2012 Game-by-game forecast

Phil Steele’s college football magazine comes out in the next ten days. Who knows where you might find an early copy — but he’s got Nebraska at No. 17 in his preseason poll. He also has Iowa (No. 38); Michigan (No. 22) and Michigan State (No. 19) are ranked behind NU so it stands to reason that Steele sees the Huskers as a slight Legends Division favorite.

There’s no reason Nebraska shouldn’t be better in all phases of the game in 2012 compared last year. Michigan probably will be the same as last year, which was good, but they lose Mike Martin on the defensive line which will be a huge loss for them. The game against Michigan will be played in Lincoln this year and I expect that to make some difference. Michigan State has a new quarterback and is replacing a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Like last year, the Legends Division figures to be a tight race.

Taking a very early look at the 2012 schedule here's how I foresee it going. Please note that I have done zero research and I'm just going off of what I remember from last season and projecting towards 2012.

Southern Miss...Win--95% probability. The Golden Eagles looked very impressive in their 24-17 win over Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl but the Eagles lost their head coach to another team, their starting quarterback to graduation, along with a host of other players who had started for several seasons. In short, Southern Miss will essentially be starting over from scratch.

@ UCLA...Win--90% probability. New coach, new system and more than likely it will be a pro-style. Which plays right into the kind of defense Nebraska likes to play, meaning rush the front four, drop seven into coverage and play a match-up zone. The questions I have are, how will Devin Fuller be used, will he redshirt, or will new head coach Jim Mora roll the dice and play a true freshman? If I were Mora, I'd design an offense around what Fuller can do and take the lumps with a true freshman starting at quarterback.

Arkansas St...W--99.999999999999% probability. The only way the Red Wolves win, or even have a shot, is if Nebraska has another -8 turnover day like they did against Iowa State in 2009.

Idaho St...W--99.999999999999% probability. See Ark St.

Wisconsin...W--50% probability. There are two upsides: 1) the game is in Lincoln and 2) no more Russell Wilson. Even still this will be a tough physical game for the Huskers. One thing is certain though Nebraska’s defensive line and indeed whole defense will have to step up big time in the tough and physical department.

@ Ohio St. L--60% probability. On the road, versus a shifty, agile, mobile, quarterback and a defense that well, quite frankly, gets embarrassed too frequently by mobile QBs. If Nebraska can contain Braxton Miller and avoid turnovers they can pull it out, but it will be an intense uphill climb.

@ Northwestern...W--50% probability. The biggest question I have is will Nebraska actually take the Wildcats seriously this time around? They’d be crazy not to after the wildcats came into Lincoln last year and pulled off a 28-25 upset. While Northwestern loses a lot of people their biggest difference maker, Cain Kolter, returns.

Michigan...L--75% probability. Unless Bo Pelini changes or tweaks his defensive philosophy, this is another probable loss. I hate to harp on it but look at the way Michigan State played Michigan and then contrast it with the way the Huskers played the Wolverines. The Spartans blitzed and pressured Denard Robinson and the Huskers played a soft coverage. Well the results of those two games are a stark reminder of why I do not really like Nebraska's chances here.

@ Michigan St...W--75% probability. Kirk Cousins, their two top wide receivers, and one running back are gone so there will be some retooling. This is another on the road dangerous game that if Nebraska doesn't take seriously they could lose.

Penn St...W--85% probability. This is a program in shambles. The new head coach for the Lions has his work cut out for him to say the least. This could be an ugly year for them.

Minnesota...W--96% probability. The Gophers just don't have the personnel to compete.

@ Iowa...W--65% probability. Nebraska typically doesn't struggle against Iowa the way other Big 10 teams do, although now that we're in the Big 10 there will be much more familiarity as we'll play every season. But for now, the Huskers have the edge.

Best case scenario: Undefeated season with a conference and national title as well.

Okay, now that the laughter has subsided, I think the best case scenario for 2012 is a 10-2 regular season. I see Nebraska more than likely losing to Michigan and Ohio State. I think that Nebraska loses due to how Pelini plays his defensive scheme not because I think the Huskers aren't talented enough to compete or win.

Worst case, and this could get real ugly real fast, Nebraska loses to Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Iowa and tanks to 6-6.

I'll sort of split the difference and say 9-3 in the regular season with losses to MU, OSU and some unranked team at home.

