Caven

Next year you can blow off Gameday completely and be able to get all your Husker game focus from the Big 10 pre-game show I would be surprised if you don't end up with Gameday 2 weeks in a row though against Wisky and tOSU as you open Big 10 play given how historic both of those games will be.

Is this a good place to say I hate Northwestern?

Does anyone know if it would be a recruiting violation to say I want to play with my friend? That is what I took from the article - not that there was money involved but more that he might have gotten his friend in as well. I think that is perfectly legal - just curious if anyone has more insight than me.

I still think a deal was made last year by the Fiesta bowl to unofficially move up in the pick order this year when they jumped on the grenade and took both TCU and BSU. Don't be surprised to see the Orange Bowl stuck with the Big East champion this year in exchange for getting Iowa instead of a non-AQ team last year.

There is a huge difference in one off games at the end of the season and the full grind of week in/week out. It is the same argument made against Boise and TCU. They only have to get up for a game here and a game there, not a weekly grind. Also a majority of the Big 10 bowl wins are coming from Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State in that time period. You make a valid point. Still, my point stands as far as saying that we just don't match up at all. And there are enough soft games in the Big 10 that I don't think it matters what style those teams play. We have a pretty rough schedule next year, but there are a number of soft teams in the Big 10... Yes - yes there are. Too bad you aren't playing most of them I still can't believe the schedule that they gave you. The top 3 teams from the other division for your crossovers.

There is a huge difference in one off games at the end of the season and the full grind of week in/week out. It is the same argument made against Boise and TCU. They only have to get up for a game here and a game there, not a weekly grind. Also a majority of the Big 10 bowl wins are coming from Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State in that time period.

Normally I would agree that trick plays are not for middle school - but this is the state championship game in Texas and was done by the team that was behind to tie the game late in the game. If you are playing in the state championship game in Texas where football is a religion - I don't think it really matters what age you are talking about, they should know the rules and to attack as soon as the ball moves.

Fixed that for you. For the most part in the Big 10 vs. SEC bowl games the Big 10 has more than held their own. The Big 10 is 11-9 against the SEC when you take out OSU in the title games over the last decade (unless I missed a bowl game where we were matched up which is entire possible).

Yes - but if TCU is in the title game then that becomes null and void since only 1 non-AQ team is guaranteed to get in. And if TCU isn't in the title game they will likely still be ranked above BSU and so the Rose would probably take TCU over BSU.

Then hope for proof of the conspiracy to play out in the bowl selections since there is no way anyone would pick a Big East winner before they absolutely had to this year. If I am wrong on the conspiracy then it is guaranteed to be Big 12 vs. Big East in the Fiesta.

Don't be too sure about that. If you are in to conspiracy theories about what happened last year with the Fiesta Bowl getting stuck with TCU vs. BSU... There are some that think a deal was made last year that if the Fiesta threw themselves on the grenade for the good of the AQ conferences that the team they want as their at large selection this year would be left sitting on the table for them to take with their #4 pick. Don't be surprised to see Nebraska kicking off their Big 10 future in the Fiesta Bowl against a Big 10 at large team (probalby OSU or Iowa)

That will require us to beat Northwestern... if you win out, will you tie with wisconsin (assuming they win out as well)? how will the big 10 shake-out, and how do tie-breakers work? If Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin all end with 1 Big 10 loss and a round robin on each other then Iowa is eliminated due to our non-con loss and Michigan State wins head to head over Wisconsin. If Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin all end with 1 Big 10 loss then due to the fact that they did not all 3 play each other (no OSU/MSU game this year) and the fact that they all 3 will have the same overall record then it goes to BCS ranking which probably favors Ohio State since they will have just beaten Iowa in Iowa City and Michigan to end the year. It is kind of funny because there are currently 4 teams with only 1 loss and yet none of us control our own destiny. Michigan State wants both Iowa AND Wisconsin to win out to ensure their Rose Bowl - but if Iowa wins out and Wisconsin loses at Michigan or to NW then Iowa has the head to head over Michigan State. Ohio State is probably in the best shape as long as Michigan State wins out because if Michigan State loses then Wisconsin's head to head over them comes into play - but they still have the toughest game left having to play at Iowa. I am currently a huge fan of whoever is playing Wisonsin eta: The tiebreakers are for who gets to go to the Rose Bowl. We would all be considered co-Big 10 champions. Kind of fitting that in the final year before things are settled with a title game that we probably end up with a 3 way tie for first.

That will require us to beat Northwestern...

2002: Iowa 11-2 (8) Nebraska 7-7 2003: Iowa 10-3 (8) Nebraska 10-3 (18) 2004: Iowa 10-2 (8) Nebraska 5-6 2005: Iowa 7-5 Nebraska 8-4 (24) 2006: Iowa 6-7 Nebraska 9-5 2007: Iowa 6-6 Nebraska 5-7 2008: Iowa 9-4 (20) Nebraska 9-4 2009: Iowa 11-2 (7) Nebraska 10-4 (14) Iowa 2 BCS bowls, 6 total January bowls Nebraska 0 BCS bowls, 2 total January bowls So Iowa has the better record/ranking in 6 of the last 8 years. Yes I know that isn't a fully accurate predictor of how the head to head would have come out but it is the only thing we have until we start playing next year. I am still holding out hope for a Nebraska/Iowa Fiesta bowl this year as I think that it would be a really fun way to kick things off - with our one and only chance left to actually meet in a BCS bowl! ETA: I am conceding everything from 2001 all the way back to the Kinnick years - just to save anyone the trouble of pointing out how much Nebraska would have owned Iowa for much of our respective histories. Iowa's other good runs just happened to have occured during Nebraska's National Championship eras. We would have won a game here and there when we had Big 10 championship years but as a whole we would have been Nebraska's $%^&*

