not rush.”
Byrne also cited the school’s athletic dept. balance sheet for staying in the Big 12:
“If we looked at where we stacked up financially in the Pac 10 conference, we were about third. If we looked at where we stacked up in the Southeastern Conference, we were eighth out of 12. We didn’t rank very well.”
Byrne cited the Aggies move from the now-defunct Southwest Conference to the Big 12 as an instructive lesson:
“My big concern was that when Texas A&M made the move from the Southwest Conference to the Big 12 conference [in 1996], they were not ready for the level of competition that was out there.”
“[A&M] had not made the investment in facilities, staff or salaries - all the things you need to build a great program. And you saw the results of that. We had a good football team in 1998, then we had problems.
“We had terrible basketball [teams]. … We had significant issues in track and field. We had problems with most of our sports because we were not ready for the level of competition.”
While non-A&M observers appreciate Byrne’s honesty, I can’t imagine his sentiment will go over too well with a good many, diehard Aggie fans. (Longhorn fans? Completely different story.)
Meet the Vandals
Location: Moscow, Idaho
Colors: Silver and Vandal Gold
Enrollment: 11,730
Conference: Western Athletic (WAC)
Head Coach: Robb Akey (Weber State, 1988): 12-26 in fourth season as head coach (all at Idaho)
Offensive Coordinator: Steve Axman
2010 Record: 1-0
National Ranking: Unranked
Series Record vs. Nebraska: First Meeting
Game Time: Saturday, Sept. 11, 11:30 a.m.
Stadium: Tom Osborne Field - Memorial Stadium (81,067)
TV: FSN Pay Per View
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Signal-Caller: Senior quarterback Nathan Enderle (6-5, 233), a native of North Platte, is a member of the 2010 preseason watch lists for the Manning, Davey O'Brien and Johnny Unitas Gold Arm awards. Enderle has passed for 7,081 yards in his career after completing 24-of-37 attempts for 311 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 45-0 season-opening victory over North Dakota. He ranks fifth in school history in passing yards and needs 320 yards to move into fourth place.
On the Ground: Despite losing De'Maundray Woolridge's production (979 rushing yards and 18 TDs last year), the Vandals still returned two of their top three rushers from last season in Princeton McCarty (5-8, 192) and Deonte' Jackson (5-8, 199). To open the 2010 campaign, McCarty led the squad with 12 rushes for 89 yards and two touchdowns last week, as seven players had a carry in the walkover.
Catching the Ball: The Vandals returned three starting receivers from last year in Eric Greenwood (6-6, 233), Preston Davis (6-2, 201) and Maurice Shaw (6-3, 205). Greenwood tied for the team lead with four catches last week for 41 yards and a score in the opener. The trio was among 11 Vandals with at least one catch last week, including H-back Daniel Hardy (6-4, 242) who had 82 yards on four receptions. Junior college transfer Armauni Johnson (6-4, 194) hauled in the longest play of the day with a 54-yard scoring reception in the fourth quarter before finishing with three catches for 86 yards.
On the Line: The offensive line is in rebuilding mode after losing four starters to graduation, including guard Mike Iupati, who was a first-round NFL Draft selection (17th overall by San Francisco). Junior tackle Matt Cleveland (6-4, 311) is the only returning starter on the O-line. Opposite Cleveland, Tyrone Novikof (6-7, 318) manned the right tackle spot while Sam Tupua (6-2, 374) and Tevita Halaholo (6-5, 335) started at left and right guard, respectively. Clell Hasenbank (6-0, 287) got the nod at center.
Kicking It Around: Trey Farquhar (6-1, 180) and Bobby Cowan (6-5, 230) return as the starters at place-kicker and punter, respectively. Farquar, who was 13-of-19 on field goals last year with a long of 54 yards, hit all six PATs and connected on a 22-yard field goal in the season opener while missing a 56-yard attempt. Cowan averaged 39.4 yards on five punts against North Dakota after averaging 43.0 ypp last season.
Return Game: Defensive back Shiloh Keo returned two punts for a total of nine yards in the opener while running back Kama Bailey added one kickoff return for 15 yards.
They Said It: "I think I was sending a message. We said we were going to play as fast as we can, as hard as we can for as long as we can, and that's the whole daggone game. I didn't like the way we were playing at the end of the half. If I have to set the tempo for them, I'll set the tempo. That's the head coach's job." - Head Coach Robb Akey on why he called for an on-side kick to start the second half, which the Vandals recovered.
Notable Idaho Alumni: Idaho has had 70 players selected all-time in the NFL Draft, including guard Mike Iupati (No. 17 overall by the 49ers in 2010) and running back Ray McDonald (No. 13 overall by the Redskins in 1967). Jerry Kramer, who went on to become a five-time world champion and five-time All-NFL selection with the Green Bay Packers, also played three years (1954-57) at Idaho.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
2010 Husker Tunnel Walk Video
In case you weren't at the first game, here is the New 2010 Tunnel Walk Video
Poll Results
Who will play in the Last Big 12 Championship Game?
NU vs OU 61%
NU vs Tex 28%
KSU vs South Champ 9%
NU vs OU 61%
NU vs Tex 28%
KSU vs South Champ 9%
Monday, September 6, 2010
Score Predictions - Idaho
Get your score predictions in for this week's exciting game against Idaho!
Enter your score prediction in the comments section
Previous Winners
Week 1 : Denise - off by 1 point! (Guess 50-10 Actual 49-10)
Enter your score prediction in the comments section
Previous Winners
Week 1 : Denise - off by 1 point! (Guess 50-10 Actual 49-10)
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