RedNeckHusker

the original post is an interesting one, and begs the question: What is NU's ranking so far for the 2011 class or is there such a thing yet? And how have the Big 10 teams fared in this "ranking" versus some of these other conferences...most notably, the one we just left?

call me the tin foil hat guy, but I think the jury is going to be out for a long while before we know how our move to the Big 10 works out with recruiting. Although we will start getting some indications between now and February. Will be interesting to see how our "first" Big 10 class (Feb 2011) stacks up against Bo's first classes in terms of rankings. Not that those silly rankings ever mean anything I hope I've been totally wrong and that the Big 10 move actually enhances our recruiting.

I liked the concept of staying in the Big 12. But even I gotta admit, TU has way too much stick. It's a shame really because I think NU has a lot more in common with the Big 12 schools than Big 10, and I think it makes much more geographic sense. But that TU bunch is a trip. They can't live with the conference, and they can't live without it. They're narcissistic, paranoid, neurotic all in one. And the 9 remaining dwarfs will suffer the wrath of Texas' neuroses until the whole thing caves in which will prolly be sooner than later. While I wouldn't say the Big 12 is on life support, it's in Hospice. Don't think we really had a choice in the matter. Had UT been forthcoming and honest, as well as fair, I think we would have stayed from now on.

and then what happens when you travel through the valley of mediocrity with a Bill Callahan, which inevitably will happen again sooner or later. What happens then?

yeah I'm shocked that they aren't shocked, since the shock of its empire falling apart must come as a bit of a shock.

Big 12 is definitely going to survive. Here is what it could look like per orangebloods: North Division Kansas Kansas State Iowa State Missouri Northwest Missouri State Pittsburg State South Division Baylor West Texas A&M Abilene Christian Sam Houston State Stephen F. Austin Wayland Baptist

Two things I've learned through all of this: 1. Anything is possible. 2. Never say never.

How many years until the members of these so-called "super" conferences wake up and realize that it's all a ruse. All of the teams can't win the conference every year, someone's got to be the doormat, and our fan base is having to travel over hell and half of Georgia just to make a game now and then. All for some extra cash and "prestige". The panacea is exposed. How many years until the schools caught up in all of this mad rush wake up and say "This is nutso. How about an athletic conference that actually fits our geography a little?" I think in 2015, we see these things busting up, and OU, Nebraska, and others are back together again. Back to the future.

Oh yes, absolutely. That's the ONLY reason Nebraska is joining the Big 10. Because one second got put on the clock in the Conference Championship Game. That is 100% the only reason whatsoever this is happening. You're like the Amazing Kreskin. You just perceive things so clearly, it's like magic. Hey Master mind, that's cute. But I didn't say it was "the reason", or even "a reason." My question was and is: Was it the last straw?

would we even be having these discussions right now? Was that the proverbial last straw?

that's it in a nutshell. The days of getting up early on Saturday morning to drive to a game are pretty much over unless you live within 3-4 hours of Lincoln AND you have some inside track to home game tickets College football is getting ready to be permanently altered, and not for the better. I don't like it at all. I'm going to be following the MIAA (D2) conference more this year. A lot more fun to actually go to games even if they are D2.

It's not. Your statement is a gross oversimplication. Recruiting "Texas" per se isn't the concern. It's our ability to continue to successfully recruit the south and west in general, where most of our out of state players come from right now, that is a question mark. Of course, I hope it's all a real simple deal and life will go on as normal. But Coca-Cola has changed its recipe. We'll have to wait and see. why is it a bigger question mark now than it has been for decades? where our road games are played does not appear to be nearly as important to most southern kids as the actual location and climate of UNL. that hurdle will not change and we will continue to battle and overcome it. I'm drink'n the same koolaid you are, dude. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have concerns. It's a question mark because we will no longer be playing in warm weather climates. At all. None. The end. That, my friend, could cause some problems. See Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, etc., etc. for a few examples. Ohio State, MU, and PSU all thankfully have their own states sewn up, which allow each to be at least marginally competitive on the national stage. And there's a decent population in each of those states. That metric doesn't work out too good for 'Sconsin and the rest as their states are thinly populated. And that could well be our situation, too. Then again, I might be pleasantly surprised. We'll know sooner than later. I think our best outcome is "marginally competitive on the national stage." At this point, I'll take it.

It's not. Your statement is a gross oversimplication. Recruiting "Texas" per se isn't the concern. It's our ability to continue to successfully recruit the south and west in general, where most of our out of state players come from right now, that is a question mark. Of course, I hope it's all a real simple deal and life will go on as normal. But Coca-Cola has changed its recipe. We'll have to wait and see.

I think we all hope that a recruiting problem in the Big 10 is a myth. But if it's a myth, why so many threads about the subject?

Recruiting impact is THE question now, and there's really no way to know for sure how it could shake out. My issue isn't so much with recruiting Texas, but rather the south and west in general, where most of our scholarship athletes come from other than the state of Nebraska. The case can be made that recruiting will stay status quo, since we will now have the upper hand (seemingly) against the likes of KU, KSU, and ISU in the recruiting battles. I like our chances in really picking up kids in Missouri and KS that maybe before went to KU or KSU. The case can be made that our recruiting will actually improve, due to more national TV exposure. The case can be made that our recruiting will suffer significantly, due to the fact that we will not be a member of a conference that plays many of its games in the south (i.e. Big 12 South), and that Lincoln and all of the other road games will simply be too far for south/west recruits to have a genuine interest in. And if that is the case, new recruiting grounds have to be mined, and there are no guarantees of success. The truth is, it's an open question. What isn't a question is that it is a huge gamble on the part of Nebraska; we really must have felt as though there was no other logical way out of this situation. I just hope that it all works out. In terms of football competitiveness, I honestly have some concerns that we will descend to more of a "Wisconsin" level, which really depresses me. I have a high level of confidence in Pelini, but let's be real, he won't be our coach forever. What happens when we have another "Callahan" debacle for 4 years. Do we have the recruiting pipelines to "restore the order" as we did before? I've got my doubts about that. But I hold out lots of hope that I'm dead wrong! Anyone that doesn't have at least some concerns about recruiting is drinking a bit too much red kool aid.