I've returned from a nice weekend, while I was working hard on homework I realized that this week marks the FINAL COUNTDOWN to the 2009 season...I'm excited...I can't wait...and I'm sure many of you guys can't wait either.
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Volleyball Breakdown
2. Big 12 Preview: Baylor
3. Coaching Longevity....who's job is really safe...
1. There's not much on the home front on Husker Football over the weekend so we'll dive into a different topic to start out today...Husker Volleyball opened the 2009 season playing in the annual AVCA Volleyball tournament in the Qwest Center. It wasn't a banner start for the volleyball team as they were surprisingly swept...yes swept...by #8 Michigan on Friday night. On Saturday night Nebraska bounced back and gutted out a 5 set win over #11 Minnesota to end the tournament 1-1. This week Nebraska returns to the Colleseum to play Creighton where a W would give them the longest home winning streak ever by a women's team at 88 games. I expect them to beat up on Creighton but when it comes to playing better teams in the country this team will have grow in big chunks if it thinks it'll be ready to hang with the good teams. After watching them play 2 games on TV over the weekend I'm convinced that our #3 ranking is very generous and overrated. I love Husker sports don't get me wrong but looking at the crop of talent that this team has lead me to believe that they will be deserving of a #3 ranking...just not right now. The team looked out of sync, out of focused, confused, and down right played sloppy at times. This team needs to learn how to put a team away when they have the momentum....not allow the team to come back and force a 5th set....i.e. Minnesota on Saturday. Girls made bad sets, bad spikes, and serve the ball horribly...Nebraska lead the tournament in service errors. Not a category that John Cook wants to look at the next morning...they are young...talented...but have a long long long ways to go to being the great Nebraska teams of years past.....I guess we can honestly say that we really miss Jordan Larson this season....they'll be good but not great this year....
2. Big 12 preview continues this week as we'll dive into the 3 teams that Nebraska plays this season with a quick wrap up later this week of the 3 teams I'm not breaking down completely. Baylor comes into this year with the highest aspirations from their bowl season in 1994. They are the longest team in the Big 12 to not make a bowl game. This season will depend heavily on the play of Robert Griffin the stellar sophomore QB whose athleticism is something Baylor has never had at the QB position. Art Briles has done a masterful job in just 1 season breathing excitement back into a program that was the laughing stock of the Big 12 for many seasons. If they allow Griffin to run and throw like he did last season they will be a dangerous team to play. This team returns eight starters on defense and offense including the top 4 tacklers from last season...the top RB Finley...and the top 2 WR from last season in Wright and Gettis....no matter how you look at it this is the sleeper team in the Big 12 South this season...The schedule gets going right out of the gate with playing Wake Forest on the road this Saturday followed by UConn at home, Northwestern State, and Kent State....they should be 3-1 with loss to UConn...Randy's team are always well coached and ready for the challenge of taking on Baylor....The Big 12 season starts with games at Oklahoma (loss), at Iowa State (win), Oklahoma State (loss), and Nebraska (loss)....the last four games are at Missouri (win), Texas (loss), at A&M (win) and Texas Tech (win).....
2009 Season Prediction: 7-5 and going to a bowl game for the first time since 1994 with having a good chance to win their first bowl game since 1992. It'll be a banner year for Baylor but they must win games against Wake Forest, Missouri, and Texas Tech to have a chance at the postseason if they falter in any one of those 3...they'll stay home as a 6-6 team probably won't make a bowl game out of the Big 12 as I anticipate around 7 teams being bowl eligible this season with Baylor possibly being 8 if they get to 6 wins....they won't beat the Skers but will definitely be a fun team to watch in 2009.
3. A great blog post today came out from Tim Griffin on ESPN.com about ranking the coaches who have the best chance at keeping their jobs for a long period of time. Longevity rankings as Tim Griffin put it....Who do you think made the top of the list??? Stoops, Pelini, Brown, Leach, Mangino? Actually it was Mike Gundy at OSU who Griffin feels has the best longevity at the school he's at....Bo Pelini came in 3rd behind Bob Stoops....I think that was pretty accurate because Bo has told us numerous times that he feels at home at his dream job...I hope he stays for a long time but Tim Griffin did get me thinking if he'd leave for opportunities to coach at Penn State, Norte Dame, or his alma mater Ohio State....that'd be interesting to see as I think he'll be very successful at Nebraska and quickly become a hot coach that'll be wanted by many top programs. Fourth was KU's Mangino...not surprising as I think he'll stay there till his health causes him to retire...Pinkel was 5th which is way to high because if he has a few bad seasons after the success they have had the past 2 seasons the fans in Columbia will be calling for a change at the top.....It was very interesting to see Mack Brown fall to 8th but Griffin feels that with Muschamp in the waiting that he'd consider hanging it up if he won a BCS championship title...hmmmm could we see a change after this season...I don't think soo not this quick...Brown is in the prime of his coaching career and I feel he'll be at Texas for at least 5 more years.....a few years longer than what Tim thinks....not surprising that the bottoms were Dan Hawkins at 11 and Sherman at 12...those guys have to win this season to save their jobs....at A&M 4-8 seasons are just unacceptable and when you announce that you'll win 10 games that Dan did last off season, even though he denies it, you better own up to what you say and if they miss another bowl game this season...I'd have to think that they'll be some more turnover of coaches in the Big 12....it's finally good to see that Nebraska has a coach that the fans feel will stick around for awhile....security is a nice feeling and finally the Nebraska program has that...security....
Coming back again Wednesday...till then...get yourselves ready for Saturday!!!!!
Skocz Out.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
August 27, 2009
As the days till opening kickoff get closer and closer I once again Blog about certain topics today.
