Saint Boseph

Slight tangent: Those Bill Callahan checks-in segments on 1620 the zone's unsportsmanlike conduct show were comedic gold. A lot of them are on youtube and I highly recommend checking them out. Somebody (my suspicions are that it was Matt Schick) would call in impersonating BC's voice with a slight exaggeration to make it hilarious. Its hilarity is on par with the FauxPelini persona. The impersonator has the voice mannerisms down to a T and acts excessively crass for comedic effect (like fauxpelini).

Damn, one Ed Reed is bad enough, but they had 2?!? I'm a knucklehead. thanks for pointing that out. Took that extra Ed outta there.

I'll just put it in bold, so there's no ambiguity about my sentiments, 1995 Nebraska > 2001 Miami any day of the week I too believe 95 Nebraska would run over them. I'm just explaining the reason most people in the country put 01 Miami up there. I think most reasonably intelligent college football fans would still say 95 Nebraska is the greatest of all time. In regards to your statement about our NFL guys from that squad, I think Miami's guys probably had more production than our guys in the NFL (though you bring up some names I didn't think of in Warfield Rucker and Minter). But that point is moot when discussing which team would likely win the head-to-head in college. We were the better college team. Wilfork is a fat boy like Sapp so I thought we would be able to do the same to him. I agree with you, I think Miami is a classless program and I don't respect them at all. They piggybacked on our elite status to rise to the who's who club of college programs. I always thought this was a juicy rivalry because it pitted such contrasting styles. They were the hooligans who were loud, talked trash, committed NCAA violations, threw up that terrible hand gesture, and talked about swagger (the original definition and one with negative connotations). We were the big boys of the plains up front and skill players cherrypicked from their backyard, and we were the opposite, did minimal talking ( shoutout to Tom Osborne's psychic abilities at half-time against Miami in 94), and with the blue-collar midwestern offense were a blander style than their flash and pizzazz. I wouldn't want our program to have been any other way. I wish our players wouldn't talk about having "swagger". That's for those pretty boys down in Miami and in it's original definition before the recent pop-culture colloquialization of the word, it wasn't a good thing to have. Loud brashness is a hallmark of southern teams but we should talk about being smashmouth. Keep our mouth shut and impose our will on you.

and their secondary. Their best linebacker is Suh. See above post Their secondary is horrid, their LB's are mediocre. I was livid that they passed over Prince in 2011. They need secondary help asap.

Make no mistake, I am no part of Kirk and friends. 95 Nebraska wins by at least two TD's against 2001 Miami. I just was pointing out the reason Miami 2001 is cited as among the best of all-time. Was making the point that it had less to do with actual college achievement and more to do with later professional production in Miami's case.

+1 for the Princess Bride quote. As for Bill Callahan... what's to forgive? He did his own damage to himself. There's no forgiving that needs to happen, we just needed to part ways. Sure, some of the fans are over-the-top in their hatred for the guy... but even considering that he was put in an awkward position, he just never fit into the culture here, and he never tried. Does Bill Callahan forgive "Nebraska" for firing him? Does he even care anymore? I doubt it. Why should we? Yeah, I agree most parties that were involved the situation have moved on. I was speaking more to the incredibly nasty vitriol I see and hear directed towards him. It seems most fans should not be bitter towards the man or his tenure now that we are, by most accounts, stabilized as a program.

Does anyone think he'll play as a true freshman? There's gonna be a serious logjam of talent at RB where we could afford to RS him but he looks like he could make an impact right away. Most good teams like Bama and LSU play alot of youngsters who have college-ready talent, which is a sign of good recruiting. At least on the Offensive side we're nailing it with the skill position young bucks we already have. Newby just turns on a different gear and looks like he could outrun a healthy amount of D-1 defensive backs right now. Almost forgot to insert the standard drooling over the diamon formation comment. Martinez, Ameer, heard, and Newby in that package gets my blood pumping. When Ameer (one of the top returners in the NCAA) is (probably) slowest guy in that backfield, that speaks volumes about it's deadliness.

