predictionking

May reminds me a lot of Scott Connot from Spencer. Connot went on to star at South Dakota State as a safety. After college, he was invited to a tryout with the Chiefs. He measured in at 6'2 217 and ran a 4.43. He spent 3 seasons on their practice squad as a Safety and was a differnce maker in NFL Europe. Guys like Connot are the type of athletes Nebraska needs to sign as walk-ons. You can win a lot of games with future NFL practice squad players as either depth or upperclassmen starters. Don't get me wrong, you need guys who will become NFL draft picks to win championships, but walk-ons who can sniff the NFL are imperative to Nebraska.

Get him on the field. Nebraska will be a far more explosive football team with Zac Lee, Roy Helu, Marcus Mendoza, and Curenski Gilleyen on the field. Mendoza has shown he can play. Lee needs to perform and Gilleyen needs to figure out how to catch the football.

So what I think you are getting at is that a freshman QB cannot win? To that I say- Terell Pryor, Tim Tebow (granted he was a scenario guy), Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin (at fricken Baylor), Matthew Staford, Chris Leak, Mitch Mustain, and Chad Henne. I think NU has enough talent (running game and defense) that Green, if he has good as everyone thinks, could start and win. i dont see why everyone thinks he is gonna be all that good. yeah he looked good in HS, but he hasnt done anything in college. Lee was very good in JUCO and was actually a 5.9 rated 4 star qb when he got to lincoln, whereas Green was a 5.8 rated 4 star. Green seems like maybe just "the next big thing?" as someone else has said, greens only real advantage is in his size as lee is also listed as faster. if you want a qb that is good at both passing and running then right now, lee is your guy. Also, it can be said that throwing a freshman into the fire too soon can permanently damage his confidence if he doesnt win right away. So you think that Tebow, Pryor, McCoy (whom did not start as a true freshman), and Griffin can win as freshmen, so why cant green? To that i say- For every Pryor or Griffin, etc. you have a freeman or any of the countless other 4 star qbs that never lived up to hype or never even started a game..... yes, i am sure that we have enough talent to win with green at qb but the question is,"will we win more games with lee or green starting?" answer: Lee What has Lee done in college? Led one touchdown drive. And as for Freeman I am pretty sure NU has more talent than K-State had, not quite as much as the other guys (except Griffin) but still NU and K-state are on a different level. And recuirting ratings as mentioned a thousand times before dont always determine who is good or not. And btw JUCO competition is a lot of times not even that good, and comparable to Texas high school football. JUCO's usually dont have that good of tape to rate players on, not saying that this is the case but Jeremy Crabtree has warned about these things before. I am not saying Lee is not capable because most likely he will start next year, but I think NU would benefit with having a four year guy in there, if he is capable- which from what I have heard he is. City College of San Francisco plays some of the best JUCO ball in the country. The competition Lee faced there was dramatically superior to Texas 4A. Any argument to the contrary is misguided.

Zac Lee is actually more explosive in the open field, so is Taylor Martinez for that matter. Cody Green is more of a glider and long strider.

I don't have anything against Cody Green. I'm excited he's a Husker. It's just completely unlikely that he is good enough to unseat Lee. Why? Lee has been here for 2 seasons, and 3 years ago he was excelling at the Cal Juco level. On top of that, Lee is gifted from a physical standpoint. Therefore, imo, the only way Green is handed the starting nod is if Lee completely tanks. If Lee tanks that means Nebraska is tanking offensively. If we need Green to build for th future, then I will be all for it. But the only way he sees the field, other than mop-up duty, is if the Huskers are floundering offensively. If that happens, then '09 will likely be dreadfull season I'm truly amazed more people aren't excited about Zac Lee. He's a former JUCO all-american. He's the son of an NFL veteran QB. He's the fastest QB Nebraska has had since Eric Crouch, and he might be the strongest armed QB NU has ever had. We are a fickle fan base. Lee is the kind of guy most Husker fans would've been self gratifying themselves over.

Let's paraphrase ESPN's take on the Huskers: "Nebraska only has ONE player coming back on offense, Roy HALLUU." - That was very funny to me. It's dire in Cornhusker land. The Huskers apparently lost 10 starters on offense, only one returns. Forget the fact we have an experienced offensive linemen starters returning. Who cares if we potentially have an All-Big 12 tight end, and don't worry about NU having some experienced talent at wideout. Halluu is the only guy returning. The other hilarious thing about the analysis was how he hammered the Huskers for allowing 250 rushing yards against Virginia Tech in week 4. However, he failed to give NU any credit for allowing 4 rushing yards to Clemson, a team that averaged over 250 yards rushing per game.

