Aim9

I agree with Husker Rob here- new recruits coming in are omnipresent for a college QB. Every year almost every university will recruit at least one QB. You have to deal with it and try to prove yourself to be the best. Harrison Beck the five star prettyboy couldn't get above #2 on the depth chart and he sucked... badly. He had 2 more turnovers than he had completions at Nebraska. Joe Ganz was a two star recruit who came in and lit it up last year. Kody, Zac, and Patrick could very well be the starter next year with some time figuring out the offense. Cody Green might redshirt a year and sit out a year or so before assuming the helm. Who knows, maybe he'll be a bust? Hopefully not, but anything could happen.

Absolutely. If we went undefeated this year, there is no way we would get shut out of the national title game. As of right now, we are slated to play 5 teams in the preseason top 15. That is ludicrous. If we won the Big XII title game, we could bump that number up to 6. No way in hell we get shut out of a title game if we go undefeated. That being said, of course we won't go undefeated this year. The team with the best chance to go undefeated is USC. Georgia, despite being the best team in the country, is almost certainly going to have at least one loss, possibly two, because of their absolute nightmare of a schedule. I just really hope Ohio State doesn't beat USC and wind up in the title game again. Wells is good, but they would be CRUSHED by even a 2 loss Georgia team. The Big Ten sucks. No wonder they (and the Pac-10) hate the playoff system- they would be brushed aside by Big XII and SEC teams in the first round every year.

First - I agree OU/NU should play every year. Now that we have 4 non-cons I think we should schedule them in the 2 years we don't play them in conference and bump CU's time slot and every year play them Thanksgiving week EVERY YEAR. Good point on the competitiveness Did some research on the top 4 IMO rivalries with national appeal (sorry Yale-Harvard) Alabama 37 Auburn 28 (1 T) 1.32 ratio Meeechigan 57 THE Ohio State 41 (6 T) 1.39 ratio USC 42 UCLA 28 (7 T) 1.5 ratio Texass 54 OU 40 (5 T) 1.35 ratio NU/MU has a 1.85 ratio. I thought Bama-Auburn would be more lopsided. USC-UCLA makes sense geographically since they are in the same slum. BTW a good website for research Link Just my $0.02 I would think that of the North teams, MU would have the best chance to create the desired rivalry. Althought Nebraska has won 29 more games in the series, it is the closest win/loss ratio of the north teams. I know it is not on a "big stage" as far as rivalry games go. (MU lossing 25 straight games didn't exactly help) But there is a pretty strong history and the last 10 years alone have provided some good games. The teams have traded victories since 03. And MU seems to be on the rise. IF MU can keep up their sucsesses and if NU improves the way most of you believe, then it could really set up nicely. Really all in all the next 5 to 10 years will probably dictate how it goes. If MU runs off a handful of straight wins or at the very least the games continue to split, I believe it will continue to climb for both schools. It will probably not ever be on the same level as the ol' NU/OU games, and don't expect it to ever reach the level of MU/KU. But it could be something special. The one thing that really may put a damper on that ever happening is when the games are schedualed. 4 of the next eight seasons the MU/NU game is the first confernce game for MU. The other 4 seasons it is the 4th. It may be too early in the schedual to give it a real "big game" feel. I agree with a lot of these sentiments- I also agree that NU/MU will never reach the rivalry level of KU/MU. There is sort of a natural rivalry built in between the two states given the size of the border and the division of Kansas City. The Missouri game happening so early in the season every year also takes away from the rivalry feel, just the same as I think it takes away from the Oklahoma/Texas rivalry.

It's a good thing that you are not seeking affirmation- I don't think you'll get it. In order to be a rivalry, it has to be a a back and forth battle between the two teams every year and fans on both sides really have to care. Nebraska fans don't care about Colorado and the series is 46-17-2 in Nebraska's favor. Even if you want to selectively choose the most modern Big XII era, we still lead the series 8-4. It's just not even. Missouri is not even enough either- the series is 63-34-3 and they haven't won in Lincoln since the 60's. Missouri and Colorado have both enjoyed some recent success, but they aren't iconic marquee programs and their success will continue to wax and wane. Nebraska's fan base has gone crazy over the first two losing seasons in almost 50 years. Missouri and Colorado have had so many losing seasons that it doesn't generate buzz when they go 5-7. Nebraska (and Oklahoma) will always be at the top or near the top of the college football world. Missouri and Colorado will not. The fact of the matter is, Nebraska is one of only a handful of marquee college football programs. Colorado and Missouri are not in that club and Oklahoma is. The series between OU and NU is almost even (37-43-3) and fans on both sides desperately want it back. Who could not be outraged by the elimination of that game? It was in the top 3, if not the top, rivalry in the history of college football. The rivalry has no replacement but itself.

No rooting against fellow Big XII teams during bowl season, unless they are playing Nebraska of course.

I feel bad for Lee and Witt though- you've gotta imagine that they are dismayed. They're both really good, but if Green lives up to his potential there is no way they can start over him for long, if at all.