No, Only Calipari gets to use the recruit cash fund for basketball. Football doesn't get a whiff, hence their sad state of affairs. I'm upset period that we're even in a contested battle with college football juggernaut that is Kentucky FOOTBALL. Sign of the rapture.

Main reason I believe Miami 2001 is considered among the best all-time is the ridiculous amount of NFL guys on that squad. The running back position alone was ridiculous. Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Clinton Portis, and Najeh Davenport all in one backfield is obscene. Throw in kellen winslow and jeremy shockey at TE. Bryant Mckinnie and Andre Johnson. And the Defense with Vilma, Wilfork, Ed reed, Antrel Rolle, and Sean Taylor, that is some serious NFL star power. But if that team at the time they were in college played '95 Nebraska we would win in my completely objective opinion. A lot of the aforementioned guys really blossomed in their professional careers, compared to many of the Nebraska '95ers topping out in college and not too many going on to the NFL. 95 Nebraska was further developed at the time.

This is an assessment I agree with. Solich had it unfair following Osborne, but the fact is, he couldn't sustain momentum. The program was on the steady decline under him due to subpar recruiting (a lot of tough breaks in down-to-the-wire decisions for recruits). Eric crouch was the last shining remnant from the Osborne recruits and Boulder in 2001 blew the doors open on the decline. We would have played third fiddle to UT and OU under Solich, I agree with Pedersen. But why he didn't hire Bo in 2003 is beyond me. We'd most likely have had a few championships under our belt. But none of that is BC's fault. BC's downfall was mirrored down the road where Offensive Whiz RichRod was done in by his insistence on keeping Greg Robinson, a terrible D-coordinator at UM.

I'm thinking it's not that likely Martin would stick in the league as a defensive lineman. It seems he'd go back to being a linebacker full-time, if a team can get him to shed 15-25 pounds. 6-2 is not going to cut it at DE in the NFL. I think if he loses the weight and becomes an OLB he'll have much more longevity in the league and have good production. rex is going to be a hell of steal no matter where he goes, because he could be of late first-round early second-round value but will likely get drafted 4th-6th round. His final performance erased any lingering doubts I had about his NFL prospects. That dude turned on the jets against Georgia and showed his top-end speed, I haven't seen him run faster, save for the Southern Miss game. He consistenly juked on a dime, spun out of tackles, carried the pile extra 3-4 yards, and flat outran a defense that was supposedly laden with NFL-ready top-round talent. I am hoping fervently that he gets drafted by New England because I think Bill Belichick would use him brilliantly and better than anyone else in the league. Plus how awesome would it be to see him line up potentially with North Platte's finest, Danny Woodhead? Kyler Reed aka Speed Reed will also be a steal. I like Bill Belichick drafting this one earlier than most project, I think it could be as early as 3rd or 4th round. He came to Lincoln last year and no doubt took a look at Kyler. He has all the makings of another Aaron Hernandez or Vernon Davis. Davis and Kyler Reed are the only tight ends I can think of that run 4.3 40's. Stafford and Compton could be anywhere from 5th round to Undrafted Free agents, although I think it's more likely they both get drafted. I'll say Stafford 5th round, Compton 6th round. Ben Cotton I'm going to lean free agent signee but could be 7th round. As for Maher, I have no clue what the demand is for kickers this year so I have no way to form a guess. Meredith, PJ Smith, Mangieri all will likely go undrafted but get looks in a camp somewhere. I only feel confident saying Baker, Rex, and Kyler are locks to get drafted.

if he test well than he might have a shot all the nfl scouts seem to care about these days is your 40 time and how many reps you do in the bench press all it takes is one team to fall in love with his numbers Yeah this was my thinking. Testing well does wonder for your draft stock i.e. Fabian Washington. In high school Baker was running 4.8-4.9 range but I have no clue what he'd run now. And he's always had a powerful upper body and could bench like a gorilla; just a guess here, I think he could realistically post top 5 Bench numbers for DT's at the combine. Sure did suck to see him get injured as he was ramping up the production and disruption.

