longtimefan

I guess I see how recruiting goes both ways. Look how the coaches spend 1,2 or sometimes 3 years recruiting a player and the players verbally committs to your school months or even a year early from NSD. The schools spend lots of money and time recruiting these guys. Everything is fine for a long time and the recruit says they are 100% committed to your school so the coaches don't have to waste any time and money looking for another recruit at that particular position. Then to the coaches surprise,near the signing day the recruits does an about face and signs with another school without giving much or no notice. It should be about signing with the school and whole football program and not just one coach. He will get over it and like the replacement coach at this position.

I have Directv and called in to order the game. The guy said it costs $24. I reluctantly told him I thought it was $40 and he said it was $24. Has anyone else that has Directv got it for $24? I hope I get the game at 10;30 tomorrow.

Having seen both the 1971 and 1995 teams, I would lean towards the 1971 team. I posted on another thread here why I thought the 71 team had the greatest defense of the two. 71's offense was great too. All their games but the Oklahoma game was over at half time or before. They always took out their starters about half way through the 3rd quarter. Had they left them in more into the middle of the 4th quarter like they seem to these days, their scoring and defensive statistics would have been even better. The 71 team beat the year end second, third and fourth teams in the polls. Oklahoma was the second team and Alabama the third who was undefeated until we killed them. Colorado we also beat badly and their only 2 losses that year were to NU and Ok. The rest of our schedule that year wasn't a cupcake schedule either. Does anybody know if there has ever been a National CHampionship team that has beaten the numbers 2, 3 and 4 teams (that were rated that at the end of the year)? I know it's hard to rate teams because of different variables. It's hard for lot of the husker fans that weren't around to see the 71 team play to judge them. I never saw the good Oklahoma teams of the 50's so I have no idea how good they were. Also, you couldn't line up the 71 and 95 teams and judge them because of the huge size difference of the players during the different eras. 95 players were so much bigger and faster than the 71 guys. I'm judging the 71 players versus the average players size and speed of the time when they played. Anyway, that's my opinion.

I'm an old timer and I would say without a doubt that the 1971 defense was all time best. I remember that almost every game but the Oklahoma game, we would be ahead usually 35 to nothing late in the 3rd quarter. The reserves would play out the game and usually give up one touchdown. Here is a write-up I found: Although Nebraska averaged what was then a school-record 437.7 yards on offense, including a Big Eight-leading 179.3 yards passing, and ranked third nationally in scoring, averaging 39.1 points per game, it was defense that set apart the Cornhuskers — as the Sports Illustrated headline pointed out. Nebraska ranked second in the nation in rushing defense (85.9 ypg), third in scoring defense (8.2 ppg) and fifth in total defense (202.9 ypg). The Blackshirts included seven first-team All-Big Eight selections, four players who would earn consensus All-America recognition during their careers and two Outland Trophy winners: Glover and tackle Larry Jacobson. Glover would win both the Outland and Lombardi awards in 1972. They were joined in the starting lineup by junior end Willie Harper, like Glover, a two-time All-American. John Dutton, an All-American in 1973, was a sophomore backup. Besides Glover, Jacobson and Harper, the other first-team all-conference defenders were Terrio, Jim Anderson, Bill Kosch and Joe Blahak. Anderson, Kosch and Blahak played in the secondary. Anderson and Tagge, one of five Cornhuskers on the All-Big Eight first-team offense, were the captains. Both were from West High School in Green Bay, Wis., as was starting monster back Dave Mason, a junior who had sat out the 1970 season as a medical redshirt. The other first-team offensive players were Rodgers, Kinney, Carl Johnson and Dick Rupert. The Cornhusker defense was opportunistic as well as immovable, contributing to a school-record plus-26 turnovers. Nebraska recovered 20 opponent fumbles and intercepted 27 passes. Nebraska was No. 2 in the Associated Press preseason rankings but moved to No. 1 after opening with a 34-7 victory against Oregon at Memorial Stadium. Bobby Moore, now known as Ahmad Rashad, scored the Ducks’ lone touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Only three opponents scored more than one touchdown against the Cornhuskers. Oklahoma State and Kansas State each managed two touchdowns, and Oklahoma, of course, scored four. The only time all season that Nebraska even trailed during a game was against the Sooners. The Cornhuskers opened conference play with back-to-back shutouts against Missouri (36-0) and Kansas (55-0), during a stretch in which they posted 12 consecutive scoreless quarters. In addition to everything else, the Cornhuskers almost always had good field position because of the punt and kickoff returns of Rodgers, a key to their success, according to Tom Osborne, an assistant who designed and coordinated the offense. "As great as that team was, take Johnny Rodgers out of there on kickoff and punt returns, and it probably wouldn’t have gone 13-0,’’ Osborne said. Nebraska extended its winning streak to 23 games and its unbeaten streak to 32 games in 1971. Repeating as national champions "wasn’t automatic,’’ Rodgers said. But going into the season, "we were pretty doggone confident.’’ Nebraska ended up beating Alabama (rated #2 and undefeated at the time) 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. In the final ratings, NU ended up beating the #2,3 and 4 teams. Course I will say this, if NU this year had an average or better offense, the defense wouldn't have had to be on the field so much and would of had even better statistics. Nebraska's 1971 National Championship Team Next Page >>

