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)
Week 7: Kovar - Off by 14 Points - (Guess 52-28, Actual 51-41)
Week 8: Kovar - Off by 3 Points - (Guess 33-18, Actual 31-17)
Week 8: Hepp - Off by 16 Points - (Guess 28-17, Actual 31-30)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Where Was Ed Cunningham On This One?
If the Big12 is reviewing helmet to helmet hits and try to judge whether there was "intent", maybe they should look at this play a little closer.
ESPN/UT Close to $120 Mil TV Deal
By Tom Shatel
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST
Well, Texas did it again. No, not lose another game. Lost in the shuffle of the Longhorn train wreck was a report last Friday from orangebloods.com that UT is ready to sign a 10-year, $120 million contract with ESPN.
The report raised both eyebrows and questions. Is Texas not going to do its own network now? Would all Longhorn games be on ESPN? Would a future Big 12 TV deal suddenly be sans Texas? Would this kill the Big 12?
I e-mailed those questions to Chip Brown, who reported the news for orangebloods.com. He replied that ESPN would just be awarded the rights to put the Texas Network on its cluster of channels and not have any new access besides what’s already in the current Big 12 deal.
Also, this would not preclude the Big 12 from signing a new TV deal this spring. Texas, for its part, would be double-dipping.
Why would ESPN do it? Brown added, “It aligns ESPN with Texas for the future, so that if there’s massive upheaval again in 2016 when the Big 12 TV contracts are set to expire and Texas does something like go independent, ESPN would be there. ... Basically, ESPN wanted to make sure it could protect one of its top TV inventories.’’
In other words, it’s a $120 million life insurance policy for an ESPN-Texas marriage down the road.
The thing is, if this keeps Texas fat and sassy in the Big 12 (and why wouldn’t it, since UT will stand to make $25 million to $30 million annually on TV?), this totally Texas move could keep the Big 12 together. Unless, of course, it miffs the Oklahomas and Texas A&Ms of the world to the point of leaving.
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST
Well, Texas did it again. No, not lose another game. Lost in the shuffle of the Longhorn train wreck was a report last Friday from orangebloods.com that UT is ready to sign a 10-year, $120 million contract with ESPN.
The report raised both eyebrows and questions. Is Texas not going to do its own network now? Would all Longhorn games be on ESPN? Would a future Big 12 TV deal suddenly be sans Texas? Would this kill the Big 12?
I e-mailed those questions to Chip Brown, who reported the news for orangebloods.com. He replied that ESPN would just be awarded the rights to put the Texas Network on its cluster of channels and not have any new access besides what’s already in the current Big 12 deal.
Also, this would not preclude the Big 12 from signing a new TV deal this spring. Texas, for its part, would be double-dipping.
Why would ESPN do it? Brown added, “It aligns ESPN with Texas for the future, so that if there’s massive upheaval again in 2016 when the Big 12 TV contracts are set to expire and Texas does something like go independent, ESPN would be there. ... Basically, ESPN wanted to make sure it could protect one of its top TV inventories.’’
In other words, it’s a $120 million life insurance policy for an ESPN-Texas marriage down the road.
The thing is, if this keeps Texas fat and sassy in the Big 12 (and why wouldn’t it, since UT will stand to make $25 million to $30 million annually on TV?), this totally Texas move could keep the Big 12 together. Unless, of course, it miffs the Oklahomas and Texas A&Ms of the world to the point of leaving.
Ndamukong Suh Attempts an Extra Point
With Jason Hanson injured, the Detroit Lions turned to Suh to kick the extra point.
Suh won a friendly kicking competition in training camp when he booted a 30-yard field goal that allowed the defense an early exit from practice and forced the offense to run wind sprints. Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, "Ndamukong is our backup field goal kicker; he’s done it in practice. You guys have been to practice before and seen him do it. We have a lot of confidence that he could kick it. It put him in a difficult situation because he went out without any warm-ups.
“I probably should have called a timeout and given him time to get ready.”
See it for yourself...
Suh won a friendly kicking competition in training camp when he booted a 30-yard field goal that allowed the defense an early exit from practice and forced the offense to run wind sprints. Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, "Ndamukong is our backup field goal kicker; he’s done it in practice. You guys have been to practice before and seen him do it. We have a lot of confidence that he could kick it. It put him in a difficult situation because he went out without any warm-ups.
“I probably should have called a timeout and given him time to get ready.”
See it for yourself...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A&M Announces 12th Man Day
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 12th Man, the nationally famous student body at Texas A&M, looks to set another record with the largest student crowd in the history of collegiate football against #8-ranked Nebraska when the Cornhuskers come to Kyle Field on Nov. 20.
Some 27,152 Aggie students have the football or all-sports option to pull tickets for the game. Director of Athletics Bill Byrne has announced that any Aggie student who does not have an all-sports or football option may purchase a $20 ticket to the Cornhusker game by showing their ID.
“In addition to our loyal Aggies who have shown up all season,” Byrne explained. “I would like to invite any student to Kyle Field to buy a $20 ticket to experience the excitement surrounding Aggie football. I would like to set a world record with over 30,000 students in our stadium on Saturday night, Nov. 20 against Nebraska.”
The tickets would be located in the upper corners of the third deck and in the upper levels of the north end zone. These tickets go on sale beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday. They are available at the 12th Man athletic ticket center inside the Zone at Kyle Field and temporary sales trailers which will be located near Sbisa Dining Hall on the north side of campus as well as the bus stop near Wehner on west campus.
The regular student pull will still take place as normal, with seniors pulling tickets on Monday, juniors on Tuesday, sophomores on Wednesday and freshmen on Thursday. All those holding all-sports or football options may pull a ticket until Thursday at 5 p.m. and then any tickets left over will be sold.
Guest tickets for $40 are also available for sports card holders.
The highest recorded number of student tickets sold was in 2002 when a record 30,192 Aggies purchased football or all-sports options. When the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners came to town a record 28,000 pulled tickets that season.
“There are larger stadiums, but there are none with the overall support shown by the 12th Man,” Byrne said. “Our student body stands throughout the game. They were a huge factor in our game against OU last week and they are what make Kyle Field so special.”
“If we need to add chairs on the track I am happy to do so to get each and every Aggie student into the game to see our last home game of the year, and in what could be the last time for Nebraska to come to Kyle Field for quite some time,” Byrne stated.
Some 27,152 Aggie students have the football or all-sports option to pull tickets for the game. Director of Athletics Bill Byrne has announced that any Aggie student who does not have an all-sports or football option may purchase a $20 ticket to the Cornhusker game by showing their ID.
“In addition to our loyal Aggies who have shown up all season,” Byrne explained. “I would like to invite any student to Kyle Field to buy a $20 ticket to experience the excitement surrounding Aggie football. I would like to set a world record with over 30,000 students in our stadium on Saturday night, Nov. 20 against Nebraska.”
The tickets would be located in the upper corners of the third deck and in the upper levels of the north end zone. These tickets go on sale beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday. They are available at the 12th Man athletic ticket center inside the Zone at Kyle Field and temporary sales trailers which will be located near Sbisa Dining Hall on the north side of campus as well as the bus stop near Wehner on west campus.
The regular student pull will still take place as normal, with seniors pulling tickets on Monday, juniors on Tuesday, sophomores on Wednesday and freshmen on Thursday. All those holding all-sports or football options may pull a ticket until Thursday at 5 p.m. and then any tickets left over will be sold.
Guest tickets for $40 are also available for sports card holders.
The highest recorded number of student tickets sold was in 2002 when a record 30,192 Aggies purchased football or all-sports options. When the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners came to town a record 28,000 pulled tickets that season.
“There are larger stadiums, but there are none with the overall support shown by the 12th Man,” Byrne said. “Our student body stands throughout the game. They were a huge factor in our game against OU last week and they are what make Kyle Field so special.”
