Skocz Knows

August 7, 2011

2011-08-07T18:18:00.002-05:00

As Fall Camp is officially underway lots to digest in the world of College Football...

THE HOT LIST:

1) Should Athletes be paid?
2) What major rules in College Football Recruiting need to change?
3) Closing thoughts

1) What has become a very hot button topic in the past few weeks continues to build up steam now. Ever since the Big 10 and SEC Commissioners came out in their annual media days and expressed the interest of looking into balancing the full cost of education for their student athletes...the idea is starting to build up with supporters...Am I against kids getting a little bit of spending cash to go get a pizza, attend a movie, or take out the spouses on the weekends...NO...but at what cost does the NCAA distance itself from the NFL or other professional entities? The real answer is that its always easier to say that we can pay our student athletes, but with Title IX, I find that to be very difficult to do...How would you pay the third string QB who hasn't seen the field in three years against the latter of the guy that has lead you to three conference titles...Those would argue that the prize QB starter should get more...this could ultimately create a rift in the locker room that Coaches would not be a big fan of. Notice how we only really have this discussion with College Football and not any other sports...

I don't see women's athletics voicing their displeasure to the NCAA about not getting money...I don't.

In reality the new NCAA President Mark Emmert has begun to voice that as long as he's the president. That doesn't bode well for the supporters of paying their college football players. In reality if you were to allow conference to distribute funds to allow universities to pay their student athletes you'll see the gap of the major conferences and the little guys continue to get bigger...I'm not a fan of that...nor would I would support that. I'm in favor of equality...student athletes need to be reminded why there are at college...to get an education...whether or not you believe that statement...in time...you will...

2) There is a very very major problem with agents, runners, 7 on 7 coaches, and other entities that are exploiting kids. Yes, kids. High schoolers aren't adults, they are someone's child...looking to find the school that will unlock the potential that they know they have. Its become such a huge problem that almost every major university is now finding themselves in the hot seat about their practices on how they recruit players. Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, LSU, North Carolina, are just a handful of universities that we know about the wrong doings with agents and these student athletes receiving extra benefits in some way. I'm not saying that the NCAA will have any leverage to convince universities to stop this practice...but you can see that the NCAA is starting to crack down on this practice...

However there has to be major major change...The problem is only getting worse...
Presidents and Athletic Directors have to make a stand against this and work with the NCAA on cleaning up the recruiting practices and make these people think twice about putting athletes in situations that would compromise their eligibility...

Change is coming...

3) As you can see the system we have in place isn't anywhere close to being perfect but change is needed and coming...I support the need to clean up recruiting practices but still stand firm that the NCAA can't allow student athletes to be paid for playing college sports. Remember you go to school to get a college degree that will pay dividends to you throughout your entire life...only a handful of kids will reap the benefits of being a pro football player...but what happens to their lives when they are seriously injured and have to stop playing the game....the answer is simply...sure would be very nice to have the degree to fall back on that that remains the trump card that the NCAA always will have...

Change is imminent to continue to take the game to new heights...for now we can sit...debate...discuss...and remain hopeful that the administrators we have in place are looking out for the best in College Athletics and Student Athletes....at least I feel confident that Nebraska has those people in place...might not be the case at other institutions...

July 30th, 2011

2011-07-30T13:56:00.002-05:00

HOly SH*T....its been awhile...for my adorning fan base I deeply apologize but due to the lack of Inet for the past year...made it a bit difficult to get blogging weekly...

THE HOT LIST:

1) Who Starts at QB?
2) How bad is cheating in College Football

1. We begin with what I feel is likely a very hot button topic this fall in Cornhusker Land. Taylor Martinez dazzled last season with his speed. He reminded us of the glory years of when Eric Crouch and Tommie Frazier used their blistering speed to reek havoc against opposing teams. For the past 10 plus years our fan base has sorely missed that. We bet it all on him last season, and when his ankle took a beating our hopes and dreams died on that bum ankle. He never was the same caliber player for the rest of the season after that. I feel that it was a dirty play by Missouri...couldn't put it past them...

He returns this season with increased hope and optimism. Husker fans simply just want a guy who can produce points and be a compliment to our defense. You can't argue that the offensive woes for the past 2 seasons have cost us a conference championship. He'll be pushed by redshirt freshman Brion Carnes. He simply didn't do anything special but dazzle in a glorified scrimmage in front of 60,000 people. I'm not totally sold that he'll be the answer this fall...

But either way...one of these two guys must decide to become the player and leader this new offense needs to take Nebraska to the Rose Bowl in 2011.

2) CHEATING....You simply just can't get away from in today...the NCAA has discovered that there is a major major problem in College Football with runner's, agents, cash, and recruiting services that are plaguing the sport. I think they could turn the other cheek if it was smaller schools getting into trouble, but when you have high profile programs like Oregon, North Carolina, LSU, and Ohio State finding themselves with major violations of the rules...something has be done to fix it.

For years we have joked that the NCAA was really going to be serious and never drop the hammer...then we were proved wrong by how they handled USC with just one player....now we all have our heads scratching about what will happen with Ohio State when the feeling in the air is that its truly not as bad as it seems...sound fair???

Why can't there just be some consistency in handling these violations...it seems that when we wanna drop the hammer...the NCAA doesn't wanna do that....for what reasons I'm still scratching my head why...

This is why teams continue to attempt to break the rules....b/c with no uniform punishment system...they just hope to cross their fingers and hope that they get a Ohio State fan that serves on the committee...

Something's gotta change...or it will only get worse...

November 11, 2010

2010-11-21T09:41:00.003-06:00

In the midst of sitting in my hotel room packing up from what I feel was gonna be the best road trip of my life...I'm reminded about one very obivious thing from last nights game...

This conference will screw over anyway that it can to prevent us from winning a conference title. Last night Nebraska wasn't outplayed...they were taken out of the game by the officials. The Big 12 conference for years has had awful crews, may we remind the Husker Faithful about the Big 12 Title game last year??? Again that becomes a touchy subject with all Husker Fans. Last night probably was the worse officiating I've ever seen. You can't say that the 12th man was the difference last night unless you slipped him some 100 dollars bills into that stripped ass of the officials. It was absolutely a few of the worse calls I've ever seen...you knew that it was against you when our P.I. call was wiped away forcing us to have to kick a field goal instead of getting the game winning touchdown.

It just comes to show that no matter what we do from here on out, us as fans will no doubt be thinking about the officials and whether they wanna screw us over to give a title to a team that will be staying their conference. As I walked out of the stadium last night I was humbled that the fan base here in College Station really handled the big win for their program with very classy respect. I was impressed. They have some rich history here and I thank them for that. It made taking the loss that much easier.

I think getting on Taylor isn't worth getting into. Clearly in the most hostile crowd of his career you can't send a gimpy T-Mart out there and expect magic. Clearly our offense lives and dies with his bum ankle. We'd like to see the flashy speed he had earlier in the season...but the reality is we won't. That ankle clearly needs lots of time to heal. He won't be healed up again till next season. We just have to create an offensive game plan that allows us to score points without putting more risk to his health...lofty request....but a must....

September 21, 2010

2010-09-21T08:17:00.002-05:00

The week is fastly getting away from us today. I've returned and will really try to get another blog in on Thursday or Friday of this week..

THE HOT LIST:

1. T-Magic is creating Husker Fever....(reflection on the Washington Game)

2. Big 12 Rankings

3. Tid-Bits from this past Saturday

1. As sticking to the usual schedule on the first post of the week we start with T-Magic. For those who still don't know that the team nickname for Taylor Martinez. His magical feet have begun to stir up Husker Fever. Taylor and the Cornhuskers DOMINATED the Huskies last Saturday making a statement win by producing three 100 yard rushers in a game. This is the first time since 2003 when Nebraska played Baylor that we've that kind of accomplishment. The most impressive aspect to take away from the game is how strong our offensive line looked as the game progressed. They simply punched the Husky D right in the mouth thus allowing us to run the ball down their throats time and time again. T-Magic didn't do anything but impressed and he took the opening handoff of the second half and bolted down the sideline for an 80 yard score. He also threw his first TD pass to Mike McNeill in the first quarter after the blackshirts forced a turnover from Jake Locker. It's a game that Locker would like to forget going 4-20 for only 71 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT's. One of which was housed for a TD that essentially put the game away. It was impressive how quickly Nebraska put that loud crowd of Husky fans silenced after jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead. This win is a HUGE step in the right direction, on Saturday not only were the Husker Nation watching but Nebraska was in the National Media spotlight...their impressive win certainly has people talking that Nebraska might be the best team in the top 10 not getting mentioned in the National title talk. I know there still is a lot of season still left to go, but try to remember the last time the Huskers were getting this much love....yea its been that long....Nebraska can only get better from this point....

The troubling issue I take away from the game was Cody Green. He came into the game in the 2nd quarter, coughed the ball up and gave 7 points to the Huskies. Later towards the end of the game he looked sloppy again nearly losing the ball again on a QB read play. Its concerning because should T-Magic fall to an injury...Cody Green must be ready to take the reins of this offense and produce points which right now looks like that could be a real challenge. So to this point the fate of our season could rest on the healthiness of T-Magic...if he goes down...you better be prepared to put all those lofty expectations of this season to bed...but till then no question he's too exciting to watch on the field...wonder if he'll house another 40+ yard TD run this weekend???

2. We go back to the Big 12 Rankings for this week:

1. Nebraska (3-0) vs. South Dakota State

Nebraska showed its overall team dominace on both sides of the ball last Saturday. Continue to show improvement and it National Title hopes aren't far off of the seasons expectation.

2. Texas (3-0) vs. UCLA

The Longhorns got redemtion beating Tech on the road, but Gilbert didn't look good in the win. Texas is relying too much on its Defense to win games. With Oklahoma and Nebraska looming the offense better get it into high gear and fast.

3. Oklahoma (3-0) @ Cincinnati

The Sooner just can't get jacked up for the little guys on their schedule....the scary thing is those little guys could of beaten the Sooners...twice. Time to see Landry Jones on the road but Cincinnati isn't a great team to measure how good this team really is at this point of the season...Texas looms next weekend.

4. Kansas State (3-0) (1-0) vs. Central Florida

Daniel Thomas is the heart and soul of the Wildcat offense...if he goes down...there goes their season. Defensive improvements are needed if this team wants to compete for the North Division title.

5. Oklahoma State (3-0)

The Cowboys high power offense gets a week off to look at the school record 171 points put up in 3 games this season. Wonder if they can do that against the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska....this team still has major defensive questions it must answer before Big 12 play.

6. Texas Tech (2-1) (0-1)

No magic in Lubbock last Saturday and Texas' defense wore the Red Raiders offense into the ground. Lessons can be learned from this game. Better QB play is a must if this team wants to compete with the Big Dogs of the South.

7. Texas A&M (3-0)

The Aggies cupcakes are done now come OSU next Thursday and Arkansas after that. We'll know how good the Aggies are then...but if your an Aggie fan you have to be worried about how four Johnson INT's almost gave Florida International a huge win @ Kyle Field.

8. Missouri (3-0) vs. Miami of Ohio

Bad News is you had to get a miracle TD late just to beat San Diego State....oh and you lost your best Defensive Lineman for the next 6-8 weeks. Good News is your still unbeaten but barely...wonder how this team will play on defense without their defensive leader...

9. Baylor (2-1) @ Rice

The Bears had a chance to make a statement but they fell flat on their face. It shows this offense is not ready to compete with the big boys just yet. Bad news when you play in the Big 12 South.

10. Kansas (1-2) vs. New Mexico State

Will the real Kansas team please show up...I repeat...will the real Kansas team please show up...Who knows which team will show up on the field at home this week.

11. Colorado (2-1)

The Buffaloes notched a nice win over Hawaii at home last week but that still doesn't hide the beating they got from Cal the previous week. Georgia and Missouri come calling in the next two weeks...better grow up quick or a losing season is imminent.

12. Iowa State (1-2) (0-1) vs. Northern Iowa

The Cyclones have gotten beaten down in back to back weeks. Only a few games on the conference schedule you need to win and last week was one of them. Keep losing and 0-8 is looking like a possibility.

3. Thoughts from Saturday.......

-Urban Meyer is gutsy but knows just when to drive the stake into the heart of their opponents...the fake punt set up a TD that put them ahead by two scores....wonder if he'll be that gutsy against Alabama in two weeks.

-Iowa's title hopes are gone following a 34-27 loss to Arizona on Saturday, but when you play poorly in the special team area..you deserve to lose...Kirk Frenze is losing more hair after his defense gave up the game winning drive after they came back to tie it up...Championship teams don't do that...

-Mark Antonio is one risky guy going for the fake field goal to beat Norte Dame on Saturday....Wonder if he was having pre-heart attack jitters knowing he needed this win to save his job?

-Ohio State and Alabama are really good...it'll take a lot for teams to upset them this season

-OU better learn to stop the run...and fast because these little school teams gashing them for over 300 yards of total offense have given Stoops nightmares this season.

-Arizona State will be seeing that blocked PAT in their dreams for the rest of the season...how many times have I said how important special teams are to winning games....well you saw it here. The Badgers almost lost with theirs but won the game later with it.

-Heartbreaker for Clemson who outplayed Auburn but a missed field goal in overtime ended any hopes of a win. Wonder how crazy Dabo Sweeny will be about making sure his team doesn't get another illegal procedure penalty again (can't fake snap the ball). That was the win Dabo needed to keep the Tiger faithful on his side...oops.

-Oregon State barely squeaked by Louisville on Saturday...wonder if they knew College Gameday was going to be in Boise next week and how important that game is on the National Title picture.....my guess YES....

Back later this week...Enjoy friends...SKOCZ OUT!!!

September 13, 2010

2010-09-13T08:45:00.002-05:00

Well after a wild week of getting things laid down with the first week of school I've mapped out blogging days. We'll try to get three days on the books each week. Mondays, Tuesdays, and possibly Thursdays.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Post Game Idaho Reaction
2. Reflection of Monster Saturday
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. We begin with a reaction and reflection into the 38-17 win over Idaho on Saturday. I think the most impressive thing to take away from the game was the play of the defense. They harassed Idaho's QB forcing him to throw 5 interceptions...two of which were housed for touchdowns by Dejon Gomes and Rickey Thenarse. That's a HUGE boost for this defense that after last week's game against Western Kentucky looked soft against the run. LaVonte David and Eric Martin could be the real deal at LB this season. Both looked well, allowing only 60 yards on the ground compared to over 150 last week. Clearly this coaching staff can gameplan for a team when they get a chance to see what they do on offense the week prior. Everything wasn't all peachy keen last weekend, the offense might of progressed a step back this past weekend. They turn-overed the ball four times, two of which should of resulted in scores. That's something that you simply cannot do in a game. There will come a time when you will have to finish drives late in games to put teams away...you certainly don't want to be giving the ball to the other team on those opportunities. Overall I thought Taylor Martinez did take another small step forward into being the type of QB we all think he can be. He'll need to develop his passing threat though. When you play upper elite teams you have to be able to pass against those defenses to set up your running game. Right now I sense were a bit to run happy with Taylor's feet. When he drops back to pass, sometimes he doesn't wait at long before taking off...he'll need to develop patience to let his WR get open so big plays can be made in the passing game alongside his impressive running plays he continues to keep making.

Another pressing concern is penalties. We looked sloppy on Saturday being flagged 10 times for over 100 yards. That's six points you left on the field in penalties. I know Bo expressed his displeasure for how the team performed after halftime when we were ahead 31-3. You gotta find a way to shore up your sloppy mistakes and keep the fuel going. I expect we could be in a fourth quarter showdown this Saturday at Washington. When you haven't played mentally for four quarters yet this season, its hard to just do it when you need to. I don't doubt that Bo and his staff will have these guys ready....you better be...Jake Locker is no joke at QB this week.

2. After what we called MONSTER SATURDAY...I decide to weigh in on the major matchups from the weekend.

-No question the most impressive performance was in two games...Michigan and Oklahoma...scary to think what Denard Robinson will do in his next game. He just continues to put up XBox like numbers each week....as they continue to keep winning that hot seat that Rich Rodriguez was sitting on keeps cooling...I still think he needs to win against the upper teams in the Big 10 to keep his job...but Robinson is still the talk of the first two weeks of the season...

-Oklahoma woke up on Saturday and decided to slaughter Florida State. Whether the Seminoles decided to overlook the Sooners, didn't diminsh Landry Jones going 30-40 for 380 yards and 4 TD's. Very disappointed that being ranked 17th, Florida State did have a chance to show it can compete with the best...the opposite happen...they took a major step back into mediocre while the Sooners helped convince all their preseaon pickers that they are very much in the National Title hunt.

-Boise State was a major loser this weekend, with Virginia Tech absolutely laying an egg and getting worked by James Madison. Another FCS school getting a win on the road last weekend. The Hokies looked awful on Saturday. People might blame it on the weather, but when you chose to not show up on Saturday...you likely will get beat. If you're a VT fan you have to be absolutely embarrassed...the panic button is being pressed yet, but if you don't make an honest effort to compete for the ACC title...what could of been this season could turn out to be one that Hokie fans may want to forget....this all but cements the Bronco's out of the BCS title picture...if that's your best win all season...how good is that if VT never makes it back into the top 25???

-Miami showed that they have the speed to compete with the best teams in the country...they just need a smarter QB. Jacory Harris threw 4 INT's against Ohio State and sealed the Hurricanes fate on the road in Columbus. Give credit to Terrelle Pryor, he didn't have to be a superstar on Saturday....just produce points when his defense gave him short fields to work with...that's what he did....the Buckeye's better get that Special Teams corrected and fast....hate to lose out on a National title chance when a team returns a punt for a touchdown that loses the game for you....I've seen those things happen....Special teams TD change momentum and games

-Florida is in trouble...when your tied with South Florida at half 7-7....not good for that offense. I wonder if the Gators would win games if their defense didn't force as many turnovers as they have...Clearly they didn't mold the future of this offense when they had Tim Tebow...you can tell they miss his running ability....hmmmmmm wonder why Brantley keeps playing when this offense is more suited with a running QB....The Gators are barely keeping their head above water...watch the SEC East bury them when they have a chance (i.e. South Carolina).

-Texas didn't look that impressive on Saturday either...the Cowboys helped Texas out by not tackling well and trying to get out of their offensive rhythm at the end of the first half. That lead to two quick TD's. Wonder how this offense will look against OU in two weeks...better start panicking b/c I see a whooopin coming

-Theres one team in the Pac-1o now...it ain't Stanford...its Oregon...the Ducks put on an offensive show in the second half against Tennessee. They are good...scary good...with LaMichael James back at Tailback now....this team really can only hurt itself on offense...schedule gets easier with Portland State next Saturday...all eyes are likely on Stanford game on October 2nd.

-Kansas might of saved Turner Gill...for now...getting an upset win over Georgia Tech is huge especially if the Yellow Jackets compete for a BCS bowl bid...but if you go winless in the Big 12 this season...how big is that win you got last Saturday...it'll be a thing of the past if that happens...enjoy it while it last

3. I've waited a few weeks to do my Big 12 rankings...wanted to let a few teams play a few games first...

1. Oklahoma (2-0) vs. Air Force
The Sooners took a major step forward towards their national title hopes demolishing Florida State. Keep that high momentum going and this team will be very tough to stop. Impressive to see Landry Jones rebound from a bad game against Utah State to picking Florida State apart the next week. Concerns with Clay's injury concern their RB depth right now.

2. Nebraska (2-0) @ Washington
The defense showed it can make major strides in just one week to being the elite unit that Pelini raved about during the off season. Passing game is a must for this Offense to truly be difficult for any opposing Big 12 defense to stop. Taylor Martinez's speed gives those defenses fits already.

3. Texas (2-0) @ Texas Tech
Garrett Gilbert has been ok...not spectacular like his potential is. His first Big 12 Road Game could be scary for Longhorn fans due to the unimpressive running game that this team still doesn't have. Youth can only take you so far in this league....losses are coming Longhorns...

4. Texas A&M (2-0) vs. Florida International
Jerrod Johnson has made sure this offense has clicked early this season. Von Miller's bum ankle better get rested quit before playing OSU on September 30th. Wonder how many games the Aggies must win to keep the hot seat cool for Mike Sherman?

5. Missouri (2-0) vs. San Diego State
Blaine Gabbert keeps putting up great numbers each week....no kidding anyone can against McNeese State. No big test this week...but Miami of Ohio could be next weekend...the Tigers need another offensive running back to develop since they lost Derrick Washington for the season.

6. Kansas State (2-0) vs. Iowa State
Daniel Thomas continues to run over any defense each week. UCLA doesn't look like a great win since they got shutout by Stanford over the weekend. The emergence of Coffman as a passing threat give the Wildcats some new offensive excitement.

7. Texas Tech (2-0) vs. Texas
Blowing out New Mexico really isn't the best tune up with Texas coming to town this weekend. Tommy Tubberville has a chance to make a name for himself...better get that Raider Magic going. Defense has played solid but will be tested in its pass defense this weekend.

8. Baylor (2-0) @ TCU
Bear fans love seeing Griffin back...healthy...and now throwing for TD's. The evolution of their passing game could give the bears a scary offense to contend with in the Big 12. Both units will be tested with TCU...could be a sign to come for how the Bears think they'll fare against A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, and OSU this season.

9. Oklahoma State (2-0) vs. Tulsa
Going down to the wire with Troy is cause for concern. The offense must shore up its sloppy play with the Aggies on the slate in two weeks on a Thursday night. Defense has shown its youth side...lots to shore up before Big 12 play...Cowboys should be concerned on both sides of the ball at this point of the young season.

10. Iowa State (1-1) @ Kansas State
The Cyclones got gashed by Iowa's running back duo. Not a great sign as you ask that defense to stop the conference's best running back in Daniel Thomas this week. The troubling side was how this offense sputtered playing a well talented defense. Not a great sign for the Cyclones with Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska still on the schedule.

11. Kansas (1-1) @ Southern Mississippi
Getting an upset win over Georgia Tech might of cooled off the disgruntled Jayhawk fans wanting a new coach after last week's loss to North Dakota State. True test to see how this team plays on the road this week. With 8 homes games this year...winning games on the road is a must for the Jayhawks to right the ship after last year's dismal season in the Big 12.

12. Colorado (1-1) vs. Hawaii
Getting whooped by Cal has Buff fans scared of what life will be like in the Pac-10. Think it will be easier...hmmmm guess again...Pathetic to see a fifth year coach take a team and look completely out matched....could be a long long season for Hawkins again....wonder if the AD will clearly the budget to get rid of him this year?

Septmeber 5, 2010

2010-09-05T13:09:00.003-05:00

Post gameday reflection today....gotta a lot to say...

THE HOT LIST:

1. Post-Game Reflection: Western Kentucky
2. Around the Big 12: Thoughts

1. Well we can put it in the books now...we've started the season. Nebraska looked good last night...in the first half on both sides of the ball. Clearly the story that will sweep through the state in the next week will be the continuing competition at Quarterback and the play of Freshman (rising sensation) Taylor Martinez. For those fans who didn't think that he could start as a true freshman...look again...Taylor became Nebraska's first freshman to EVER start a season opener. Its the changing times in College Football, teams across the landscape are throwing out rules if it gives them a chance to win...and win now. Taylor arguably gives Nebraska a serious threat at QB simply because of his running ability. He's fast, shifty, and showed in the open field he's got the vision to get into the endzone. Alum Husker Fans probably were excited to see some of the glory days of QB play where they would consistently rush for 2-3 touchdowns every game. I also came away very impressed with his ability to look off over anxious safeties and hit underneath WR's in the passing game. It's an area that I feel Taylor will continue to work on in the coming weeks. I also was impressed with Cody Green as well. You can tell an area of his game that he's really worked on is staying composed in the pocket and getting better touches on his passes. His TD pass to Niles Paul was very impressive.

When you break down the reps of the QB's, one thing stands out: Zac Lee entering the game with only 6 mins left. I dunno if this was meant to be a message, but it clearly radiates out to the state...our senior QB is buried on the depth chart right now. He hasn't done what the coaches demand consistently to warrant more playing time. You have to remember this...this offense is evolving where our QB running ability will become a pivotal part of our offensive philosophy. Zac may have the most knowledge of the play book, but his lack of running for first downs last season and his par speed have placed him where he is now. It'll be an interesting story line for the week...we could all be singing a different tune if Cody Green gets the bulk of the playing time next week against Idaho. I don't foresee that to happen, as I think we'll begin to see the coaches mold Taylor into the manageable QB that can just win games without turning over the ball....would of been nice to see him play against Texas last year if he continues to look like the real deal. We haven't had one of those in a long long time.

I thought the defense played well in the first half but did get gashed a little bit in the second half. Bo wasn't to pleased with his defense especially when they gave up 219 of Western Kentucky 299 in the second half. This will have to be addressed because if you give up that many points in the second half against higher quality teams, you could find yourself on the losing end of most of those games. No matter how you slice it up, its a start...its by no means where we wanna be at the end of the season....we have room to grow and improve to be a dominate team.

2. Around the Big 12:

Many teams were in action last night. If your fans of Texas and Oklahoma you might be a tad concerned. OU's defense got gashed by Utah State and needed a late INT to seal their win, while Texas was unable to put away Rice in early parts of the game...I think the most impressive team was Oklahoma State. The dismantled Washington State 65-17. Their offense clicked for over 500 yards of total offense and their newly remodeled defense game the Cougars fits. Its not that impressive if they can't do that against the big dogs but its a good start. Robert Griffin looked back to form giving the Bears a nice 34-3 win. Iowa State, K-State, Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M all get W's on opening weekend.

The most shocking game was Kansas. Turner Gill's first game in a coach in a BCS school will be memorable. The Bison of North Dakota State shocked the Jayhawks with a 6-3 win in Lawrence. Kansas amassed 293 yards of total offense but three costly turnovers sealed their fate. For a team with a lot of questions, that question bag got a whole lot heavier after yesterday's game. If Turner can't get things back on track...it could be a long long season for Kansas Fans this year.....I'm still in awe about it today....

Back later this week....Enjoy the Labor Day weekend....

August 31, 2010

2010-08-31T18:27:00.003-05:00

Well I'm back...school is getting crazy busy so at 5:30 p.m. at night I've returned to pump out a nice big blog...

1. Harvey Perlman...A new Hero?
2. Big 10 set to announce?
3. Big 12 Preview: Missouri
4. Big 12 Preview: Iowa State

1. A great article and I mean GREAT article on the details that surrounded Tom Osborne and Harvey Perlman about the days leading up to Nebraska joining the Big 10. It went into great detail about the days leading up to the Big 12 meetings. Essentially you saw both of these guys meeting with Jim Delaney and selling to him on Nebraska joining the Big 10. Yes I'll agree that there really wasn't much into getting the presidents to buy into getting Nebraska into the Big 10. But you do have to realize that when the Big 10 began looking into expansion, Nebraska was nowhere close on their radar. Ultimately I think we as fans are happy with the move, I'm stoked...but when you read into the nitty gritty details about what went into getting Nebraska into the conference, I was amazed at the endless work that both Tom and Harvey continue to put in to make sure that Nebraska was not left out in the ever growing expansion talk. Like before when I stated praise for what Harvey and Tom did in getting Nebraska into a conference that we all know is going to last for a long long time...this article further showed exactly what it takes to run a program at Nebraska and an academic institute like Nebraska. There was a time I moaned and complained about tuition rising on campus every year I was in school. When in reality our leaders did have the best interest of our fans, students, and faculty at heart. This move all but assures Tom and Harvey into lifetime contracts at the school, as they singled handedly ushered in a new era for the University of Nebraska.

2. It appears almost likely that the big 10 will be poised to announce its divisions on the Big 10 network as early as tomorrow night...This news breaks directly from Sports Nightly as I'm listening in. It's hard to say if it's true...guess we'll be tuning into the Big 10 preview show tomorrow night to see...I'm DVR-ing it..

3. Our preview of the Big 12 continues with two more teams today...Missouri is up.
Blaine Gabbert returns as Misery's starting QB. He was impressive as a true starting Sophomore last season passing for over 3500 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 9 picks. The Tigers are silly for not keeping a redshirt on him as likely as a Junior he'll be bolting for the NFL after this season. The biggest concern on offense is the loss of Derrick Washington. The starting RB was charged this week with sexual assault and has been indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of his trail. Likely opening the door for younger guys to get a crack but with losing Danario Alexander at WR after last season. Nine (now eight) starters return on that offense which are leading to big big expectations this season. On defense the loss of dirty player Sean Weatherspoon leaves Missouri searching for a defensive leader. The entire secondary returns but they were miserable in pass defense last season ranking 104th nationally.
OUTLOOK: The Tigers have created a team slogan for this season..."Get Money"...its ridiculous...what in the world does that even mean...the Tigers have always had bad blood with Nebraska but that has been magnified with Nebraska going to the Big 10 and NOT Missouri. The Tigers open with Illinois, McNeese State, San Diego State, and Miami of Ohio...all wins...it's one of the weakest nonconference schedule in the Big 12. Missouri has home games against Colorado, Oklahoma, K-State, and Kansas in Arrowhead with road games at Nebraska, Texas A&M, Tech, and Iowa State. In the conference I see wins over Iowa State, Colorado, and Texas Tech. With losses to Nebraska, Oklahoma, A&M, K-State, and Kansas. I see 7-5 this season on a year where Missouri thinks they'll be going to the Big 12 championship game...better hope you're not playing Navy in a bowl game again at the end of this season...

4. Iowa State is one of the most interesting teams in the conference this season. Paul Rhoads worked magic last season beating Nebraska with 8 turnovers to get a bowl bid and a bowl win. The Cyclones return one of the most prolific offenses in the Big 12 with Austin Arnaud and Alexander Robinson at Running Back. The duo could put up huge offensive numbers this season. The major issue comes with the defense which returns only 4 starters. Replacing all three linebackers is a huge concern to getting better to stop the run. Only David Sims with notable talent returns at Strong Safety. Iowa State must learn to stop teams or no matter how much they score they'll likely lose every game.
OUTLOOK: The Cyclones have the toughest schedule in all of College Football this season. Paul Rhoads talked about how much more improved this team could be this season but likely will end up with a worse record this season. Nonconference opponents Northern Illinois, Iowa, Utah, and Northern Iowa don't make things easy. I see 1-3 to those opponents (only win against Northern Iowa) but they could lose all four. Home games against Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Missouri are brutal with road games at Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and K-State in Arrowhead. I see the Cyclones winning only 1 game in the Big 12. Colorado....which would drive a knife into Dan Hawkins side. Final record: 2-10. It's a dismal year for the Cyclones...because I expect many blowouts this year.

Back Tomorrow...enjoy....

August 27, 2010

2010-08-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

As promised I've returned for another lovely blog...so we won't delay...

THE HOT LIST:

1. Big 10 Divisions...its heating up
2. Big 12 Conference Preview: Baylor
3. Big 12 Conference Preview: Oklahoma State

1. The Big 10 is heating up with lots and lots of division talk. Reports have surfaced recently about Ohio State and Michigan being in separate divisions along with likely Iowa and Wisconsin are looking like being in different divisions too. What's becoming the major issue is where Iowa has rivalries with Minnesota and Wisconsin. They have voiced their opinions about staying in the same divisions to keep its long traditions with those two schools. You're beginning to see that teams with trophies are getting snippy about keeping their games with those schools going. The hot button topic has been what to do with Michigan and Ohio State...split them up...or keep them in the same division. I think you split them up because no matter how you look at it the Big 10 wants its 4 major programs to be playing each other as much as possible. I think you split it up where Nebraska plays Michigan and Penn State each year in a protected rival game. Penn State and Nebraska could be a great rival because they absolutely hate us for stealing the national title away from them in 1994. That also ensures that Nebraska will be playing Iowa and likely Minnesota each year as well. The lone school out is Wisconsin...they badly wanted to create a trophy game with Nebraska and likely won't get a chance to, as Wisconsin and Iowa have been tabbed as the next two teams in the tier just below the big four. No matter how you slice the teams in the new Big 10...Nebraska arguably will have a tougher schedule to go with in 2011...thus pushing the urgency to make some serious noise in the final year of the Big 12.

2. Our Big 12 preview continues today with the Baylor Bears. Expectations were through the roof last season after what Robert Griffin did at QB. I bought into the hype...I picked them to win 7 games last season. All that came crashing to an end when Griffin was lost for the season due to an ACL tear. He's back and states he's fully recovered.....but Dennis Dixon can certainly attest to what the impact of this kind of injury is to the psyche. He is the key to any success that this team could have. The return of Jay Finley at running back along with Kendall Wright gives Baylor weapons outside of Griffin. I think the key for them this season is simple...spread the ball around...Last season it became obvious that the team relied waaaay to much on Griffin's feet. Thus you saw what happened...he got hurt and their bowl hopes when crashing down. The defense returns playmakers at DT with Phil Taylor and Tracy Roberston. LB Antonio Johnson, CB Chance Casey and FS Tim Atchison give some mobile players behind their defensive line. The key with this unit is can they actually stop someone. You can't beat the big boys in your division unless you can stop them from scoring points. I don't think they can do that on a consistent basis but they will be competitive and shouldn't be taken lightly...just as Missouri from last year...

OUTLOOK: Baylor opens with one tough game in the nonconference with TCU on September 18th. They should be 3-1 after beating Sam Houston State, Rice, and Buffalo...Opening up with Kansas at home is win this year...the Jayhawks have a lot to deal with this season...Texas Tech exposes Griffin and uses that defense to contain him but playmakers help him win...5-1...At Colorado...win...6-1..congrats you're going bowling this year...then comes the meat of the schedule with K-State, at Texas, at OSU, and Texas A&M and OU at home to close it out...the beat K-State to get to 7-1 but four straight losses to end the season puts them at 7-5 and bowling this season....I thought I called it last year...don't make me look like a fool again Baylor...

3. Oklahoma State is an intriguing team this year...riding the high of being preseason in the top 15 with Zac Robinson a stud QB...he's gone...so is Dez Bryant who sat out all of last season due to lying to the NCAA..real smart guy...The biggest disappointments came with Kendall Hunter who was banged up all season and didn't perform like a first team All-Big 12 performer. Losing Russell Okung to the draft hurts on the OL as well. Brandon Weeder steps into the spotlight in a new offensive system ran by the same coordinator who let Case Keenum light up OSU last season. Weeder is older (26), more mature, and ready to lead OSU to a bowl win...getting trounced by Mississippi State has left a bitter taste in the Pokes mouth. WR Hubert Anyiam returns but must get the confidence to make the big time catch. At times last season he had a chance to make the play and dropped the ball. Now he's the leader...needing to perform like a leader. Defensive returns talent but second year defensive coordinator Bill Young still feels like this unit can make big plays but isn't ready to fully say they will every Saturday. Ugo Chinasa(DE), Chris Donalson(DT) and Jamie Blatnick(DE) help anchor an experience DL. SS Markell Martin has express wanting to make bigger plays from his position in 2010. He'll need to do it...the best teams in the Big 12 have a SS that can come up and knock running back on their back anytime they want....lofty expectations to fill there bud..

OUTLOOK: OSU opens with three straight wins against Wash St, Troy, and Tulsa. Getting A&M early on Sept. 30th is a trap game and I feel the Aggies are just too talented to be beaten...expect a lot of points scored in that game. Win against Louisiana puts them at 4-1 before playing Texas Tech. I'm not sold on Tubberville's system but this is one I feel they get at home...again...against the pokes...Nebraska the following week leaves a bitter taste as they lose again and again the next week to K-State....they get back to winning against Baylor but lose to Texas and beat Kansas to end the season...final record 7-5 and likely a bowl game. That will keep the angers of pokes fans quite...for now but Mike Gundy might have to get them back to winning 8+ games a season if he is to keep his job in the next 4 years.

Not planning to blog over the weekend but we'll see...I'll return Monday...enjoy...game week starts on MONDAY!!!! GO SKERS!!!!!

August 26, 2010

2010-08-26T15:23:00.003-05:00

Hello hello hello...I've returned...for those of you who have been anxious in following myself...sorry for such the delay...I now live in Scottsbluff so the move and getting set up with the new job was a challenge but I'm ready to rock and roll. Much to dive into today...

THE HOT LIST:

1. Bo Pelini's Job Security...will he ever leave???
2. Thoughts on Fall Camp
3. Big 12 Conference Preview: Kansas State
4. Big 12 Conference Preview: Texas

1. We begin with a very interesting article that jumped out at me from the Omaha World Herald. The article stated information about how Bo feels heading into his third season at Nebraska. Did you know that after this year, if Bo stays this will be the longest tenure job he's ever had in his coaching career. Interesting to think about when you look at the remarkable success that he has had a Nebraska in just 2 short years. The article also dove into topics about maybe his interest in leaving Nebraska for LSU or Ohio State. As we know Ohio State is his alma mater, and with Jim Tressel's increasing age...people in Buckeye land are beginning to think that his time is drawing to an end in 4-6 years. LSU brings the place where Bo was on top of the world winning a national title as the Tiger's defensive coordinator before coming to Lincoln. Bo simply stated that he doesn't see Nebraska as a stepping stone to something else. "Once we become great, why would you want to leave?" Couldn't agree more. Nebraska has everything that a top national program has. It's hard for me to sit here and say that we have a coach that will stay for the remainder of his career, but at 42 and given the current landscape of college football you can never say that things are for certain. Places like Texas and Oklahoma are reaping the benefits of keeping their staffs mainly intact. Gary Pinkel got a nice wakeup call of what happens when your coordinators are raided from your program. I think that as long as Bo has the drive to win a national title he'll continue to stay here. After he makes it to the top of College Football...will he stay??? I think so, he has young kids and his wife is well connected in the community. They loved living in Lincoln back in 2003 and I can honestly say that they would stay in Lincoln as long as Bo has a job. Ohio State would be out because you don't see coaches switching teams in the same conference. LSU is interesting because I see Les Miles going to Michigan after this season. If we are successful this season, I think teams come knocking...but Bo remains committed to the Husker family and stays...

2. Fall camp has been interesting to watch and follow. Obviously the heated race with all eyes watching has been the QB's. Bo stated yesterday that really nobody would know the starter till he walks out on the field on September 4th. You can tell he's getting testy answering the same questions every day. I'm not as concerned with the injuries that the team has endured this year due to the great depth that Bo and his staff have developed. Sean Fisher might be the biggest blow, I felt like he was poised to make a huge impact and have a breakout season. But last season, the defense was in a lot of 4-2-5 looks due the vast spread offenses in the Big 12. I assume that Eric Hagg will get a considerable amount of playing time this season. Guys like Eric Martin and Lavonte David are pressed into the mold of getting a shot. You have to rise up and take those chances because they don't come around often. It's been nice hearing praise about Quincy on the WR front. Nebraska desperately must get another legit playmaker at WR outside of Nile Paul. I feel given this kid's size and speed he'll have a chance to make an impact this year. He must block downfield well and, of course, catch the ball....I'm not sold on Kinnie yet till I see more production out of him...More tomorrow.