It's not a good sign if Cody Green is our starting QB next year. Anyone who wants him to start is basically saying I want the Huskers to suck in 2009. Zac Lee was the top JUCO QB in the country back in 2006. Since then, he has been at Nebraska for two seasons, played scout team ball, and looked awesome in his limited performance against K-State. I realize my grandma would look good against K-State. But he had 2 carries for 17 yards and led NU on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter. His athleticsm was clearly evident. 2 weeks ago I posted how I believed Lee would win the starting job over Witt. IMO, Witt knew that would eventually happen as well. Green will not overcome Zac Lee. Some people need to take a step back and understand from an athleticsm standpoint, Zac Lee is every bit the weapon of a Cody Green. The only advantage Green has is a bigger body. Lee runs a legit 4.5 and the strongest arm on the team. Next season will also be the 3rd season he's been at Nebraska. How could anyone honestly want Cody Green to be the starter over Lee? Some of you are acting like Cody Green was the #1 QB recruit in the country.

I was in Callahan's Bar and Grill in Lenexa, KS with about 120 other Husker fans. The place went apeshiite. The radio call is even better. Matt Davison about had a coronary, and Sharpe's GOOOOOOOOOOOD call was classic!

I noticed you left off SEC, ACC, Pac 10 & Big 10... And what big 12 O did NU stop last year? MU? nope 52pts. CU? nope 31pts. OU? nope 62pts. KU? nope 35pts. KSU? nope 28pts. TT? nope 37pts Baylor? yeah 20pts. ISU? yes 7 pts. So....thats 2 right? AGAIN, I have no dog in this one, but if were going to try and prove a point, atleast take off the rose colored glasses and look at it... Or not, it is your board. But if you laugh at me and make a silly statement, expect that I will respond. because, after all, it is my board also... Texas Tech- Held the Techies to their season low in Passing yards at 274. Baylor- 75% of their total yardage and 2 of their touchdowns were the result of 3 plays by perhaps the most dynamic player in the Big 12. Mizzou will attest to that. OU- Sooners scored 21 of their points from inside the Nebraska 20 yard line, but they did kick the Huskers ass, no doubt about that. But to hold the defense responsible for allowing a pick six or failing to stop an offense from going 9 yards after a turnover is a bit of a stretch. KU- Nebraska turned the ball over 4 times against KU and still won easily. Midway through the 4th quarter, KU still had less than 300 total yards. They scored once from inside the nu 25 after a turnover, and their last score came with less than 2 minutes left against scrubs, after NU was up by 17. NU's defense played great against KU. K-State- The Cats had 247 total yards and 13 first downs. They scored on a kick-off return and a pick six. NU dominated their hapless offense. NU allowed 291 total yards to Colorado. The Buffs scored their first two touchdowns on 4 plays of total offense at the beginning of the game. They also scored on a 65 yard TD after a botched fake punt by NU. They only sustained one legit scoring drive the whole game. Against Clemson, a team that was averaging over 250 rushing yards per game, Nebraska gave up 4 rushing yards. Four. Clemson was held to under 210 total yards. Nebraska finished second in the Big 12 in total defense. Scoring Defense is misguided stat. Now as for NU against Mizzou, you guys sodomized us, but NU's defense played pretty damn well the rest of the season aside from OU.

