One commonly believed notion why No. 20 Nebraska had a more inconsistent season than its 9-3 record would suggest is that the team made a conference from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
With that change came new opponents for which to prepare which then adds to the learning curve. However, the same thing could be said in reverse as well. This was the first time that Big Ten clubs had to prepare for the Huskers.
Nebraska, like everyone else, will know of its bowl game destination Sunday. The most rumored candidates are either the Capital One or Outback Bowl. The rumored opponents are from the SEC: South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia. The Huskers are likely to be an underdog no matter whom they face but that’s another discussion for Sunday. The scenarios mostly come down to what happens in the SEC (LSU vs. Georgia) and Big Ten (Michigan vs. Wisconsin) title games. I’m not going to go into what has to happen because I’d be better off trying to explain Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
As I look back on this year, however, I guess I wanted more. I really wanted to see the Huskers play in the inaugural B1G Conference but it just didn’t happen. I thought the team would finish 10-2 with a chance to accomplish that goal but I didn’t count on losing to Northwestern at home (28-25). Strange is a good word to sum up the Huskers first season in the Big Ten.
It didn’t take long to figure out that this wasn’t the Blackshirts we have come to expect on Saturdays under a Bo Pelini coached team. By the time the final seconds drained the clock on the Washington game (which Nebraska won 51-38); it was obvious that the Huskers were in for a roller coaster ride this season defensively. Pass rush or lack thereof most of the season was tough to watch. Linebacker play improved as the season went on, especially from Will Compton. The secondary seemed to improve as well especially if you have the Michigan game erased from your memory.
The coaches have mandated that quarterback Taylor Martinez become more of a game manger but I simply do not buy the notion of that approach hindering his ability to make the big plays we were accustomed to seeing early in 2010. Seriously, is there anything in Tim Beck’s playbook that says, “OK, Taylor gain ten yards and if you see open field just go down. When Martinez got blasted with a series of leg injuries beginning against Missouri last year, he lost a step off of his 10 yard burst. Some would point to his increased penchant for sliding or running out of bounds to preserve his health as the biggest reason for the coaches encouraging more of a “game manager” (whatever the hell that means) approach.
At which point I say, have you seen the backup quarterbacks led by Brion Carnes? Backups are backups for a reason. They are not ready. Some would say, get the backup more playing time in games already decided. That’s fine but where were those games? True, Carnes could have gotten a few snaps in Nebraska’s 45-17 loss at Michigan. However, he did get snaps against UT-Chattanooga (40-7 win), Minnesota (41-14) and Wisconsin (48-17 loss). If I’m not mistaken, those were the only games Nebraska played this year where the game was not somewhat in doubt going into the fourth quarter.
The most disturbing thing is that for as amazing as Rex Burkhead’s season was, you have three true freshmen (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard) have wasted seasons. None of them carried the ball over 40 times this season.
Looking ahead to next year, I think wide receivers Quincey Enuwa and Kenny Bell will be better. With Brandon Kinnie graduating, maybe Enuwa can be a bigger part of the team’s plans. I felt like Kinnie was on the brink of being a star and then he would vanish for stretches during the season. Without question I think the 2012 offense will be the best of the Pelini era.
I am anxious to watch the young talent on offense continue to develop. Defense will be interesting to say the least. There will be three huge holes to fill and Nebraska is going to need some young guns to step up and improve their games greatly. I still see the defense as a work in progress in this new conference. I don’t think they have the beef up front to control games and they are going to have to find some linebackers to contribute very quickly. The secondary should be better across the board but losing Alfonso Dennard is going to hurt. I think next year’s growing pains on defense will continue and it will take time before we can hope to have a dominant defense again.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
9-3 is in the eye of the beholder
With Nebraska’s regular-season ending 20-7 win over Iowa having come and gone, Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple posed the question of “how do you feel about the Huskers’ 9-3 season?”
It’s certainly not the end all, be all that comes from any fan over the age of 30 that truly remembers Nebraska winning national championships (five to be exact). Keep in mind, Nebraska won three in the 1990s and went 60-3 from 1993-1997. However, I have said for a long time that we, as Nebraska fans, had become so jaded because of the long run of success we had during the Bob Devaney/Tom Osborne eras that we had lost sight of the definition of success.
Winning a national championship is every team’s goal, but only one team gets to do it. Does that mean every other team failed? Certainly not. We’ve had more than our share of success and failures this season, but any time you win 75 percent of your games, especially in a meat-grinder of a conference such as the Big Ten, you’ve got to look at that as a success (at least on some level).
You have to remember what Nebraska had for a leader in the athletic director’s chair and where that leader took this program (namely Steve Pederson). We didn’t “gravitate toward mediocrity” under his leadership, we sprinted toward it.
Could the Huskers have done better in 2011? Certainly, short of going undefeated, teams can always do better. They crapped the bed against Northwestern and didn’t play well against Michigan or Wisconsin. In the grand scheme of things, though 9-3 is a pretty good season. Great season? No but it certainly beats the 7-5 saddle Iowa has to ride on.
Osborne made a living on nine win seasons in a conference where you had six blowout wins a year and one legit game against Oklahoma. Well, when the Sooners started to backslide that the legit games later became Kansas State and Colorado. In the Big Ten, there is quality at the top and lack of quality at the bottom but the quality in the middle is much better.
The nine win benchmark was what everybody pointed to when Frank Solich broke that streak with a 7-7 season in 2002. Now, we have Bo Pelini winning nine games for the fourth year in a row and people are mad. Those same people who point to the 1990s don’t remember the 1970s and 1980s. They only remember the 1970 and 1971 seasons ending with national crowns. They don’t remember that from 1972 to 1979, the seasons ranged between 9-3 and 10-2. Those same people also only remember the 1980s for the consecutive 12-1 seasons in 1982 and 1983. They don’t remember that the rest of that decade ranged between 9-3 and 10-2. They also don’t remember that it took nine years for Osborne to win a conference title; something Pelini has had Nebraska on the doorstep of doing twice in his four year span.
I recently went to an Oklahoma message board after they lost to Texas Tech and they were calling for Stoops head. One post read like this “If you want to win a conference championship every other year Stoops is your guy, but if you want to win a national title we need a new coach.” Really? It’s about the perspective of fans. We would be thrilled with a conference championship but I dare say if we won a couple of those our fans would then elevate their expectations to winning national titles and if we didn’t do that they would still want Pelini fired.
Look, there’s no way in hell I want to have Iowa’s standards. They’re happy with seven wins but do you hear Iowa fans calling for Kirk Ferentz’s head right now? Hell no because their standards are nowhere near ours (which is why they've never won a national title).
What people don’t seem to realize is that the days of Nebraska beating the living crap out of teams week in and week out are long since passed. College football has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The playing field is a lot more level than it once was when an elite list of teams like Nebraska, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State and others were dominant year in and year out. Northwestern isn’t the weak sister they once were because they’re now capable of playing at a more competitive level than they used to. Conversely, look at Colorado, they had risen up to an elite level not that long ago, and now they’re the Pac 12 doormat. Osborne averaged ten wins a year in 25 years as head coach, and there were a ton of 9-3, 9-2-1 seasons in that legendary era.
I remember in the early 1990s about how Husker fans had to make a choice whether we could be happy with nine wins a season with Osborne or hire somebody who can get us to “the promised land.” Well, a few years later, he got the Huskers to the promised land three times in four years, and it wasn’t until we got an underhanded sleeze of an AD like Pederson that the program fell from the elite.
Nebraska is back where it once was with nine wins a year, and I think it can get back to the promised land with the current setup. I appreciate those years under Osborne today more than I did at the time they happened, and I think the frustration of losses like those the Huskers experienced this year are far outweighed by the overall success and direction the program is now headed but beating Iowa was helpful.
It’s certainly not the end all, be all that comes from any fan over the age of 30 that truly remembers Nebraska winning national championships (five to be exact). Keep in mind, Nebraska won three in the 1990s and went 60-3 from 1993-1997. However, I have said for a long time that we, as Nebraska fans, had become so jaded because of the long run of success we had during the Bob Devaney/Tom Osborne eras that we had lost sight of the definition of success.
Winning a national championship is every team’s goal, but only one team gets to do it. Does that mean every other team failed? Certainly not. We’ve had more than our share of success and failures this season, but any time you win 75 percent of your games, especially in a meat-grinder of a conference such as the Big Ten, you’ve got to look at that as a success (at least on some level).
You have to remember what Nebraska had for a leader in the athletic director’s chair and where that leader took this program (namely Steve Pederson). We didn’t “gravitate toward mediocrity” under his leadership, we sprinted toward it.
Could the Huskers have done better in 2011? Certainly, short of going undefeated, teams can always do better. They crapped the bed against Northwestern and didn’t play well against Michigan or Wisconsin. In the grand scheme of things, though 9-3 is a pretty good season. Great season? No but it certainly beats the 7-5 saddle Iowa has to ride on.
Osborne made a living on nine win seasons in a conference where you had six blowout wins a year and one legit game against Oklahoma. Well, when the Sooners started to backslide that the legit games later became Kansas State and Colorado. In the Big Ten, there is quality at the top and lack of quality at the bottom but the quality in the middle is much better.
The nine win benchmark was what everybody pointed to when Frank Solich broke that streak with a 7-7 season in 2002. Now, we have Bo Pelini winning nine games for the fourth year in a row and people are mad. Those same people who point to the 1990s don’t remember the 1970s and 1980s. They only remember the 1970 and 1971 seasons ending with national crowns. They don’t remember that from 1972 to 1979, the seasons ranged between 9-3 and 10-2. Those same people also only remember the 1980s for the consecutive 12-1 seasons in 1982 and 1983. They don’t remember that the rest of that decade ranged between 9-3 and 10-2. They also don’t remember that it took nine years for Osborne to win a conference title; something Pelini has had Nebraska on the doorstep of doing twice in his four year span.
I recently went to an Oklahoma message board after they lost to Texas Tech and they were calling for Stoops head. One post read like this “If you want to win a conference championship every other year Stoops is your guy, but if you want to win a national title we need a new coach.” Really? It’s about the perspective of fans. We would be thrilled with a conference championship but I dare say if we won a couple of those our fans would then elevate their expectations to winning national titles and if we didn’t do that they would still want Pelini fired.
Look, there’s no way in hell I want to have Iowa’s standards. They’re happy with seven wins but do you hear Iowa fans calling for Kirk Ferentz’s head right now? Hell no because their standards are nowhere near ours (which is why they've never won a national title).
What people don’t seem to realize is that the days of Nebraska beating the living crap out of teams week in and week out are long since passed. College football has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The playing field is a lot more level than it once was when an elite list of teams like Nebraska, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State and others were dominant year in and year out. Northwestern isn’t the weak sister they once were because they’re now capable of playing at a more competitive level than they used to. Conversely, look at Colorado, they had risen up to an elite level not that long ago, and now they’re the Pac 12 doormat. Osborne averaged ten wins a year in 25 years as head coach, and there were a ton of 9-3, 9-2-1 seasons in that legendary era.
I remember in the early 1990s about how Husker fans had to make a choice whether we could be happy with nine wins a season with Osborne or hire somebody who can get us to “the promised land.” Well, a few years later, he got the Huskers to the promised land three times in four years, and it wasn’t until we got an underhanded sleeze of an AD like Pederson that the program fell from the elite.
Nebraska is back where it once was with nine wins a year, and I think it can get back to the promised land with the current setup. I appreciate those years under Osborne today more than I did at the time they happened, and I think the frustration of losses like those the Huskers experienced this year are far outweighed by the overall success and direction the program is now headed but beating Iowa was helpful.