3. As we did last season we'll break down each team in the Big 12 (last time). I want to get it all done before opening kickoff so we'll hit a two-fer each night. First is the K-State wildcats......
Offense: Much was expected out of this team last year with the legend Bill Synder returning last season....Who would of thought they would be 6-6 with the roster that Ron Prince put together. What hurts this season is the loss of their top 3 WR's including Brandon Banks...a small speedy kid that was a nightmare matchup for teams in the special team game. Also losing to TE gives Carson Coffman or whoever starts at QB virtually no experienced playmakers to throw to. K-State no doubt will rely heavily on Daniel Thomas who led the conference in rushing with 1,245 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. He returns with an offensive line with four returning starters. Running the ball will be the key for the Wildcats to win games...do it and they have a shot...don't and it spells a long long day with likely a poor passing game.
Defense: Defensively K-State improved last season overall and return Freshman All-American Brandon Harold. He needs to stay out of academic and injury trouble first to be a major impact on this team. The Wildcats bring experience in Safeties Tsysn Hartman and Emmanuel Lamur. The defense is scrappy and hinges on LB play for overall success. In a league that spreads the ball and run draws, LB play is key for great defenses. K-State must answer this defensive concern to right the ship this season and get to a bowl game.
Schedule: It's hard to think that this team can get to a bowl game but it's possible without two D-IAA opponents that they had on their schedule last year. Non-conference games with UCLA, Missouri State, Central Florida, and North Texas is ok but not stellar...Big 12 home games have Nebraska, Texas, OSU, with Iowa State in Kansas City...tough road games at Colorado, Missouri, Baylor, and Kansas.
Outcome: I think that K-State loses its opener against UCLA. The Bruins have too much talents and K-State has way to many question in the passing game to win out of the gate....They get wins over Missouri State, ISU, and Central Florida to get to 3-1 but lose badly at home against Nebraska, that starts a tailspin causing them to lose their next 2 in a row to Baylor, Kansas. They get a W against OSU but get pummeled by Texas at home the next weekend...Losses to Missouri and Colorado followed by a pump up win against North Texas gives them an overall record of 5-7 this season and no bowl game for the kitty cats this season.

4. Our Big 12 preview continues with that hated team in burnt orange. Every Husker fan has October 16ht on their calendars circled in red. Texas must replace stars in Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, Earl Thomas, Sergio Kindle, and Roddrick Muckelroy from last season. Mack Brown has been able to replenish his talent with his high recruiting classes. This season they lean on Garret Gilbert...a highly touted sophomore who got exposed in the national title game last season. He's good...and could be really good if the offense develops a running game this season. That has been the Achilles heel for Texas is lack of run production in games. That has allowed defenses to sit on them and blitz heavily in obvious passing downs. Texas might have the most experience in their secondary with Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, and Curtis Brown all returning but replacing Earl Thomas is a huge task this season for Texas.
Schedule: Its never easy for Texas when you have to play Oklahoma every season but opening against Rice and Wyoming give them two easy wins to get things started right before traveling to Texas Tech. Its an early test on September 18th that will show if the Longhorns are legit top 5 team or vastly overhyped. Home games also include: UCLA, Iowa State, Baylor, OSU, A&M, and Florida Atlantic. Road test are: at Nebraska, Tech, K-State, Rice, and OU in Dallas.
Outlook: Texas gets started off right winning against Rice and Wyoming...too much talent for those teams to get the upset....Texas Tech is the interesting game but I don't see a first year Tubberville team having it all together to nip the horns at home that night. UCLA the next week is a win giving the Horns a nice 4-0 start. Going into the Red River Rivalry I don't see them extending their winning streak and the Sooners thump them...good. Two weeks to prepare for Nebraska doesn't work for Gilbert who gets eaten alive in truly his first major Big 12 Road game...Iowa State, Baylor, K-State...all wins...and winning out with OSU and Florida Atlantic....Thanksgiving day brings the hated Aggies to town but I feel the Aggies could be a real legit talent and beat the Horns giving them a 9-3 regular season...a bowl game is in reach but for the first time in years the Longhorns won't be in the BCS or even in the hunt...likely Holiday or Alamo bowl in store this season...likely disappointing to a team preseason ranked in the top 5 and smelling a national title run...

Back tomorrow with Big 12 Preview of OSU and Missouri...plus practice talk...and more....catch ya tomorrow readers...SKOCZ OUT!!!

Vacation

2010-07-07T19:57:00.001-05:00

The Blog is on hold for a well needed vacation. I'll return to begin my conference preview on July 19th...

Till then readers

June 15, 2010

2010-06-15T18:58:00.002-05:00

Well just too much to talk about with whats gone on in the media...

THE HOT LIST:

The Big 12 Conference Remains....but for how long???

Well if your living in a hole the past few days, Texas announced yesterday that they would affirm themselves to the Big 12 conference to keep it going. They were offered an invitation from the Pac-10 conference which the Commissioner confirmed that Texas had turned it down. Clearly with Texas staying put in the Big 12, Oklahoma, OSU, Texas Tech, and A&M all announced yesterday that they too would stay in the conference. A desperate Dan Beebe outlined a new television plan that is suppose to pay Texas 20 to 25 million dollars a year and allow Texas to start up its on TV network that they wouldn't have been able to do in the Pac-10. If you look at the winners and losers of this deal...clearly Texas wins by getting more money and their own network. Beebe talked about each team receiving more TV money but there is no deal currently in place for this league. Interesting how teams in the Big 12 are now to make more money without Nebraska and Colorado...

Heres what I think, Dan Beebe simply put some cloth on a burning fire...yes it will stop the fire at first but with the intense heat that the politics of this league has its only a matter of time before the fire burns again and is outta control to the point it can't be handled. I think it'll come down to simple xxx's and ooo's with dollars. If this new TV deal that Dan Beebe claims doesn't produce the money he's promising, teams like Oklahoma, Texas, and A&M could be publicly back on the market looking for a new home to keep their mouths and wallets happy. I think its also very dangerous that you are giving more power to Texas. Yes, they are staying in the league and getting more money and their own network, but clearly the conference officially runs through Texas...which is scary. Texas has become the richy brat child you have to keep making happy or else they'll ruin everything that you want to happen in the league...like staying together....

Its also scary that this league really has no real direction at all... Dan Beebe just jumped through hoops like a puppy to make the big boy happy...when you do that...historically it ends badly for you...

I still think that this league will fall at some point but not at the hands of Texas but at the hands of those smaller schools still in this league...Teams like Missouri and A&M could get sick of Texas' crap and decide to jump ship and leave thus bringing us back full circle to where we were just a few days ago. I can guarantee that the SEC and the Pac-10 would still be waiting with open arms if these schools decided to bolt away from Texas. If you look closely Texas will slowly kill this league from the inside out thus creating an even larger rift in the Texas and non-Texas line that exists in College Athletics.

Really funny to see that Nebraska leaving officially ends a Big 12 title game in Dallas that was penciled to remain there for the next five years...thats a subtle way of us sticking it to Texas and the Big 12 South...After the Big 12 was staying together under these new parameters...Nebraska is still sitting high and should still be very excited to be joining the Big 10 next season...Good Riddens....I won't miss it...

June 12, 2010

2010-06-12T12:26:00.002-05:00

In the aftermath of what I expected would happen yesterday...I feel like there needs to be a few words said about the historic events that transpired yesterday.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska officially in the Big 10: Feelings and future conference divisions

1. This post is strictly dedicated to Nebraska's Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Tom Osborne steering Nebraska into the Big 10 conference. Yesterday HUGE pieces of information came out about the process of how Nebraska came to get into the Big 10 Conference. It was really interesting to hear that at the Big 12 meetings last week, Nebraska was called out by the commissioner and by the other members of the conference to stay in the league....What was very concerning was the way the other members of the conference responded when Nebraska fired out questions about them staying in the league if Colorado and Missouri left the league...all of the members were unable to definitively state that they would remain in the league if that happened. What was especially interesting was when Harvey Perlman asked each member if they would sign over their media rights to keep the conference together...only Texas stated that they would not concede their media rights. Ask me this question again if Nebraska really was the culprit for breaking up the Big 12 when clearly its most powerful member refused to do what it needed to keep the league together even after its President publicly stated would do whatever was needed to keep the Big 12 together...clearly as you can read between the lines, Texas is operating on a whole different agenda than what they are telling the country.

After the meetings concluded I applaud the work of our Chancellor and our Athletic Director after they realized that there was no long term stability in a league that simply can't get all of its teams on board. When they were given the ultimatum to commit to the conference till 2016 or else...Nebraska looked at them with a look of disgust for the events that they have endured in 14 years of being a member of this league. I also don't see what the special interest in the Pac-10 really is...yes they do wanna expand to get a conference championship game going likely in the Rose Bowl for the first year to generate some more revenue for the league...but what is the point of going to 16 teams? Clearly money is driving this decision to be that big of a conference, so you can generate you own network and reap the rewards of the money it brings in. Texas does hold the key for what the Pac-10 future expansion could be...get them in and they'll likely take OSU, OU, and Tech with them. What should also be considered in this whole idea is the thoughts of their true-real rival in Texas A&M. The Aggies have expressed the notion of joining the SEC conference and really have no plans to become a member of the Pac-10. Remember that lawmakers in the State of Texas absolutely simply would not let the two most powerful schools leave for different conferences. Texas will have a meeting of its Board of Regents on Tuesday this week, with the state government requesting Texas' presence at a special joint meeting on Wednesday. I can almost guarantee that the meeting will likely tell Texas that you can't leave without Texas A&M. The Aggies would love to irk their rival in anyway that they can by staying in the Big 12. That should be interesting to see.

Back To The SKERS:
If you look at the benefits of the Big 10...it is vast and great for both the academics and athletics for Nebraska. Nebraska stands to add 150 to 200 million dollars in research money along with added TV revenue from the Big 10 network. Now all Nebraska athletic events can be seen on the Big 10 network...connecting all Husker Fans from all over the country. If you look at the culture, the climate, and the fact that Nebraska now feels like its in a conference that will allow it to have an equal voice on high priority matters...its a perfect fit. As I've said to many people both personally and publicly on the radio...I'm excited to be greeting fans of the Big 10 next season not just in Football but in all sports. Nebraska now has stability it needs to grow for the next 100 years that simply put by our Chancellor "the Big 12 can not do that for us." We will not be held liable for the Big 12 falling apart...that will be on the hands of Texas...they know it...and now one else will ever convince me not...Nebraska deserves this and will succeed for the future with this epic and historic conference switch.

I propose divisions set up like this:
East: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Penn State
West: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern

Pretty fair and balance with each school keeping some of its major rivalries like Michigan-Ohio State, Indiana-Purdue, Northwestern-Michigan State, Wisconsin-Minnesota, Nebraska-Iowa, Penn State-Illinois

Most are huge...some are mediocre...we shall see what the Big 10 does...very exciting and awesome to finally have all this talk of where we are going to go behind us.

June 08, 2010

2010-06-08T18:49:00.002-05:00

In the midst of what has transpired in the last 48 hours I feel the need to step outta the shadows and attempt to get back to spreading the hot word across the college landscape.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Ultimatum: Is this the end of the Big 12?

If you haven't heard, after the Big 12 meeting concluded last week...Dan Beebe issued an ultimatum at the University of Nebraska and Missouri to declare they are staying with the Big 12 for good or else. Or else? Or else? What are you talking about? Think about this one...what can the Big 12 do to Nebraska and Missouri if they fail to tell the Big 12 that they will remain with the conference?? The answer is that they can't do anything about it. If you read deeper into the situation you get the feeling that its the major player schools in the Big 12 that are doing all the complaining. I feel that Texas and A&M are becoming the nagging children that sometimes you have the patience to put up with but most of the time you don't want anything to do with them...Of course leave it to Texas to use it power ploy it has in the conference to spread rumors that they would leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 if Nebraska decides not to stay. If you look at how the meetings of the Big 12 were conducted, you got the distinct feeling that Texas was not happy that Nebraska was seriously being courted by the Big 10. I feel that if they were located differently that they would likely be the ones vying for the coveted invitation from the Big 10 and thus sending the Big 12 to its doom.

The national perception that is being thrown out there that if Nebraska bolts for the Big 10 that it would create a tidal wave affect that would greatly change the landscape of college football. Clearly there is a national thirst for pinning a college as the scapegoat for the conference realignment. I think that Nebraska being labeled as the scapegoat is completely ludicrous. Clearly Nebraska is one of probably 5 schools that the Big 10 would love to get its hands on. Should Nebraska go if an official offer was given??? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Clearly Nebraska gets into a more prestigious academic conference and thus can fund the new research project campus that the University is clearly going to begin to build in the State Park land area. Also, you have a chance to net $22 million dollars a year in TV revenue and likely that number will be higher than what was split out this year. Clearly our fan base brings a national audience that will attract the Big 10 networks subscriptions that they are highly wanting their new member to generate if they accept an invitation. I think that Nebraska is stuck in a league right now that clearly has its power in Texas. Nebraska shouldn't be happy that the Big 12 meetings declared Dallas the site of the Championship game for the next 5 years. Nebraska can go to the Big 10, compete for conference championships immediately, generate a new recruiting base, and formulate new traditions and rivalries for its athletic programs.

Either way as the days change...I feel more and more that Nebraska will be a member of the Big 10 by the 2011 season.

May 10, 2010

2010-05-10T21:26:00.002-05:00

Well in the midst of hottest topic this summer, the Big 10 made a big move today....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Expansion Talk: What will Nebraska Do?

1. The Big 10 announced today that it has made preliminary offers to Rutgers, Missouri, Nebraska, and Norte Dame. What it means is that the Big 10 wants to stir up the excitement by saying that they want 1 or all 4 of these teams to join the conference by 2011. This will clearly become a hot topic starting now until the season starts in August. I think out of the four teams Norte Dame is like the first team out. They have publically stated their displeasure for wanting to join a real conference. They have a rich tradition on being an independent, and they want to keep it that way. For years I've stated they have no place in the BCS because they don't play in a real conference...heres your chance boys...step up.

Rutgers makes some sense due to their New York Market. You have to remember that in all these talks...money will talk and will play a MAJOR factor for all of these schools. Rutgers won't necessarily bring a passionate fan base to the Big 10 but it will bring subscribers to the Big 10 network and in reality thats what they want. I think given the size of Rutgers they'd be crazy to not accept...they are a small school in a dying conference. They'll go...so already one of the 3 is in.

Missouri is in a particular situation as I think it desperately wants to create another rival for its fan base outside of Nebraska and Kansas every year. Playing Illinois every year could bring a fresh new outlook rival for the school. Missouri would love to get it hands on that 12.1 million a year revenue sharing that most Big 10 schools would get. Think of the major improvements to its athletic facilities it could look at with more annual money. Certainly they don't get it from their fan support. Also think of the likelihood of the success of their Basketball team in the Big 10. Finish in the top 8 in the Big 10 and you make the tournament every season...no questions since its always been known as a basketball league.

Nebraska really is the cornerstone for what could be the biggest conference shake up that we'll likely ever see. The Big 12 looks at Nebraska as a gem for their conference as they are a North powerhouse to competing for conference titles. If the Huskers bolt it'll cause a collapse of the Big 12 conference which is surprising considering everyone's belief about Texas owning the conference. I think that if Nebraska would go...whats keeping Colorado from going to the Pac-10...it assures Missouri leaves giving the Big 12 no legit north schools outside of Iowa State who might consider the MAC where they could have legit success if they joined. Nebraska also looks at the Big 10 as a place where they can legitimately compete for conference titles and rekindle a TRUE rival in Iowa. OOOOO Think of the bad blood that could brew with those two schools: Kirk vs. Bo...I'd be hooked as would most of the midwest in those two states. The money also talks which Nebraska does generate a considerable budget but extra money from TV sales from the Big 10 network (which Husker Fans would sign up for by the thousands to see the Huskers) could prove to be a major motivator for the Huskers.

It'll be interesting to see what transpires from today's news. I think in the long run the Big 10 should really add 1 team to make 12 so it can get the benefits of a title game. Thats really all that they want in the long run and getting 12 teams allows them to do that w/out any scheduling problems. Think of the nightmare it would be to schedule with 14 teams in a league where you have to play 6 games fixed every year...how do you get a fair rotation to the other 7 teams in your league? I think that you'll see 12 or 16 teams...14 would make things difficult to do with the other teams probably wanting a fair trade in rotations for revenue.

Should be an interesting hot debating summer....

April 26th, 2010

2010-04-26T19:24:00.003-05:00

Well I'm back...there are a bit of interesting topics to discuss today.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Creighton Basketball: Whats next, and does this change the Rivalry?
2. Husker Baseball
3. NFL Draft Recap

1. Ok so I know what your thinking...what the F are we leading off with C-Bag basketball. Well kinda wanted to talk about the impact that this will have against Nebraska now. Ok, because clearly we have to address this because when it comes to basketball in this state, everyone forgets their red and opts to go to a facility where they can drink beer. Clearly over the past few seasons, Dana Altman began to feel the unwelcome-ness that Omaha was beginning to show him. He was a product of his own success and failure...he built a program that was looked at as the gold standard in the MO Valley, but slowly the reins on his program that saw his run of NCAA berths end. Mediocre was becoming the new attitude in Omaha, so he did what he had to do, opt for a new start in a new program at a major conference. A few years ago he would of been one of the hottest mid-major coaches on the market, but sadly you saw how I think Oregon "settled" for him when they realized how unpopular their program really was.

Now C-Bag Basketball opens with Greg McDermott. A guy with Valley ties from Northern Iowa and someone I thought of with a little bit for fear when her first joined the Big 12. Clearly he could recruit NBA caliber players to Ames, a place that has a nice basketball facility and success in the past...and he was really unable to put Iowa State on the map and make it into the NCAA tournament. I think that they are taking a major risk with him. He likely will have to have immediate success in his first 2 seasons or the noose will be tightening around his next quickly for not being an "Omaha" guy. I think if your McDermontt he makes out the best in this, because he saves himself from being fired at Iowa State. It'll be interested to see what he can do in Omaha now...likely C-Bag fans will put their lofty expectations on him...but Doc Sadler had success against him when he had talent. I don't think C-Bag fans would likely not be too happy with him if he lost to Doc every year. I think Doc has the upper hand in the rivalry now...but after going 2-14 in the Big 12 last year...I'm not calling any preseason victory this year.

2. What has begun to be a bigger problem for Mike Anderson. I likely think that after losing ANOTHER Big 12 series 1-2. Nebraska sits dead last in the league...again. Nebraska got a nice outing on Sunday from Tom Lemke, but were unable to silence Shawn Tollenson who mastered Nebraska for 7.1 innings on Sunday. What's concerning about Sunday's lost was that it was Baylor's FIRST series win this season. Nebraska clearly can't beat the teams in the bottom half of the league. With series at home against A&M and Texas Tech and a road series with Missouri, Nebraska ABSOLUTELY has to sweep each of their remaining series to climb out of the gutter. I think the hot seat is starting to turn up...very very disappointed about the teams performance last weekend. It's very frustrating to see them lose Friday's game, win on Saturday, and can't close out a series win. Well last season Nebraska had one series win...that was against Baylor...hmmmmm wonder who Nebraska thinks they can beat in their final 3 weekend series.

3. Well the NFL Draft comes and goes and only 3 Nebraska players were selected. Obviously Suh was the premier player going #2 with the Lions. I don't grade out teams like Mel Kiper and Co. do on ESPN. I did think that my team (the Chiefs) did do a good job addressing some of their needs....Berry is a stud but I would of went with Okung at #5 but hopefully it'll work out. Freaking just need to win more games next season...period. Best of luck to those guys that were drafted and to those that signed free agent deals....I look forward to seeing SUH dominate...just probably not next year....

Back later this week......Skocz Out

Tuesday, April 20th

2010-04-20T20:11:00.002-05:00

I've returned for what seems like ages since I last blogged. I promise starting today were gonna get back to twice a week. Lots to dive into today...I never disappoint.

THE HOT LIST:

1. NFL DRAFT: Where should the top 5 go?
2. Spring Football: Final Thoughts for 2010
3. Mike Anderson...is he on the hot seat?

1) Well I can say its about damn time to get the NFL draft over with. For the past 4 months all we've seen in numerous breakdowns of the likely top 5 players. Suh, McCoy, Colt, Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Eric Berry and Russel Okung are likely to project as the first 7 or 8 picks of the NFL Draft. Who's really the best? Every year we really have to ask that question seriously and put our own team love aside for the players. Do you think that Stafford was really deserving of the #1 pick last season? Being the #1 pick is nice, it has its perks, teams will be generating 30 million dollar contracts for you to sign, but if you look at the track record of skill position players in the top 5 (that being QB's, RB's, and WR's) how many of teams have actually gotten the value of the money that they have put into these players. Look at how Jamarcus Russel from Oakland has struggled as a #1 pick, along with Alex Smith in 2005, David Carr in 2002, Michael Vick in 2001, and Tim Couch in 1999. Only Eli and Peyton Manning have won a superbowls in the last 12 years as being the #1 pick in the NFL draft. Remember any of these other players: Courtney Brown, Mario Williams, Carson Palmer, and Jake Long. All were #1 picks and only a handful have made the pro bowl and NONE have won a superbowl. If you look at the track record of coming into the league as the #1 pick...history has shown that it doesn't go well for you for a successful long term NFL career. Lets break down the Top five picks or who I think will be the top 5 on Thursday.
#1 St. Louis Rams select SAM BRADFORD-QB-OKLAHOMA
-The word on the street is that the Rams today dealt Adam Carriker to clear out some payroll for what the Rams hope will be the long term answer for them at QB. We've seen this time and time again...I personally don't think Sam will amount to much at the Pro level...his durability is a huge issue and I think that he doesn't posses a great arm that will translate well at the next level.

#2 Detroit Lions select NDAMUKONG SUH-DT-NEBRASKA
-The Lions would be elated to have a guy of this caliber fall to them at #2. Just like a few years ago when Calvin Johnson was on the board at the #2 pick, they pulled the trigger to draft clear amazing talent. I no doubt believe that Suh is a lock to be successful at the next year. He will need to learn to get better leverage against the pro lineman's who will be able to stand him up off the line, but I do expect Suh to learn the skill set to be really really successful at the next level...I mean just check out this video: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5073955

#3 Tampa Bay Bucs select ERIC BERRY-DB-TENNESSEE
-Tampa Bay likely will look long and hard at Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma, but I think they'll opt for a stable DB in their secondary with the likes of Barber getting older and likely to retire in the next few seasons. Remember this team did have Tim Crowder, Ryan Sims, Chris Hoyan, and Stylez White play last year....yes clearly there is no flashy names in this group, and it really could go either way with the two, but have Talib on your DB group with Barber makes it inticing for them to seriously look at Berry...no question that after last season in 2008 he was on the top of everyones boards but opted to stay in school for another season.

#4 Washington Redskins select GERALD MCCOY-DT-OKLAHOMA
-After the Bucs pass on McCoy it'll become a legit no brainer for them to take McCoy. He easily provides some depth and will get a nice counterpart to play along side in Albert Hanesworth. Having a high caliber player like this likely ensures that he'll stay in Washington for a few more seasons. Just the thing the Redskins need after acquiring Carriker, I think they would have the makings of a very talented front four.

#5 Kansas City Chiefs select RUSSEL OKUNG-OT-OKLAHOMA STATE
-The Chiefs likely will have some interesting options at #5 if things play out in this scenario. I think they'll opt for a sure thing like another lineman to help on what was a miserable year for them across the O line. The Chiefs need stable young bodies that they can build for long term successful run blockers. Couldn't tell you how many times I watched the QB get sacked due to a bad OL. They need the talent and Okung I think is the gem lineman that would be an absolute steal if he landed at #5.

2) After being in attendance for the 2010 Spring Game I have some final thoughts before we all get the FEVER for the 2010 season. I think it was clear that we saw that Taylor Martinez has some legit speed. He clearly showed on Saturday that he wasn't afraid to pull the ball down and run it. He's shifty, elusive, and flat out quick down the line. I was troubled watching him throw. I think that his delivery needs some work to go along with reading coverage and finding the open man. He did complete some throws but not many down field into openings in coverage. He's likely at this point of his career to pull the ball down and run than to throw. Cody Green looked ok from the standpoint of using his arm. I think clearly that is a facet of the game that he's really worked hard at and it showed on Saturday as he boomed a few deep balls down to Niles Paul. The troubling note was how slow his foot speed was in the pocket. I thought he'd would be a bit more polished in being able to be elusive out of the pocket to create plays. In a live game situation that maybe different, but when Shawn Watson stated that it would be an open fall QB competition, none of the QB's really shined yesterday. Defense looked challenged but having split up the two teams hurt in building some team unity on that side of the ball. I think that gets ironed out during summer drills and fall camp. Really didn't see much from Mike McNeil but I do think that his switch to WR will continue in the fall. For those of you who thought that Zac Lee wasn't going to be the starter, I think after the spring game he's still clearly the #1 guy heading into fall camp.

3. Well I think its official that Nebraska is having some major Husker Woes in Baseball. Nebraska lost another Big 12 conference series last weekend. The Huskers have dropped 11 of their last 12 series dating back to last season. Clearly I think we as fans are getting frustrated with the inconsistent of play of its team. This frustration has now spewed into wanting a change at the helm at the end of this season. An article in the OWH came out this week about Tom's opinion on the baseball program. Reading the article I got the sense that Tom was impressed with the amount of young talent on this team. He stated that he can relate to when he had young teams that really weren't consistent for him every weekend. From the article I got the very very distinct impression that regardless of what happens this season, Mike Anderson will likely keep his job after this year. Yes I know that some fans really don't want to hear that, but I stand by my assumption that Mike would have to have 3 bad years before losing his job. Clearly his gotten 2 bad seasons. He'd likely have to get off the snide next year in 2011 with a successful season or end up getting the pink slip if this team struggles like they have for the past 2 seasons.

Promise I'm coming back on Thursday.

Tuesday, March 30

2010-03-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

Well I'm back and ready to rock out another healthy set of topics again...so lets dive in.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Women's Basketball: What does this season mean?
2. Impact of Losing Mike Nesseth
3. Thoughts on Spring Practice

1. Well what is kinda old news now about the Husker Women being ousted by Kentucky on Sunday night. Nebraska failed to make it to the elite 8. After their loss, what does this season mean for the program, and is this season a success or failure? I think that you have to look at a few things about this season. One, Nebraska simply did the unthinkable this season by becoming the first team in the Big 12/Big 8 era to go undefeated and captured their first regular season Big 12 title. The schools only title. There's no question that this was a magical season for the women but sadly ended quickly with 2 poor losses. When we look back at this season, who's to say that this may have been Nebraska's best team to NOT make the Final Four. I look at this season with mixed emotions. Clearly it was Nebraska's best season winning 30 games and capturing a title but disappointing that Nebraska only made the sweet 16. Lets look at another interesting topic of this season, what if Nebraska takes a major step backwards next season. Nebraska clearly lived and breathed from the play of their best player, Kelsey Griffin. Her play carried Nebraska in games where the rest of the team struggled to get the ball in the net. Who does Nebraska look to for that kind of play next season...the answer is that right now they don't have anyone close to that caliber of a player and really need to develop someone into that role. That kind of player takes 2-3 years to develop in the women's game unless you get some studs to ride like UConn has. Either way Nebraska absolutely needs to make a major step forward next season, or they will be regarded as a one year wonder who didn't make the Final Four.

2. BREAKING news today came out before Nebraska's game against North Dakota as Mike Nesseth was scratched from his start and underwent an MRI today to reveal tendon damage in his pitching elbow. This likely will need major surgery to correct and it was announced that he wouldn't be pitching again in the 2010 season. The impact of this is MAJOR for this team. Look Mike had been struggling to find his groove this season and most would say that he won't be missed because guys have stepped up and filled his role already. But Nebraska has lost too many close games against teams where they failed to get outs in the final innings for wins. Mike was arguably the teams best pitcher, and without him its a different makeup in the clubhouse now. He'll likely be called on to provide insight to the young arms on the team as the season progresses. I think this is major because this likely to be a problem later in the season where Nebraska is facing a must win game and has nobody it can rely on to close out its games. I feel that this loss is major, but you tip your hat to the kid for saying its ok to hang it up for this season, you know it wasn't an easy decision...We can only hope Mike returns to his dominate form for 2011.

3. Husker Football practice is in full swing and Bo Pelini is pushing his troops hard in the past few days with the team being in full pads. Bo has a few positions where he must find ways to keep teammates happy that being Safety and QB. I say QB because think of what Kody Spano, Taylor Martinez, Ron Kellogg III, and Latravis Washington feel if they get buried on the depth chart when Byron Gaines and Jamal Turner join the team. Someone out of this group needs to step out of the shadows and make a name for themselves or contemplate changing positions to see the field. I think Latravis and Taylor are the likely candidates to consider a position change at some point with Washington likely needing to make a serious decision since he's entering his senior year. Look it happens in every program, great talented guys get to college and can't quite mesh with the culture of their programs and leave school having really never getting any decent playing time. Let's face it when it comes down to it, players are remembered for what they did on the field and not what they did sitting on the bench "hoping" for their shot. Washington appears to fall in a line or what I believe was talented players that never got a chance to play at Nebraska.

Coming Back on Thursday to preview the Final Four, Husker Baseball, and Spring Practice...Till Then...Enjoy

March 26, 2010

2010-03-24T20:33:00.006-05:00

SPRING PRACTICE is upon us now...we'll dive into some indepth hot topics from spring practice and what we should all be keeping our eyes on.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Spring Practice: What are we looking for?
2. Husker Baseball Closer Woes
3. Big 12 Baseball Review: Who's really the best?

1. Spring Football practice officially kicked off today. I wanted to dive into a few positions that I feel are critical for the success of 2010. This is the best time of the year, as we all are still glowing from the 31-0 whooping of Arizona. Nebraska clearly has a chance now to develop itself into what we hope can be a top 10 finish in 2010. Here's 3 Big questions that must be answered by the time we start the 2010 season:

1) Who will emerge at Free Safety and Strong Safety?
-No question last year Nebraska strength in the secondary came from the rising play of Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante. These two guys elevated their game to a whole new level at the end of last season, creating turnovers and sticking guys in the backfield. They made leaps and bounds from the disastrous meltdown at Virginia Tech to prove to be a key reason why Nebraska beat Oklahoma later in the year. The question comes can PJ Smith step up his game and fill holes that was vacated by these two guys. Also can Ricky Thenarse finally remain healthy enough to make a well needed senior impact in that group.

2) Who will step up as the big time WR?
Literally at times last season I saw numerous things that made me question whether anybody should have been suiting up on the team and playing WR. Guy ran poor routes, gave up on plays, and poorly blocked guys downfield. Niles Paul was vastly hyped as being the "big play" guy in the receiving core to make all the catches Nebraska needed but in reality he wasn't really ever the player that the fans put on him. I'm not going to question how he feels as being the big leader of the group as clearly he has stated he's ready to be a leader which is good.. The real question becomes who is ready to step along side of him and become a legit #2 guy that can take double teams as well. Mike McNeil makes a major transition to WR this spring to show that his great size and mobility can draw extra attention and open other guys up on the field. Nebraska absolutely must find a #2 guy this spring or the likes of seeing a more conservative offense like last season could be in store again in 2010.

3) How will the LB's grow from year one?
Nebraska used a few different sets of LB groups last season. Last season Nebraska went through some lumps and bruises with its young LB group of Fisher and Compton. Now with Phil Dillard gone, who emerges as the guy that can make the plays that Phil did consistently in the last 6 games of the season. NO question that the strength of any defense starts with the DL but its the play of your LB that have to make the plays in the open space for your defense to really look good. Phil did that and showed finally the type of caliber player that he could be. This spring somebody will have to shine in the spring game or the idea of playing those 2 together with no other experienced players around them helping them might keep a few fans on edge next season.

2. Nebraska Baseball is finally in full swing this spring but a major pressing issue that has bit the Husker team too much this season. Its Nebraska inability to have a closer that can be trusted to close out games. In last week's series against #2 Texas. Nebraska lost its 5th game where the opposition walked off with the winning run in the 9th inning. Nebraska saw Texas uncork a 3-run homerun to win in walk off fashion. Nebraska saw the same thing happen 2 times against Fresno State, once against Rice and UCLA. The pressing issue with this has been Mike Nesseth's wild control this season that saw him blow 2 early saves and balloon his ERA to over 18.00. Nebraska looked to Chase Adams on Saturday to get his first save but Curt Giller struggled to close out the Friday night game. The lack of stability in the back end of the pitching staff clearly cost Nebraska a chance to start off the Big 12 season on a high note. It also begs the question how many more games will Nebraska lose in this manner the rest of the season. A troubling stat when it comes to selecting teams for the NCAA Regionals is how many games you win by 2 runs or less. Those teams with 10 or more 1-run games certainly don't make the NCAA Regionals and getting back to a Regional has to be a top priority for this team in 2010.

3. The first week of the Big 12 baseball season came and went but who really is the best team in this league. Surprisingly I don't think its Texas, I think it's Oklahoma who Nebraska will get to see this weekend. Oklahoma brings back a veteran team who found out last year what it was like to be a team in the upper half of the division. Of course with Texas' deep pitching staff OU will almost certainly have to be Texas in its series to have the inside shot at the regular season crown. Senior Jeremy Erben is off to an impressive 5-0 record with a 0.39 ERA. He's no doubt a key reason why the Sooners are 18-2 right now and off to one of their best starts in program history. They are definitely a team to keep an eye on this season. We shall see what the Big 12 season plays out.

Coming back again Tomorrow...Promise

February 21, 2010

2010-02-21T11:36:00.002-06:00

To my adoring fans, I apologize. We're in a dead period for sports talk but now will start to heat up a bit with Husker Baseball opening up this weekend.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Baseball: Game 3
2. Husker Basketball Woes: What will it take next year?
3. Eyes on Shawn Watson

1. We begin with what hopes to be a better season for Husker Baseball. Last season we saw Nebraska's team ERA balloon to over 6.00. The highest it has ever been since 1998. Nebraska missed the postseason for just the second time in the past 12 seasons last year. All eyes are on the side of optimism this year, but after losses of 7-5 and 8-2 might have me a bit more concerned about the season than I would like to be.

The keys for this team will obviously have to come on the mound. Nebraska simply struggled last season with getting batters out and continuously found themselves down 3 or more runs in most of their games last season. Yes, the did sweep Baylor but in the heat of the Big 12 conference season found themselves out of series and losing 7 straight in a row last year. Nebraska has young arms again, but now has a mix of guys who had to battle last season just to get guys out. The lack of pitching production created a virus with the offense. Guys at times pressed to get hits and produce runs. The mentality of this team fell apart and now must put itself back together this season.

Its disappointing to see that in Game 1 against Fresno State Nebraska took a nice 5-3 lead into the ninth inning only to have their star ace closer Mike Nesseth blow a save and lose the game for the Huskers. This is an extremely pressing issue here, because I feel that the success of this team will be tied to how many one/two run games they can win. You need Mike to just shake this off, but clearly after last season it was kinda of a statement to hopefully what will not happen much this year.

In Game 2 Mike Mariot simply got out of his element. He tried to be a power pitcher, a guy who can blow stuff right by you with no sweat. The problem is that isnt the type of pitcher he is. He's a finesse pitcher. A guy who needs to locate and keep guys off balance. That wasn't the case when he spotted the bulldogs with 4 runs in the 2 inning. Nebraska must make their pitchers learn their roles quick. The other pressing issue was how Nebraska simply went to the plate and felt like they needed to swing for the fences each time. That lead to only 2 runs and an offense now searching to find answers in Game 3 today.

My outlook on this team this season is just simply improve and become competitive again in the conference. I think a lot will be learned about this team in 3 weeks when they head to Austin Tx to begin Big 12 play. Nebraska just needs to beat teams its suppose to beat and get back to the postseason, no matter how ugly that looks this year at times. I think that it can be done but clearly after 2 games Nebraska needs to do a lot of growing on the mound and at the plate if they are to have any chance of finishing in the top 6 of the Big 12 this year.

2. Nebraska Basketball may be setting records this season while its women's team is rewriting them. The Husker men lost another big 12 game last night to fall to 1-11 in the conference. Its shameful to think that Nebraska has only one win against the Sooners this year. If Nebraska can't win 3 more games they will officially have the worst record in Husker Basketball history. Again Nebraska went over 8 1/2 minutes last night without making a bucket. These long scoring droughts have hurt valuable opportunities to win games. When they have gone cold from the floor, their defense has broken down and they have given up chunks of points to teams. Thus what was a simple 3 point deficit quickly becomes 15 when your not making shots. I honestly don't have any idea why this team can't finish games, they are talented, they have guys who at times have looked really good, but their inexperience has killed any hope of exceeding expectations. Its sad, its disappointing, and pathetic how they still have not been able to turn the corner at this point of the season. If they can't right the ship next season, the pressure no doubt will start to turn on Doc Sadler, for as great of a guy as he has been to this university...fans like myself would like to see us become a bit more consistent on the court each night.

3. Tom Shatel of the Omaha World Herald had a chance to sit down with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to ask him a few pressing hot questions before the start of spring practice. Shawn made a few interesting points that given the injuries to the team last season Nebraska was simply forced to put itself in a position to just manage the game into their strengths. Thats were criticism came from their "conservative offense" that became the blueprint on how they wanted to win games after playing Texas Tech. I think that looking back at this season when we all found out that Zac Lee played the entire season with a wounded arm, how Roy Helu's shoulders caused him all kinds of problems, how Rex battled back after breaking his foot...you can't blame the guy for the things he did. Looking back Shawn should be commended for installing a gameplan that fed into our strengths (defense, Alex's Henery's foot) to win games. In the long run we won games that most teams probably couldn't do with what we ran. Shawn also stated that it wasn't about style points in the offense it was just about getting W's and thats what they did. I don't know how long we'll end up keeping him, Shawn made a clear statement that someday he would like to become a head coach. Given his success, I don't blame him because I think he'd be a hell of a head coach in the future. Can't wait for spring practice.

Coming back on Tuesday....post will be up at night. Skocz Out!!!

February 03, 2010

2010-02-03T18:09:00.002-06:00

Well I've been uber busy compiling up information for Husker Baseball and working on my internship. Today is all about one topic: Recruiting

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Recruiting Class 2010 Breakdown
2. What does a 5-star recruit actually mean?
3. Husker Recruiting Needs for 2011

1. Well its official, Nebraska inked 21 new recruits today. As with any recruiting class there was some excitement and disappointment. Nebraska received two surprising commitments today in Corey Cooper and Brion Carnes. Both were slated to make college choices at other programs today but decided to put on the Husker Red and ink with Nebraska. The loss obliviously today was when Owa spurned the Husker today for UCLA. Its amazing how many people across the Husker nation were extremely disappointed in Owa and upset at how Rick at UCLA snagged a stud from Oregon. But a interesting question has to be asked about why Owa chose to be Bruin. Most people think the impact of what Suh did was a major player in why Nebraska should have signed him. The reality of it is that maybe Owa thought that coming to Nebraska may have made a bigger shadow for him that Owa may have not have been ready to step out of. Look theres no question if he came to Nebraska that the expectations for him would be monumental. I think that by going to UCLA he can remain close to his mom, which hate to say it was a major factor in his recruiting, and make his own legend at a program that didn't just have a guy do the same thing from his home town. I wish him the best of luck, it days like these that make us take a step back into how much stock we put into recruiting because clearly the business is outta control and can easily consume our lives.

Nebraska inks what I think is a pretty good class with 11 guys on defense and 10 on offense. Pretty balanced if you ask me. I think the biggest signees are Carnes, Cooper, Hardrick, Harper, and Rome. These are the guys that I feel could make an immediate impact at Nebraska although I do feel that Carnes has a bigger mountain to climb with Cody Green already getting first team reps. The scary thing that we have to start considering is that kids at QB and RB may decide to start leaving the program due to the number of kids we have on scholarship at those positions. Nebraska has already secured a commitment for the 2011 class at QB and sometimes chose to leave a program when they feel like they are buried on the depth chart and not getting any playing time.

I think all in all its a solid class of talent that doesn't have to be too flashy at the national level to be key pieces to the future of the success of the program.