Wohhhh there fro daddy, I agree you weren't flaming, but your post is inaccurate. First of all, Helu and Castille received most of their carries over the last half of the season. Helu ran for a 100+ against KU, K-State, OU, and Colorado. Hell, he ran for nearly 600 yards in those four games alone. He would've went over the century mark had he not been injured against Clemson. Helu is one of the top returning running backs in the Big 12. Castille's 140 yards against Clemson demonstrated how dominating he can be. He's probably Nebraska's best talent at running back. If he can hold on to the football which he did against Clemson, his upside is that of a high NFL draft pick. If you look at the most highly recruited running backs in the Big 12 it goes Darrell Scott at CU, Demarco Murray at OU and Quentin Castille at Nebraska. Washington has experience, no doubt, but he is not a gamebreaker. Without a dominating passing game, the running attack out of the Spread is limited in its potency. As Gabbert struggles or excels, the MU running game will do the same thing. Comparing wideout numbers between these two programs is a bit of a stretch as well. A true Spread offense is always going to have multiple receivers with a lot of catches and yards. Holt nor Paul really ever played prior to last season. Secondly, while Perry and Alexander are good wideouts, neither of them is Jeremy Maclin. In fact, neither of them bring the same intangibles as Tommy Saunders. Andrew Green is going to be a fine tight end, but he is not Chase Coffman, whom is destined to have a long NFL career. Offensive line wise Nebraska has the edge from an experience standpoint. You guys lose Madison and Brown, NU loses Slauson and Murtha. Murtha was injured so much the last two seasons that Javario Burkes started 8 games the last two seasons. NU actually returns 5 offensive linemen with multiple starts because 2 year starter Andy Christensen will be coming back after his assault hiatus. Defensively, is where you're really wrong. Mizzou loses A LOT more than Nebraska. Hood, Sulak, and Chavis are gone. Those are some good players. Hell, Stryker Sulak had a great career against the Huskers alone. Hood will be playing on Sundays. Sulak and Chavis will both get NFL looks. Witherspoon may be your most talented linebacker, but Brock Christopher was the heart and soul of your defense. He will be difficult to replace. And with all due respect to Witherspoon, he does not behold the same type of presence as Ndamakong Suh. Suh will be the Big 12 Defense POY and a top 10 NFL draft Pick. Witherspoon's numbers will diminish with less talent up front on the Mizzou D-line. The Mizzou secondary losses are well documented. Nebraska's secondary returns about 8 guys with experience. By the end of the season, they were making a lot of plays. NU's secondary is only going to get better with another year in Pelini's system and improved linebacking play. As for the linebackers: NU's redshirts will be "icing on the cake" if they can come in and start. NU has a lot of players who earned PT last year. Dillard, Lawrence, and Koehler all return, along with Holt and May. What Whaley, Fisher, and Compton can give is gravy. Nebraska and Mizzou both lose QB's, and their two best receiving threats. But for Mizzou those losses were far more monumental when you consider Nebraska has more returning talent and experience at other key spots. I'll even give Gabbert the benefit of the doubt. Let's say he grasps the mental and the physical part of the game next year. let's say his decision making is outstanding. The Mizzou offense without the threat of Maclin, the talent of mismatch of Coffman, or the brains of Saunders, is far less potent. As for the Record: I think NU loses at Va Tech, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I think we beat Tech in Lincoln. Baylor will be tough. Mizzou will be tough because it's a night game in Columbia, but I think we win. We roll the following: The non-con minus Va Tech IA State K-State We beat in competitive style: Baylor Tech Mizzou KU CU Iffy game but probably a loss: OU The OU game is all about Momentum. They lose a lot of beef on that o-line. If NU can go into that game with only one or two losses, I like our chances to keep it close in a raucous Memorial Stadium on a chili late Autumn Evening. I think the Baylor and Mizzou games are keys to the OU game. If we win those games and OU comes in when the Huskers are 7-1. I think NU has every chance to beat them. Kool Laid Drinker? Nah, I just truly believe this defense is going to be for real next season.