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Big 12 Preview: Missouri (Misery)
3. Special Teams: Oh Yeh its that important
1. We begin as usual talking about practice. It wasn't a stellar day on the practice field as Bo was very adamant about the team's lack of effort and focus yesterday. When your 20+ practices into hitting each other I'm not surprised that you would have an "off" day but the team and ill afford to make this a habit. Last season the team generally responded positively after having a bad practice the day before....we'll see if that's the case today. Latravis Washington announced yesterday that even though he is getting distanced by Cody Green as the #2 QB he will remain at the position despite the depth that the team has at QB. A possible redshirt is probably in order for Washington as I expect Green to assert himself as the backup to Zac Lee giving Washington a chance to redshirt, learn the offense somemore and compete his tail off again next season. I admire his heart for sticking it out...all too many times when a guy puts his mind on getting a certain spot and fails the road they go down can be a dark one....but Latravis sees this as an opportunity to continue to play the position he loves the most....QB.
2. My North preview wraps up today with Missouri or Misery as I love to call them.....There's not question that the last few seasons have been magical in Columbia winning 12 and 10 games for the first time ever in their program's history....the disappointment came when they had national championship aspirations and were crushed by Texas on the road last season (Colt and his boys but a 56-31 beat down on them last season). This year's team returns talent in Derrick Washington, arguably one of the premier Big 12 backs this season....as he rushed for 1078 yards and 17 TD's a year ago. Recievers returns Jared Perry as the top guy who hauled in only 41 passes last season to Maclin's 102. The losses of Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Jeremy Maclin leave Misery wondering where their production on offense will come. The notion of not redshirting Blaine Gabbert in his freshman year now appears to be the poor decision as losing a year for Gabbert to complete just 5 passes last year seems foolish for what he accomplished. He is the guy this season in Misery country and we'll get a first hand look if the former 5 star standout lives up to the hype. On defense Sean Weatherspoon will have to lead a defense with holes and question marks on all parts of the D. The schedule opens with Illinois, Bowling Green, Furman, and at Nevada who is antsy to get pay back after Missouri lit them up last year....I predict 2-2 losing at Nevada as a major upset to start the season. The Big 12 schedule opens with Nebraska at home, at OSU, Texas at home and at Colorado....all loses. The last four are Baylor at home, at K-State, Iowa State, and KU at arrowhead. Going 2-2 in those games.
2009 Prediction: 4-8 and missing a bowl game this season.
3. A great article came out in the paper about the impact of Alex Henery's kick last season against Colorado and how that kick has jump started excitement into this team for the 2009 campaign. It's amazing at how simple making a 57 yard field goal will ignite a fire you never knew you had. Nebraska no doubt has one of the top special team games this season...giving them a chance to win 2 games that people didn't think the Skers could win. I'll have my team breakdown next week and my official predicition for the 2009 season.....Special teams aren't glamours to play on but have the biggest impacts in the game.
OUT UNTIL NEXT WEEK....Laterz
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Big 12 Preview: Missouri (Misery)
3. Special Teams: Oh Yeh its that important
1. We begin as usual talking about practice. It wasn't a stellar day on the practice field as Bo was very adamant about the team's lack of effort and focus yesterday. When your 20+ practices into hitting each other I'm not surprised that you would have an "off" day but the team and ill afford to make this a habit. Last season the team generally responded positively after having a bad practice the day before....we'll see if that's the case today. Latravis Washington announced yesterday that even though he is getting distanced by Cody Green as the #2 QB he will remain at the position despite the depth that the team has at QB. A possible redshirt is probably in order for Washington as I expect Green to assert himself as the backup to Zac Lee giving Washington a chance to redshirt, learn the offense somemore and compete his tail off again next season. I admire his heart for sticking it out...all too many times when a guy puts his mind on getting a certain spot and fails the road they go down can be a dark one....but Latravis sees this as an opportunity to continue to play the position he loves the most....QB.
2. My North preview wraps up today with Missouri or Misery as I love to call them.....There's not question that the last few seasons have been magical in Columbia winning 12 and 10 games for the first time ever in their program's history....the disappointment came when they had national championship aspirations and were crushed by Texas on the road last season (Colt and his boys but a 56-31 beat down on them last season). This year's team returns talent in Derrick Washington, arguably one of the premier Big 12 backs this season....as he rushed for 1078 yards and 17 TD's a year ago. Recievers returns Jared Perry as the top guy who hauled in only 41 passes last season to Maclin's 102. The losses of Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Jeremy Maclin leave Misery wondering where their production on offense will come. The notion of not redshirting Blaine Gabbert in his freshman year now appears to be the poor decision as losing a year for Gabbert to complete just 5 passes last year seems foolish for what he accomplished. He is the guy this season in Misery country and we'll get a first hand look if the former 5 star standout lives up to the hype. On defense Sean Weatherspoon will have to lead a defense with holes and question marks on all parts of the D. The schedule opens with Illinois, Bowling Green, Furman, and at Nevada who is antsy to get pay back after Missouri lit them up last year....I predict 2-2 losing at Nevada as a major upset to start the season. The Big 12 schedule opens with Nebraska at home, at OSU, Texas at home and at Colorado....all loses. The last four are Baylor at home, at K-State, Iowa State, and KU at arrowhead. Going 2-2 in those games.
2009 Prediction: 4-8 and missing a bowl game this season.
3. A great article came out in the paper about the impact of Alex Henery's kick last season against Colorado and how that kick has jump started excitement into this team for the 2009 campaign. It's amazing at how simple making a 57 yard field goal will ignite a fire you never knew you had. Nebraska no doubt has one of the top special team games this season...giving them a chance to win 2 games that people didn't think the Skers could win. I'll have my team breakdown next week and my official predicition for the 2009 season.....Special teams aren't glamours to play on but have the biggest impacts in the game.
OUT UNTIL NEXT WEEK....Laterz
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
August 26, 2009
Well I'm back as I've promised to deliver the good word and some freshness....lets not delay...
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Big 12 Preview: Kansas
3. Headlines
1. Husker Practice report continues today as Cody Green is now asserting himself as the backup to Zac Lee. Shawn Watson interviewed yesterday stating that as of right now Green has made good plays and is managing the offense effectively right now. Washington isn't too far behind and Shawn declared that he wouldn't announce a legit backup until this weekend. That gives Latravis some time to catch up. I hope that Washington does elevate his game some more and steals the number 2 job from Cody. I think the value of having Green redshirt this season is huge to the stability of the QB position in the future. Lee will return for his senior year....so why would we want Green to sit behind him all season and not redshirt. I think you do the right thing now and redshirt him...give him some more time to developed as a QB. I understand Shawn's mentality on choosing a legit backup...he's looking out for the success of the team and if Zac goes down he wants to have the best backup ready to go in and run the offense in stride. Either way I feel that a redshirt season for Cody Green is very very important to his development into our future starter....we'll just have to keep our eyes open and see how the backup race plays out.
