ESPY

This is where having 2 lockdown DBs will help the most. Yes, Thenarse and Cassidy have some experience, but if I remember correctly, each guy has had some trouble with coverage and making open field tackles. Those of course are the 2 things O'Hanlon excelled most at, so there's a lot of room for improvement at this position, more so that Smith for Asante.

The defense is so stacked, and I love seeing 3 of the '09 guys on that list...couldn't agree more.

Good call on Caputo as Hickman's replacement. Dude's shown he can perform in spite of his slightly smaller size. Plus, he's tasted success on the Husker's O-line as Hickman's backup in '08. No doubt Caputo has to step up & deliver big if our O-line wants to see substantial improvement from last season.

I forgot about Randle. Wow, we definitely have some depth on the D-line, don't we? In spite of Randle's potential, I don't see him getting significant PT till 2011. Did he get any PT last season?

I'm guessing it has a lot to do with not wanting to get beat by them. Bo is still installing his team, and may not have it fully going by 2011, while BSU already has theirs up and running full steam. Another issue could be the presumption that Boise will lose Chris Petersen to another school between now and 2015, making that game a LOT easier. I hate to infer that we're afraid, but I wouldn't be surprised if that didn't play a role. I have to say I completely agree (from the evidence revealed thus far). I'm glad you came out and said it, because I hadn't quite built up the courage to do so yet Considering Kellen Moore will be a senior in 2011, and our offensive situation for then is still murky, we apparently would just rather not. Which sucks, because the crowd would be electric, Gameday would probably show up (apparently ESPN wanted to get involved when this deal was first proposed) and I think we'd have a great chance to win. JTrain, look at the pic on your sig. Does that look like the face of fear? the face of "we won't play you b/c we don't wanna get beat by you"?

Seems like we should bring Meredith to the interior & put Ankrah at end, rather than have the two share PT. Either way, we'll be strong up front, and that's exactly what we need if we plan on taking down those Big 12 spread offenses like we did in '09.

Again, nobody is scoffing at Boise. What people are on about is that their accomplishments are not equal to those of other teams. It's great that they play a couple of decent teams a year, but two teams out of 14 that are rated in the top 25 isn't too impressive. And this isn't an aberration in their SOS - it's been like this for the last ten years. Over the past decade their best SOS was 78th in the nation. Our worst was 58th, and people were ripping on us. This year our SOS was 52 and we took no end of grief for our weak non-con schedule. Our weak non-con schedule is Boise's typical schedule. These are not equal. Further, the injuries teams in AQ schools incur every year by pounding on the biggest and best across the country plays a role in their success. Boise is routinely playing against teams whose players would be greatly undersized in an AQ conference (which is why they're in a non-AQ conference, of course). That lack of attrition through injury is a huge advantage for Boise. It's just not a level playing field comparing what Boise has done to what AQ schools have done. It's still impressive. It's still a fun team to watch (on the road), but let's not go crazy giving them respect when they haven't earned it the same as everyone else. Imagine you and I are running a marathon on different courses. Mine is flat and shady and has plenty of water stations. Yours is mostly uphill, no shade, and fewer water stations. Who ran a better race if we both finish at the same time? Such wisdom you grace us with today. All this kinda makes you wonder if we've had scheduling snafoos like this in the past. I'm guessing we have, and I'm guessing the ADs for both schools know exactly what they're doing.

I don't remember if I read or just heard this story about EMart, but I eat it up every time I think about his potential. In the California Sr High All-Star game, Carl Pelini watched the game with then-USC head coach Pete Carroll. Both were eyeing the LBs they'd just signed, and every time EMart made a play, Carroll looked at Carl with a face saying "how the hell did I let this guy slip through my fingers?" I don't know about you, but that gets me even more pumped to see what he can do in Dillard's absence.

A couple days ago, someone posted a poll focused on who would be the hardest to replace (Dillard, Asante, etc). So, let's focus on the other side of that discussion - the guys who will be filling the shoes of exiting '09 seniors. PJ Smith is my pick. He's set to replace Asante at strong safety, and based on what we saw from him as a redshirt frosh, I think the Pelini bros have another gem who will only add to the dynamic secondary already in place. He may not hit as hard as Asante (yet), but he's an athletic ballhawk with size and speed. Even better, he's already shown signs of noted improvement in Pelini's system.

I think people are understating the fact that Suh had certain intangibles clearly setting him apart as the best DT in Blackshirt history. Coming into the 2009, he put it on his shoulders to make a lasting mark on this program, & he had the will-power and drive to accomplish just that. Suh proved time & again he could handle the pressure of being "the man" on this team. He was the opponent's target in every game. He knew that, and he was still able to focus his energy & abilities to perform at the highest level and make those opponents look silly in his wake. Suh was supremely confident, and he exuded that confidence to the rest of the D. Never mind his strength, quickness & technique, Suh was a leader through & through because of the intangibles of his character. The big question then must center upon Crick's intangibles. We know he is strong, quick, smart & taught by the best, just as Suh was. But, does he have what it takes to be "the man" week in & week out? Can he carry the entire team on his shoulders in the same way Suh did? Does he have those intangibles? Obviously we don't know those answers yet because Crick has played second fiddle to Suh so far in his career. He has not yet needed to be the leader or the dominating force on the D-line. Seeing as 2010 will be his 1st chance to do so, I'm anxious to see how he'll measure up to Suh & other great DTs in Nebraska history. He's got potential; there's not doubt about that. But, does he have what it takes to be the driving force we all want to see?