2. I thought I would take some time to discuss what I think about what a 5-star kid actually means. I think in today's society waaaay to much hype is put into 18-19 year old kids before they have even laced up a football cleat for their institution. Clearly its a multi-million dollar business that is outta control right now putting stock and faith into kids...just kids. Look at the last "5-star" kid to actually make an impact at Nebraska. The answer...Demario Williams. He was the last big time recruit that came to Nebraska and made an impact on the football field. Its still unclear what Baker will do, but today's society has placed unfair expectations on these high recruits to be Heisman winners, major award winners, All-Americans, and make themselves become legends at their institutions. Could anyone have predicted what Suh would have done when he came to Nebraska in 2005. Yes he was a 4-star kid, but I don't think anyone would have expected the impact that he left at Nebraska in 4 years. It clearly shows that you can't put that much stock into the star rating system that we all have seemed to become infatuated with. Marlon Lucky, Andre Jones, and Zach Bowman really never lived up the 5-star expectations at Nebraska. I'm sure for those fans who live in the world where 5-star kids make or break your program...you'll be sorely disappointed again when a few more 5-star kids don't pan out at Nebraska. I'll call it that it'll happen again.

3. With the 2010 class in the books, we can turn our attention the 2011 class. I won't name any names that Nebraska should land, because I don't put that much stock into the ratings system. What I look at is the positions that Nebraska needs to address the most. Heading into 2010 Nebraska losses Pierre Allen on DE, Prince at CB, Eric Hagg at CB, Roy Helu, Alex Henery, Adi Kunalic, Ricky Henry, Mike McNeil, Ricky Thenarse, and Dreu Young at TE.

The high needs for 2011 are TE, DB, RB and a kicker (two). I think ideally Nebraska needs to land two kickers (one kick off specialist, one place kicker), Three defensive backs, a safety, two running backs, and two tight ends. These are likely of high interest for this team. I do think that this is the prime opportunity to seek some hot WR's to this group as well by landing 2 of them. Either way I do anticipate that Nebraska will look to sign a bigger class of kids next year somewhere in the 25-28 range with the max at 30. For those that live the hype of recruiting 24/7 now is the time to turn your focus to the 2011 recruits.

I'm planning on blogging again tomorrow before retiring for my birthday weekend. Till then...Skocz Out and Go Big Red!!!

January 19, 2010

2010-01-19T18:33:00.002-06:00

Man where does the time go...it seems like it was just yesterday when I was trying to get a post about the KU game.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Basketball Woes
2. Lane Kiffin: Whats his national image?
3. The players of the Decade: Big 12 Style

1. We begin with what has to be the most pressing sport this winter now soon starting to think about pressing the panic button. Husker Basketball is now a disappointing 0-3 to start Big 12 play and now have the entire week to gear themselves up for Missouri this weekend. The bottom line is this...Nebraska can't finish games. Thats a dangerous thing for a young team, they continually allow teams to get back into games and in the end steal wins from this team. Nebraska had spurts on both Saturday and Wednesday where they went cold from the floor. With 5 minutes remaining against Kansas, the Huskers went cold from the floor, committed a few bad fouls, and was unable to create a run that could put away good teams. Another issue I'm seeing is Nebraska simply isn't that great of a defensive team like they have been in years past. The last few seasons, Nebraska may not have been the best shooting team, but they could certainly play good defense that could keep them in any game they played. This is not the case this season. I was listening to a local radio show today saying that the time for wins for Doc is upon him. They were bring up concerns that if Doc has a bad season that he'd likely be on the hot seat because in almost five seasons Doc has been unable to take Nebraska to the upper elite of the Big 12. I think that we'll give Doc a few more seasons, and the only thing that would speed up a departure of Doc would be if we digress back from being a competitive team. Those were the things that put Barry Collier on the hot seat when he was at Nebraska. Either way I'm concerned about this team going on the road at Missouri and Colorado to try to get it back together and get on a winning streak in the conference. A lot has to improve for my hopes of this season to improve.

2. I'd love to dive into a quick topic about my thoughts on Lane Kiffin. Clearly his a douchebag and really showed his true colors when he simply bolted for USC after only being at Tennessee for 14 months. Look I understand if USC was your dream job, but clearly if your a Vols fan you should be happy that this guy is gone from your program. All he's done is stir the pot and try to get away with things he cant. At USC we don't hear about minor violations because the school is willing to look away to get the kid to their school. At Tennessee they simply just don't put up with that crap. Look he's a cheater, no questions asked...he would have ruined that program if he had stayed there....and now he's at USC where cheaters are opened with welcome arms. It'll be interesting if he can live up to their lofty expectations without running his mouth...Rick at UCLA can't wait to put him in his place next season...

3. Tim Griffin had a great blog about the top 10 players of the decade in the Big 12. Nebraska had two players on that list with Suh at #3 and Eric Crouch at #8. No question that Vince Young came in at #1 given his performance against USC that gave the Longhorns a national title. Adrian Peterson was #2...and likely so he's a beast in the NFL....Loved seeing Suh at #3. Its slowly starting for Suh the impact that he made at Nebraska, in the Big 12, and across the nation as a defensive lineman. It was interesting to see ole pretty baby McCoy at #10...hmmmm if was that great and special of a player...shouldn't he had been higher over Jason White and Eric Crouch...the answer is clearly stated....NO...he was a benefit of the system and the talent around him. When he was finally given a real hit...he folded like a lil baby.

Back on Thursday....

January 12, 2010

2010-01-12T16:58:00.002-06:00

Its a busy time trying to intern everyday...but oh soo much to talk about today.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Basketball: Eyes on KU
2. Pete Carroll bolts for the NFL
3. Around the Big 12: Wednesday Games

1. This begins a craziness for Husker Basketball fans....KU comes to town. For those of you who had the pleasure of being a die-hard crazy Red Zone fan like I was back in the day know all too well the preparation and motivation that just the fans put into this game. Theres no question that the atmosphere is a lil bit rowdier when KU comes to town. Kansas comes into Lincoln after getting upset by #15 Tennessee. The only thing Nebraska can take from that game is that Kansas isn't this unbeatable team that looked like it was untouchable early in the season. Doc Sadler can't be feeling to confident in his team after they fell apart late in the second half against Texas A&M. Nebraska did have its stingy defense in place but failed to stop A&M from driving to the basket and drawing fouls. I don't like that as Kansas brings one of the top point guards in the country in Sherron Collins. His ability to create his own shot and drive to the hole could spell trouble for the Huskers as generally home court advantage doesn't mean anything to the officials. Nebraska simply has to milk the clock and take high percentage shots that keep Kansas from opening up its transition game. BYU exposed Nebraska's young talent by getting out and running by Nebraska to build up a lead that the Huskers simply couldn't come back from. Nebraska must eliminate easy baskets for KU and attempt to match up with Cole Aldrich in the paint. Nebraska finally can match up in height with Christian Stanhardinger and Brian Diaz. Those guys must step up big and defend well or else it'll spell doom for Nebraska. I expect KU to win this game as I feel Nebraska simply is a little too young to hang in this game....I expect it to be close (as I'll be in attendance) but ultimately won't lead to a win.

2. Shocking news came out early on Sunday night in Pete Carroll deciding to take his coaching status somewhere else. He decided to take control of a team in the NFL again and en-light of the problems that USC faces in both football and basketball by the NCAA infractions committee. It appears Pete is bolting to save his job and his coaching reputation. Look there's no question about how he was able to take a .500 USC team to the brink of playing for the National title in just one season...he cheated. I think there's a lot more under the table the USC was willing to conceal and hide. As a private university, USC maintains it right to protect its documents and doesn't have to release them public. I think for their sake thats a better idea because clearly there are some major issues going on at that school that are being let on. I think that Pete Carroll created his own monster at USC that clearly he wasn't ready to tangle. He cheated his way into building a college football powerhouse where his famous star fan base became accustomed to winning every single game every year. Look Nebraska did it as well...in the early 90's they created a winning attitude that spread throughout the fan base that not winning national championships was unacceptable. Nebraska rationally fired its head coach in 2003 after going on a 6 year title dry spell. That firing has now lead to 6 more years of hard times. In 12 years Nebraska's fan base has become more noble to winning games....no longer are fans crying out for titles every season...USC is now going to start experiencing this sequence of events. Theres really no way it can stop.

Think about this...if USC was the #1 job in the entire country...why can't USC go into any program it wants and hire anyone. The fact is they can't and with their upcoming penalities likely coming...possibly vacating wins and a national title...and a fan base that has become clouded on what a successful season is every year...USC appears to be a snake-pit full of venomous snakes waiting to destroy its next coach. Whoever they hire likely gets fired in 3-5 season like Nebraska did if that coach can't produce a national title and birth's in the Rose Bowl...that'll leave USC hunting for another big name coach again in 5 seasons...where likely Pete Carroll may have worn out his welcome at Seattle and once again listening to offers about being the head coach at USC...again.

3. The Big 12 continues tomorrow with more conference games. It wasn't a bad start for me going 4-2 with Kansas and Tech being my only losses. Not many games tomorrow as OU and OSU tangled on Big Monday last night.

Tuesday:
Baylor @ Colorado
Texas A&M @ Kansas State

Wednesday:
Kansas @ Nebraska
Texas @ Iowa State
Missouri @ Texas Tech

Some decent games for the midweek...I feel Nebraska/KU might be the biggest game on the slate tomorrow....I'll be watching A&M and K-State tonight to see if A&M can continue its winning ways. Maybe I can go undefeated and boost my record up a bit after tomorrow.

The Picks: Baylor, K-State, KU, Texas, Misery

Saturdays Record: 4-2
Overall Record: 4-2

Coming back on Thursday as I'm going to the Husker Game tomorrow night....Till Then :)

January 08, 2010

2010-01-08T08:15:00.002-06:00

This is officially the first blog of the new year. For my adoring fans I apologize for the lateness of the post...been organizing a few things for this post and tomorrow's.

THE HOT LIST:

1. National Championship Thoughts
2. SEC vs. Big 12: What it means?
3. Around the Big 12 (Basketball Style)

1. Well last night officially ended the 2009 College Football season. We saw Nick Saban and Alabama hoist the National Championship trophy after defeating Texas 37-21. Credit Texas for making this a game when Colt McCoy was knocked out early in the game. Their defense fought hard in the second half but couldn't do one thing that Bama's defense did....force turnovers. That's simply the key to how they won. The created short field opportunities for their offense to work from and credit their running game. It gouged Texas for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Defense wins championships and Alabama's was simply the better defense on the field last night.

Problems came up for Texas last night, where clearly this team put waaaay to much faith in thinking that Colt McCoy would stay healthy all season. When he went down, Gilbert was overwhelmed with the speed of the Crimson Tide's defense. Yes, I understand he's a freshman, but think about this....John Child's was Texas' backup for the past two seasons before switching to wide receiver this year. You can't tell me that he would of been a better choice to back up McCoy this season. I'm sure when it's all said and done Gilbert maybe a decent QB at Texas, but clearly he was very very under-developed for taking second string snaps all season. The problems for Texas was that their ooo so great offense was average at best all season and revolved around one guy Colt. That spells a dangerous combination if he ever got injured. Plus if he was so strong and durable, he should have been able to take that hit and bounce back from it...which he didn't do. It appears he is not as durable as Texas thought. Karma is a bitch, Texas had no business being in the title game and Alabama showed them why....I'll sleep better now knowing Texas fans and Colt McCoy are crying about what happened last night....

2. A now more pressing issue is starting to arise for the Big 12 now. This makes the sixth BCS title for the SEC conference and against the Big 12 the SEC is now 3-0. This past summer the Big 12 elected to continue its current tie breaker system that would snub the most deserving team for the title game for the conference's best team. That being Oklahoma last years best team, and Texas as the most deserving team. The problem of losing another BCS title game for the conference is that the supposedly two powerhouse teams in the Big 12 are now a combined 2-4 with Texas winning 2005 and Oklahoma winning in 2000. With the Big 12 losing another BCS title game the conference might consider accelerating it's plan to expand the conference and steal a quality SEC team to boost the strength of the league and bring home a BCS title to the conference. I think in order for the Big 12 to get out of the shadow of the SEC a team like Nebraska will have to win the title showing that the conference is about Oklahoma & Texas and the 10 other teams. Either way I feel that the Big 12 can ill afford to keep getting teams into the BCS title game and keep losing them before they consider formulating a new conference that both boosts the overall strength of the league and brings home BCS titles to glorify the conference.
Keep your eyes open for what happens next.

3. Well I begin another lovely year of College Basketball my focus turns to that now and we'll go around the Big 12 twice a week with games on Wednesday and Saturday. Here's this weekends opening slate of games.

Oklahoma @ Baylor
#2 Texas @ Colorado
Kansas State @ Missouri
Nebraska @ Texas A&M
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State
#1 Kansas @ #15 Tennessee (Sunday)
North Dakota State @ Iowa State

Well its an interesting weekend to start out the big 12 conference season. Kansas State / Missouri seems like the biggest game this weekend and Oklahoma and Baylor also appears to be another interesting game this weekend as well. Since those teams will face each other twice in this season. And I do recall the last time Texas went out to Colorado they lost.

Nebraska kicks off its conference season at Texas A&M. They clearly have become a better shooting team this season and have shown they at times they have the talent to hang with quality teams. #1 Kansas visits Lincoln next Wednesday...that should say quite a bit. Nebraska has many questions to answer this weekend in College Station, about whether Nebraska will have the defense and the athleticism to compete weekly in the Big 12. More to come after I get a look at Nebraska this weekend.

The Picks: Baylor, Texas, K-State, A&M, Tech, Kansas, Iowa State

Back tomorrow with a special College Basketball edition...what we learned...Till then.

Skocz Out!!!

December 31, 2009

2009-12-31T20:57:00.002-06:00

Well lucky me gets to do a nice blog post the eve of the last day of 2009. Much to dive into this evening...so lets begin.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Holiday Bowl Grade Outs
2. Reflection on 2009
3. Looking to 2010

1. Well what can you say about the Holiday bowl. Nebraska clearly came on with a mission to pound Arizona into submission. It was well needed and well deserved for a season filled with ups and downs. To the Grade Outs

Offense: A+
Defense: A+

Offense: Holy Cow, could you have imagined that this offense would have made a statement like they did last night. I would of thought probably not, but give tons of credit to Shawn Watson for creating a successful gameplan that gave Nebraska a legit chance to dominate their opponent. What's exciting is that this offense gashed Arizona for 223 rushing yards and dictated the tone of the game from the beginning when Zac Lee bootleg out for a diving touchdown. Nebraska threw the ball at will and kept Arizona on its toes and confused all night long. Sometimes you finally get in the zone...it was great to see that this young group of kids can execute to a high level. They end 2009 on a high note and can raise the bar higher in 2010.

Defense: This group sealed what has been a remarkable turn around in the past 2 seasons. They picked off Nick Foles early and set up their explosive offense with a short field. They kept Foles uncomfortable in the pocket and really had no running game of any kind that whole night. They allowed 109 yards of total offense stamping a complete domination to a quality Pac-10 team. This group simply came out with the idea that Arizona wasn't going to do anything against them and they sealed Nebraska's first bowl shutout in 46 bowl games. Simply awesome job boys.

2. A Reflection of the 2009 Nebraska Football Season:

Biggest Point of the Season: Beating Oklahoma
Beating OU, Nebraska hadn't beat the Sooners since Eric Crouch caught a flee-flicker pass that won him a Heisman trophy in 2001. Nebraska used 5 interceptions to create havoc for Landry Jones and won a gutty backyard brawl with OU 10-3. That win arguably propelled Nebraska to the Big 12 championship game. Nebraska's Bo Pelini showed a blueprint that Nebraska finally has the talent and coaches to beat its big time rival from down South.

Lowest Point of the Season: Losing to Virginia Tech 16-15.
Looking back this is the lowest point of the season because Nebraska extended a poor losing streak of playing ranked teams in the top 15. Nebraska lost it's 34th straight game to those opponents and the national media that saw the game began to cellar Nebraska in the ratings. Nebraska used it's defensive mishaps to formulate a team confidence that this defense would not surrender big plays and give up the lead. It also started a trend, which at the time no one really paid attention too, that against high quality competition Nebraska's offense simply couldn't produce touchdowns to win games. This would ultimately cost Nebraska 2 more games against Iowa State and Texas.

Offensive MVP: Alex Henery
In a season where Nebraska went with a conservative game plan for 5 games to simply just win football games. Alex Henery provided Nebraska with well needed points in the kicking game. He arguably should have been on the first team all Big 12 and kept Nebraska in nearly every game this season with his leg. It's always nice to know that there's an automatic 3 points when you get into the 30 yard line. In three games this season Henery booted 4 or more field goals to keep Nebraska in the game. Clearly in a year with a young offense....Henery provided automatic points and has a chance to solidify himself as the kicker in Husker history next season.

Defensive MVP: Ndamukong Suh
Clearly this was the most dominate defensive lineman that College Football has ever seen. In games where Suh didn't put up huge numbers, he repeatedly drew 2 or 3 lineman to defend him. Above all he'll be remembered as a great team player, who prided himself on the team winning than having flashy stats. Suh showed that this coaching staff and produce elite lineman just like Tom Osborne and his staff did before. He'll be missed, he'll be admired, he'll be loved, but most of all he built up Nebraska's defense into something fierce in 2 seasons....he's set a platform for this program and for that I'm forever greatful for what he did. He'll be the #1 pick in the NFL draft. Best of Luck Suh. Best of Luck

Final Thoughts: "What Could Have Been"

"What could have been" will echo as the quote of this season. Husker fans are used to saying that when Nebraska comes ooo so close to winning National Titles...not losing 3 games by a combined 4 points. What could have been if Nebraska finished 12-1 and earned a big to a BCS bowl likely playing Boise State. What could have been if Nebraska had a more productive offense and injuries didn't riddle offensive playmakers causing Shawn Watson to re-evaluate how this team could continue to win games. This was a tough year to be a Husker fan as we questioned the Husker Offense each week in the middle of October. Credit Bo Pelini for keeping his head up and his heart right, he had faith in his staff and put his trust into them to deliver wins. They put an exclamation point in their bowl game. Nebraska can look back at this season as one that helped them build character. Character is an aspect that the elite teams have...its the swagger that you can't be touched....it the body language that says I'm gonna light you up tonight. Nebraska was tested in 4 games this season and used each one of them to develop the tough character that it takes to be an elite program again. For that and looking ahead to the future you can't deny that this season will benefit Nebraska in many many years to come.

3. Looking ahead to 2010
Now that we've completed this season I can officially look into the crystal ball and talk about what I think Nebraska can accomplish for next season.........

Nebraska enters the 2010 season with a load of talent on both sides of the ball. Nebraska loses just 5 defensive starters and only 1 starter on offense. Nebraska is poised to make a National Title run in 2010. Here's why: They'll likely be a pre-season top 10 team (I'm thinking at least #8)...they'll be favorites to win the crappy Big 12 North...they'll match up very well against OU in the title game (and win)....they have a very manageable schedule with Big 12 homes games against Texas, Missouri, Colorado, and Kansas with road games at OSU, A&M, Iowa State and K-State. Nebraska's non conference schedule has Western Kentucky, Idaho, and South Dakota State at home with a nice road trip at Washington. The hardest games on the schedule are at Washington with Jake Loecker back, and at A&M. Nebraska faces a rebuilding Texas at home and OSU on the road and both are very winnable for this team. Nebraska's talent and speed on defense arguably should have them excited for 2010. They could be faster and better than the 2009 defense with Suh as young talent will get a chance to shine in 2010. The offense returns all of its playmakers and will have a nice quarterback competition with Cody Green and Zac Lee in the spring which should help both kids grow and be more seasoned for next season. Roy Helu, Burkehead, Robinson give Nebraska a three headed monster in the backfield with Young, Cotton, McNeil, and Reed all back at TE. Nebraska will be deep, talented, and have much to prove as they climb back up into the elite in College Football once again.

Predictions for the season will come next summer when I break down the Big 12 again after Big 12 Media Days in July. This wraps up the College Football season..I shift my focus now to Husker Basketball and Husker Baseball. Preview of my preseason Big 12 baseball outlooks will come in February...I'll have a final top 25 when the bowl season wraps up next Thursday.

I'm out for the rest of the week...I'll return next Tuesday to blog about the upcoming Big 12 Basketball season that starts on January 9th for the Husker Basketball team...we'll also dive into the Womens team as well...since they are currently 14th in the country...Till Then...Happy New Year...Skocz Out!!!!

December 29, 2009

2009-12-29T16:29:00.004-06:00

Holy smokes where has 2009 gone...I'm back from a lil break and ready to spread the word.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Arizona/Nebraska Key Match-ups
2. Texas Tech Problems (My Thoughts)
3. A&M/Georgia Clock Problems?

1. Well we've finally come to it...the Holiday Bowl...no doubt Nebraska will be looking for a win to build momentum and secure that elusive 10 win season for the program. To The Match-ups:

1. Arizona's Nick Foles vs. Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh
This might be one of the more low key matchups, but time and time again we have seen how Suh not only can disrupt a game, but how he can play mental games with opposing quarterbacks. In the Big 12 Title game, Suh not only dominated Texas' offensive line but you could clearly see that in the later parts of the game....Colt McCoy was mentally shattered and really was uncomfortable in the pocket. Suh absolutely has to disrupt the timing of Foles throws as well as get into his head. When you feel like you'll have no time in the pocket to throw it can spell a long long day for the Wildcats as I feel the key for them to move the ball against Nebraska is to throw it.
Advantage: SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH

2. Nebraska's Offensive Line vs. Arizona's Defensive Line
It seems like when go into bowl games technique and solid line play become even more critical to teams success when your facing an opponent that is evenly matched with you. Nebraska absolutely has to lite a fire under its ass and blow guys off the ball. Remember that Nebraska's offense has become a series of plays that allows the 11 guys on the field to execute the offense with upmost precision. In the past few weeks Nebraska has gone back to the basics and I expect them to come out with a gameplan that lets face it is very easy to defend. If Nebraska is to have any success tomorrow they must must run the ball, which requires you to blow guys off the ball. Win the game in the trenches and that will go a long way for a win.
Advantage: Even

3. Nebraska's Wide Receivers vs. Arizona's Secondary
I think this is the biggest match-up on paper. Nebraska can't win this game without making big plays in the passing game, whether that be a 10 yard pass or a 50 yard pass. Nebraska can't expect to go into this game like the did against Texas where deep passes were picked off twice by Texas. Nebraska must make plays in the passing game to keep the chains moving and create imbalance on Arizona's defense. If you can do that you should have success moving the ball down the field. Remember last season when Nebraska was facing a speedy defense in Clemson, Nebraska was able to move the ball well in the second half due to the plays they made in the passing game that scored 2 touchdowns.
Advantage: Even

4. Nebraska's Zac Lee vs. Arizona's Secondary
Look theres no question that a win will stem on the play of Zac Lee. Last season Joe Ganz willed a win for the Huskers with his feet, arm, and smart plays he made during the course of the game. During the Big 12 Title game Zac made a pass deep down field that was picked off by Earl Thomas (one of the best safeties in the country). Arizona brings a group of experienced corners that will test the play of Zac Lee's decision making. If Nebraska is to win today they must make plays in the passing game which means that Zac Lee has to eliminate his turnovers, make throws, and protect the football at all costs. I feel that a simple turnover could change the course of the game for either team...so don't give Arizona the ball...easier said than done.
Advantage: Arizona

Prediction: Nebraska will look to make a statement on national prime that it's offensive problems are behind them. They make a few plays on offense to show that they can move the ball will ultimately make critical errors in the red zone that will prevent Nebraska from scoring touchdowns and settling for field goals. Nebraska defense lead by Suh and company come out with a mission that he won't be denied a win in his final game. Suh puts on a clinic again making Nick Foles move outta the pocket and throw on the run thus creating a few turnovers for Nebraska. Nebraska offensive woes bite them again when given prime opportunities by its defense and thus have to settle for field goals. The difference is Nebraska's defense won't be denied a win and sack Foles late in the game when they are trying to tie up the game. Nebraska wins 15-7.

2. HUGE breaking news today about Mike Leach supposedly mistreated Adam James (ESPN's Craig James' Son). It's been said that he was forced into workouts not allowed by a concussion recovery athlete and also locked into a room for hours because Mike Leach was disappointed in his injury. Look theres no question that Mike Leach is a pretty weird and out there guy, but given the rise of coaching image of what they do on the practice field has already cost one Big 12 coach is job. Remember that Leach was already in very hot water this past summer when he failed to negotiate his contract in a timely manner with the university...it almost cost him his job...NOW with these allegations out on the table and Leach suspended from coaching in Tech's January 2nd bowl game, you can all but expect to see him fired from Texas Tech in the next few weeks. Sometimes Coaches just can't do whatever the hell they want and feel like they can get away with it when clearly he stepped over the line this time...on purpose. He'll coach again somewhere...just not again for Texas Tech...and in the Big 12.

3. Really interesting event happened last night during the Texas A&M/Georgia game. Towards the end of the half A&M had no timeouts left but was driving to kick a field goal to cut the lead to 14-10. With about 2 seconds left on the clock the ball was spotted and the clock was started and Jerrod Johnson spiked the ball with what appeared to be less than 1 second on the clock. The Mountain West officiating crew did not go back and review the play and award a second on the clock for A&M to kick a field goal. Hmmmmmm Kinda shows that the final play that screwed Nebraska showed that it wasn't reviewable. At least someone out there can call it right....maybe the Big 12 should look to take lessons from the Mountain West.

I'll have instant analysis and grade outs tomorrow after the game...Skocz Out

December 22, 2009

2009-12-22T15:51:00.004-06:00

Well I'm back following what will be a short week of blogging before I unwind and enjoy the rest of the Christmas season.

THE HOT LIST:

1. NCAA Arms Race: What does it mean?
2. AP Player of the Year
3. Las Vegas Bowl

1. We begin with what I think is becoming a vastly major issue in College Football...the arms race. What exactly do I mean about the arms race, I'm talking about the vast development of major multi-million dollar facilities that are being built all over the country to maintain their edge. I watched Outside the Lines yesterday to get an idea of the seriousness of this problem where Rutgers University has invested 126 million dollars into a football facility upgrade when the University is struggling to maintain its funding for its academic program. Rutgers has since fired its athletic director for what it believes was loose holdings on athletic funds when the University clearly wanted the AD to bring in a name coach that could bring some luster back to its football program. The issue here is that smaller market universities are now forced to scrounge for millions in their budgets to compete with the major programs in their conference.

Just look at what Iowa State, Colorado, Baylor and most noticeably Kansas has done to compete with the likes of Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma State, and OU. Kansas went out of its way this season to remove Mark Mangino and bring in Turner Gill to ensure that their millions in improvements to their football facility wasn't a wasted investment. You can't deny that that was a major motivating factor is the school's decision to part ways with Mangino. Kansas and the other smaller market Big 12 teams feel that they must raise astronomical budgets to build facilities to compete in their respective conferences.

I feel that this is a major major problem in the sport not just with facility upgrades but with coaching salaries. It seems like the major market programs in College athletics are in a race to see how high they can pay their head coach just to coach football. It's ridiculous to think that Mac Brown will make anywhere between 5.0 and 5.25 million dollars next season, making him the highest paid coach in the sport. The NCAA absolutely has to investigate into this problem and begin to put a stop to this. If we have to make a "budget cap" then that may likely have to be the way it is done. Although that is easily said, I feel that its a monumental mountain to climb as programs hate when the NCAA goes snooping into their financial books and records. How else are we going to make sure that Texas and OSU stop generating budgets in the 100 plus million each season? Clearly when you talk about why these places and programs just continue to win, its because of the money and facilities that the program has built for its teams.

Look at what Nebraska is investigating in the future for its basketball program. It's in the works of raising money to build a practice facility for its school as its the only program to not have one, while looking to be a major factor in a convention center in Lincoln so it's basketball team has a state of the art facility for recruiting and fan support...The age of recruiting and the "bigger is better" mentality will eventually cripple the small level schools making it virtually impossible for those programs to win national titles and be successful at the national stage. For programs like Baylor, K-State, Iowa State, and Colorado winning national titles in football is virtually impossible without getting themselves consumed in the arms race since they are locked into a major conference in College Football....As conferences look to expand, universities will ultimately have to decide if they have the funds to compete with the programs in their conference to at least feel that are viewed as an equal member in their league and not a bottom dweller. If you have to answer that question with a NO, you'll likely see programs like Utah, TCU, BYU, Boise State, and Houston remain where they are, so they can keep their facilities the same and remain competitive on the national stage...

2. AP NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: NDAMUKONG SUH
Hmmmmmm maybe we should have let the AP vote for the Heisman, as they voted Suh as the AP National Player of the Year. Suh becomes the first defensive player to EVER win the award and the second Husker to win it. Eric Crouch took home the honors in 2001 after capturing his Heisman Trophy. Kinda speaks loud volumes to a guy who won virtually every major lineman and defensive award and finished just 4th in the Heisman voting. Yea...he was really that good this year...no questions about that one.

3. College Bowl Mania continues with the Las Vegas bowl with BYU taking on Oregon State. Gotta like the Beavers here with arguably the best running back in the Pac-10 in lil Rogers...oh don't forget about his brother who plays WR and returns kicks...yea they are both pretty good. Should be a great game with lots of points scored....I'm hoping to get back on the winning track tonight...Beavers win 42-41

Back for one more day tomorrow then off till next week...Skocz Out!!!

December 18, 2009

2009-12-18T16:11:00.000-06:00

I'm back for a wrap up blog on Friday just before I venture to Hastings, NE for my family Christmas...Can't wait...good food and good people.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Husker Hierarchy: Where do the sports rank?
2. Chris Williams: What he could of been
3. Should the Major awards be given after the bowl games?

1. For years I've gotten into a very heated debate with my buddy about what the hierarchy is at Nebraska for it's sports teams. What were talking about is as a fan how do you rank the sports in order of importance to the school. After pondering through the 24 athletic teams that Nebraska fields and decided to look the top five, because as I feel after the top five everyone knows Nebraska has a team but really if they aren't very successful, nobody really goes out and watches. The top 5 athletic teams at Nebraska

1. Husker Football: This isn't even close, the money generated each year by the Nebraska football team funds every sport at Nebraska. No other sport generates revenue like the Football team does. It's estimated that the football team makes anywhere between 75 and 80 million dollars in revenue for the athletic budget every year. Kinda hard not to put them at the top with 5 national titles and the endless great players that this school has had.

2. Husker Volleyball: Yes I do believe that the second most watched, and most followed sport at Nebraska is Volleyball. Nebraska arguably has one of the premier coaches in the country in John Cook, but credit him for bringing back some luster to the volleyball program when they won a national title in 2006. No question that Sarah Pavan, Christina Hoetelling, and her senior class brought excitement back to this program that for the past 10 years has been one of the most consistent and solid programs in the country. Nebraska holds the record for consecutive Elite 8 (Regional Finals) appearances at 9. What other sport at Nebraska outside of football packs 16,000+ for a volleyball match. No other.

3. Husker Men's Basketball: We have to include this because of the revenue that it generates for the school. I don't think they have been very flashy in the past few seasons, winning games they shouldn't, but losing many more that they should have. Doc Sadler is quickly making a team that should be very competitive for the next few years. I think that if he can coach a team into the top 6 in the Big 12 for a few seasons you'll quickly see the attendance numbers pick up into the 10,000 for each game. Thanks to the TV contracts of the Big 12, the Husker Basketball team breaks even each year in revenue and money spent. When it comes to success as a program, Nebraska isn't too shabby making a few NCAA tournament appearances and winning a Big 8 title. They also produced a few great players in Eric Piatkowski and Tyronn Lue. Nebraska has had some talented teams but has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game. I expect that to change in the very near future.

4. Husker Baseball: If you go back and rank these programs 15 years ago, many would have put Husker Baseball on the bottom of the school's sports. Hire a new coach and make the CWS in back to back years and excitement is breathed into a program that was the door mat of the Big 12 till 1999. Dave Van Horn brought winning and excitement to a program struggling to decide what to do with its baseball team. CWS appearances in 2001, 2002, and 2005 gave Nebraska fans a sport to cheer for in the spring days leading up to spring football practice. After last season's disappointing campaign where attendance was down for the first time in 5 seasons, Nebraska begins a 2010 season with high hopes with a very young and talented team. Nebraska owns 1999, 2000, 2001, & 2005 with a #1 draft pick in Darin Ernstad in 1997. Nebraska also has had its share of All-America players in Joba Chamerlain, Aaron Marsden, Shane Komine, Alex Gordon, Ken Harvey, Darin Ernstad, Matt Hooper, Jeff Liesie, and many more. Clearly in the last 10 years the Husker Baseball team has been a team to watch and plus with a lovely facility in Hawks Field, it makes it enjoyable to get out to a game.

5. This cleary becomes a toss up for me but I'd have to say that #5 clearly is Husker Bowling. Yes, as crazy as that sounds if there was nothing else to watch Husker wise on TV I'd be forced to tune into bowling. Nebraska has National Titles in Bowling, most recently as last season. They own an impressive 8 national titles in 91, 95, 97, 99, 01, 04, 05, and in 2009. Since it's inception as an NCAA sport in 2003 Nebraska own 3 titles in the leagues first six seasons clearly making it one of the top programs in the country. The list of awards for bowling is endless from consecutive streaks, to tournaments won, to All-American bowlers. But if you look at program success as a major reason for putting them in the top 5, clearly they might have one of the deepest in any sport at Nebraska.

2. If you haven't heard by now Chris Williams, Nebraska's stud LB out of the state of Texas last season was granted a scholarship release from the university. Chris stated that frustrations with his rehab and not getting any practice time were factors in his decision to leave the program. He'll likely be a hot player as programs like OU, LSU, Oklahoma State, and Alabama will likely try to pick him up. Its a shame that when he tore his ACL last fall that he'd be leaving before ever suiting up for Nebraska. I'll back the training staff at Nebraska 100% on not letting him practice. As we've seen before (i.e. Willie Amos) you can't rush these kinds of injuries. Its a shame he didn't want to stay around longer and develop into what I thought could of been an All-American player at Nebraska. Best of Luck Chris...get out of the Big 12...and don't regret leaving the greatest place in the country....but you will...

3. Should the major college football awards be given after the bowl season? The answer is YES!!!! Look we count these bowl games as a way to judge teams for the next season....and they do count towards your overall record. How many times have we seen award winners go out in their respective bowl games and just look awful...i.e the Heisman is the award I'm thinking about the most. I think that these awards should all be given at the same time at the end of the season as a way to officially wrap up the college football season. That way we can all judge the candidates for the Heisman one more time. The problem becomes if you evaluate the players based off their whole season than the bowl game shouldn't matter and think about the teams that don't make a bowl game. The rest of the awards can be given before but when were talking about the most outstanding player in the country...lets wait to give that out until after the bowl season...because if you in the hunt for that award...your team is definitely in a bowl game....that way the dreaded Heisman curse can end...but all that has shown is that clearly the Heisman winner really wasn't the most outstanding player of the year...if he can't win his bowl game...that would give guys like Suh and Gerhart a fighting chance to win...and end this best player on the best team crap...

Back next week for a couple of days before breaking for Christmas...enjoy the weekend...till then...Skocz Out!!!

December 16, 2009

2009-12-16T23:58:00.002-06:00

Its a late night for me, but I must spread the good word tonight.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Pac-12??? How possible is that?
2. College Bowl Mania
3. Husker Tid-Bits

1. As if we haven't heard enough about the Big 10 considering expanding, news broke later today that the Pac-10 will now strongly consider expanding their league by two teams. This becomes a very interesting situation for the Big 12 and Big East. Clearly the Pac-10 is in a bit of a better situation I feel than the Big 10 to add two teams to its league and clearly the Pac-10 has reaped a few victories in the bowl season more than the Big 10. It becomes clear that the only Big 12 team interested in possibly going to the Pac-10 becomes Colorado. Clearly the Denver market would bring strong revenue to the Pac-10. Also, the Pac-10 absolutely has to take one of the following 3 programs with no questions asked Boise State, Utah, or BYU. Look clearly in the past few seasons each of those programs have caused enough head ache for the commissioner of the BCS (Harvey Perlman). By adding one of those programs it would automatically boost the conference. I propose you add Colorado and Boise State. You bring a program somehow ridiculously ranked in the top 10 every season with a major market team in Colorado (Denver). That way Boise State can officially get knocked down a few pegs since it gets to play real opponents in it's conference...although I'd be hard pressed to see the WAC give them away. As a Husker Fan I really wouldn't miss Colorado's crappy fans bring the image of the Big 12 down each week. With that in mind should Colorado split for the Pac-10, that would allow the Big 12 to get TCU. They are very deserving of a bid to a major conference as is Utah, and BYU. Either way the moves of the Pac-10 and Big 10 could shake up the Big 12 to get both TCU and Arkansas in...hmmmm now that would be a better conference but Iowa State still needs to be dropped...maybe we can switch them for C-USA? Kinda shows how these championship games nobody liked when they first started are becoming really popular....money talks.

2. College Bowl Mania is in full swing this season as myself and thousands of people have logged onto ESPN.com and started picking all 32 bowl games. The trick comes when you have to assign point values to each bowl (1-32). I won't reveal any of my choices till the Bowl season kicks off this Saturday. Today I felt the need to dive into a matchup that I feel is very interesting. No its not the national title game or Nebraska...we'll be talking more about them next week. Today's matchup discussion is: Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Stanford

Look there's no question that Oklahoma is very very disappointed to be in this bowl game. Its the first year in almost 10 years that Oklahoma isn't in the Holiday Bowl or a BCS bowl game. They arguably are still a very very talented team. One that I felt was the most talented team that Nebraska had beaten all season. Landry Jones brings a team riding some well needed momentum after thrashing Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Game. Oklahoma loves to pound you with their stiff defense which feeds well into what Stanford does, pound the rock with Toby Gerhart. I'll be hard pressed to see him running all over the OU team. No matter the magnitude of this bowl game, Bob Stoops knows the importance of nabbing a win for a team that is young and full of talent. I expect it to be a long day for Stanford because when you can't run the ball with Toby Gerhart...what else do they have? Nothing. I expect an OU win...handily.

3. We conclude tonight with Husker Tid-bits....its seems Nebraska has notched its first signee of the 2010 class. Junior College lineman Jermarcus Hardrick, a 6-7, 315 pound offensive tackle, who at one point was committed to LSU will officially enroll at Nebraska in January and be around for spring football. Given how badly our tackles have played at times, having a huge body JUCO can make offensive lineman coach Barney Cotton rest easy at night knowing that given his size he should make a major impact at Nebraska...the question is how ready is he to play in the Big 12.

Shawn Watson talked about the spotty line play Nebraska has gotten this season could of been attributed to the loss of key lineman that were redshirting. Injuries to Jesse Coffey, Brent Qvale and Jeremiah Sirles all contributed to a lack of depth that was a key to the success of the offense last season. Hmmmm maybe all those haters out there who say that this offense is going nowhere should really shut up for a bit and wait for next season. I see big things in store for 2010.

Latravis Washington and Taylor Martinez will likely stay in the mix at QB for 2010. Shawn Watson said today that the coaching staff thought long and hard about what to do with the two talented players that can make an impact at LB and Safety next season. The thought is that with 2 QB's back next season that saw the field, the likely thing is to move Taylor Martinez to a position where he can have immediate success at. With the complexity of this offense, I'd hate to see a kid that could shine at safety, CB, or WR, sit buried on the depth chart at QB. With Nebraska likely hot on the best QB for 2011, the time to make the move for Taylor is now. It's not coming...but should happen...I'm all for making the team better, and this is one of those moves that will make Nebraska a better team in 2010.

Gotta a nice lineup for tomorrow....come back...till then...

December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T14:01:00.002-06:00

Well Lucky me is officially done with this semester and its a great feeling.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Kansas: Can Turner Succeed?
2. Big 10 Expansion: Should the Big 12 be concerned?

