ESPY

Solid article supporting Asante & Dillard. I completely agree that both would be steals if they're drafted where currently projected. Dillard seems like he could have a Scott Shanle-esque impact on whatever team he lands. He just seems like the prototype NFL LB with good speed, great tackling skills & technique, plus he is very well conditioned. Asante could definitely do some damage because the skill, the durability & the fire are all there. The one thing that might push him back is that he sometimes isn't the smartest player. In his sr. season, you could count on him for two things every game - hard hitting & a bad penalty.

How much do tickets cost for the spring game this year?

eliot1171, did you compose those stats yourself. Well done! Further proof that we are the most loyal fans in the country.

It was hard enough with only one sports station in town. What the deuce am I gonna do now? Tell you what, Three Eagles hits ya where it hurts 'cause if my memory serves me right "The Spread" with Peters & Nancy stopped airing the week of the Big 12 championship. Now they shut down the entire ESPN radio just before the Super Bowl. The pain...oh the pain

Couldn't agree more. Considering how important each game is in the scheme of the BCS, it would almost be unfair of us to cave in their skulls at such a vulnerable time. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd prefer to beat the crap out of Texas when they're at their best. 1 - that proves who the better team is, and 2 - Texas would have absolutely no room to give themselves credit or excuses for the loss.

Thank you Nexus. This is incredibly insightful, and to be honest, exactly what I was hoping to see from our coaches. These guys definitely have experience, so they should trust their instincts & their connections. They know what they're looking for because they have a system in place. I think the most important part is that our coaches thoroughly discuss recruits amongst themselves, which further proves they're all on the same page & heading in the same direction with this program.

But, can Helu be a horse who handles the ball 25+ times? Will those carries actually make us better than if we do a 50/50 or 60/40 split between Helu & Rex? I don't think so. We need Rex just as much as we need Helu b/c we have a backfield that's perfect for a runner-by-committee gameplan. We don't need a horse, especially if we install the wildcat on a regular basis.

Your reference to the option-run offense makes me sad that we don't run it anymore. I miss the good ol' days when we could just mow down opponents. It's pretty demoralizing when you know what's coming & you know you can do nothing to stop it. Ok, back to reality. The funny part about our current direction is that it seems we're coming full circle back to a power offense, not necessarily an option offense, but a power offense. Bo says he's happy with Wats, but I wonder if he'd do if he felt it necessary to get rid of him (say the offense sucks again in 2010). I'm thinking he'd lean toward the OCs who run power running or option-run attacks. He just seems like that kinda coach. Maybe then we'd see 8 homegrown Huskers starting on the offense like in '97. Maybe...just maybe

They're actually giving him at least an inch. I'm 5'10" and when I stood next to him, he was barely eye level with me. I think his rap on the field makes him seem taller. Believe me, in spite of his height, I knew he could take me out like Tyson on Alan Garner.

Was that a read option play??? BOOM!

Watson is a HUGE factor, & he really has no excuses aside from injuries. But since every team is forced to deal with injuries during the course of the season, I don't think that can be a valid excuse. This is his offense, and it's an offense that has every player but one returning from last season. BTW, these are his players, not a one of these guys is a leftover from the previous OC. If the offense fails, it's all on him.

I totesmagotes agree on the weekend mood. And I tell ya what, gameday will definitely be here if both teams are still undefeated (at that point, NU & TU would be in top 10). Shoot, they would probably be here anyway knowing how controversial the Big 12 title game was.

Helu was my 2nd choice. I know Rex will make his mark too, which actually makes Helu a bit expendable, BUT Helu is definitely closer to being the driving force the offense needs, especially if he performs like he did vs VaTech. No team in the North division stands a chance against us with a consistent running attack like we saw from him in that game.

The trick is actually utilizing McNeil's skills to the fullest. He won't get the rock unless the ball is thrown his way, and for some reason that happened very little last year. Maybe Lee gained more confidence with McNeil in the bowl game, but was it enough? I really don't know. IMO McNeil needs to average at least 5 catcher per to really do some damage, and he needs to be one of our 1st options in the red zone.