“If we need to add chairs on the track I am happy to do so to get each and every Aggie student into the game to see our last home game of the year, and in what could be the last time for Nebraska to come to Kyle Field for quite some time,” Byrne stated.
Cassidy and Osborne awarded Blackshirts
After starting the two games at safety, Austin Cassidy and Courtney Osborne received Blackshirts on Tuesday.
P.J. Smith and Rickey Thenarse had been the safeties dressed in black, but both were back in red at the most recent practice.
As it stands, there are 12 Huskers wearing Blackshirts: Allen, Crick, Steinkuhler, Meredith, David, Compton, Hagg, Gomes, Dennard, Amukamara, Cassidy, Osborne.
Asked specifically about the progress of the sophomore Osborne, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini was heavy on praise after Tuesday's practice.
"Courtney is very physical," Pelini said. "He's a student. He studies and he understands his role and the position he plays. He doesn't make mistakes at practice. He's where he's supposed to be and it's important to him."
P.J. Smith and Rickey Thenarse had been the safeties dressed in black, but both were back in red at the most recent practice.
As it stands, there are 12 Huskers wearing Blackshirts: Allen, Crick, Steinkuhler, Meredith, David, Compton, Hagg, Gomes, Dennard, Amukamara, Cassidy, Osborne.
Asked specifically about the progress of the sophomore Osborne, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini was heavy on praise after Tuesday's practice.
"Courtney is very physical," Pelini said. "He's a student. He studies and he understands his role and the position he plays. He doesn't make mistakes at practice. He's where he's supposed to be and it's important to him."
Monday, November 8, 2010
Getting to Know the Jayhawks
LAST TIME OUT
Pick the adjective to describe the comeback Kansas mounted against Colorado, when the Jayhawks scored 35 points in the final 11:05 to win 52-45 on Saturday. It stopped an 11-game Big 12 losing skid for KU in what has turned out to be a difficult first season as head coach for former Nebraska quarterback and assistant coach Turner Gill.
The greatest comeback in Kansas football history included three of the four touchdown runs Saturday by James Sims. It was Sims' 28-yard scamper with 52 seconds left that capped the scoring. The freshman finished with 123 yards on 20 carries.
Colorado helped out the Jayhawks down the stretch. Tyler Patmon returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown to pull Kansas within 45-38, then intercepted a Cody Hawkins pass to set up Sims' game-tying 6-yard run with 4:30 remaining.
Colorado tried to come back, reaching the KU 7-yard line with eight seconds left. But Hawkins threw two incompletions and the clock expired.
Kansas improved to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12.
QB CAROUSEL
Kansas started the season with Kale Pick at quarterback, switched to Jordan Webb and will come to Lincoln with Quinn Mecham at the controls.
Mecham was making just his second career start against Colorado, when he completed 23 of 28 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Mecham was 12 for 12 for 165 yards in the second half.
Mecham, from Provo, Utah, is a transfer from Snow Junior College who enrolled in January and went through spring practice with the Jayhawks.
RUN DOWN
An inability to stop the run has caused Kansas trouble all season, although it limited Colorado to 142 yards on Saturday.
Prior to the CU game, the Jayhawks had gone through a four-game stretch where every opponent managed at least 225 yards — Iowa State 232, Texas A&M 227, Kansas State 286 and Baylor 244. Those four teams combined for 13 rushing touchdowns.
Earlier in the season, KU also got stung for 291 rushing yards by Georgia Tech and 202 by Southern Mississippi.
Kansas currently ranks 11th in the Big 12 in rushing defense, giving up 202.8 yards per game and 5.1 per carry. That's not good news with Nebraska heading into Saturday's game leading the Big 12 in rushing offense at 288.1 yards per game and 6.4 per carry.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Kansas fans who lived with decades of frustration were given some hope when former coach Mark Mangino started to change the Jayhawks' fortunes a few years back. It was never better than when KU finished 12-1 in 2007 and won the Orange Bowl.
Since starting out 5-0 last season, however, Kansas has lost 13 of 16 games. The seven straight to finish the 2009 season, along with unhappiness over Mangino's treatment of players, led to KU hiring Gill away from the University of Buffalo.
Nebraska has won two straight against the Jayhawks, but KU had one of its best stretches against the Huskers before Bo Pelini replaced Bill Callahan. Kansas beat NU 76-39 in 2007 and 40-15 in 2005, both in Lawrence, and its losses in 2006 and 2004 in Lincoln were by seven (in overtime) and six, respectively.
HUSKER TIES
Gill isn't the only member of the Kansas staff who previously spent time at Nebraska.
Buddy Wyatt, the Jayhawks' defensive line coach, was a Husker assistant in 2007. Aaron Stamn, who coaches tight ends and special teams for KU, was a Nebraska graduate assistant in 2004 and '05 who followed Gill to Buffalo. Former NU quarterback Joe Dailey is the on-campus recruiting coordinator for Kansas.
Jayhawks offensive coordinator Chuck Long and co-offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt were at Oklahoma in 2004 when current Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini was the Sooners' co-defensive coordinator and NU assistant Mike Ekeler was an OU grad assistant.
Pick the adjective to describe the comeback Kansas mounted against Colorado, when the Jayhawks scored 35 points in the final 11:05 to win 52-45 on Saturday. It stopped an 11-game Big 12 losing skid for KU in what has turned out to be a difficult first season as head coach for former Nebraska quarterback and assistant coach Turner Gill.
The greatest comeback in Kansas football history included three of the four touchdown runs Saturday by James Sims. It was Sims' 28-yard scamper with 52 seconds left that capped the scoring. The freshman finished with 123 yards on 20 carries.
Colorado helped out the Jayhawks down the stretch. Tyler Patmon returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown to pull Kansas within 45-38, then intercepted a Cody Hawkins pass to set up Sims' game-tying 6-yard run with 4:30 remaining.
Colorado tried to come back, reaching the KU 7-yard line with eight seconds left. But Hawkins threw two incompletions and the clock expired.
Kansas improved to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12.
QB CAROUSEL
Kansas started the season with Kale Pick at quarterback, switched to Jordan Webb and will come to Lincoln with Quinn Mecham at the controls.
Mecham was making just his second career start against Colorado, when he completed 23 of 28 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Mecham was 12 for 12 for 165 yards in the second half.
Mecham, from Provo, Utah, is a transfer from Snow Junior College who enrolled in January and went through spring practice with the Jayhawks.
RUN DOWN
An inability to stop the run has caused Kansas trouble all season, although it limited Colorado to 142 yards on Saturday.
Prior to the CU game, the Jayhawks had gone through a four-game stretch where every opponent managed at least 225 yards — Iowa State 232, Texas A&M 227, Kansas State 286 and Baylor 244. Those four teams combined for 13 rushing touchdowns.
Earlier in the season, KU also got stung for 291 rushing yards by Georgia Tech and 202 by Southern Mississippi.
Kansas currently ranks 11th in the Big 12 in rushing defense, giving up 202.8 yards per game and 5.1 per carry. That's not good news with Nebraska heading into Saturday's game leading the Big 12 in rushing offense at 288.1 yards per game and 6.4 per carry.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Kansas fans who lived with decades of frustration were given some hope when former coach Mark Mangino started to change the Jayhawks' fortunes a few years back. It was never better than when KU finished 12-1 in 2007 and won the Orange Bowl.
Since starting out 5-0 last season, however, Kansas has lost 13 of 16 games. The seven straight to finish the 2009 season, along with unhappiness over Mangino's treatment of players, led to KU hiring Gill away from the University of Buffalo.