Examining expectations

When I hear the term “expectation” these days from Nebraska football fans, I feel like I have to climb through three layers.

First, there’s the “but we’re Nebraska” crowd, anything less than a Top 5 finish every year is a failure. Anything less and you are lowering the bar. This is the group that thinks Nebraska football only existed from 1993-1997 when the Huskers went 60-3 on the way to winning three National Championships.

Second, there is the “well, I hope we can make the next step but I’m tired of getting my hopes up only to be let down later.” This group is the healthiest mentally because they know that as enjoyable as 1993-1997 was, those years are the exception not the norm.

Thirdly, there’s the Negative Nellie crowd that thinks Nebraska is on its way to a 6-6 season and head coach Bo Pelini should be run out of Lincoln on a rail.

I fall into the second category. In 2010, when Nebraska started the season 5-0 and looking dominant, I believed the Huskers were ready to contend for a National Championship. From that point forward, however, Nebraska went 5-4. Last season, the Huskers made their Big Ten debut and while they had a decent season at 9-4, there were times they could not get out of their own way.

The way I see it is that 11 wins or more is a “great” season, 10 wins is a “good” season, nine wins is a “decent” season while eight wins or less qualifies as an underachieving season. Based on that criterion, the last “great” Husker season was 2001 when they went 11-2. Since then Nebraska has had a mixture of decent and good seasons with a few underachieving ones.

Who knows, maybe 2012 is the year Nebraska gets that first elusive conference title since 1999 and BCS bowl appearance since 2001.

For the last few years I feel as though I've been sold a misleading bill of goods in the preseason masked by "coach speak" as to how "insert year here" is going to be better than the last and that we are finally on to something.

I expect to see more of the same until proven otherwise. We will be good enough to beat any team we play, but can play bad enough to lose to anybody. See Northwestern at home. Until the team can eliminate costly mistakes, false starts, penalties, personal fouls, and anything that extends opponents drive or kills our offensive momentum- I expect to see more of the same.

Revisiting the win over Ohio State

It’s amazing what watching the replay of a game seven months later can do. I just got done watching the DVR recording of the Big Ten Network’s airing of Nebraska football’s thrilling, and frankly stunning, 34-27 come-from-behind win over the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 8.

You truly have to reassess the circumstances to appreciate the situation. Ohio State was a scandal-ridden program that had various players coming off of five-game suspensions because they were found to have sold awards, gifts and university apparel, plus receive improper benefits in 2009. In addition to missing five games in 2011, those players had repay money and benefits ranging in value from $1,000 to $2,500. The repayments needed to be made to a charity.

The Buckeyes entered the game 3-2 but looked like they couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time, especially on offense. Ohio State lost 10-7 at home against Michigan State (the same club Nebraska throttled 24-3 at home later in the month) the previous week. Nebraska, meanwhile, was 4-1 but coming off an embarrassing 48-17 loss at Wisconsin in its Big Ten debut on National TV. The Huskers as a team played a horrendous game and took a lot of heat (deservedly so in some cases) from local and national media alike. Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez especially took a lot of heat for his 11-of-22 passing performance with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Head coach Bo Pelini also took his share of slings and arrows.  

The victory over Ohio State was a psychological win for the Huskers. No matter how much Ohio State had become just another program, you don't rally from a 27-6 deficit to win without having some testicular fortitude. The Buckeyes finished 6-7 including a 21-14 Gator Bowl loss to Florida.

Entering the Ohio State game, negativity was at a fever pitch among Husker fans and media alike after the aforementioned loss to Wisconsin. After the Ohio State game, Nebraska had a bye week followed by a road game at Minnesota. If you thought negativity among the Nebraska fan base and media was bad entering the Ohio State game, one could only fathom how things would have been with consecutive losses going into a bye week.

In the first half, the Buckeyes ran through Nebraska like Roseanne Barr at an all-you-can-eat buffet to the tune of 246 yards of offense in the first half. OSU freshman quarterback Braxton Miller rushed for 79 and passed for 68. For the second time in as many weeks, the Huskers looked like stumblebums on defense. The offense certainly wasn't pulling its weight either.

