BigPeterJ

2 hours ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

I never contended it doesn’t happen a few times here and there but the claim that 100% and 80% is just unbelievable in my view.  The coaches would be so subject to blackmail/extortion and the intro-squad jealousy would reveal it so quickly.   Kids can’t keep quiet and nosy sports journalists would ask too many questions.   Kids with big cash and cars and relatives with cushy jobs or houses etc?

does it happen?   Yes.  But not all over with almost everybody.   

This is hard for me to understand also.  What prevents a kid from saying, for ex, "give me another 100,000 or i will report you", and then once he gets that, doing it again?  I guess like the article says its just one mans word against the other? So the bagman could just say he is lying i never gave him anything, the kid is just trying to blackmail me....? 

At the same time a kid could take 20G from one guy and say he is going to Miss State for ex, and then tell Ole Miss he is going with them and take 20G from that guy, and then go to Bama for another 20G.  The kid could play the field, and then whats the bagman gonna do?? Report it that he gave thd kid 20G if he promised to go to his school, and the kid broke the promise.  The authorities that be would say thats too bad u gave the kid 20G under the table, legally the kid doesnt have to give it back or go to the school.  All that would do is put the bagman in possible trouble and maybe the school he was trying to get him too.

Most people dont have a problem with kids being paid anyhow, but the fact that its unbalanced bothers me.  If Bama is paying 20 players but LSU is only paying 2, it bothers me.  Problem is theres no solution....if we allow players to be paid, "bagmen" can still pay a guy an extra sum on top of what the player legally gets.  In this world, idk if there is a such thing as true amateur sport as long as there is plenty of money to be made.  Maybe college Baseball or Soccer is clean, maybe most women's sports are clean.  I bet there are players who purposefully try to miss a spread or a over/under for a cut from a gambler also.  How easy would it be to say, in basketball Michigan is playing Nebraska, tell the Michigan point guard we need to hit the under 150 point total, ill give you 10G if you succeed (the gambler placed a 50G bet)  the point guard doesnt have to lose the game or even play bad necessarily.  Just slow the pace down.  Focus on defense.  Not fool proof, as his teammates could shoot lights out or the other team could also, but he could move the odds from 50/50 to 80/20.  

24 minutes ago, teachercd said:

Agreed, basketball is where it is really bad.  Because a lot of kids have "handlers"

I know basketball much better than football, because i grew up in a basketball family.  The other thing with Basketball is, oftentimes a team can be ONE game-changing player away from going from a bubble team to a top 10-15 team.  Take Wichita State or Creighton for example (typical bubble teams to 8 or 9 seeds).  You add just ONE stud to that team, and all of a sudden you go from a 35ish ranked team to a top 15.    The rumor i heard was about a highly rated recruit that wound up in Wichita back when Creighton was in the MVC.  Creighton was after him also.  Also Louisville and a couple other schools got kids in similar ways supposedly.  My source is from Creighton but at the same time i know the guy is highly biased and Creighton itself has had smoke, and i wouldnt put it past this guy to do the same.  But knowing him well, i know if Creighton did similar that it would be done in a way in which there was no proof.  I dont know anything factual, but my personal opinion is Creighton has done the same with a kid or 2.  Do the Coaches or Admin know? Possibly 1 or the other do, but if they do they will never admit to it, and its not proveable.

My takeaway is 3fold-

1-this is a sneaky business, you would be surprised at who does/doesnt engage in this. Some schools you would never suspect probably do, others that you would assume do may not in fact.

2-if it goes on in a mid level basketball league, i imagine its even more profound in football in the top schools, which schools who knows.

3- if my source knew it was going on with kids that wound up in Wichita or Louisville etc, how would he not know if its going on at his own school?  This tells me at least a few people at the schools where this happens know its going on.  Regardless of how they plead ignorance.

I want to add, that although the percentages are up for debate, i am sure that he isn't as far off as he seems.  I base this off of the fact i know in College Basketball (which is far less money making than top level College football) i know of numerous second hand accounts of recruits being offered money, or parents of recruits being offered jobs.  And that has been in the Missouri Valley Conference, granted at a top level MVC team, and in a couple other schools competing for the same recruit from other conferences.  (Of course my source would not admit if his school also offered, but there has been smoke)....If it hits that level, im sure it hits higher level much more, and high level football even more. 

I have no inside info on Nebraska, or any other top level program, but we know it happens at some schools, and probably at schools one would never guess.  It makes you wonder when recruits flip last minute.  Nebraska has lost many this way , including a couple to Louisville, you may remember one or two of those kids (a very highly suspected program of these schemes both in Basketball and football).  At the same time u question Keyshawn Green's "miracle" flip to Nebraska at a position of desperate need.  Again i have no information on that , it may have been nothing illegal.  It just makes me wonder.  