Friday, November 25, 2011
So much for Huskers having motivation issues
This was more like it. Just a few days ago, yours truly stated that while even if, in a best case scenario, Nebraska goes 10-3, the season would not be considered an overwhelming success because of the preseason goal of winning Big Ten championship.
However, I felt it was important to finish strong because how a team concludes its season is how the campaign is often remembered most. The Huskers took care of Step One on Friday with a 20-7 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Nebraska dominated play even more than the final score suggested because much of Iowa’s 270 yards of total offense and all seven points came in the fourth quarter after the Huskers built a 20-0 lead.
Speaking of how the offense built that lead, what more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? The junior had 159 yards and a touchdown on a school record 38 carries. The team slogan should be “Go Big Rex” instead of “Go Big Red!” Burkhead’s running allowed for effective play-action passes but in terms of throwing the ball, it was a mixed bag for quarterback Taylor Martinez (12 of 22, 163 yards, one TD, no INTs). He made some terrible throws early in the game but got better as the game progressed. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell (five catches, 93 yards) had a huge day and while the running game is the offense’s identity, Bell gives the Husker passing game an added dimension. However, with the way the offensive line opened up holes for Burkhead, there was little need to pass.
On the defensive side, the fact that Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg is a pocket passer played into Nebraska’s hands but this was one of the Huskers better tackling efforts of the season. Keep in mind, mobile quarterbacks have tied the Husker defense in knots this season.
Though Iowa running back Marcus Coker (18 carries, 87 yards, one TD) put up decent numbers, you did not see Husker defenders rely on arm tackles. As amazing as linebacker LaVonte David is, the continued improved play of Will Compton is also refreshing as well as Jay Guy and Justin Jackson giving serviceable saps on a banged up defensive line.
Cornerback Alfonso Dennard also deserves a game ball for limiting Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt to four catches for 29 yards.
The telling numbers for this game was time of possession as Nebraska held the ball for 37:47 and dominated third down on both offense (10 of 21) and defense (2 of 12).
Nebraska has had a stock market season much more than its 9-3 record suggests. One week after being outplayed by Michigan, the Huskers thoroughly outplayed the Hawkeyes. The question now becomes can the Huskers parlay their Black Friday performance into a bowl game win?
The importance of the Huskers win over Iowa cannot be overstated. I’m not going to lie, thoughts of last year’s Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Washington trifecta of awful was weighing on my mind after the 45-17 loss to Michigan last Saturday.
The loss was not only bad on the field but prompted many of the shrill voices to suggest that head coach Bo Pelini “has lost this team.” What the hell does that mean, anyway? Yes, the Huskers maddening inconsistency is puzzling but how does that translate into “losing the team.” Gee, there’s a blanket statement if I ever heard one but I digress.
Overall, I am pleased with the way the team responded today. The crowd was into the game, it was Senior Day and the guys responded.
However, I felt it was important to finish strong because how a team concludes its season is how the campaign is often remembered most. The Huskers took care of Step One on Friday with a 20-7 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Nebraska dominated play even more than the final score suggested because much of Iowa’s 270 yards of total offense and all seven points came in the fourth quarter after the Huskers built a 20-0 lead.
Speaking of how the offense built that lead, what more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? The junior had 159 yards and a touchdown on a school record 38 carries. The team slogan should be “Go Big Rex” instead of “Go Big Red!” Burkhead’s running allowed for effective play-action passes but in terms of throwing the ball, it was a mixed bag for quarterback Taylor Martinez (12 of 22, 163 yards, one TD, no INTs). He made some terrible throws early in the game but got better as the game progressed. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Kenny Bell (five catches, 93 yards) had a huge day and while the running game is the offense’s identity, Bell gives the Husker passing game an added dimension. However, with the way the offensive line opened up holes for Burkhead, there was little need to pass.
On the defensive side, the fact that Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg is a pocket passer played into Nebraska’s hands but this was one of the Huskers better tackling efforts of the season. Keep in mind, mobile quarterbacks have tied the Husker defense in knots this season.
Though Iowa running back Marcus Coker (18 carries, 87 yards, one TD) put up decent numbers, you did not see Husker defenders rely on arm tackles. As amazing as linebacker LaVonte David is, the continued improved play of Will Compton is also refreshing as well as Jay Guy and Justin Jackson giving serviceable saps on a banged up defensive line.
Cornerback Alfonso Dennard also deserves a game ball for limiting Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt to four catches for 29 yards.
The telling numbers for this game was time of possession as Nebraska held the ball for 37:47 and dominated third down on both offense (10 of 21) and defense (2 of 12).
Nebraska has had a stock market season much more than its 9-3 record suggests. One week after being outplayed by Michigan, the Huskers thoroughly outplayed the Hawkeyes. The question now becomes can the Huskers parlay their Black Friday performance into a bowl game win?
The importance of the Huskers win over Iowa cannot be overstated. I’m not going to lie, thoughts of last year’s Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Washington trifecta of awful was weighing on my mind after the 45-17 loss to Michigan last Saturday.
The loss was not only bad on the field but prompted many of the shrill voices to suggest that head coach Bo Pelini “has lost this team.” What the hell does that mean, anyway? Yes, the Huskers maddening inconsistency is puzzling but how does that translate into “losing the team.” Gee, there’s a blanket statement if I ever heard one but I digress.
Overall, I am pleased with the way the team responded today. The crowd was into the game, it was Senior Day and the guys responded.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Perception is about how the Huskers finish the season
As I watched the closing moments of Nebraska’s 45-17 loss (or would train wreck be a better term if you are a Husker fan?) Saturday, I heard ESPN commentator Urban Meyer say something to the effect of “don’t underestimate Nebraska’s ability to finish strong and if they do that it will help recruiting.”
I disagree with the “help recruiting” part. Seriously, by the time bowl games come around, a high school kid has generally made up his mind on where he’s going so I find it hard to believe that the outcome of a bowl game is going to be the ultimate reason a kid will choose one school over another.
However, I completely agree that for Nebraska (or any team for that matter) to finish strong is very important. Remember the saying, “You’re only as good as your last game?” Think about it for just a moment, the Huskers went 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010 but the perception of those two seasons could not be more opposite.
In 2009, the Huskers were 4-3 at one point but won six of their last seven games including a season-ending 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing over Arizona. In 2010, the Huskers started the season 5-0 and were a Top Five team but went 5-4 the rest of the way including a season-ending run of three losses in the final four games. The last game was an uninspired 19-7 loss to Washington.
In 2005 and 2008, Nebraska was 5-4 at one point. In 2005, the Huskers closed the season with three straight wins including a 32-28 Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. That was what most people remember as the high point of the Bill Callahan era. In 2008, which was the first of the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska finished the season with four straight wins including a season-ending 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson.
In 2000 and 2001, Nebraska finished 11-2 but the legacy of those two seasons could not be more opposite. In 2000, the Huskers finished the season with a 66-17 win over Northwestern. In 2001, Nebraska was 11-0 but finished the season with back-to-back embarrassing losses to Colorado (62-36) and Miami (37-14).
Point being, the last game is the one you often remember most. From 1987-1993, Nebraska never had a record that was worse than 9-3. However, every one of those seasons ended with a loss in its bowl game.
The Huskers enter their regular season finale at home against Iowa with an 8-3 record. Considering that Nebraska entered its maiden voyage in the Big Ten Conference with visions of a conference title, the season will not be viewed as an overwhelming success even if the team wins its last two games and goes 10-3. There will be no conference title. Heck, there won’t even be a Legends Division title.
So for the Huskers, the outcome of the last two games are an issue of “how do you want the season to be perceived?” Losing the last two and going 8-5 would be considered a colossal failure. Seriously, an 8-5 season might be fine for Purdue. Splitting the last two and going 9-4 would classify as nondescript. I see a 9-4 season as the minimum of what Nebraska should achieve. However, winning the last two and going 10-3, the season could at least be considered a borderline success. I think it’s safe to say that winning the last two and going 10-3 would be the best way to remember the season.
College football is so much different from every other sport. I know the cynics would bemoan the fact that there is no playoff system. However, the benefit of having the current system is that a team can win its last two games and whether its final record is 12-2 or 8-5 can still, on some level, feel good about its season.
In the NFL, however, it is not uncommon for a team to go 13-3 and lose in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons went a franchise-best 13-3 and garnered the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs only to get their doors blown off in a 48-21 Division Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Granted, the NFL is such where only one team is going to end its season victoriously and feel good (the Super Bowl champion) but while 13-3 is an impressive record, a team with that mark should at minimum reach the conference title game.
Point being, if the Huskers want the season to be viewed as even a borderline success, 2011 becomes a two-game season beginning Friday.
I disagree with the “help recruiting” part. Seriously, by the time bowl games come around, a high school kid has generally made up his mind on where he’s going so I find it hard to believe that the outcome of a bowl game is going to be the ultimate reason a kid will choose one school over another.
However, I completely agree that for Nebraska (or any team for that matter) to finish strong is very important. Remember the saying, “You’re only as good as your last game?” Think about it for just a moment, the Huskers went 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010 but the perception of those two seasons could not be more opposite.
In 2009, the Huskers were 4-3 at one point but won six of their last seven games including a season-ending 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing over Arizona. In 2010, the Huskers started the season 5-0 and were a Top Five team but went 5-4 the rest of the way including a season-ending run of three losses in the final four games. The last game was an uninspired 19-7 loss to Washington.
In 2005 and 2008, Nebraska was 5-4 at one point. In 2005, the Huskers closed the season with three straight wins including a 32-28 Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. That was what most people remember as the high point of the Bill Callahan era. In 2008, which was the first of the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska finished the season with four straight wins including a season-ending 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson.
In 2000 and 2001, Nebraska finished 11-2 but the legacy of those two seasons could not be more opposite. In 2000, the Huskers finished the season with a 66-17 win over Northwestern. In 2001, Nebraska was 11-0 but finished the season with back-to-back embarrassing losses to Colorado (62-36) and Miami (37-14).
Point being, the last game is the one you often remember most. From 1987-1993, Nebraska never had a record that was worse than 9-3. However, every one of those seasons ended with a loss in its bowl game.
The Huskers enter their regular season finale at home against Iowa with an 8-3 record. Considering that Nebraska entered its maiden voyage in the Big Ten Conference with visions of a conference title, the season will not be viewed as an overwhelming success even if the team wins its last two games and goes 10-3. There will be no conference title. Heck, there won’t even be a Legends Division title.
So for the Huskers, the outcome of the last two games are an issue of “how do you want the season to be perceived?” Losing the last two and going 8-5 would be considered a colossal failure. Seriously, an 8-5 season might be fine for Purdue. Splitting the last two and going 9-4 would classify as nondescript. I see a 9-4 season as the minimum of what Nebraska should achieve. However, winning the last two and going 10-3, the season could at least be considered a borderline success. I think it’s safe to say that winning the last two and going 10-3 would be the best way to remember the season.
College football is so much different from every other sport. I know the cynics would bemoan the fact that there is no playoff system. However, the benefit of having the current system is that a team can win its last two games and whether its final record is 12-2 or 8-5 can still, on some level, feel good about its season.
In the NFL, however, it is not uncommon for a team to go 13-3 and lose in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons went a franchise-best 13-3 and garnered the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs only to get their doors blown off in a 48-21 Division Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Granted, the NFL is such where only one team is going to end its season victoriously and feel good (the Super Bowl champion) but while 13-3 is an impressive record, a team with that mark should at minimum reach the conference title game.