Nebraska has won two straight against the Jayhawks, but KU had one of its best stretches against the Huskers before Bo Pelini replaced Bill Callahan. Kansas beat NU 76-39 in 2007 and 40-15 in 2005, both in Lawrence, and its losses in 2006 and 2004 in Lincoln were by seven (in overtime) and six, respectively.
HUSKER TIES
Gill isn't the only member of the Kansas staff who previously spent time at Nebraska.
Buddy Wyatt, the Jayhawks' defensive line coach, was a Husker assistant in 2007. Aaron Stamn, who coaches tight ends and special teams for KU, was a Nebraska graduate assistant in 2004 and '05 who followed Gill to Buffalo. Former NU quarterback Joe Dailey is the on-campus recruiting coordinator for Kansas.
Jayhawks offensive coordinator Chuck Long and co-offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt were at Oklahoma in 2004 when current Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini was the Sooners' co-defensive coordinator and NU assistant Mike Ekeler was an OU grad assistant.
Friday, November 5, 2010
ISU Team Stats and National Ranks
Category National Rank Actual
Rushing Offense 52 157.22
Passing Offense 104 163.67
Total Offense 98 320.89
Scoring Offense 79 24.00
Rushing Defense 99 194.33
Pass Efficiency Defense 79 130.99
Total Defense 102 432.78
Scoring Defense 88 29.67
Net Punting 43 37.53
Punt Returns 35 10.55
Kickoff Returns 67 21.50
Turnover Margin T-9 1.00
Pass Defense 89 238.44
Passing Efficiency 107 108.51
Sacks 111 1.11
Tackles For Loss 110 4.22
Sacks Allowed 77 2.22
Rushing Offense 52 157.22
Passing Offense 104 163.67
Total Offense 98 320.89
Scoring Offense 79 24.00
Rushing Defense 99 194.33
Pass Efficiency Defense 79 130.99
Total Defense 102 432.78
Scoring Defense 88 29.67
Net Punting 43 37.53
Punt Returns 35 10.55
Kickoff Returns 67 21.50
Turnover Margin T-9 1.00
Pass Defense 89 238.44
Passing Efficiency 107 108.51
Sacks 111 1.11
Tackles For Loss 110 4.22
Sacks Allowed 77 2.22
Thursday, November 4, 2010
This Week's Locks
For Entertainment purposes only, here are my 5 locks for this week's games.
Colorado -8.5 @ Kansas
Oklahoma -3 @ Texas A&M
Arizona +9.5 @ Stanford
Missouri -4.5 @ Texas Tech
California -14 @ Washington State
(I am sure if I was a real gambler, I wouldn't take 5 road teams 2 weeks in a row)
Last Week
W Auburn -7 @ Mississippi
W Stanford -7 @ Washington
L Cal + 2.5 @ Oregon State
W Ok State - 5.5 @ KSU
W Northwestern - 2.5 @ Indiana
Colorado -8.5 @ Kansas
Oklahoma -3 @ Texas A&M
Arizona +9.5 @ Stanford
Missouri -4.5 @ Texas Tech
California -14 @ Washington State
(I am sure if I was a real gambler, I wouldn't take 5 road teams 2 weeks in a row)
Last Week
W Auburn -7 @ Mississippi
W Stanford -7 @ Washington
L Cal + 2.5 @ Oregon State
W Ok State - 5.5 @ KSU
W Northwestern - 2.5 @ Indiana
Score Predictions - Iowa 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)
Week 7: Kovar - Off by 14 Points - (Guess 52-28, Actual 51-41)
Week 8: Kovar - Off by 3 Points - (Guess 33-18, Actual 31-17)
This is getting ridiculous...come on people make sure to get your scores in this week before we get embarrassed further by Brandon
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)
Week 7: Kovar - Off by 14 Points - (Guess 52-28, Actual 51-41)
Week 8: Kovar - Off by 3 Points - (Guess 33-18, Actual 31-17)
This is getting ridiculous...come on people make sure to get your scores in this week before we get embarrassed further by Brandon
BCS Breakdown Part 2
As confusing as the BCS can be, I thought I would try to breakdown the standings and try to simplify things. There are only a handful of teams that have a chance to play for the National Championship (Oregon and Auburn/Bama are in the drivers seat). It might be easier to look at the standings as 5 seperate groups.
Group 1 (Big 10 Teams) - Wisconsin(9), Ohio State(11)
These teams don't have a great shot and getting to the NC Game.
Don't be surprised if Wisconsin jumps NU this week due to getting a boost in the computer polls when TCU/Utah and Bama/LSU lose. However, their remaining schedule and lack of a conference championship game will do them no favors.
The thing to watch will be who will win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl?
Iowa Goes if...they win out and Wisconsin loses
Ohio State Goes if...they win out and Wisconsin loses or Wicconsin and Michigan State win out but Wisconsin falls behind OSU in the final BCS
Michigan State Goes if...MSU, Wisconsin and Iowa all win out
Wisconsin Goes if...they win out and either MSU loses or Ohio State also wins out be does not pass Wisconsin in the BCS
Group 2 (Pac 10 Teams) - Oregon(1)
This one is easy Oregon will play for the NC if they win out. If Oregon loses 1 game (to either Washington, Cal, Arizona, and Oregon State), it opens the door for an undefeated Non-AQ team or a one loss Big 12/SEC champion to jump ahead.
Group 3 (Non Automatic Qualifier Teams) - TCU(3), Boise State(4), Utah(5)
TCU plays Utah this week so one of these teams will be eliminated. We should root for Utah, because they would be easier to jump. Other than this week's TCU/Utah game, none of these teams have any difficult games remaining. NU really needs Boise and TCU to slip up. If one of these teams wins out, they will likely be ahead of NU in line as the next team into the NC game.
Group 4 (SEC Teams) - Auburn(2), Alabama(6), LSU(10)
Alabama and LSU play this week which will eliminate one of the 2 teams. If either Auburn or Alabama win out, they will likely play for the NC. (Alabama would get huge boost for beating LSU, Auburn and then a likely rematch against South Carolina). The best thing that could happen for NU would be for LSU to beat Alabama this weekend, then Alabama beats Auburn. Then Auburn would still represent the West in the SEC championship and have a chance to lose again. If LSU wins this weekend they will likely jump NU in the BCS, but with a game at Arkansas remaining and likely no chance to make the SEC Championship, they likely wouldn't be able to hold their position through the end of the season.
Group 5 (Big 12 Teams) - Nebraska(7), Oklahoma(8)
Nebraska needs to win out to have a shot at a BCS bowl. If they lost in the Big 12 Championship, there is a chance they could still be an at Large BCS selection but there is also a chance a 1 loss Missouri team would be selected instead (In 2007 the same thing happened to Missouri when they beat Kansas but lost to Oklahoma again in the Big 12 Championship. The Orange Bowl selected a one loss KU team ahead of a 2 Loss Missouri team, even though Missouri had just beaten KU and their only 2 losses were to Oklahoma). The best scenario for NU would be for Oklahoma to keep wining and NU beat them in the Big12 game. Also, Missouri is for some reason still dominating the computer polls. As much as it is hard to do, NU needs to root for Missouri to keep winning which helps our computer rankings too. The winner of the Big12 (assuming it's a 1 loss team) will likely be the second highest ranked 1 loss team at the end of the season behind Alabama if they win out
Projected BCS Standings following this week's games:
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise
4. TCU/Utah winner
5. Alabama/LSU winner
6. Oklahoma
7. Wisconsin
(Assuming NU won't gain on either OU or Wisconsin in the Human polls, both these teams will gain more this week in the computer polls than NU)
8. Nebraska
9. Ohio State
10. Missouri
This week:
Husker fans should root for Utah to beat TCU and for LSU to beat Alabama
1. If LSU and Utah win, Nebraska by winning alone should be able to jump Wisconsin, Oklahoma, LSU, Utah putting them 4th behind Oregon, Auburn, and Boise. Then we would need 2 big slip ups.