According to ESPN, the '09 Huskers finished 72nd in total offense, 99th in yards/game, 75th in pts/game. Of course these stats are nothing new to us. We were the ones who experienced the pain of watching that production all season Moving into 2010, there are much higher expectations for this unit, especially with 10 returning starters & a host of young guys with a season of experience under their belts. That said, here's my quandary - who is the one offensive player we can't do without in 2010? Niles Paul had a huge season with 1700+ all-purpose yards (that includes his return yards). Helu accumulated 1300+ yards & the most TDs on the team. Burkhead & Kinnie proved their worth as dependable skill players. McNeil is close to breaking the all-time receiving record for TEs. And Lee showed flashes as the field general. But, are these guys expendable/replacable if injury or other complications arise? Do we actually have one guy we absolutely need to succeed? I would argue our offense absolutely needs a solid QB in 2010, and I think Lee is our man. He shares several similarities to Joe Ganz, and we know Watson thought Ganz was the best QB for his system. Lee is a passing QB who runs well, and he's a good decision-maker (for the most part). We've seen just how good this offense can be when Lee does the things Watson needs him to do, and I have reason to believe Lee will be that guy we saw vs AZ. Now I know he'll have some competition with Green and (hopefully) Spano, but I think his experience & knowledge of the offense will be head & shoulders above Green, who seemed to get worse starting with the 2nd half vs Baylor, and Spano, who has a long way to go thanks to his injuries. For all these reason (& more), I believe Lee is the one player our offense can't do without.

Thanks omahapanda for the link to this article about TO's recruiting efforts, a really intriguing read & IMO a much-needed angle on Nebraska's recruiting efforts in the last 30 years. Here's my take - talent is a must for any team to succeed, especially in the major conferences. Therefore, we need to be in at least the top 30 every year. Just as important as recruiting top-notch talent, however, is the system in place, and that comes from the coach. Coaching is what sets the best teams apart from the rest because football is a game of matchups. Coaches who find the advantages with any matchup utilize any talent their teams have, and the best gameplans get the W. The Huskers might not ever land a top 5 or top 10 recruiting class according to Rivals or Scouts or ESPN. But, look across the landscape of NCAA coaches, & our best teams land a top 10 every time.

Man Woman and Child! Oh, wrong guy.

I hate to think that any coach, let alone Bo, would base the direction of his career on one recruiting class. Sure, a strong finish in the next couple weeks would be great. But, winning is even better, and I think Bo knows he has a winning system & a winning culture in place here at Nebraska. Also, Bo seems like the type of guy who's been waiting for a chance to build his own dynasty, and this is the perfect scenario for that.

According to Omaha World-Herald on Jan 6, Zac Lee was looking at 1 or 2 weeks with a sling, plus at least 10 weeks after that. So, we're looking at March 31st as an approximate return.

DT Starters (if Steinkuhler moves to where he's best - Oline): Crick (he'll be here)& Moore DT Backups: Randle & Rome DE Starters: Ankrah & Meredith DE Backups (on the off chance we don't land Owa): Williams & Ashburn

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Baxter is staying at SC. But Oregon definitely is building a nice program up there. I'd say they've been building a nice program there for quite awhile now. For at least the last decade, the Ducks have been at or near the top of the Pac10 along with USC. They're definitely doing something right.

What exactly makes a rival? Is it based on how often teams play each other? Is it the worthiness of the competition? I think with football especially it goes deeper than that. I don't know about you, but I based my decision (Mizzou) on how badly I want our guys to rip of their heads out on the field. This is due in large part because this team has given us trouble in the past (recent past in this case), their players are cocky (and annoying) as hell, & the fans do their best to pester us. As you can imagine, our 4th quarter comeback in the '09 pee bowl called Faurot Field was a dream come true.

Too bad this game (if you're referring to the Under Armor Senior Bowl) is on NFL network.

I voted LSU for 2 reasons. 1) It's a great storyline for Bo. 2) It provides a chance for a team other than Texas or Oklahoma to prove its worth vs the SEC. I'm frickin' tired of pundits praising the SEC as the top conference based solely on the # pf national titles they've won recently b/c all they've actually proven is that OU and TU can't beat them. I also voted Oregon. In the last 20 years, we've had some good matchups with the Pac10 (USC, ASU, Cal) and I think Oregon would only add to our RPI. OU has been a top 25 for quite awhile now, and this would definitely be an entertaining matchup.