Sometimes, however, one play can change a game if not the course of a season. Nebraska linebacker LaVonte David's play in the third quarter was the difference in Nebraska’s season. Granted, the Huskers finished 9-4 including a 30-13 Capital One Bowl loss to South Carolina. However, without David’s brilliance, the Huskers very easily could have gone 7-6. In the first half of the Ohio State game, the Husker defense looked lost on defense, perhaps still reeling from the Wisconsin loss. OSU led 20-6 at halftime. Pelini, who is known as a defensive guru, seemed at a loss for solutions. That Nebraska deficit later became 27-6.  

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller made his way through traffic for a 7-yard gain but like a thief in the night, David ripped the ball from the hands of the 6-3, 210-pound quarterback. From there, it was all Huskers. Yes, Nebraska caught a break when the mobile Miller had to leave the game with an ankle injury. His replacement (Joe Bauserman) went 1 for 7 for 13 yards. However, it should also be pointed out that David made the play with Miller in the game. Also, Miller does not play defense.

With Martinez, you had to look beyond his numbers. Yes, he completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, 95 yards on 16 carries. However, besides his end-of-the-first-half interception, Martinez bounced back well from the previous week’s performance at Wisconsin. He did a better job of checking down to receivers this week, and overall he showed more poise and confidence. ABC color commentator Matt Millen kept harping on how Martinez lacks the ability to stretch the field. It's funny. Against Wisconsin, Martinez was being criticized for forcing the ball downfield into coverage and not checking down to underneath receivers. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

What more can you say about running back Rex Burkhead? 119 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. Nebraska rushed for 144 yards in the fourth quarter, against the 13th ranked defense in the country.

What did the Ohio State win mean in the grand spectrum of things? Well, mathematically it meant the Huskers are 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. What might have happened, however, had Nebraska lost that game? The Huskers went on to beat Minnesota (41-14) and Michigan State (24-3). Nebraska alternated outcomes the rest of the way with a home loss to Northwestern (28-25), a road win at Penn State (17-14), a road loss at Michigan (45-17), a home win against Iowa (20-7) and the aforementioned bowl loss to South Carolina.

So what did the win over Ohio State mean? Mathematically, not much because after that game the Huskers went 4-3. Without that win, Nebraska probably still beats God-awful Minnesota, which went 3-9 but maybe not by 27 points but that’s the only game with conviction you can say the Huskers win.  

As disappointing as 9-4 may seem, and no I don’t think it should be the Gold standard, just remember how truly disconcerting the season would have been without the Ohio State win.

College Football Hall-of-Fame needs to re-examine its bylaws

I very seldom like to give too much credence to awards and accolades because the ultimate reward is the team winning.

However, the College Football Hall of Fame exposed what a joke it really is as Nebraska greats   Tommie Frazier, Eric Crouch and Trev Alberts will have to wait at least one more year to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Crouch and Alberts waiting is one thing but Frazier, that is bogus.

According to Ivan Maisel’s blog, apparently they couldn’t be picked. Maisel reported that a school can’t have players inducted in back-to-back years. I was never aware of any such stipulation.

The College Football Hall of Fame certainly hasn’t always operated under this rule, even recently as USC had a player inducted every year from 2000-2005. Why put someone’s name on a ballot in the first place if you’re not actually being honestly considered for selection?

Anyway, patience is required for such things. As my colleague Steve Sipple noted on Twitter, the great Rich Glover had to wait 23 after his career ended to be selected.

This year's class will have 17 inductees (14 players and three coaches): Charles Alexander (LSU, 1975-1978), Otis Armstrong (Purdue, 1970-1972), Steve Bartkowski (California, 1972-1974), Hal Bedsole (USC, 1961-1963), Dave Casper (1971-1973), Ty Detmer (BYU, 1988-1991), Tommy Kramer (Rice, 1973-1976), Art Monk (Syracuse, 1976-1979), Greg Myers (Colorado State, 1992-1995), Jonathan Ogden (UCLA, 1992-1995), Gabe Rivera (Texas Tech, 1979-1982), Mark Simoneau (Kansas State, 1996-1999), Scott Thomas (Air Force, 1982-85) and John Wooten (Colorado, 1956-1958) on the players’ side. Head coaches Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Jimmy Johnson (Oklahoma State, Miami) and R.C. Slocum (Texas A&M) were also inducted.