2. If TCU wins, we can probably add them to the list with Oregon, Auburn, and Boise, and now we would need 3 of the 4 to slip up later in the season.
3. If Alabama wins, then the only thing that would keep the winner of the Alabama/Auburn game out of the NC would be a potential loss to the winner of the Florida/South Carolina winner in the SEC Championship
Group 1 (Big 10 Teams) - Wisconsin(9), Ohio State(11)
These teams don't have a great shot and getting to the NC Game.
Don't be surprised if Wisconsin jumps NU this week due to getting a boost in the computer polls when TCU/Utah and Bama/LSU lose. However, their remaining schedule and lack of a conference championship game will do them no favors.
The thing to watch will be who will win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl?
Iowa Goes if...they win out and Wisconsin loses
Ohio State Goes if...they win out and Wisconsin loses or Wicconsin and Michigan State win out but Wisconsin falls behind OSU in the final BCS
Michigan State Goes if...MSU, Wisconsin and Iowa all win out
Wisconsin Goes if...they win out and either MSU loses or Ohio State also wins out be does not pass Wisconsin in the BCS
Group 2 (Pac 10 Teams) - Oregon(1)
This one is easy Oregon will play for the NC if they win out. If Oregon loses 1 game (to either Washington, Cal, Arizona, and Oregon State), it opens the door for an undefeated Non-AQ team or a one loss Big 12/SEC champion to jump ahead.
Group 3 (Non Automatic Qualifier Teams) - TCU(3), Boise State(4), Utah(5)
TCU plays Utah this week so one of these teams will be eliminated. We should root for Utah, because they would be easier to jump. Other than this week's TCU/Utah game, none of these teams have any difficult games remaining. NU really needs Boise and TCU to slip up. If one of these teams wins out, they will likely be ahead of NU in line as the next team into the NC game.
Group 4 (SEC Teams) - Auburn(2), Alabama(6), LSU(10)
Alabama and LSU play this week which will eliminate one of the 2 teams. If either Auburn or Alabama win out, they will likely play for the NC. (Alabama would get huge boost for beating LSU, Auburn and then a likely rematch against South Carolina). The best thing that could happen for NU would be for LSU to beat Alabama this weekend, then Alabama beats Auburn. Then Auburn would still represent the West in the SEC championship and have a chance to lose again. If LSU wins this weekend they will likely jump NU in the BCS, but with a game at Arkansas remaining and likely no chance to make the SEC Championship, they likely wouldn't be able to hold their position through the end of the season.
Group 5 (Big 12 Teams) - Nebraska(7), Oklahoma(8)
Nebraska needs to win out to have a shot at a BCS bowl. If they lost in the Big 12 Championship, there is a chance they could still be an at Large BCS selection but there is also a chance a 1 loss Missouri team would be selected instead (In 2007 the same thing happened to Missouri when they beat Kansas but lost to Oklahoma again in the Big 12 Championship. The Orange Bowl selected a one loss KU team ahead of a 2 Loss Missouri team, even though Missouri had just beaten KU and their only 2 losses were to Oklahoma). The best scenario for NU would be for Oklahoma to keep wining and NU beat them in the Big12 game. Also, Missouri is for some reason still dominating the computer polls. As much as it is hard to do, NU needs to root for Missouri to keep winning which helps our computer rankings too. The winner of the Big12 (assuming it's a 1 loss team) will likely be the second highest ranked 1 loss team at the end of the season behind Alabama if they win out
Projected BCS Standings following this week's games:
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise
4. TCU/Utah winner
5. Alabama/LSU winner
6. Oklahoma
7. Wisconsin
(Assuming NU won't gain on either OU or Wisconsin in the Human polls, both these teams will gain more this week in the computer polls than NU)
8. Nebraska
9. Ohio State
10. Missouri
This week:
Husker fans should root for Utah to beat TCU and for LSU to beat Alabama
1. If LSU and Utah win, Nebraska by winning alone should be able to jump Wisconsin, Oklahoma, LSU, Utah putting them 4th behind Oregon, Auburn, and Boise. Then we would need 2 big slip ups.
2. If TCU wins, we can probably add them to the list with Oregon, Auburn, and Boise, and now we would need 3 of the 4 to slip up later in the season.
3. If Alabama wins, then the only thing that would keep the winner of the Alabama/Auburn game out of the NC would be a potential loss to the winner of the Florida/South Carolina winner in the SEC Championship
NU/KU Game Set for 6PM on PPV
The University of Nebraska and FOX Sports Midwest have announced that Nebraska's Nov. 13 game against Kansas in Lincoln will be available on a pay-per-view basis. Kickoff time for the contest has been set for 6 p.m. CT.
Big 12 Special Order Sports, FOX Sports Net's pay-per-view division will produce the pay-per-view telecast and the games will be available on participating cable systems in Nebraska as well as nationally on participating satellite and telco systems.
The game is being televised on a pay-per-view basis because it was not among four Big 12 Conference games selected for over-the-air or cable television coverage on Nov. 13. Suggested retail price for the telecast, which will be available in HD is $39.95 and full ordering details will be available in the next few days.
Big 12 Special Order Sports, FOX Sports Net's pay-per-view division will produce the pay-per-view telecast and the games will be available on participating cable systems in Nebraska as well as nationally on participating satellite and telco systems.
The game is being televised on a pay-per-view basis because it was not among four Big 12 Conference games selected for over-the-air or cable television coverage on Nov. 13. Suggested retail price for the telecast, which will be available in HD is $39.95 and full ordering details will be available in the next few days.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A Win on Paper for NU
By Paul Conrad of Cyclonechronicles.com
When you look at the upcoming Nebraska @ Iowa State game from a pure statistical standpoint, the Cyclones are going to get crushed. In virtually every statistical category, Nebraska leads Iowa State.
Looking purely at the numbers, it's hard not to get a little shiver of terror as a Cyclone fan, but that would be a mistake. Texas proved that Nebraska is not invincible. I will not make any inferences that since we beat Texas and Texas beat Nebraska that we are therefore better than Nebraska. While it's a sound logical argument, there's simply no evidence that it applies in college football. I love the phrase "Any given Saturday" because it represents all the things that make college football so exciting. You simply never know what's going to happen, who's going to win and who's going to lose. The uncertainty and the strong ties people have to certain schools give college football a vibrant heartbeat.
Running Game
Taking it as a given that Nebraska is not invincible, looking closer at the statistics provides several interesting comparisons. The first thing that is clear is that Nebraska's passing defense is frighteningly good. They have the number one Passing efficiency defense in the nation and have correspondingly good total defense and scoring defensive numbers. Then you look at their rushing defense. Nebraska is giving up 162 yards per game on the ground, for a mediocre national rank of 75th.
What does that mean for Iowa State? Anyone who watched the Nebraska/Texas game knows that Garret Gilbert beat the Huskers with his feet, not his arm. Time and again he converted third downs by dashing for the sticks. Iowa State has three running backs and a dual threat quarterback who are not afraid of any defense they've seen yet. Utah, Iowa and Oklahoma were all able to stop the Cyclone running game, but the statistics and previous games suggest that the Huskers might not be up to the same task. The Cyclones could literally control the game by running the ball on the majority of downs. Will it happen that way? Who knows, but you can bet that Tom Herman knows all this already.
Turnovers
We all know that Iowa State would not have won last year in Lincoln without an astonishing 8 turnovers from the Huskers. There's been more discussion on that topic by Cyclone and Husker fans over the last year than perhaps any other, save the one second debacle in the Big 12 Championship. The fact of the matter is that Nebraska has put the football on the turf an astonishing number of times this season. It's difficult to see in the statistics, because the Huskers have managed to fall on the ball and recover their own fumbles more often than not. On the whole, it's a dangerous chink in the armor of the Nebraska offense. Wally Burnham's defense has proven time and again that they have a nose for the ball, and have even scored points with them.