2. I continue my Big 12 Preview with hopes to finish it up next week before the start of the season as I glance at the Kansas Jayhawks today. KU two seasons ago went on a magical run that I think won't be duplicated anytime soon especially with Nebraska continuing to make a rise back to national prominence. 12-1 is season that KU fans will always remember...too bad they couldn't have beaten Missouri to go undefeated and get to the title game....either way last year was an official wake up call on what its like to play big boys in your schedule instead of Baylor, A&M, and OSU when they tangled with OU, Texas, and Texas Tech last season...3 games they all lost. This season they play the same 3 big dogs in the Big 12 South although Tech lost some luster with losing Crabtree and Harrell. KU return arguably the best offense in the Big 12 is QB Reesing back who threw for 3888 yards and 32 TD's. He's poised to have a big senior campaign and go out as one of the most successful QB's to ever play at KU. To throw to he returns Dezmon Briscoe who caught 1400 yards and 15 TD's in the air in 2008...clearly Todd's #1 target next to Kerry Meier...the converted QB led the team in receptions last season. Jake Sharp the talented "white boy" RB returns after rushing for 888 yards and 12 TD's on the ground. The biggest question marks have to come at LB this season. KU lost Holt, Rivera, and Mortensen who each had 90+ tackles last season individually. That's a lot of tackling that is now missed. KU will go to a 4-2-5 defense this year to utilize an extra DB to strengthen their defense. It's an interesting move because teams like West Virginia have been very successful running this style of defense. The problem comes with learning the fine parts of this defense in season 1 which Nebraska has seen first hand that sometimes you'll make big plays and sometimes you'll give up big plays....both are a possibility for KU. The schedule opens with games against Northern Colorado, UTEP, Duke, and Southern Miss which pending any nightmare performances gives KU 4 easy wins to start the year. The Big 12 schedule busts open with ISU, at Colorado, OU, and at Tech...which I see them going 2-2 with a possibility going 1-3 losing to Colorado on the road...especially if the Buffs come to play in that game....the next four start at K-State, Nebraska, at Texas, and Missouri at Arrowhead....I think they go 2-2 in this stretch as well beating K-State and Missouri but not Texas and not Nebraska as I feel the Husker's win the Big 12 North this season and will have more solid defensive play than KU.
2009 Prediction: 7-5 with losses to Colorado, OU, Tech, Nebraska, and Texas
They are going bowling this season but most likely to a mid-tier game like they played in last season against a slow 10 school.
3. Headlines jump out today as former Nebraska DB Eric Warfield is now facing jail time as he was convicted of his 4th DUI last week. He now looks at 1 to 3 years in prison...he is currently at the Nebraska Department of Corrections evaluation center awaiting the start of his sentence. It just comes to show that drinking and driving will do you NOTHING in life...it's just stupid...get smart...get a DD....and avoid the hassle of going to jail, paying a fine, and losing your license for GOOD. It just comes to show that we as human beings still make mistakes and that we need to take care of those professional athletes that beat the hell out of their bodies for years for our enjoyment may need physical therapy and psychological counseling to maintain healthy lives after they have retired from the NFL. We shouldn't turn our backs against those that gave so much of themselves for years just for entertainment.
Coming back again tomorrow before retiring for the weekend.
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Big 12 Preview: Kansas
3. Headlines
1. Husker Practice report continues today as Cody Green is now asserting himself as the backup to Zac Lee. Shawn Watson interviewed yesterday stating that as of right now Green has made good plays and is managing the offense effectively right now. Washington isn't too far behind and Shawn declared that he wouldn't announce a legit backup until this weekend. That gives Latravis some time to catch up. I hope that Washington does elevate his game some more and steals the number 2 job from Cody. I think the value of having Green redshirt this season is huge to the stability of the QB position in the future. Lee will return for his senior year....so why would we want Green to sit behind him all season and not redshirt. I think you do the right thing now and redshirt him...give him some more time to developed as a QB. I understand Shawn's mentality on choosing a legit backup...he's looking out for the success of the team and if Zac goes down he wants to have the best backup ready to go in and run the offense in stride. Either way I feel that a redshirt season for Cody Green is very very important to his development into our future starter....we'll just have to keep our eyes open and see how the backup race plays out.
2. I continue my Big 12 Preview with hopes to finish it up next week before the start of the season as I glance at the Kansas Jayhawks today. KU two seasons ago went on a magical run that I think won't be duplicated anytime soon especially with Nebraska continuing to make a rise back to national prominence. 12-1 is season that KU fans will always remember...too bad they couldn't have beaten Missouri to go undefeated and get to the title game....either way last year was an official wake up call on what its like to play big boys in your schedule instead of Baylor, A&M, and OSU when they tangled with OU, Texas, and Texas Tech last season...3 games they all lost. This season they play the same 3 big dogs in the Big 12 South although Tech lost some luster with losing Crabtree and Harrell. KU return arguably the best offense in the Big 12 is QB Reesing back who threw for 3888 yards and 32 TD's. He's poised to have a big senior campaign and go out as one of the most successful QB's to ever play at KU. To throw to he returns Dezmon Briscoe who caught 1400 yards and 15 TD's in the air in 2008...clearly Todd's #1 target next to Kerry Meier...the converted QB led the team in receptions last season. Jake Sharp the talented "white boy" RB returns after rushing for 888 yards and 12 TD's on the ground. The biggest question marks have to come at LB this season. KU lost Holt, Rivera, and Mortensen who each had 90+ tackles last season individually. That's a lot of tackling that is now missed. KU will go to a 4-2-5 defense this year to utilize an extra DB to strengthen their defense. It's an interesting move because teams like West Virginia have been very successful running this style of defense. The problem comes with learning the fine parts of this defense in season 1 which Nebraska has seen first hand that sometimes you'll make big plays and sometimes you'll give up big plays....both are a possibility for KU. The schedule opens with games against Northern Colorado, UTEP, Duke, and Southern Miss which pending any nightmare performances gives KU 4 easy wins to start the year. The Big 12 schedule busts open with ISU, at Colorado, OU, and at Tech...which I see them going 2-2 with a possibility going 1-3 losing to Colorado on the road...especially if the Buffs come to play in that game....the next four start at K-State, Nebraska, at Texas, and Missouri at Arrowhead....I think they go 2-2 in this stretch as well beating K-State and Missouri but not Texas and not Nebraska as I feel the Husker's win the Big 12 North this season and will have more solid defensive play than KU.