By no means am I suggesting that the members on that list do not belong in the Hall-of-Fame but the fact that Frazier wasn’t a first ballot College Football Hall of Famer, then the College Football Hall of Fame is meaningless.

That is a stupid rule. If someone deserves to be in, they need to be there. I get having a waiting time to eliminate emotion from a decision but if they have the merits to enter into the Hall-of-Fame, they need to be there regardless if someone from their school already was inducted.

Admittedly, I haven’t paid close attention to the College Football Hall-of-Fame rules and bylaws but Frazier should’ve been in a long time ago. The guy is a winner. Pure competitor and playmaker. He would've done even more if he would've stayed healthy. The tape, the accomplishments and the wins speak for themselves.

I will make the case that Frazier is the best college quarterback in history. As a Nebraska fan, I confess to a bias but here’s a guy that went 33-2 for his career, won two national titles, four conference titles, ran for 2,154 yards, threw for 3,626 yards, and scored 82 touchdowns.

If that is not Hall-of-Fame worthy, I do not know what is.

Insider or outsider hires come with no guarantees

Though Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne has no immediate plans to step aside, it doesn’t stop speculation on who will succeed the 74-year old who was a legendary Husker football head coach from 1973-1997, during which time he compiled a 255-49-3 overall record, piloting Nebraska to three National championships.

University Chancellor Harvey Pearlman has admitted past mistakes, notably the Steve Pederson debacle (2002-2007). Osborne took over as interim athletic director in October 2007 after Pederson was fired. Osborne later had the tag lifted.

Pearlman recently said in an Omaha World Herald story that when Osborne decides to retire, he'll do a nation-wide search for the next Nebraska AD. That statement is significant because there are two people within the athletic department, Jeff Jamrog (assistant athletic director for football) and Paul Myers (associate athletic director of development), that are also believed to be potential successors to Osborne.

Jamrog is a former walk on (three year letter winner) that compiled 66 tackles, 13 for a loss and eight sacks as a senior. Myers has a sentimental favorite notion in him. It was Meyers’ brief departure from the department in October that added a significant subplot to the Pederson saga, and it was his return only four weeks later that was met with jubilance by some major donors. Now, some of those contributors are in tune that Meyers would be a fine choice to follow Osborne as Nebraska’s AD.

If Osborne has his druthers, based on past experience, he’ll push for the in-house candidate like he did in hand-picking Frank Solich to be his success. Osborne also gave a Pederson a strong recommendation as AD. When Osborne he replaced the deposed Pederson in 2007, he dismissed Bill Callahan at the end of the season as football head coach and hired then former Husker defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. When Osborne dismissed Mike Anderson as Husker baseball coach, he hired Nebraska legend Darin Erstad. The only head coaching hire Osborne made that did not involve Nebraska ties was Tim Miles as men’s basketball head coach to replace Doc Sadler.

Pearlman might be publically saying he will conduct a national search but you can bet Osborne will strongly recommend Jamrog or Meyers. I just don’t see Dr. Tom handing the keys to his Rolls Royce to somebody without spending a lot of time with the person first. He has his whole life vested in it.

However, national searches or in-house hires come with no guarantees and before anyone rants about “keeping it in the family,” just remember that after Bill Byrne left as Nebraska athletic director in 2002 for Texas A&M, many Nebraskans viewed Pederson as the ideal hire. Pederson had 2 ½ years of experience as Nebraska’s Associate Athletic Director as well as Director of Football Operations. Plus, he was a North Platte, Neb., native.

At the time, the hire made sense but would have known that five years later he would become the most loathed man in the state. If anything, he made Nebraskans long for the Byrne era.

It’s just so hard to tell what you’re getting, as everything seemed to point in the right direction for us, but just happened to be in the wrong direction. I’m no Pederson fan or apologist by any means, but he worked right under our own roof for so long, yet we didn’t really know the guy as well as we thought.

Most people will point to Pederson’s firing of Frank Solich and subsequent hiring of Callahan as the beginning of his demise which is true to a degree but it was not the ultimate reason why he got fired. Pederson’s management style as it pertained to those working under him as well as his arrogance with the Husker fan base was the reason he got fired. Pederson probably would have survived the Callahan hire if not for his poor management skills.  