Point being, if the Huskers want the season to be viewed as even a borderline success, 2011 becomes a two-game season beginning Friday.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Husker inconsistency a maddening pattern
Though the Nebraska football team is coming off a disturbing 45-17 road loss Saturday to Michigan and will finish no better than 10-3 if it wins its final two games, head coach Bo Pelini somewhat disputed the possible perception that the program is stuck in neutral.
"I don't care about the perception," Pelini said. "This program's come a long way. ...I don't really care what's out there, to be honest with you. What I concern myself with is where this program was, where it is right now. I'm proud of where this program is right now."
Safety Austin Cassidy, who was in the program when Pelini arrived as head coach in December of 2007. Like Pelini, he agreed with the notion that the program has come a long way the past four years.
"I would say that culturally, it's a completely different culture," Cassidy said. "Like I said earlier, I think Coach Bo is all about winning, but more importantly helping us out and turning us into good people. And I would honestly say that he has done everything in his power to help us out. Sometimes it is tough love, sometimes he's going to get in your face and treat you like a man. And sometimes he's going to sit down with you and say, 'Hey, look man, I'm here if you need someone to talk to.' In my experiences, there's been a lot of change and it's been for the better."
Including his 2003 Alamo Bowl win as interim head coach, Pelini has led the Huskers to a 38-15 record. On the surface, that is a huge improvement over the Bill Callahan era, during which time Nebraska went 27-22 and had two bowl-less seasons from 2004-2007.
However, the notion that the program might be stuck in neutral is not entirely false. Pelini’s initial impact was great as the Huskers went from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 in 2008. Nebraska followed the next two seasons by going 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010. Nebraska is now 8-3 heading into Friday’s regular season finale at home against Iowa.
While wins and losses do not always tell the entire story, the disturbing trend is that the team looks so dialed in and focused one week but ordinary the next. I’m not in the “Fire Bo Pelini” or “Fire Time Beck” camp. For all of these people that want change, just realize one thing. Change only means “different” not better. Look at our last presidential election, what was the rhetoric? Change. For the record, I am a divorced registered Republican turned Conservative Independent but going from George Bush to Barack Obama has only meant that we still have the same crappy economy and unemployment rate among others.
Anyhow, enough of the political angle. OK, remember when so many Husker fans wanted Frank Solich fired? Well, you got your wish with the Callahan era. Boy, what a success that was. OK, this next one is for you Husker fans that want an “A list” coach: Remember a segment of Michigan fans wanted Lloyd Carr out because he kept losing to Ohio State? Well, guess what, they brought in a “name” coach. His name was Rich Rodriguez. Three years later, a 15-22 record with two bowl-less seasons. Even worse than the Callahan era.
That’s not to suggest that I’m 100 percent in agreement with everything Pelini has done. The program is definitely at another crossroads. True, the program is in way better shape that 2007 but at some point, it's got to move forward. We're in neutral. The opponents change, the conference changes, the players change but the results are the same. There an impressive win, followed by a crushing blowout. There's a home loss to a terrible opponent who has no business beating you. And once in awhile, you have a great win as a home underdog.
In the end, there's a 10-3 / 9-4 season, where the 9 or 10 perhaps weren't the 9 or 10 you should have won, and the 3 or 4 weren't necessarily the 3 or 4 you should have lost. One step forward, one step back, one step forward, one step back. That's what we are.
I know this has been said a million times, but everyone here really does need to chill out. This is a very young team that has less experience than a lot of the competition right now. I do believe that the Huskers have more potential than most of the competition too. Everyone knows our tackling (or love taps) are pathetic. Our receivers leave much to be desired, and Martinez is attracted to blue and yellow but these are all things that can be fixed.
I don't have a problem with a little constructive criticism, but "(player) sucks" isn't doing anything but showing everyone we have fair weather fans.
With all that said, the inconsistency is driving me insane. Young or not, beating Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State proves to me that we are an extremely talented team. I just wish the team would not be so maddeningly inconsistent.
"I don't care about the perception," Pelini said. "This program's come a long way. ...I don't really care what's out there, to be honest with you. What I concern myself with is where this program was, where it is right now. I'm proud of where this program is right now."
Safety Austin Cassidy, who was in the program when Pelini arrived as head coach in December of 2007. Like Pelini, he agreed with the notion that the program has come a long way the past four years.
"I would say that culturally, it's a completely different culture," Cassidy said. "Like I said earlier, I think Coach Bo is all about winning, but more importantly helping us out and turning us into good people. And I would honestly say that he has done everything in his power to help us out. Sometimes it is tough love, sometimes he's going to get in your face and treat you like a man. And sometimes he's going to sit down with you and say, 'Hey, look man, I'm here if you need someone to talk to.' In my experiences, there's been a lot of change and it's been for the better."
Including his 2003 Alamo Bowl win as interim head coach, Pelini has led the Huskers to a 38-15 record. On the surface, that is a huge improvement over the Bill Callahan era, during which time Nebraska went 27-22 and had two bowl-less seasons from 2004-2007.
However, the notion that the program might be stuck in neutral is not entirely false. Pelini’s initial impact was great as the Huskers went from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 in 2008. Nebraska followed the next two seasons by going 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010. Nebraska is now 8-3 heading into Friday’s regular season finale at home against Iowa.
While wins and losses do not always tell the entire story, the disturbing trend is that the team looks so dialed in and focused one week but ordinary the next. I’m not in the “Fire Bo Pelini” or “Fire Time Beck” camp. For all of these people that want change, just realize one thing. Change only means “different” not better. Look at our last presidential election, what was the rhetoric? Change. For the record, I am a divorced registered Republican turned Conservative Independent but going from George Bush to Barack Obama has only meant that we still have the same crappy economy and unemployment rate among others.
Anyhow, enough of the political angle. OK, remember when so many Husker fans wanted Frank Solich fired? Well, you got your wish with the Callahan era. Boy, what a success that was. OK, this next one is for you Husker fans that want an “A list” coach: Remember a segment of Michigan fans wanted Lloyd Carr out because he kept losing to Ohio State? Well, guess what, they brought in a “name” coach. His name was Rich Rodriguez. Three years later, a 15-22 record with two bowl-less seasons. Even worse than the Callahan era.
That’s not to suggest that I’m 100 percent in agreement with everything Pelini has done. The program is definitely at another crossroads. True, the program is in way better shape that 2007 but at some point, it's got to move forward. We're in neutral. The opponents change, the conference changes, the players change but the results are the same. There an impressive win, followed by a crushing blowout. There's a home loss to a terrible opponent who has no business beating you. And once in awhile, you have a great win as a home underdog.
In the end, there's a 10-3 / 9-4 season, where the 9 or 10 perhaps weren't the 9 or 10 you should have won, and the 3 or 4 weren't necessarily the 3 or 4 you should have lost. One step forward, one step back, one step forward, one step back. That's what we are.
I know this has been said a million times, but everyone here really does need to chill out. This is a very young team that has less experience than a lot of the competition right now. I do believe that the Huskers have more potential than most of the competition too. Everyone knows our tackling (or love taps) are pathetic. Our receivers leave much to be desired, and Martinez is attracted to blue and yellow but these are all things that can be fixed.
I don't have a problem with a little constructive criticism, but "(player) sucks" isn't doing anything but showing everyone we have fair weather fans.
With all that said, the inconsistency is driving me insane. Young or not, beating Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State proves to me that we are an extremely talented team. I just wish the team would not be so maddeningly inconsistent.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Husker loss leaves questions, not answers
No way to pretty this one up, no matter how hard you try. No. 16 Nebraska had a chance to keep its BCS bowl game hopes alive with a win at No. 20 Michigan in a matchup of 8-2 teams Saturday.
Instead, the Huskers turned in a clunker and lost 45-17 to Michigan in Ann Arbor. When a team loses that badly, no one deserves a free pass. However, it was the Husker special teams that were their ultimate undoing. Nebraska trailed 17-10 at halftime and received the second half kickoff. Kenny Bell, however, fumbled and Michigan recovered at the Husker 33. That turnover was turned into a touchdown. One possession later, Nebraska punt Brett Maher drops the snap on an unforced error. Michigan blocked the punt and recovered a midfield. The Wolverines later converted a fake field goal into a first down and later a touchdown.
Nebraska had closed the gap to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter, got a three and out to force a punt. The Huskers then committed a roughing the punter infraction that Michigan turned into a touchdown.
If you eliminate those special teams gaffes, sure, the Huskers still lose 24-17 but they would have at minimum given themselves a chance to win.
However, special teams were not the only culprit.
Defensively, Nebraska gave up just 3.9 yards per carry but also allowed 414 yards of total offense and 8 of 18 third down conversions. The Wolverines also ran 79 plays to Nebraska’s 53.
On offense, Nebraska committed three turnovers and gained 254 yards of total offense but even that total is inflated because 54 came on one play, a 54-yard touchdown from Taylor Martinez to Brandon Kinnie.
Statistical battles aside, the loss was disturbing for other reasons. Yes, Michigan is a good ballclub but they are not great. Losing to the Wolverines is one thing. Looking like you don’t even belong on the same field is another, especially considering that Nebraska needed to win this game to keep alive to win the Legends Division.
Four years ago, Nebraska fans and media lauded the hiring of Bo Pelini as the choice to replace Bill Callahan. While Pelini is a significant upgrade over Callahan, it’s games like Saturday that leave more questions than answers. How can the team look so dialed in while beating Michigan State and Penn State but look so inexplicably ill-prepared against Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan. The blame for that lies squarely at the feet of Pelini and staff.
When units come out flat and unfocused like the Huskers’ special teams did today, one has to question the coaches’ abilities to get players in the right mindset to execute.
Pelini has stated many times after the Cornhuskers lost that the team did not execute. I think the coaching staff is not executing as well. This coaching staff has a hard time getting the team ready for big games. Last year in the revenge game against Texas, Nebraska came out flat. The team came out flat against Washington in the Holiday Bowl last year, and twice this year in games against Northwestern and Michigan. I blame that on the coaches.
Instead, the Huskers turned in a clunker and lost 45-17 to Michigan in Ann Arbor. When a team loses that badly, no one deserves a free pass. However, it was the Husker special teams that were their ultimate undoing. Nebraska trailed 17-10 at halftime and received the second half kickoff. Kenny Bell, however, fumbled and Michigan recovered at the Husker 33. That turnover was turned into a touchdown. One possession later, Nebraska punt Brett Maher drops the snap on an unforced error. Michigan blocked the punt and recovered a midfield. The Wolverines later converted a fake field goal into a first down and later a touchdown.
Nebraska had closed the gap to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter, got a three and out to force a punt. The Huskers then committed a roughing the punter infraction that Michigan turned into a touchdown.
If you eliminate those special teams gaffes, sure, the Huskers still lose 24-17 but they would have at minimum given themselves a chance to win.
However, special teams were not the only culprit.
Defensively, Nebraska gave up just 3.9 yards per carry but also allowed 414 yards of total offense and 8 of 18 third down conversions. The Wolverines also ran 79 plays to Nebraska’s 53.
On offense, Nebraska committed three turnovers and gained 254 yards of total offense but even that total is inflated because 54 came on one play, a 54-yard touchdown from Taylor Martinez to Brandon Kinnie.
Statistical battles aside, the loss was disturbing for other reasons. Yes, Michigan is a good ballclub but they are not great. Losing to the Wolverines is one thing. Looking like you don’t even belong on the same field is another, especially considering that Nebraska needed to win this game to keep alive to win the Legends Division.