2009 Prediction: 7-5 with losses to Colorado, OU, Tech, Nebraska, and Texas
They are going bowling this season but most likely to a mid-tier game like they played in last season against a slow 10 school.
3. Headlines jump out today as former Nebraska DB Eric Warfield is now facing jail time as he was convicted of his 4th DUI last week. He now looks at 1 to 3 years in prison...he is currently at the Nebraska Department of Corrections evaluation center awaiting the start of his sentence. It just comes to show that drinking and driving will do you NOTHING in life...it's just stupid...get smart...get a DD....and avoid the hassle of going to jail, paying a fine, and losing your license for GOOD. It just comes to show that we as human beings still make mistakes and that we need to take care of those professional athletes that beat the hell out of their bodies for years for our enjoyment may need physical therapy and psychological counseling to maintain healthy lives after they have retired from the NFL. We shouldn't turn our backs against those that gave so much of themselves for years just for entertainment.
Coming back again tomorrow before retiring for the weekend.
Monday, August 24, 2009
August 24, 2009
Well I start another semester of classes and before I head to my first class I'll blog a bit before then.....HUGE things to talk about today.....lets dive in.
THE HOT LIST:
1. Castille Dismissal
2. Husker Practice Report
3. Who's QB U in the Big 12???
1. It was the biggest headline over the weekend...Quentin Castille was dismissed from the team following an undisclosed violation of team rules. You know that Bo is a no nonsense guy...and if Quentin was straight kicked off you know it was pretty serious.....I"m proud of Bo for making a stand and not getting caught up in what winning right away could do to the long run of his program....My mom made a really good point over the weekend saying what in the heck are these guys thinking...they come to NEBRASKA, not just any smuck school where there's no fan base or tradition...little kids look up to these guys as gods at this school. You have to understand that as a student athlete that plays football at Nebraska you have to adhire to a much higher standard in your personal life because everybody is always watching you and looking up to you. This was definitely a big blow to the team because Castille clearly was going to be the #2 behind Helu....Do you think we win the Gator Bowl last January without him...I don't think soo. It's just a shame that he went and thought of himself over the team....no matter what sport you play....if you think like that...you'll most likely be searching for a new place to call home.
This opens the door for Rex Burkehead...the stellar freshman has had an unbelievable preseaon camp and is now looking at buring a redshirt year and playing immediately behind Roy....I like Rex's attitude, he works hard, keeps his mouth shut, and plays good ole Nebraska style football....I expect HUGE things from him....be on the look out.
2. Not much to report on the practice report as the team wrapped up it's final 2-a-days on Friday and had a mini scrimmage on Saturday....Larry Asante has begun to asert himself as the leader in the secondary...something that I am excited to finally hear about. He has always been very talented since he first came to Nebraska....but as we have seen with junior college transfers they take a few years to get use to the level of competition that it takes to play D-I football. I'm excited because the secondary has a chance to be one of the nice strengths of this team....and with the abundant passing offenses in the Big 12 it's ever important to have a solid group of DB's. We'll get our first look at how good our secondary can be in the first game of the season. FAU returns a veteran QB and a wealth of talented WR's....our secondary will be tested early....I'll evaluate their play in 2 weeks....can't wait.
3. I read an interesting article by ESPN's Tim Griffin about which Big 12 school can officially call itself QB-U from looking at how many QB's have played in the NFL. Who lead the list? Nebraska with 6 QB's. Vince Ferragamo played the most games but Nebraska hasn't had a good QB play in the NFL in awhile. Either way it was awesome to see that OU the team with the best winning percentage in the Big 12 in the last 10 years had NO QB's start in the NFL.....too bad soo sad...GO SKER'S.
Well that's it for today...I'll come back Wednesday and chitter chat it up some more...Death to Twitter...SKOCZ OUT!!!
THE HOT LIST:
1. Castille Dismissal
2. Husker Practice Report
3. Who's QB U in the Big 12???
1. It was the biggest headline over the weekend...Quentin Castille was dismissed from the team following an undisclosed violation of team rules. You know that Bo is a no nonsense guy...and if Quentin was straight kicked off you know it was pretty serious.....I"m proud of Bo for making a stand and not getting caught up in what winning right away could do to the long run of his program....My mom made a really good point over the weekend saying what in the heck are these guys thinking...they come to NEBRASKA, not just any smuck school where there's no fan base or tradition...little kids look up to these guys as gods at this school. You have to understand that as a student athlete that plays football at Nebraska you have to adhire to a much higher standard in your personal life because everybody is always watching you and looking up to you. This was definitely a big blow to the team because Castille clearly was going to be the #2 behind Helu....Do you think we win the Gator Bowl last January without him...I don't think soo. It's just a shame that he went and thought of himself over the team....no matter what sport you play....if you think like that...you'll most likely be searching for a new place to call home.
This opens the door for Rex Burkehead...the stellar freshman has had an unbelievable preseaon camp and is now looking at buring a redshirt year and playing immediately behind Roy....I like Rex's attitude, he works hard, keeps his mouth shut, and plays good ole Nebraska style football....I expect HUGE things from him....be on the look out.
