Stewart Mandel addresses his picks against Nebraska

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
Stewart Mandel has famously picked against Nebraska as we ran the Gauntlet, playing all six of the Big Ten's best teams in a six-game stretch (Sparty is included even though they're at the bottom of the Legends right now). During that stretch we've gone 5-1, with our lone loss on the road at Ohio State. Several HuskerBoard members have talked about these picks, and I'm guessing Stewart got a mountain of emails from Husker Fans this week. To wit:

Stewart, you pick against Nebraska every week. Aren't you sick of being wrong?-- Aaron, Omaha, Neb.

By definition, one might say I'm insane for continuing pick to against Nebraska: I keep expecting a different result.

I will donate $100 to the charity of your choice if you continue to pick Nebraska to lose.

-- Mike, Juneau, Alaska

That's tempting, but it would require my picking the Huskers to lose at home against Minnesota. I may be insane, but I'm not looking to be committed.

Again, please keep picking against Nebraska. This makes four games in a row that the Cornhuskers have won when you pick against them. Two more times and the Huskers are on their way to Indy.

-- Doug, Papillion, Neb.

You're not giving me enough credit. I've actually picked against them five times in a row. It's just that no one wrote in to give me flak when Ohio State beat the Huskers, 63-38.
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When three of Stewart's nine mailbag questions focus on Nebraska, I think it's safe to say he got a lot of correspondence from Husker Nation. He's got a good point about Ohio State, and we trailed by double digits in every win except Michigan, so he had the chance to be mostly right. But I'm not complaining that he went 1-4 picking against the Huskers this year. :D

 
The emails above give him a good ribbing more than ripping him or saying he is Anti-Nebraska. But I have to believe that he received some of those as well. But if you take your husker fan bias out of it, his picks were logical. The husker fan in me thought we could beat Ohio St but the real me knew that was probably not going to happen. Then we get slammed by OSU and we have to head to Northwestern to play a team on the rise. We had not played well on the road so it was logical to think that Northwestern could win that game. Then we get Michigan at home. Michigan had lost twice to undefeated teams. They were good but lost Robinson and the rest is history. Michigan St was not playing well but we hadn't been playing lights out either and it was a road game again so edge goes to Michigan St. Penn St at home seems like kind of anti-Nebraska pick but they were playing their us vs. the world and so they could have come in and beat us.

So bottom line is his picks weren't just picked to spite Nebraska, they were logical picks. I am just glad he was wrong on the last 4.

 
These guys will soon to realize, that Nebraska fans love their team, even if they complain all day about them, if they haven't already. I forgot who the Big 12 blogger was for ESPN, but he stated before we left, that we were the most involved fans, and wouldn't hesitate to tell him he was wrong. This is something I think Adam Rittenburg has realized lately as well. I personally love how we are the under dogs in the media's eyes, makes us play harder I think.

 
i've probably read every mandel article for the last 3-4 years. i have never gotten the impression that he is in any way anti-nebraska. (when they play northwestern, he'll mention his bias however). and I don't think you need to tell a single sportswriter on the planet that nebraska fans love their team. they know that as well as anyone. i don't blame him for any of his picks. he's saying the same thing we've all been saying the last few weeks; "certainly their luck has run out".

it didn't though - and hopefully we can build up some more before 12/1

 
kchusker_chris said:
i've probably read every mandel article for the last 3-4 years. i have never gotten the impression that he is in any way anti-nebraska. (when they play northwestern, he'll mention his bias however). and I don't think you need to tell a single sportswriter on the planet that nebraska fans love their team. they know that as well as anyone. i don't blame him for any of his picks. he's saying the same thing we've all been saying the last few weeks; "certainly their luck has run out".

it didn't though - and hopefully we can build up some more before FOR 12/1.
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There ... fixed it for you. I want this luck, or whatever you want to call it, continuing well into the future. It's about time things went NU's way.

 
I still haven't seen a member of the national media who is as fretful about Nebraska's chances this year, as the majority of us Huskerboard denizens.

 
NebraskaHarry said:
Who is this Stewart Mandel?
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I have been wrong about this season. I expected a number of losses. We have been lucky, but being lucky is good. The team has played hard in the fourth quarter. They have not quit, and obviously are playing for Bo. I think most know/feel he was getting close to the hot seat. If we had not had the luck and lost the last four or five, this would be a much tougher board.

I think Mandrel was pretty spot on in his picks, and a lot felt the same way. He is taking it like a man. Very glad we have had the luck and pray it continues through the year.

 
mel4red said:
kchusker_chris said:
i've probably read every mandel article for the last 3-4 years. i have never gotten the impression that he is in any way anti-nebraska. (when they play northwestern, he'll mention his bias however). and I don't think you need to tell a single sportswriter on the planet that nebraska fans love their team. they know that as well as anyone. i don't blame him for any of his picks. he's saying the same thing we've all been saying the last few weeks; "certainly their luck has run out".

it didn't though - and hopefully we can build up some more before FOR 12/1.
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There ... fixed it for you. I want this luck, or whatever you want to call it, continuing well into the future. It's about time things went NU's way.
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I call it Husker Magic/TMagic!

 
Why do we have to call it luck. Its obvious as the games wear on that we are under the more understanding of the "60 minute game" concept than the other team. We wear them down and take over in the 4th qtr. The only reason these games were even in question in the 4th is because of our own miscues. I dont see where luck has played a huge factor. We're the ones that are becoming unstoppable in the crucial situations and executing when it matters most.

 
accountability said:
Why do we have to call it luck. Its obvious as the games wear on that we are under the more understanding of the "60 minute game" concept than the other team. We wear them down and take over in the 4th qtr. The only reason these games were even in question in the 4th is because of our own miscues. I dont see where luck has played a huge factor. We're the ones that are becoming unstoppable in the crucial situations and executing when it matters most.
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+1 - Luck is a combination of preparation and opportunity. Nebraska has put themselves in a position to do well, and have prepared themselves effectively to win the game!

 
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