I don't think Lucky gets enough credit for what he has done and what he is. Apparently people expected him to single handedly bring Nebraska to three or four national titles while he was here. Anything less is a disappointment. I don't think having him ranked that high is all too unreasonable. He'll be great this year running behind one of the best o-lines in the Big XII. If he gets anywhere near 1500yds rushing 500yds receiving, he'll go in the first three rounds of the draft for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he went in the first round if he had a stellar year.

Amen to that. The awful Big X conference gets its own network. I cannot imagine how a Big XII network would fail.

Bowman was benched vindictively because Callahan didn't like him. He played very well when he was actually on the field. He certainly saved our tail at Wake Forest. It's been said many times already, but I think the lack of pass rush was the key factor. That and our linebackers SUCKED at pass defense. Our secondary got NO help whatsoever from the linbacking corps either. Bo Ruud fell over on roughly 98% of the plays, leaving someone wide open. Sometimes while meandering aimlessly across the field one of our defensive backs would tip the ball and he would catch it and run for a TD. Then people would put him on second team All Big XII. I don't get it. It wasn't all his fault, but our linebackers period were just awful at pass coverage. 12 yard slants to the middle were SO AUTOMATIC for our opponents. That isn't all on the secondary.

He is very impressive, and it would be refreshing to have a mobile quarterback. Zac Taylor and Sam Keller ran like sloths covered in tar. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.

I am curious to know what he had to do. He was first team all big 12 his SO and JR years, Hon Mention his FR year, Orange Bowl MVP, Defensive Freshman of the year, a Unanimous All American, I could go on, but I am not sure what he has to do. Jordy beat him deep, that is true, he is a risk taker and that time it did not work out. Had he played his senior year, he would have won all those awards again, so his resume is pretty good. As for SHUTTING DOWN Jordy completely, he went 9 catches for 125 yeards and a touch on the Huskers. When one considers he did not have a home run catch, he gathered those stats with no plays going more than 21 yards. Way to go guys, that will show him. Dominated.... I will grant you that K-State got Whipped, but you did not shut down Jordy.... That dude was good. I said pretty well shut down. I didn't say we shut him down completely. You also have to take his performance in context to every other wide reciever we faced. I could have gone onto the field and caught 7 passes for 100 yards against Nebraska last year. ESPECIALLY if I was going to run a slant on 3rd down. It was insane how many 12 yard slants we gave up on third and long last year. Watching 3rd downs last year was like watching a car accident. You knew it was coming but you had to watch anyway. Jordy racked up most of his yards like that, and he certainly didn't ever break the game open like he did against Talib. Also, just because you rack up awards doesn't necessarily mean you're a good player. Bo Ruud kept winning all Big XII honors, yet if you watched the games you could tell he was not all that great. He and Talib both got things like interceptions as a result of being wildly out of position. Against a Peyton Manning he would get torched. In college he could sometimes get away with it though.

Talib as the #10 player ever in the Big XII? I don't even know where to start with that one. He's a marginal corner- not very impressive. Jordy Nelson torched him repeatedly in the K-State game this year. The same Jordy Nelson that Nebraska pretty well shut down. If Nebraska's defense last year could shut him down and Talib could not, I will openly question Talib's skills.

I remember some people suggesting that Adam Carriker was on steroids/HGH. Looking at his bulk up and increase in helmet size, I can't deny it was at least suspicious. However, he's never failed a test and that's worth something. Who knows how many players have/continue to fly under the radar. There are always new designer steroids.

Meh- I think it's awesome. First plays are always so boring. 22 dive- yawn. I'm not a huge fan of Larry's brand of comedy, but I think he's a nice guy who might call an awesome play. Reverse HB toss + pass on the first play of the game? Yes please. That would be hilarious.

Hey- at least in Cincy if he limits himself to 1-2 drunken rampages a year he'll be better than most on the team. He hasn't even shot anyone yet. With Chris Henry and Chad Johnson leaving (not playing?) he'll fit in very well as a red zone threat opposite TJ.

I don't think it's either bad or good. I will say this much- it certainly wasn't surprising. His play at Nebraska was so-so, and he was certainly no better than Taylor who went undrafted. He was supposed to have a bazooka arm, but I never saw it. He wasn't terribly accurate or mobile either. He was middle of the pack in the Big XII and he had some personality issues. Quarterbacks like that don't get drafted.

Somehow I really doubt Freeman is better than the greatest QB of all time... Agreed. I loved the rationale --- that Freeman is more "ripped" than Montana. OK, so is Sylvester Stallone --- is Sly somehow then a better QB than Montana too? And that Jordy is bigger, faster, and more ripped than Rice. OK, so too have been 100's of NFL receivers --- and none topped Rice. As it were, Rice is really interesting. On paper --- or looking at his size and speed (or, really lack thereof) one would question whether he'd even be NFL stuff. Yet he was the best. Really amazing when you think about it --- Jerry Rice is the poster child for how measurables (size, 40 yard dash time, etc) are not the measure of the man on the field. There are tons of receivers in the NFL with poor size and speed who are just awesome anyway. Deion Branch comes to mind, as he isn't that quick and is extremely short but he's a super bowl MVP who racks up yards, receptions and TDs year after year. Steve Smith, arguably the best WR in the NFL right now, is fast but he's only 5'8" or something.