Should the Cyclones expect a +8 turnover margin on Saturday? Absolutely not, but the Iowa State defense will be looking for every opportunity to come up with the football they can. A few turnovers could go a long way in Jack Trice Stadium for a team that needs one more win to become bowl eligible. It's literally the only major statistical category that Iowa State leads Nebraska, and it's the one that sparked the upset in Lincoln last year.
Huskers beware.
When you look at the upcoming Nebraska @ Iowa State game from a pure statistical standpoint, the Cyclones are going to get crushed. In virtually every statistical category, Nebraska leads Iowa State.
Looking purely at the numbers, it's hard not to get a little shiver of terror as a Cyclone fan, but that would be a mistake. Texas proved that Nebraska is not invincible. I will not make any inferences that since we beat Texas and Texas beat Nebraska that we are therefore better than Nebraska. While it's a sound logical argument, there's simply no evidence that it applies in college football. I love the phrase "Any given Saturday" because it represents all the things that make college football so exciting. You simply never know what's going to happen, who's going to win and who's going to lose. The uncertainty and the strong ties people have to certain schools give college football a vibrant heartbeat.
Running Game
Taking it as a given that Nebraska is not invincible, looking closer at the statistics provides several interesting comparisons. The first thing that is clear is that Nebraska's passing defense is frighteningly good. They have the number one Passing efficiency defense in the nation and have correspondingly good total defense and scoring defensive numbers. Then you look at their rushing defense. Nebraska is giving up 162 yards per game on the ground, for a mediocre national rank of 75th.
What does that mean for Iowa State? Anyone who watched the Nebraska/Texas game knows that Garret Gilbert beat the Huskers with his feet, not his arm. Time and again he converted third downs by dashing for the sticks. Iowa State has three running backs and a dual threat quarterback who are not afraid of any defense they've seen yet. Utah, Iowa and Oklahoma were all able to stop the Cyclone running game, but the statistics and previous games suggest that the Huskers might not be up to the same task. The Cyclones could literally control the game by running the ball on the majority of downs. Will it happen that way? Who knows, but you can bet that Tom Herman knows all this already.
Turnovers
We all know that Iowa State would not have won last year in Lincoln without an astonishing 8 turnovers from the Huskers. There's been more discussion on that topic by Cyclone and Husker fans over the last year than perhaps any other, save the one second debacle in the Big 12 Championship. The fact of the matter is that Nebraska has put the football on the turf an astonishing number of times this season. It's difficult to see in the statistics, because the Huskers have managed to fall on the ball and recover their own fumbles more often than not. On the whole, it's a dangerous chink in the armor of the Nebraska offense. Wally Burnham's defense has proven time and again that they have a nose for the ball, and have even scored points with them.
Should the Cyclones expect a +8 turnover margin on Saturday? Absolutely not, but the Iowa State defense will be looking for every opportunity to come up with the football they can. A few turnovers could go a long way in Jack Trice Stadium for a team that needs one more win to become bowl eligible. It's literally the only major statistical category that Iowa State leads Nebraska, and it's the one that sparked the upset in Lincoln last year.
Huskers beware.
Paul Rhodes Locker Room Speech
VIdeo from ISU celebration after last year's 9-7 victory in Lincoln
Skip ahead to 44 seconds for the locker room speech
Skip ahead to 44 seconds for the locker room speech
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
KC Star Writer Calls NU Fans "Inbred"
Mike DeArmond is the longtime Missouri football and basketball beat reporter for the KANSAS CITY STAR. He’s also an alumnus of Mizzou, class of ‘72.
Saturday DeArmond appeared on a Kansas City TV pregame show for the Missouri-Nebraska football game to give his opinion on something that can be a sore subject for more Kansas Citians than you know.
That is, dealing with local Nebraska football fans, Kansas Jayhawks hoops fans and St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans. During his TV appearance, DeArmond originally was asked what he thought of Nebraska football fans, whom he proceeded to lump together with KU and Cardinal fans:
From SportsbyBrooks.com -
I can’t really disagree with DeArmond’s assessment of the unceasing arrogance of KU hoops and Cardinals baseball fans. Especially Kansas basketball fans, who, next to MU, are the most mean-spirited of the group.
Also important to note that when K-State football was flying high, nouveux-riche Wildcats football fans also contributed a significant annoyance quotient to life in Kansas City.
Big 10-bound Nebraska is a different story. Husker fans are widely recognized as the classiest fans in Big 12 country and will be an enormous loss for the conference. If DeArmond ever journeyed outside the pressbox at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, he’d know that.
I’d love to be able to rip Husker fans, but they won’t let me. I’ve covered SEC, Big 10, Big 12 and Pac-10 football and Nebraska fans are as good as it gets. Knowledgeable, supportive, classy, gracious. Hard to root against them once you get to know them. (Especially now that Bill Callahan’s gone.)
The irony of DeArmond’s comments is that he himself displays the characteristics of the most disagreeable (and unidentified) of all local K.C. faithful: The miserable Mizzou fan.
Saturday DeArmond appeared on a Kansas City TV pregame show for the Missouri-Nebraska football game to give his opinion on something that can be a sore subject for more Kansas Citians than you know.
That is, dealing with local Nebraska football fans, Kansas Jayhawks hoops fans and St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans. During his TV appearance, DeArmond originally was asked what he thought of Nebraska football fans, whom he proceeded to lump together with KU and Cardinal fans:
From SportsbyBrooks.com -
I can’t really disagree with DeArmond’s assessment of the unceasing arrogance of KU hoops and Cardinals baseball fans. Especially Kansas basketball fans, who, next to MU, are the most mean-spirited of the group.
Also important to note that when K-State football was flying high, nouveux-riche Wildcats football fans also contributed a significant annoyance quotient to life in Kansas City.
Big 10-bound Nebraska is a different story. Husker fans are widely recognized as the classiest fans in Big 12 country and will be an enormous loss for the conference. If DeArmond ever journeyed outside the pressbox at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, he’d know that.
I’d love to be able to rip Husker fans, but they won’t let me. I’ve covered SEC, Big 10, Big 12 and Pac-10 football and Nebraska fans are as good as it gets. Knowledgeable, supportive, classy, gracious. Hard to root against them once you get to know them. (Especially now that Bill Callahan’s gone.)
The irony of DeArmond’s comments is that he himself displays the characteristics of the most disagreeable (and unidentified) of all local K.C. faithful: The miserable Mizzou fan.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Pinkel Asks Big12 to Review Osborne's Hit on Gabbert
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini says safety Courtney Osborne put a clean hit on Blaine Gabbert. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel wants to make sure.
Pinkel said Monday he's asked the Big 12 to look at videotape of Osborne's hit on the Tigers' quarterback in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 31-17 loss to the Cornhuskers.
ABC Analyst Ed Cunningham has been especially critical of NU hits over the last 2 weeks. Some clever Husker fans made some edits to his Wikipedia page today.
As opposed to other analysts who announce games either standing up or sitting on a stool, Ed has recently chosen do his announcing work sitting exclusively on his high horse. Some maintain this is the only place that he is able to withstand the floodwaters of Roger Goodell's incompetence trickling their way down into the college game, others simply note his mediocre broadcasting skills, and applaud him for taking the easy route in falling in line with the hot-button topic of the day.
Cunningham most recent holier-than-thou work includes public scoldings of both Eric Martin and Courtney Osborne, Nebraska defensive players who were not fined for their perfectly legal plays, and whose only offense was being bigger, faster, stronger, and better than their competition.