I tend to agree that its very unlikely that 80% of 4 and 5 stars are offered money or cars, but i also know it does happen.  As to what %, i dont know.  Maybe in the SEC its close to that, but i doubt its that high across the land.  Just seems too hard to pull off or to get in that circle.  But what do i know? I guess its possible.  I just wouldnt base my assumptions on One article from a concealed source.

3 hours ago, BigRedN said:

The class for me was a good B, as it relates to nationally.  For those of us who bleed  , I think a B+ "fits".  
For me, I still wanted more "in the trench" kind of guys that are more ready to contribute earlier, so I wanted one more upgrade at OL and obviously, the DL and DE positions, I'm feeling that we have yet to prove via winning games and being dominant on defense, to be able to attract that bigger stud who comes in to impact.  Had we did better in those areas then this class would move up to a B+ or an A-.

Who wouldn't love what we got at WR or RB, yet, the heart of the program and the "restore the order" aspect won't come until we rebuild the trenches.  We seem to add a piece that looks the part, but as of yet, we can't "stack" or "stock" the OL, DL and DE.  

I love what we did at LB with Green, if we would have landed Johnson as well, it would have been a great A- for that position.  Liked the safety position ... and as others have stated, the CB position was very average.  I was personally really disappointed that we really didn't get much of a sniff from Manning [KC guy] or Green-Warren.  

Still, quite a class to hall in for a 5-7 season ... we can all be grateful.  It's gonna be a rough hall to go 6-6 or 7-5 next year ... but it really better happen as the "everyone sees it's coming crowd" won't float much longer.  Scott really has to get tenacious with a real belief in the "trenches" and truly see defense as the building of a championship caliber team and mindset.  

Pass

Catch

Typically i would call this an average class(B).  But considering we are coming off of 3 losing seasons, its an A-.  We didnt do ourselves any favors by going 5-7 in a year we should have went 8-4 or so.  

The trenches: We got a deep and quality OL class last year so i like where we are headed there.  We only needed to take a couple this class, and the ones we got are good.  On the defensive side i think it was a little dissapointing that we didnt get a higher end DE or pass rusher.  But we did get Nash and Blaise, so i give the DL a C+.  We got some decent JUCOs here, but yet another year with no stud DE.  

Outside the trenches:  Offensively, our WR class was stout (A+), you cant beat 4 4* WR in one class.  RB was solid (B+) but as far as ratings go not exactly stud level ratings on our RBs.  I mean they could be a bit underrated, but what do we know other than the common thought.  Its not like we got a RB that Bama or LSU wanted, rated 26 and 55 best RB in class.  I just feel Nebraska should be able to get a top 15 RB...i know this isnt the 90's, but we used to get top 5 RBs, is top 10-15 too high to expect?   Didnt need TEs this class, got a solid QB from all accounts but who really knows until they play a year or 2 in college.  Overall offensively we got enough Jimmies and Joes at each position that im not worried.  If our offense isnt good over the next 2 years it will be on the coaching, not the talent.

Defensively outside the trenches, Safety i give an A, cornerback a C, LB a B.    We got 2 highly rated safeties, and another solid safety in Gifford.  Cornerback was just 2 lower end 3 stars...as good as the Safeties are, the Cornerback class was equally underwhelming.  Giving the defensive backfield an overall average grade.  We got 1 very good LB and a JUCO that is no stud, but can help right away and thats what we need.  Not a great LB class, but not bad either.  We also have some good LBs from last years class that should be ready to go next year.  Overall defensively, we have some jimmies and joes at most positions, but Cornerback and DL might be 2 areas we lack talent in for the next 2 years.  The defensive coaches have their work cut out for them as we have a lot of new, unproven guys on defense.  And most of our best defensive players are pretty young.  Given how bad our season went, im very pleased with our class.  At the same time this isnt that much better of a class than Nebraska has typically gotten over the past 18 years.

2 hours ago, GBRFAN said:

JD is a huge asset and would love to see him be one of our many weapons next season - but if he is truly thinking about leaving or does leave it would just reinsure how the MR stain needs to be washed away.

Possibly.  Or it would speak to the effects of a QB who makes the receiver's talents worthless, and a coach sticking with him.  Anyway, i dont think this rumor has any truth to it, but if it does we dont know why he would leave yet.

17 hours ago, Jason Sitoke said:

Agreed. We can go 5-7 without him just as easily. 

We would have been 4-8 or 3-9 without him.