Four years ago, Nebraska fans and media lauded the hiring of Bo Pelini as the choice to replace Bill Callahan. While Pelini is a significant upgrade over Callahan, it’s games like Saturday that leave more questions than answers. How can the team look so dialed in while beating Michigan State and Penn State but look so inexplicably ill-prepared against Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan. The blame for that lies squarely at the feet of Pelini and staff.
When units come out flat and unfocused like the Huskers’ special teams did today, one has to question the coaches’ abilities to get players in the right mindset to execute.
Pelini has stated many times after the Cornhuskers lost that the team did not execute. I think the coaching staff is not executing as well. This coaching staff has a hard time getting the team ready for big games. Last year in the revenge game against Texas, Nebraska came out flat. The team came out flat against Washington in the Holiday Bowl last year, and twice this year in games against Northwestern and Michigan. I blame that on the coaches.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Containing Robinson at the forefront of Husker challenge
Much of Saturday’s matchup between No. 16 Nebraska and No. 20 Michigan is centered quarterbacks Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) and Denard Robinson (Michigan). Rightfully so because you have two dynamic runners who are also flawed passers.
Robinson, who is a junior, has rushed for 864 yards on 151 carries and 12 touchdowns. As a passer, he has completed 99 of 189 passes (52.4%) for 1,611 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Robinson, however, has been slowed by a wrist injury ad has not had a 100 yard rushing game since Oct. 8, a game in which he rushed for 117 yards. He has thrown at least one interception in all but one game this season.
Martinez has rushed for 768 yards on 153 carries and nine scores. As a passer, Martinez has completed 121 of 227 (57.7%) for 1,688 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks. His completion percentage would be much high but has been victimized by dropped passes. Both are also complimented by outstanding running backs: Fitzgerald Toussaint for Michigan and Rex Burkhead for Nebraska.
The Nebraska offense has been a little Jekyl & Hyde but the defense has been very Jekyl & Hyde. The Blackshirt defense has also had its problems with mobile quarterbacks in the Bo Pelini era. Robinson would certainly qualify as not only mobile but lightning fast.
The key for Nebraska’s defense in this game is that, yes, Robinson will get his yards but the Huskers can ill-afford to give big plays and tackling in space becomes paramount. However, as good as Robinson is as a runner, his passing is suspect. Even more suspect than a segment of Husker fans think Martinez’s passing is. Mobile quarterbacks like Derek Carr (Fresno State), Keith Price (Washington), Russell Wilson (Wisconsin), Braxton Miller (Ohio State) and Kain Colter (Northwestern) gave the Huskers fits. However, Robinson is not near as skilled as a passer as that group.
The Pelini Brothers, however, will need to come with a plan of some kind to at least contain Robinson. Perhaps have safeties Austin Cassidy and Daimion Stafford closer to the line of scrimmage to help on zone reads? Perhaps have linebacker LaVonte David play the spy role? I must say I’ve never been a fan of that role because it takes that player away from defending other plays.
Defensive line play will be very crucial. That means have a gap sound mentality to take away cutback lanes. If you overpursue, Robinson will make you pay dearly. Of course, it is just as important to wrap up when tackling.
However, since the Husker defense has been so inconsistent, the offense can also play the role of defense by keeping Robinson on the sideline. I liked what Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck did in the Huskers 17-14 win over Penn State. For three quarters, Beck mixed up personnel and formations to not allow Penn State to get into their base defense. Nebraska will need that again Saturday.
Though Martinez has thrown the ball better lately, I guarantee you that Michigan’s defense will sell out to stop the run. To that, use some play action and misdirection to slow them down. Perhaps try some bubble screens.
The game comes down to limiting Robinson’s big plays and Beck calling a complete, four quarter game.
The fact that this game is on the road doesn’t bother me. Pelini teams seem to prefer the animosity of a rival stadium over the expectations of a home game.
Robinson, who is a junior, has rushed for 864 yards on 151 carries and 12 touchdowns. As a passer, he has completed 99 of 189 passes (52.4%) for 1,611 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Robinson, however, has been slowed by a wrist injury ad has not had a 100 yard rushing game since Oct. 8, a game in which he rushed for 117 yards. He has thrown at least one interception in all but one game this season.
Martinez has rushed for 768 yards on 153 carries and nine scores. As a passer, Martinez has completed 121 of 227 (57.7%) for 1,688 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks. His completion percentage would be much high but has been victimized by dropped passes. Both are also complimented by outstanding running backs: Fitzgerald Toussaint for Michigan and Rex Burkhead for Nebraska.
The Nebraska offense has been a little Jekyl & Hyde but the defense has been very Jekyl & Hyde. The Blackshirt defense has also had its problems with mobile quarterbacks in the Bo Pelini era. Robinson would certainly qualify as not only mobile but lightning fast.
The key for Nebraska’s defense in this game is that, yes, Robinson will get his yards but the Huskers can ill-afford to give big plays and tackling in space becomes paramount. However, as good as Robinson is as a runner, his passing is suspect. Even more suspect than a segment of Husker fans think Martinez’s passing is. Mobile quarterbacks like Derek Carr (Fresno State), Keith Price (Washington), Russell Wilson (Wisconsin), Braxton Miller (Ohio State) and Kain Colter (Northwestern) gave the Huskers fits. However, Robinson is not near as skilled as a passer as that group.
The Pelini Brothers, however, will need to come with a plan of some kind to at least contain Robinson. Perhaps have safeties Austin Cassidy and Daimion Stafford closer to the line of scrimmage to help on zone reads? Perhaps have linebacker LaVonte David play the spy role? I must say I’ve never been a fan of that role because it takes that player away from defending other plays.
Defensive line play will be very crucial. That means have a gap sound mentality to take away cutback lanes. If you overpursue, Robinson will make you pay dearly. Of course, it is just as important to wrap up when tackling.
However, since the Husker defense has been so inconsistent, the offense can also play the role of defense by keeping Robinson on the sideline. I liked what Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck did in the Huskers 17-14 win over Penn State. For three quarters, Beck mixed up personnel and formations to not allow Penn State to get into their base defense. Nebraska will need that again Saturday.
Though Martinez has thrown the ball better lately, I guarantee you that Michigan’s defense will sell out to stop the run. To that, use some play action and misdirection to slow them down. Perhaps try some bubble screens.
The game comes down to limiting Robinson’s big plays and Beck calling a complete, four quarter game.
The fact that this game is on the road doesn’t bother me. Pelini teams seem to prefer the animosity of a rival stadium over the expectations of a home game.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Beck learning but Year One as OC a success so far
The fact that the Nebraska football team is ranked No. 17 in the latest AP poll and sports an 8-2 record entering Saturday’s road game at No. 20 Michigan (also 8-2); it is how the Huskers arrived at this point that is the biggest surprise.
The defense was viewed as the team strength coming into the season but has been inconsistent. The offense was expected to show improvement but with lot of youth and a new coordinator (Tim Beck replacing Shawn Watson) it was hard to say how soon the improvement would come. Without the offense performing at the level it has the Huskers would likely be 5-5 instead of 8-2. Nebraska beat Fresno State 42-29, Washington 51-38 and Ohio State 34-27.
In a Lincoln Journal Star blog entry, however, Beck was pretty critical of himself.
"I think some games I get conservative ... I play not to lose instead of playing to win," Beck said after Saturday's 17-14 win at Penn State. "I think that was evident in some of the games. You get too conservative. The play-calling gets that way.
"As I look back and really thought about it, we have to be who we are, and that's an attacking offense. Sometimes I don't do that. For whatever reason, I don't."
He felt Nebraska's offense was too conservative in the second half Saturday, "with the lead and trying to use the clock," Beck said.
Beck’s point has merit to a certain degree extent but Nebraska also attacked Penn State via the run and pass on Saturday which is important because if you try to making a living by beating a stout defense by running right at them you will starve.
Beck has had a couple of poorly called games but overall, I think he's doing very well considering he is running a new scheme as a first-time offensive coordinator. It'll be interesting to see what this offense does next year. If it improves much, and the defense rounds into form earlier, we should be a pretty formidable team.
But most of the way through Year One of the Tim Beck Experiment, I'm cautiously optimistic about where we're headed.
The cynical side would suggest, “anything is better than Shawn Watson” but I think Beck has definitely hit the ground running. I still cuss at the television on 3rd and short when we run a sweep (as opposed to quarterback Taylor Martinez up the gut) but I’ll live. On the whole, I would call the first year a success as of right now.
The biggest positive that I see here is that Beck recognizes that sometimes he gets too conservative, meaning that he is likely to change. I think this has been the biggest problem with our past offensive coordinators, they don’t know what they are doing wrong and don’t know how to change.
It seems like Beck can watch game film and analyze like a coach and a fan. He can nitpick specifics like a coach, but he can also sit back in the chair like the rest of us and say the same things we do.
After sitting through years of bitching at the television watching Watson's sick joke walk out there and lose games for us, I have to say that I am thrilled with Beck in his first year. There is one major reason why. The Huskers are showing improvement both on offense and at quarterback.
Watson and former head coach Bill Callahan tried jamming a square peg through a round hole for too damn long. Beck is finding what we are good at and using it. Yes he might get astray from it sometimes but can you blame him. The guy wants to learn what we are capable of in game situations. What might work in practice doesn't always work in games.
He is winning ball games and scoring points though. Can you imagine if we could have gotten 20 points a game back when Watson was here? Our defense was so good, that's all we would have needed. Watson found a way to blow it every time.
I might be a overstating it a bit because I have to be honest, I never liked Shawn Watson's offense or his playcalling. So the change really made my offseason. I've been praying for Watson to move on for his entire tenure. I'm rooting for Beck, and I think we have found our guy. As long as Martinez keeps improving, this offense will continue to improve.
The defense was viewed as the team strength coming into the season but has been inconsistent. The offense was expected to show improvement but with lot of youth and a new coordinator (Tim Beck replacing Shawn Watson) it was hard to say how soon the improvement would come. Without the offense performing at the level it has the Huskers would likely be 5-5 instead of 8-2. Nebraska beat Fresno State 42-29, Washington 51-38 and Ohio State 34-27.
In a Lincoln Journal Star blog entry, however, Beck was pretty critical of himself.
"I think some games I get conservative ... I play not to lose instead of playing to win," Beck said after Saturday's 17-14 win at Penn State. "I think that was evident in some of the games. You get too conservative. The play-calling gets that way.
"As I look back and really thought about it, we have to be who we are, and that's an attacking offense. Sometimes I don't do that. For whatever reason, I don't."
He felt Nebraska's offense was too conservative in the second half Saturday, "with the lead and trying to use the clock," Beck said.
Beck’s point has merit to a certain degree extent but Nebraska also attacked Penn State via the run and pass on Saturday which is important because if you try to making a living by beating a stout defense by running right at them you will starve.
Beck has had a couple of poorly called games but overall, I think he's doing very well considering he is running a new scheme as a first-time offensive coordinator. It'll be interesting to see what this offense does next year. If it improves much, and the defense rounds into form earlier, we should be a pretty formidable team.
But most of the way through Year One of the Tim Beck Experiment, I'm cautiously optimistic about where we're headed.
The cynical side would suggest, “anything is better than Shawn Watson” but I think Beck has definitely hit the ground running. I still cuss at the television on 3rd and short when we run a sweep (as opposed to quarterback Taylor Martinez up the gut) but I’ll live. On the whole, I would call the first year a success as of right now.