During the week, when not announcing games from high upon his stallion, Cunningham can be found handing out blue participation ribbons at your local public school, as well as calling out all other football announcers with skills superior to his as "big meanies."
Likes: Flowers, long walks on the beach, Downy soft clothes and real football (Soccer).
Dislikes: Rough and tough contact and the nasty, violent game of football.
"Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information."
~Michael Scott
Pinkel said Monday he's asked the Big 12 to look at videotape of Osborne's hit on the Tigers' quarterback in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 31-17 loss to the Cornhuskers.
ABC Analyst Ed Cunningham has been especially critical of NU hits over the last 2 weeks. Some clever Husker fans made some edits to his Wikipedia page today.
As opposed to other analysts who announce games either standing up or sitting on a stool, Ed has recently chosen do his announcing work sitting exclusively on his high horse. Some maintain this is the only place that he is able to withstand the floodwaters of Roger Goodell's incompetence trickling their way down into the college game, others simply note his mediocre broadcasting skills, and applaud him for taking the easy route in falling in line with the hot-button topic of the day.
Cunningham most recent holier-than-thou work includes public scoldings of both Eric Martin and Courtney Osborne, Nebraska defensive players who were not fined for their perfectly legal plays, and whose only offense was being bigger, faster, stronger, and better than their competition.
During the week, when not announcing games from high upon his stallion, Cunningham can be found handing out blue participation ribbons at your local public school, as well as calling out all other football announcers with skills superior to his as "big meanies."
Likes: Flowers, long walks on the beach, Downy soft clothes and real football (Soccer).
Dislikes: Rough and tough contact and the nasty, violent game of football.
"Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information."
~Michael Scott
Martinez 'improving' after ankle sprain
LINCOLN – Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez suffered a right ankle sprain after taking a hit on the leg Saturday in the Huskers' 31-17 win over Missouri, coach Bo Pelini said Monday.
Pelini had described the injury as a bone bruise after the game.
Martinez, a redshirt freshman who leads the ninth-ranked Huskers in rushing and has started every game, played the final five plays of the first half after being tackled low by Missouri strong safety Kenji Jackson on a 5-yard gain.
Backup quarterback Zac Lee replaced Martinez for the second half.
Martinez did not speak to reporters after the game. He wore a walking boot as he left Memorial Stadium.
He has improved since Saturday, Pelini said, although the quarterback might sit out of practice Monday afternoon.
The coach he didn't think the ankle injury would prevent Martinez from playing Saturday as 7-1 Nebraska visits Iowa State for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
"We don't play guys if they're hurt," Pelini said. "If they're healthy, they play. We think it sure looks like he's going to be healthy."
Pelini had described the injury as a bone bruise after the game.
Martinez, a redshirt freshman who leads the ninth-ranked Huskers in rushing and has started every game, played the final five plays of the first half after being tackled low by Missouri strong safety Kenji Jackson on a 5-yard gain.
Backup quarterback Zac Lee replaced Martinez for the second half.
Martinez did not speak to reporters after the game. He wore a walking boot as he left Memorial Stadium.
He has improved since Saturday, Pelini said, although the quarterback might sit out of practice Monday afternoon.
The coach he didn't think the ankle injury would prevent Martinez from playing Saturday as 7-1 Nebraska visits Iowa State for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
"We don't play guys if they're hurt," Pelini said. "If they're healthy, they play. We think it sure looks like he's going to be healthy."
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Getting to Know Iowa State
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ames, Iowa
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
Last time out
Iowa State snapped a five-game losing streak against Kansas with a 28-16 win Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The Cyclones scored 21 points in the third quarter to rebound after a lackluster start in the wake of their 28-21 road win over Texas a week earlier. ISU struggled offensively in the first half, scoring its only points on a 62-yard Josh Lenz punt return late in the second quarter. But quarterback Austen Arnaud directed a 74-yard drive early in the third quarter to retake the lead. ISU then drove 89 yards to make it a 12-point game and added a final TD on Shontrelle Johnson's 33-yard touchdown run. With the win, Iowa State, at 5-4, is one victory from gaining bowl eligibility for a second straight season under second-year coach Paul Rhoads.
Remembering 2009
Nebraska will, no doubt, receive a few reminders this week of Iowa State's visit to Lincoln a year ago. The heavy-underdog Cyclones forced eight turnovers and did not give it away once, winning 9-7 without the services of the veteran Arnaud. In his place, freshman Jerome Tiller managed a nice game and connected with Jake Williams for a 47-yard TD pass in the second quarter to provide nearly all of the offense ISU needed. Depending on the health of Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, who suffered a leg injury Saturday and did not play in the second half against Missouri, backup Zac Lee may get a shot to redeem himself against the Cyclones. Lee threw three interceptions a year ago in a performance that led to his benching a week later, though he was far from the lone culprit. NU also lost five fumbles.
Statistically speaking
Arnaud, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound QB, accurately represents his team. The fifth-year senior out of Ames has done nothing so well this year that it jumps off the stat sheet. Nevertheless, he's solid in enough areas to pose a real threat. Arnaud's production as a three-year starter rates him among the best in ISU history. This year, he's completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 151.6 yards per game with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Arnaud has also rushed for 250 yards. Not impressed? Don't let it fool you; he's effective, much like the Cyclones, who allowed 120 points in consecutive October losses at home to Utah and Oklahoma but came back to beat Texas and KU. ISU ranks no higher than 52nd in any major offensive or defensive statistical category, including 102nd out of 120 teams in total defense, 104th in passing offense, 98th in total offense, 99th in rushing defense and 88th in scoring defense. Somehow, though, the Cyclones get it done.
The series
Nebraska and Iowa State have played every year since 1926, and it's been largely one-sided. Iowa State hasn't beaten the Huskers in consecutive seasons since 1976 and '77. The Cyclones have won three straight over NU just once, from 1943 to '45. But Iowa State has experienced moderate success this decade, winning three of the past eight games. The victory in Lincoln last year marked the Cyclones' first since 1977. Of course, this is it for the series — at least as conference foes, with the Huskers headed to the Big Ten next season. Most memorable for Iowa State? Nothing tops the Cyclones' 1992 victory, 19-10 in Ames. Interestingly, that landmark upset came after Nebraska defeated ranked foes in back-to-back weeks. The Huskers also started a freshman quarterback 18 years ago, Tommie Frazier, who suffered the only regular-season loss of his four-year career on that November afternoon.
Where: Ames, Iowa
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
Last time out
Iowa State snapped a five-game losing streak against Kansas with a 28-16 win Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The Cyclones scored 21 points in the third quarter to rebound after a lackluster start in the wake of their 28-21 road win over Texas a week earlier. ISU struggled offensively in the first half, scoring its only points on a 62-yard Josh Lenz punt return late in the second quarter. But quarterback Austen Arnaud directed a 74-yard drive early in the third quarter to retake the lead. ISU then drove 89 yards to make it a 12-point game and added a final TD on Shontrelle Johnson's 33-yard touchdown run. With the win, Iowa State, at 5-4, is one victory from gaining bowl eligibility for a second straight season under second-year coach Paul Rhoads.
Remembering 2009
Nebraska will, no doubt, receive a few reminders this week of Iowa State's visit to Lincoln a year ago. The heavy-underdog Cyclones forced eight turnovers and did not give it away once, winning 9-7 without the services of the veteran Arnaud. In his place, freshman Jerome Tiller managed a nice game and connected with Jake Williams for a 47-yard TD pass in the second quarter to provide nearly all of the offense ISU needed. Depending on the health of Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez, who suffered a leg injury Saturday and did not play in the second half against Missouri, backup Zac Lee may get a shot to redeem himself against the Cyclones. Lee threw three interceptions a year ago in a performance that led to his benching a week later, though he was far from the lone culprit. NU also lost five fumbles.