Players leading just as important as coaches leading, if not more so

According to a Lincoln Journal Star blog, Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis was one of the featured speakers at the Big Red Academy's Leadership 101 seminar.

Papuchis emphasized how leadership is important but cultivating and developing better leadership has been the Huskers’ biggest objective within the program this offseason. Papuchis went on to say this offseason has been about breaking players into smaller groups, not just necessarily by positions groups, but even groups within the position group. Within those groups, qualified players were picked by coaches to lead:

“For example, the defensive backs, if one of their members is late to a weightlifting session, I’m going to have my say, and Bo’s going to have his say. But what I’d love to have happen is one of the other DBs grab the guy by the shirt and say, ‘That’s not OK. It’s not OK at Nebraska to be late to your weightlifting.’ Because that message resonates a lot longer than me saying, ‘I don’t want this happening.’ … Because players want the respect of their teammates. They want the guys on their team to know that they’re working hard, that they believe in what they’re doing. So giving that responsibility to a teammate to enforce a little bit of discipline that goes a long way.”

The Unity Council was a staple of the Tom Osborne era, particularly the National Championship years of the 1990s. While it still exists, it is no longer decided on a team vote.

“Because whatever you vote on, there’s certain elements of popularity or seniority that goes into it,” Papuchis said. “And that doesn’t necessarily reflect true leadership. It just kind of reflects who's been there the longest or who’s the funniest or whatever. What we’ve kind of gone to is a Unity Council, but a Unity Council that is fluid in its membership. And one that it's a little harder club to get into.”

What Papuchis is saying is very true. Husker head coach Bo Pelini has a persuasive personality but at some point players tune out the coach. I’m not suggesting that Nebraska players have done that to Pelini but if you have vocal leaders that are preaching the same message as the coach, then the coach’s message carries that much more weight as Papuchis suggested.

You can’t help but think back to the Osborne days and the constants that were the heart of the program, this gives me hope that this staff realizes what is lacking today. Osborne said himself that having that upperclassman leadership was vital when playing on the road. When keeping a team sharp after big wins. Paraphrasing, he said to Bob Costas, it was what was missing before that run in the 1990s. Having special players that took control was as big a reason as any why Nebraska went 60-3 from 1993-1997 with three National Championships.

Having the same offense and coaches intact back then, was a much easier proposition than the past decade’s attempts. Osborne always said it was those little things that tripped you up. Starting a freshman at quarterback and underclassmen in the lines meant that the little things were bypassed for expediency. It showed in the penalties and missed assignments too often. Teaching the underclassman was a problem, but having to teach a young coaching staff a new system every season wasn’t a recipe for excellence.

I realize that feel good stories are nice this time of year because this team has far to go. However, at least they are trying to figure out how to get better. That cannot hurt.

Peer accountability, in my opinion, is always one of the most important facets for any team. Coaches will always have a loud say, but you have to have guys within the locker room that aren’t afraid to have their voice heard when in a tight spot or a teammate is stepping out of line.

The officers (coaches) are definitely in charge but a reminder from a Sargent (player) is sometimes needed when in the heat of battle or when a private is shirking his responsibility. Obviously, if it continues the Sargent reports it to the officers and they deal with it but problems can be stopped before they become problems.

You’re not going to have the coach there every second, so it’s another set of eyes and another set of people holding you accountable. Second, the players spend more time with each other than with the coaches and they will relate to each other more than they relate to the coaches as individuals. You expect a coach to ride you on occasion and may discount some of the guidance as them just setting a tone for the whole group and not being directed at you. The people you want to let down least are your peers and if one of them calls you out, you will take it more personally.

Looking back at the Bill Byrne era

Isn’t it strange how you don’t appreciate someone’s legacy until years later? Former Nebraska athletic director Bill Byrne, who had been at Texas A&M in the same capacity since 2002, retired on Tuesday, a year before his contract was due to expire, and acknowledged that he had little say about when the school opted to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.

Byrne became A&M’s AD in 2002 after being Nebraska’s AD from 1992-2002. Texas A&M won 45 Big 12 championships in 13 different sports during his tenure but his legacy will always be tied to the school’s move to the SEC, starting in July, even though Byrne said he was not involved in the final decision.

Byrne’s contract was to expire in August 2013. He will become a special adviser to A&M President R. Bowen Loftin, who is traveling overseas.