The biggest positive that I see here is that Beck recognizes that sometimes he gets too conservative, meaning that he is likely to change. I think this has been the biggest problem with our past offensive coordinators, they don’t know what they are doing wrong and don’t know how to change.
It seems like Beck can watch game film and analyze like a coach and a fan. He can nitpick specifics like a coach, but he can also sit back in the chair like the rest of us and say the same things we do.
After sitting through years of bitching at the television watching Watson's sick joke walk out there and lose games for us, I have to say that I am thrilled with Beck in his first year. There is one major reason why. The Huskers are showing improvement both on offense and at quarterback.
Watson and former head coach Bill Callahan tried jamming a square peg through a round hole for too damn long. Beck is finding what we are good at and using it. Yes he might get astray from it sometimes but can you blame him. The guy wants to learn what we are capable of in game situations. What might work in practice doesn't always work in games.
He is winning ball games and scoring points though. Can you imagine if we could have gotten 20 points a game back when Watson was here? Our defense was so good, that's all we would have needed. Watson found a way to blow it every time.
I might be a overstating it a bit because I have to be honest, I never liked Shawn Watson's offense or his playcalling. So the change really made my offseason. I've been praying for Watson to move on for his entire tenure. I'm rooting for Beck, and I think we have found our guy. As long as Martinez keeps improving, this offense will continue to improve.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Today's events in Happy Valley truly epitomize sports
Does anyone know a good cardiologist? The game alone between Nebraska and Penn State, which the Huskers prevailed 17-14 took my breath away. Heck, I entered the game 39 years old but after today feel like I’m 65.
As a Nebraska fan and alum, of course I am thrilled the Huskers won because they needed to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. However, speaking as a sports fan, you can make the argument that the outcome was secondary. The week leading up to the game was headlined by Penn State’s devastating scandal that led to the firing of head coach Joe Paterno and several others.
The game closed a tumultuous week that began with the arrest of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on shocking child sexual abuse charges. Major college football’s winningest coach (Paterno) was pushed out in the aftermath.
What truly took my breath away was the pregame prayer at midfield, in which both teams gathered together. The prayer was led by Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown. It’s not unusual to see two teams gathering at midfield for a prayer but it’s generally reserved for after the game. Keep in mind; emotions about the scandal were so raw that there were musings about cancelling the game. How raw? Raw as in fans and media members alike voicing very spirited displeasure. Raw as in people to “Not So” Happy Valley, Pa., rioting in the streets.
I still maintain my belief that this game should’ve been played. I can understand being concerned about safety but we’re talking Happy Valley, Pa., not the beach at Okinawa. In fact, I’m even more adamant in retrospect. Of course, it was a difficult week for Penn State players, coaches, administrators, fans -- basically anyone associated with the school. Heck, it’s difficult for any human being, especially if you have kids. I’m a father of three toddlers under age 5 and if my kids ever encountered anyone as vile as Sandusky I’d want him fed to the vultures.
But seriously, what the hell good was going to come of cancelling the game? It wasn’t going to do the victims any good. And why penalize players who were in middle school or younger when these heinous acts allegedly occurred?
OK, so neither one of these offenses are going to be mistaken for Oklahoma State and Oregon but it was an entertaining game between two iconic college football programs that created a diversion from the disturbing week that was.
The game did not even have a trace of players getting chippy. It was two proud football programs that preached sportsmanship before the game through prayer and practiced what they preached during and after the game.
I also have to give a game ball to the Penn State fans. During the week, Nebraska fans worried about receiving hostile treatment and for good reason. There were a segment treated rudely at a game in Happy Valley in 2002 that Penn State won 40-7. On this day, Penn State fans were passionate in supporting their team and gracious to the Nebraska fans that made the trip.
Brown’s actions evoke being a class act and at Nebraska we are blessed to have Tom Osborne, Bo Pelini, and others in leadership positions that represent the University of Nebraska and the state of Nebraska in such a positive way.
On the field, I’ll remember the heart-stopping finish but on this day, I’ll remember the display of honor and respect before and after the game even more.
As a Nebraska fan and alum, of course I am thrilled the Huskers won because they needed to bounce back after last week’s disappointing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. However, speaking as a sports fan, you can make the argument that the outcome was secondary. The week leading up to the game was headlined by Penn State’s devastating scandal that led to the firing of head coach Joe Paterno and several others.
The game closed a tumultuous week that began with the arrest of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on shocking child sexual abuse charges. Major college football’s winningest coach (Paterno) was pushed out in the aftermath.
What truly took my breath away was the pregame prayer at midfield, in which both teams gathered together. The prayer was led by Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown. It’s not unusual to see two teams gathering at midfield for a prayer but it’s generally reserved for after the game. Keep in mind; emotions about the scandal were so raw that there were musings about cancelling the game. How raw? Raw as in fans and media members alike voicing very spirited displeasure. Raw as in people to “Not So” Happy Valley, Pa., rioting in the streets.
I still maintain my belief that this game should’ve been played. I can understand being concerned about safety but we’re talking Happy Valley, Pa., not the beach at Okinawa. In fact, I’m even more adamant in retrospect. Of course, it was a difficult week for Penn State players, coaches, administrators, fans -- basically anyone associated with the school. Heck, it’s difficult for any human being, especially if you have kids. I’m a father of three toddlers under age 5 and if my kids ever encountered anyone as vile as Sandusky I’d want him fed to the vultures.
But seriously, what the hell good was going to come of cancelling the game? It wasn’t going to do the victims any good. And why penalize players who were in middle school or younger when these heinous acts allegedly occurred?
OK, so neither one of these offenses are going to be mistaken for Oklahoma State and Oregon but it was an entertaining game between two iconic college football programs that created a diversion from the disturbing week that was.
The game did not even have a trace of players getting chippy. It was two proud football programs that preached sportsmanship before the game through prayer and practiced what they preached during and after the game.
I also have to give a game ball to the Penn State fans. During the week, Nebraska fans worried about receiving hostile treatment and for good reason. There were a segment treated rudely at a game in Happy Valley in 2002 that Penn State won 40-7. On this day, Penn State fans were passionate in supporting their team and gracious to the Nebraska fans that made the trip.
Brown’s actions evoke being a class act and at Nebraska we are blessed to have Tom Osborne, Bo Pelini, and others in leadership positions that represent the University of Nebraska and the state of Nebraska in such a positive way.
On the field, I’ll remember the heart-stopping finish but on this day, I’ll remember the display of honor and respect before and after the game even more.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Playing the game is the right thing to do
Saturday’s game in Happy Valley, Pa., between No. 19 Nebraska and No. 12 Penn state has a “the show must go on” feeling.
In case you have been living in a cave the last 72 hours, Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear. Plus, you can get all the coverage you want by the ESPN talking heads.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, who is also a coaching peer of Paterno, issued a statement regarding Saturday's game with Penn State:
“I am saddened to learn of the recent events at Penn State and we will continue to monitor the developments on their campus. We will hold the alleged victims and all those involved in our thoughts and prayers.
“We have had a number of inquiries from fans regarding the circumstances at Penn State and the conditions they might expect in attending the game. UNL Chief of Police Owen Yardley is in touch with the Penn State police department and we have talked with interim Penn State Athletic Director Mark Sherburne. We have visited with Penn State security and we understand they are enhancing their security efforts for Saturday’s game and are taking extra precautions to ensure that all players, coaches and fans are treated in a respectful way. We also appreciate that there is a student-led effort at Penn State to respectfully welcome Nebraska fans to Beaver Stadium and into the Big Ten Conference. We know that our fans will reciprocate and display good sportsmanship toward Penn State’s fans and players.”
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Osborne told a crowd of reporters Thursday evening he has not spoken with Paterno since he was fired as Penn State's coach on Wednesday.
"I might try to give him a call tomorrow," Osborne said.
Osborne was asked what he thought about the situation with Paterno.
"Well, this is difficult, for everybody, for everybody who knows Joe, everybody who cares about Joe, difficult," Osborne said. "But it is what it is. I just don't know enough of the facts of what happened. I don't know if anybody knows everything that has happened. We tend in our culture to rush to judgment. I feel bad about him and his family. I feel bad about the people who were victimized, very bad about them. I work with kids a lot and that's something we have to all be concerned about is our children."
Not surprising, Osborne took the high road. On another note, there had been rumors that the game might get cancelled due to the volatility of the situation that included student demonstrations as well as a TV news van being tipped over. Questions have also been posed in terms of should the game be held at a neutral site? Should Nebraska fans fear for their safety?
I don’t mean this to be crass but there is no ryhme or reason why the game should not be played and with this short of notice would it really be practical to move the game?
From a human standpoint, yes, it will be hard to watch the game and not be thinking about the victims and what a sick son of a bitch Jerry Sandusky, the former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator who allegedly committed these heinous crimes of sexual misconduct. Sandusky needs to have the crap beaten out of him and fed to the vultures.
However, there are more salient reasons why paying the game is the right thing to do. LJS columnist Steve Sipple wrote that “They should play the game as a gesture of compassion to the victims in a child sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Penn State campus this week following a grand jury's indictment of former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He has been charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year span, with some of the alleged assaults occurring at the Nittany Lions' football complex.”
Now that we have established what a sick puke Sandusky is, the reason you play the game is because the football players on both rosters didn’t do anything wrong. Let them play and don’t penalize them for the wrongdoing of others. The individuals involved in these events are gone. I do not see how cancelling the game would have served any justice. Some say football is so small when compared to these horrific events and they are correct. However, these unspeakable things take place everyday in this country. Penn State’s issues took place over 10 years ago and the individuals involved are out.
In case you have been living in a cave the last 72 hours, Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear. Plus, you can get all the coverage you want by the ESPN talking heads.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, who is also a coaching peer of Paterno, issued a statement regarding Saturday's game with Penn State:
“I am saddened to learn of the recent events at Penn State and we will continue to monitor the developments on their campus. We will hold the alleged victims and all those involved in our thoughts and prayers.
“We have had a number of inquiries from fans regarding the circumstances at Penn State and the conditions they might expect in attending the game. UNL Chief of Police Owen Yardley is in touch with the Penn State police department and we have talked with interim Penn State Athletic Director Mark Sherburne. We have visited with Penn State security and we understand they are enhancing their security efforts for Saturday’s game and are taking extra precautions to ensure that all players, coaches and fans are treated in a respectful way. We also appreciate that there is a student-led effort at Penn State to respectfully welcome Nebraska fans to Beaver Stadium and into the Big Ten Conference. We know that our fans will reciprocate and display good sportsmanship toward Penn State’s fans and players.”
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Osborne told a crowd of reporters Thursday evening he has not spoken with Paterno since he was fired as Penn State's coach on Wednesday.
"I might try to give him a call tomorrow," Osborne said.
Osborne was asked what he thought about the situation with Paterno.
"Well, this is difficult, for everybody, for everybody who knows Joe, everybody who cares about Joe, difficult," Osborne said. "But it is what it is. I just don't know enough of the facts of what happened. I don't know if anybody knows everything that has happened. We tend in our culture to rush to judgment. I feel bad about him and his family. I feel bad about the people who were victimized, very bad about them. I work with kids a lot and that's something we have to all be concerned about is our children."
Not surprising, Osborne took the high road. On another note, there had been rumors that the game might get cancelled due to the volatility of the situation that included student demonstrations as well as a TV news van being tipped over. Questions have also been posed in terms of should the game be held at a neutral site? Should Nebraska fans fear for their safety?