Statistically speaking
Arnaud, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound QB, accurately represents his team. The fifth-year senior out of Ames has done nothing so well this year that it jumps off the stat sheet. Nevertheless, he's solid in enough areas to pose a real threat. Arnaud's production as a three-year starter rates him among the best in ISU history. This year, he's completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 151.6 yards per game with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Arnaud has also rushed for 250 yards. Not impressed? Don't let it fool you; he's effective, much like the Cyclones, who allowed 120 points in consecutive October losses at home to Utah and Oklahoma but came back to beat Texas and KU. ISU ranks no higher than 52nd in any major offensive or defensive statistical category, including 102nd out of 120 teams in total defense, 104th in passing offense, 98th in total offense, 99th in rushing defense and 88th in scoring defense. Somehow, though, the Cyclones get it done.
The series
Nebraska and Iowa State have played every year since 1926, and it's been largely one-sided. Iowa State hasn't beaten the Huskers in consecutive seasons since 1976 and '77. The Cyclones have won three straight over NU just once, from 1943 to '45. But Iowa State has experienced moderate success this decade, winning three of the past eight games. The victory in Lincoln last year marked the Cyclones' first since 1977. Of course, this is it for the series — at least as conference foes, with the Huskers headed to the Big Ten next season. Most memorable for Iowa State? Nothing tops the Cyclones' 1992 victory, 19-10 in Ames. Interestingly, that landmark upset came after Nebraska defeated ranked foes in back-to-back weeks. The Huskers also started a freshman quarterback 18 years ago, Tommie Frazier, who suffered the only regular-season loss of his four-year career on that November afternoon.
Helu Second Straight National Player of the Week for NU
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ROY HELU, JR., NEBRASKA
Senior, Running Back, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley
Junior running back Roy Helu Jr. rushed for a school record 307 yards and scored three long touchdowns as 14th-ranked Nebraska defeated 7th-ranked Missouri, 31-17. Helu, Jr. scored on runs of 66, 73 and 53 yards as the Huskers improved to 7-1, 3-1 in the Big 12. Helu’s rushing total is the most by any FBS player this season. Helu, Jr. follows teammate Taylor Martinez, who was last week’s Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.
ROY HELU, JR., NEBRASKA
Senior, Running Back, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley
Junior running back Roy Helu Jr. rushed for a school record 307 yards and scored three long touchdowns as 14th-ranked Nebraska defeated 7th-ranked Missouri, 31-17. Helu, Jr. scored on runs of 66, 73 and 53 yards as the Huskers improved to 7-1, 3-1 in the Big 12. Helu’s rushing total is the most by any FBS player this season. Helu, Jr. follows teammate Taylor Martinez, who was last week’s Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Boomer Sooner
Convicted murderer James Landrigan was executed Tuesday night in Florence, Arizona.
Landrigan’s last meal was steak, fried okra, French fries, strawberry ice cream and Dr Pepper.
His last words....
“Well, I’d like to say thank you to my family for being here and all my friends, and Boomer Sooner.”
I'm sure this makes Brooks proud to be a Sooner fan.
Landrigan’s last meal was steak, fried okra, French fries, strawberry ice cream and Dr Pepper.
His last words....
“Well, I’d like to say thank you to my family for being here and all my friends, and Boomer Sooner.”
I'm sure this makes Brooks proud to be a Sooner fan.
Best of T-Magic
Taylor Martinez doesn't speak to the media often but here is a compilation of some of his best quotes
"I like playing against road games"....Classic
"I like playing against road games"....Classic
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Aaron Green is N
Aaron Green from James Madison High School in San Antonio Texas committed to Nebraska tonight. Rivals has him ranked as the #5 RB prospect and the #28 overall prospect.
Here are some video highlights of Green
Green had offers from NU, Florida State, Cal, Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Southern Cal, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
Here are some video highlights of Green
Green had offers from NU, Florida State, Cal, Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Southern Cal, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
Send Us Your Pictures
Send us your Gameday pictures so we can share them on the blog.
Whether it's a home or away game...whether your watching the game in Wrigleyville, at SRO in Houston, TX, or you are watching at home because you are unable to make it to the tailgate...send your pictures to aagzehov@yahoo.com or krisanderson28@hotmail.com and we will put them on the blog.
We'd love to see what our No Option Family does for each game and who knows, if it's an away game, you might be chosen as No Option "Tailgater of the Week"!
Whether it's a home or away game...whether your watching the game in Wrigleyville, at SRO in Houston, TX, or you are watching at home because you are unable to make it to the tailgate...send your pictures to aagzehov@yahoo.com or krisanderson28@hotmail.com and we will put them on the blog.
We'd love to see what our No Option Family does for each game and who knows, if it's an away game, you might be chosen as No Option "Tailgater of the Week"!
Eric Martin Suspended
Does the Big 12 want Missouri to win??
"Mr. Martin committed a flagrant act of targeting an opponent with the crown of his helmet in violation of NCAA football rules," commissioner Dan Beebe said in a statement. "This dangerous hit is one that we in the football community are trying to remove from the game."
No penalty was assessed on the play, but Big 12 officials reviewed the game tape and issued a suspension in accordance with NCAA Football Rule 9-6-3, which states, "if subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game."
I have to believe that the announcers making such a big deal about the play didn't help. Martin was asked about "Yucking it up" on the sideline after the play. He said that his teammates were making fun of him for being winded so early in the game. He was unable to go back out on for the ensuing kickoff because he was tired
"Mr. Martin committed a flagrant act of targeting an opponent with the crown of his helmet in violation of NCAA football rules," commissioner Dan Beebe said in a statement. "This dangerous hit is one that we in the football community are trying to remove from the game."
No penalty was assessed on the play, but Big 12 officials reviewed the game tape and issued a suspension in accordance with NCAA Football Rule 9-6-3, which states, "if subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game."
I have to believe that the announcers making such a big deal about the play didn't help. Martin was asked about "Yucking it up" on the sideline after the play. He said that his teammates were making fun of him for being winded so early in the game. He was unable to go back out on for the ensuing kickoff because he was tired
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Score Predictions - Missouri
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)
Week 7: Kovar - Off by 14 Points - (Guess 52-28, Actual 51-41)
3peat for Kovar!
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)
Week 7: Kovar - Off by 14 Points - (Guess 52-28, Actual 51-41)
3peat for Kovar!
Picture of the Week
Let's hope NU can hit Gabbert early and often Saturday...
FYI~ The Tigers backup QB is James Franklin who is 11/14 in his career
FYI~ The Tigers backup QB is James Franklin who is 11/14 in his career
Blackmon Arrested for DUI
This could really hurt NU if Ok State loses a few games as a result
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma State star wide receiver Justin Blackmon was arrested early Tuesday on a suburban Dallas highway on a misdemeanor DUI complaint and his status with the Cowboys was unclear headed into the final weeks of the season.
Blackmon was arrested at 3:45 a.m. after officers used radar to determine he was driving 92 mph in a 60 mph zone along Interstate 35 in Carrollton, Texas, police spokesman Dustin Bartram said.
The officer performed a field sobriety test on the 20-year-old Blackmon. Under Texas law, drivers under 21 can be arrested for having any detectable amount of alcohol in his or her system and Blackmon fell into that category, Bartram said.
Story continued in the Comments Section...
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma State star wide receiver Justin Blackmon was arrested early Tuesday on a suburban Dallas highway on a misdemeanor DUI complaint and his status with the Cowboys was unclear headed into the final weeks of the season.
Blackmon was arrested at 3:45 a.m. after officers used radar to determine he was driving 92 mph in a 60 mph zone along Interstate 35 in Carrollton, Texas, police spokesman Dustin Bartram said.
