ESPY

Our S&C program is in good hands with Dobson, but the incredible facilities and equipment the university provides help too. Just saying...

That was the first one that came to my mind, too. And basically any other time we've lost to Texas. This game is the one, we would be unprecedented as the greatest CFB program in modern history with 4 NC in a row and all of our wins. We win this game as well as the '93 national title game vs FSU, that would've been 5 consecutive national titles. Video games don't produce that kind of dynasty.

I understand there are quite a few players from neighboring states who have verbally committed to other BCS-AQ schools, so the talent is definitely there. However, I have reason to believe the coaching staff has already looked into the majority of these players & decided to look elsewhere. It's pretty clear this coaching staff looks for more than just talent - they look for character, and I'm thinking they saw a red flag with some of these players. Bottom line - our reason for recruiting someone should never be "he's from a neighboring state." I can't imagine that will get you very far at all.

You married a wise woman.

Sarge87 lays the on that one. That captures all the reasons the Big 10 can & probably will make this work in the near future.

Bo Pelini says he puts little stock in recruiting rankings. Same goes for Watson, who doubles as Husker quarterbacks coach. It goes back to the character issue. And when Watson speaks of character, he means a QB’s “competitive edge.” “That’s character, man,” he says. “That’s character at its highest level, in my opinion. He’s going to will his team to win. He’s going to find a way. I don’t want a guy who’s caught up in the (recruiting) process and caught up in all this or all that. I want a guy who wants to win. “So, character’s still the No. 1 thing. Talent’s obviously important. But character goes along with talent and is a bigger variable that you want to really sort out.” Doesn't this kinda make you wonder what other programs value most? I mean the so-called "best" recruiting schools in the NCAA get all the talent, so does that mean they value character too, or is good character just a bonus to these teams? The way our coaches focus on character in recruiting makes me even more proud to be a Nebraskan, and I think that ultimately is what sets our program apart in the long run. At the same time, I can't rag too much on other schools b/c I don't know for sure what their philosophies are. I'd be interested to see what Mac Brown or Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer look for in their recruits b/c based on their success, it seems they look for more than just talent too.

Tim who?

Honestly, I almost couldn't care less if we become an annual top 10 recruiting school or merely land in the top 50...as long as we win. Our 90s teams seemed like they were never highly touted for the recruits compared to other powerhouses. They were known across the nation for their winning, and the systematic & consistent way in which they did so. Above all, I think that's exactly what Bo brings to the table.

Here's an article written 1/21/2010 about Bo's "loyalty" to Nebraska (written by Sipple of LJS). My link I don't think Sipple is alone in his stance that Bo is here for the long haul.

Plus, I think it makes a huge difference that it was the great Dr Tom that hired Bo as the HC in the 1st place. If Osborne believes Bo will continue to lead this program in the right direction and hold fast to the Nebraska tradition, I think that goes a long way in the minds & hearts of those who bleed Husker red. We've long been regarded as one of the most loyal fanbases, and I think that loyalty stems from our tradition of hard work and respect, both of which are qualities Bo clearly holds in high regard.

What exactly do you mean by the "Sean Fisher" hype? For all intensive purposes, PJ Smith has already proven his worth as a strong safety. Both Fisher & Smith were redshirt frosh in '09, and Smith was far more impressive. Sure, he didn't have the same hype as Fisher coming into the season, but it's pretty clear Smith competed & made an impression that should bolster him to 1st team.

Fair enough. Here's my 2 cents. The Rams would be foolish to trade away the #1 pick, unless they get a deal that would include 2 1st round picks & a veteran QB. There's a lot of talent in this draft (not couting QBs), and it would be unwise to take a QB based on how the vast majority of 1st round QBs end up in the NFL. If they can't cut a deal similar to that, then that's OK b/c they really can't lose with the 1st pick, especially if they take Suh. Who cares if he's another Husker product? I highly doubt the Rams think that's some kind of hex (see: Wistrom, Grant). Take a look at the NFL's best teams & there's one definite similarity among them all - a strong defensive line - b/c the best teams know defense wins championships, & the D-line is the foundation of that. Obviously the Rams have lots of holes, but they can really pick up steam if they build that D-line. After that, they should focus on the secondary b/c their pass D was horrible (solid D-line will aleviate that too). If not the secondary, they need to get better on the O-line before they improve the QB situation b/c if they can find a way to open more holes for Stephen Jackson, they'll have the 2 biggest pieces of successful NFL football down pat - defense and running attack.

Exactly what "reports" are "circulating around ESPN?" I haven't heard a peep. Does Kiper or McShay have anything to say about this? SkerChicago - awesome Ace Ventura sig

Here's a 12/28/2009 article about EMart from Mitch Sherman of the OWH. My link Apparently he just needs to grow up & get that maturity level to match his ability and fire out on the field. I couldn't find the article, but I also remember reading Carl thinks this cat will be the heart of the D in the near future. Not sure if someone's already made this comparison, but EMart seems like a bonafide replica of Carlos Polk, and we all know what Polk accomplished. The future looks bright indeed.