I've seen it all. Kentucky, a basketball school, stealing a recruit from Nebraska. I really don't understand this SEC circle-jerk love fest each of their members has with each other. Conference pride is stupid, and SEC fans are stupid for perpetuating it in the first place and the rest of the nation is stupid for getting sucked into the hype. It's a top-heavy conference, that's it. Big 10 has better depth. To root for your conference foes in bowl games is absurd. I refuse to cheer for Michigan in any game.

I have heard rumblings of this as well. It's interesting, if I had to guess I don't think they do that. But I still think he would be successful regardless of o-line or d-line. I played with him in high school his senior year when I was on the scout team defense and he used to obliterate me in practice when he was an Offensive Guard pulling outside on those kickout blocks.

Gonna be real disheartened if we lose this one. He's a protypical safety for Bo pelini's defense. Great blend of intelligence and athleticism which is what Bo demands of his safeties. Stafford didn't have too much intelligence which contributed to his erratic play and I felt like Cassidy's relative deficit in athleticism hurt the team at times. Matt O'hanlon, Josh Bullocks (from 2003), and Larry Asante strike me as the best blends of both categories that have started under Bo Pelini.

am I being too optimistic in thinking that Baker has a real shot to go anywhere in the 3rd-5th rounds? I'm going off a feeling that he will test very well at the combine/pro-day and he has great size to go up against NFL O-linemen.

One of my friends who is from San Francisco and a die-hard 49ers fan will usually watch the husker football games with me. When we watched this game where Harbaugh had that hissy fit he made a comment how he was channeling his inner Bo. I was offended because Bo is actually intimidating when he gets mad, Harbaugh just looks like a little boy whining.

From what I remember from his interviews, Mo Purify was nowhere near articulate enough as a speaker to have written that. So to answer your question, sadly, no I am not Maurice Purify.

I don't know if that's a reference to your profile picture but that is an awesome picture and I hope that is what you mean.

T-Magic Taylor Martinez a top 3 Husker QB of all time?-- Not yet, all depends how he finishes his career. Right now it's Frazier, Gill, and crouch in no particular order. Taylor has been good for Nebraska? - Before this season I would have said no, however, you cannot deny his role in engineering those comebacks this year and even having us in the Big 10 title game. He absolutely was the season MVP this year. Taylor will go down as an elite NU QB? --Yes; elite athlete with many school records, he'll be remembered and talked about for a long time. Him, Vince Young, Brad Smith, and Colin Kaepernick are the only QB's in NCAA history to have 6,000 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards before their senior year. Pretty good company, should go down as an elite NCAA QB but that's not likely to happen unless he brings the house down in 2013. Bo 5 year+ years late, was Bo the right hire? Absolutely. Outside of his Family, friends, and players, you will not find a bigger Bo supporter than me. Even if we went 0-12. Do you think Bo is the coach in 5 years? Not sure, the recent rise in anti-Bo sentiment has me nervous, but if it were up to me I want Bo to coach for a long time and retire here at NU. I love the man (hence my profile picture). What has been Bo's biggest flaw? The penalties and turnovers. If that problem were eliminated we'd have consistently stayed in the top 10 since 2010 onward. Coaching staff Do you think Pap is the right guy? Jury's still out, it's only his second year. My inclination is to say no, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since he's learned from Bo, Saban, and Muschamp, the three greatest defensive minds in the game right now. Do you think Beck is the right guy? Yes, but I'll be surprised if he doesn't take a head coaching offer within 5 years. Beck or Watson...? Before the 2012 season, I would have said Watson because I was not a fan of our offense at all in 2011. But a year of familiarity for the players allowed Beck to show his capablity to make brilliant in-game adjustments, something Watson was not so adept at. Who should be our D-coordinator? Wanted Mike Stoops really bad after he was let go by Arizona, but the only other guy who could have lured him away from his buddy Bo, did. Big brother bobby. Media Who is your favorite/least Husker media guy? Sipple or McKewon for favorite/Drama-queen Dirk Chatelain as least favorite and it's not even close. Who is the biggest homer/biggest realist? Sipple/McKewon. Dirk supporter or hater? The man should have his journalism degree revoked. Big Dirk hater. Husker legends Who is your favorite Husker player of all time? Lawrence Phillips. Behind him would have to be followed by Alex Henery, Josh Bullocks, Maurice Purify, Demorrio Williams, Terrell Farley, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Turner Gill in no particular order. Does Rex deserve to be considered a Husker great? Yes. Top 5 Rushing yards All-time at I-back U, that's all that needs to be said. You can have a beer with any husker player/coach/admin, who do you pick??? Corey Mckeon (funniest interviewer I've seen)/Monte Kiffin/Bob Devaney