The officer performed a field sobriety test on the 20-year-old Blackmon. Under Texas law, drivers under 21 can be arrested for having any detectable amount of alcohol in his or her system and Blackmon fell into that category, Bartram said.
Story continued in the Comments Section...
Getting to Know the Tigers
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
ESPN’s “College GameDay” was in town for the first time ever, setting the stage for the nationally televised battle between two unbeatens — Mizzou and BCS No. 1 Oklahoma. The Sooners had won 19 of their past 20 against the Tigers, including a couple of memorable big-stage heartbreakers recently.
The Tigers finally got revenge Saturday night.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 30 of 42 passes for 308 yards and the Missouri defense was stout when it had to be, knocking OU out of the national title picture for the time being.
It was the first time Missouri defeated Oklahoma since 1998. The Tigers lost twice to OU in 2007, a year when they had a legitimate shot at making the BCS championship game. They were blown out by the Sooners in the Big 12 title game in 2008.
Things were different this season. Now, Mizzou is 7-0 for just the third time in school history (the first time since 1960). It heads to Nebraska with a chance at putting a firm grip on the Big 12 North race with a win.
The Tigers didn’t leave Saturday’s game without some drama.
They trailed OU 21-20 before scoring two straight touchdowns to seemingly take control. But botched execution by the Missouri kickoff coverage gave the Sooners great field position and they pulled within two scores late. Ultimately, though, Oklahoma couldn’t complete the comeback and Mizzou fans celebrated their win by rushing the field.
Gabbert shining
Blaine Gabbert’s stock is rising, even if Husker fans preferred that it wasn’t.
Through seven games, he’s throwing for an average of 271 yards and completing 67 percent of his passes. He’s tossed 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
NU supporters don’t need to be reminded that Gabbert originally made a nonbinding commitment to Nebraska during the recruiting process, but ultimately signed with Mizzou.
Running backs step up
Missouri’s ground game came alive Saturday and added some balance to its attack.
As a team, the Tigers totaled 178 rushing yards on 39 carries against Oklahoma, which was more production from their ground game than they had during both of their previous conference games combined. Their 181 rushing attempts on the season ranked last in the Big 12.
The backfield duo of De’Vion Moore and Henry Josey turned out to have large roles in the Missouri game plan. Moore had 73 yards and Josey had 64.
It will be interesting to see if the running game is emphasized to that extent against Nebraska.
Other than their shutdown performance against Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas, the Huskers haven’t defended the run consistently well this season. Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter ran for 201 yards Saturday.
Nose guard out
Missouri’s defense will be without a big piece on Saturday.
Starting nose guard Dominique Hamilton, a 6-foot-5, 305-pounder who plugs running lanes and disrupts throwing pockets, broke his foot during the first quarter on Saturday night.
Hamilton is out for the year.
The injury is a blow to the Tigers’ unit, though that group has performed well all season.
Missouri leads the conference in scoring defense (13.1 points per game) and ranks second at defending the run (114.6 yards per game). The Tigers allowed a season-high 27 points to Oklahoma, but they recorded two interceptions and held the Sooners to just 99 total rushing yards.
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: 1110 AM KFAB
ESPN’s “College GameDay” was in town for the first time ever, setting the stage for the nationally televised battle between two unbeatens — Mizzou and BCS No. 1 Oklahoma. The Sooners had won 19 of their past 20 against the Tigers, including a couple of memorable big-stage heartbreakers recently.
The Tigers finally got revenge Saturday night.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 30 of 42 passes for 308 yards and the Missouri defense was stout when it had to be, knocking OU out of the national title picture for the time being.
It was the first time Missouri defeated Oklahoma since 1998. The Tigers lost twice to OU in 2007, a year when they had a legitimate shot at making the BCS championship game. They were blown out by the Sooners in the Big 12 title game in 2008.
Things were different this season. Now, Mizzou is 7-0 for just the third time in school history (the first time since 1960). It heads to Nebraska with a chance at putting a firm grip on the Big 12 North race with a win.
The Tigers didn’t leave Saturday’s game without some drama.
They trailed OU 21-20 before scoring two straight touchdowns to seemingly take control. But botched execution by the Missouri kickoff coverage gave the Sooners great field position and they pulled within two scores late. Ultimately, though, Oklahoma couldn’t complete the comeback and Mizzou fans celebrated their win by rushing the field.
Gabbert shining
Blaine Gabbert’s stock is rising, even if Husker fans preferred that it wasn’t.
Through seven games, he’s throwing for an average of 271 yards and completing 67 percent of his passes. He’s tossed 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
NU supporters don’t need to be reminded that Gabbert originally made a nonbinding commitment to Nebraska during the recruiting process, but ultimately signed with Mizzou.
Running backs step up
Missouri’s ground game came alive Saturday and added some balance to its attack.
As a team, the Tigers totaled 178 rushing yards on 39 carries against Oklahoma, which was more production from their ground game than they had during both of their previous conference games combined. Their 181 rushing attempts on the season ranked last in the Big 12.
The backfield duo of De’Vion Moore and Henry Josey turned out to have large roles in the Missouri game plan. Moore had 73 yards and Josey had 64.
It will be interesting to see if the running game is emphasized to that extent against Nebraska.
Other than their shutdown performance against Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas, the Huskers haven’t defended the run consistently well this season. Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter ran for 201 yards Saturday.
Nose guard out
Missouri’s defense will be without a big piece on Saturday.
Starting nose guard Dominique Hamilton, a 6-foot-5, 305-pounder who plugs running lanes and disrupts throwing pockets, broke his foot during the first quarter on Saturday night.
Hamilton is out for the year.
The injury is a blow to the Tigers’ unit, though that group has performed well all season.
Missouri leads the conference in scoring defense (13.1 points per game) and ranks second at defending the run (114.6 yards per game). The Tigers allowed a season-high 27 points to Oklahoma, but they recorded two interceptions and held the Sooners to just 99 total rushing yards.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Iowa State Game on ABC at 2:30PM
The Big 12 Conference announced on Monday that Nebraska's Nov. 6 game at Iowa State in Ames will be televised regionally on ABC with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT.
The game will mark Nebraska's fourth straight game televised on ABC and the fifth overall this season on that network. Nebraska has already appeared on the network in games against Washington, Texas and Oklahoma State, while this week's contest with Missouri is also set for an ABC telecast. Additionally, Nebraska's Nov. 26 regular-season finale with Colorado will be televised nationally on ABC.
Game times and television information for Nebraska's Nov. 13 game with Kansas and its Nov. 20 matchup at Texas A&M will be announced six to 12 days in advance
The game will mark Nebraska's fourth straight game televised on ABC and the fifth overall this season on that network. Nebraska has already appeared on the network in games against Washington, Texas and Oklahoma State, while this week's contest with Missouri is also set for an ABC telecast. Additionally, Nebraska's Nov. 26 regular-season finale with Colorado will be televised nationally on ABC.
Game times and television information for Nebraska's Nov. 13 game with Kansas and its Nov. 20 matchup at Texas A&M will be announced six to 12 days in advance
Martinez Named National Player of the Week
New Haven, Conn. – The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced its Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending October 23.OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TAYLOR MARTINEZ, NEBRASKA
Redshirt Freshman, Quarterback, Corona, CA/Centennial
Redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez accounted for 435 yards of total offense as 14th-ranked Nebraska defeated 17th-ranked Oklahoma State, 51-41. Martinez, who become the first Husker to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a single game, threw five touchdown passes as Nebraska improved to 6-2, 2-1 in the Big 12. Martinez completed 23-of-35 passes for 323 yards and rushed for 112 yards on 19 carries.
How Far Can Nebraska Climb?
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.
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.
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
Click on Comments to read on...
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
Click on Comments to read on...
Or click here for link to story
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....
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