I don’t mean this to be crass but there is no ryhme or reason why the game should not be played and with this short of notice would it really be practical to move the game?
From a human standpoint, yes, it will be hard to watch the game and not be thinking about the victims and what a sick son of a bitch Jerry Sandusky, the former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator who allegedly committed these heinous crimes of sexual misconduct. Sandusky needs to have the crap beaten out of him and fed to the vultures.
However, there are more salient reasons why paying the game is the right thing to do. LJS columnist Steve Sipple wrote that “They should play the game as a gesture of compassion to the victims in a child sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Penn State campus this week following a grand jury's indictment of former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He has been charged with molesting eight boys over a 15-year span, with some of the alleged assaults occurring at the Nittany Lions' football complex.”
Now that we have established what a sick puke Sandusky is, the reason you play the game is because the football players on both rosters didn’t do anything wrong. Let them play and don’t penalize them for the wrongdoing of others. The individuals involved in these events are gone. I do not see how cancelling the game would have served any justice. Some say football is so small when compared to these horrific events and they are correct. However, these unspeakable things take place everyday in this country. Penn State’s issues took place over 10 years ago and the individuals involved are out.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Game will be decided on mental focus, not scandal
The game will continue. In case you are wondering, there still is a football game scheduled at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley, Pa., between No. 19 Nebraska and No. 12 Penn State.
When Nebraska made its decision to enter the Big Ten Conference, this matchup was one that made college football purists smile. Both programs have remained status quo as far as uniforms that have changed very little. That aspect is very refreshing compared to the Star Wars age uniforms like Oregon and Maryland. Both programs have also had iconic coaches: Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne for Nebraska. Joe Paterno for Penn State.
Sadly, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear.
The story surrounding Saturday unfortunately is not about how Penn State’s stingy defense matches up against Nebraska’s quarterback/running back combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. It’s not about how will Nebraska bounce back from its disturbing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. This week has been about the sexual abuse scandal that is surrounding Penn State University. It is unequivocally the top sports story. Even more than the NBA lockout. Gee, what a tired act that is.
I was talking to a college friend of mine who lived in the same residence hall as I did at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday. This friend intimated that he was “worried about this game. Can you imagine our players losing Tom Osborne’s last game?” Of course, this conversation came Tuesday night, before Paterno was ousted. With Paterno gone, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named the interim head coach.
When it comes to sports teams entering a game with distractions, I find that the script is already written, it’s just a matter of what the outcome is and which script fits best. If Penn State wins, the angle becomes “they were galvanized and wanted to win it for JoePa.” If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “Penn State had too many distractions.” I say BS; football games are decided by who makes more plays and fewer mistakes. It also comes down to mental toughness and the ability to block out distractions.
Remember 1995? Perhaps the best team Nebraska ever assembled had several distractions throughout the season off the field whether it was Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter or Tyrone Williams. That Husker team still went 13-0 and pounded Florida into submission in the National Title Game 62-24. However, that was also before the Facebook, Twitter, and text message era. Yes, you had the internet and message board but you also didn’t have current and former players facebooking, tweeting, message boarding, etc., so it was much easier for players and coaches to insulate themselves from distractions. Granted, the internet and message boards existed but were not en vogue even remotely like now.
Remember 2007? Perhaps the worst Nebraska team since post-1960. That team had the talent but underachieved to a 5-7 season. It also had numerous distractions centering around the job status of athletic director Steve Pederson, head coach Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. That Husker team lost six of its seven games in supremely decisive fashion.
Look at pro sports; the week that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis died they beat the Houston Texans 25-20. The angle became, “They did it for Al. They just won, baby!” However, if Oakland safety Michael Huff does not intercept Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone, the angle becomes, “The Raiders were weighed down by too many distractions.”
By no means am I dismissing the “distraction factor.” Even though, for lack of a better term, Paterno’s mistakes of omission rather than commission does not directly affect the Huskers, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini will need to get his team focused on the task at hand. Keep in mind; this was a Husker team that lacked such in an inexcusable home loss to Northwestern.
Nebraska players and coaches are not going to get asked ad nausea about the situation like Penn State. Especially with the Huskers being the visiting team. Penn State players will be asked about this situation everywhere they turn whether it is at school or outside of practice.
In one respect this game does not change for Nebraska even if you remove the Penn State scandal from the equation. It would have been a challenging and important game regardless.
The bottom line is that this game will not be won by the team that is more talented or has the better offense of defense this season. The team that wins this game will be the team that is able to put the scandal to the side and focus on the team on the opposing sideline.
When Nebraska made its decision to enter the Big Ten Conference, this matchup was one that made college football purists smile. Both programs have remained status quo as far as uniforms that have changed very little. That aspect is very refreshing compared to the Star Wars age uniforms like Oregon and Maryland. Both programs have also had iconic coaches: Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne for Nebraska. Joe Paterno for Penn State.
Sadly, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees Wednesday night despite saying he would retire as coach after the football season ended, brought down by the growing furor over the handling of child sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach. Penn State President Graham Spanier was also ousted. I won’t go into details because you can read my previous blog entry: http://napavince.blogspot.com/2011/11/huskers-head-to-penn-state-but-will.html I also made my feelings for Paterno abundantly clear.
The story surrounding Saturday unfortunately is not about how Penn State’s stingy defense matches up against Nebraska’s quarterback/running back combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. It’s not about how will Nebraska bounce back from its disturbing 28-25 home loss to Northwestern. This week has been about the sexual abuse scandal that is surrounding Penn State University. It is unequivocally the top sports story. Even more than the NBA lockout. Gee, what a tired act that is.
I was talking to a college friend of mine who lived in the same residence hall as I did at the University of Nebraska on Tuesday. This friend intimated that he was “worried about this game. Can you imagine our players losing Tom Osborne’s last game?” Of course, this conversation came Tuesday night, before Paterno was ousted. With Paterno gone, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named the interim head coach.
When it comes to sports teams entering a game with distractions, I find that the script is already written, it’s just a matter of what the outcome is and which script fits best. If Penn State wins, the angle becomes “they were galvanized and wanted to win it for JoePa.” If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “Penn State had too many distractions.” I say BS; football games are decided by who makes more plays and fewer mistakes. It also comes down to mental toughness and the ability to block out distractions.
Remember 1995? Perhaps the best team Nebraska ever assembled had several distractions throughout the season off the field whether it was Lawrence Phillips, Christian Peter or Tyrone Williams. That Husker team still went 13-0 and pounded Florida into submission in the National Title Game 62-24. However, that was also before the Facebook, Twitter, and text message era. Yes, you had the internet and message board but you also didn’t have current and former players facebooking, tweeting, message boarding, etc., so it was much easier for players and coaches to insulate themselves from distractions. Granted, the internet and message boards existed but were not en vogue even remotely like now.
Remember 2007? Perhaps the worst Nebraska team since post-1960. That team had the talent but underachieved to a 5-7 season. It also had numerous distractions centering around the job status of athletic director Steve Pederson, head coach Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. That Husker team lost six of its seven games in supremely decisive fashion.
Look at pro sports; the week that Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis died they beat the Houston Texans 25-20. The angle became, “They did it for Al. They just won, baby!” However, if Oakland safety Michael Huff does not intercept Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone, the angle becomes, “The Raiders were weighed down by too many distractions.”
By no means am I dismissing the “distraction factor.” Even though, for lack of a better term, Paterno’s mistakes of omission rather than commission does not directly affect the Huskers, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini will need to get his team focused on the task at hand. Keep in mind; this was a Husker team that lacked such in an inexcusable home loss to Northwestern.
Nebraska players and coaches are not going to get asked ad nausea about the situation like Penn State. Especially with the Huskers being the visiting team. Penn State players will be asked about this situation everywhere they turn whether it is at school or outside of practice.
In one respect this game does not change for Nebraska even if you remove the Penn State scandal from the equation. It would have been a challenging and important game regardless.
The bottom line is that this game will not be won by the team that is more talented or has the better offense of defense this season. The team that wins this game will be the team that is able to put the scandal to the side and focus on the team on the opposing sideline.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Huskers head to Penn State but will Paterno be on the opposite sideline
The Nebraska Cornhuskers head into Happy Valley, PA, for a crucial game against Penn State Saturday. The question is, will Joe Paterno still be Penn state’s head coach?
Before, you puke up your last meal, that is not a misprint. Paterno’s tenure will reportedly soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials, according to the New York Times.
Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator under Paterno, has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys across a 15-year period.
Paterno is under fire, as he should be, for failing to involve police when he learned in 2002 of an allegation of one assault of a young boy — around age 10 at the time.
Two top Penn State officials were charged with perjury and failure to report to authorities that they knew of the allegations.
Granted, due process has not taken place as far as being proven in a court of law and in the age of social media and message boards things do get vastly distorted. However, it is my understanding that it was an intern that notified Paterno and he then told Penn State athletic director Tim Curley.
The layers of culpability are vast, assuming the allegations are true to the extent they are being reported. Something happened, just a matter of to what degree. Paterno might not have been involved in the matter other than being a link in the chain of communication. Paterno is a coach, not a policeman or investigator.
If the intern felt that a crime was committed, the intern could call the
police. It is my understanding that at no time was it made clear that a crime was
committed but that Sandusky’s conduct was “inappropriate.” Of course it’s inappropriate, it’s also illegal.
As for Paterno, he may have fulfilled all of his legal obligations, however, when he noticed
that nothing ever came of it, he should have notified the police. If I found out my brother was taking advantage of a child, I would report him immediately, and it should be the same way with employees. This is a disgustingly grotesque situation that Paterno should have taken care of, but he did not do so which is why he probably will no longer be employed by the
end of the month, if not the end of the week.
When people think of a college football program lacking institutional control, the recent examples are Reggie Bush and USC along with Jim Tressel and Ohio State.
Just before the 2006 draft, reports surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies.
Ohio State suspended Tressel for the first two games of the 2011 season and fined him $250,000 for failing to notify the school of NCAA violations involving Ohio State football players and a financial arrangement with Edward Rife, owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was at the time under investigation by the FBI for drug trafficking. The arrangement, which resulted in five Ohio State football players being suspended, involved trading championship rings, jerseys and other football-related awards for tattoos.
With Penn State, the lack of institutional control does not even begin to describe it. It’s one thing to protect adults that we have blind spots for but to let this happen to kids, there is no defense at all.
Before, you puke up your last meal, that is not a misprint. Paterno’s tenure will reportedly soon be over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials, according to the New York Times.
Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator under Paterno, has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys across a 15-year period.
Paterno is under fire, as he should be, for failing to involve police when he learned in 2002 of an allegation of one assault of a young boy — around age 10 at the time.
Two top Penn State officials were charged with perjury and failure to report to authorities that they knew of the allegations.
Granted, due process has not taken place as far as being proven in a court of law and in the age of social media and message boards things do get vastly distorted. However, it is my understanding that it was an intern that notified Paterno and he then told Penn State athletic director Tim Curley.
The layers of culpability are vast, assuming the allegations are true to the extent they are being reported. Something happened, just a matter of to what degree. Paterno might not have been involved in the matter other than being a link in the chain of communication. Paterno is a coach, not a policeman or investigator.
If the intern felt that a crime was committed, the intern could call the
police. It is my understanding that at no time was it made clear that a crime was
committed but that Sandusky’s conduct was “inappropriate.” Of course it’s inappropriate, it’s also illegal.