The following is long, I apoligize in advance: I find this all very amusing. Is there a free site where we can debate this stuff with them? Let's take an honest and unbiased look at these two teams on offense: KU loses their center and two guards. They return the following: QB- Reesing- Stud WR- Briscoe- Major Stud WR- Meier- Possession Stud RB- Sharp - Average but experienced, will not beat anyone alone TE- Biere- Good player, would not be above 3rd string at Nebraska that's why we didn't offer him despite coming from Omaha. That's not an indictment on Biere, it's more of a commentary on Nebraska's talent at tight end. OT- Return two freshmen who were beat up a lot this past season. Pierre Allen and Zach Potter made them their beotches repeatedly. Those two should be improved due to the natural progression of experience. However, it's safe to say Pierre Allen and Barry Turner will be better next year as well. So where will KU be vulnerable offensively in '09? How about along that interior o-line. Suh and company destroyed an experienced interior o-line last season. We're supposed to believe the three new guys will have more ability? Jared Crick and Terrence Moore even had their way with the KU line last season. Suh, Steinkuhler, Crick, and Moore will create even more havoc next season. This game will be decided in the trenches. Don't let the KU fans get to you. They're still to new to football to understand how the game works. The last time NU went to KU, the Jayhawks had far more talent and experience in the trenches, and it showed. Secondly, KU fan needs to take a step back and realize Nebraska is going to come into Lawrence with the most experienced and 2nd most talented defense they will face all season long. KU fan is delusional if they think the Jayhawks have more talent. What does Nebraska return on defense? I'm not a KU board I don't need to point out NU's D-line, linebackers, and secondary will be among the most talented and experienced in the Big 12. What does NU return on offense? RB- Helu - As good as any Big 12 running back over the last half of the season in '08. I'm sure KU remembers what he did to them. RB- Castille- His performance against Clemson demonstrated just how much potential he has OT- Javario Burkes, multiple starts in two seasons. OG- Andy Christensen- fondling aside, the guy has been a two year starter OC- Jacob Hickman - one of the top centers in the Big 12 OT- Mike Smith- Returning starter Gee, that looks like four returning starters on the o-line. NU also has another five guys with experience as back ups, 6 if you count Derek Meyer whom started at K-State before transferring to Nebraska. TE- McNeill, Young, Hill, Cotton - Nebraska is loaded at this postion. Cotton might have the most talent, and he's only a freshman. WR- Niles Paul and Meno Holt - These guys have played ample amount of snaps. They are more physically gifted than Swift and Peterson. NU didn't beat KU because Swift and Peterson were able to outrun your corners. We beat KU because Joey Ganz was able to have coffee in the backfield, and the system allowed those guys to be open. Plus, the running game was dominating the Hawks. Don't expect that to change next year as well. Mocking NU by saying "our offense graduated" is rich when you consider KU loses 70 plus starts at linebacker, their most experienced defensive lineman in Boreson, and their best cover corner, Thornton is a head case. Stuckey is great player and Laptad is a quality pass rusher. However, Laptad was dominated last year by Mike Smith, I find it unlikely that Laptad will do anything to progress more than Smith from a year ago. So NU needs to find a quarteback. If Nebraska doesn't have a serviceable quarterback capable of executing their offense by Mid-November, then yes Kansas, you will beat Nebraska. If that is indeed the case, then you shouldn't even be talking about Nebraska anyway. The Huskers will be completely irrelevant by the time they visit Lawrence. However, let's just say they do find a serviceable QB, you'd have to be pretty ignorant as a KU fan to not admit Nebraska has experience and talent superiority at every position except QB and the two wideouts. Honestly: QB- advantage KU WR- Advantage- KU RB- advantage Nebraska OL- advantage Nebraska TE- advantage Nebraska DL- advantage NEbraska LB- advantage Nebraska CB- advantage Nebraska S- push, Stuckey is terrific, but NU has more depth and overall talent at the position. K/P- No contest- Huskers Coaching- NU is 1-0 vs. Mangino. Stadium- Advantage - KU What was this matchup like in '07 when KU hung 76 on NU? QB- Advantage- KU RB- Advantage- KU WR- Advatnage - KU OL- Advantage - KU TE- Advantage- KU DL- Advantage- KU LB- Advantage- KU DB- Advantage- KU K/P- Huskers got you Here!! Coaching- Fat Man Stadium- Lawrenceville What were the matchups like in '08? QB- Advantage KU WR- Advantage - KU RB- Advantage- NU TE- Advantage- NU OL- Advantage- NU DL- Advantage- NU LB- Advantage- KU DB- Advantage- NU K/P- Huskers Coaching- New Coach for NU/ clearly Fatty had Advantage Stadium- Memorial Advantage Skers. Does anyone see a pattern here? So KU will once again have the talent and experience edge at WR and QB, but NU will remain the same and actually gain the edge at the backers position? Gee. KU fan is right, he has no reason to be scared of the Huskers. Coaching- NU is 1-0 vs. Mangino. Stadium- Advantage - KU With regards to the recruits: Sellers was never offered by Nebraska. He's a tweener, and KU is making a big mistake. He's too slow to play linebacker, and he's too small to play D-end or Tight end. Pelini offers Nebraska kids first and foremost, he knew Sellers wouldn't have a position in the Big 12.

A few things about this game: 1. The crowd will be abysmal. ISU Fans travel well, and there are a lot of K-State fans in KC, but neither fan base will care enough. NW Missouri State and Pitt State may have a larger crowd at Arrowhead for their game. 2. Both teams are going to stink from a personnell and talent standpoint. You have to go with coaching. It's a no-brainer. I like Bill Snyder with Vic Koenning's defense and the Utah OC's offense to complete outcoach and outclass Iowa State.

I ran into Joey Ganz about three weeks ago at the PBR Bar in the Kansas City Power and Light District. He looks like he's gained 20 pounds since the season ended. I was saddened for Joe when I noticed my girlfriend was much hotter than the chick he was with. Even a pudgy qb for the Skers should still get to bang a hot chick.

I'm pretty shocked this isn't on YOUTube yet. Last night during the MU-KU basketball game, ESPN cut to Gary Pinkel sitting in a suite. What was he doing? Yep, he was picking his nose much like his son, Chase Daniel. It was priceless. Somebody please get this on YouTube!!!

Not a lot to argue with there however I do think Colorado and A&M will have better seasons than Tech or Mizzou. K-State should be listed at 11 as well. They're going to be awful. I honestly think Tech and Mizzou are going to have major letdown seasons. When people keep pointing out KU's guantlet schedule of OU, Texas and Tech next season, I think they should leave Tech out of that equation.