1. Well to Husker fans, news broke out late on Saturday night that former Husker Coach Turner Gill is indeed the next head coach at Kansas. He was formerly introduced yesterday saying that what Kansas needs to do to be on the top of the Big 12. "Recruit, beat Missouri, Recruit, win the Big 12 North, Recruit, win the Big 12 Championship and if you can do that your playing for national titles, and after that we'll Recruit." Look I love Turner Gill, he was a legend QB coach at Nebraska and was a star for the "scoring explosion" back in the 1980's. The real question comes can Turner Gill actually compete and live up to the lofty expectations he's thrown out in the first week in his new job. My thoughts are he can't and heres why. This is a very dangerous road that Turner is walking on with this being his first major coaching job. Think about the success rate of those coaches who came from mid-major programs and succeeded. The pool is limited. If you weren't a successful assistant at a major program (Gill was) but didn't go straight to a major program you tend to be on the losing side of keeping your job and bringing success to a program.

I think Turner is actually trying to get back at Nebraska for snubbing him out of the head coaching job 2 seasons ago when Tom Osborne decided to go with Bo Pelini as head coach and not Turner. Look for everything he did for this university that says something when your mentor snubs you from the job. I don't deny that he wouldn't have done a great job at Nebraska but something on the side tells me that Tom knew he would struggle at Nebraska and therefore knew the fan base wouldn't hold firm with him running the team. Nebraska needed to get its attitude back and clearly Bo was the guy for the job. What's concerning is that Turner faces a monumental uphill at Kansas to live up to his expectations. First, he has to face Nebraska every year, starting with playing in Lincoln next season. Second, he has to face Missouri every year in a rivalry that Turner doesn't fully understand. Third, Turner is use to recruiting mid major level talent and likely will continue to do that at Kansas, and if you don't develop that talent then you'll likely see yourself losing 5 games each season. Look at his track record as a coach, he won 2 games in his first season at Buffalo then 4. In his third season Buffalo won the MAC but got stomped in the bowl game. In this past season his team was 5-7 again missing a bowl game. People at Buffalo were starting to become irked about how the program had begun to regress after winning a conference title. I don't question him as a person, a professional, and as a developer of your men. Thats clearly why Kansas hired him because of his personal demeanor, but Turner will find out very quickly how cut throat the Big 12 is and after a few losing season and not beating Nebraska in 5 tries I'll see Kansas fans become tiresome of Turner and that will likely end up with him out the door and looked at as a failure at Kansas. That in turn will force Turner to go back as an assistant coach before he attempts to seek out another head coaching job in the future.

2. An interesting article came to my attention about the Big 10 increasing it's talks about adding a 12th member to their league and having a conference championship game to add revenue and to keep the Big 10 Champion more fined tuned for the post season. The question comes with who the Big 10 (Slow 10) should add. I think they'll look into Norte Dame but with their lucrative TV contract and BCS tie in as an independent they'll likely shoot down an invitation to be in the Big 10. That leaves the conference exploring a possible Big 12 team or Big East Team. Likely both conferences wouldn't want to lose anybody but really they can't hold any teams in it, just ask the Big East when it lost VT, BC, and Miami to the ACC. With that said teams like Pitt, Iowa State, Nebraska, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Missouri all look like a decent fit for the Big 10. Ideally the Big 12 should look to give up one of its teams to add Arkansas or TCU to it. That means that Missouri or Iowa State would be on the chopping block and I'd be hard pressed to think that the slow 10 would look at Iowa State. Although it would make a lot of sense with them playing Iowa every year where that game could have conference implications and be put at the end of the year. I think they'll likely go to Missouri who in turn would bring a bigger market to the Big 10 which they sorely need for revenue. That leaves TCU or Arkansas and a much needed restructuring to the conference. I'm all for keeping the Big 12 strong but if we can get rid of Misery an add Arkansas or TCU I'm all for it. We'll have to keep an eye to see how this all shakes out.

Coming back tomorrow...

December 11, 2009

2009-12-11T09:03:00.002-06:00

Well It's not Thursday like I promised but I did get back for a final post for the week and it comes on FRIDAY!!! Gotta love Friday's.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Heisman Watch: Who should win vs. Who will win
2. Ndamukong Suh: What will his legacy be?
3. Coaching hire at Norte Dame: Can He Succeed?

1. We begin with talk about who should win the Heisman tomorrow night and who I feel will actually take the hardware home...Yes both of these are very different.

Who SHOULD win:
It's clear this season that this season produced a few more solid candidates than in years past when clearly one person was considered the front runner and his to lose. This season provides us with five quality candidates all with outstanding resumes for staking their claim to the award. We have to remember exactly what this award was intended to do...name College Football's most OUTSTANDING player. In years past this award has lost its luster as its has been awarded to the best player playing on the best team. This year I feel that only 2 guys are deserving of the award. They are Toby Gerhart and Ndamukong Suh. Both of these guys have had amazing seasons and when you look at the nuts and bolts of it...these two guys mean more to their teams than a Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, or Mark Ingram. All those guys can be replaced with equal talent and their teams wouldn't lose a stride. I do recall Tim Tebow sitting a game after his concussion and I do believe that Florida still won handily without him. That just shows that really these guys are good but the talent around them makes them outstanding players. Pretty easy to sling the ball around everywhere like Sam Bradford did last season with the talent he had around him...what happened when he didn't....he folded. Suh and Gerhart mean everything to their teams. They are the leaders, the lifeblood, and the identity of the two programs they play for. Think about this: How many games would Stanford or Nebraska win without those guys on their teams? Stanford would be hard press to win 6 games where Nebraska may still lose the same games it did this season, but those margins of loss are likely bigger and does Nebraska beat Oklahoma and come ooo so close to beating Texas this season without Suh. I don't think so. Who should win this years Heisman should go to a player who despite the average talent around him, responded in a manner that would make him the most outstanding player in the country. Traditionally this award has gone on an offensive player so Suh's chances diminish on that note, leaving Toby Gerhart as the player who SHOULD win the Heisman on Saturday.

Who WILL win:
As I've stated before this award has become a reward to the best player playing on the best team by everyone's opinion. That has lead guys like Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Troy Smith to win the award in the last three years. All were the best player playing on the best team at the time they won the award. The last player to actually win the award and not be on the best team (i.e. ranked #1 or #2) was Carson Palmer in 2002. In the last ten years, 7 players won the Heisman that were the best player playing in the national title game (i.e. the best team). Should Leinart, Weinke, Smith, Tebow, White, or Bradford have won the award...arguments can be made that year for each of them, but you still can't deny that they were the best player playing on the best team at the time. I will defend Reggie Bush's Heisman, because he was an unbelievable dynamic player that we had never seen since the days of Charles Woodson, Rashaan Salaam, and Johnny Rogers. Those type of players deserve the Heisman for the plays they can make in a single game, and each of those guys had a signature play that defined their careers when they played College Football. With that said...what does that leaves us for who WILL win this year. Well it only leaves us with two: Mark Ingram and Colt McCoy. If you look at the formula for how people have been voting for the winner the past few seasons, it makes sense to expect to see these guys go 1-2 tomorrow night. They are clearly the 2 best players on the two best teams in the country. Oh it also doesn't hurt that they'll face each other for the national title in January either. With that said I expect to see Mark Ingram named to the 2009 Heisman trophy as clearly the voters showed 2 seasons ago that they weren't afraid to name a sophomore to the award. He clearly has consistently put up the numbers against in the best conference in the country. The competition he faced week in and week out is far above the level that Colt faced only twice all season. If you look at how the country voted last night for the Maxwell Award, which has been a pretty good precursor to who has the early lead in the Heisman votes, that was Colt McCoy. Look I don't think that he's even gotta shot to win after he looked pathetic against Nebraska last weekend, oh that same day we saw Ingram gashed Florida leading his team to a rout in the SEC Championship game. With that said the player who WILL win the Heisman trophy is Mark Ingram from Alabama.

2. I decided I wanted to spend a quick second talking about what I think the legacy of Suh will be when he is finally finished at Nebraska. Last night Suh collected the Outland Trophy and the Bednarik awards last night. This is the first time I can ever remember seeing on lineman win both the Lombardi, Outland, and Bednarik in one season. Clearly he has been a catalyst to the success of this season. He can go out into a bowl game and snag a 10 win season for this program. He has shown the resurgence of this defense and the national impact it will have in future seasons to come. He'll be missed but when we look back on it we will all remember the never ending motor that he played with. We'll remember the unbelievable strength and speed he showed on the field. But I think what I'll remember most of all was how much of a team player he was. No matter how well he played or how much attention from the national media he got, he always talked about the team and how the team could get better. As he said this season, we win as a team we lose as a team. He clearly put team ahead of self which is very humbling in a day and age where showboating is looked at as being cool. He'll likely fall into the legend lineman category that have come of this program and likely will have a long and successful NFL career. I expect that in 20 years we'll be retiring his #93 from Nebraska when he becomes an NFL hall of famer. Congrats again Suh, you have represented Nebraska proud. Thank You for all you have done and will do in the future.

3. Norte Dame announced late last night that Brian Kelly will take over at Norte Dame. The announcement came late after the team's banquet last night where Kelly broke the news to his players. The Coach of the Year in the country now takes over a program struggling to find an identity and get back to national prominence. Can Kelly's system actually win at Norte Dame....my answer is NO. Here's why...traditionally Norte Dame has been more of a running team that predicated itself on the play action pass. Now Norte Dame will likely move to the spread offense and as we've seen with Michigan and a few other programs moving to it, it doesn't just spell success right away. The Cincinnati teams he's coached have had great offenses but their defense has always faltered when they needed them to pull through. That doesn't bode well at a program that has been gashed numerous times on defense. There's no question that in a few years the Irish maybe able to score more points that a few teams, but I don't feel that the Irish faithful wanna see Norte Dame winning games 45-44 as Cincinnati did this season. Its a risky hire, because like Charlie Weis I feel Kelly can recruit talent to Norte Dame but he'll likely settle for below radar kids and try to make them stars. If you gamble too many times like that you'll likely fall flat on your face (i.e. Frank Solich knows all to well about that). I think we'll see him at the helm for about 5 seasons, and when he hasn't gotten them back to the elite again Norte Dame will move once again in another direction. It's a shame it'll be like that, but in this day and age, winning is the only way to keep your job.

Enjoy the weekend, watch the Heisman presentation, and I'll return next Wednesday to do some bowl breakdowns before the bowl season kicks off next Saturday. Till then...Skocz Out!!!

December 9, 2009

2009-12-09T23:19:00.003-06:00

Well its another late night for me but I'd thought I wouldn't break tradition and get a quick post up tonight before turning down for the night.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Suh Award Update
2. Coaching Corner: Kansas/Norte Dame
3. Omaha Regional Volleyball Preview

1. We begin with announcing that Suh has won the Lombardi award presented to the nation's best defensive lineman tonight. Suh became the fifth Nebraska player to win the award and the first since Grant Winstrom won it in 1997. Suh has begun what I feel will be a huge week for him on the award front. He'll be front and center for ESPN's College Football Award show tomorrow night. I feel that when the dust settles we will have seen one of the best defensive lineman ever play the game. He's a unanimous #1 pick in the NFL draft next season. Sit back and enjoy...he's representing Nebraska proudly and can be a huge recruiting tool for the school for the next few seasons. Congrats Suh!!!!

2. The coaching corner is a new segment that I'll be starting as the season ends, universities are looking for new coaches. The highest job on the market this season is the Norte Dame job where Charlie Weis was fired after 5 awful seasons at his alma mater. Norte Dame is in a bad bad situation right now...they feel that they are still and elite program and can go out and hire anyone that they want. The problem is that Norte Dame isn't an elite job anymore...for a better time of 15 plus years the Irish have been far out of the National Title hunt that the country views them as a mid-level program. Look no one can question their tradition, national titles, heismans, but when you haven't collected a major hardware trophy in quite some time. In a day and age where its "what have you done with me lately" you just can't be looked at the same anymore. Norte Dame should hire Brian Kelley from Cincinnati...he's a Ohio guy who's brought the Bearcats to promise. Look who would of thought they would have been in the title hunt this season, turns out there's no respect for them and they get the boot when Bama and Texas went unbeaten. Norte Dame must get smart and hire a mid-level coach at a program who has the attitude of building up programs outta nothing. I love that they are down in the dumps but the elite programs must remember that every year only 1 team takes home the trophy...ONE...you just need to be in the running each year. I think he can make Norte Dame competitive again...but with the poor luck of the Irish..they may have seen the last of their national titles.

Kansas: It's a sticky situation at KU...as clearly the glamor of this job has diminish with the settlement and firing of Mangino who practically made KU something. Kansas would like to hire a big name coach like they can with their basketball team but clearly they will be unable to. Guys like Sumlin for Houston, and Gill from Buffalo are coaches that will get a serious look. Gill has or certainly soon will be interviewed for this job. There are hot coordinators out there that should get a shot like Auburn's offensive coordinator, and Brent Venables from OU. The rumors on the street are that Venables is a horrible people person which will hurt his chances of ever being a head coach. I think Gill will get a strong look but as a Nebraska Fan...I hope this isn't his first major coaching job. He should stay and wait for a job in the ACC or Big East to open. He's started great relationships there and should have the opportunity to stay. If Randy Edsall gets hired at UConn....I feel Turner will get a strong strong look there.

3. The Nebraska Volleyball team heads into a showdown on Friday at the Omaha Regional where Texas, Texas A&M, and Iowa State all have advanced. Nebraska arguably will have the home crowd behind them...they are a hot team sweeping every opponent they have faced since getting beat by Iowa State in Lincoln last October. This regional is a scary one, as Nebraska has lost twice to Texas, and once to A&M and Iowa State. Nebraska saw the unbelievable job that former Nebraska player has done at Iowa State by beating Nebraska for the first time ever this season, but this time the Huskers are clearly the hottest team in this regional where Nebraska can ride is guaranteed home court advantage to the Final Four...I feel that Nebraska comes out on fire and shows Iowa State a taste of their own medicine again like they did in Ames in early November...that sets up the showdown with #2 Texas yet again. This time I feel Nebraska can push them to five sets, but as we have seen with this young team, mistakes are likely and come at just pivotal times for them. They make a few bad mistakes that allows Texas to build a lead in set 5. Texas wins but Nebraska comes out of that match with an understanding that they are clearly one of the best young teams that Nebraska has ever had. They ride the momentum of this game and gear themselves for a big big 2010.

Back Tomorrow...Stay warm...and bundle up...

December 8, 2009

2009-12-08T21:22:00.003-06:00

Well I'm back and enjoying a SNOW DAY!!! AND just found out that I get to enjoy another one tomorrow. We'll dive it and not waste anytime....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Big 12 Championship Game Grade Outs
2. Big 12 Officiating (Vent)
3. Suh's Award List

1. Well once again Nebraska and Texas played a memorable game that will go down as one of the greatest games for the Big 12 Championship game and in the Nebraska/Texas series. Its painful to be on the losing side again...but heads up as better days are quickly coming. We won't waste anymore time...to the Grade Outs:

Offense: F
Defense: A+

Offense: As expected I anticipated Nebraska to come out with about the same game-plan like they did against Oklahoma....but the bad thing about that was Texas was thoroughly prepared for the limited Nebraska offense. Nebraska had a chance to use plays like A&M did that gashed Texas for most of the night on Thanksgiving. Nebraska did none of that....it was very disappointing to see Nebraska's offense fail to get over 200 yards of offense and once again produce no touchdowns. We'll talk about the officials later, but bottom line of it is...if you don't put 7's on the board...you'll set yourself up for what happened at the end of that game. It's pathetic and officially the panic button is on, this team simply has to wake up and learn to execute better and grow up. What's disappointing is 13 games into the season, this offense simply looks like it's regressed each week instead of getting better. Arizona will bring a respectable defense that will challenge this offense in the same manner like they were tested on Saturday. I'd hate for our defense to play another great game and have our offense lose it for us. This loss is squarely on their shoulders. They were unable to run the ball effectively, and timing and communication breakdowns between Niles Paul and Zac Lee gave the ball to Texas twice in that game. Its just awful to watch, and play calling is now very basic because these guys can't execute whats called. I know people will bash Shawn Watson, but I have huge respect for him and love the offense he runs, the problem is that Nebraska simply does not have talent in the right places for this offense to move the ball down the field in big chunks. You can blame one or two guys, but the bottom line it comes down to 11 guys doing it on the field all at the same time, and they simply haven't done that all season. so disappointing.

Defense: We'll talk more about Suh later, but holy cow....what can't be said about what these guys did all season. A perfect grade comes out of this game because I believe the officials gave Texas 10 points which means Texas only mustered up 3 points against this defense. When you do that you win pretty much every game you play. They held the #3 scoring offense in the nation to just 13 points. It was a masterful gameplan by Bo and his staff and you could see the passion that they were playing with on the field all day. McCoy and company were not ready for this defense, and they can pat themselves on the back. They outplayed Texas all day and in my eyes left Dallas as the conference champions, just the score didn't say so. Nine sacks on Colt McCoy...are you kidding...enough said...awesome job boys.

2. VENT: Big 12 Officiating
***WARNING: This is a vent, the views of this section may not be shared by all...grow up and don't be offended***

The Big 12 conference needs to get off their ass and hire new officals across the board. The crap that Husker fans had to deal with for 8 games this season its total bullshit. I don't deny that an extra second should have been put back on the clock at the end of the game, what I don't like is how that game was blatantly called for one school...Texas...not Nebraska. Two pass interference calls gave 10 points to Texas, with another horsecollar call giving them a chance to kick the game winning field goal. Its just awful that Nebraska has had to put up with this all season. They have been awful this season, with it all culminating on that one final play. That simply has been the reason why Nebraska can't get over the snide of beating a top 5 team....officials. I won't lie that Nebraska has been outplayed in a few games but the Big 12 clearly was looking to save its ass and keep Texas in the BCS title game. How many times have we've seen teams hold this shit out of our defensive lineman and get NO calls? I saw way to many on Saturday. The officials need to simply just call the game fair and give each team an equal chance to win the game...this was not the case on Saturday. Dan Beebe clearly will sacrifice the integrity of the conference just to keep its team in the BCS title game. Its pathetic that politics govern more of what happens on the field than what the final score says. That play shouldn't have never been reviewed at the end of the game, it was given to Texas to allow them to get to Pasadena. Timers are so cavalier with when to stop the clock when a ball is throw out of bounds, why does this one get to be so heavily review...oh wait I know...this was national screw over Nebraska year...it's bullshit and if someone doesn't get fired I'll start my own riot. Bo has every right to be upset with the sequences of calls that have consistently gone against his team this season, it shows that if you don't wear red every weekend, everyone else is just out to screw you. Bo had his first title robbed from him, and it certainly better not ever ever ever happen again to him. Eat it Mac Brown because I guarantee you that your team is leaving in a body bag next season in Lincoln...and enjoy getting trounced in the title game....Roll Tide.

3. Last night Ndamukong Suh won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented to the nation's top defender by the Football Writers Association of America. It begins what is a very busy week of traveling for Suh and likely a long long list of awards that he will likely take home this season.
Heres what he has left:

Wednesday: Lombardi Award
Thursday: Outland Trophy, Walter Camp Award, and the Bednarik Award
Saturday: Heisman Ceremony

For those that don't know the Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Outland Trophy goes to the nations best lineman (either Offense or Defense), and the Bednarik Award goes to the College Defensive Player of the Year. He's up against some of the best defenders and offensive lineman in the country but simply outside of the Heisman he'll likely be a uniamous winner in each of them. He's earned it with 82 tackles, including 23 for losses, and 12 sacks. He's been a beast all season and he simply whipped the Texas offensive lineman all night last weekend. People around the country got to see first hand how special and talented this guy really really is. He'll greatly be missed next year and could go down as one of the most dominate defensive lineman we've ever seen play the game.

Coming back tomorrow as I'll have nothing to do but blog, since its another SNOW DAY...thanks for those people who helped me with research for this post...till tomorrow...stay warm.

December 3, 2009

2009-12-03T13:55:00.002-06:00

Well its the end of the week...its a quick short blog today but we'll keep it hot...since the weather outside sucks....but I can handle the cold.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Texas Key Matchups
2. Rex Burkehead: A Man Among Boys

1. As we do every game I've got a couple huge matchups for this game. We'll begin now:

-Nebraska's Defensive Line vs. Colt McCoy
As in every game, the success of this defense is dictated by the play of our defensive line. As we saw in the Kansas game...Senior QB's do have the ability to shred this team apart. Nebraska faces its second senior QB of the season on Saturday. Colt McCoy arguably is a completely different player than he was the last time Nebraska saw him when he was just a lil sophomore. Nebraska simply must make Colt McCoy's day miserable, he can't be allowed to run around in the pocket and pick us apart. Nebraska will need to implement a stronger blitz package this weekend to keep him rattled. Only when he's flushed out of the pocket can we hopefully expect him to throw interceptions. I watched him play last Thursday, if there's one thing he doesn't like...its been flushed and getting hit. Nebraska must bring the wood to him, hit him hard, and get into his mind mentally.
Advantage: Nebraska

-Nebraska's Secondary vs. Jordan Shipley and Company
There's no question that as Jordan Shipley goes...so does the Longhorn offense. Nebraska simply hasn't faced a caliber type receiver like this and shown they can stop them (Kerry Meier). Nebraska must put its best corner on him and hope that they don't get beat over the top. All in all it was a very disappointing performance by this secondary last week against Colorado. Texas brings a different caliber receivers to the table and they'll have to play their best game against these guys. Nebraska simply can't expect to win if Texas makes huge plays in the passing game.
Advantage: Texas

-Nebraska Special Teams vs. Jordan Shipley
As we saw in the K-State game Nebraska goes up against one of the premier return men in all of College Football. Nebraska can't allow Texas to win the field position battle. Nebraska did a superb job against Brandon Banks of K-State. They'll have to remember how they were able to contain the speedy little guy to minimal yards that game on kickoffs and punt returns. Nebraska must come with the idea that they are going to hit the heck out of Shipley and pry that ball from his grip. Keeping Texas pinned back inside their own 20 yard line will wear on the Longhorns mentally and give Nebraska a huge advantage.
Advantage: Nebraska

-Nebraska running game vs. Texas front seven
There's question that Nebraska has changed its offensive look and will likely look to pound the rock at Texas. Texas brings one of the best defenses at stopping the run. They rank 3 nationally in total defense and are #1 at stopping the run. The key is blocking Lamar Houston and Sergio Kindle. Those guy feed Muckelroy and that great LB group. If you can bottle them up I feel very confident that our fullback can block a LB or safety. Remember when you line up in a big set like Nebraska did against Oklahoma, it only takes making one guy miss...you do that and stand up...because it's gonna be a big run. Texas A&M may have shown how to attack Texas as they were able to line it up and run it right at Texas in the second half. Nebraska has to take a few things that they saw in that game and apply it to their style of football. Nebraska's offense is predicated on its ability to run the ball...that allows Zac Lee to set up the play action pass to get timely completions in the passing game. Nebraska will have to run the ball effectively if it has any hopes of beating Texas.
Advantage: Texas

-Turnover Battle
This is probably the most important matchup in this game, because he who wins the turnover battle likely wins this game handily. Last time Nebraska was in the Big 12 title game turnovers killed any hope of beating Oklahoma. Nebraska played well enough to win that game but just didn't win the turnover battle...that allowed OU to score an easy touchdown that proved to be costly as Nebraska played catchup for the entire game. Look at how Nebraska beat OU this season....it needed 5 turnovers just to get a W. Nebraska needed a pick-6 to beat Colorado last week. Turnovers are key...when your playing a team that is as sound as Texas you have to force turnovers to give your offense a short field to score easy points. That's HUGE...Nebraska has to force at least 3 turnovers and turn that into 17 points. Do that and a victory is very very likely...look at how Texas won last week against A&M....an Aggie turnover allowed Texas to put itself up by 2 scores and they never came back from that. If you wanna win the Big 12 title you absolutely have to force turnovers...get pressure on McCoy and that can easily happen.
Advantage: Nebraska

Predicition: This game brings many aspects of the game that Nebraska likely has to play against Oklahoma just to win. Use your defense to make the plays and keep it vanilla on offense. Nebraska comes into this game with really nothing to lose, allowing them to play lose and fast. Colt McCoy makes plays with his feet and this arm keeping the game close late into the fourth quarter. Nebraska establishes Rex Burkehead as a bruiser, beating up the tired Texas defense on the ground and notching a late TD that extends Nebraska's lead to 10 points. Texas responds with a quick touchdown but runs out of time to get the ball back to tie up the game. Nebraska pulls the upset and moves onto the Fiesta Bowl.
Nebraska wins 17-14.

2. Great article about Rex Burkehead....he is simply one of the most polished freshman that have played at Nebraska. He returns home to his great home state of Texas, but he says it's not a homecoming..he's here for business. He's downhill running style creates a stable compliment to fast finesse style of running that Roy Helu brings. Nebraska only has a chance in this game because of Rex's natural ability to run hard in one motion. He doesn't think...he just reacts making him a great great player for many years to come at Nebraska. Can't wait to see him pound the ball at Texas on Saturday.

Well I'm outta here to jet down to Dallas...I'll come back on Tuesday as usual....till then....GO BIG RED...and enjoy your weekend....stay warm....SKOCZ OUT!!!!

December 2, 2009

2009-12-02T09:31:00.002-06:00

On another cold day in Nebraska, I've returned to talk about a few things like we do every Wednesday....

THE HOT LIST:

1. All-Big 12 Team
2. Bowden Retires...what's Joe Paterno's Time Table?
3. Husker Volleyball
4. Husker Baseketball

1. We begin with the announcement of four Huskers on the coaches All-Big 12 team. As expected Suh was a unanimous selection and was named Big 12 defensive player of the year. He also took defensive lineman of the year award as well. Jared Crick, Larry Asante, and Prince Amukamara were named to the first team. These guys have been to cornerstone on what has become one of the better defensive teams to every put on the scarlet and cream at this university. Suh is just beginning what I expect to be a very busy postseason for him as he is in line to win 4 of the major lineman and defensive awards this year. He'll arguably go down as one of the best defensive players that anyone has ever seen in the country. It was great to see guys like Crick, Asante, and Prince make the team as well. It's a testament of what this coaching staff has done with the talent that this university had during the Bill Callahan era. Bo and his staff have clearly gotten the potential out of these guys. Its great to see, and I expect Nebraska to have many more players in the All-Big 12 team. Congrats Guys...it was well deserved this year.

2. Bobby Bowden officially announced that his last game will be the upcoming bowl game that leaves just one coach still chugging it out...Joe Paterno. How long do we expect the 80+ year old coach to remain the main guy on the sidelines at Penn State. I think that we'll see Joe coach for about 4-6 more years. He's clearly stated that he isn't ready to call it quits and I expect him to coach into his 50th season. I think that when he hits that milestone he'll officially hang it up marking the end of half a century for one coach. You have to admire how Florida State and Penn State have stuck by these guys for so long, in the current age of "what have you done for me lately" we may never see head coaches lasting for 20+ years. That just shows the evolution of College Football...everyone wants to get titles...but nobody wants to wait for them. Hats off to these guys...I don't like the places they work at but do respect them as a person for what they have accomplished.

3. Husker Volleyball is hot right now...I mean really hot. The Huskers swept every opponent for the month of November, no other Husker Volleyball team every accomplished this feat. Think about how good Nebraska was in 2006...that team never did what they have accomplished. Nebraska hosts the first and second round of the NCAA tournament on Friday. They'll take on Coastal Carolina. It's finally good to see this young team getting it together at the right time. Nebraska arguably is the hottest team heading into the NCAA tournament. I wouldn't want to play them right now. Nebraska can extend its impressive 15 year streak of getting into the third round. No other team in the country has been able to do that. John Cook has instructed his girls to enjoy the tournament...but have fun and play lose. The certainly look like a different team when it was beaten in 5 sets at home by Iowa State in early October. I expect this team to move on to the Omaha regional but will have a battle on its hands if Texas and Iowa State join them...we shall see.

4. We conclude today talking about Nebraska Basketball...it wasn't pretty by any means but Nebraska got a huge 3 point win on the road at USC on Saturday. Nebraska returns home today to play Texas-Pan American. A win tonight and Nebraska would be 5-1 heading into its rivalry showdown with Creighton on Sunday. It was great to see this young team get a win on the road for once. I look at this as a building block that this team needs to be successful this season. Nebraska made timely shots, committed few turnovers, and play stout D against USC...a team that made the NCAA tournament last year. Its still a long season and really this team can't be measured until it gets to conference play...but being a Nebraska Basketball fan...you take any win regardless if the national media thinks it wasn't that big of a win. We'll see if they can win on the road again on Sunday...as history has shown that Nebraska hasn't played well at the Qwest the last 3 times they have been there.

Back tomorrow to wrap up the week....Peace

December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T11:26:00.002-06:00

Holy crap...its officially December. Where O where does the time go??? Much to talk about today and we'll dive in with the usual Tuesday Blog.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Colorado Grade Outs
2. Big 12 Rankings
3. New Top 25

1. Well Nebraska went into last Friday's game as 10 point favorites and came out what looked like a poor 8 point win. It wasn't glamorous, and just was another reason why rivalry week gives soo many teams fits. Especially playing rivals that were 3-8 with nothing to lose. Nebraska fans seem to think that we'll just roll up 50+ points on poor teams, but in reality the way this season has gone Nebraska really just isn't at the level to just show up and roll over opponents. We'll get there soon. To The GRADE OUTS:

Offense: C+
Defense: B-

Offense: It wasn't a great day for the offense. Early in the first half Nebraska had a prime opportunity to drive the ball deep on Colorado and poor blitz pick-up on back to back plays left Nebraska to punt the ball early in the first quarter. The very disappointing aspect of Nebraska's offense playbook was their inability to take shots down the field via the pass. Colorado came into last weeks game having one of the worse pass defenses in the country. Nebraska didn't attempt one pass of over 30 yards. Colorado had surrendered 25 passes of over 30 yards this season. The lone bright spot of this offense came when it decided to feed Rex Burkehead the rock late in the game. Rex ran 8 times on that drive scoring the winning touchdown that put the game out of reach for Colorado. He alone was the lone bright spot, when this team goes back and looks at the tape...they'll have to make major corrections if they are to have a game-plan ready for Texas this weekend.

Defense: It was just ugly for the defense. They surrendered the most yards they had all season and simply let a very mediocre Buffalo team feel as if they could pull of the huge upset. What was concerning that after Nebraska had missed a field goal, Colorado got the ball back and drove 50+ yards and scored a touchdown. The defense looked out of place, sloppy, and unmotivated at times last week. That was very evident on the final play of the game where Dennard gave up on covering Scottie McKnight who then caught a meaningless touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen. That one play pretty much summed up the play of the defense...they took plays off and were just sloppy. No doubt some butts were reamed in the locker room after the game. I expect them to come out with plenty of emotion on Saturday, but the way they played in the last game of the regular season is cause for concern.

2. Big 12 Rankings (Week 14)

1. Texas (12-0) (8-0)
The Longhorns are just one game away from getting a shot at the National Title. The pressure is squarely on their shoulders to deliver a win after getting snubbed last season. A&M exposed a few areas of weakness on this team and how will Texas respond when they are pressed for 4 quarters? We shall see on Saturday how they respond.

2. Nebraska (9-3) (6-2)
Nebraska didn't look pretty on Friday, but really how many top teams really looked that good last week. Nebraska has a healthy 5 game winning streak and comes into Dallas with nothing to lose. Win and you go to the Fiesta Bowl, lose and your in the Holiday Bowl....both seem like great trips for Husker fans after being 1-2 in the conference before Halloween. Suh likely will go down as the Big 12 best defensive lineman that the conference has ever had. 10 wins is a nice star to put on this season.

3. Oklahoma State (9-3) (6-2)
The Cowboys just can't seem to get over the hump of beating Texas and Oklahoma. Gundy is a miserable 0-10 against those team. Cotton Bowl appears likely, but how confident are the Cowboys playing a fast speedy team from the SEC. OU showed what speed can do to this team...a bowl slaughtering looks likely if the Cowboys don't fix their mistakes.

4. Texas Tech (8-4) (5-3)
Mike Leach didn't live up to the lofty expectations that his seniors wanted but going 8-4 after losing Harrell and Crabtree is something to be proud about. The Alamo Bowl appears likely for the Red Raiders along with a big win over any slow 10 opponent they play. With talent back next season, could next year be the year Texas Tech rises to the top of the division??

5. Oklahoma (7-5) (5-3)
Injuries killed whatever high goals were on the board at the beginning of the year. Sun Bowl appears likely for the Sooners. Bob Stoops appears to be staying in Norman, and won't be bolting for Norte Dame. Maybe he should with the talent and questions this team will likely have next season. Another 7-5 season could possibly happen next year....Getting a nice win over OSU on Senior Day is all this team has to hang it hat on this season.

6. Texas A&M (6-6) (3-5)
Jerrod Johnson returns next season along with a core group of talent on offense. The questions will come if this team can stop anybody next season. Mike Sherman may have saved his job this season, but go 6-6 when you might be the best team in the South next year and Aggie fans will scream for a change. Texas Bowl looks likely to take A&M and draw it's fan base to Houston to play Navy.

7. Missouri (8-4) (4-4)
Unimpressive was their win over Kansas on Saturday. Missouri proved why it has struggled most of the season, they can't stop anybody's passing game. The tigers relied on KU's mental downfall to irk out a 2 point win over KU. Hopes were high for this team, but 8-4 is something Tiger fans must get back to being use to. Just make a bowl game. Insight Bowl looks likely with a possible big win over another slow 10 team.

8. Kansas State (6-6) (4-4)
Teams are punching their bowl tickets and K-State has put away it's equipment for the year. Bigger questions appear imminent now that all of Ron Prince's junior college talent has all but left the program. Rebuilding looks likely for Snyder. How long do you think he'll stick around to rebuild this program? Not long, so he better work miracles quickly at 70 years old.

9. Iowa State (6-6) (3-5)
Bowl Eligibility is nice for a program that was 2-10 last season. Iowa State appears all set to go to the Independence bowl and play a bottom level SEC team. Hmmmmm think they can handle the speed of an Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, or South Carolina. I don't think so...so a losing season appears imminent for the Cyclones....not a great recruiting tool if you can't get winning seasons in Ames.

10. Kansas (5-7) (1-7)
Seven straight losses have Jayhawk fans sick to their stomach after they were all but certain of being Big 12 North champs. Its shocking how much this team quit early in the year, change is coming. Mangino appears to have worn out his time at KU and losing Reesing, Sharp, Meier, and Stuckey look like huge holes that KU simply won't fill in one season. Another dark and losing season appears likely unless the right head coach is found....and quickly.

11. Baylor (4-8) (1-7)
The Bears are just banking the Robert Griffin can return next season and be healthy. If he is, they quickly become the sleeper in the Big 12 South. 15 years is an awful long time to go without a bowl game...but hope is on the horizon.

12. Colorado (3-9) (2-6)
Dan Hawkins gets to keep his job for another year, but likely won't keep his head afloat if he has another season like this one. Maybe it's best if you keep your "10 wins no excuses" statement to yourself this time. His leash is the shortest of any coach in the Big 12....Tyler Hansen was decent this year, but may not the be savior that the Buffalo faithful want....get back to being .500 should be the top goal in 2010.

3. My New Top 25 (Week 14)

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. TCU(4)
4. Texas (3)
5. Cincinnati (6)
6. Ohio State (7)
7. Oregon (9)
8. Penn State (10)
9. Houston (13)
10. Nebraska (15)
11. Georgia Tech (5)
12. Miami (18)
13. Pittsburgh (8)
14. Stanford (24)
15. Oregon State (22)
16. BYU (14)
17. Virginia Tech (UR)
18. West Virginia (UR)
19. Oklahoma State (12)
20. Boise State (19)
21. Clemson (11)
22. LSU (17)
23. Wisconsin (16)
24. USC (UR)
25. Iowa (UR)

Its a wacky top 25 this week as upsets sent North Carolina, Ole Miss, Utah out and Georgia Tech, LSU, Pittsburgh, Clemson, BYU, Texas sliding. USC, Iowa, West Virginia, VT all make the new top 25 this week. Biggest game of the week is Florida vs. Alabama with the winner going to the BCS title game. Texas/Nebraska should be a very good one with Georgia Tech and Clemson doing battle in the ACC title game. Pittsburgh/Cincinnati tangle for the Big East Crown this week.

Back tomorrow.....

November 28, 2009

2009-11-28T22:52:00.003-06:00

COLLEGE GAMEDAY WRAP-UP:

Back by popular demand we'll reflect on a few things that we learned about today

Heres what we learned this week:

-Oklahoma State simply blew it today. The Cowboys had a prime opportunity to go to Norman, beat Oklahoma to shore up its first BCS bowl game in the BCS era. That simply wasn't the case, after OU got pounded by Texas Tech for 41 points last week, the Cowboys looked like a mere average team to Oklahoma. Remember that if Oklahoma would have lost today they would have ended up at 6-6...instead they got a huge win over a top 15 team to finish a miserable year at 7-5. Mike Gundy may take some heat for what looked like a poorly planned offensive gameplan...OSU really didn't use their experienced running backs to keep OU's defense on its toes.

-Texas is a very average beatable team. I handily believe that in Rivarly week weaknesses that you didn't think you had are very much exposed. Jerrod Johnson and A&M exposed a Texas D that looked out of sync and out of placed. If A&M hadn't given up a kickoff for a TD and fumbled the ball early in the 3rd quarter that lead to a Longhorn TD...A&M beats Texas by 2 scores. Shows a lot for a team that was 21 point underdogs at home...Texas relies waaaay to much on Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley on offense. Take them out and they have a hard hard time moving the ball in chunks. Nebraska can do that...and give Texas all they can handle next weekend.

-Auburn showed that Alabama is proned to big plays. The Crimson Tide might have been looking ahead to Florida next week in the SEC Championship game. The Tigers were determined to give Alabama a loss today...they however ended up 5 points short. This has been judgement week for many top teams in the country...as their rivals have clearly wanted to push them to their limits. The Crimson tide MUST shore up their mental breakdowns that allowed Auburn to score 2 TD's of over 50+ yards. Hmmmmm some other team coming up next week might be licking their chops to do the same thing to them next week.....True champions are tested when their backs are against the wall....I hope this was a wake up call for Bama.

-Georgia put a bright spot on GT to hide what has been a very disappointing season. Last week the Bulldogs were beaten up badly by a below average Kentucky team. They returned home to face Georgia Tech, a team ranked in the top 10 and pushing momentum into the ACC championship game next week against Clemson. The problem for GT is they rely way to much on the feet and play of Jonathon Nesbitt. He was injuried early in the game and like we have seen before last season this team becomes very beatable when there is no knowledgable QB running Paul Johnson's triple option offense. GT fans really hope that he is 100% next week, or you can kiss your BCS hopes goodbye. Georgia fans just want to forget about having a 6-6 season. This is one that they all want to forget.

-LSU continues to win on the skid of their behinds. Many times in their rivalry game against Arkansas, LSU simply was outmatched and gave up HUGE HUGE plays to the Razorbacks that allowed them to feel like they could spring the upset. The game went to double overtime with Arkansas missing a field goal to tie the game in double overtime. LSU went on the capture the L-Boot Trophy. If Les Miles and the Tigers would of have lost to their rivals after the poor game management that happened last week at Ole Miss...Tiger fans would be screaming for change on the sidelines. Lucky for Les Miles and his staff....they keep their jobs....for now.

-Clemson got vastly exposed by South Carolina, when you elimate CJ Spiller from their offensive gameplan, Kyle Parker simply isn't experienced enough to lead his team to a victory with his arm. Dabo Sweeney has relied too much on the play of Spiller, which has lead to him being in the hunt for the Heisman. Take away his opening kickoff for a touchdown and South Carolina did a very very good job limiting the speedy running back from making big big plays. I was particularly surprised by the by of the Tigers defense. Steve Spurrier dialed up a great gameplan that gashed Clemson on the ground all day. Clemson found itself down in a huge hole early...and when your best player in CJ Spiller is neutralized...it usually means a loss....hmmm guess you'll have to get it together for that ACC Championship game (kinda lost it's luster after both teams lost today).