As for Paterno, he may have fulfilled all of his legal obligations, however, when he noticed
that nothing ever came of it, he should have notified the police. If I found out my brother was taking advantage of a child, I would report him immediately, and it should be the same way with employees. This is a disgustingly grotesque situation that Paterno should have taken care of, but he did not do so which is why he probably will no longer be employed by the
end of the month, if not the end of the week.
When people think of a college football program lacking institutional control, the recent examples are Reggie Bush and USC along with Jim Tressel and Ohio State.
Just before the 2006 draft, reports surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies.
Ohio State suspended Tressel for the first two games of the 2011 season and fined him $250,000 for failing to notify the school of NCAA violations involving Ohio State football players and a financial arrangement with Edward Rife, owner of a local tattoo parlor, who was at the time under investigation by the FBI for drug trafficking. The arrangement, which resulted in five Ohio State football players being suspended, involved trading championship rings, jerseys and other football-related awards for tattoos.
With Penn State, the lack of institutional control does not even begin to describe it. It’s one thing to protect adults that we have blind spots for but to let this happen to kids, there is no defense at all.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Good win followed by clunker loss
Once or twice is an aberration but three times is a pattern. For the third time in as many seasons, Nebraska follows a feel good win with a clunker of a loss at home.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
Rewind the clock to 2009, the Huskers rally from a 12-0 deficit after three quarters on a rainy night in Columbia, Mo., to beat Missouri 27-12. Keep in mind, Nebraska had lost four of its last six to the Tigers. The Huskers went to 4-1 but followed with consecutive home losses to Texas Tech (31-10) and Iowa State (9-7). The latter of which had a losing record early in the game.
In 2010, Nebraska ran roughshod over Kansas State in a 48-13 win at Manhatten, KS to go to 5-0 entering a home game against their chief tormentor (Texas). The Longhorns were on the heels of two straight losses at 3-2. Husker Nation was ready for payback. Nebraska, however, lost 20-13 to a Texas team that finished the season 5-7.
Now for the 2011 edition, Nebraska scores an impressive 24-3 home win over Michigan State. The talk after the game is how the disappointing Blackshirts are returning to form and how Nebraska controls its own destiny to reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The trip to Indy was a straight line entering Saturday’s home game against Northwestern (now 4-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) but in losing to Northwestern 28-25 the Huskers veered to an onramp in Des Moines, Iowa and suddenly need some direction getting back on to Interstate 80.
In the Bo Pelini era, many losses have been clearly defined on which side of the ball is more clearly to blame – offense or defense. In the case of Saturday, the blame is pretty equal. If Rex Burkhead and Quincey Enunwa don’t fumble from the 5 and 25 yard line going in, Nebraska wins the game. Period. End of sentence. Next report.
Northwestern entered the game 95th in run defense while Nebraska was No. 9 in rush offense. However, the Wildcats bottled up Nebraska’s ground game, holding them to 118 yards on 33 carries. The Husker offense also wasted a brilliant passing game of quarterback Taylor Martinez, who completed 29 of 38 for 298 yards, two scores and no picks. Too bad his receivers dropped four passes. Martinez has been heavily criticized as a passer but was flawless in his decision making.
My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Tim Beck is that why are Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green, Braylon Heard and Jamal Turner getting a combined one touch? Granted, Burkhead is the bellcow of the offense if you are going to burn redshirts on Abdullah, Green and Heard why are they seldom in the game?
And on the defensive side, Nebraska spent a lot of the first quarter on the field as much for their inability to get stops and the offense’s inability to move the chains. At one point in the first quarter, the Wildcats had nine first downs to Nebraska’s one. That heavy load eventually exacted a toll on the Blackshirts. The Huskers had coverage breakdowns against the pass and couldn’t stop the run when they had momentum on their side.
And it was game, set, match.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Will the Huskers put Burkhead on a pitch, err carry count?
The adjectives have rolled of the tongues of many after Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead carried 35 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 9 Huskers to a crucial 24-3 win over No. 13 Michigan State.
Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is an asshole for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.
Anyhow ….
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple caught up with former Husker running backs Tony Davis and Rozier. Davis was a fan favorite from 1973 to 1975 and earned the nickname “Tough Tony.” As for Rozier, all you have to say is 1983 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Rex has wonderful, wonderful body control," Davis told Sipple. "But the thing that's most impressive to me is his down and distance awareness and his ability to get what's needed to move the chains. He does that on as productive a basis as I've ever seen at that position, ever."
“You tell me a back that when it's third-and-4 or third-and-whatever gets the first down more often than Rex Burkhead."
Added Rozier in his interview with Sipple: “He’ll either put his head down and go through them or go around them. He's not scared to get hit. Some running backs, you can look at them and tell they're scared to get hit. They're curled up when they get hit. You've got to run through the hit, you know what I mean? You've got to give the hit.”
Burkhead, who is a junior, is not overly fast or powerful but defenders very seldom get a clean shot on him. However, after a 35 carry game against a very stout Michigan State defense does Nebraska perhaps dial his workload down? The Huskers face a Northwestern defense that is 95th in run defense followed by a road trip to face a Penn State defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten followed by another road test at Michgan?
On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.
However, considering that Nebraska burned three redshirts at running back behind Burkhead (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard), why not rely on them to preserve Burkhead to a degree. That approach is no different than if you have a relief pitcher in baseball throw 50 pitches, you are not likely to want him throwing 50 more one game later.
Point being, the Michigan State game is only the start of Nebraska's challenging homestretch, and the games get tougher in the next two weeks. Do you want a banged up Burkhead facing a tough as nails Penn State front seven?
Again, Burkhead should get the majority of the carries this week against Northwestern but have him get say, 20 with Abdullah, Green and Heard getting say 6-8 apiece?
Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is an asshole for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.
Anyhow ….
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple caught up with former Husker running backs Tony Davis and Rozier. Davis was a fan favorite from 1973 to 1975 and earned the nickname “Tough Tony.” As for Rozier, all you have to say is 1983 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Rex has wonderful, wonderful body control," Davis told Sipple. "But the thing that's most impressive to me is his down and distance awareness and his ability to get what's needed to move the chains. He does that on as productive a basis as I've ever seen at that position, ever."
“You tell me a back that when it's third-and-4 or third-and-whatever gets the first down more often than Rex Burkhead."
Added Rozier in his interview with Sipple: “He’ll either put his head down and go through them or go around them. He's not scared to get hit. Some running backs, you can look at them and tell they're scared to get hit. They're curled up when they get hit. You've got to run through the hit, you know what I mean? You've got to give the hit.”
Burkhead, who is a junior, is not overly fast or powerful but defenders very seldom get a clean shot on him. However, after a 35 carry game against a very stout Michigan State defense does Nebraska perhaps dial his workload down? The Huskers face a Northwestern defense that is 95th in run defense followed by a road trip to face a Penn State defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten followed by another road test at Michgan?
On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.
However, considering that Nebraska burned three redshirts at running back behind Burkhead (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard), why not rely on them to preserve Burkhead to a degree. That approach is no different than if you have a relief pitcher in baseball throw 50 pitches, you are not likely to want him throwing 50 more one game later.
Point being, the Michigan State game is only the start of Nebraska's challenging homestretch, and the games get tougher in the next two weeks. Do you want a banged up Burkhead facing a tough as nails Penn State front seven?
Again, Burkhead should get the majority of the carries this week against Northwestern but have him get say, 20 with Abdullah, Green and Heard getting say 6-8 apiece?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wildcats will be a different kind of challenge for the Big Red
The No. 9 rated Nebraska Cornhuskers came up large in a pivotal 24-3 win over No. 13 Michigan State to make the Big Ten Legends Division race much more compelling.
The win forced a three-way tie between Nebraska, Michigan state and Michigan. Had the Spartans beaten Nebraska, they would have had a big leg up on the rest of the division. For the Huskers, the key becomes sustaining that momentum as the calendar turns to November. Since Bo Pelini took over as the head coach in 2008, November has been a month to remember. The Huskers have gone 11-1 under Pelini in November.
The Huskers host a Northwestern (3-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten) team that is decidedly different than Michigan State. The Spartans entered the contest with defensive numbers not terribly far behind Alabama and LSU but also had a pedestrian offense. The Wildcats, however, are averaging 31.6 points per game but in their five defeats have yielded an average of 35.2 points per contest.
With the exception of the first half of its 34-27 win over Ohio State, Nebraska has been playing well ever since its 48-17 loss to Wisconsin.
When the Huskers parted ways with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and replaced him with Tom Beck, the biggest question was “what will be the offense’s identity?” It’s pretty obvious now. The Huskers are a run first team with running back Rex Burkhead carrying the load. He did just that against Michigan State as he carried 35 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
The question becomes, does Nebraska reduce Burkhead’s carries this week and mix in carries for Ameer Abdullah or Aaron Green. Keep in mind the Huskers follow this game with key road tests at Penn State and Michigan.
The Huskers should be able to run the ball at will on Northwestern’s defense. Well, the numbers would certainly indicate as much as Nebraska is ninth in rushing offense (averaging 253 yards per game) and the Wildcats are 95th in defending the run (allowing 194 yards per contest). As long as Nebraska is not careless with the ball, it should be fine.
On defense, injuries have forced Pelini to try finding the right mixture of players. Nebraska did just that last week in shutting down a good but not great Spartan offense. This week, however, will be a much better barometer to determine whether the Blackshrts are back into form.
While this is not the Ndamukong Suh led defense of 2009, I did not see anything in that game that makes me think the Blackshirts are not back. The younger Blackshirts who were thrust into key roles as a result of injuries now appear to understand the system.
That trend needs to continue this week because though the Wildcats win-loss record is not good, quarterback Dan Persa gives them a punchers chance. Keep in mind, Persa was the first team all-Big Ten quarterback last season. To illustrate even further how good Persa is, he received that nod over Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor.
Persa will also present a much different matchup than MSU’s Kirk Cousins did. Cousins is more of a classic, dropback passer who was a minimal threat to run. Persa, however, will take off and run so the Huskers must be much more disciplined in its pass rush.
Northwestern may get its yards and/or points but with the way the Blackshirts are rounding into form defensively, the Wildcats will have a harder time scoring. The key for Nebraska is to not let Northwestern get an early lead to subdue the home crowd.
On special teams, Abdullah has also provided another weapon as a kick and punt returner. The Huskers are ranked No. 2 in the country in kick returns and No. 44 in the country in punt returns. However, opponents have negated that advantage lately by kicking away from him.
However, another huge plus to Nebraska’s kicking game has how placekicker/punter Brett Maher has replaced Alex Henery so well. Maher has made 14-17 field goals and is averaging 45 yards per punt.
Northwestern might be 3-5 but it’s a deceptive 3-5. That thinking would go against Bill Parcells’ motto of “your record is exactly what it is.” However, Northwestern has had a lead in the second half of every one of its five defeats. That statement could mean one of two things: a) The Wildcats are dangerous enough to beat you on a given day or b) They will make enough mistakes to get beat.
As long as the Huskers don’t commit penalties and turnovers, they should win this game and go to 8-1.
The win forced a three-way tie between Nebraska, Michigan state and Michigan. Had the Spartans beaten Nebraska, they would have had a big leg up on the rest of the division. For the Huskers, the key becomes sustaining that momentum as the calendar turns to November. Since Bo Pelini took over as the head coach in 2008, November has been a month to remember. The Huskers have gone 11-1 under Pelini in November.