2. Not much to report on the practice report as the team wrapped up it's final 2-a-days on Friday and had a mini scrimmage on Saturday....Larry Asante has begun to asert himself as the leader in the secondary...something that I am excited to finally hear about. He has always been very talented since he first came to Nebraska....but as we have seen with junior college transfers they take a few years to get use to the level of competition that it takes to play D-I football. I'm excited because the secondary has a chance to be one of the nice strengths of this team....and with the abundant passing offenses in the Big 12 it's ever important to have a solid group of DB's. We'll get our first look at how good our secondary can be in the first game of the season. FAU returns a veteran QB and a wealth of talented WR's....our secondary will be tested early....I'll evaluate their play in 2 weeks....can't wait.
3. I read an interesting article by ESPN's Tim Griffin about which Big 12 school can officially call itself QB-U from looking at how many QB's have played in the NFL. Who lead the list? Nebraska with 6 QB's. Vince Ferragamo played the most games but Nebraska hasn't had a good QB play in the NFL in awhile. Either way it was awesome to see that OU the team with the best winning percentage in the Big 12 in the last 10 years had NO QB's start in the NFL.....too bad soo sad...GO SKER'S.
Well that's it for today...I'll come back Wednesday and chitter chat it up some more...Death to Twitter...SKOCZ OUT!!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
August 18, 2009
I'm back in Nebraska now and it feels good to be surrounded by the great state of Husker Fans....Colts crap everywhere gets a little old after a few days.....Let's dive in....
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Alex Gordon Saga
3. Headlines
I know many of you guys were excited to read some more on my big 12 preview.....but we'll continue with that tomorrow.
1. Husker practice continues and the I-bug is biting the team early this year....mainly on the OL. Brent Qvale joins a list of OL to be injured as Mike Smith returned to practice after having a hamstring pull. This is becoming concerning to me because the OL play that Nebraska needs to be successful is vital and this team needs to make big strides to get solid play to beat good defensive teams. I'm keeping my eyes very focused on the tackle positions because those are the spots that protect Zac Lee's blind and front side. Thier play is critical because they ultimately affect the health of Zac Lee. Husker fans know that we cant afford to have him go down this season...he's too important for the success of the team and we dont have a stable backup like we have had in season's past. Bo has been pleased with the intensity of team so far in practice. Thats great to hear because you know that they are just antsy to hit someone else. I hope they can continue this up because big gains can be made in becoming a better team.....especially next week....I'll keep watching.
2. News comes out today about Alex Gordon getting demoted to AAA Omaha where he will finish the remainder of the season. It's disappointing because many fans want to see Gordon become a superstar. I did see him hit a homer against Seattle last week...he's on the right track but just not happening for this year. I think in the long run Gordon is going to become a mid-level type of player...a guy that consistently puts up decent numbers but not superstar numbers. I think in the long run this is the type of player he will become...its disappointing because many people wanted him to be a superstar...just shows how much scouts know about the talent they draft...Gordon's good..just not great....
3. Brett Favre signs with the Vikings to officially drive the stake of hate into Packer Fan's hearts. Its disappointing to see a guy who was so well respected by the media, to trash is reputation and image like he has done in the last few years. He's a liar, greedy, selfish, and just a big baby. I've never been a fan of him and now this will be the only part of my blog I'll ever talk about him...he's a coward...I cant wait till he sucks it up again like he did last season....retires and then tries to get back into football...there needs to be a rule that once you retire from the NFL your out for good...then this crap will stop happening...can't wait to hear him booed at Packer Field when the Vikings play them....maybe the only time I chose to watch the Packers.....GO CHIEFS!!!!
Tiger Woods did the unthinkable on Sunday....blew a major....there's been a lot of talk about him just getting outplayed but when Tiger wants to be Tiger...no golfer can take him down. He didnt have the magic like he has had in years past when he's won majors. He'll win again, but not till next year's Masters. For the sake of Golf it was huge because it showed that the greatest golfer in the world can get beaten...only when he plays poorly. I hope that Tiger can get it back, because more people just tune in to watch him when he's vieing for titles. I did, so for Golf he better get the magic back.....he will....just watch.
Coming back hot again tomorrow...till then....Skocz Out!!!
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Report
2. Alex Gordon Saga
3. Headlines
I know many of you guys were excited to read some more on my big 12 preview.....but we'll continue with that tomorrow.
1. Husker practice continues and the I-bug is biting the team early this year....mainly on the OL. Brent Qvale joins a list of OL to be injured as Mike Smith returned to practice after having a hamstring pull. This is becoming concerning to me because the OL play that Nebraska needs to be successful is vital and this team needs to make big strides to get solid play to beat good defensive teams. I'm keeping my eyes very focused on the tackle positions because those are the spots that protect Zac Lee's blind and front side. Thier play is critical because they ultimately affect the health of Zac Lee. Husker fans know that we cant afford to have him go down this season...he's too important for the success of the team and we dont have a stable backup like we have had in season's past. Bo has been pleased with the intensity of team so far in practice. Thats great to hear because you know that they are just antsy to hit someone else. I hope they can continue this up because big gains can be made in becoming a better team.....especially next week....I'll keep watching.
2. News comes out today about Alex Gordon getting demoted to AAA Omaha where he will finish the remainder of the season. It's disappointing because many fans want to see Gordon become a superstar. I did see him hit a homer against Seattle last week...he's on the right track but just not happening for this year. I think in the long run Gordon is going to become a mid-level type of player...a guy that consistently puts up decent numbers but not superstar numbers. I think in the long run this is the type of player he will become...its disappointing because many people wanted him to be a superstar...just shows how much scouts know about the talent they draft...Gordon's good..just not great....
3. Brett Favre signs with the Vikings to officially drive the stake of hate into Packer Fan's hearts. Its disappointing to see a guy who was so well respected by the media, to trash is reputation and image like he has done in the last few years. He's a liar, greedy, selfish, and just a big baby. I've never been a fan of him and now this will be the only part of my blog I'll ever talk about him...he's a coward...I cant wait till he sucks it up again like he did last season....retires and then tries to get back into football...there needs to be a rule that once you retire from the NFL your out for good...then this crap will stop happening...can't wait to hear him booed at Packer Field when the Vikings play them....maybe the only time I chose to watch the Packers.....GO CHIEFS!!!!