-North Carolina crippled its chances of getting into a solid bowl game this season. After going to Boston College last week and getting a nice dominating win...the Tarheels went on the road and lost 28-27 to North Carolina State. A team that was 3-8 heading into today's game. That great Butch Davis defense was pulverized by NC State's offense. The Wolfpack had their way with Carolina all day making it difficult for them to get the ball. This a huge win for Tom O'Brien who was starting to hear boo's from his fan faithful for the few disappointing seasons he's had to date. This win keeps his job safe for another year.

-Florida tuned itself up on Senior Day against FSU. Tim Tebow was all emotional like a little girl and rolled up the yards on a very poor FSU defense. This marked the 6th win for the Gators in this series and they looked far better prepared for their showdown with Alabama next weekend in Atlanta. I do hope Tim Tebow doesn't get 3 more rushing TD's, if he does he'll break Eric Crouch career NCAA rushing TD record of 60. Didn't think I'd ever see anyone get close in this day and age with passing offense being so popular...better keep him out of the endzone Bama.

-We've likely seen the last game coached by Bobby Bowden. It feels iminent that Bowden will announce his retirement effective at the end of this season ending a chapter in one of the legendary coaches of this sport. It's plan and simple for Florida State, they must get Bowden out, because after next season if they haven't officially named Jimbo Fischer as the head coach, the school will owe him 3.5 million dollars. Thats a big chunk of change coming from a school that wanted to put the "head coach in waiting" title on one of their assistants. I think Bowden is done...his team is 6-6 and could possibly end up with a losing season. After he has spent so much time building up FSU as a national power, the evolution of College Football ended his dynasty reign. He'll be done, leaving Joe Pa as the longest head coach in College Football. Nebraska fans won't miss him, but I'm content with his replacement, because I don't think he'll be able to resurrect FSU back to national title prominence. Oh Bobby Bowden is even lucky he'll walk away with 2 national titles...Nebraska clearly should have had it from them in 93 and made the title game in 99...yeh I think the 99 team would of rolled Bowden's FSU team that year. Peace Old Balls.

-Norte Dame has closed an another poor chapter of football and can now start looking for a new coach. Look people it's no surprise that he'll lose his job officially on Monday and the hunt will be on to find the "right fit" guy there. Norte Dame fans need to realize that their program has average 7 wins for the past 15 years and have really fallen off as a national power. That job won't reel in well established coaches like Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, and Bob Stoops. Those guys have proven to be excellent coaches that are in the right places. Why on earth would you leave those places? The answer is they won't which means Norte Dame fans must get used to their school bringing up a low-tier coach looking for their chance to make a splash at the national stage. I expect names like Chip Kelly, Turner Gill, Mike Sumlin, and Gary Patterson to be the candidates that will have the best chance at getting the job. Look it comes down to simple dollars...this program will have to pay Charlie Weis 18 million dollars for his firing, and simply can not hire a coach that will demand a salary of 3+ million a year. Get use to being a mediocre program Norte Dame...until you join a real conference...that's where you'll end up after every season.

-Mark Mangino has officially ended his tenue at Kansas. It hasn't been officially announced yet but my inside gut tells me that his athletic director was looking very intently on this game....win you keep your job...lose your out. I think its crazy to oust a guy who literally has made Kansas something the past few seasons. His temper has simply gotten the best out of him....its a shame because make a coaching change now...and your looking at another 4 years of misery. The Jayhawks will fire Mangino early this week and start their coaching search as well and I think they'll likely target Randy Eitzel from UConn. He has ties to KU's athletic director and given his success at UConn, he may be in line to try another rebuilding job in a more powerful conference. I think they are grasping for strings with this guy...I think he stays leaving KU to target guys like Turner Gill, Mike Sumlin, Jim Harbough, and Jim Levitt. It's a little bit different than Norte Dame, your a basketball school trying to make a name for itself in football, kinda hard to do when Nebraska is on the fast track to being dominate meaning you'll never make the Big 12 championsip in your division. The best you can hope for is a winning season and a bowl game. Thats what mid-tier programs must get their head around, in a day and age when everyone wants to win National titles, small programs like Kansas must realize they'll never win a National Title, and must hire a coach that just wants to have winning seasons and make bowl games. Do that and you'll be there for awhile...think Iowa State will ever win a National Title...Kansas is a lot like Iowa State...you had your chance...but didn't do it...now you may never get another chance again.

-The winner of the Heisman Trophy no question is Tony Gerhart. He gashed another opponent tonight and being how he's on a team like Stanford that relies on his legs to win, he's simply dominated pretty much every team he's faced. Look the hoop-la about the winner of the Heisman has to be leading his team to the BCS title game (i.e. Colt McCoy) is crap. This is suppose to be an award given to the most outstanding player in the country. From what I saw tonight he simply is the best player in the country surrounded by a very average team. He's pounded teams for over 1700 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns. If McCoy wins it I'll be outraged because simply voters have forgotten about what the most prestigious award in College Football means. When you look at the legends who have won that award....look at the candidates this season....he deserves to win. Yes I like Suh too, but honestly a defensive lineman will never ever get a fair shot at this award. Suh will rack in plenty of awards and thus Gerhart deserves the win. Without him, Stanford is nothing, and I mean nothing....they probably lose 6 plus games without him. That is totally deserving of this award...make me proud voters.

Coming back on Tuesday with our usual 3 day blogging week....Till then....

November 25, 2009

2009-11-25T23:49:00.003-06:00

Well last day as I promised with Thanksgiving coming up all too soon...

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Colorado Key Matchups
2. Keeping Dan Hawkins
3. Around the Big 12 (Rivalry Week)

1. As we do every game I like to breakdown this week's key matchups that should dictate the outcome of the game....we shouldn't really waste anytime so lets begin.

1. Nebraska's Defensive Line vs. Tyler Hansen
It seems like every game we talk about these guys, but this week is no exception as Tyler Hansen brings that elusiveness element to his game that has given Nebraska fits in a few games this season. Remember how much Todd Reesing's legs gave Nebraska's front four trouble. This week Nebraska absolutely must keep Tyler Hansen in the pocket and when they have a chance to sack they must convert. He has shown that when given an alley to run, he'll make you pay. In a game where Nebraska appears likely to be the most dominate team on the field you do not want Tyler Hansen using his legs to give the Buff's hope that they can pull off a huge upset.
Advantage: Nebraska

2. Nebraska's WR's vs. Colorado's Secondary
This is a matchup that Nebraska can take a serious advantage on. Colorado has struggled mightily at times this season stopping people from throwing the ball all over the field (i.e. at Texas and Oklahoma State). It doesn't mean that Nebraska will come out in the shotgun throwing all over the place, but it means that given a third and long you feel confident your TE's can get a nice mismatch to get the first down. Nebraska has developed a legit play maker that can run down the field in Niles Paul...his play will be key to keeping the Buff's linebackers back and allowing Nebraska to run the ball with authority. In order to stretch defenses you must be able to throw the ball a few times to establish you will take shots down field.
Advantage: Nebraska

3. Turnover Battle
This has become a nagging problem for Colorado. In a few games that the Buffaloes were in games on the road to win, they have had a turnover that changes the game. In a game where your playing an opponent that really has nothing to lose and is looking at Nebraska as it's bowl game, you must force turnovers to put the crowd out of it. Nebraska came up with 2 timely turnovers that sucked the wind out of K-State last week. Nebraska can do the same on Friday if the defense becomes fierce and punches out a few turnovers that makes Colorado think they were close but not close enough.
Advantage: Nebraska

4. Special Teams Play: Field Position
There's no question that if you want to win most games you must win the field position battle. Nebraska would like to have its offense on the field to only have to drive 40 yards or less each time just to score...it can spell a long long day for the opposition. Alex Henery has shown that at anytime he can change the game by booming punts deep down the field. Prime example was his late fourth quarter 60 yard punt that pinned K-State back on its own 3 yard line. This is a simple mental game Nebraska can play with Colorado, it gets mentally draining when you have to go 90 plus yards each time just to score. On a team that can after 8 losses really isn't that mentally tough, when you have a chance to drive in the nail...you must.
Advantage: Nebraska

Prediction: Nebraska can really ill-afford to overlook Colorado. Bo Pelini has invested too much time to see his team try to just line up and run the plays to win. He knows what it takes to win and sees himself head back out to Boulder to see his defense yet again dominate in the trenches. They give Tyler Hansen fits that creates costly INT's for the Buffaloes. Colorado makes some nice early plays on defense to keep the crowd in the game, but eventually wear out after getting pounded by Nebraska new power running game. This leads to a few touchdowns in the second half that puts Colorado away and thus end a very disappointing season.
Nebraska wins 38-3

2. Announced earlier today, Colorado will keep Dan Hawkins after this season. As many people around Buffalo land think that he should lose his job simply after going 3-9 when he proclaimed going 10-2 this season. Look do I think he should lose his job, yes, in this day and age it's pretty simple...you win...you keep your job...you lose...your out and Dan Hawkins just hasn't done enough to keep his job. He's below .500 in conference play and just doesn't have signature win that he can hang his hat on. You have to win big games....and when recently when Gary Barnett had Colorado in the Big 12 title game, that clearly isn't the path of this program. He was a great story at Boise State and simply has shown that he can't handle it in a major conference. He'll likely continue to be on the hot seat until he wins a few key signature games.

Another reason why Colorado can't make a move now, simply comes down to dollars. This athletic department simply doesn't have the money to buy out his contract for 10 plus million. They are struggling now just to keep themselves from falling below Division I status as they are cutting athletic programs to stay afloat. They are an athletic budget in desperate need of one of it's athletic programs to succeed to draw in revenue it's losing every year. The economy saved Dan Hawkins this season, but go below .500 next year and fans in Boulder will be screaming for a coaching change....and next time they'll maybe get it.

3. As always we go around the Big 12....Rivalry Style
Here's this weeks games:

Texas @ Texas A&M (Thursday)
Nebraska @ Colorado (Friday)
Texas Tech vs. Baylor @ Dallas
Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma
Missouri vs. Kansas @ Arrowhead in Kansas City

Well Rivalry Week never seems to disappoint with a slew of good games. We start by watching Texas at A&M on Thanksgiving followed by Nebraska and CU on Friday. Saturday brings us the Bedlam Series at OU and the Border War in Arrowhead. Texas Tech and Baylor get to adorn the Dallas Cowboys Stadium for their game on Saturday.
Predicted Winners: Texas, Nebraska, Tech, OSU, Missouri

Last Week's Record: 5-1 (83%)

Big 12 Season Record: 31-11 (74%)

Enjoy your holiday weekend...ladies get out and shop on Friday....guys enjoy the weekend of football. Happy Thanksgiving and as always GO BIG RED!!!! Catch y'all next week.

November 24, 2009

2009-11-24T12:41:00.003-06:00

As promised I have returned back for another nice day of blogging much to talk about today...

THE HOT LIST:

1. North vs. South
2. Kansas Troubles
3. Husker Tid-bits

1. We begin with a very pressing issue in the Big 12 conference the overwhelming domination from the South. This season the South held 13-5 edge over teams from the North, and only one team in the North held a winning record over the South this season...that team was Nebraska. I don't know how long the Big 12 will continue to let this happen, but I think they are keeping their fingers crossed that Texas wins and makes the BCS title game. If Nebraska pulls off the upset, it sets a whirlwind of problems in motion for the conference. First, the coaches who have been against the title game will rise up again with outrage that another quality team from the Big 12 missed out in playing for the national championship because of the league's title game. The list is endless on teams this has happened to. However the conference wouldn't be terribly upset if Nebraska won, showing that the North is catching up with the South....or just Nebraska. Either way any outcome in this title game...doesn't make things better for the vastly unbalanced divisions in this conference.

2. I haven't said much about this subject...but now it's fastly becoming a major issue in the conference. Allegations have begun to surface about Mangino verbally and physically abusing some of his players over the past two seasons. Now an internal investigation has begun by the athletic director to look into these allegations. It's becoming a bad bad bad situation at KU. There's no question that Mangino is the best coach that they have had in a long long time, but its very likely the school will fire Mangino at the end of this season. This team is in the mist of a 6 game losing streak, and must beat Missouri to keep it's season alive and make a bowl game. When you have players coming out publicly, it shows that this coaching staff is losing the respect of its players and when you have that happen to you...you ultimately lose your job. It's a shame because the school rallied around him when he was called into hot water a few times after close tough losses he faced, but now the slack given to him seems to have run out. He'll depart KU and likely will land at another program given his success...leaving KU to find a strong replacement to keep any hopes that the work Mangino did in 8 seasons wasn't all for nothing.

3. Husker Tid-Bits:
Bo Pelini has made it very clear that the focus of this team is to go to Colorado and get a W, they want to get as much momentum as they can before heading to Dallas next week....I agree with this idea...how awful would it look if you lost to 3-8 Colorado on the road...yea you better win on Friday.

Jacob Hickman commented that he loves seeing teams blitz more to stop the re-surging Nebraska running game. He said that Kansas State blitzed far more than they did on film allowing Nebraska to set up a few big plays in the running and passing games. It's good that these guys are picking up when a team is getting out of their element...you need everything in the bag for next week.

When you catch a TD pass against Kansas State, you get the time to get humorous with reporters. Mike McNeill commented about how he "inadvertently" dropped a third down pass for 10 yards that set up Alex Henery's record setting kick. "I was setting up history in the making, I didn't want Alex to hit like a 40 yard field goal. I wanted it to be a little longer, so I dropped the third-down pass." It's nice to see the team joking around a bit...thats what winning games will do.

The freshness of Rex Burkehead back into the lineup poses huge problems for defenses remaining on Nebraska's schedule. Shawn Watson commented that Rex has the freshest legs in the group and that we will work to get him on the field more. Just when Nebraska is getting back on track you get back your best backup tailback...this is huge if Rex can continue to run downhill with power like he did against Missouri....that'll give Roy a chance to stay fresh and give some well needed depth in that backfield with Burkehead, Robinson, and Helu.

One more day of blogging tomorrow...then I retire to enjoy Thanksgiving....and watch football...Till Then...

November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T17:59:00.002-06:00

I'm back from my awesome trip to New Orleans, it was a great experience to get a chance to hang out in the Bayou...and once again coming back to talk about another win.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Kansas State/Nebraska Grade Outs
2. Big 12 Rankings
3. New Top 25

1. Nebraska got back to doing what we as fans expect, beat down an opponent that clearly was out matched on the field all day. Nebraska is getting wins now that aren't terribly flashy, but they are simple just suiting up, putting on their helmets, and hitting teams in the mouth now. Nebraska did officially clinch a berth in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas in Dallas. We'll talk about that more later this week, but as the team stated they're focused on Colorado, this blog will stay focus on that as well :)
To the Grade Outs:

Offense: A
Defense: A

Offense: It was a great day for the offense, although they were out-gained in total yards by Kansas State...Nebraska ran the ball effectively again this week. If you are expecting Nebraska to bust out the spread offense this season, Shawn Watson has clearly showed that this offense will pound the ball with two TE's and two RB's. This new formation has allowed Nebraska to rush the ball for over 100 yards and Roy Helu punched in a nice rushing TD to put the Huskers up 2 scores late in the third quarter. I came away from Saturday's game impressed that Shawn Watson dialed up passing formations that got their very athletic TE in Mike McNeil open....Zac did misfire when he was wide open early in the first quarter. But if he connects there Nebraska is throttling K-State 17-3 at half. A perfect A+ eludes this offense this week as Zac had a bad turnover on the goal line where they were looking to score again. The offense did what it had to do to efficiently move the ball down and keep their defense rested. Another positive was seeing Rex Burkehead back...the talented freshman returned since breaking his foot early in October. Nebraska can now get him back into shape and ready for what you expect will be a very physical game against Texas in two weeks.....

Defense: It was a very nice day for the defense again, outside of allowing K-State to score 3 points in their opening series. They flew around to the ball and allowed Daniel Thomas, the conferences best rusher, to just 99 yards. This defense did a great job of limiting Brandon Banks to big plays, most of K-State's offense was predicated on him getting in space and making big gains...Nebraska simply shut him down and made it a very frustrating night returning and catching the ball. It was a nice day for the defense...the came out....punched K-State in the mouth and dictated the tempo of the game. This defense is slowly going down as one of the best units in school history and they have 3 more games to cement their legacy. All in all great day. Not a perfect grade out because at time we were gashed for a few big plays, but like they have done all year they bend...but haven't broken...and held another opponent under 300 yards of total offense...damn good performance guys.

2. Big 12 Rankings (week 13)

1. Texas (11-0) (7-0)
Texas got a good senior night performance from its stars in Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley. But a trap game lingers this week at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving...if the Longhorns look past the Aggies an upset is very likely. Maintaining focus is the only thing that Texas must continue to do...break and kiss your National Championship dreams away.

2. Nebraska (8-3) (5-2)
This team has turned the corner into a legit championship team in this conference since beating OU 2 weeks ago. Keeping focus on Colorado is key, as you want to ride as much momentum as you can into the title game next weekend. This defense just continues to play better each week...how many teams have held opponents under 10 points in six games this season...that just shows why this team leads the nation in scoring defense.

3. Oklahoma State (9-2) (6-1)
Wow does the Cowboys look like a different team without Zac Robinson. Getting him healthy is key this week and the Cowboys are in a must win situation if they want to get into the BCS. Having to travel Norman is an awfully high mountain to climb for Oklahoma State.

4. Texas Tech (7-4) (4-3)
The Red Raiders blew out OU on Saturday, showing once again that this team can put up points in a flurry against anyone they blay...why can't they do it in every game this season? If they had, they'd be in the National Championship hunt...but get a win against Baylor on Saturday to get into a nice bowl game this season...but winning a bowl game is a must to end this season on a high note.

5. Oklahoma (6-5) (4-3)
Who would of thought that the Sooners, preseason ranked in the top 5 could finish 6-6 this season. It just hasn't been a great year for Bob Stoops, and another issue is how that stout defense got demolished by Texas Tech...Oklahoma State could ruin senior day on Saturday and give Stoops his 3 lost at home in his 9 seasons as the head coach.

6. Texas A&M (6-5) (3-4)
Getting a solid win at home was nice on Saturday...but it's not impressive since it was against struggling Baylor...All that can change if you can spring the biggest upset at home against Texas on Thanksgiving...If A&M has been holding out on playing out of their minds for one game...this is the game. Defensive line play must continue to be big for this team to get an upset.

7. Missouri (7-4) (3-4)
The Tigers beat up on lowly Iowa State to pad their bowl hopes and move up into a higher bowl game. Missouri is licking their chops to beat up on a struggling KU in the annual boarder war game on Saturday...Defense improvements have been a nice to see from the Tigers in the last few weeks....but still not the season they wanted to have this year.

8. Kansas State (6-6) (4-4)
The Wildcats were just outmatched on Saturday and end their season staying home for the holidays...I guess Bill Synder will consider twice scheduling two FCS schools in one season...The Wildcats completely overplayed expectations this season, just didn't do enough to get into the bowl season....rebuilding key senior losses is now the main focus for K-State.

9. Iowa State (6-6) (4-4)
The Cyclones lost a key game to get into a higher bowl game, but got some needed help when K-State lost. They are all assured of getting to a game this season, but winning that bowl game is the key to putting a cherry on top of this season...Paul Rhoads has done a great job getting this team to overachieve but losing 3 out of your last 4 games doesn't give you the momentum you need to have heading into the bowl season.

10. Kansas (5-6) (1-6)
Another bad lost on Saturday makes it a do or die for the season this weekend against Missouri. Mangino must get this team to a bowl game to take heat off his off the field issues. No matter how you look at it, this team has fully under-performed this season and likely have thrown in the towl on this season. If that's the case, it's likely a coaching change is imminent for the loss of the huge senior playmakers this team is losing.

11. Baylor (4-7) (1-6)
Getting an upset of Texas Tech could be the lone bright spot since beating Missouri on the road. Losing Robert Griffin locked in a no bowl game season. Hopes are high for this team in 2010....and they may finally have found the right coach for this program in Art Briles....either way Baylor wants to get this season over with, and will look at this game against Texas Tech as it's bowl game....I expect more out of this team next season.

12. Colorado (3-8) (2-5)
Colorado came oh so close to pulling off the biggest upset in the conference season, but fell 3 points short. They return home to get Nebraska, a team on a 4 game winning streak. Colorado can only hope that they can play like they did in Lincoln last year....make big plays and keep it close, but get a couple nice breaks. This is a bad bad team on both sides of the ball and 3-9 after an announced 10 win season makes Dan Hawkins look like a fool....Colorado fans want to forget about this season, and look forward to 2010 with a new coach.

3. New Top 25 (Week 13)

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. TCU (4)
5. Georgia Tech (5)
6. Cincinnati (6)
7. Ohio State (7)
8. Pittsburgh (8)
9. Oregon (11)
10. Penn State (19)
11. Clemson (15)
12. Oklahoma State (10)
13. Houston (22)
14. BYU (16)
15. Nebraska (18)
16. Wisconsin (13)
17. LSU (9)
18. Miami (17)
19. Boise State (20)
20. North Carolina (23)
21. Ole Miss (UR)
22. Oregon State (24)
23. California (UR)
24. Stanford (12)
25. Utah (UR)

A few teams tumble after losing this weekend....the top 8 remain the same after each team had a bye week or won...A few teams make big jumps after nice wins, Penn State, Clemson, and Houston...Cal, Ole Miss, and Utah make it back into my top 25 and I'm still keeping Iowa and USC...out, but the Trojans can get back into the rankings if they beat down UCLA on Saturday....and again a 12-0 win over Minnesota won't get Iowa back into my top 25...they'll have to play a nice SEC team and beat them impressively to get in...and I don't think that'll happen..

Coming back again tomorrow.....SKOCZ OUT

November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T17:13:00.002-06:00

The days of the regular season in college football are winding down....but college basketball is officially in full swing.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Kansas State Key Matchups
2. Husker Basketball Preview: St. Louis
3. Around the Big 12

1. Well we've come to the semifinal game to the big 12 title game. For both teams its pretty simple...win & you likely face Texas in Dallas December 5th...lose and your watching that game from your home in two weeks. To the Key Matchups:

1. Nebraska's Defensive Line and Linebackers vs. Daniel Thomas
K-State brings a different style of offense that Nebraska hasn't seen in the past few weeks....a power running game keyed by their highly recruited tailback in Daniel Thomas. Thomas quietly has been in the top 5 in rushing in the conference...he's a big back that keys the rest of the Wildcat offense. Like Nebraska, K-State prides itself on play action that allows their speedy small WR in Brandon Banks to get open. Suh and company are licking their chops to see a team wanting to pound the rock down their throats, but making sure tackles against this bigger back is the key. Last week Nebraska looked suspect in handling the job of bringing down Opurum...The change of style at running back made it difficult to bring the big back down. Nebraska must come in on his legs, and bring him down quickly with gang tackling and not let his momentum drive them back for extra yards.
Advantage: Nebraska

2. Nebraska's WR's vs. K-State Secondary
This is a big matchup that Nebraska must win this weekend. Last week Nebraska showed that if they look for Niles Paul down the field he can make big plays in the passing game....but what if K-State locks Paul down this week...Nebraska must develop another legit threat down field and make the K-State defense think instead of react to the play. That'll keep those LB's off from lining up 3 yards from the ball and open holes in Nebraska's running game. Last week Denario Alexander showed that when a WR wants to take over a game against this team...it can happen.
Advantage: Nebraska

3. Nebraska's Offense vs. K-State Defense:
Last week Nebraska rode its Offense for a nice win over Kansas. Can that offense be called upon again to show that it's making improvements each week. Nebraska simply has to establish Roy Helu and it running game to set up their passing game. Nebraska isn't going to get flashy on offense this season, they'll keep it simple but just need to execute with precision like they did in the second half against Kansas. Keeping your defense fresh will be a key element to game, so that means you must win the time of possession battle...you do that by running the ball to milk time off the clock. It sure worked in the second half against Kansas and surely is the key to a victory against Kansas State.
Advantage: Nebraska

4. Nebraska's Kick Coverage vs. K-State's Return Game
This arguably the best aspect of K-State's game. They bring one of the best return me in all of college football in Brandon Banks. That poses some huge challenges for Nebraska as field position is a vital key to a win. I don't think Nebraska would like to find themselves starting drives inside their own 10 yard line on ever series. Containing Banks and limiting his big returns in the special team game will be key for field position and keeping momentum. You don't want to be ahead by two scores and have K-State return a kick to the house and change the momentum of the game. Playing your best on special teams will be critical for Nebraska.
Advantage: Kansas State

Prediction: Nebraska returns back to Memorial Stadium for its final home game to honor it's seniors. Players like Suh, Hickman, Holt, and Asante suit up for the final time in front of 86,000 people. Nebraska eats up Daniel Thomas all day, making it miserable for the big running back to get outside and rush the ball with effectiveness. Nebraska uses timely rushes and passes like they did last week to move the ball and put up points on the scoreboard. Nebraska sadly gives up a few big returns that make Kansas State feel that they are still in the game, but in the end Suh and company go out as champions in their final game in Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska wins 35-10.

2. Nebraska Basketball has started its season and travels to St. Louis tonight to face good ole Rick Majerius. Yes the former big guy on ESPN has been back in coaching for a few seasons. Its a huge gamble for Doc to take a very young and inexperienced team on the road in just their second game of the season, but win and win convincingly and you can gain some huge momentum heading into your showdown with USC in a couple of weeks. Keys for Nebraska are pretty simple, play good defense, keep your turnovers small, and take high percentage shots. I like Nebraska's size in this game, I think it'll give St. Louis all they can handle with Ubel and Diaz in the middle. Nebraska must use this game to develop a solid point guard, one guy who you know can handle the ball on the road well when the pressure builds. I think Nebraska gets a W tonight but doesn't necessarily does it in convincing fashion...this team is young and clearly I think as Husker fans we have to be ready to go through some growing pains with this young but talented team.

3. Once again as I wrap up this week, we go around the Big 12
Here's this weeks game:

Kansas @ Texas
Iowa State @ Missouri
Kansas State @ Nebraska
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech
Colorado @ Oklahoma State
Baylor @ Texas A&M

A few good to decent games on the slate this weekend with Nebraska/K-State battling out for the Big 12 North title...Texas looks to continue its path to the BCS title game. Oklahoma makes a dangerous road trip to Texas Tech, and Colorado looks for a positive on its awful season against Oklahoma State. Also Iowa State needs a win over Missouri to assure a bowl berth as 6-6 probably won't cut it this season.
Predicted Winners: Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, A&M

Last week's Record: 5-1 (83%)

Overall Big 12 Record: 26-10 (72%)

I'm out for the rest of the week to the ASHA conference in New Orleans...I'll return for our regular 3 blog days next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday....Till then...GO BIG RED!!!

November 17, 2009

2009-11-17T23:05:00.001-06:00

Well again blogging after a win is always fun....I can only get 2 up this week as I head for good ole New Orleans this weekend for the weekend.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Kansas Grade Outs
2. New Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. Well you knew going into this game last Saturday that you'd be getting KU's best shot...they didn't disappoint. Nebraska did something it hadn't done since Louisiana Lafayette...win with offense. It was nice to see, and I think we as Husker fans can start to sleep a bit better each night knowing that the team is actually getting better each week. Nebraska looked good again this week...and did show a little bit of rust from Oklahoma. To the Grade Outs:

Offense: A
Defense: B+

Offense: What can be said about this offense other than it receives a higher rating for the first time in nearly 2 months. Nebraska used a solid balance offense to wear out the Jayhawks last Saturday. Roy Helu rushed the ball 28 times for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. The noticeable thing that I liked seeing was Zac's composure in the pocket, many times he sat back and waited for guys to come open and made some nice passes to Niles Paul, Brandon Kinnie, and Dreu Young. The offense receives a nice A this week because they did what they had to do in the second half when the game was tied...control the clock. Rushing the ball with authority like they did on Saturday allowed Nebraska to keep the ball most of the third quarter and seal the game away when they got the ball with 7:32 left to go. Keeping that potent KU offense off the field was key and Nebraska did a great job keeping them off the field, driving the ball, and scoring TD's late in the game to seal a win.

Defense: Ok, so it wasn't flashy by any means. Suh and company struggled in the second quarter containing the very mobile Todd Reesing and getting pressure to him. You could see that the gameplan in the second half was to just contain Todd in the pocket and make him beat you with his arm. Clearly they lost so he didn't do that. Another thing we as fans have to look at is that this is the first experienced senior quarterback that Nebraska's defense has faced all season. Every other opponent put a first year starter on the field when they played against Nebraska, or handed the ball off to a freshman. It clear that experienced quarterbacks in this league could give Nebraska fits, especially in the Big 12 title game...(yes I'm already calling a W this Saturday). Nebraska didn't look bad, they held a very very good KU offense under a 100 yards below its season average and only allowed KU to score 17 points after they hung 35 in Lincoln last season. They do have some work to do an d will have taken valuable learned lessons from this game. No matter how you look at it, it was an all around solid win for Nebraska.

2. New Top 25 (Week 12)

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. TCU (4)
5. Georgia Tech (5)
6. Cincinnati (6)
7. Ohio State (7)
8. Pittsburgh (8)
9. LSU (9)
10. Oklahoma State (11)
11. Oregon (13)
12. Stanford (21)
13. Wisconsin (15)
14. South Carolina (17)
15. Clemson (18)
16. BYU (20)
17. Miami (19)
18. Nebraska (23)
19. Penn State (25)
20. Boise State (22)
21. West Virginia (24)
22. Houston (12)
23. North Carolina (UR)
24. Oregon State (UR)
25. Rutgers (UR)

It's a weird week when most of the top 10 remains the same from last week. One through nice stay the same. Big losers this week were Arizona, USC both out...Iowa is still not back in my ratings. Like to see Stanford rise to 12 after thumping USC...and Houston is a big faller losing to Central Florida last weekend. New teams in this week are North Carolina, Oregon State, and Rutgers.

3. Big 12 Rankings (Week 12)

1. Texas (10-0) (6-0)
The Longhorns are simply in cruise control till their last two games that could derail them to the National Title game. Remember in '96 when a better Nebraska team came into the title game simply to win and play for the National title and unranked Texas beat them...anything can happen when the roles are reversed.

2. Oklahoma State (8-2) (5-1)
A gutty grinding win over Texas Tech looked good on national tv last weekend. Losing Zac Robinson for an extended period of time is the pressing concern but playing Colorado this week is nice if you need to sit him for the week. His health will determine OSU's at large BCS hopes.

3. Nebraska (7-3) (4-2)
Great defense, and an offense slowly improving could spell Nebraska's first BCS bowl game since 2001. Must take care of business against K-State this weekend on Senior Day to get that shot. Nebraska is slowly looking like a contender in that game in December.

4. Oklahoma (6-4) (4-2)
OU wishes they could just play all their games at home as Landry Jones just knifes opponents in Norman. Unfortunately the Sooners must travel to Lubbock on Saturday afternoon. Tech has played them tough, but you got to like OU's stout defense that keeps them in every game they've played this season.

5. Texas Tech (6-4) (3-3)
The Red Raiders lost a crucial opportunity to get back into the upper half up the Big 12 South. Losing to OU this weekend can all but assure that they'll finish 4th or 5th in the South. Not exactly what these seniors had in mind this season.

6. Texas A&M (5-5) (2-4)
This the Aggies last chance to get bowl eligible against Baylor this week. Don't want to chance it against Texas on Thanksgiving night. A&M must find a way to stay in games they are overmatched in...instead of getting blown out like they did against OU on Saturday. Which Aggie team shows up this week?

7. Missouri (6-4) (2-4)
The Tigers took some wind out of K-State's sails on Saturday thumping that vulnerable secondary. Missouri needs to finish 8-4 to get their hands on a decent bowl berth, losing to either Iowa State this week or KU next week would be the icing on the cake to a very disappointing season for the tiger faithful.

8. Kansas State (6-5) (4-3)
The Wildcats had a chance to come to Lincoln riding a huge wave of momentum, instead they dropped an egg and got thumped by a very poor Missouri team (who just last week lost to Baylor). It's simple to complete Synder's masterful turn-around you must win at Nebraska to get to a bowl game and to the Big 12 Title game....I guess when he loses he'll reconsider scheduling two I-AA opponents in the same season. Idiot.

9. Iowa State (6-5) (3-4)
The Cyclones are officially bowl eligible, but with a conference that may have 8 to 9 teams eligible, Iowa State needs to beat Missouri on Saturday to get in for sure. Lose and the likelihood of missing that bowl game is very very likely. I guess all that jumping around, celebrating by Paul Rhoads on Saturday may have been for nothing.

10. Kansas (5-5) (1-5)
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Jayhawks. Kansas got dominated in the second half by Nebraska and now rumors are surfacing about players being unhappy with Mangino at the helm. That doesn't bode well for a team needing to win either at Texas or against Missouri to be bowl eligible, but like Iowa State that still may not be enough this year. The high points this program had all but two years ago are now gone, and regression and rebuilding look imminent now.

11. Baylor (4-6) (1-5)
Baylor just didn't have enough to hang with Texas last Saturday....Getting Texas A&M this week who gave up 65 points to OU looks appealing for Art Briles. Baylor must beat A&M and Texas Tech to make a bowl game this year. Do that and this season could look brighter than it did a few weeks ago when Robert Griffin went down for the year with a torn ACL.

12. Colorado (3-7) (2-4)
The Buffs close out this awful season with Oklahoma State this week on the road, and Nebraska at home next week. 3-9 looks very very likely with Dan Hawkins needing to make serious changes at Colorado. He'll keep his job simply because the school can not afford to buy him out this season. So much for 10 wins....whatta laughable prediction.

Coming back tomorrow.....

November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T22:36:00.003-06:00

Sorry I couldn't get a post out yesterday...crazy busy day being a big Graduate student....we'll get on in today and a special post-gameday blog on Saturday.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Kansas/Nebraska Key Matchups
2. Husker Basketball Preview
3. Around the Big 12

1. Its a big big week for Nebraska. The Huskers must respond with another win this weekend to show that they are ready to make a strong run at the Big 12 Championship game. To the Key Matchups:

1. Kansas' Offensive Line vs. Nebraska's Defensive Line:
This is probably the second biggest matchup this weekend. Nebraska's front four has given pretty much every team nightmares when they want to drop back and throw the ball. Todd Reesing is a season veteran and has the skill sets to make teams pay if you give him an opportunity. Last season, Reesing was able to make plays with his feet to buy time for his WR's to get open. Nebraska's front four must contain Reesing and make key sacks when they get pressure to him. Remember what happened against Texas Tech when we got pressure but were unable to finish the play....on Saturday Nebraska must make Todd feel like it'll be long long day for him to sit in the pocket.
Advantage: Nebraska

2. Kansas' Wide Receivers vs. Nebraska's Secondary
Even though the Jayhawks are on a bad four game losing streak, KU arguably brings a group of very talented and experienced WR core that have shown the ability in the past few seasons that they can make plays. Desmond Briscoe and Kerry Meier are one of the best tandem WR's in the Big 12. Briscoe came into this season as one of the premier WR's in the Big 12, but lately he has been struggling with catching the ball. Nebraska will likely play a lot of man coverage with two safeties over the top to take away the deep ball. These guys must make plays like they did last week against the speedy WR's of OU and take KU's two big playmakers out of the game.
Advantage: Nebraska

3. Nebraska's Offense vs. Kansas' Defense
This is the biggest matchup of the weekend. Nebraska didn't have to get flashy last weekend to move the ball and score points against OU. This weekend they'll face a lesser defense that at times has struggled mightily to stop opponents from scoring. The Jayhawk D has played better in the past few weeks but haven't made enough plays to get Kansas a W. It's very simple this weekend, if you want to win on the road....you must run the ball effectively. Roy Helu showed flashes last weekend that his shoulder injuries might be healed up and are behind him. If he can come out this weekend and run the ball with power and effectiveness, it could spell a long long day for Kansas. I don't think it really matters who Nebraska's starts at QB on Saturday, this team must run the ball...very well....when you can do that you set yourself up for the play action passing game that is set up from the running game. If Nebraska can rush the ball with power like they did at times against OU, points could come in bunches against Kansas.
Advantage: Draw

Prediction:
Nebraska took monumental steps in showing that it has a championship caliber defense that can stop nearly everyone that if faces. Nebraska allowed OU to tack only 3 points last weekend on the scoreboard. Nebraska's defense has risen to a new level each week they have played...and that doesn't spell success for a struggling Kansas team to get a win on Senior night and become bowl eligible. Roy Helu comes out running on a new cylinder showing that he is healthy and one of the top running backs in this league. Nebraska controls the clock and makes timely scores to fend off any hope of a Kansas upset. Nebraska wins 28-3 and moves closer to the Big 12 title game.

2. Nebraska Basketball begins its 2009-2010 campaign this Saturday. Nebraska wrapped up its exhibition season against Hastings College this week. The best player in 2 games this season has to be Christian Standhardinger who now must sit for the entire nonconference season. Standhardinger fired in 18 points against Hastings College and showed his versatility of getting up and down the floor. Nebraska will no doubt be hurting in some of its nonconference games without him. Nebraska must learn to develop Brian Diaz and Brandon Ubel as premier big guys in the paint.
Nebraska"s other troubling stat in two games were their turnovers. It clearly is showing that this team doesn't have a stable point guard who can handle the ball and prevent turnovers. Nebraska must shore up this issue and develop into an overall solid defensive team like they have been in years past. In a year where the Big 12 could send 8 teams to the NCAA tournament, Nebraska can ill afford to have a period where it's trying to grow and find itself while playing against the premier caliber teams in the Big 12...We'll see how they start out.

3. As usual we go around the Big 12
Here's this week's schedule:

Nebraska @ Kansas
Texas @ Baylor
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State
Texas A&M @ Oklahoma
Missouri @ Kansas State
Colorado @ Iowa State

Some big games on the slate this weekend, Texas is trying to remain perfect and in the National Championship chase, OU is trying to rebound, OSU is looking for revenge against Texas Tech, and Kansas State looks to continue it's amazing run towards the Big 12 title game, and Nebraska looks to dominate another opponent this weekend.
Predicted Winners: Nebraska, Texas, OSU, OU, Missouri, Colorado

Last weeks record: 3-3 (50%)

Season Big 12 Record: 21-9 (70%)

To those going to KU with me...it'll be a royally good time...I'm looking forward to spoiling KU's Senior Day....GO BIG RED...and I'll be back on Saturday.

November 10, 2009

2009-11-10T11:18:00.002-06:00

WOW....again it's always fun to blog when we are coming off arguably the biggest win of the season.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Oklahoma Grade Outs
2. New Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. WoW...I do love being right but do love to call out some of the players on the team and have them step up and prove me wrong. Look back into your psyche and remember the question you were asking yourself about whether Nebraska had the tools and mentality to hang with a powerful OU defense. I didn't think so, but like I said...being proved wrong is great and in the long run makes me a great blogger. To the Grade Outs:

Offense: B+
Defense: A+

Offense: The offense gets a high grade out this week because I thought they played a hell of a game against the best defense they had seen to date. I've heard way to many people complain about the play calling of Shawn Watson, but I'll defend his play calling to the death. He schemed a great game, yes it was very vanilla, I'll agree with that, but that offense on Saturday did a few things for us, it allowed us to keep the ball and no turn it over (aside from Zac's bad pitch). You knew OU was gonna stack the box, and they did...they can move to the ball quickly, and they did....As an offensive coordinator you didn't want to see your offense turnover the ball and have OU run it back for six when you had a great feeling your defense was going to play it's best game of the season. It wasn't pretty but Nebraska did just enough of what it had to do to win. They still must cash in more consistently on opportunities that the defense creates for them...Nebraska arguably left 10 points on the field against OU...this time it didn't come back to bite them, but in future games it possibly could.