11 minutes ago, runningblind said:

 

 

I agree Adrian will be named the starter next fall.  I think he stays healthy and plays well in 20 with actual WR and a good line.  I expect Smothers to pass McCaffrey on the depth chart.  I expect McCaffrey will change positions or leave if it becomes clear he won't play QB.

 

I also expect that to make a lot of people salty.

 

I really believe Luke will be a game changer by the time he is a senior if not earlier.  So i hope he changes positions in that scenario.  I just think the passion he plays with and the energy is contagious.  If Adrian is the starter, he better be a completely different QB than this year.

1 hour ago, krc1995 said:

 Stars aside, can anyone remember a year when we met our recruiting needs so well?  

1 hour ago, BoNeyard said:

Incredible incredible finish to this class, wow! 

Ill admit i was worried about this class just a few days ago.  HUGE finish to a VERY important class.  By the time the players from this class are Sophmores or Juniors, Frost's UCF hype period will have fully worn off.  This is probably the last class that will be major contributors by then.  

Amazing how this staff could recruit this well considering where Nebraska is at the moment after 3 straight years not even making a bowl.  Plenty of negative recruiting they had to overcome to pull these guys.  Shows how much this staff puts into this place.  Recruiting is a lot of work.

Whats the deal with USC? I dont follow other teams very closely...why arent they recruiting?

1 hour ago, HuskersNC949597 said:

In the first year of the BCS (1998), A&M won the Big 12 and lost to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.  But all in all I agree, they're a middle-class P5 program at best.

Missed that.  Thanks for pointing that out.  

22 minutes ago, DrinkinwitTerrellFarley said:

Texas A&M never won anything in the Big XII, let alone the SEC.  Probably the most delusional fanbase in all of college football.  R.C. Slocum, Dat Nguyen, Manziel/Evans is the Aggie legacy.  I'd say, much like Arizona State and Maryland, one of the most underachieving college football programs in college football history with the recruiting footprint and resources available.

They've been solid for a while though.....but never great.  Have they ever made a BCS bowl?

Edit: Looked it up, only looked back 30 or 40 years, but not 1 BCS bowl....they did go undefeated in 94' with 1 tie, but didnt go to a bowl.  Not sure how that happens? 

They usually have been decent, (never a laughing stock), but never great either.  I'd liken A&M to a POOR MAN'S Bo Pelini.  

7 hours ago, madrat said:

Adrian made the pass blocking look worse than it was initially.  He was not eluding the committed rush lanes correctly and forced unnecessary sacks.  There were times he could have simply stepped outside the tackle and dumped the ball, but he held on trying to hold out longer.  Just not smart football, which is why many Husker fans hated watching the train wreck.  Finding out he was injured just makes diehard fans pissed at Frost for keeping him in.  It was a terrible idea to play through it.

We wanted to redshirt Luke, and Noah was hurt for some games.  So the decision to play Adrian wasnt as bad as it looked.  But i agree that we should have played Noah when he was healthy.  The point is Adrian's poor play had to do with more than just his injuries.  And had nothing to do with pass blocking the second half of the year.  Like you said it was like he didnt have a feel for the game at all.  Maybe he wasn't there mentaly. Not just his field vision in the passing game, but also his feel for how to find the spots to step into to buy more time.

Unless Adrian just wasn't there mentaly and he gets their by next season, i really believe Luke needs to be our guy.

On 12/11/2019 at 2:41 PM, Undone said:

 

Biggest thing to me that seems to have gotten ignored/lost probably due to sheer frustration by some fans after the three loss streak of Minnesota/Indiana/Purdue was just how terrible the pass protection was. It was bad most of the season. It got a little bit better around the Wisconsin game (as did run blocking) but still probably graded out as a D or maybe C- for the year on the whole in my opinion.

 

If Adrian comes back 100% healthy next year but the pass blocking still sucks, we'll probably see similar results but as @Cdog923 alluded to, many will parrot the narrative they believe to be true.

The pass blocking was good the last half of the season, and Adrian still looked just as bad.  If Adrian isnt vastly improved next year we will see similar results, but many will parrot the narrative that the offensive line can always take the blame for everything.

If next year is as mediocre-bad as this year, viewership will really drop.  People only have so much patience.  I will be excited the first game of the year as always.  If we start losing games ill probably check out.  Maybe im just dissapointed in all the negative news with Hunt Legrone today, just been dissapointment after dissapointment this year.  What was the highlight?? Beating Illinois? Barely losing to Iowa?  Anyways im encouraged by the fact our team never quit, they played harder this year and with some passion.  

1 hour ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

Couple things:

 

Ohio State is in the midwest.