Yeah, you did score 35 points. 7 of which came off a 20 yard drive following a turnover, and the last score came in the final two minutes when the Huskers had a 17 point lead. Midway through the 4th quarter, KU had 270 total yards, before reaching 400 when the game was out of reach. Nebraska's defense will be even better in '09, and KU's o-line will not be improved. As for the MU fans on board; I'm sorry if I left you out of my post. But seriously Tigerfan, your team is losing far more than NU or KU. Joey Ganz is a big loss, but the Huskers at least have talented QB's who have been in the system for multiple seasons. Gabbert, has no game experience and he's never even produced in high school. On top of that, NU has tons of o-line experience returning along with their most productive running backs. The losses of Maclin, Coffman, and even Tommy Saunders are monumental for an offense that will be replacing a 3-year starter at QB with a Redshirt freshman. I'll even give Gabbert the benefit of the doubt and say he becomes a stud. Even if he completely grasps the scheme and shows he won't get rattled, Mizzou's offense will still be far less productive without Coffman and Maclin. Both of those guys are going to be impact players in the NFL. Heck, Chase Daniel without Maclin or Coffman would've never had the success at Mizzou that he demonstrated. And Mizzou loses so many good players on defense, I'm surprised any Mizzou fan could honestly believe they will compete for the North. If the Huskers were losing our 3 best d-lineman, our most experienced linebacker, and 3 out of 4 DB starters, including William Moore, I would be freaking out. Mizzou has no buisness being in this discussion. CU can at least argue they have both KU and NU at home, and CU always plays the Huskers tough. But the Tigers, there future looks dim.

I've read a lot of debating about the NU-KU game deciding the North next season. For the most part I agree with that sentiment. I think Mizzou is going to take a major step backwards, and Colorado has to prove they can beat a decent team on the road. The Hawks or Huskers will most certainly be preseason 1 and 2 next Summer. That makes the NU-KU game in Lawrence the possible North Title game. Living down here in the Kansas City area, I know a lot of KU fans. Nearly everyone of them think KU will beat NU simply because the Huskers are breaking in a new QB. That thought seems to be prevailing on this board as well. A lot of KU fans are making that argument. Wishfull thinking is fun. They could be right. Nobody really knows how well the Husker offense will perform next season. However, anyone who honestly thinks that's the case needs to one important thing into perspective: NU and KU play in mid-November. If Nebraska's QB situation isn't settled by then it's unlikely the Huskers will still be in contention for the North. If the winner of that game does indeed decide the North, then that's good news for the Huskers. Huh, how do you figure? Please allow me to elaborate. Right now KU has 3 distinct strengths going into that game: 1. Memorial Stadium in Lawrence is now a very tough place to play. The crowds there are great, and there is enough electricity there to fuel momentum. 2. Todd Reesing is a man in an 8th grader's body. The kid is a stud. I actually have a man-crush on him, but I'm not a pedophile..... or gay for that matter. 3. Desmond Briscoe will be the best offensive player on the field for either team. He's a difference maker and in a close game, he can change the outcome. Here's where Nebraska could really hurt the HAWKS: KU's offensive line was dominated by NU's interior D-Line last season. All indications show that should continue. Even guys like Crick and Moore had their way with the KU o-line. That o-line will have 3 new interior starters. Experience won't be an issue by mid-November. That's foolish to suggest. But it's also foolish to suggest those guys will be able to perform at higher level than the previous KU seniors did against Suh and company. Oh, btw, how good will Suh be by November '09? - NU will easily control the line of scrimmage, and Reesing will be running for his life again. Expect Allen and Turner to dominate the KU tackles again as well. KU had no running game against NU this past season. In fact, by the last half of the season, nobody ran on NU, including Clemson's 250 rushing yards a game attack with two NFL running backs. The KU and Clemson running games are completely different, so that doesn't mean much. However, results do matter. Will KU try to revamp their running game this off-season? Sure they will, but with a new o-line and the same scheme it's unlikely they will run the football against the Huskers. NU will control the line of scrimmage, and the added speed and depth dimension in the linebacking corps lends more weight to the no KU running game argument. NU's secondary has nothing but experience and more depth returning. It will be tested by the KU receiving corp. Meier, Briscoe, and Reesing are scary. However, with no running game and very little pass protection, it will be tough for KU to execute the passing game. So in a nutshell, NU will won KU next season.