Defense: WOW...WOW...WOW...I talked about it last week that in order for Nebraska to win this game the back seven would have to play the game of their lives...and they did. Nebraska was able to make Landry Jones throw 5 interceptions. They made his night miserable. As we've seen all season, this defense has allowed teams to move the ball on them, but they haven't broken. They elevated their game and no doubt played the best game as a collective unit on Saturday. This W is a big one that Nebraska can ride to a nice 9-3 finish to this season. There isn't much to say other than the defense played their tails off and willed this team to a HUGE win. Congrats Guys...it was well deserved and well needed.

2. New Top 25 for Week 11

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (3)
3. Texas (2)
4. TCU (7)
5. Georgia Tech (8)
6. Cincinnati (4)
7. Ohio State (9)
8. Pittsburgh (10)
9. LSU (5)
10. Utah (11)
11. Oklahoma State (14)
12. Houston (13)
13. Oregon (6)
14. USC (15)
15. Wisconsin (16)
16. Arizona (18)
17. South Carolina (20)
18. Clemson (UR)
19. Miami (18)
20. BYU (UR)
21. Stanford (UR)
22. Boise State (21)
23. Nebraska (UR)
24. West Virginia (UR)
25. Penn State (12)

Unranked teams make another splash this week with Clemson, Nebraska, West Virginia, BYU and Stanford all make it in. Iowa, OU are out..yes I have Iowa unranked...they were grossly over-rated and have to become more impressive for me to get them back in my top 25. TCU is the biggest mover up with teams like LSU, Oregon, losing and Cincinnati struggling to beat UConn last weekend. The top 3 remain the same and the showdown between Alabama and Florida is coming in the SEC Championship game.

3. Big 12 Rankings Week 11

1. Texas (9-0) (5-0)
The Longhorns travel to Baylor this weekend, not a trap game but the Bears did just win at Missouri. The Longhorns toughest game left is at A&M on Thanksgiving night. Colt must get his troops ready in the next two weeks for that huge rivalry showdown.

2. Oklahoma State (7-2) (4-1)
Win out and the Cowboys notch a New Year's Day bowl game. Revenge is on the mind this week with Texas Tech coming to town, and a dangerous game this one is.

3. Texas Tech (6-3) (3-2)
Texas Tech used the bye week to heal some of its wounds, but lingering games against OSU, OU, and Baylor can still say a lot about this team. A healthy Quarterback is Tech's biggest problem right now.

4. Nebraska (6-3) (3-2)
This team has the best defense in the conference, and proved that last weekend against OU. Nebraska has winnable games against KU, K-State, and Colorado. 9-3 would look pretty good after losing to Tech and ISU in the middle of October.

5. Kansas State (6-4) (4-2)
The Wildcats just keep chugging away at this Big 12 North race. It's a must win against Missouri this weekend to keep the pressure on the Huskers. Bill Synder has done a masterful job restoring hope into this team.

6. Oklahoma (5-4) (3-2)
The wheels on this bus are falling off, and Bob Stoops must get some swagger back into his team with A&M, Tech, and OSU left on the schedule. Lose it now and you miss out in a bowl game...that'd be the icing on the cake in what is looking like a gloomy season for the Sooners.

7. Iowa State (5-5) (2-4)
The Cyclones must win against Colorado this week or they might officially kiss their bowl hopes away this season. Iowa State hasn't looked good since Nebraska gave them a W two weeks ago. The impact of Paul Rhoads doesn't look as bright if this team misses a bowl game.

8. Texas A&M (5-4) (2-3)
Consistency is something Mike Sherman needs to get out of his team. Losing to Colorado last weekend could be the thorn that bugs his side for the rest of the season. You can get that back if you beat OU on the road this weekend. Not likely...put all you eggs in a basket for Texas on Thanksgiving.

9. Colorado (3-6) (2-3)
Colorado must win out to get into the bowl picture. That's a lot to ask, for a team that hasn't looked to hot this season...10 wins...you're an idiot Dan Hawkins. Go 3-9 this season and the clean up squad will be ready to run you out of town.

10. Kansas (5-4) (1-4)
KU must win one of its final games against Nebraska, Texas, or Missouri to become bowl eligible. This team is falling apart after losing 4 straight...should of beat K-State last week because 5-7 looks imminent now. Todd Reesing should of gotten more out of his senior season.

11. Baylor (4-5) (1-4)
The Bear shocked the Big 12 battling back and getting a big W of the Tigers. It's the lone bright spot on a very disappointing season. Keep your heads up, next season could be a magical one.

12. Missouri (5-4) (1-4)
This team had back to back 10 win seasons the past two years. Now they are at the bottom of the conference. Pinkel could be on the hot seat if he doesn't salvage this season and win a bowl game. Missouri faithful have no patience for being throw back to mediocrity so fast.

Taco Tuesday again...go get some at TJ's...coming back tomorrow...Skocz Out.

November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T10:27:00.004-06:00

Time to wrap up the week with the final post of the week....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Oklahoma/Nebraska Matchups
2. Jared Crick's Impact
3. Around the Big 12

1. The big boys come to town this weekend. Husker Fans have been looking forward to this game all season since last season's blowout...oh yea I was there to watch that one...real fun. Oklahoma comes into Saturday night's game at 5-3 and looking to salvage what has been a very disappointing season that started with National Championship aspirations. Sam Bradford is lost for the season, and the reins have been turned over to Landry Jones, who quietly leads all freshman with 17 TD passes. To the Key Matchups:

First: Nebraska's Defensive Line vs. Oklahoma's Offensive Line
It's a tale of opposites with this match up....OU's offensive line clearly has been the weak point of their offense allowing opponents to blitz at will and cause disruption to their timely passing game. This is probably the biggest match-up strength for the Huskers....their front four must push back this offensive line and create a notion that it'll be long long day trying to throw the ball. If they can get consistent pressure for four quarters, look for OU to have a mediocre day passing and an even tougher time rushing the ball. Advantage: Nebraska

Second: Nebraska's Offensive Line vs. Oklahoma's Defensive Line
Just like Nebraska, OU brings a group of defensive lineman that Nebraska hasn't seen this season. In the past few weeks Nebraska has really struggled blowing guys off the ball, this week will be no different I think for the Huskers. I haven't been impressed in the last few weeks that makes me think that finally this offensive line will be able to put it together and blow the best defensive front four to date this season off the ball...I love to be showed up and proven wrong...so prove me wrong O-Line. Advantage: Oklahoma

Third: Nebraska's Secondary vs. Oklahoma's Wide Receivers
This is probably the second biggest match-up nightmare for Nebraska. The problems that plagued this team against Baylor and Texas Tech could have their way of becoming a big issue this Saturday. OU brings a group of young but talented group of receivers lead by Ryan Broyles. The true sophomore is arguably OU's best deep ball threat. If Nebraska can't get to Landry Jones quick enough, these guys will have to stay on their guys and make plays. That's something that I think has been overlooked this season because our front four has been so dominate that these guys haven't been forced to make big plays...just hang on. You can't hang on against Oklahoma, if you wanna beat them you have to create turnovers and out play them, and that doesn't happen very often these days. Advantage: Oklahoma

Fourth: Nebraska's Wide Receivers vs. Oklahoma's Secondary
This is probably the strength of this team but has been exposed at times this season. They bring a few guys who have an unsung nack for getting to the football when it's in the air. Nebraska's wide receivers have to shed the pressure these guys will bring and get open...then do what every wide receiver must do in big games like this...catch the ball. That'll be critical keeping drives alive and giving Nebraska's defense a chance to rest. You have to be able to make completions against OU down the field over 15 yards. That keeps those linebackers and safeties back off of trying to stuff the run. Advantage: Oklahoma

Fifth: Winning the Turnover Battle
If you want to beat a sound team in Oklahoma, you must win the turnover battle. Nebraska can ill afford to throw a pick six at home and expect that they can win. Nebraska's secondary must create turnovers and give the offense a chance to drive a short distance to score or kick a field goal. That is important as I think Nebraska will be unable to drive the ball 60+ yards on OU's defense to score touchdowns. Advantage: Draw

Prediction:
This game marks the returns of award winning legends from both schools. Guys like Billy Sims, Tommie Frazier, Eric Crouch, Dave Rimington, Steve Owens, Josh Heupel, Jason White, Aaron Taylor, Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne all return to Memorial Stadium to witness the greatest rivalry in college football that has been ruined by the creation of the Big 12. Nebraska should be looking at this game as a great opportunity to come out play strong to make a statement that Nebraska can make a run like they did after getting thumped by OU last season. Nebraska's defense comes to play early, but timely completions in 3rd and longs kills momentum for Nebraska and forces the offense to have to score when it has the ball, thus allowing OU to create a few turnovers to stop a few aggressive throws by Cody Green.

Oklahoma wins 21-10, sending Nebraska to re-evaluate itself as a program when compared to the big boys of the conference. Nebraska keeps it close but realizes it still has a long way to go to be at the level Oklahoma is at when the two teams play again in two years in Norman.

2. Great article on Jared Crick and how quietly he is becoming a nice compliment to Suh on the defensive line. His amazing 13 tackle, 5 sack performance earned him 2 national player of the week honors and has shown a big of star-light on the Husker sophomore. Crick quietly stated that it comes from having a big game, but that he will continue to go back to work to create double teams that allow Suh to get back to being in the star-light. It's humbling to know that this young kid, who's very talented, just simply wants to work his butt off some more to get better. I hope in the future he can step up and become a vocal leader for the defense. No question he has benefited from playing along side Suh, it might be tougher sledding next season as the only returner on the line. I expect big things out of him this weekend.

3. Around the Big 12
We go around the Big 12 to see this weekends slate of games, and make those all interesting predictions.

Central Florida @ Texas
Oklahoma @ Nebraska
Oklahoma State @ Iowa State
Kansas @ Kansas State
Baylor @ Missouri
Texas A&M @ Colorado
Texas Tech (Bye-week)

The best game on paper probably isnt in Lincoln, but in Manhattan as K-State looks to continue their improbably season by trying to beat up on a moral laden Kansas team. Its pretty cut and dry this week.
Predicted Winners: Texas, Oklahoma, OSU, K-State, Missouri, A&M

Last weeks record: (5-1) (83%)

Season Big 12 Record: (18-6) (75%)

Get out and enjoy the last night game of the season, I'll be there in full force. Enjoy the game..stay safe...and as always...GO BIG RED!!!

November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T10:04:00.002-06:00

Well its another hot day of blogging...so lets not waste anytime.....

THE HOT LIST:

1. The Big 12 Conference...do we need to restructure it???
2. Suuuuuh...is he being poorly targeted for his overall strength and speed?
3. Husker Tid-Bits

1. Tim Griffin of ESPN blogged a very interesting topic last week that I have heard a few times in the past few years. It was about should the Big 12 Conference reevaluate its divisions and thus look to restructure them to allow for a more balanced league on both sides of the conference. There's no question the strength of the conference is in the South...the South has captured the last five conference championships with the last one from the North coming in 2003 when K-State upset Oklahoma. In each of the past 5 years the South has held a considerable advantage over the North in cross division victories. Geographically the South teams have been allowed to thrive and explode with growth and popularity. I think that the conference does need to restructure itself and look to add a few new schools into the mix. The Big 12 could start by dropping Iowa State or Baylor and add Arkansas or TCU. Each of those schools are deserving of getting a chance to play in a conference they can have success with. TCU has been deserving for a few years...but I'd be hard pressed to see the Mountain West lose one of their conference powers to get Baylor in return. Lets say that the Big 12 doesn't add any new teams...how do we restructure the divisions?

A great idea was proposed to switch out Oklahoma for Kansas Thus spreading out the talent of the conference a bit. The problem with this comes from trying to keep teams happy playing their main rivals every year...like OU and Texas and Kansas Missouri.....I think that if you split the division like this each team should get one permanent conference game...a team they play every year...the remaining teams in that division could rotate on a random system meaning that every four years your other two teams would be different...thus keeping a little bit of variety in your conference schedule. The problem I see is that every four years a team could get stuck playing a schedule with all the big boys in the conference which hurts their chances of making a bowl game....or in the latter it could help any team make the National Title game if you beat OU, Texas, OSU, and Texas Tech in the same season.
The Divisions:

Kansas City:
Nebraska
Colorado
Iowa State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Missouri

Dallas:
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor

Marked Games (Permanent each year):
Texas vs. Oklahoma
Texas A&M vs. Nebraska
Kansas vs. Missouri
Kansas State vs. Colorado
Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech
Baylor vs. Iowa State

Its a bit interesting...but I do think that soon in the next few years restructuring of the conference will happen.

2. A great article came out by Mitch Sherman from the Omaha World Herald about Suh and the possibility of the amount of frustration that has been building up inside of him this season. He'll most likely be a top 5 pick in the NFL draft next season but sadly this season isn't turning out to be the one that Suh wanted to have. In the past 4 weeks Suh has been flagged for personal fouls because of his amazing vicious hits he has had. I think the referees are starting to see the amount of potential that this guy has on the field and how literally how unblockable he is when he's on the field. He has a lot more fire to leave out on the football field but how long will that fire burn when the offense continues to let them down week after week. With four games left in the season Suh has a chance to distance himself in the Outland and Lombardi awards, he may also go down as the most dominate Nebraska defensive lineman in school history...no matter what awards he brings in for himself at the end of this season....I think Suh will take a victory four game winning streak over any award....he still has a lot to accomplish...I can't wait for him to take a few more strides towards his goals this weekend.

3. Husker Tid-bits
Suh is being punished internally following his late night automobile accident that cost his SUV 10,000 dollars worth of damage and totaled another car....whatever the punishment is you know Suh will carry out in stride....Cody Green was probably prepared to be graded out by his position coach Shawn Watson, but got a series of interesting calls from his old high school coach Jeff Nations. The former coach to Cody Green stated that he saw his former QB look like he choked in the second half...further evaluation of the tape showed he played good but could do better....I agree....Brandon Kinnie will have a going competition with a former teammate, Cameron Kenney who plays for OU. The two were regulars at the top of the Jayhawk conference in receptions and yards...Who says you can't have a friend cross team competition while trying to win the game for your school...my money is on Kenney.....Rex Burkehead appears on track to possible being able to play again during the Colorado game...should anything derail that time table...he'll be ready for the bowl game.....We need that kid back...asap....Shawn Watson is gearing up for a hard nose physical game as that is what he feels will be the key to wearing out Oklahoma and getting a victory...it was how Texas won..they just made a few plays and wore OU out...interesting that it'll take that kind of game plan to beat OU...We haven't done that on offense all season....

Coming back with more tomorrow...

November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T11:03:00.006-06:00

Wow, how fast does the College Football season goes...and to think we only have four games left...so sad.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Baylor Grade Outs
2. New Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. It wasn't pretty by any means but Nebraska did what it needed to do to get a W and get itself back into the Big 12 North race. Think how much of a strangle hold they would have on the division if they'd won last week against ISU. Nebraska would be in the drivers seat but now they probably must win against Oklahoma to show that this team is improving and getting better to make a strong run to the Big 12 championship game. To the Grade Outs:

Offense: C
Defense: B-

Offense: Bo pulled the trigger last week and gave the nod to Cody Green, but Husker fans quickly found out in the second half that Nebraska has more issues with it's offense than just it's QB. Nebraska was unimpressive by not being unable to finish off a pesky opponent on the road when it had the chance to put them away early in the second half. Two turnovers by Cody Green allowed Baylor to feel that they could pull of the huge upset at home. This offense simply hasn't been able to run the ball effectively since Virginia Tech. That doesn't look good with the 3rd best defense against the run coming into town this weekend. I can remember last time OU came to Lincoln.....Nebraska couldn't rush the ball and needed trick plays to keep itself in the game. Nebraska must get better play from it's offensive line this week or it'll be a long long game with OU manhandling them. Nebraska wasn't able to move the ball down the field against Baylor in the second half which is concerning again because there was a lot of plays where guys were missing blocks and assignments. We've heard it said many times this season...you must execute efficiently or you'll keep running into the same problems that have plagued this offense all year.

Defense: Jared Crick came out with a mission that he wasn't going to be stopped, and that earned him national defensive and Big 12 defensive player of the week honors. He'll be counted on again to play well against Oklahoma...but more to come on the match-ups later this week. Nebraska didn't get the highest grade this week as they forced one turnover but what was most concerning was the secondary giving up big plays through the air. Those kinda plays killed momentum against Texas Tech and could be a game changer against OU this weekend. The front four did it's part but the back seven has to elevate their game or big plays against this defense are likely to come in big numbers against the speed of Oklahoma.

2. My New Top 25 for the first week of November.

1. Florida (1)
2. Texas (3)
3. Alabama (2)
4. Cincinnati (4)
5. LSU (6)
6. Oregon (8)
7. TCU (7)
8. Georgia Tech (10)
9. Ohio State (12)
10. Pittsburgh (11)
11. Utah (14)
12. Penn State (13)
13. Houston (15)
14. Oklahoma State (9)
15. USC (5)
16. Wisconsin (UR)
17. California (19)
18. Arizona (23)
19. Miami (18)
20. South Carolina (22)
21. Boise State (21)
22. Iowa (20)
23. South Florida (UR)
24. Auburn (UR)
25. Oklahoma (UR)

Texas makes the jump to #2 following a nice road win at OSU on Saturday. Teams move up following USC blowout against Oregon on Saturday...hmmm I guess they were hotly overrated all season...unranked teams make a splash this week as Wisconsin, OU, Auburn, and South Florida all crack my top 25. Iowa drops due to a dismal performance against Indiana, I'm calling a blowout against Ohio State next weekend.

3. Big 12 Rankings (Week 10)

1. Texas (8-0) (5-0)
Its becoming a magical season that probably has to end in a national title for the Longhorn faithful. Texas plays is remaining 5 games in the state of Texas...a nice butterball opponent in Central Florida should continue to boost them in the polls the next few weeks.

2. Oklahoma State (6-2) (3-1)
OSU simply just isn't the same offense with out Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. The Cowboys lost a chance to show that this team can hang with the elite of this conference. Playing OU in Norman to end the season doesn't look to good now...I smell a trap this weekend at Iowa State if this team lingers in it's dismantling it got from the Longhorns.

3. Oklahoma (5-3) (3-1)
What does OU have to prove in it's final four games? That's a question that will have to be answered in the next few weeks. How well does that offensive line play against the best front four in the conference? OU would like to finish 9-3 and snag a high tier bowl game to salvage this disappointing season.

4. Texas Tech (6-3) (3-2)
The Red Raiders have earned a nice bye week this week...but still have a chance to stir the pot with games against OSU, OU and Baylor to end the season. 9-3 isn't out of reach for this squad after it beat down the Jayhawks in the second half last weekend.

5. Kansas State (5-4) (3-2)
This team got beat by Louisiana Lafayette at home early in the season and went toe to toe with Oklahoma in the second half last weekend. K-State could wrap up an improbable Big 12 North title with wins over Kansas and Missouri in the next 2 weeks.

6. Nebraska (5-3) (2-2)
The Husker's offensive woes continue every week. Wouldn't it be nice to see a break out against a great opponent at home this weekend against OU. If it wasn't for Nebraska defense...the Huskers would be hard pressed to have 3 wins this season.

7. Texas A&M (5-3) (2-2)
One more win and the Aggies would be bowl eligible...they can still stir the pot against Texas on Thanksgiving night....The Aggies have clearly overachieved this season and have some big big games left on their schedule. Winning at Colorado is a must to keep this season a bright one.

8. Missouri (5-3) (1-2)
The Tiger offense woke up and mutilated the Buffaloes on Saturday. That bodes well with Baylor coming to town on Saturday. This team isn't out of making a nice bowl game, but winning out is likely a must.

9. Kansas (5-3) (1-3)
Benching Todd Reesing just a few weeks after Mangino proclaimed that he was the top Heisman candidate shows that this team is falling apart. That doesn't sit well with the Jayhawk faithful who thought this was going to be a big season. Games against K-State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas look awful and missing a bowl game is likely if you don't win this weekend at K-State.

10. Iowa State (5-4) (2-3)
The Cyclones had a chance to follow up an upset win of Nebraska with another at A&M and were blown out 35-10 by the Aggies. Paul Rhoads has used his celebration locker room video after the Nebraska game as a recruiting tool, but how powerful is that if the Cyclones miss out in a bowl game this season.

11. Colorado (2-6) (1-3)
One win in the conference over Kansas has kept this team from going winless in the Big 12. The Aggies come a calling at home this weekend...can we see back to back trounces at home by the opponent? That appears likely with Dan Hawkins firing support base growing after every home loss.

12. Baylor (3-5) (0-4)
Winless in the conference just hurts when there was so much excitement with this team in August. Good teams rebound from hard personal losses....the Bears haven't and their offense hasn't helped their defense win games. 0-8 in the conference looks likely each week...and going to Missouri isn't easy to get your first win this weekend. It shows how much Robert Griffin meant to this team.

More Tomorrow......Go Enjoy some Taco Tuesday at TJ's

October 29, 2009

2009-10-29T13:15:00.002-05:00

This is the last hot blog of the week...so I'll make it count.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Baylor Key Matchups
2. Phillip Dillard...how much he has changed
3. Around the Big 12

1. We start by talking about the key matchups this weekend.

First, Nebraska's offensive line vs. Baylor's Linebackers. This is the heart and sole of the Baylor defense. This unit leads the Big 12 in combined tackles. They are fast, smart, and make sure tackles that prevent offenses from making big plays against them. The question comes whether this group, which has been susceptible to giving up huge chunks of yards on the ground, can stop Nebraska's dormant running game. It's a simple rule in the Big 12, if you wanna win on the road you have to run the ball effectively. So much of Nebraska's offense is predicated off the ability to run the ball effectively. If Nebraska can come out and block the talented LB of Baylor is would spell a very long day for the Bears.

Second, Nebraska's defensive line vs. Baylor's Offensive Line. Tempo can be dictated right off the bat by how effectively Nebraska can get pressure with it's front four. There's no question that the overall team success of the defense has been boosted by the awesome play of Nebraska's front four. It's hard to get the ball out when your running for your life in the backfield.

Third, Nebraska's WR's vs. Baylor's Secondary. Nebraska must get of its offensive snide and that can start in the passing game with Nebraska's WR's. Whoever gets the start this weekend must come out and catch the ball, play hard every down, and block better downfield for the running backs. If they can get back on track and elevate their game....Baylor could find itself in a whole heap of problems trying to stop this offense...as weird as that sounds after the past 2 weeks.

Prediction: It's been an ugly one for the Nebraska Cornhuskers the past 2 weeks. Nebraska goes into Waco with a simple mission...improve as a team and send a statement that Nebraska is turning the corner with four huge games left on its schedule. You want to come out and play well against Baylor to build confidence heading into the biggest home game of the year next weekend. Nebraska gets back to its running ways and pounds the ball with authority at Baylor. Suh and his bandits of crazies make it miserable day for Nick Florence and Nebraska cruises to a nice win on TV.
Nebraska wins: 35-7

2. Great article came out today about how much the play of Phillip Dillard has improved over the last few weeks. Here was a guy that had probably the worst spring practice last season and quickly found himself fourth on the depth chart at Mike LB. Phil went to work on the offseason and wasn't awarded a starting mike job, but got the eye of the coaches that this kid needed to get out on the field and play. After not playing in the first 2 games of the year, Phil bursted onto the playing field against VT playing the weakside linebacker position. He had a quite day recording 5 tackles. His play has steadily increased notching 3, 3, 12, and 12 tackles in the last four games. He is quickly becoming a leader and mentor to the two young freshman that play next to him. Its a great story to see a high that was highly recruited out of Oklahoma finally get a shot to get some considerable playing time. He's a story for many that patience and hard work never go un-noticed by anyone you work or play hard for. Congrats on your success Phil...big games are still in your future.

3. We go around the Big 12 and preview this week's slate of games.

Heres the schedule:

Nebraska @ Baylor
Texas @ Oklahoma State
Oklahoma @ Kansas State
Missouri @ Colorado
Kansas @ Texas Tech
Iowa State @ Texas A&M

This weekend marks a couple of big games on Halloween. Texas travels to OSU in what looks like the last hurdle for the Longhorns to jump to remain unbeaten. Kansas has a huge game on the road this weekend trying to get back on track at Texas Tech and Iowa State and K-State have big games this weekend as they are looking to keep their leads in the Big 12 North race.
Predicted Winners: Nebraska, OSU, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech, Texas A&M

Last weeks record: 4-2 (.67)

Season Big 12 Record: 13-5 (.72)

Enjoy your weekend and have a safe and fun Halloween....I'll return again next Tuesday as I always do hopefully spreading good news from a win. Till Then...Skocz Out!!!

October 28, 2009

2009-10-28T10:42:00.002-05:00

With all Hallow's Eve closely upon us in a few days...more blogging is in order today.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska's Offense: How Bad is it?
2. Eye on Recruiting: What does Nebraska Need in this Class?

1. I thought we'd write today about what my perceptions are about why this offense is struggling so badly the past few weeks. Lets examine. In my eyes if you want to be a great offense it all starts up front with your hog mollies. Last season Nebraska had Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha, two veterans that instilled a hard nosed attitude to the line that allowed Nebraska to be very successful last season. This year Nebraska is forced to play guys that were used primarily as backups last season. There's no question that this is not an excuse for the reason why we have struggled on the offensive line, only one guy has a hard-nosed attitude that wants to blow people off the ball...Jacob Hickman. The lone Husker senior has played well this season despite not playing last weekend. If this offense wants to begin to turn the corner, the line must get back to those hate-hard-nose days where defenses feared what our line would do to them during the game.

Second, is the play at running back. Roy Helu is Nebraska's best offensive weapon, but the problem with that is he's banged up and appeared hesitant to rush the ball with authority last weekend. No question Nebraska misses it's phenom running back Rex Burkehead but the future appears brighter with Robinson becoming the primary backup to Roy. The question will be endurance and durability with the young freshman, if he can continue to make strides Nebraska can create the formidable 1/2 punch it was suppose to have at running back this season.

Third, is the play at wide receiver. This has been the most awful play of the entire offense. These guys aren't getting open and making it easier for Zac Lee to fire the ball in. Many many times on Saturday I saw guys taking plays off since they knew the ball wasn't coming to them. I also saw poor blocking and sloppy execution. One of the keys for this offense to get itself back on track has to come from improved WR play where these guys make outside blocks hold up so our running backs can bust out big yard runs. Nebraska thought they could have put any two guys to replace Swift and Peterson, but I think we are quickly seeing how valuable those two guys were for this offense a year ago, and probably was the reason that Joe Ganz had the success that he did last season. There's already change in effect for this weekend as freshman Khiry Cooper will start over Minelik Holt on Saturday. I hope that Shawn not only benches Holt, but Niles Paul as well. For the amount of hype that I have seen from this kid, with this being his first season to be the go-to-guy he has been downright unimpressive. Many times I see him half-assing plays because he knows its not going to him....and no question there is no excuse for his fumble last weekend. He needs a swift wake-up call that being a starter at Nebraska has to be earned, not given...and he hasn't earned a starting job in my eyes.

Fourth, the play of the tight ends. There's no questions Mike McNeil is very frustrated that he hasn't caught the ball as much as he did last season, but play from the WR core has to improve so teams can't just single him out. Right now teams don't respect Nebraska's WR's, so they key in on their TE's to make sure they can't catch the ball. Those TE's have been a focal part of this offense and they have to get back to using them effectively again. It creates nightmare matchups when you have to cover good WR's and a bunch of TE's. They have blocked well at times but not great. Nebraska has the best core of TE's in the Big 12 and they need to get back to finding a way to effectively use them again, meaning the WR's need to step up their game to allow these guys to get the favorable matchups with LB's that they need to get open downfield and make a few big plays that this offense has been unable to do the past few weeks.

Finally, the play of the quarterback. At times Zac Lee has played well but at times he has audible to plays that hurt the overall effectiveness of this offense. He has had some confidence issues now as the Husker Nation has emphatically made it known that they want Cody Green to start. That no doubt has taken an effect on Zac Lee but he did play better than last week against Iowa State...it was just that his supporting cast didn't help him get touchdowns. Zac must go into the Baylor game with a new attitude that with new players playing WR that this team will officially change its attitude and start execution with a mission...to score points. If they can get back to that attitude that they had against VT, than good things are on the horizon for this offense.

OUTLOOK: No question the lack of this offenses ability to march down the field and score points has generated two ugly losses. With new guys getting a chance to play this weekend Shawn Watson looks for answers to many questions that have plagued this team the past two weeks. Ball security is the utmost priority this weekend as Nebraska can't go on the road and continue to fumble the ball and hope to win the game. There are flashy pieces there with Cooper and Robinson show casing their talent, but leader Niles Paul has to grow up and start playing like a man and not a pansy little boy. This team needs to get back to being nasty on the offensive line and must start running the ball effectively. That will in turn open up holes that WR must read to allow Zac to throw easy passes. No matter what happens the next few weeks, Nebraska must find a way to get its TE playmakers the ball and allow them to get into the open field and score touchdowns. I'm only a proponent of starting Cody Green if you feel that he can accurately make the right throws for this offense to be successful. He'll start next season when he's stronger and ready to command this offense...Zac must shake of his anxiety and get back to having fun out on the field...do those things and Nebraska can turn the corner this season and get to the Big 12 Championship game.

2. Recruiting is in full swing but Nebraska isn't a regular on the trial right now. This class just picked up a nice 6-2, 200 pd wide receiver from California. He's having a great senior year and was only recruited by Washington State and the Huskers since he was injured last season. Nebraska has about 5-6 spots available in this class. I expect them to recruit a safety recruit of some kind, as well as another WR and few linemen. I think also that Nebraska will pass on a running back this season as they will be line to get the #1 running back in the country next year in Andrew Green. It's not a big year, but Nebraska is poised to have a huge year next year. When Moore spurns Florida to come to Nebraska, that's a nice victory that Nebraska can build on heading into the future. If you wanna get back to the elite, you have to out recruit the top programs in the country every year.

More tomorrow.....

October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T11:20:00.002-05:00

As we inch closer to the end of the month and the end of October, Nebraska finds itself in a whole world of trouble.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Iowa State/Nebraska Grade Outs
2. My Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. What can you say about this game that hasn't already been said in the few days following what is an embarrassing lost to Iowa State. Nebraska clearly was the better team from a talent point but did the one thing you can't do to win games, turnover the football. Nebraska produced a whooping 8 turnovers in a very ugly 9-7 loss to the Cyclones on Saturday. To the Grade Outs.....

Offense: D-
Defense: A-

Offense: This is the lowest grade out of the season for this offense....again. In just a few short weeks Nebraska has simply regressed back on offense. The wheels have officially come off and this coaching staff must now pick up the pieces and put it back together with new parts. Nebraska keeps itself out of the F category only because they were able to do something they couldn't do against Texas Tech and that was move the football down the field. Critical turnovers inside ISU 6 yard line cost Nebraska a chance to score 35 points and blow out Iowa State. It was the first time I've ever been to a game where I was disgusted about losing to a team Nebraska clearly was better against. It's disheartening that Nebraska closed a few pages on its offensive issues but opened a bad bug on Saturday....the fumble bug. In 6 games this season Nebraska hadn't produced more than 2 turnovers in any game. They pumped out 8 on Saturday with a few being just awful fumbles. How does Niles Paul, your best wide receiver simply just fumble the ball inside the 5 yard line when running for a touchdown? It showed one thing...lack of focus....these guys simply didn't come out with focus and determination to pound the crap out of Iowa State. At times I saw WR's giving up on plays, making poor blocks, and not getting open. When an offense is struggling as bad as Nebraska has the past 2 weeks, you simply can't afford to half-ass it on the field. It's pathetic and I can speak for a vast majority of the Husker Nation that some change needs to happen that results in us scoring points. This team is headed down a very dark path if we continue to lean on our defense doing all the work to win games.

Defense: What can you say about the defense? They played great and kept Nebraska in the game to win it at any point, minus a blow coverage that left Eric Hagg on and island by himself that allowed ISU to score it's only touchdown...where was our great safeties to cover over the top. Mental breakdowns have killed 2 wins for this team. Suh blocked two huge field goals that cost Iowa State 4 points and really set up Nebraska's offense with a very simple task...get into field goal range. Nebraska did that, but a late interception from a ball off the hands of Gilleylen made any hopes of a dramatic win fall short. The pressing issue for this defense again is creating turnovers. Nebraska was unable to produce any when Iowa State was on offense but special teams played its tails off creating a chance for the Huskers to win. If we have learned anything these past few weeks it's that Nebraska has the best defense in the Big 12...no question...but probably has the league's worst performing offense.

2. My New Top 25 for the week of Oct. 25th

1. Florida (2)
2. Alabama (1)
3. Texas (3)
4. Cincinnati (4)
5. USC (5)
6. LSU (6)
7. TCU (8)
8. Oregon (9)
9. Oklahoma State (10)
10. Georgia Tech (11)
11. Pittsburgh (14)
12. Ohio State (17)
13. Penn State (13)
14. Utah (15)
15. Houston (18)
16. Virginia Tech (21)
17. West Virginia (22)
18. Miami (8)
19. California (UR)
20. Iowa (16)
21. Boise State (20)
22. South Carolina (UR)
23. Arizona (23)
24. Ole Miss (UR)
25. Central Michigan (UR)

Florida regains this week's top spot following Alabama's near lost to Tennessee this past weekend. Texas stays at 3....with Cincinnati, USC, and LSU staying at 4, 5, 6.....Miami drops out of the top 10 to 18 following a lost to Clemson this past weekend.....TCU, Oregon, OSU, and GT all round out this week's top 10. Iowa drops 4 spots remaining unbeaten but I'm unimpressed with a team that needed a last second touchdown to beat Michigan State...they were lethargic on offense until that last drive that won the game for them...they'll get beat...very soon. Four new teams crack the top 25 this week as Cal, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and the Chippewas are at 25 with a nice 7-1 record.

3. The Big 12 Rankings for week 9

1. Texas (7-0) (4-0)
A nice thrashing of Missouri on the road has gotten the critics subsided about the production of the Longhorn's offense. A huge test this weekend as Texas' puts its national championship aspirations on the line at Oklahoma State this weekend...the last true test for this team to remain undefeated.

2. Oklahoma State (6-1) (3-0)
The Cowboys are a quite team who simply just keeps winning games impressively and are looking very confident heading into this weekends showdown with the Longhorns.

3. Oklahoma (4-3) (2-1)
OU sent a message on Saturday...this team is still very talented without Sam Bradford. The development of Landry Jones will be key for the Sooners to salvage this season. K-State poses as a tasty development game for Jones.

4. Kansas State (5-3) (3-1)
K-State gets thrashed by Tech, then responds with 2 thrashings to A&M and Colorado....if they get thrashed by Oklahoma this weekend...do they respond again and thrash their next two opponents?

5. Nebraska (4-3) (1-2)
The conferences best defense just can't get its offense to score a few more points for them....Nebraska is just 3 points away from being 6-1....than what are people saying about this team then...This is a must win game for the Huskers this weekend.

6. Kansas (5-2) (1-2)
After going 5-0 to start the season, back to back losses are starting to concern the Jayhawk faithful....this team showed one thing this past weekend...it aint anywhere close to being in the same league with the elite of the Big 12 South.

7. Texas A&M (4-3) (1-2)
The Aggies may have saved Mike Sherman's job by beating up on Texas Tech last weekend. A follow up win this weekend is a must to show that this team is improving.

8. Iowa State (5-3) (2-2)
The Cyclones got a gift wrapped win from Nebraska on Saturday....win another game and the Cyclones go bowling courtesy of the Huskers.....who would of thought they would have made it to a bowl game at the beginning of the season.

9. Texas Tech (5-3) (2-2)
Mike Leach kinda wishes he didn't have to go through the injury bug like he has this season....that big win against Nebraska last week doesn't seem so glamorous now. A statement can be made at home against Kansas this Saturday though.

10. Missouri (4-3) (0-3)
In 3 games that Missouri had a chance to make a statement about how good this team could be..they fell flat on their face....this team has to regroup and try to win 2 more games to get bowl eligible but the Tiger faithful probably won't be happy with a low mid tier bowl game this season.

11. Baylor (3-4) (0-3)
The Bears have struggled mightily to score points on offense. That doesn't go well with the conferences best defense coming to town this weekend. My how the Bears would love to have Robert Griffin back now...this team is looking at a winless conference season if they can't spring the upset at home this weekend.

12. Colorado (2-5) (1-2)
You beat Kansas, then travel to K-State and do nothing on offense. What are the Tyler Hansen fans saying about him now? There are more issues with the Buffaloes now and getting the Tigers at home may help if you can get back to those winning ways that help upset Kansas last weekend.

Coming back tomorrow.......

October 22, 2009

2009-10-22T09:52:00.002-05:00

It's a busy week with just 3 days of class following Fall Break...I'll get a special early morning post up on Friday.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska's QB Controversy: Do We Even Have One?
2. Husker Volleyball
3. Big 12 Basketball Media Days

1. The hot topic this week has been should Nebraska make a quarterback change this week, as Zac Lee has struggled in the 3 games he's played against BCS teams. Here's my thoughts: You have to look long and hard at each kid and determine which player gives you the BEST chance to win the remaining games on your schedule. When given time Zac has shown the ability to make good throws and really hasn't allowed teams to pick him off. Cody is a tremendous talent, his feet and gun slinging arm give him abilities that Zac Lee really hasn't showed this season. The bottom line is Nebraska has to get back to running the ball aggressively. The lack of the running game has really hampered Nebraska's abilities to make big play action plays as teams just don't respect Nebraska's running game when Roy Helu isn't in the game. The offensive line absolutely has to improve in order to allow either one of our two QB's to have success. Their play has hampered drives, killed momentum, and forced Nebraska to play in more shotgun snaps than they probably would like to. If you gauged Bo Pelini's voice from the press conference on Tuesday it appears that Zac Lee will remain the starter for Nebraska. I dont question Zac's ability to read defenses and make the right pre-snap reads. The questions I have about him is h is ability to pull the trigger and react on impulse rather than thinking too much in the pocket. At times last week his body language showed that he was hesitant, and in Shawn Watson's offense you really just can't be hesitant in the pocket when trying to get the ball out. He also must show that he is willing to run for the first down. He really hasn't shown that on a 3rd and 5 that he's willing to tuck the ball and get the first down. In an offense that's young and going through some struggles you have to mentally make getting a first down your utmost priority. That means Zac must run the ball to keep critical drives alive.

I think that when it's all said and done after this weeks practice that we'll see Zac Lee come out and start the game this Saturday. I know its not what the Husker faithful wants to see, but if Zac can take his game to a whole new level, those critics will quickly be singing a different tune at the end of the Iowa State game. I think that he must show improvement in the first quarter. That's his time table to effectively drive Nebraska's offense and score TD's. If he comes out and struggles again, I'm looking for Cody Green to come out and finish the rest of the game. If he has a big game, he'll most likely remain the starter for the remainder of the season. Either way, this is a pivotal week for the offense to get back on track before traveling to Baylor next weekend. If your going to make a permanent change at QB, this is the week to do it...if we don't, we better all get prepared for what Zac will give us for the rest of the season.

2. The days of Husker Volleyball are getting darker these days. Nebraska lost miserably at home in 5 sets to Iowa State. It was the Cyclones first ever win over Nebraska. The former Nebraska setting star of Christy Johnson-Lynch has officially completed her rebuilding of Iowa State from a program that was the cellar of the Big 12 to arguably a contender for the title this season. Its been a masterful job by her and by no means am I taking away from what she did, but I did get a chance to watch the 3rd, 4th, and 5th sets of this game and came away with a few things.