Do you think it's time for Husker fans to admit the healing process from 2007 is over and to forgive Bill Callahan for his debacle of a tenure at DONU? I think the man is unfairly given too bad of a rap by Husker fans. Believe me, he deserves some flak for the collapse of the program, but I disagree when Husker fans state or insinuate he had an ulterior motive in destroying the program on purpose. He wanted to win just as bad, if not more, than the rest of us because his salary was riding on it, he was just bad at doing it. His two biggest downfalls were basically hiring Kevin Cosgrove as DC and marginalizing the tradition of NU. The man could recruit and had a powerful offense. He diminished the walk-on program, which believe me, I love as one of our program cornerstones, but I can see his thinking in trying to focus energy and resources on recruiting big-name blue-chip recruits. He also shut out former players, which won't help your support if you're losing, but if we were winning alot, I suspect most people wouldn't care. Can you think of the program if he had decided to retain Bo Pelini as DC? (I know that was probably unrealistic because Bo probably would've bolted on his own anyway after Steve Pedersen passed him over) ? I shake my head lately at any Bill Callahan related article here 5 years after his last season. Husker fans, without fail, spit the most venomous comments about him which I think is a poor representation of us as a fan base. Let's just move on since our program has stabilized and be happy for the man in his recent NFL O-line success, I root for him to do well wherever he goes. We should not wish the man ill-will towards his future ventures. Part of the cognitive years of my Husker fandom were in his tenure, and even though we were nowhere good as the '90's I still appreciate many of the Husker memories from that era. If anything the real target of Husker Nation's anger should be directed toward Steve Pedersen for not hiring Bo the first time back in 2003. He was correct in firing Solich, but the mistake was not hiring Bo and hiring BC. But what was BC supposed to do, refuse the job? Quit after a bad season? No self-respecting coach would do that. He tried, failed, but we're back to relative calm. Ironically it was him hiring a buddy (Coz) which contributed to his downfall. Bo has produced better results making defense the foundation of his program, but a lot of the criticisms toward his failures are that he hires pals over experienced professionals. Just food for thought. I respect the hell out of Bill Callahan as an offensive coach, but not a head coach obviously. I would be the happiest man in America if somehow he came back to NU as O-line coach or O-coordinator.

Also Ross Pilkington could get honorable mention. He would sneak behind corners and safeties from time to time in 2002-2003 to get huge gains for Jammal Lord. I understand that it was a product of the option offense where we could catch the D napping on a play action, but I always got the impression that corners and safeties didn't respect his athletic ability, most likely a result of them stereotyping him because he was white (not saying that for sure, just a conjecture of mine).

Yes, he was a textbook possession receiver. There's generally two molds of receivers, "speed" receivers who tend to get catches by burning their opposing DB, or "possession" receivers, who are bigger bodies who generally have any combination of great verticals, long arms, and/or great hands. Receivers who could be classified as both are few and far between. Calvin Johnson is the only one off the top of my head who is basically both. So yes, Purify was slower than most receivers but he made up for it with his huge basketball frame to box smaller corners out, he almost always won the jump ball and bullied corners in general with his size. We don't get elite possession receivers around here very often.

Purify and Fryar are head and shoulders above every other husker wide receiver (not sure whether to classify Johnny Rodgers as a WR or a back). Fryar has been our only #1 nfl draft pick, so that speaks for itself. Purify has probably been our closest to an elite pass-catcher we've had in quite some time. Dude was an athletic freak. The touchdown against Missouri at home in 2006 was ungodly. He just elevated what seemed like twice the cornerback's height. Has an argument to be ranked among the top 3-5 skill players to have played in the 2000's at NU