I will be your huckleberry: Who do we honestly want to play QB? It's hard telling, but I would prefer to see Zac Lee because of his speed. Quite frankly, I think the NU offense can reach another level if defenses are truly terrified of the Zone Read. Ganz had good mobility and decent speed, but he was not a dynamic runner. As for Witt, I've been on his bandwagon. From a tools standpoint, he's already one of the more talented QB's in the league. That's not an overstatement, despite it's boldness. He has a great arm and prototypical size. He's pretty athletic as well. If both players grasp the offense, and the coaches believe both players can execute the passing game at a high level, then I think Lee has to be the man. The added speed dynamic is something NU sorely needs offensively. If it was up to me, it would look like this: QB - (1) Zac Lee QB - (2) Patrick Witt RB - (1) Helu or Castille RB- (2) Mendoza Z- (1) Paul Z- (2) Gilleylen X- (1) Holt X- (2) Brooks TE- (1) McNeil TE- (2) Young or Hill Look out for Cotton, he's going to be a stud. LT- (1) Mike Smith LT- (2) Javario Burkes or Meyer LG- (1) Keith Williams LG- (2) Andy Christensen C- (1) Jacob Hickman C- (2) Caputo RG- (1) Ricky Henry RG- (2) DJ Jones RT- (1) Javario Burkes or Marcel Jones RT- (2) Jones or Meyer Defense RDE- (1) Barry Turner RDE- (2) Josh Williams DT- (1) Jared Crick DT- (2) Baker Steinkuhler NG- (1) Ndamakong Suh NG- (2) Terrence Moore - Moore has to get bigger this offseason LDE - (1) Pierre Allen LDE- (2) Cameron Merideth Buck - (1) Alonzo Whaley Buck- (2) Will Compton or Latravis Washington Mike - (1) Phillip Dillard Mike - (2) Will Compton or Colton Koehler Will - (1) Blake Lawrence Will- (2) Sean Fisher LCB - (1) Anthony Blue LCB- (2) Eric Hagg or Alonzo Dennard SS- (1) Larry Asante SS- (2) John Levorson FS- (1) Rickey Thenarse FS- (2) O'Hanlon RCB- (1) Anthony West RCB- (2) Prince Amukamara Defensive players that could still figure into the mix come Spring: DT- Quentin Toialoa - Redshirt Freshman had a lot of offers out of high school. He also has great size at 6'4 300. I also like the fact he's Samoan. Samoans are mean on the football field. His emergence could be key for the D-line depth and the team's future. DE- William Yancy- Yancy was heavily recruited. I think next year is key for him. There isn't a lot of experienced depth behind the starters. If Yancy is unable to crack the 2-deep next season, he may not have much of future with the Huskers. DB's x 3= Cortney Osborne, PJ Smith, and Mason Wald: I like the talent and experience NU has returning in the defensive backfield. Frankly, I think the "much maligned" secondary was actually pretty good. A lot of people look at Passing yardage given up and automatically think the DB's suck. In reality, the Huskers gave up a bunch of points and yards due to linebackers not stepping up and making plays. As the linebacking corp improves, look for opponents to struggle more in the passing game versus NU. Now with that being said, I think it's nothing but "icing on the cake" if any one of those three guys sneak into the 2-deep. Players who need to step up: LB- Latravis Washington - The tools are there, but he clearly needs to improve his game to get on the field. Colton Koehler and the incoming Freshman/ redshirt freshmen could leave Washington behind. SS- Major Culbert- The ship may have sailed on Culbert. Quite frankly, if a guy like Culbert is a reserve role player for NU, I think it says more good things than bad. However, I don't believe he will ever be able to become a starter. WR- Chris Brooks- He really needs to prove he can be a legit go to guy offensively. The Huskers need quality depth at wideout. K and punter. The Huskers have the best kicker in the country, need I say more? no. I haven't posted in 14 months, I felt like it was time.