First, Nebraska really isn't a great defensive team. Nebraska took a commanding lead winning set 3 and going up 2-1 on the match, but poor defensive execution allowed Iowa State to hit over .400 and climb back into the match and force a decisive set 5. Iowa State showed how great of a defensive team it can be limiting Nebraska to -.83...yes that's right NEGATIVE hitting in the 4th set. Nebraska just wasn't able to slide over and make great defensive plays in the game. No matter how you look at it, in all of Nebraska's 5 losses this season their defense has fallen apart. You can't make a deep run in the postseason without playing good defense...clearly this is a bigger issue for this volleyball team.

Second, Nebraska can't win long rallies. Nebraska got into a couple pivotal long rallies with Iowa State but mentally broke down and that fueled Iowa State's confidence to win the game. Nebraska at times look tired, out of position, and mentally drained. How you can do that at home is beyond me, you have the home court advantage, fire yourself up and fuel yourself to a win. When you look the way you did at home....its pathetic...no excuses about that.

Third, Who's the go to leader on this team? The answer: NO ONE. Nebraska has no go to player that can single handily take over a game for them when they need her too. Look at the great teams that Nebraska has had, each one had a go to girl that could dominate any team on the other side of the net. You have a great group of talented girls but nobody willing to step up and take over matches. Also, who's the real leader on the team? Who's the girl that when things get down gets in the huddle and yells "were not losing this one today"? Last year Jordan Larson made it a goal of hers to not only be a great all around player but a great leader. Nebraska has no leader in the huddle and thats very concerning at this point of the season. You need someone you can lean on in the postseason and Nebraska must figure that out....in a hurry.

Fourth, Nebraska looks out of place when playing aggressive attacking teams. Many many times last night girls were out of place and simply not ready for high moving balls to come at them. Thats just pathetic when you think about how long these girls have played volleyball. Most probably their whole lives. Iowa State just dictated the entire game to Nebraska. They were on their heels and never were able to over take the aggressiveness that Iowa State came out with to start the game. Good teams will do that to you, and Nebraska simply has not had an answer for those kinda teams this season. It's sad to admit that but Nebraska just looks like a very average team this year.

OUTLOOK: There's no question that this team is giving John Cook headaches when he goes home at night. Their inconsistent play has cost Nebraska 5 games this year and Nebraska has lost 3 home games in one season for the first time since 1999. It's sad to see that at the end of this season, this young and very talented team would have ruined so many records that legends in this program worked so hard to built. If Nebraska doesn't learn how to get aggressive and mentally get tougher in matches, I expect them to not even get out of the first round of the NCAA tournament. This team has to learn to play better defense, learn to attack the holes, and quit making service errors. (Gina made a huge one in set 5, you were the national player of the year and the #1 volleyball recruit...time to start playing like it) Nebraska simply is outmatched against the elite this season.....If that doesn't get them angry...I don't know what else will...For those dye-hard volleyball fans, this appears to be a dark season for Husker Volleyball.

3. Big 12 Basketball Media Days
Doc Sadler stepped to the podium today and answered questions about this season's basketball team. Here's what he said:

Doc had a lot to say about the size of his team. He seemed a bit gasped that finally after a few years he finally has a few big guys that he can feed the ball too since the Alex Maric era ended a few seasons ago. Right now he's not happy with where his defense is right now but feels they can make strides to get to the great defensive teams the he has had at Nebraska (Doc has helped Nebraska finish in the top 5 in the conference in team defense the past 3 seasons).

Doc does feel that Nebraska will be competitive this season, but in a league that arguably is poised for its best year ever, it's hard for the coach to say that Nebraska can finish in the upper half of the Big 12. Doc does feel that Nebraska can beat a few people at the end of the year and hopefully surprise a few teams, but does realize that his young and inexperienced team will have to grow up very quickly for that to happen.

Doc did comment a lot about incoming freshman Brandon Ubel. He says that he really likes his size and that he has the potential to be a great player at Nebraska for four years. He's a big, thick, strong player that can really shoot the ball. Doc feels that he can be very good this season, but adds that he is a freshman and that he will have to go through the learning process that most freshman go through during the 16 game Big 12 grind. Doc feels that his big guys on the floor will prevent teams from driving the ball right at them like many teams did last season. It's still a work in progress but Doc feels that he has some of the right pieces in place to have a moderately successful season this year.

Coming back with a special morning State Cross Country post.....till then.

October 20, 2009

2009-10-20T12:38:00.006-05:00

Well after a hard-felt loss...we've come back with ooh soo much to talk about....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Texas Tech/Nebraska Grade Outs
2. Husker Press Conference
3. New Top 25
4. Big 12 Rankings

1. Nebraska went into Saturday's game with an opportunity to take another step in the right direction towards their goal of winning a Big 12 North title..especially since Kansas fell on the road to Colorado last weekend. We'll get to the grade outs soon but a drumming of 21 points at home to Texas Tech has a lot of Husker fans thinking that we are headed down the a path that ends with Nebraska losing 4 to 5 games this season. Nebraska took a monumental steps backwards on Saturday and left many Husker fans asking many questions about one side of the ball...the offense. To the Grade Outs:

Offense: D-
Defense: B

Offense: What can you say about the offense but that they single handily lost this game for Nebraska. There are now pressing questions for this offense such as why can't Nebraska rush the ball with authority anymore? Why does our offensive line continue to have mental breakdowns that kill scoring drives? Which backup running back is ready to shelter the load for a beat up Roy Helu? Who's the big play WR on our team that can single handily change the game? Which QB will start this Saturday? Why can't Zac Lee make timely throws when pressured in the pocket? As you can see my questions about the offense can pile up quickly. Am I a proponent that we need to start Cody Green on Saturday???...not exactly...and here's why....when it comes to being a good offense our team has to be able to run the ball effectively....Look at all the good teams in the Big 12 that have won the Big 12 title...they could run the ball effectively and at will. Nebraska must first shore up its offensive line problems before they invest on getting a new QB into the game...because if we can't protect that QB and open holes for him to run...it wont matter who you put back in there...they still won't be effective. I do agree that if we continue to play Zac Lee he will have to get better at making decision quickly...he struggled on Saturday making quick reads and getting the ball out effectively.....I trust Shawn Watson's judgment on who should start..but if you go with the idea of making a QB change...this is the week to do it.

Defense: What can you say about the play of the defense...they allowed the #1 passing offense in the country to just 225 yards and only allowed 29 total yards of offense to Texas Tech in the second half. The coveted blackshirts were handed out on practice Monday...but the concerning issue was how Texas Tech ran the ball right at our defense late in the game to score another touchdown to officially put the game away. Another pressing issue was the defense inability to create a pivotal turnover when our offense was struggling as mightily as they were in the game. Creating turnovers and stopping the downhill running game will be keys to beating ISU this weekend as the Cyclones bring the best rushing offense in the Big 12 to Lincoln on Saturday. I think I speak for many Husker fans that don't want to see our defense play as well as they did on Saturday and lose by 21....but if they played completely lights out...they wouldn't have allowed 21 points to Tech.

2. I listened to the Husker Press Conference this afternoon and I came away impressed with a few things.

Bo: It's clear that Bo was unhappy with Nebraska's play on Saturday but reiterates the word that Nebraska must execute effectively every down if they are going to get back on track with the goals they have mapped out this season. Bo did comment that Roy is banged up and that he will practice today wearing a green no contact jersey to keep his shoulders healthy. Bo also commented on that he places his faith in Shawn Watson and that after looking at the tapes of practice and grading out both quarterbacks...the best grade out will start this Saturday.

Suh: It was clear that Suh knew about how good the defense played on Saturday but that it didn't result in a win and therefore to him meant nothing to him. He also commented a bit today about that this team will not become a divided team on who should start at QB and about the offense not doing their part to score points and win games. Suh looks at the offensive struggles at what happened last season when the defense was struggling and the offense was carrying the team...Suh looks at this situation as the defenses chance to carry the team till they get back on track...he was certain they would be able to in the next couple of weeks.

Zac: Zac fielded a lot of questions about decision making in the pocket, but said today that he felt that he got the ball out quickly on 3 and 4 step drops. He didn't comment on his lack of running out of the pocket when there is no one open and about his passing accuracy. He did say that he really didn't hear the boo's at him after a few bad series early in the 3rd quarter. He also commented that Cody and him come back to practice every week and compete their tails off together to start the next week. Looks like Zac has won every week...we'll see if he wins this week.

Cody: It was funny to see the true freshman a bit starry eyed today about being asked to sit in on the Husker Press Conference and field questions from the media. Cody did say that he got away with a few passes but not all of them as he talked about his INT that sealed the loss late in the 4th quarter. What you took away from what he said is that Cody will continue to stay in any role as long as this team keeps winning. He's a great competitor and did say once again that as of right now this is Zac's team and Zac's offense. He did talk about his growth as a QB from the time he started in the spring till now...he is comfortable with knowing a great deal of plays from 250 to 300...but feels that Zac knows more of the pre-snap reads than he does...By his tone it appears that they are seriously looking at him to start this weekend but early signs seem to be pointing to Zac.

3. The New Top 25 the week of Oct. 19th:

1. Alabama (1)
2. Florida (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. Cincinnati (6)
5. USC (5)
6. LSU (9)
7. Miami (9)
8. TCU (8)
9. Oregon (11)
10. Oklahoma State (17)
11. Georgia Tech (15)
12. BYU (12)
13. Penn State (13)
14. Pittsburgh (23)
15. Utah (22)
16. Iowa (21)
17. Ohio State (4)
18. Houston (18)
19. Texas Tech (UR)
20. Boise State (16)
21. Virginia Tech (7)
22. West Virginia (UR)
23. Arizona (UR)
24. Nebraska (10)
25. Kansas (20)

The top 2 remain the same with Texas moving back up to 3....Cincinnati is a big jumper over USC with a nice road win over South Florida...LSU rises 3 spots...with Oregon and Oklahoma State breaking the top 10 this week with nice wins on Saturday...GT moves up after beating Virginia Tech....Pitt jumps too with the shakedown of teams losing ahead of them...Iowa jumps following a nice win at Wisconsin.....Ohio State falls from 4 to 17 following a bad loss to Purdue...Texas Tech breaks the top 25 following its nice win over the Sker's.....Boise State drops following a near loss to Tulsa....VT drops from 7 to 21....Arizona comes in from the unranked crowd....Nebraska drops to 24 and KU is 25 but both teams must win impressively to stay in my top 25 next week.

4. Big 12 Rankings:

1. Texas (6-0) (3-0)
Texas stays atop because they are unbeaten but have one big game left against Oklahoma State on Halloween...rushing the ball effectively is still a concern with this team.

2. Oklahoma State (5-1) (2-0)
A beatdown of Missouri on Saturday has recharged this team that big goals written on the whiteboard at the beginning of the season are still within reach. Getting Texas and Texas Tech at home helps that cause.

3. Oklahoma (3-3) (1-1)
OU's defense keeps them in every game they have lost...but losing Sam Bradford for likely the season can't keep pending losses to Nebraska, Texas Tech, and possibly Kansas from happening. Winning out is OU's only way to salvage this season.

4. Nebraska (4-2) (1-1)
Nebraska's still has the best defense in the conference...but offensive woes have begun to blacken the outlook of this season.

5. Texas Tech (5-2) (2-1)
Texas Tech has favorable games at home and a big one still left on the road...Oklahoma State. This team can quietly make some noise in the Big 12 South...who would of thought after getting beat by Texas..

6. Kansas (5-1) (1-1)
Kansas defensive problems are likely going to provide Kansas with a mediocre season as losses to Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech are imminent. Todd Reesing can't save them every game...think Mangino is rethinking his idea of using a 4-2-5 defense now.

7. Missouri (4-2) (0-2)
Has this team underachieved or are they just that bad??? It appears that this team leans too heavily on Gabbert's bum ankle...The image of this team can change beating Texas at home on Saturday.

8. Iowa State (4-3) (1-2)
The Cyclones broke a nice losing streak in the Big 12...but how well with they look on the road playing a vengeance hungry Nebraska team? Austin Arnaud is quietly having a breakout season for Iowa State.

9. Kansas State (4-3) (1-2)
A beatdown of Texas A&M gets the angry fans off Synder's back for another week. A loss to Colorado this weekend will almost certainly bring back those critics and gets the pressure back on his shoulders.

10. Baylor (3-3) (0-2)
The Bears are on a path to continue their non-bowl streak of 16 years....injuries have all but taken away what looked like a promising season...and the loss to Iowa State last week on the road has left a very sour taste to this season.

11. Colorado (2-4) (1-1)
The QB change could keep the fire Dan Hawkins supporters subsided only if they continue winning...all eyes will be on how well that new QB can play on the road this weekend at K-State.

12. Texas A&M (3-3) (0-2)
Things have gone from bad to ugly in just 2 weeks for the Aggies. The Aggies came into last weekends game as heavy favorites and left with a thrashing to probably one of the worst teams in the Big 12 North....0-8 in the conference appears likely this season...could we see a coaching and AD change at A&M like we saw at Nebraska last season???

Coming back tomorrow....

October 15, 2009

2009-10-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Well I'm getting this one posted up a bit early...but the A-2 cross country district is calling my name today so I'll have no time to get this one done......so we'll rock it out now....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Texas Tech Match-ups
2. Husker Basketball (Preseason Poll)
3. Around the Big 12 (Predictions)

1. Well its a big game this weekend, a pesky Texas Tech Red Raider team ventures to Lincoln fresh off their beat down of Kansas State last weekend. It's still unclear on exactly who will start for Mike Leach's team, but we can be expected to know that whoever starts at QB can certainly throw the ball...it's all that offense can really do. There's no question that this will be another challenge for the Huskers...Texas Tech posses a completely new set of problems and issues that our defense will have to be prepared for...I think that Nebraska can fully handle the challenge. On Offense this team will need to regroup and do what it did last year that nearly got them the biggest win for this program last season....control the time of possession...you do that effectively by running the ball...this is now a more pressing issue with the news that Rex Burkehead was most likely lost for the season due to his newly acquired broken foot. That offense of Texas Tech can't beat you if they are watching the game from the sidelines and I think we as Husker fans can all remember what happened 4 years ago the last time the Red Raiders came to Lincoln...I'm not diving into the past just the looking towards the future.

Key Matchups: It comes down to Defensive Line play vs. the massive size of Texas Tech offensive line...last week Nebraska was able to exploit how to effectively defend the spread offense...you simply need to get pressure with your front 4...that will be critical this weekend as allowing their QB to sit in the pocket and pick apart isn't exactly what Bo and his staff have in mind for the defense. On Offense it comes down to blocking Texas Tech LB's....last week our offensive line struggled mightily with the speedy shiftiness of Missouri's linebackers...Texas Tech brings a new group of backers with the same kind of speed and experience that bugged Nebraska last weekend....If you can effectively block their linebackers...you can create nice holes for those running backs to run through which thus controls the clock and keeps Texas Tech's offense off the field....

Prediction: I don't expect Nebraska to overlook Texas Tech with some of their newly acquired national image....Suh and his bandit of boys come out and set the tone early...it'll be very difficult for you to score on this defense today...that leads to a 3 and out to start the game and thus ignites the offense to score on their first possession....Zac Lee feeds off the home crowd energy and leads Nebraska to multiple scoring drives that increase the pressure on the Red Raiders each time they have the ball thus causing them to throw a few interceptions...Nebraska wins on regional television...but that defense of Texas Tech keeps it respectable....35-21

2. The Husker Basketball season begins next month and today the preseason Big 12 rankings came out...Nebraska finds itself picked to finish at the bottom of the league this year at 11. Here's a breakdown of the preseason poll.

1. Kansas (11)
2. Texas (1)
3. Oklahoma
4. Kansas State
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma State
7. Missouri
8. Iowa State
9. Texas Tech
10. Baylor
11. Nebraska
12. Colorado

-Kansas received 11 first place votes with Texas getting 1...hmmmm I wonder who voted for them???

I think that the coaches are all caught up in the hype of Kansas...yes they are good and yes they probably will come out as everyone's preseason #1 team...but look at where Nebraska falls...at 11 I feel that Nebraska will definitely beat some teams with their new look athletic team....I feel that Missouri and Iowa State are grossly over-rated...but some research will need to be done...in a few weeks I'll unveil my preseason Big 12 Standings....I think that Nebraska will end up finishing higher and has the potential for the first time in a few seasons to finish in the upper half of the Big 12. Oh gotta love the clever fella who ever thought of the preseason poll...More to come on this in the next few weeks.

3. We go around the Big 12 today and breakdown this weekend's matchups....I went 6-0 last week in the first official week of the Big 12....let's see if I can continue my perfect streak.
Here's this weekends games:

Baylor @ Iowa State
Kansas @ Colorado
Texas Tech @ Nebraska
Texas A&M @ Kansas State
Missouri @ Oklahoma State
Oklahoma @ Texas (Dallas)

Its a bigger week in the Big 12 than last weekend...big matchups are on the schedule this weekend with the annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas with Texas and Oklahoma...the other intriguing matchup is Missouri traveling to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State...There are other good matchups too as Colorado looks to get off the losing ways when they host KU and Baylor looks to get its only win on the road again when they go to Iowa State....
The breakdown comes from Colorado and KU...the Buffaloes proved that they weren't afraid of anyone...they went toe to toe with Texas but crucial turnovers cost them a shot to get a much needed win and get their season back on track...KU showed that it's defense has a long long way to go if they are going to be taken as a serious contender for the Big 12 North...this game has the makings to be a good one...I might tune into watch...
Picks: Iowa State, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas
(Priming for a big statement from the Big 12 North)

Last Week's Record: 6-0

Enjoy the weekend....Go to the Game...Cheer Loud...Celebrate...and as always GO BIG RED!!!

October 14, 2009

2009-10-14T10:04:00.002-05:00

Well on another wet and cold day....I come back to spread the good word...

THE HOT LIST:

1. Rex Burkehead broken foot...what does it all mean?
2. Big 12's new Bowl Agreement
3. Husker Tid-Bits

1. If you haven't heard yet...Rex Burkehead broke his foot in practice and is probably expected to miss the remainder of the season. I'd be surprised if he got back on the field this season...I don't know the extent of the broken bone...Bo Pelini commented at yesterday's press conference just saying that the talented freshman running back would miss a great deal of time. It's a shame this had to happen and really when you look at it..this is the first impact injury that Nebraska will have to endure. What does this mean for the team now??? The coaches have expressed that they aren't worried about finding a replacement for Burkehead. Guys like Collins Okafor, Lester Ward, Marcus Mendoza, Dontrayevous Robinson, and Austin Jones will get strong looks to replace what is probably the single most important position on this team. It's a shame that Nebraska has to endure this kind of injury to a kid that was beginning to show that the future at RB was a bright one...now we have to settle for someone who really hasn't played all that much...I'm not worried about the talent of the backup we choose, just his ability to visual see where he needs to go with the ball. If you have seen the great running backs in the game, they have awesome vision...that vision was something that Marlon Lucky never developed at Nebraska..but he certainly had the skills to be great. It will be key that Nebraska continues to use the #2 back in running plays so our offense doesn't become susceptible to defense knowing what play we are going to run. I don't expect Shawn Watson to become that black and white, but I do feel that and emergence of a #2 guy in the next 2-3 weeks is critical if Nebraska wants to have a chance to win the Big 12 North and beat Oklahoma. I'll specifically grade out the #2 backs performance after the game Saturday.

2. The Big 12 has officially inked a new bowl agreement that will shake up the pecking order for how teams go to which bowl games. Gone is the Big 12 ties to the Gator Bowl, Independence, and Sun bowls. The new pecking order is this:
1. BCS Automatic Bid (Fiesta Bowl or BCS Title Game)
2. Cotton Bowl vs. SEC
3. Alamo Bowl vs. PAC-10
4. Insight Bowl vs. Big-10
5. Holiday Bowl vs. Pac-10
6. Texas Bowl vs. Big-10
7. New York Bowl vs. Big-10

The winner of this new agreement has to be the Alamo Bowl who drops the slow 10 opponent and now gets to pick 3rd and get the better Big 12/Pac-10 matchup that the Holiday bowl use to pull. The loser of this has to be the Holiday Bowl who now falls to #5 in the new order and thus gets their usual matchup but probably won't be as glamorous as some of their previous matchups have been in the past. It's a shame that the Gator Bowl fell out of the new agreement, I liked it and liked the chance to face an ACC team every now and then too. I also call it a win that the Big 12 got out of the Independence Bowl in crappy LA...it was becoming the lower game that nobody really wanted to travel to. The Big 12 teams that make these bowl games are set to make 33% more than the old contract bowl games. This new bowl format will go into effect in the 2010 season.
This year's bowl order is this: BCS Game, Cotton, Holiday, Alamo, Sun, Insight, Independence, and Texas.

3. Husker Tid-bits today:
The National Spotlight has been turned onto one man at Nebraska: Ndamukong Suh....but you won't find Suh buying into all the hype and the attention...he's still focused on beating the next opponent...teammates commented yesterday at the press conference that Suh really doesn't know how to celebrate and that he does his job..makes a play...and begins to focus on the next play...very humble to know that our best player really is all stary eyed about being in the spotlight...Suh for Heisman..why not right?

Pelini is expecting the offense to bounce back and have a big game this weekend against Texas Tech...he feels that they have prepared and excellent gameplan....and are hungry to execute it...I hope he's right because Tech will bring a decent defense this weekend with very good LB play...if Nebraska bounces back at home like they did after VT...I expect a tough night for the Red Raiders.

The number of passes that Nebraska attempted against Missouri late in the second and third quarters were audibles made by Zac Lee......Shawn Watson stated yesterday that he had called running plays and that Zac made the right reads to audible to passing plays....kinda hope he continues to do that and that our WR's catch those audible pass plays or else converting 3rd and longs will remain awfully difficult for this team.

Jacob Hickman came out yesterday and stated that the struggles on offense last week through 3 quarters weren't all Zac Lee's fault...it comes down to execution which we simply weren't doing a great job early in the game...Hickman is a very vocal leader on that offensive line...I expect him to continue to get his offensive line group to raise their play every week..we'll see if they can rebound nicely and do that Saturday.

Key Matchups tomorrow and predictions.....GBR!!!!

October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

As promised I've returned again for 3 great days of blogging....we'll do it up today, Wednesday, and Thursday this week...and get back to the regular schedule.....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Blackshirts...When Is The Right Time To Hand Them Out?
2. My Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. After Nebraska's dominating performance defensive against Missouri...most fans would have expected to see Bo Pelini hand out the coveted "blackshirts" to his starting defense on Monday. That was no such case...when asked when the team would be receiving them...Bo responded with "Next Question". This has become a more pressing question and topic than what the team is doing to prepare for a very good and competitive Texas Tech team this weekend. What is my opinion.....honestly yes I believe that they have earned the right to wear them, but Bo has a very specific idea on when his team has earned them...and in his eyes they haven't done that. I think it'll take not just one aspect of the defense having a dominating game but all 11 guys will have to dominate together. When that happens and they get them...it'll mean that much more to those guys. We all need to just quit asking the head coach and turn our attention to real pressing issues with this team like what corrections on offense are going to be made this week, how's Roy's health, what schemes is Nebraska working on for Texas Tech defensively....I think those are better questions to probe Bo Pelini for then asking when the team gets their blackshirts. I think that if they play a complete game against Texas Tech...he'll have no choice but to hand them out in practice next week....just have patience and when the team has earned them....they'll get them.

2. My New Top 25 for the week of Oct. 11th

1. Alabama (2)
2. Florida (1)
3. Ohio State (4)
4. Texas (3)
5. USC (6)
6. Cincinnati (5)
7. Virginia Tech (10)
8. LSU (9)
9. Miami (11)
10. Nebraska (12)
11. Oregon (13)
12. BYU (17)
13. Penn State (18)
14. South Florida (23)
15. Georgia Tech (20)
16. Boise State (15)
17. Oklahoma State (8)
18. Houston (UR)
19. South Carolina (UR)
20. Kansas (14)
21. Iowa (19)
22. Utah (UR)
23. Pittsburgh (UR)
24. Oklahoma (22)
25. Wisconsin (24)

There's a shake up at the top this week as I feel that Alabama played better on the road then Florida and thus earns this week's top spot.....Ohio State jumps over Texas for their impressive home thumping of Wisconsin...USC rises over Cincinnati and has a big test at Norte Dame this weekend...VT rises 3 spots to 7, while LSU rises 1 to 8 following a tough loss to the Gators...I came away impressed with their team especially that defense...it just wore out......Nebraska cracks the top 10 for the first time following a shaky offensive game but a great defense effort at Missouri...Oregon rises to 11, followed closely by BYU, Penn State, South Florida who will be tested by #6 Cincinnati on Thursday...Georgia Tech rises to 15 beating a pesky FSU team on the road....Boise State drops to 16 and probably will remain there due to the weakness of their conference.....Oklahoma State drops from 8 to 17 due to their lousy 5 point win over A&M..and the panic button is starting to hit when Missouri comes to town this weekend....Houston and South Carolina break the top 25 this week with good showings although the Gamecocks almost lost to Kentucky...another 2 point win like that and they'll drop next week.....Kansas and Iowa both drop due to poor showings at home that got W's...both teams are over rated in most polls and have a lot to prove to me before they move up.....Iowa plays at Wisconsin this weekend....Utah and Pittsburgh crack my top 25 this week...OU drops because I was unimpressed with their 4 field goals to beat Baylor at home...and Wisconsin drops to 25 with a crushing loss to Ohio State...they can look to move up with a statement win over Iowa on Saturday.

3. My Big 12 Rankings

1. Texas (5-0) (2-0)
The Longhorns walked out of the Colorado game with many questions with their running game...would they have won that game without Jordan Shipley...I don't think so...the Red River Rivarly comes a calling on Saturday with a statement needing to be made by this team.

1. Nebraska (4-1) (1-0)
Nebraska has proved 1 thing in it's first conference game...their defense is arguably the best in the Big 12...Offensive problems continue to plague this team on the road....corrections need to be made but a statement can be made at home this weekend against Texas Tech that this team is a serious contender for the Big 12 title.

3. Oklahoma (3-2) (1-0)
Sam Bradford returned this week, but proved that he's not totally healthy and his young receivers had trouble catching the ball....OU needs a win badly against Texas to prove to nay-sayers that this team is still the team to beat in the Big 12.

4. Oklahoma State (4-1) (1-0)
Lose this weekend to Missouri at home and the wheels on this bus will begin to fall off...they are already shaky from last weeks 5 point win at A&M....the team picked last in the Big 12 South....Mike Gundy needs playmakers healthy and people to step up with the loss of Dez Bryant...something that this team probably won't get over this season.

5. Missouri (4-1) (0-1)
The Tigers defense wore out in the 4th quarter but Blaine Gabbert showed that he can move the ball when he doesn't turn it over....A statement of this team's abilities and some "respect" can be gained by winning at OSU this weekend.

6. Kansas (5-0) (1-0)
The lowest ranked undefeated team in the rankings has pressing issues on defense...Kansas can't win games with Todd Reesing having career like numbers against teams like Texas, OU, Tech, and Nebraska...4 losses are imminent if corrections can't be made...a dangerous game awaits them at Colorado this weekend.

7. Texas Tech (4-2) (1-1)
Tech went into K-State and proved one thing...Mike Leach can make any quarterback look good because of his system...that would explain o so much that Graham Harrell went undrafted last season...eliminating turnovers is a must if the Red Raiders hope to continue their winning streak against Nebraska.

8. Texas A&M (3-2) (0-1)
Good teams beat distraught teams at home...and the Aggies didn't do that....a trip to K-State can get them to .500 in the conference...but that won't be near as impressive unless you can beat teams from your own division.

9. Iowa State (3-3) (0-2)
Think Iowa State wins if they convert their fourth down play at KU...I do..the Cyclones have a great offense with Robinson and Arnaud...but that won't equate to wins unless that defense can learn to stop somebody...didn't Paul Rhoads coach defense at Auburn...time to get those tricks out of the bag coach.

10. Baylor (3-2) (0-1)
I think Baylor upsets OU if Griffin plays but young inexperience at QB ultimately doomed them. OU's fast defense forced the Bears into predictable plays that the Sooners defense created turnovers...can't turnover the ball and win....The Bears return to the only place in the Big 12 they have been able to win on the road...Iowa State

11. Kansas State (3-3) (1-1)
Bill Snyder has loads to redo with this team...getting blown out by Texas Tech shows that this team is headed for the bottom of the Big 12....think he'd like to retire this week if they get throttled by Texas A&M at home...he might not but that KSU faithful might start questioning his return if they lose ugly again.

12. Colorado (1-4) (0-1)
Cody Hawkins lost his starting job...now Dan Hawkins awaits his unemployment at the end of the season...beating Kansas this week would be huge to getting some lost confidence back that Texas' Jordan Shipley took from them...going home is always better then regrouping with a road game.

Back Tomorrow....GO BIG RED!!!!

October 10, 2009

2009-10-10T22:30:00.002-05:00

COLLEGE GAMEDAY FINAL

Here's what we learned this weekend:

Iowa stays unbeaten but is still overrated...grossly
-The Hawkeyes used a national televised game to squeak by Michigan 30-28. Iowa forced 5 turnovers to get the W...hmmm you need 5 turnovers to win by 2....sooner or later this teams woes on offense will come up to rear their ugly head....I'm sensing all wont be good at all at Wisconsin next weekend.

Florida remains unbeaten and man looked good doing it
-Tim Tebow got the baby mits put on him tonight...as he really wasn't allowed to punish teams with his running like he has done in their previous games. LSU is a team with a good defense but their offense struggled against the athletic defensive line of the Gators....Florida now has very winnable games left on it's schedule...I guess South Carolina on the road looks to be the toughest game left.

Texas and Oklahoma can officially play the excuse "we were looking ahead"
-Oklahoma struggled in the red zone mightily producing 4 field goals instead of touchdowns. Sam Bradford look decent but rusty after being sidelined since week 1 and now might have a lingering knee problem. This defense was susceptible again to big plays to Baylor but produced turnovers when needed to spirit the offense to a few late touchdowns.
-While Texas used 14 special teams and defensive points to blow out Colorado at home. After this weekend I'm not impressed with either of these teams....I officially think Texas is over-rated as the same bugs that plagued Texas in their first conference game came up again tonight....Colorado has been a team struggling and Texas really should of flexed it's muscles and handled Colorado early...being down 14-10 at halftime to a team 1-3 isn't material that keeps you #2. Colt...the nation's most efficient passer had only 1 passing touchdown tonight and 2 turnovers...

If Defense wins championships.....Kansas has no chance to win one this season
-Kansas defeated Iowa State 41-36 and needed a fourth down stop to secure a win. The troubling stat in this game is the Kansas defense who gave up 551 yards of total offense to...Iowa State....what gonna happen when they play Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma this season....3 losses are imminent to these teams with a fourth to Nebraska if Kansas continues to give up huge chunks of yards to pitiful teams. The Colorado game next week becomes a very intriguing game.

Alabama just continues to win....impressively and Ole Miss was just overrated
-The Crimson Tide just whipped Ole Miss today on the road 22-3. The Tide's defense produced 5 turnovers and game Jevan Snead all kinds of nightmares in the pocket....Alabama is the only threat to stopping Florida from being undefeated at the end of the year and making the national championship game....and I think they can beat them.
-Ole Miss just continues to fall....from once being in the top 5...they are likely out of the top 25 and now are out of the SEC title race....it's a shame...this was suppose to be a break out year for them....and probably won't happen again for quite some time.

Nebraska is officially the most underrated team in the country
-The Cornhuskers were called out today by Todd McShay who sang praises for Nebraska Defense who just manhandled Blaine Gabbert on Thursday night...when their offense is clicking this team is really really good...think Nebraska has 1 loss...to Virginia Tech ranked in everyone's top 5....by 1 point and they are 24....I think they are under looked but soon everyone will know how good this team is.....especially their defense

The Big 10 is Ohio States to lose....
-Wisconsin learned something today about Ohio State...they have the best defense in the conference. Tolzen may have passed for 250 yards but produced no touchdowns and was picked off twice...Ohio State needs to figure out how to get super start Terrell Pryor on a roll and this team has the makings of getting back to a BCS bowl game....again

Auburn learned the hard way today....you must show up every week
-The Tigers fell apart today and simply forgot to show up in Arkansas on both sides of the ball. Ryan Mallett torched the Tigers for 274 yards through the air but the Tigers gave up 221 yards on the ground....its simple you must stop the run on the road to win...they didn't and their offense didn't help them....they went 3 and out waaaay to much today to help them...add it up and it spells a 21 blowout.

Oklahoma State held on....and has a lot of problems
-Texas A&M took the Cowboys to the wire today but a late touchdown by OSU sealed the win and put the game out of reach for the Aggies to spring the upset. The offense just didn't look the same without Dez Bryant and Kendal Hunter....the panic button in Stillwater is slowly starting to get pressed, the defense can't stop anybody and the offense is having trouble scoring.....sounds to me like losses are forthcoming for the Cowboys....OU, Texas, Tech, Misery...are all waiting for their shot.

If Oregon wins the Pac-10...Chip Kelly should win Coach of the Year
-The Ducks just keep on winning with good defense and special teams. Who would of thought this team would be 5-1 after getting beaten down by Boise State to start the year....all eyes will be on them Halloween when USC comes to town....

Enjoy the weekend....coming back on Tuesday.....

October 9, 2009

2009-10-09T09:40:00.003-05:00

Well blogging after a W is always easy and nice....I got a good line up today so lets dive in.....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Misery Breakdown (Grade Outs)
2. What does this W mean for Nebraska?
3. Around the Big 12

1. Well I came close to calling the final score but man it sure didn't look like it for 3 quarters last night. Nebraska needed to pressure Gabbert all night...they did, Nebraska needed to create turnovers to win...they did, Nebraska needed to run the ball effectively on the road....they didn't...but still used a blitz-streak of 27 points to bury the Tigers in the fourth quarter and walk out of Faurot Field with a win for the first time since Eric Crouch won the Heisman....the conditions made it a mental game that simply the Tigers just couldn't keep up with in the fourth quarter. Gabbert was finally forced to make smart decisions with the game on the line and he crumpled under pressure. Nebraska flexed it's muscles and won 27-12 in front of a national audience last night. To the Grade Outs:

Offense: C
Defense: A+

There's no question the defense has earned their blackshirts this week. They played flawless and gave up NO touchdowns...go back and look at the replay...Gabbert was short of the goal line at the end of the first half (and we have replay to look back at it...make the right call).....They forced Gabbert to make poor throws, they picked him off twice...and made him run for his life in the pocket all night. That's how you defend the Spread Offense...all you need is a dominate defensive line to create pressure and solid coverage behind them. Nebraska put on a clinic defensively....they sent a very much needed message to the Big 12 the Nebraska's defense is fast, vicious, and very very good.

Offensively the grade might seem a bit lower for most people considering we did win...but look at how poorly the offense executed for 3 quarters...it took a blown coverage play to spark Zac Lee to 3 TD's passes. The troubling thing about the offense was their inability to run the football early in the game to establish the tempo of the game. They started out with a couple of nice runs, but it seemed like Shawn Watson and his staff abandoned the power running game early in favor of the short passing game. This is troubling because Nebraska needs to be able to run the ball with authority on the road and last night they simply did not do that until late in the fourth quarter. Nebraska struggled mightily last night blocking Missouri's linebackers, giving Zac time to throw the ball, picking up the blitzes. These errors must be fixed because honestly Missouri is a decent defense but not a great one...Oklahoma will bring a great defense to Lincoln next month...and getting those mistakes corrected now is a must if the Huskers want to continue to win. Nebraska really won't be able to practice that running the ball "at you" mentality it needs to on the road until it plays Baylor...then you get Kansas two weeks after that for what ultimately could decide the Big 12 North this season.....No matter how you look at it....Nebraska lost a valuable opportunity to grow on offense on the road...they went back after blowing out Lafayette at home....corrections need to be made and players need to step up...or a loss on the road will become inevitable for this team. On a brighter note though...the offense did do something it didn't do at Virginia Tech and that was score TD's...instead of 5 FG's the Husker's pounded out 4 TD's for the victory....they made a step up to closing out the game but still have a lot of work to do.

2. What Does This W Mean For Nebraska?
This was a very interesting question that I pondered over last night and this morning....and here's my take on that:
This win no doubt gives Nebraska the inside track to winning the Big 12 North as you have to expect that KU will likely lose 2 games from Oklahoma, Texas, or Texas Tech. That means that a single loss in the conference gives Nebraska it's first Big 12 North title since 2006. The message was sent loud and clear to the teams in the Big 12 North...our defense is good...very good. They will no doubt keep Nebraska in every game this season and it will take a lot to break them to beat this team. (Look at VT's 2 miracle plays that beat the Huskers).....if you pride yourself on defense wins championships than I think that Nebraska has the makings of the best defense in the Big 12....Oklahoma has the next best but they have been exposed by speed and misdirection and have been worn down by the teams that beat them.....That doesn't bode well for Texas who I feel might be the best team in the conference but with the leagues 5th best D. Remember how Texas Tech's defense reeked havoc for Colt McCoy for most of the night......

Nationally....the win was huge to establish that Nebraska is getting back to beating teams it just simply needs to be beating every year....Sorry K-State, Iowa State, KU, and Missouri...Nebraska needs to beat you guys every year...their program is better...their tradition is richer...and their talent is better...I don't expect Nebraska to get much love from the pollsters this weekend but keep winning impressively with this defense and it will become harder and harder for them to keep Nebraska out of the top 10 by the time Nebraska travels to KU.

Nebraska made a statement last night....this program is on the right track and making progress...faster than it's counterparts want it too.....hope you guys enjoyed your time in the spotlight....get use to being in Nebraska's shadow.......again....because they are coming back...

3. Lets preview this weeks games around the Big 12
Baylor @ Oklahoma
Iowa State @ Kansas
Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M
Colorado @ Texas
Kansas State @ Texas Tech

The biggest game on this slate has to be OSU and Texas A&M, it'll be interesting to see how the Cowboys offense looks without Kendall Hunter (out with an injury) and Dez Bryant (suspended for the rest of the season)...this will really test Zac Robinson...I'll be watching to see if he really is the upper tier Big 12 quarterback that everyone thought he was or was just a product of the talent around him. I'll be looking to see if the Aggies can seize this opportunity and get a much needed upset win, to put the horrors away from last weekend's beatdown by Arkansas.
My Picks: Oklahoma, Kansas, OSU, Texas, Texas Tech

It's been a very great week of blogging...big games this weekend...coming back on Saturday for a special what we learned about the day blog like last week...it'll be the last one this season as Nebraska gets back to battling on Saturday's. Till Tomorrow.....Skocz Out!!!

October 8, 2009

2009-10-08T11:09:00.002-05:00

Well its a bit amazing what 24 hours will do...I'm feeling much better and the blogging must continue today....

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska/Misery Breakdown
2. Husker Volleyball
3. Headlines

1. Tonight marks the beginning of the Big 12 season for both teams tonight. Husker fans know that history hasn't been on Nebraska's side when they have traveled to Missouri. It's been since 2001 since Nebraska went to Columbia and pulled out a win...that was Crouch's Heisman year and Nebraska's last national championship game.....Eight years have passed by while Nebraska has allowed this team to whip it like your bad aunt's child every time they've gone there. There's no doubt that tonight's atmosphere will be rowdy and loud as Husker fans know that Missouri never really rolls out the red carpet in hospitality when they come to town. My past experiences there have been nothing short of awful and I expect nothing less tonight...I'm not personally going tonight but will make contact with people that are going to see how badly they were treated this year. You know what shuts them up pretty quick.....a beatdown. To the keys of the game...