I remember the Byrne era at Nebraska pretty vividly because not only was I a student journalism major but worked as a production assistant at 1400 KLIN AM, which became the flagship radio station for various Nebraska sports. Byrne co-hosted a half-hour radio program once per week. I got to know him reasonably well during that time.  

As for Byrne’s legacy as an AD, he may not have been popular with some, but he was what was needed at the time to move the department and facilities forward. As beloved as Bob Devaney was, the department was in the red when Byrne took over and prosperous when he left. However, Byrne was not the best AD wherever he went which is why you get mixed reviews. Many people don’t like him, and yet many do but that’s not a sign of who was the best. That’s a sign of being average. However, considering that his tenure came between a legend like Devaney and a vilified figure like Steve Pederson. The latter epitomizes arrogant slime.

Byrne hired Dave Van Horne to take over what had become a floundering baseball program under John Sanders in the latter stages of his 19 year career. Van Horne, who has been the University of Arkansas baseball head coach, led the Huskers to a 214-94 overall record from 1998-2002.

Women’s basketball head coach Connie Yori has also been a quality hire. Under Yori, Nebraska has compiled a 190-126 mark but has won 18 or more games in seven of her 10 seasons. So, on the whole, Yori has definitely had more ups than downs.

Yori’s predecessor (Paul Sanderford), however, was not a rousing success considering the expectations he came with from Western Kentucky, where he was 365-120. At Nebraska, he went 88-69 but after a 23-10 debut in 1997-1998 the Huskers became mediocre.

Rightly or wrongly, however, Byrne is also remembered for what was becoming of Nebraska football when he left. Byrne resigned from Nebraska on the heels of the Huskers worst season football season since 1968. The Huskers had gone 7-6 and were headed to the Independence Bowl. How much blame Byrne deserves for that or for any of the seasons that followed is an open question. If Frank Solich was not the right hire to succeed Tom Osborne, it didn’t seem like Byrne had the clout to choose anyone else. Husker football was on top the world and the desire for continuity was very strong. So what should or could Byrne have done to change course? Byrne was in command when the Huskers decided to join the Big 12. Whether that was the right call is an open question.

Keep in mind, current athletic director Tom Osborne is still helping the athletic department recover from Pederson’s tenure. He ravaged almost every program with his horrific leadership style and alienating everyone. It’s not something that happens overnight.

Byrne was hit or miss, but better than Peterson for Nebraska. Well, actually, he was pretty good. He didn’t sabotage the program, but perhaps the football crowd wanted more emphasis on it but you have to have pride in not being a one trick pony. I don't have a lot of feeling either way, but I think he did a solid job.

Brown doing the right thing by staying away from Lincoln City Council meeting

Nebraska football will apparently get a reprieve from negative attention as it pertains to assistant coach Ron Brown.

According to a story that appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star, Brown said that he won’t testify against a Lincoln proposal that would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the city’s list of protected classes out of concern that a media frenzy surrounding his involvement would draw attention from the issue.

“A number of fellow Christians who have been working on legislation and working on the nuts and bolts of this issue told me, ‘Look, there's going to be so much media attention over you, it’s going to take away from the issue,’” Brown told the Journal Star.

“Everything inside of me said, ‘I don’t want the media to stop me from going.’ Then I realized it was going to be a circus, and everybody already knows how I think. My views stand the same.

“As I prayed about it, I thought it was not in the Lord’s will for me to testify.”

As part of a Lincoln City Council meeting at 3 p.m. Monday, a public hearing will be held on a proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the classes of people specifically protected against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.

The Omaha City Council recently added similar protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to its civil rights ordinance. Brown spoke in opposition to the measure during testimony March 6 in Omaha, generating ample criticism and praise both locally and nationally.

During his three-minute appearance at the Omaha hearing, Brown challenged council members to remember that the Bible does not condone homosexuality.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman admonished Brown for giving 1 Memorial Stadium as his address, and said Brown’s personal views do not reflect those of the university. The university defends the right of its faculty and students to share their personal views, but they must clarify they’re not speaking on behalf of UNL, Perlman said.

Brown apologized to Perlman. Brown, however, wanted to emphasize that he's not staying away from Monday's hearing out of fear he might be fired.