Probably will have a lot to do with how both teams are doing up to that point. If both teams went in undefeated or near that there would be a good chance The only other decent games that Saturday I see are Tennessee/Auburn, Wisconsin/Michigan, and Alabama/Georgia Getting Gameday also might depend on how we have won our games. If we have barely pulled off wins against our first three crappy opponents (a la Ball St.) and VT has steamrolled everyone, we won't be getting gameday. With VT's injuries, I don't care if anyone marginalizes the win. A win over VT is a big win. Anything that prevents us from having a sh**ty record at the end of the year is a good thing. I just want to go to a bowl... ANY bowl. I don't care who is injured on the other team- just please, PLEASE win a big game. It's been a long time since that happened. When was the last time NU did that? 2001 against Oklahoma? Does the win over Michigan in '05 count? Ehhhh- I don't think so. It only felt like it was a big win because it was Michigan, but they were having a lousy year that year. I mean, when we beat them they were ranked 20th and I don't believe we were ranked. I must admit I'm looking forward to being competitive against top programs instead of just writing off games against programs like USC or Oklahoma as losses and crossing my fingers for an 8-4 season. Hopefully that starts with VT. Also, my guess is that Alabama/Georgia will be getting Gameday. Both of those teams are going to be really good next year, with Georgia likely being ranked #1. Nebraska may or may not be ranked at that time.

Probably will have a lot to do with how both teams are doing up to that point. If both teams went in undefeated or near that there would be a good chance The only other decent games that Saturday I see are Tennessee/Auburn, Wisconsin/Michigan, and Alabama/Georgia Getting Gameday also might depend on how we have won our games. If we have barely pulled off wins against our first three crappy opponents (a la Ball St.) and VT has steamrolled everyone, we won't be getting gameday. With VT's injuries, I don't care if anyone marginalizes the win. A win over VT is a big win. Anything that prevents us from having a sh**ty record at the end of the year is a good thing. I just want to go to a bowl... ANY bowl. I don't care who is injured on the other team- just please, PLEASE win a big game. It's been a long time since that happened. When was the last time NU did that? 2001 against Oklahoma?

Well I do expect somewhat of a quick fix on the defensive side. Due to the fact that we were SO AWFUL last year, I think we could get better by leaps and bounds... but still be mediocre. Say we improve our total defense from 117th or so to 50th or so? That would be an enormous improvement and it would be totally feasible. I definitely am not saying that we're going to be a top unit, nor am I confident that we will not get shredded by the offenses of the teams you mentioned, but it will be much better. We have a very decent amount of talent on our defense and if we can just get more out of them we should be fine. Gone at least are the days of being down 38-0 at halftime to Oklahoma St. and NEVER EVER being able to stop an opposing team on 3rd down. I certainly understand your pessimism and not wanting to be let down by NU yet again, but I find that being a fan is usually the most fun if you put on your rose colored goggles and sip the kool-aid. So then, here's to Nebraska- 2008 National Champions.

From what I've heard he's really been struggling with rehab. Breaking your femur is no joke, and it REALLY hurts Kenny's stock because he was a speed back. With Lucky, Helu, and Mendoza already at I-back I would be shocked if he was able to get in the rotation. You can't help but feel sorry for the guy. Kind of how I felt so bad for Matt Herian. He came back and all but he had clearly lost his edge. He could have made millions in the NFL, but alas serious injuries do happen. Who knows what Kenny Wilson could have done. He could really fly before his injury.

I dunno- if you wait until a few minutes prior to kickoff the scalpers start getting desperate because they know that if they don't sell the tickets they will be worthless in about 30 minutes. I know a few guys who bought tickets outside of the gate at the USC game for 40 bucks just by waiting for a while like that.

Yeah this spring game means that we'll have a terrible season. Absolutely right. Just like we had a great season after Joe Dailey threw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs in the 2004 spring game. If I remember correctly, Nebraska went undefeated that year and Dailey won the heisman for his laser-like passing ability. In all seriousness, I remember a couple years ago when OU had a spring game and they had Adrian Peterson wear a blue no tackle jersey, if that tells you how seriously coaches take the spring game. It's just a total joke of a game that they play for the fans. Spring games mean absolutely nothing. It's just cool to see the players and pretend like it's fall.

Even then, the first few games will be fun to watch and I'll have a great time, but I'm not really jacked up for any games prior to the VT game. That is going to a riot. I don't know what the countdown is until that game, but I'm sure it's longer than I'd care to think about.

I wonder if whoever filmed that was really supposed to be there. It seemed kind of shady. It's cool that I got to see what being in the locker room was like though.