Tiger Woods did the unthinkable on Sunday....blew a major....there's been a lot of talk about him just getting outplayed but when Tiger wants to be Tiger...no golfer can take him down. He didnt have the magic like he has had in years past when he's won majors. He'll win again, but not till next year's Masters. For the sake of Golf it was huge because it showed that the greatest golfer in the world can get beaten...only when he plays poorly. I hope that Tiger can get it back, because more people just tune in to watch him when he's vieing for titles. I did, so for Golf he better get the magic back.....he will....just watch.
Coming back hot again tomorrow...till then....Skocz Out!!!
Friday, August 14, 2009
August 14, 2009
Well there's always so much to talk about in the world of sports so today I wont waste anytime with banter before we dive into the topics.....lets go:
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Football Practice Report
2. Big 12 North Preview: K-State
3. Headlines
1. Big headlines came out of yesterday's practice as Kody Spano re-injured his knee during practice and now will miss the entire 2009 campaign. This is really a major blow to the team, more so than last spring when he first injured his knee. Latravis Washington now finds himself in unfamiliar water...competitng for the #2 QB job. His development at QB is very cruicial for Nebraska's hopes to redshirt Cody Green. Washington must now establish himself as a legit backup to Lee because the value of a redshirt season for Green before being pressed into the spotlight in 2 seasons when Lee departs would give him the best chance at playing for an extended period of time and is huge in his development as our next starter...(be nice to see a starter play for 3 sesasons). This injury also I feel puts some more added pressure on Zach Lee now...not soo much to perform at a "championship" level that we all want to see him perfrom at this season but now he'll have to be smart in the pocket to protect his health. An injury to Lee would be devastating to the hopes and goals of this team in 2009. Look at how sore Joe was at the end of last season, I recall him getting lit up a bit in the Gator Bowl....having a stable backup that can take a few game reps away from Lee will be nice for him to keep his health in tip top shape. I'll be looking at how the #2 race shakes itself up and how Martinez, Kellogg, Green, and Washington all handle the pressure of wanting to be #2. Next week we'll turn our eyes on to another position battle of great interest to me...WR's
2. My Big 12 preview continues again as we look at that crappy purple team from Kansas.....K-State. Once again K-State hopes of being a stable contender for the Big 12 took huge hits the last few seasons when Bill Synder left K-State with minimal talent and left the reins to Ron Prince...who in 3 seasons did nothing of value and forced the university to make another drastic move to get Synder back.....I don't think that this is the best hire for the university but it does make sense to bring back the one coach who put K-State on the map...but clearly Synder got worn down with 4-7 teams at the end of his first tenue at K-State. Last season Josh Freeman had talent to throw the football but lacked the intelligence to become a top teir QB in the Big 12. Replacing him at QB will be the wildcats first priority as well as establishing a solid running game as Lemark Brown rushed for only 412 yards last season, 8 yards more than Jost Freeman who was the proto-typical "pro" style quarterback. K-State has one legit playmaker on offense small speedy WR Brandon Banks, who notched over 1000 yards and 9 TD's last season. Defense also is an issue with this team....clearly I remember Nebraska trouncing them for over 600+ yards of total offense last season. Clearly this is going to be yet another difficult year for K-State as Ron Prince left Synder's esteeem program in shambles when he was mysteriously bought out from the university's old AD. The first four games on the schedule could allow K-State to start out at 3-1 with W's over UMass, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Tenn Tech...but look for them to lose on the road at UCLA on Sept. 19th. The conference schedule starts out with maybe 3 winnable games against Iowa State, Tech, and A&M at home on Oct. 17th....the rest of the schedule gets a bit messy with tough games against Colorado, OU, Kansas, Missouri, and ending at Nebraska on Nov. 21....K-State could be 6-1 but I expect 5-2 losing at Tech on Oct. 10, I dont expect them to win any of their remainding games losing to Colorado, OU, Kansas, Missouri, and the Huskers.
2009 Prediction: 5-7 and staying home for the holidays....again...too bad kitty kats
3. Headlines today jump out at me seeing big baby Suh on Ivan Maisel's preseason All American list...I think that we should of had 2 as clearly Alex Henery is the best kicker in the country...hands down and I'll defend that statement to the death....the big 12 gets 5 people on his list...I like Ivan...he writes great columns and is usually very knowledgable about College Football...I agree on who he put on his list just that the left off Alex.....
I'm enjoying watching truly a legend in one sport...Golf...Tiger Woods show dominace again at the PGA championship......we'll never see another golfer like him....dont lie to your friends....you cheer for him just like I do...go Tiger...your next major is just 2 days away......
I'm out for the weekend...it's been fun hanging out in Indianapolis for the week.....have a big weekend before returning to the great state of Nebraska on Monday...I'll blog again Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday next week....till then....enjoy your weekend...and as always GO SKERS!!!!!