Tom Osborne inherited a dynasty that went #1, #1, #4 the previous three years. 

The old Big 8 was nowhere near as competitive top to bottom as the current SEC.

 

Again, better to be honored to have had one of the great college coaches of all time than to invite this kind of argument. 

 

Agree.  Look our Dynasty was great, at the time the best there had ever been.  But Bama surpassed us.  Our 95' team still me be the best their ever was, but Bama has had 4 or 5 teams very close to that.  Our 97 team was a split, and our 94 was good, but not any better than the average Championship team. What Saban did tops Osbourne.  Top 4 all time is incredible.  

18 minutes ago, Atbone95 said:

I like to pretend the world is at peace and no kid goes to bed hungry. Doesn't make it true. 

Im not saying we should never fire assisstants....just that there is benefits to continuity, unless someone clearly needs to go.

28 minutes ago, Atbone95 said:

Anyone seen Walters in the last month? Haven't seen a recruit tweet they've seen him. 

 

We're visiting top WR targets, and bring Frost, Held, and Mario... 

 

IMO, there will be staff movement this offseason. 

Maybe....but i like the OP.  Continuity is needed, and helps drastically with recruiting and all around.  Even if one of your assistants is underperforming, you never know if the guy you bring in will be better or worse.  

4 hours ago, swmohusker said:

It helps when you have multiple Wrs that can win.  I dont think our best WR even starts for LSU.  That makes a big difference when a qb is back there making decisions.  It has been stated repeatedly that we need to get some weapons in here for Martinez to use and they are trying their best to do that.  Manning would be a good start.  

WRs that can block too.  As much as our OL gets blamed for bad blocking, our receiver blocking is worse.

1.  Ohio State, would make our conference look better. Unfortunately they play the 2nd best team in the country -Clemson.  Plus is Fields 100%? I noticed his kneee brace.

2.  LSU, for some reason i just like their fans more than Bama...then again who knows how LSU fans would be if they won a few championships.

3.  Oklahoma, im tired of the Sooners tbh, i just dont get excited about them or care about them anymore.  I didnt grow up in the heart of the Rivalry though.  When i was a kid Oklahoma was in their valley.

4. Clemson, i actually kindof like Clemson, its a beatiful part of the country too.  But im just tired of them.  Plus they play OSU, so i have to root against them.  

11 minutes ago, Undone said:

 

Just as an interesting data point, I specifically remember Frost addressing his weight at some point last year in a presser. He said something along the lines of “he weighs about as much as I did when I played.” 

 

And then added (and this isn’t verbatim) “if we can get him up to around 225 I think we can do just about anything we want with him.”

 

I can’t and won’t take the time to find the clip, but I do remember the conversation. So, they wanted him heavier.

I remember something like that being talked about but cant remember who said it so ill take your word for it.  It is more than just weight though.  Maybe his knee is worse than we thought? And some of it seems mental.  10-15 pounds doesnt slow you that much if your a college athlete.  

6 minutes ago, FrantzHardySwag said:

Yes, different problem with the football team, that's for sure. Sad part is this basketball teams is going to get beat like a rented mule in the B1G - they will have absolutely no confidence by the end of the season.

Possibly the worst basketball team ive ever seen.  I honestly think there are high school teams who might be better.

In all of college football, there are only a handful of programs more dissapointed than Nebraska right now.  The list of who we can laugh at is ever shrinking.  But the debacle that is Arkansas, is about as sad as it gets.  Last 3 years of 4-8, 2-10, 2-10.  Arkansas is a program that has money and a state that cares about their football.  And they dont have the hope on the horizon that the rest of the struggling programs have. 

We have been ALMOST as bad the last 3 years, but we have a coach we believe in, who will stay here as long as he is welcome.  I believe we already hit our rock bottom, and are moving in the right direction.  Arkansas is still in their pit, with no telling when they will get out.  I'm sure Arkansans have a deep hatred for motorcycles.

44 minutes ago, The Dude said:

 

Is the a 1/4 squat event in power lifting?

Hang clean

6 hours ago, Red Five said:

Chinander's brand of football is to blame for the defensive showing

I couldn't disagree more.  Our LBs are to blame for the poor defensive showing.  And there is a lot more truth to our offense hurting our defense than is ever talked about on here.  Frost has mentioned it so he isn't hiding from it, but it seems many fans on here dont recognize how that works, or just dont want to admit it.  I think many fans want to deflect blame off of Frost cause of who he is.  But Chin is just Chin, nobody knows the guy that well, so he is a good scapegoat. 

I think it is very telling that our defense was better than our offense this year, yet we hear more people complaining about the defense than we do the offense.