Keys of the Game: Nebraska needs a better start on the road than they did against Virginia Tech...the weather tonight appears to be pitiful with rain expected most of the entire game. The keys tonight are simple...the team that can effective run the ball in the poor weather controls the clock and thus dictates the tempo of the game. Another key will be the pressure created by Nebraska's defensive lineman. If they can reek havoc for Gabbert, that allows Nebraska to drop it's LB's in coverage and keep the plays in front of them....I expect Gabbert to become frustrated for the first time this season...and when a young QB becomes frustrated they tend to force balls...thus creating turnovers. If Nebraska can force Gabbert to push the ball where he's not suppose to and get turnovers...it could be a long night for the Tigers.

Prediction: For those of you who have been talking with me for the past few weeks...my prediction is bold but I do feel the team can live up to it tonight. Tonight Nebraska embarks on another step in the direction it needs to do to establish itself as a national power. With 2 weeks to prepare Bo Pelini has learned about the mistakes he made last year which cost him a shot to upset the Tigers at home last season....Nebraska comes out tonight running the ball effectively with the conference's best rusher....Missouri hasn't faced a more well balanced team all season...their defense will tire in the 4th quarter and giving up points will force Gabbert to push his offense in the endzone each time he gets on the field. Sacks, fumbles, and INT's I expect will happen as Gabbert walks away from this game learning a hard felt lesson...don't ever snub Nebraska for Misery...ever....Nebraska trounces the Tigers tonight 38-10

2. Husker Volleyball puts up another nice victory last night sweeping Kansas to raise their record to 4-2 in the conference. They are starting to look better but the service errors are still an ongoing issue for this team. Some freshman need to grow up and get the ball in play...it'd be disappointing to see records fall this season from simply not getting the ball into play....I'd like to see how they play at Texas later in the year.

3. Huge headlines come out yesterday as Dez Bryant is indefinitely suspended by the NCAA for lying to officials about his involvement with Deion Sanders. There's only one word to describe this...STUPID.....why in the world would you lie to the NCAA about this and expect them not to discover the truth.....this dooms the Cowboy's chances at winning the Big 12 South this season as I don't expect them to have the balance they had against Georgia to make a serious run at a South Title. It'll be interesting to see if Mike Gundy has the talent behind Bryant to bounce back from this huge loss...Tim Griffin of ESPN now expects them to get upset by A&M this weekend...either way the lesson is simple...dont lie about something you did....because the NCAA will ALWAYS find out....STUPID Bryant...have fun watching the rest of the season before the NFL draft....

Coming back Tomorrow.... GO BIG RED!!!!!

October 7, 2009

2009-10-07T12:09:00.003-05:00

Well I'm on my death bed literally today....and feeling really under the weather so apologies are out for not getting a blog written yesterday.

THE HOT LIST:

1. How Valid are the Polls?
2. My New Top 25
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. An interesting question is now beginning to be raised about the validity of the polls. If you take a look at them they account for 2/3 of the BCS formula, and we all can tell that clearly everyone has an opinion about every team. Take a good look at this week's AP top 10...see any teams that clearly don't belong on that list. I can name a few....the problem is that everyone has an opinion or a bias towards a certain university. Look at how Nebraska nearly dropped out of the top 25 when they lost by 1 point to VT, and how Missouri who didn't play last week vaulted 5 spots to 18 in the coaches poll. A new system is going to have to be mapped out to tackle this problem. I never had any problem putting the system into the hands of the computers because they are unbias...they simply take the outcomes of the games, and chug out their own top 25. This issue will become a bigger one for Nebraska in a few season when they are making a National Championship run....Bo Pelini will have to campaign and plead with voters to vote for his team....or like before Nebraska will get ousted out. It's pathetic that we have allowed so much politics into the sport....people should just vote based on what they saw on the field...period. Leave your crappy bias and opinions at the door.

2. My new Top 25 this week...with last week's rankings

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (3)
4. Ohio State (4)
5. Cincinnati (9)
6. USC (12)
7. TCU (8)
8. Oklahoma State (7)
9. LSU (5)
10. Virginia Tech (10)
11. Miami (25)
12. Nebraska (14)
13. Oregon (17)
14. Kansas (18)
15. Boise State (13)
16. Auburn (UR)
17. BYU (21)
18. Penn State (23)
19. Iowa (15)
20. Georgia Tech (22)
21. Mississippi (20)
22. Oklahoma (6)
23. South Florida (24)
24. Wisconsin (UR)
25. Stanford (UR)

The top 4 remain unchanged from last week.....Cincinnati moves up following a poor road win by LSU and Oklahoma losing (the Sooners are 22 in my poll)....USC moves up after thrashing Cal and the Bears fall out of the top 25 with 2 horrible beatdowns.....TCU moves ahead of OSU....followed by LSU and VT to round out my top 10....Miami rises to 11 after beating OU and taking it to them late in the fourth quarter.....Nebraska rises up to 12 as teams ahead of them lost...Oregon moves up after thrashing Wash. State.....KU makes a jump up 4 spots too....Boise State drops 2 spots after another dismal performance against their weak conference opponents....(still not impressed with them)......Auburn jumps to 16 after being unranked after beating Tennessee on the road.....BYU rises 4 spots...Penn State rises after a gutsy road win which took them the 4th quarter to blow Illinois out.....Iowa drops due to a poor 3 point win over Arkansas State...GT rises following a W over Miss. State....South Florida rises 1 spot to make way for Wisconsin and Stanford breaking my Top 25.

3. Big 12 Rankings:

1. Texas (1-0) (4-0)
A bye week has served well to prepare for not overlooking Colorado before next week's showdown with Oklahoma.....I expect a Buffalo Beatdown....

2. Oklahoma State (3-1)
The Cowboys move up after their bye week and are fully prepared for Texas A&M this weekend......Getting key players healthy is top priority before the Texas showdown on Halloween.

3. Nebraska (3-1)
Going to Missouri is a hard test to start the conference season....but win....and win impressively and teams in the Big 12 North might think Nebraska is back in Bo's second season.

4. Kansas (4-0)
Playing Iowa State isn't no easy task....ask the Jayhawks how they were down by 20 at halftime last season. I expect a blowout for KU this weekend.

5. Oklahoma (2-2)
Without Robert Griffin, Baylor isn't near as scary as they likely would have been this week.....Losing 2 one point games has Bob Stoops thinking of where his National Championship team has gone....shooing the injury bug is a must if the Sooners want to win another Big 12 Title.

6. Missouri (4-0)
Missouri's Blaine Gabbert leads the conference and country in passing efficiency in the second half.....I expect frustration to rear it's ugly head against Nebraska as the Tigers arguably face their toughest defense to date.

7. Texas Tech (0-1) (3-2)
Thrashing New Mexico didn't right the whisper bug floating around the Red Raider's program....Carter gets suspended and now he's back....Pott's has a concussion and now he's better....looks like Leach is pulling out all the stops this season to keep his seniors happy.

8. Baylor (3-1)
No Robert Griffin...No problem...the Bears did admirable against a mediocre opponent in Kent State....we'll see how well that back up plays at OU this weekend....could get ugly.

9. Texas A&M (3-1)
The Aggies walked out of their game with Arkansas with more questions than answers... as getting trounced by a mid level SEC team doesn't ever look good....protecting Jerrod Johnson is key if the Aggies want to go bowling this season...Where has that pass rush gone???

10. Kansas State (1-0) (3-2)
A 1 point win over Iowa State should have Bill Synder thinking that this Big 12 Season is going to be a long one...

11. Iowa State (0-1) (3-2)
The snide that Iowa State has had on it's back just won't go away...the Cyclones only winnable game in the conference.... is Colorado at home on Nov. 14th

12. Colorado (1-3)
Things are just getting ugly for the Buffaloes, 2 games are winnable for them in the conference...Kansas State and Iowa State.....and a 1-5 start is likely going into the Kansas State game.

Coming back tomorrow.....

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECAP

2009-10-03T22:27:00.003-05:00

On the Husker's bye-week I decided to do a special blog about today's games....

What We Learned on October 3, 2009:

Oklahoma is suspect when on the game is on the line....
-Oklahoma went into tonight's game with Miami ready to make a statement after a bye week. Landry Jones played well, only fumbling the ball once, but the real story coming out of this game is the defensive breakdowns that allowed Miami to score 3 touchdowns and get critical first downs at the end of the game to seal a Cane win. Oklahoma also was manhandled by Miami's defensive line, clearly OU's OL problems could produce 2 more losses for the Sooners this year.

Norte Dame is the worst team winning each week....
-Again Norte Dame won an ugly game today against Washington in overtime. If the Irish continue to win and get back to 10 wins they'll get a BCS bowl game this season and get trounced by any team they'd see there. USC comes calling in 2 weeks and a beat down for the Irish is coming...

Stanford is becoming the "surprise" of the Pac-10
-A big win today for Stanford as they beat UCLA at home to boost their record to 4-1 and 3-0 in the Pac 10. They have the early lead in the Pac 10 standings but their November schedule will show the country how good this team is....I think they'll be a shaker in the Pac 10 this year. Cal, USC, Oregon, and Norte Dame come calling in November.

LSU has much to prove but sure can win...on the road
-Leave it to Les Miles to get a W over the last team in the SEC he hadn't beaten yet. When the game got down, the Tigers responded with a huge late touchdown and an INT to seal the win. They are ranked in the top 5 but clearly haven't played like it on offense. Corrections will have to be made on Offense if the Tigers hope to beat Florida at home next weekend.

Cal has shown that they aren't as good as everyone thought....
-USC went out to Cal and whipped the Bears 30-3 sealing their demise out of the top 25. The Bears must right the ship and get back on track or a .500 season is looming after aspirations of making the Rose Bowl were in their grasps all but 2 weeks ago.

Iowa State just can't get over the snide....
-Kansas State used a PAT block to beat the Cyclones 24-23 today. Iowa State played well enough to beat the Wildcats, they'll get a W in the conference this season after going 0-8 last season.

Iowa is grossly overrated...
-After getting in the top 15 after beating a mediocre Penn State team last weekend the Hawkeyes used a late onside recovery to beat Arkansas State 24-21. Didn't Nebraska trounce that team a few weeks ago, and Iowa is rated higher than the Huskers? Guess being undefeated looks good until next weekend.

Auburn's Offense is very very very good.....
-Auburn has had a miserable offense the past few season that ultimately cost Tommy Tubberville his job last season. Gene Chizik landed a home run in hiring Tulsa's offensive coordinator and quickly he is becoming the hottest assistant coach in the country. The Tiger's offense simply just wore out Monte Kiffin's Vol defense late in the game....they can move the ball and are clearly poised to make some noise in the SEC this season.

A&M isn't making a Bowl Game this season...
-When the Aggies had a chance to make a statement against a decent SEC opponent, the Aggies simply got schooled by the Razorback's defensive line. Jerrod Johnson spent the majority of the game running for his life....that defense that played well against bad opponents got worked by Ryan Mallett today....after looking at them...I can't see them making a bowl game at the end of the season.

Back next week on Tuesday......Enjoy....

September 30, 2009

2009-09-30T10:10:00.002-05:00

Well it was a fast September and now we can turn our attention to October and the conference season.

THE HOT LIST:

1. P.J. Smith Grows Up
2. Woes for Husker Volleyball
3. Big 12 Tid-bits

1. We begin with an article today in the World Herald about the impact that P.J. Smith will now have to make big steps in the growing up process as he has been called on to get some extended playing time en-light of Ricky Thernase out and Larry Asante nursing a sore ankle. He comments about how everyone on the team came up to him and was tapping him on the shoulder and he shrugged them off, trying to get focus, trying to prepare himself for what he needed to do on the field. Put yourself in his shoes, your a redshirt freshman, knowing that you aren't going to see the playing field outside of special teams, a few plays later injuries happen and you're called on to fill the holes. I thought him and Austin Cassidy played very well on Saturday. They'll most likely have to do what every freshman has had to do to this date this season.....elevate their game. It's not an easy task to ask 18 and 19 year old freshman to rise to the championship level that Nebraska needs in the secondary to remain in the hunt for the Big 12 North Title. I think when the dust settles on this situation getting these guys in early will pay dividends in the future. Especially since O'Hanlon and Asante are both seniors this season. I expect Larry to bounce back but the loss of Ricky hurts our special teams and allows little boy P.J. Smith to grow up into a man.

2. The Nebraska Volleyball team is trying to do something it hasn't done in a few years....bounce back from back to back losses. Nebraska last week lost at Texas A&M and then was thrashed by #2 Texas at home. Nebraska now looks like it's poised for a season of one that many may want to forget. This team is still very young, but very talented. Nebraska no doubt has to stop putting themselves in situations that force them to press to make plays. In all of Nebraska's losses, service errors have killed Nebraska's chances at getting out to a quick start. Those errors then force Nebraska to make plays, which generally end up going out of bounds, or having poor passing. It's a spiraling effect that Nebraska simply hasn't learned to correct yet. John Cook certainly won't lose his job after this season, no matter how the season turns out, but for all fans improvement is something that we should be seeing each week. Tonight the Husker's take on Oklahoma a team out to an impressive 10-3 start to the season. Get through tonight's game tonight and a well needed bye week this Saturday is well deserved to recharge their batteries to prepare for the grind of the rest of the season. When Nebraska plays up to their ability they are almost near impossible to beat, they haven't gotten to that level yet, but hopefully they'll get there sooner than later.

3. Lets dive around the Big 12 for some tid-bits.........Oklahoma Bob Stoops appears indecisive on the decision to start either Landry Jones or Sam Bradford at Miami this weekend. He expects to name his starter later in the week. Stoops found himself answering questions this week about why he pushed Bradford to come back this season when he likely would have been the #1 pick in last year's NFL draft. Stoops defends himself saying that he simply educates his players about their opportunities and it's up to them and their families to make the decision. He's right, Sam made his decision and if he can't play at all this season because of his injured shoulder, he'll always second guess not coming out in the NFL draft when he ends up as a late 2nd round pick................

Robert Griffin will now watch the remainder of the games from inside the press box and attempt to swallow the new leadership role he will have to take this season after tearing his ACL this last weekend. He is expected to be lost for the entire season. It's a shame that a star player like him had such an injury like this one, he may never be the same player again. His injury all but assures that the Bears won't be going bowling this season. They were soo close but not close enough to turning the corner. I'm glad we don't have to go up against him again, he's too fast and talented to be contained in the pocket.

Texas A&M prepares for what is arguably their biggest game on Saturday when they take on Arkansas....much has been said about the offensive improvement this season but the key will be on the shoulders of the defense. They must create pressure to stop heralded QB Ryan Mallet if they have any chance of springing the upset and winning a land mark game for Mike Sherman. The surprising stat has been the play of Von Miller, the talented DL leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. We'll see what kind of game he has when the Aggies play a real opponent.

Coming back for a quick blog in the morning tomorrow....then its out for the week.

Skocz Out

September 29, 2009

2009-09-29T12:03:00.003-05:00

As promised I've returned again and we have lots to discuss this week.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Cajun's/Husker's Breakdown
2. My Top 25 this week
3. Big 12 Rankings

1. Well could you have expected Nebraska to play as well as they did....possibly. No doubt Bo Pelini owned up to his quotes earlier in the week stating that Nebraska would come out with emotion and play well. They did. Nebraska didn't lose a beat on offense this week scoring on it's first 5 possessions, while the defense pitched a solid zero on the scoreboard for the first time since 2006. This game also marked Nebraska's 300 consecutive sellout dating back to 1962. It's a testament to the many fans that have packed Memorial Stadium for a better part of 40+ years. As the signs read above every gate "Through these Gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football." No other program can dispute that.

Grade Outs:
Offense: A
Defense: A

Its kinda hard not to give both sides of the ball perfect scores as the Offense clicked out of the gate, the defense pitched a shutout and forced 3 turnovers, including a pick 6 by Larry Asante. The grade outs are simple, A for the O as they gelled again this week but against an inferior opponent but will need to continue to elevate their game for Misery in 2 weeks. A for the defense as well, they dictated the tempo of the game right from the start and made it a long night for the Cajun's. A+ is likely to come if they can duplicate this performance against Misery in 2 weeks.

2. My Top 25 This week. Last week's rating is in parentheses.

1. Florida (1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Texas (4)
4. Ohio State (9)
5. LSU (6)
6. Oklahoma (10)
7. Oklahoma State (8)
8. TCU (11)
9. Cincinnati (15)
10. Virginia Tech (16)
11. California (5)
12. USC (14)
13. Boise State (13)
14. Nebraska (18)
15. Iowa (UR)
16. Houston (20)
17. Oregon (UR)
18. Kansas (19)
19. Georgia (17)
20. Mississippi (3)
21. BYU (22)
22. Georgia Tech (25)
23. Penn State (7)
24. South Florida (UR)
25. Miami (12)

Upsets will shake out this week's top 25. Florida remains #1 as does Alabama at #2. Texas moves up a spot to 3 and Ohio State benefits greatly from Penn States lost jumping 5 spots to #4. LSU is a weak #5 but still unbeaten and soon to be tested by Florida. OU rises 4 spots to 6, followed by OSU. TCU and Cincinnati break the top 10 this week rises 4 and 5 spots a piece. VT moves up following its impressive win over Miami on Saturday to 10. Cal drops 6 spots following its beatdown by Oregon on Saturday and they are followed closely by USC...the winner moves into the top 10 next week and the loser possibly below 20. Boise State plays weak teams and remains unchanged. Iowa vaults to 15 after an impressive beating of Penn State on the road. I loved Nebraska's play on Saturday and moved them up to 14. Other unranked teams making this week's top 25 is Oregon (after drumming Cal), and South Florida (after getting an impressive W over Florida State). Big tumblers were Ole Miss falling to 20 and Penn State crashing to 23.

3. Big 12 Rankings

1. Texas (1-0) (4-0)
It was Texas' first complete game on both sides of the ball...The Longhorns need to continue that kind of play if they hope to remain at the top of the league. A bye week after last week's performance is well earned.

2. Oklahoma (2-1)
Sam Bradford may or may not return this weekend, but the play of OU's defense should have teams in the Big 12 scared. If Bradford can't go, Jones will get tested by Miami...either way it should be another stepping stone to see how good this OU team can be this year.

3. Oklahoma State (3-1)
OSU proved it might have the deepest backfield in the Big 12. As Hunter and Bryant watched on Saturday, OSU showed that their offense is still potent. The upcoming bye-week gives those superstars time to rest up and heal before the brutal Big 12 schedule.

4. Nebraska (3-1)
The defensive strides in 2 weeks should have every team in the Big 12 North scared. Compact that with an improving offense and Nebraska is poised to have a season where the Big 12 North should gain some need respect. 2-weeks to prep for Misery is plenty of time for this rising team.

5. Kansas (4-0)
When finally tested by a decent team, KU held on to a 7 point win. When they play big defensive teams that can shut down their passing game they'll be in trouble. Elevating their defensive play should be the priority heading into the bye week.

6. Missouri (4-0)
The Tigers notched a much needed win on the road but did so in ugly fashion. Their defense looked suspect at times stopping the run. That doesn't bode well for them against Nebraska in two weeks.

7. Texas A&M (3-0)
The Aggies needed to get out of the gate early and have with 3 wins. This week marks the true test of how good this team can be in Mike Sherman's second year. Arkansas brings matchup problems up and down for A&M. A win is needed to take some heat off the program.

8. Texas Tech (0-1) (2-2)
A statement win was in the grasps of the Red Raiders on Saturday, but Mike Leech poor play calling down the stretch doomed their upset hopes. Regrouping is needed, as a replacement will need to be found for the loss of Brandon Carter, a leader on the OL.

9. Baylor (2-1)
The loss of Griffin all but seals the fate of the Bears not making a bowl game this season. Getting a healthy QB to play this weekend is the #1 problem to tackle before tangling with Kent State.

10. Iowa State (3-1)
Starting out the Big 12 season with a W over Kansas State could show the Cyclone fan base that this program may be headed for greener pastures. Playing a stronger schedule needs to be looked at before you can raise your hopes about how good this team could be this season.

11. Colorado (1-2)
The Buffaloes got a bye week to prepare for their showdown with West Virginia on Thursday. The questions are if their defense can stop the speed and the revenge that the Mountaineers will bring to the game. Lose and a 1-3 start doesn't look good for bowl talk.

12. Kansas State (2-2)
A .500 start probably wasn't what Bill Synder was looking at when he took over last spring. They can make a move in the right direction when they play Iowa State. Both teams need a win to get out of the cellar of the Big 12.

Coming back with another great blog tomorrow. Laterz

September 24, 2009

2009-09-24T11:09:00.003-05:00

Final blog of the week, its not short and sweet, but pretty righteous so lets rock the boat.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Louisiana Lafayette vs. Nebraska Preview
2. Husker Volleyball
3. Around the Big 12 (Picks)

1. Well the focal point of this blog is to breakdown the Ragin Cajun and Huskers, the key matchup this week will come from the trenches. All to many times we say that games are won and lost in the trenches, and this game brings no exceptions to that quote. The Cajun's haven't allowed a sack all season, they have shown to have solid OL play preventing LSU from notching a sack against them last weekend. This is game brings more intrigued as we as Husker fans will be watching whole heartedly how Zac Lee plays from last weekend where he struggled mightily to hit WR's and established Nebraska's passing game. There's no doubt that there will be an emphasis on running the ball effectively. The key will be how Nebraska's contains Lafayette's Daylon McCoy. The speedy junior lead the cajun's in tackles last season with 69 and 4 sacks. The keys will be how much emotion Nebraska comes out with after losing a heart breaker last weekend. Keys on defense won't necessarily be the defensive line but the play of the back 7. Their play was elevated last week as they played tremendous in the 3rd quarter but broke on on 2 timely plays that cost the Husker's the game. I'll be looking at how many mental mistakes are made in this game....that is really the only thing that could keep Nebraska from winning this game.

Prediction: Nebraska comes back home to celebrate the tradition of the fans. For 300 consecutive games fans have sold out Memorial Stadium for the Huskers. While enjoying the festivities of this memorable game, Bo Pelini's ignites a vengeance fire in his team. Their emotional energy propels them to a quick start and a big half time lead. Look for lots of backups playing in this game.
Nebraska wins 42-7

2. Husker Volleyball doomed itself on the road last night giving the Aggies 11 service error points. They lost to A&M for the first time since 1999 losing 28-26, 17-25, 25-19, 25-19. It's plain and simple ladies, get the ball over the net and get prepared to elevate your game on the road. Young team or not, not getting the ball over the net and in play is just pathetic....better fix that.

3. Let's take a nice look around the Big 12 and get a glimpse of this weekend's schedule.
Northwestern State @ Baylor
Army @ Iowa State
Southern Miss @ Kansas
Tennessee Tech @ Kansas State
Missouri @ Nevada (Friday Night)
Louisiana Lafayette @ Nebraska
Grambling State @ Oklahoma State
UTEP @ Texas
UAB @ Texas A&M
Texas Tech @ Houston

The best game by far is Tech at Houston. The Cougars are a dangerous team showing that they can tangle with the best of the Big 12 and bring them down (sound familiar OSU). Don't see Tech pulling a shocker this weekend.
Picks: Baylor, ISU, KU, K-State, Misery, Sker's, OSU, Texas, A&M, and Houston

Last Weeks Record: 8-2 (only losses were the Sker's and Baylor)

Enjoy the games this weekend, coming back next Tuesday. For all of those going to the 300th game this weekend, dress retro, get loud, and as always Go Big Red!!!

September 23, 2009

2009-09-23T10:41:00.003-05:00

Back again for another great day of blogging so lets not despair and dive in.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Implications from loss at VT
2. Zac Lee's Injuried
3. Husker Tid-bits

1. A great article came out today written by Dirk Chatelain about the impact on Bo Pelini's coaching mentality following Nebraska's one point loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday. There was a pivotal point in the game with 1:50 left Nebraska faced a fourth and 1 and elected to punt the ball instead of going for it. At that point of the game with no timeouts left for VT, a first down all but would have assured a victory for the Huskers. Instead history was written and Taylor lead a drive that won the game for the Hokies. The article flashes back to the 2006 national championship game where Pete Carroll elected go for it on fourth down to find that his team was stopped short, thus allowing Vince Young and Texas to drive 56 yards in 2 minutes to win the national title. Do you think that either one of these two coaches would have changed their minds? I understand and totally support Bo's decision. You have to look at it like this...he's a defensive minded coach first...he'll choose putting his defense on the field first over his offense. That's just the coach and guy he is. At that point of the game, he did the right move...pin them deep and put your defense on the field who only allowed 3 first downs in the second half of the game. Either way you look at it, its a gutsy decision that you hope ultimately leads to a W for your team. On one hand you run out the clock...the other you make a stop....fail to make a first down you give them a short field and put pressure on your defense to stop them....fail to play stop big plays and you lose in the fashion that Nebraska did. There are times where you'll look like a God for the call you make and other times you'll be questioned on it. This was one of those times that many will question it, but put yourself in his shoes and make the call....you'll find yourself putting your defense out on the field...because defense wins championships.

2. Zac Lee spoke openly about his injured thumb that is on his non throwing hand. He has been wearing a splint and taking anti-inflammatory medication to tackle the swelling. Shawn Watson praised Lee's effort in practice yesterday saying it might have been the best practice he's had this season. It all appears imminent that he will start this Saturday. So for those of you fans who were freaking out you can all breathe a sigh of relief. I'll be looking to see how effective his passing is this weekend, as I feel that will be a focal point of the offense this week to get him back on track. I want to see more of Rex Burkehead, the emergence of a nice #2 back is essential to formulate a solid 1-2 punch that can become deadly when Nebraska heads into Big 12 play. Matchup breakdowns tomorrow.

3. Few Husker Tid-bits today as Collins Okafor is back on the team but taking some time to reflect on his career and where he fits on this team....the soap opera continues....grab a seat....Husker Volleyball takes on Texas A&M a team that pushed them to 5 sets last season, they return all 6 of their girls that pushed Nebraska last season.......a nice 2-0 start in the Big 12 is nice but beating good teams like this gets you ready for Texas.....Nebraska is scheming a way to get Ricky Thenarse on the field more...the senior has played in limited games so far this season....hmmmm do you think a breakdown on a certain play by a safety has prompted this move...I think so....Roy Helu enjoyed rushing for a career high 28 attempts....I did too because he really mowed people down late in the game, but I feel Burkehead could do the same if given the opportunity. Roy's health is too pivotal for the Husker's this season.

Back Tomorrow.

September 22, 2009

2009-09-22T11:59:00.002-05:00

Well I'm back as promised and we have LOADS to dive into today..

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska Virginia Tech Breakdown
2. My Top 25
3. Big 12 Football Rankings

1. Well if your a Nebraska Fan, you have to be accustomed to enduring some heartbreak. Saturday's game was disappointing, as Nebraska's defense squander a late 15-10 lead and allowed VT to produce on 2 big plays and walk out of their stadium with a 16-15 win. There's no question as a fan it was heartbreaking to see Nebraska play pretty well but yet squander an opportunity to win on the road. You have to really look at the dynamics of the game to understand that Nebraska really never should have been in the situation it was in late in the game. First, you CAN'T, CAN'T, CAN'T, go onto the road and produce zero touchdowns and expect to win. You have to punch it into the end-zone if you want to beat good teams. Second, Nebraska's possession that started first and goal from the six, a then touchdown, was negated by a holding penalty, then another holding penalty, and 2 false start penalties, that pushed Nebraska out of field goal range and squandering a chance to take a 15-10 lead which could of been put to 18-10 towards the end of the game. Third, on the road and having a MUST gain first down to seal the game, you have to get gutsy and take a gamble. I was disappointed in Tim Beck, and Shawn Watson faith in Rex Burkehead. The true freshman hardly carried the ball when he was subbing for Helu. Fourth, when you have a chance to get to Tyrod Taylor, you better do it...period. The junior singed Nebraska on their final play dancing around for 12 seconds before unloading the winning touchdown pass. Suh and company wanted to get to him, but you could sense that the gameplan of containing him in the pocket was pressed to firmly in their minds to create the sack. This will have to be corrected and our LB's better start stepping up their game NOW...because Nebraska can ill afford to go into a game with a legit dual threat QB and play tentative to keep him in the pocket and throw the ball. Pressure must be created with the DL and LB's playing their assignments correctly and making good solid defensive plays.
GRADE OUTS:
Defense: B+
Offense: C-

Grade outs are simple, the defense took massive steps this week shutting down VT after the first quarter and losing only on simple mental breakdowns. The offense goes two steps back this week failing to produce a touchdown and once #1 pass efficient Zac Lee struggled going 11 of 30 with 2 picks and NO touchdowns. The offense will have to get back on their game for Big 12 play because going on the road and scoring touchdowns is something Nebraska will have to do if they hope to keep their dreams of a Big 12 North title alive this season.

2. I've waited a few weeks for the season to start and I'm now doing my top 25 starting this week and going to the end of the season. Here's my Top 25 this week.

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Mississippi
4. Texas
5. California
6. LSU
7. Penn State
8. Ohio State
9. Oklahoma
10. Oklahoma State
11. TCU
12. Miami
13. Boise State
14. USC
15. Cincinnati
16. Virginia Tech
17. Georgia
18. Nebraska
19. Kansas
20. Houston
21. North Carolina
22. BYU
23. Auburn
24. Iowa
25. Georgia Tech

The breakdown is simple, in the top 5 Florida is #1 till they get beat and Texas comes in at #4 based off their hanging on performance against Tech last weekend. Cal rises up to #5 after a nice performance against Minnesota. LSU deserved to be ahead of any slow 10 school so they are in front of Penn State and Ohio State. OU and OSU check in at 9 & 10. TCU is way more legit to get to a BCS bowl than Boise State so they are at 11. USC's pitiful loss to Washington drops them to #14 in my poll. Cincinnati had another nice win on the road at Oregon State so they climb ahead of VT who held on for a W last weekend. Georgia rises after getting a dogfight win on the road at Arkansas. The Husker's move up despite a loss, only by their nice defensive showing. KU comes in at 19, followed closely by Houston who has a nice win on the road from beating OSU last weekend. They get Texas Tech this weekend. UNC comes in at 21, and BYU drops to 22 in my poll after getting thrashed at home by FSU. Auburn climbs in my top 25 with a nice gutsy win against West Virginia, Iowa checks in at 24 after getting a nice 10 point win over Arizona, and despite getting thrashed on the road at Miami, Georgia Tech comes in at 25.

3. Like my top 25 I'll be doing my own Big 12 Rankings as well, since I've started watching the teams and we are well into the season.

1. Oklahoma
Kinda doesnt look like they have lost any stride without Bradford, when he comes back and their defensive play rises...they'll be the best team in this conference.

2. Texas
Colt McCoy who lead the country last year in pass efficiency didn't look to hot at home last weekend, his team held on for a 10 point win over a mid-tier team in the Big 12....OU will have a passing field day on them if they dont improve in the secondary.

3. Oklahoma State
Despite losing to Houston, the Cowboys when healthy still have best offense in the Big 12. How many steps can that defense take when Big 12 play begins? That will most likely dictate what kind of season the Cowboys will have this year.

4. Nebraska
Despite a loss, the Husker's defense made great strides in showing that they might have the best defensive unit in the Big 12, minus some key mental breakdowns. Shoring up those mistakes and getting the offense in track will be pivotal when the Huskers travel to Missouri in 2 weeks.

5. Kansas
Kansas quietly has put on a clinic on defense, but how good is that defense against Big 12 competition instead of UTEP, Northern Colorado, and Duke. The loss of Sharp won't hurt the team as much for the next couple of weeks but his health will go a long way into the success of this season. As they say, you can't win a championship without being able to run the ball effectively.

6. Texas Tech
An impressive showing by Taylor Potts might have teams around the conference thinking that Tech is in a down year. His play will ultimately decide the outcome of pretty much every game they will play. Their defense looked much improved but still lacks the ability to make the big play when needed. Another big test this week for Tech as Houston has shown it loves to beat even the best teams of the Big 12.

7. Missouri
Some people are high on this team, but I'm not. When they beat a legit team, I'll reconsider moving them up but wins over Illinois, Furman, and a struggling W over Bowling Green doesn't warrant a top 5 ranking. Eyes will be watching their play on their first true road game of the season @ Nevada.

8. Baylor
Tough loss at home last weekend against UConn, but the road win against Wake Forest is still nice. Shoring up mistakes will be much needed as the Bears only have 2 more games to tune themselves up before visiting OU on October 10th.

9. Texas A&M
Sherman's team struggled to beat Utah State last week and that bodes concern this week as they face UAB with Arkansas and Oklahoma State looming in the next two weeks. The offense has looked much improved this season, but where is the "wrecking crew" defense. A&M better discover something of that nature quick or face an enduring string of losses this season.

10. Iowa State
ISU had a chance to make a statement against Iowa and fell flat on their face. Breaking their 20+ losing streak on the road...whoop-a-dee-doo....Kent State is a bad team this year. Woe's of their new offensive system are beginning to surface...The cyclones must get back on track or face a winless conference season again.

11. Colorado
Dan Hawkins beat Wyoming last week and probably saved negative publicity for himself for one more week. A well needed bye week is in order for the Buffaloes before their showdown road trip to West Virginia next week. With the Mountaineers, Longhorns, and Jayhawks as the next 3 games...a losing streak appears eminent with their poor defensive play.

12. Kansas State
The kitty kats are dead last this week after back to back losses to Louisiana Lafayette and UCLA. Bill Synder might be looking at himself in the mirror and start asking the question of why he came back to Manhattan. His offense has struggled with poor QB play, and defensively has broken down at critical times to win games. Improved effort on both sides of the ball are needed against Tennessee Tech this week with Iowa State looming for their Big 12 opener.

Coming back Tomorrow.....Skocz Out!!!!!!

COLLEGE GAMEDAY September 19, 2009

2009-09-19T09:30:00.002-05:00

Ok so I didnt get a chance to blog like I wanted to last night but we're making up for it with a special College Gameday addition.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech Preview
2. Games To Watch
3. Around the Big 12

1. Its a big game today as we are finally about 5 hours from knowing exactly how good this Nebraska team can be this year. There's no question that playing in Blacksburg isn't the easiest place in the world, but this season it's manageable to go in and get a win. The keys for today's game are simple, you must run the ball effectively on offense. Running the ball becomes more important when you go on the road because it gives you a chance to control the pace of the game. Look at how effective Nebraska's offense was last season at Texas Tech....the defense was fresh and able to put Texas Tech into troubling 3rd and long situations. Today is no different for the Cornhuskers they must run the ball effectively to take pressure of Zac Lee's shoulders and give him opportunities to complete short passes for effective yardage gains. Another key today will be the play of the Husker's inexperienced Linebackers. Their play will be crucial to contain Tyrod Taylor in the pocket should he decide to take off and run. I expect our defensive line will create pressure but when Taylor steps up and away from the pressure...it'll be the Linebacker's duty to clean up. Those are the two key matchups that I'll be looking at today.

Predicition: It's been a better part of a decade since Nebraska went on the road and won a game against a team that was ranked in the top 20.....today Nebraska rights the ship and establishes themselves as a team and program turning the corner....Nebraska comes out today and shows that they can play a dirty grudge match game and run the ball down the Hokies throats...that running game will keep VT off the field and force young Tyrod Taylor to press to catch up against the Huskers. Nebraska will come up with a pivotal turnover that will seal the game away late as they did a few times at the end of last season. Huskers win 31-21

2. Some decent games to watch today as I'll be tuning into Cal Minnesota, FSU BYU, and Michigan State Norte Damn. Utah also takes on Oregon while Cincinnati tackles with Oregon State...night games tonight have Georgia @ Arkansas, and West Virginia battling Auburn....Good games tonight....watch em

3. Lets go around the Big 12 and see this weekend slate of games.
Texas Tech @ Texas
UConn @ Baylor
Wyoming @ Colorado
Iowa State @ Kent State
Duke @ Kansas
Kansas State @ UCLA
Furman @ Missouri
Nebraska @ Virginia Tech
Tulsa @ Oklahoma
Rice @ Oklahoma State
Utah State @ Texas A&M

Clearly Nebraska stands out as the best game in the Big 12, but I expect the UConn Baylor game to be entertaining as well. Predictions for the games. Texas, Baylor, Colorado, KU, UCLA, Misery, Sker's, OU, OSU, A&M.
Bill Synder won't like going to UCLA today as the Bruins are on cloud 9 from beating Tennessee last weekend....Dan Hawkins better win today against Wyoming, or he may be fired after the game is over.

Enjoy the games today....coming back on Tuesday.....GO SKER'S

September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T22:54:00.004-05:00

Well its a bit late getting this one out but I promise to blog today...and I've delivered.

THE HOT LIST:

1. Impact of National Televised Games
2. Okafor Leaves
3. Marcel Jones: Time to Step up

1. An interesting question has been aroused this week with the Husker Football team traveling to Virginia Tech about the impact of getting a W this weekend. I have heard numerous people call into local radio shows stating the a W this weekend would put Nebraska on the "map" and open doors to recruiting that Nebraska wouldn't have had access to before. Today in the Omaha World Herald Bo stated today that the national reputation of his program means "diddly" to him as he sees playing well and executing their practiced game plan and getting a W the most important aspects of this weekend's game. In retrospect a W would give national sports writers something positive to write about the Huskers and thus continue to be convinced that this program is moving in a right direction.
I personally think that this game is more of a grade out for Nebraska this season, how good are theses guys when they play equal or greater talent in front of them. By no means does this game dictate the success of this season. I think the real Nebraska team is going to be seen in the conference season. That is the part of the season that I feel Nebraska can take its first major step by winning the Big 12 North, making the Big 12 Championship, and showing Texas that we can give them a good run for their money. Yes I do believe that a win this weekend would give some nice publicity to the team and change the tone that Nebraska haters have been dishing out for the past few years. Think about this though....how does it look for Nebraska if they go to VT, play very well, but lose by 3 points or less....what is the national image of Nebraska then??? Either way it still looks positive to me. This game will be a statement game, just not in the national perception that Husker Fans think, win and you are looked as kinda back but not, lose and your looked at as not close to the elite yet....either way its lose/lose....but its a win for Husker Fans if they upset VT Saturday.

2. Collins Okafor has left the Nebraska team, as confirmed by the Omaha World Herald. Its a shame that this once highly recruited kid from Omaha Westside has decided that he no longer wants to put in the work to be the player of greatness at Nebraska. I loved the size of the kid and the potential he had. As we have said to numerous kids that have come and gone from Nebraska....best of luck to ya, but shame on you for walking away from the greatest program in the country....I'll defend that statement to the death....hands down.

3. A great article came out today about the play of Marcel Jones and how important it will be for him to elevate his game again. On Saturday he'll be lined up against another potential NFL draft pick DE. As we saw last week against Arkansas State, he struggled at times to catch up to the speed defensive end of Alex Carrington, this week he'll be matched up against VT's Jason Worilds. The speedy defensive end from VT will very likely play on Sunday's next year, and as we know the protection of Zac Lee I feel is a vital part of the game plan for Nebraska to beat VT. I expect Nebraska to run away from him, but look for Nebraska to push the ball towards Jones' side if he begins to wear Worilds down in the 4th quarter. This will be a big week for Jones, the experience of playing a high quality DE will give him the confidence to take on other Big 12 teams DE's during the season. I expect Jones to struggle against Worilds early but as the Husker's game plan unfolds against the Hokies, I expect Jones' game to get stronger and stronger as the game rolls on....If he plays out of his mind, a W is not that far out of reach for the Husker's this Saturday.

Coming back on Friday and one more time for a special Gameday Blog on Saturday......