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Football Practice Report
2. Big 12 North Preview: K-State
3. Headlines
1. Big headlines came out of yesterday's practice as Kody Spano re-injured his knee during practice and now will miss the entire 2009 campaign. This is really a major blow to the team, more so than last spring when he first injured his knee. Latravis Washington now finds himself in unfamiliar water...competitng for the #2 QB job. His development at QB is very cruicial for Nebraska's hopes to redshirt Cody Green. Washington must now establish himself as a legit backup to Lee because the value of a redshirt season for Green before being pressed into the spotlight in 2 seasons when Lee departs would give him the best chance at playing for an extended period of time and is huge in his development as our next starter...(be nice to see a starter play for 3 sesasons). This injury also I feel puts some more added pressure on Zach Lee now...not soo much to perform at a "championship" level that we all want to see him perfrom at this season but now he'll have to be smart in the pocket to protect his health. An injury to Lee would be devastating to the hopes and goals of this team in 2009. Look at how sore Joe was at the end of last season, I recall him getting lit up a bit in the Gator Bowl....having a stable backup that can take a few game reps away from Lee will be nice for him to keep his health in tip top shape. I'll be looking at how the #2 race shakes itself up and how Martinez, Kellogg, Green, and Washington all handle the pressure of wanting to be #2. Next week we'll turn our eyes on to another position battle of great interest to me...WR's
2. My Big 12 preview continues again as we look at that crappy purple team from Kansas.....K-State. Once again K-State hopes of being a stable contender for the Big 12 took huge hits the last few seasons when Bill Synder left K-State with minimal talent and left the reins to Ron Prince...who in 3 seasons did nothing of value and forced the university to make another drastic move to get Synder back.....I don't think that this is the best hire for the university but it does make sense to bring back the one coach who put K-State on the map...but clearly Synder got worn down with 4-7 teams at the end of his first tenue at K-State. Last season Josh Freeman had talent to throw the football but lacked the intelligence to become a top teir QB in the Big 12. Replacing him at QB will be the wildcats first priority as well as establishing a solid running game as Lemark Brown rushed for only 412 yards last season, 8 yards more than Jost Freeman who was the proto-typical "pro" style quarterback. K-State has one legit playmaker on offense small speedy WR Brandon Banks, who notched over 1000 yards and 9 TD's last season. Defense also is an issue with this team....clearly I remember Nebraska trouncing them for over 600+ yards of total offense last season. Clearly this is going to be yet another difficult year for K-State as Ron Prince left Synder's esteeem program in shambles when he was mysteriously bought out from the university's old AD. The first four games on the schedule could allow K-State to start out at 3-1 with W's over UMass, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Tenn Tech...but look for them to lose on the road at UCLA on Sept. 19th. The conference schedule starts out with maybe 3 winnable games against Iowa State, Tech, and A&M at home on Oct. 17th....the rest of the schedule gets a bit messy with tough games against Colorado, OU, Kansas, Missouri, and ending at Nebraska on Nov. 21....K-State could be 6-1 but I expect 5-2 losing at Tech on Oct. 10, I dont expect them to win any of their remainding games losing to Colorado, OU, Kansas, Missouri, and the Huskers.
2009 Prediction: 5-7 and staying home for the holidays....again...too bad kitty kats
3. Headlines today jump out at me seeing big baby Suh on Ivan Maisel's preseason All American list...I think that we should of had 2 as clearly Alex Henery is the best kicker in the country...hands down and I'll defend that statement to the death....the big 12 gets 5 people on his list...I like Ivan...he writes great columns and is usually very knowledgable about College Football...I agree on who he put on his list just that the left off Alex.....
I'm enjoying watching truly a legend in one sport...Golf...Tiger Woods show dominace again at the PGA championship......we'll never see another golfer like him....dont lie to your friends....you cheer for him just like I do...go Tiger...your next major is just 2 days away......
I'm out for the weekend...it's been fun hanging out in Indianapolis for the week.....have a big weekend before returning to the great state of Nebraska on Monday...I'll blog again Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday next week....till then....enjoy your weekend...and as always GO SKERS!!!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
August 12, 2009
Well we've come back to it finally....the start of another season of Husker football. We'll get into some tid-bits of practice as well as start my big 12 preview for football today as well. Since I really dont care that much of the Big 12 South...we'll start the preview with the big 12 north. Let's not waste anytime...once again
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Thoughts
2. Big 12 Preview: Iowa State
3. Headlines
Excited as I am....lets not delay....
1. Husker Football practice started for last Saturday....it officially marked the beginning of the final countdown till September 5th when the team will get their first chance to demolish an opponent at home. The team enters their 5th practice today and the headlines out of practice have been the competition at Linebacker....I agree that this is going to be one of the most herald positions to watch some really good competition. Veteran backer Blake Lawerance is now fighting off Matthew May to earn his spot back, his recent problems with concussions is causing some concern with the Husker coaching staff that Blake won't be able to play at the level he did in a handful of games last season. There's also competition with Sean Fisher at the weakside, Dillard and Compton at Mike, and of course Lawerance and May duking it out at strong side. A great post was put up my ESPN's Tim Griffin on Ekeler promising mayhem by his linebackers this season. There's no question that Nebraska will have younger kids on the field than last season, but I think this year they are upgrading their talent tremondously this year. With that said, I'll be keeping close eyes on this race as I feel Ekeler has to get 3 starters together and their backups some good reps to develop chemistry. We've seen it in College Football time in and time out....good teams have good chemistry and good linebacker play. Good LB play for the Huskers will be even more important as I expect every team to double team Suh, every game....that means that our LB's will have to cause "mayhem" just like Ekeler predicts....Gotta love Ekeler....
2. My Big 12 preview starts today as we'll look at the Big 12 North teams first today and maybe we'll get to the South...dunno just yet if I wanna preview them....but most likely will preview the ones Nebraska tangles with this season...sooo Iowa State....what can we say about them that hasn't already been said in the last two seasons....They are again starting with a new coach in Paul Rhoads....he's a defensive minded coach coming from Auburn where he was the defensive coordinator there before he was let go by Gene Chizik....I liked Gene I thought he could of done some good things there at Iowa State...but you have to realize what the job at Iowa State is like...your a low level tier team that has to have a coach that knows the identity of the school, I think finally they may have the right guy leading this program since the days of Dan McCarney...The team returns quarterback Austin Arnaud who passed for over 2700 yards and 15 TD's, but the problem with Austin was INT's where he was picked off 10 times last season. He'll have to step up his game in Iowa State's new spread offense if the Cyclones think they can stir the pot in the big 12 north this season. Having Alexander Robinson who rushed for 700 plus yards and 6 TD's, and R. J. Sumrall who snagged 7 TD's and over 700 yard receiving gives ISU some pieces on offence to make them competitive. The problem for ISU last season was defensive play...they struggled mightly at times to stop opponents from scoring and when their offense was out of sync for a game it lead to disaster for them....hmmmm sound familiar about what that's like.....I expect this to be a start of the rebuilding process for Iowa State....I don't think they'll get back to the good days of Bylthe and Meyer offense, but I do feel that for once they are on the right track to being competitive again...I expect them to win a game in the Big 12 this season as getting K-State at home will be their best shot at getting off the 0-8 conference record from a season ago. I expect them to lose to KU, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Baylor, A&M, Missouri, and Colorado. Record Predition for 2009: 3-9 with wins over North Dakota State, Army, and K-State. They could boost themselves up to 4 wins if they can upset Kent State on the road on Sept. 19th. I don't think they can but 3-9 is a game better than 2-10....ESPN has them in the Bottom 10 at #8...I agree...it's a big hill to climb to get back to being respected....I think they can at some point...just not this season.