only memory I have of Assante is dodging Javorski Lane .... when did he ever hit anyone ? when did any husker defender hit anyone this season ( and I mean when the game mattered, before it was a blowout cuz I stopped watching a few games ) ? Asante hit the guy holding the down marker a pretty good lick when they played ISU. Old guy went down like a ton of bricks! Blythe kept running but I think they ended up taking that old man off the field in a cart... I was probably close to death by alcohol poisoning at that point I posted this a little while age, but if you look at all of the SEC defenses, they all have "undersized" LB's I would put asante at LB. Asante, dillard, culbert. thats the type of speed we have been missing. Excactly what I was thinking.... Ali Highsmith 226 Luke Sanders 229 Darry Beckwith 229 I'll take speed and good tackling technique over size any day. If the defensive line does its job you don't need monstrous LBs That's why I think Eric harper will play linebacker. I love his film. He's extremely explosive at 6'4 230. Culbert still has to put on quite a bit of weight to get to the 220 range. I think Asante has the "hitter" instinct, but his angles were always so poor. I think that something to do with a kid having never played the safety position before. He's trying to adapt to the speed of D-I and playing a position he's never played before. I think if he makes the transition to Will, he could be a far more productive player. We're all in agreeance that between Dillard, Lawrence, Washington, Stafford, and possibly Asante or Culbert, those guys will definitely see the field. The real question is whether or not Covey can ever see the field and produce. And is Kyle Moore ready to provide minutes? The problem though with guys who are the weight that some of you want is that they will be too slow. The real ideal is that your WILL is a 4.5 guy with a 4.3 pro agility quickness. Your SAM needs to be as well a 4.5 or 4.55 guy. The MIKE needs to be no slower than 4.6. If a player is slower than any of those prescribed speeds then they better have some serious skills to compensate for lack of speed (great tackling skills, a nose for the ball, great instincts, quick decision making, physically able to disengage from blocks, etc.). I would rather have the WILL meet the speed requirement and play at 200 pounds, or my SAM meet the speed requirement at 225 than have the guys weigh in heavy and be too slow. As for Harper, well his measurables place him more in the quick (semi-quick) DE range than a LB. Is he not a 4.68 guy? That is OK speed for a DE, but a LB? Or, maybe I have a wrong notion of his speed. Also game film against HS athletes makes any D1 guy look quick and explosive. There is a huge difference when one gets to the B12. Could he perhaps be a MIKE? Lack of speed and strength and poor fundamentals really hurt the NU defense last year --- and bad schemes (and a defeated attitude). This year, at least start with putting speed out there (or at least as much speed as we can get out there). The linebacker play at Kansas has been the best in the Big 12 North for 3 of the last four seasons. They had the best unit in the whole Big 12 this past season. I guarantee you, there isn't one linebacker at KU who runs under a 4.7. Derrick Johnson, who's arguably the best linebacker from the Big 12 over the last decade, ran a 4.67 at the combine. Jay Moore ran a 4.7 and the Niners recruited him to play OLB in the NFL. As for Eric Harper's film, have you ever watched a high school game in Louisiana? Every kid on the field is fast. Harper sticks out like a sore thumb. When he gets to Nebraska he will be one of NU's most impressive athletes in the '08 class. He has outstanding explosion. Sean Fisher is listed as a 4.6 guy, and he looks like he's running in slow motion compared to Harper's film. Speed is needed at the linebacker position, but having a nose for the football and learning how to pursue the ball carrier and fight off blocks is more important. I disagree with anyone whom belives NU's defense sucked because of athleticsm. It's simply not the case. Innexperience was the first issue. Poor Coaching and schemes were the second issue. A lack of proper motivation and leadership was the next problem. Athleticsm was a problem, but not the biggest culprit. I'll take my chances with a weakside and strongside linebacker who run 4.6's if they can tackle a ball carrier, take proper angles, and fight off blocks. Well King our issue with Harper now seems rather moot --- unless we watch Louisiana Tech games. Your points about being able to compensate for lack of speed are well presented and I agree. Still, speed is a great thing. I also agree that lack of athleticism was one of many problems at NU last year --- but it too was problem. yeah no Harper. I didn't see that one coming. Perhaps Pelini knew something we didn't know. The lack of athleticsm didn't help, but I will argue NU had more athleticsm than Kansas, and they had a much better defense than we did.

of course I could put up the recruiting ranking from the last few years to make me feel better right? Yea, but those "great" classes did not really help you last year. Cmon man....La Tech. That must hurt. you do know that cally started out better than danny boy right? LOL even our worst team in the last 50 years almost beat you guys at your place. and your talking smack? Two things happened here: 1. He wanted to be closer to home. or 2. Pelini was aware of him in Louisiana and wasn't high on him. Nobody in chooses Lousiana Tech over Nebraska when there is a good chance of early PT at Nebraska.

OK. What makes you say that? What evidence do we have that NU is headed to 8-9 win seasons in an off year? Really? We lost 6 of the last seven. Our senior class that just left took with it many starters. Our team speed was 9th or 10th in the conference last year. Our defense was ranked in the 100's. Our offense was stuffed against all the good defenses we played. We missed a bowl game for the second time in 4 years. We have a new HC without any experience as a HC. We hired three unemployed coaches for the staff and two graduate assistants. We have a DC who was a High School coach several years ago and never has been a DC. Our recruits are bailing. One of our two hopes for the future of the QB position has been arrested and we don't know where that will go. Kansas is on the rise. Missouri is on the rise. Colorado is on the rise. They all own scoreboard on us. Recruiting in Kansas, in Colorado and in Missouri will be more difficult than ever. Even keeping in-state boys, something unheard of before, is not a certain thing anymore. Just what in all of this inclines you to think that NU is heading to typically better than 8-9 win seasons? Just what in this gives you a platform to rail on the CU folks? OK. I hate CU football too. But, frankly --- be not surprised when the CU fans deride you after they beat us again. We may win. But that is by no means a thing that one would predict with assuredness. If anything, Colorado is going to be heavily favored. Until NU does something on the field we as NU fans should shut up and with the trash talk. We are in no position to trash talk anyone. I disagree. Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and K-State all had better defenses than Missouri, AtM, or Okie State. hell we even moved the ball against USC and they had the best defense in the country. The fact our offense had three poor performances against three BAD defenses says more about the psyche of the football team and our coaching than our overall ability on offense.