I've always felt if you want to be in the hunt for a national title, then you schedule the easiest route to get there. You schedule 4 cream puffs and then your season starts. Win your 8 conference games (sometimes 7 will even work) and then win your conference championship game and you're probably in the National Championship game. Why add a potential loss to your OOC schedule? You have lots to lose with a loss and lose nothing by winning those 4 games. It's even an easier route to the National Championship game for the Big 10 and Pac-10 teams. Oh sure, you'll get some bitching from some fans and media for the cream puff schedule, but when you're in the hunt for the National CHampionship at the end of the year, and who cares. The bitching fans won't complain anymore that season. Even the media will say that you won your conference and are undefeated so you deserve to be in the title game. The fans at NU will still fill the seats for those 4 cream puffs regardless. Personally I'd rather watch us beat some nobody badly than watch us get beat by a good team and our chances for the National Championship are gone and we fall in the ratings lowering our chances for a BCS bowl if we stumble one more time in the conference. Plus 8 home games makes us a lot more money than 7. And money is what makes all our sports programs succeed.

I love the way this kid runs. First of all he hits the holes fast and can read when nothing is there and change directions. Then when it looks like he's going down he seems to pick up 1, 2, 3 or more yards. He runs so low to the ground. I've watched a lot of Danny Woodhead of Chadron St. and Rex reminds of how Danny ran. I hope Roy's shoulder is okay for the Texas game cause were going to need both of them.

I know this is a BIG IF, but give us back one turnover in the Iowa St. game and we probably win. Give us back one play against VIrginia Tech and we more than likely win. We were so close to being 10-1 and rated in the top 10. Now I know our offense hasn't performed up to our expectations but if we were 10-1 now, would we be calling for coaches heads? If we win out and are 11-3 and rated in the teens, would you still fire Watson? I don't think a coach having one year where the offense is struggling, deserves to be fired. I think you would have a hard time getting any quality offensive coach to come in here knowing if you struggle for one year, you will be fired.

Okay, so here's my thought on the CU game and the Texas game. If we beat CU then we have gained some confidence or momentum going into the Texas game. However, if we lose to CU, then we lose some confidence and momentum. But Texas also gets big time overconfident that it will be a cakewalk game for them (which is good for NU. So either way the CU game goes, you can look for a silver lining.

To play wide receiver you have to have great hands. We know he has the speed, but does he have the hands? Also, if he had good hands to catch the ball, I kind of wonder why he didn't field punts or kickoffs last year?

Personally I think it is irresponsible journalism to make a statement like Sipple did (if he did). If he's going to say this, then state who the names are or shut up!

Personally I don't care who the quarterback is. I'll let Pelini and Watson figure out who the man is. They get to see each quarterback practice and I would hope they can tell which one is the best for the team. I will however say this before someone else throws it out there. Callahan (and maybe Watson, I don't know)obviously wasn't able to figure out that Joe G. was better than Sam K.. Let 's hope Pelini is smarter.

To be successful we need a mobile quarterback. We all saw the difference between Sam K. and Joe G. What a difference mobility makes. Patrick wasn't that mobile and so far in his short career he had a tendency to fumble. That really bothered me. I was hoping Zac Lee would be the man next year and probably will. I would hope by now that Lee has a pretty good grasp of the offense or will have it by the time Aug. rolls around. Hopefully Spano will also. I just can't see Green learning the offense quick enough for this year unless they simply it for him (and I mean no disrespect towards him).

After reading this article I would think he belongs at Miami, a perfect fit.

You have to have the greatest game of the century--NU vs. OU 1971. Also that team when they pounded Alabama in the Orange bowl.

It's nice to see a young man make a well thought out decision on his future.