3. A major major headline jumps on the page today as Virginia Tech's RB Darren Evans has torn his ACL in practice Tuesday and will now miss the entire season...This is huge for Nebraska as last year's Orange Bowl MVP is gone and Nebraska won't have to try to stop him and Tyrod Taylor at the same time. It's big because die hard fans like myself see this as an opening to spring a major upset on the road...and I'd have to look back at how long it's been since Nebraska upsetted a top 10 team on the road....Frank Beamer is a great coach...fast becoming a legend at VT....I expect him to have a stable of RB's ready to step in the spotlight and rush the ball...the scary thing is that VT had a young WR last season who they called "having Michael Vick like athleticism" but was sidelined last season due to a torn ACL, Nebraska knows all to well what its like to match up with a potential top tier WR (Crabtree) but I think Nebraska's improved secondary play will no doubt help Nebraska ink some more W's this season. We'll get to my prediction on the team later next week. Either way Nebraska can't look at Virginia Tech's setback as being the peice to blowing VT out of the water on their home field...it'll still be a dogfight....just maybe more even than the experts originally predicted.
I'll return on Friday were we'll continue our big 12 preview, check Husker football practice, and span the globe for the headlines...till then
THE HOT LIST:
1. Husker Practice Thoughts
2. Big 12 Preview: Iowa State
3. Headlines
Excited as I am....lets not delay....
1. Husker Football practice started for last Saturday....it officially marked the beginning of the final countdown till September 5th when the team will get their first chance to demolish an opponent at home. The team enters their 5th practice today and the headlines out of practice have been the competition at Linebacker....I agree that this is going to be one of the most herald positions to watch some really good competition. Veteran backer Blake Lawerance is now fighting off Matthew May to earn his spot back, his recent problems with concussions is causing some concern with the Husker coaching staff that Blake won't be able to play at the level he did in a handful of games last season. There's also competition with Sean Fisher at the weakside, Dillard and Compton at Mike, and of course Lawerance and May duking it out at strong side. A great post was put up my ESPN's Tim Griffin on Ekeler promising mayhem by his linebackers this season. There's no question that Nebraska will have younger kids on the field than last season, but I think this year they are upgrading their talent tremondously this year. With that said, I'll be keeping close eyes on this race as I feel Ekeler has to get 3 starters together and their backups some good reps to develop chemistry. We've seen it in College Football time in and time out....good teams have good chemistry and good linebacker play. Good LB play for the Huskers will be even more important as I expect every team to double team Suh, every game....that means that our LB's will have to cause "mayhem" just like Ekeler predicts....Gotta love Ekeler....
2. My Big 12 preview starts today as we'll look at the Big 12 North teams first today and maybe we'll get to the South...dunno just yet if I wanna preview them....but most likely will preview the ones Nebraska tangles with this season...sooo Iowa State....what can we say about them that hasn't already been said in the last two seasons....They are again starting with a new coach in Paul Rhoads....he's a defensive minded coach coming from Auburn where he was the defensive coordinator there before he was let go by Gene Chizik....I liked Gene I thought he could of done some good things there at Iowa State...but you have to realize what the job at Iowa State is like...your a low level tier team that has to have a coach that knows the identity of the school, I think finally they may have the right guy leading this program since the days of Dan McCarney...The team returns quarterback Austin Arnaud who passed for over 2700 yards and 15 TD's, but the problem with Austin was INT's where he was picked off 10 times last season. He'll have to step up his game in Iowa State's new spread offense if the Cyclones think they can stir the pot in the big 12 north this season. Having Alexander Robinson who rushed for 700 plus yards and 6 TD's, and R. J. Sumrall who snagged 7 TD's and over 700 yard receiving gives ISU some pieces on offence to make them competitive. The problem for ISU last season was defensive play...they struggled mightly at times to stop opponents from scoring and when their offense was out of sync for a game it lead to disaster for them....hmmmm sound familiar about what that's like.....I expect this to be a start of the rebuilding process for Iowa State....I don't think they'll get back to the good days of Bylthe and Meyer offense, but I do feel that for once they are on the right track to being competitive again...I expect them to win a game in the Big 12 this season as getting K-State at home will be their best shot at getting off the 0-8 conference record from a season ago. I expect them to lose to KU, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Baylor, A&M, Missouri, and Colorado. Record Predition for 2009: 3-9 with wins over North Dakota State, Army, and K-State. They could boost themselves up to 4 wins if they can upset Kent State on the road on Sept. 19th. I don't think they can but 3-9 is a game better than 2-10....ESPN has them in the Bottom 10 at #8...I agree...it's a big hill to climb to get back to being respected....I think they can at some point...just not this season.
3. A major major headline jumps on the page today as Virginia Tech's RB Darren Evans has torn his ACL in practice Tuesday and will now miss the entire season...This is huge for Nebraska as last year's Orange Bowl MVP is gone and Nebraska won't have to try to stop him and Tyrod Taylor at the same time. It's big because die hard fans like myself see this as an opening to spring a major upset on the road...and I'd have to look back at how long it's been since Nebraska upsetted a top 10 team on the road....Frank Beamer is a great coach...fast becoming a legend at VT....I expect him to have a stable of RB's ready to step in the spotlight and rush the ball...the scary thing is that VT had a young WR last season who they called "having Michael Vick like athleticism" but was sidelined last season due to a torn ACL, Nebraska knows all to well what its like to match up with a potential top tier WR (Crabtree) but I think Nebraska's improved secondary play will no doubt help Nebraska ink some more W's this season. We'll get to my prediction on the team later next week. Either way Nebraska can't look at Virginia Tech's setback as being the peice to blowing VT out of the water on their home field...it'll still be a dogfight....just maybe more even than the experts originally predicted.
I'll return on Friday were we'll continue our big 12 preview, check Husker football practice, and span the globe for the headlines...till then
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