The Huskers host a Northwestern (3-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten) team that is decidedly different than Michigan State. The Spartans entered the contest with defensive numbers not terribly far behind Alabama and LSU but also had a pedestrian offense. The Wildcats, however, are averaging 31.6 points per game but in their five defeats have yielded an average of 35.2 points per contest.
With the exception of the first half of its 34-27 win over Ohio State, Nebraska has been playing well ever since its 48-17 loss to Wisconsin.
When the Huskers parted ways with offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and replaced him with Tom Beck, the biggest question was “what will be the offense’s identity?” It’s pretty obvious now. The Huskers are a run first team with running back Rex Burkhead carrying the load. He did just that against Michigan State as he carried 35 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
The question becomes, does Nebraska reduce Burkhead’s carries this week and mix in carries for Ameer Abdullah or Aaron Green. Keep in mind the Huskers follow this game with key road tests at Penn State and Michigan.
The Huskers should be able to run the ball at will on Northwestern’s defense. Well, the numbers would certainly indicate as much as Nebraska is ninth in rushing offense (averaging 253 yards per game) and the Wildcats are 95th in defending the run (allowing 194 yards per contest). As long as Nebraska is not careless with the ball, it should be fine.
On defense, injuries have forced Pelini to try finding the right mixture of players. Nebraska did just that last week in shutting down a good but not great Spartan offense. This week, however, will be a much better barometer to determine whether the Blackshrts are back into form.
While this is not the Ndamukong Suh led defense of 2009, I did not see anything in that game that makes me think the Blackshirts are not back. The younger Blackshirts who were thrust into key roles as a result of injuries now appear to understand the system.
That trend needs to continue this week because though the Wildcats win-loss record is not good, quarterback Dan Persa gives them a punchers chance. Keep in mind, Persa was the first team all-Big Ten quarterback last season. To illustrate even further how good Persa is, he received that nod over Michigan’s Denard Robinson and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor.
Persa will also present a much different matchup than MSU’s Kirk Cousins did. Cousins is more of a classic, dropback passer who was a minimal threat to run. Persa, however, will take off and run so the Huskers must be much more disciplined in its pass rush.
Northwestern may get its yards and/or points but with the way the Blackshirts are rounding into form defensively, the Wildcats will have a harder time scoring. The key for Nebraska is to not let Northwestern get an early lead to subdue the home crowd.
On special teams, Abdullah has also provided another weapon as a kick and punt returner. The Huskers are ranked No. 2 in the country in kick returns and No. 44 in the country in punt returns. However, opponents have negated that advantage lately by kicking away from him.
However, another huge plus to Nebraska’s kicking game has how placekicker/punter Brett Maher has replaced Alex Henery so well. Maher has made 14-17 field goals and is averaging 45 yards per punt.
Northwestern might be 3-5 but it’s a deceptive 3-5. That thinking would go against Bill Parcells’ motto of “your record is exactly what it is.” However, Northwestern has had a lead in the second half of every one of its five defeats. That statement could mean one of two things: a) The Wildcats are dangerous enough to beat you on a given day or b) They will make enough mistakes to get beat.
As long as the Huskers don’t commit penalties and turnovers, they should win this game and go to 8-1.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Blackshirts must continue to earn their keep
Apparantly it’s not a rumor. Blackshirts were awarded Monday according to the Lincoln Journal Star website in large part due to the Huskers 24-3 win over Michigan State on a day the Blackshirts stymied the Spartans.
The following is an unofficial list of defenders who received the black practice jerseys that are symbolic of excellence:
P.J. Smith, Baker Steinkuhler, Chase Rome, Cameron Meredith, Jason Ankrah, Eric Martin, Austin Cassidy, Josh Williams, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David, Andrew Green, Daimion Stafford, Lance Thorell, Thad Randle, Justin Blatchford, Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Terrence Moore and Ciante Evans.
The doling out of the Blackshirts is well deserved after a great defensive effort against Michigan State. The front four rushed the passer and controlled the line of scrimmage, the linebackers maintained their lanes, and the secondary completely shut down the receivers. With this kind of defense, the Huskers chances for a Big Ten title are very much alive but for that to happen the strong play must continue.
I still think the Blackshirts should be passed out at the beginning of the season based on practice sessions, and later taken away, or awarded based on game performance. This season the defense was so bad for so long that an exception was warranted.
While part of me says the list is watered down because so many players were awarded Blackshirts, let’s keep in mind every player on that list has either started or received significant playing time.
Changing conferences (going from Big 12 to Big 10) is no small task. The big 12 was fairly consistent in their offensive schemes that were each tailored toward the strength of their personnel. Week in and week out we would have to prepare for slight variations from the prior week in most cases. Occasionally we would have to prepare for a wholesale change in offensive or defensive philosophy but that was the exception.
Our world today is much different. Almost on a weekly basis we have to prepare for a team that we have not played in recent history. In addition, those teams differ substantially in style and scheme on both their offense and their defense.
The curve is steep and the path is narrow, a slip here or a slip there can place our team in a perilous position. It makes it all the more important that this year we have individuals with character that are able to persevere through the highs and lows.
The Huskers have a lot of battle hardened troops on this roster. When they play for each other we see what we saw.
The following is an unofficial list of defenders who received the black practice jerseys that are symbolic of excellence:
P.J. Smith, Baker Steinkuhler, Chase Rome, Cameron Meredith, Jason Ankrah, Eric Martin, Austin Cassidy, Josh Williams, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David, Andrew Green, Daimion Stafford, Lance Thorell, Thad Randle, Justin Blatchford, Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Terrence Moore and Ciante Evans.
The doling out of the Blackshirts is well deserved after a great defensive effort against Michigan State. The front four rushed the passer and controlled the line of scrimmage, the linebackers maintained their lanes, and the secondary completely shut down the receivers. With this kind of defense, the Huskers chances for a Big Ten title are very much alive but for that to happen the strong play must continue.
I still think the Blackshirts should be passed out at the beginning of the season based on practice sessions, and later taken away, or awarded based on game performance. This season the defense was so bad for so long that an exception was warranted.
While part of me says the list is watered down because so many players were awarded Blackshirts, let’s keep in mind every player on that list has either started or received significant playing time.
Changing conferences (going from Big 12 to Big 10) is no small task. The big 12 was fairly consistent in their offensive schemes that were each tailored toward the strength of their personnel. Week in and week out we would have to prepare for slight variations from the prior week in most cases. Occasionally we would have to prepare for a wholesale change in offensive or defensive philosophy but that was the exception.
Our world today is much different. Almost on a weekly basis we have to prepare for a team that we have not played in recent history. In addition, those teams differ substantially in style and scheme on both their offense and their defense.
The curve is steep and the path is narrow, a slip here or a slip there can place our team in a perilous position. It makes it all the more important that this year we have individuals with character that are able to persevere through the highs and lows.
The Huskers have a lot of battle hardened troops on this roster. When they play for each other we see what we saw.
Fasten your seatbelts for the last leg of the Legends Division race
As is said so often in horse racing, “And down the stretch they come!” Thanks to Nebraska’s 24-3 win at home over Michigan State; the Big Ten Legends Division race now becomes very compelling. The win bumped the Huskers to No. 9 in the AP poll. Nebraska, No. 15 MSU and No. 13 Michigan are all 3-1 against Big Ten foes. The only thing that prevented a four-way tie was Iowa’s surprising 22-21 loss to lowly Minnesota.
Had MSU beaten the Huskers, the Legends Division for all intents and purposes would have been decided, now it’s a jumpball. The obvious answer is that the games must be played on the field and you have to take “one game at a time.” Well, we’ll leave those answers to the players and coaches.
Nebraska has a tough road ahead but if it wins out will represent the Legends Division in the Big Ten title game at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. The Huskers host Northwestern (3-5), visit Penn State (7-1), visit Michigan (6-2) and host Iowa (5-3). That’s a 21-11 combined opponents’ record if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Huskers are going to need to go no worse than 3-1 to have a realistic chance to capture the Legends Division. That goal, however, is very much within reach as long as they don’t stub their toe against Northwestern or Iowa because those are the most winnable games and they are at home. With the way the Huskers rebounded defensively and are rounding into form offensively, I like their chances of winning three of their last four. Winning all four is possible but not probable.
MSU’s remaining slate involves hosting Minnesota (2-6), at Iowa (5-2), hosting Indiana (1-8) and at Northwestern (3-5). That’s a combined record of 11-21 if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Spartans have by far the easiest road but since they lost to Nebraska they would need to win out and get help. It would be shocking if they lost to Minnesota or Indiana at home. However, given Sparty’s tendency to struggle on the road, a loss at Iowa or even Northwestern is not a farfetched notion.
Michigan’s remaining schedule is at Illinois (6-3), at Iowa (5-2), host Nebraska (7-1), and host Ohio State (5-3). That’s a combined record of 23-9 if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Wolverines’ road is far from easy with every remaining team being against teams in contention. Michigan is definitely good enough to go 3-1 in that stretch but 2-2 is more likely.
Iowa’s remaining schedule is host Michigan (6-2); host Michigan State (7-1), at Purdue (4-4) and at Nebraska (7-1). That’s a combined record of 24-8, if you’re scoring at home and if you are congratulations. The loss to Minnesota means that the Hawkeyes are going to be hard-pressed to win the Legends. Couple that with the fact that Iowa is playing three Legends Division teams that are hungry for a title. Best case scenario, Iowa goes 2-2 with a chance to play spoiler in the season finale at Nebraska.
Had MSU beaten the Huskers, the Legends Division for all intents and purposes would have been decided, now it’s a jumpball. The obvious answer is that the games must be played on the field and you have to take “one game at a time.” Well, we’ll leave those answers to the players and coaches.
Nebraska has a tough road ahead but if it wins out will represent the Legends Division in the Big Ten title game at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. The Huskers host Northwestern (3-5), visit Penn State (7-1), visit Michigan (6-2) and host Iowa (5-3). That’s a 21-11 combined opponents’ record if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Huskers are going to need to go no worse than 3-1 to have a realistic chance to capture the Legends Division. That goal, however, is very much within reach as long as they don’t stub their toe against Northwestern or Iowa because those are the most winnable games and they are at home. With the way the Huskers rebounded defensively and are rounding into form offensively, I like their chances of winning three of their last four. Winning all four is possible but not probable.
MSU’s remaining slate involves hosting Minnesota (2-6), at Iowa (5-2), hosting Indiana (1-8) and at Northwestern (3-5). That’s a combined record of 11-21 if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Spartans have by far the easiest road but since they lost to Nebraska they would need to win out and get help. It would be shocking if they lost to Minnesota or Indiana at home. However, given Sparty’s tendency to struggle on the road, a loss at Iowa or even Northwestern is not a farfetched notion.
Michigan’s remaining schedule is at Illinois (6-3), at Iowa (5-2), host Nebraska (7-1), and host Ohio State (5-3). That’s a combined record of 23-9 if you’re scoring at home, and if you are congratulations. The Wolverines’ road is far from easy with every remaining team being against teams in contention. Michigan is definitely good enough to go 3-1 in that stretch but 2-2 is more likely.
Iowa’s remaining schedule is host Michigan (6-2); host Michigan State (7-1), at Purdue (4-4) and at Nebraska (7-1). That’s a combined record of 24-8, if you’re scoring at home and if you are congratulations. The loss to Minnesota means that the Hawkeyes are going to be hard-pressed to win the Legends. Couple that with the fact that Iowa is playing three Legends Division teams that are hungry for a title. Best case scenario, Iowa goes 2-2 with a chance to play spoiler in the season finale at Nebraska.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)