Get the TEs the ball! Looking back at '09, I just don't know why McNeil & the rest of the TE corps weren't targeted way more often. With as much trouble as our WRs had running routes & catching the ball, you'd think the natural response would be to target your TEs, especially when they proved time & again they can handle the rock & use their size & athleticism to get extra yards. Now, I will say there were several plays throughout the course of the season specifically designed for TEs. Unfortunately these plays didn't work out because our offensive line couldn't do its job. Just take a look at the 22 set & option pass Watson inserted at mid-season. The primary benefactor of those sets ended up being Paul with one-on-one coverage. But, there were several more attempts in which the TE was wide open. I went to the K-State game, and there were 3 plays the TE, who was the primary target, would've walked into the endzone if our blocking would've given Lee more time. I guess this further proves our O-line needs to step up. We have solid skill position players, and we need to get them the ball. It all starts up front.

Good find RunTheBall. When it comes to news like this, I think we all prefer more resources as confirmation. I agree it will definitely be interesting to see what happens with the onset of spring ball. Honestly if the coaches think BS would be better utilized on the O-line, then I'm sure they're right on. If in fact this move does happen, you'd have to think not only the O-line will improve vastly (on paper) but also the play at our skill positions. More time in the pocket for the QB and better lanes for runners are exactly what the offense needs to prove its performance vs AZ was more than just an aberration.

I saw the article by Chatelain, and I sent him an email which pointed out Watson has four Big 12 North titles as OC at CU (01,02,04,05) and one Big 12 Championship (01). Besides, rankings really don't count in the W/L column. The injury issues with the team though are quite disturbing, and maybe something Bo needs rectify in the strength and conditioning area. Valid argument there. I looked into conference rankings a bit more and was blown away with how poor CU's defense ranked the seasons of their North titles. In 2001, they ranked 7 in scoring and total D. In '02, they ranked 4 in scoring & 7 in total D; in '04, 8 in scoring & last total D; in '05, 7 in both. In retrospect, I guess rankings don't count in the W/L column. Seriously though, who would've though the Buffs D in those seasons was so bad. How did we not win the North any of those seasons?

From whom did Rivals get their information? This is a fairly big development if it's true because we'll see even more dropoff on the d-line & noted improvement on the o-line, and both are a big deal in the upcoming season. Are there any other sources that can confirm what appears to be a hunch from Rivals?

Do my eyes deceive me, or did this douche just question Dr Tom's integrity?...and the way we've scheduled games for decades? Something tells me this guy doesn't quite know how to handle his team's ineptitude for doing what it takes to get to the big game. I mean you can't go much lower than disrespecting a living legend who's known for his honor.

I'm psyched! What day is it again?

Thanks for the education. I didn't know how that worked till now. In retrospect, I guess Boise St wants to continue NOT winning national championships in spite of undefeated seasons. Best of luck Broncos!

I agree that Bo has the upperhand over Stoops & Brown because his defensive schemes are designed to dominate their offensive systems. However, the OU & Texas defenses hold the upperhand on our offense. You ask me, I'd say OU & Tex, both of which are known for reloading (rather than rebuilding), have a slight advantage if our offense doesn't improve like we all think it should. "Improvement" against these defenses would be scoring 20+ vs each, as opposed to scoring 22 combined. Don't get me wrong. I think we are more than capable of beating either of these teams and any other team in the country. I like Tom's prediction (& relish the mere thought of NU returning to glory). And I think if any coach can get the Huskers back to the top 5 this season, it's Bo. BUT, the offensive & defensive pieces must fall into place on a consistent week-by-week basis, not just here and there. The best teams gel and dominant against every team, and we have a long way to go before that happens.

Agreed. I would've put Bradford between Crouch & White. Then, I would move Crouch, Bradford & White to the 6-8 slots, with Johnson at #9 and McCoy at #10.

Sounds like those bandwagoners need a little history lesson (ok Boise children, let's sit down & learn how the University of Nebraska has dominated the college football landscape with its 5 national championships)

There are huge strides to be made among our linebackers, much more so than in the secondary or on the d-line. Unless Fisher & Compton step up, I'd say Eric Martin will make a name for himself as our best LB next season, one who blows up the running game and blasts the backfield on blitzes.

Yep, that Wistrom kid didn't last very long. If I'm not mistaken, Wistrom was a big reason the Rams won the Super Bowl 10 years ago (they needed a defense to go with "The Greatest Show on Turf"). Carriker hasn't worked out...yet. He's only 3 years in, and he's been hindered by injuries each of those seasons. If he gets healthy and stays that way & the Rams take Suh, they'll be quite the dynamic duo and just what the Rams need to get that defense going.

Respect? Maybe. I say it's just another pundit making a prediction to get some buzz. (Although this is under the assumption this is Dienhart's preseason top 5.)

The biggest mistake was letting Pedersen take the reigns. Here's one option - keep Solich. Do that, and Nebraska doesn't have to "settle" for the 6th or 7th man on the list. More than Callahan trying to mold the program to his liking was the fact that Pedersen got the ball rolling away from our proud tradition when he canned Solich, something he'd been wanting since coming on-board as the AD.

I can buy Mizzou at #25. What I don't buy is OU at #12 Have you seen where Kirk Herbstreit puts OU? He's got them at #3 at this point. You gotta be kiddin' me Herby! Of course that craziness is balanced with Lou Holtz putting Nebraska at #4. Sheesh, these predictions are all over the place