The Journal Star ran an open letter that Brown wrote: http://huskerextra.com/sports/huskers/football/article_d2bea62d-692f-5c85-947d-c848bde4ab03.html

Despite what Brown’s detractors contend, I do not think he is discriminatory toward homosexuals. Prejudice? Yes. Discriminatory? No. Prejudice is an “attitude” and discrimination is an “action.” In his 20-plus years of coaching, I can assure you that not every player Brown has coached had beliefs that were in line with his but he has never once penalized them with lack of playing time.

Brown has the right to voice his opinion; however, the Bible needs to stay out of this issue and even by bringing the Bible into the equation he is off base. This statement has nothing to do with Christian vs. Atheist. I am as big a believer in God as anyone and am a lifelong Catholiche should be more sympathetic to the homosexual community because about 60 years ago he was being told which water fountain he couldn't drink from. **Yes I know he's not that old, but you get the point.** but nowhere in the Ten Commandments or Seven Deadly Sins does it say a thing about a homosexual lifestyle.

Brown has become a distraction that Nebraska does not need. He was hired, and as far as I know, is paid to coach football not his religious theology. If he wants to continue to preach there is a place where he can do it. It is called a church. Now, I know some here think that Memorial Stadium is a cathedral but that is not what I am talking about.

Brown needs to decide what is more important. Does he want to coach or preach? He should not be allowed to do both while at University of Nebraska.

In the meantime, thankfully Brown proves that he is a bigger man as well as more reasonable than his detractors believe.

Onus squarely on Martinez to produce

No matter who takes snaps for the Nebraska football team, from Jerry Tagge to Turner Gill to Tommie Frazier to Scott Frost to Eric Crouch to Jamal Lord to Zac Lee to Taylor Martinez, you can count on a lot of scrutiny.

Martinez, who enters his junior season, has had a checkered career so far at Nebraska. You look at the raw numbers of Martinez’s first two seasons and there appears to be very little difference. In 2010, he completed 107 of 195 (54.8 percent) for 1,631 yards, ten touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a runner, he gained 966 yards 172 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns. In 2011, Martinez completed 162 of 288 passes (56.3 percent) for 2,076 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a runner, he gained 875 yards on 188 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.

The vibe, however, was much different as in 2010, when Martinez was a big play waiting to happen the first ten games. He rushed 887 yards on 112 carries and 12 touchdowns. In the passing department, he completed 63 of 119 for 1,161 yards, ten touchdowns and three interceptions. After sustaining an ankle injury, however, Martinez became pretty ordinary as he carried 50 times for 79 yards. In the passing department, he completed 44 of 76 for 470 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.

He was more of a team leader than as a freshman but will never be confused for a martinet. His running stats are down a bit as some zealots point out the fewer jaw-dropping runs this season but much of Martinez's 2010 running stats came in the first few games against suspect defenses. Great highlights, but not very meaningful numbers. Also, turnovers were down a bit this year. He threw one more interception on 93 more passes.

Though a segment of Husker fans will clamor for a change whether it’s freshman Brion Carnes, wide receiver Jamal Turner or for that matter incoming freshman Tommy Armstrong, Martinez will be the starter until further notice.

However, the 2012 season is when you stop rationalizing Martinez’s shortcomings. For openers, Martinez will not be learning a new offense and Nebraska appears to have a more-clear cut identity under current offensive coordinator Tim Beck than it did under Shawn Watson. The Huskers run a mixture of zone read, pistol and old school option. However, those three principles are much more in tune with each other than when Nebraska was trying to marry West Coast Offense principles with a variation of the option.

The zone read and pistol suit Martinez well but not the old school option, which gets the fans going from a nostalgia standpoint but doesn't suit Martinez's running skill which is a straight ahead.

Martinez has also taken the time to address his fundamentals (or lack thereof) this offseason.

Martinez returned to his native California and worked with noted quarterbacks guru Steve Calhoun. Addressing Martinez’s footwork was the biggest objective.

After the Huskers 30-13 Capitol One Bowl game loss to South Carolina, Beck and Martinez identified five or six areas Martinez needed to improve during the offseason. Footwork topped the list, and on advice of his father, Casey, Martinez went to Calhoun's Armed & Dangerous camp last month.

They worked on dropping back with his right foot rather than his left and squaring his shoulders on throws.