As stated - this is NOT Iowa's fault. Now the game in Iowa City not being able to be on Friday due to issues with the hospital could potentially become Iowa's fault if they get the TV stuff worked out but at the moment there isn't even an option to play on Friday due to TV. Have you READ Husker Board? Not sure if you should be throwing cocky around so calmly given that over the past decade the second half of your statement would have been blatantly false and thus is a cocky statement in and of itself. Yes Nebraska has a much better history than Iowa does, but thankfully for Iowa we aren't playing in the 80s and 90s (and thankfully for Nebraska we aren't playing in the past 8 years). We will be playing when both teams are playing lights out football and I for one am looking forward to some hard hitting close games played for the division title. ETA: I know that most of you aren't cocky - but then neither are most Iowa fans. We just support our team and are more optimistic for our team

Have a playoff with only conference champions. The biggest problem right now is the severe lack of a common comparison point. We don't KNOW how good BSU or TCU really are because of the conference they play in. We don't KNOW whether a 2 loss SEC team or Big 10 team (or Big 12 or...) might truly be the best team but because of how beat up they get in conference play they don't have the chance. So make a playoff of conference champions. That way you could have big time games early in the season as tune up/exhibition games without worrying about whether a slip in week one will kill your season because only the conference schedule truly matters.

LSU with 2 losses jumping a bunch of 1 loss teams to get to the title game and you think that a single loss is sufficient to keep an SEC team out of the title game??? In the current college football climate given how much power the human voters have, the title game will be an SEC team vs. someone else unless there are 2 BCS undefeated teams. If Auburn loses to a 1 loss SEC team then that team will immediately jump to number 2. Otherwise the next closest SEC 1 loss team will jump to number 2 from wherever they are currently ranked. Worst case scenario for the voters is they drop Auburn for a week to just below BSU and TCU and then the following week for the final poll move them right back up because after thinking about it the strength of the schedule is much tougher than everyone else because they play in the SEC! If Oregon loses then the title game will be SEC vs. non-BCS because that will give the SEC the best chance to win another title.

Hmm. I assumed that since OSU didn't beat anyone in the tie and MSU didn't lose to anyone in the tie that it would end up being MSU still - but your analysis seems to be correct. All I know is I am a huge fan of whoever is playing Wisconsin right now!

I have never gotten the overrated chant. Wouldn't you rather the team you are playing truly be that good and you are just better? Chanting overrated is saying - well since my team is beating you then you guys must suck because we could never hope to beat anyone that was actually good enough to be ranked where you are.

Actually, this is not totally true. There was one school in particular that was talking to the Big 10. From my recollection, it was Mizzou that was trying to get hooked up with the Big 10, Coloroda was looking elsewhere as well. Nebraska didn't go "looking", it was Mizzou ... it was the Big 10 that asked us to the dance. Correct? Or do I have on m Husker glasses? SheepdogMark Technically in the end Nebraska did go looking but it was really late in the game. There was a really good article posted in the conference expansion area (and yes I am too lazy to go find it right now) that gave a nice run down of the full timeline and what happened with Nebraska and the Big 10. Osborne and Pelini were keeping an eye on the situation but not really worried about it and then someone said something to Osborne and he approached Delaney and it rolled from there. I still think Missouri ends up in the Big 10 sooner rather than later

Iowa fans took down the goalposts at Minnesota when we won the Big 10. The clinching game had happened the week before in Kinnick - but we have those collapsable goalposts so they can't be torn down leading the fans to do the demolition in Kinnick North. If I remember correctly the Vikings had a home game the next day and the Iowa athletic department had to pay several thousand dollars to Minnesota to fix things quickly.

probably so until we get some big men to block for us. different philosophy so it will take time. i just hope fans are ready for 6 or 7 losses in the first season. Nebraska is too talented to end up with 6 or 7 losses. Also there are a few top notch QBs who are seniors this year in the Big 10. I can see Nebraska anywhere from 1 loss and winning the division to 4 losses and going to Florida for New Years. It will all depend on how quickly they adjust and how the rest of the teams deal with their player losses. Correct me if I am wrong - but Nebraska doesn't lose much going into next year do they? I know you lose Helu but you have Burkhead to step in and you lose a couple of receivers but that might actually be addition by subtraction. The biggest thing that you need as Iowa showed (or rather failed to show) this weekend against Wisconsin are linebackers who can cover the quick pass out of the backfield and the crossing route. Those 4-6 yard passing routes seem to be used a lot. Use the WRs to clear out the underneath coverage and if the LBs aren't paying attention it is an easy gain.

Won't the new rules simply state Texas is the Big 12 conference champion so long as they are ranked with 20 spot of the Big 12 team with the best record?

It was a classic make up call.

The gloves the receivers wear is the only thing that needs to change. 3 easy dropped TD passes and 3 more in the flat with nobody around. That is rediculous.