only memory I have of Assante is dodging Javorski Lane .... when did he ever hit anyone ? when did any husker defender hit anyone this season ( and I mean when the game mattered, before it was a blowout cuz I stopped watching a few games ) ? Asante hit the guy holding the down marker a pretty good lick when they played ISU. Old guy went down like a ton of bricks! Blythe kept running but I think they ended up taking that old man off the field in a cart... I was probably close to death by alcohol poisoning at that point I posted this a little while age, but if you look at all of the SEC defenses, they all have "undersized" LB's I would put asante at LB. Asante, dillard, culbert. thats the type of speed we have been missing. Excactly what I was thinking.... Ali Highsmith 226 Luke Sanders 229 Darry Beckwith 229 I'll take speed and good tackling technique over size any day. If the defensive line does its job you don't need monstrous LBs That's why I think Eric harper will play linebacker. I love his film. He's extremely explosive at 6'4 230. Culbert still has to put on quite a bit of weight to get to the 220 range. I think Asante has the "hitter" instinct, but his angles were always so poor. I think that something to do with a kid having never played the safety position before. He's trying to adapt to the speed of D-I and playing a position he's never played before. I think if he makes the transition to Will, he could be a far more productive player. We're all in agreeance that between Dillard, Lawrence, Washington, Stafford, and possibly Asante or Culbert, those guys will definitely see the field. The real question is whether or not Covey can ever see the field and produce. And is Kyle Moore ready to provide minutes? The problem though with guys who are the weight that some of you want is that they will be too slow. The real ideal is that your WILL is a 4.5 guy with a 4.3 pro agility quickness. Your SAM needs to be as well a 4.5 or 4.55 guy. The MIKE needs to be no slower than 4.6. If a player is slower than any of those prescribed speeds then they better have some serious skills to compensate for lack of speed (great tackling skills, a nose for the ball, great instincts, quick decision making, physically able to disengage from blocks, etc.). I would rather have the WILL meet the speed requirement and play at 200 pounds, or my SAM meet the speed requirement at 225 than have the guys weigh in heavy and be too slow. As for Harper, well his measurables place him more in the quick (semi-quick) DE range than a LB. Is he not a 4.68 guy? That is OK speed for a DE, but a LB? Or, maybe I have a wrong notion of his speed. Also game film against HS athletes makes any D1 guy look quick and explosive. There is a huge difference when one gets to the B12. Could he perhaps be a MIKE? Lack of speed and strength and poor fundamentals really hurt the NU defense last year --- and bad schemes (and a defeated attitude). This year, at least start with putting speed out there (or at least as much speed as we can get out there). The linebacker play at Kansas has been the best in the Big 12 North for 3 of the last four seasons. They had the best unit in the whole Big 12 this past season. I guarantee you, there isn't one linebacker at KU who runs under a 4.7. Derrick Johnson, who's arguably the best linebacker from the Big 12 over the last decade, ran a 4.67 at the combine. Jay Moore ran a 4.7 and the Niners recruited him to play OLB in the NFL. As for Eric Harper's film, have you ever watched a high school game in Louisiana? Every kid on the field is fast. Harper sticks out like a sore thumb. When he gets to Nebraska he will be one of NU's most impressive athletes in the '08 class. He has outstanding explosion. Sean Fisher is listed as a 4.6 guy, and he looks like he's running in slow motion compared to Harper's film. Speed is needed at the linebacker position, but having a nose for the football and learning how to pursue the ball carrier and fight off blocks is more important. I disagree with anyone whom belives NU's defense sucked because of athleticsm. It's simply not the case. Innexperience was the first issue. Poor Coaching and schemes were the second issue. A lack of proper motivation and leadership was the next problem. Athleticsm was a problem, but not the biggest culprit. I'll take my chances with a weakside and strongside linebacker who run 4.6's if they can tackle a ball carrier, take proper angles, and fight off blocks.

i suspect he was driving something like this when he talked to them. colorado's ride is black 'n gold, tho: this one is crimson so clearly it's either tA&M or sooners making a housecall. lol. It's probably the free weed in every dorm. When I was 18, that would've swayed me.

I'm not sure winning and losing even comes into the equation. There's a good chance most of these guys would still be committed if the Huskers coaching staff was in tact after finishing 5-7. Callahan was either really good at establishing a relationship or really good at telling kids what they wanted to hear. When you look back at the Harrison Beck and Leon Jackson situations, I'm guessing he made some false promises along the way. The other thing he did,which may have backfired on Nebraska, is used committed recruits to build relationships with each other. These guys became close. Gabbert was probably the glue which held everything together. When you're widely considered the #1 QB recruit in the country, people listen. I think we'll look back on this time in a month, and it won't be nearly as bad.

I don't think Pelini will mistakenly evaluate guys who have no buisness playing in the Big 12. Flops are flops, but most of these guys were only offered by Nebraska in years where our recruiting classed were just fine without them. Guys like Victory Haines and Tyrell Spain chose NU over Utah State and San Jose State in years when Nebraska had plenty of offensive linemen and wide receiver recruits. What's the point of offering those guys? THere is no point. Callahan had far more flops and wasted scholarships than the average amount of busts. I don't believe Pelini and his staff will make poor evaluations of projects or JUCO guys.