Is there any doubt that Braylon Heard will play RB instead of S? What is he listed at right now? RB or S? Or are we waiting to see if we get Corey Cooper to fill the S slot?

Keep in mind that there is still the possibility of Thenarse coming back next season. If he gets to return I am going to be even more excited about the defense! Another player that redshirted this year is Dijon Washington. He was a monster safety coming out of high school! Any updates from either Pelini about this kid's progress as a redshirt? I know we've heard things about Ankrah and Randle on the D-line, but what about this guy? I'm not 100% percent on this but I think I remember reading somewhere that Carl Pelini said Thenarse would be back for sure. I hope that is true, but don't hold me to that. My bad. I was asking about Dijon Washington's progress. I've also heard Thenarse will be healthy and in playing shape come fall 2010.

I see a lot of CJ Spiller in Braylon Heard. Both are explosive, speedy, shifty & deceptively strong. Both are 5'11' and in the 185-195 lbs range.

And that's exactly what the Blackshirts wanted to accomplish with that game, especially since their slogan was "Unfinished Business." One more thing to add - West Virginia was ranked #24 coming into the game, a ranking they garnered after finishing the '93 season as Big East champions & an 11-1 record (only loss was in Sugar Bowl to FL). To say the least, Nebraska made a statement that had every NCAA team shaking in their boots. WV was the team we wanted to play in the 1993 Orange Bowl. We were 11-0 but ranked second behind 11-1 FSU, while WVU was also 11-0 but ranked third. We played FSU and lost 18-16 after the most notorious 1:18 of Nebraska football history. The Kickoff Classic pitted Nebraska and West Virginia the following year, billing it as the "game the people wanted" or some such nonsense. I can tell you that the Mountaineers didn't want that game after it was over, though. Don't get me started on that FSU game. The Orange Bowl must have picked those refs out of the ripe fields of Pop Warner for that one.

You hit the nail on the head with you last statement. Fisher definitely has time to progress. At this stage we really don't have a lot of choices at LB, whereas we have plenty of promising DEs. So, I think it's best if he develops in the area we need the most help. Sure, we only use 1 or 2 LBs most the time in the Big 12, but it only takes one power running/pro style offense to run over our smaller (albeit good tackling) secondary. That, my friend, is why we need LBs.

And that's exactly what the Blackshirts wanted to accomplish with that game, especially since their slogan was "Unfinished Business." One more thing to add - West Virginia was ranked #24 coming into the game, a ranking they garnered after finishing the '93 season as Big East champions & an 11-1 record (only loss was in Sugar Bowl to FL). To say the least, Nebraska made a statement that had every NCAA team shaking in their boots.

You're right. We'll definitely lose some incredible players after 2010. But, if our defensive recruits over the last couple years (including the 2010 class) come close to reaching their potential (and I have a feeling they will with the Pelinis), we'll have the ability to reload for 2011, as opposed to rebuilding like we've had to do a couple times in the last decade. Honestly, I'm not worried about the defense b/c we all know it's in good hands. I think a lot of the 2011 offense depends on how the offense develops in 2010. Yes, we will be w/o Lee, Helu, Paul & McNeil, but I don't think our O-line will be "decimated" by any means. Instead, I think the O-line could be one of our strengths in 2011 because we'll have quite a bit of experience from Caputo, Marcel Jones & hopefully Baker Steinkuler (if coaches move him back to his bread 'n butter), plus we have quite a lineup of young guys who should see some action in 2010. At our skill positions, we'll still have Rex, Green, Kinney, Cooper, DRobinson, and a host of other youngsters who should get some quality PT in 2010. And that brings us full circle to how much the offensive players develop in 2010.

Brilliance comes in many forms...and oh so rarely even Texas fans experience it

Keep in mind that there is still the possibility of Thenarse coming back next season. If he gets to return I am going to be even more excited about the defense! Another player that redshirted this year is Dijon Washington. He was a monster safety coming out of high school! Any updates from either Pelini about this kid's progress as a redshirt? I know we've heard things about Ankrah and Randle on the D-line, but what about this guy?

Wow! His senior year highlights are incredible! I also saw his soph highlights and wasn't that impressed. But, dang this kid is impressive after just those 2 years of development. He appears to have great vision and be a quick decision-maker when hitting holes. He knows how to make guys miss with elusiveness similar to Helu; he runs with some power (won't go down w/o a fight), and possibly best of all, he has explosiveness to separate him in the open field. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this guy is the perfect mix of Helu & Burkhead, with definite similarities to Ahman. Let's just see what our coaches can do with that potential.