Jaybird

Huge win. Kubat pitched very well and the bats really came alive! I guess this was Indiana's first conference loss in an opening game of a series this season. Hope Pierce can come out tomorrow and have a quality outing. We really need to take the series but a sweep would be awesome! Gotta really hand it to Kubat today! We really needed a guy to step up on Friday (well Saturday in this case). Great job guys lets get 2 more in Bloomington!

I am really excited for the Conference home opener. Wisconsin at night will be awesome. I just hope we are going into this game undefeated and looking strong because we owe a few teams on the schedule a major beat down for last year.

Not trying to sound like a dick, but Fla. St. and Clemson leaving the ACC for the Big 12 sounds like an absolutely ludicrous idea and I don't think that will ever happen and whoever that source is is most likely full of pooh. On a side note, ND is sitting pretty with being able to choose what to do. While the B1G makes the most sense, I could see them pulling the trigger on a different conference to keep national exposure (that is not stay in the midwest, not that the B1G doesn't get national exposure). Oh I agree, Fla St and Clemson to the Big 12/14 does seem crazy, the same guy thinks that ND will go to the Big 12/14 because they could keep their tv deal like Texas. I was just using those as examples to get the discussion going because there are a lot of different ideas out there.

Big weekend series but then again they are all big from here on out. We need to get series wins for sure but a sweep would be a nice touch. We are fighting to get a spot in the B1G tourney and then hope we catch fire to win the thing to get to the NCAA tourney. Don't think an at large is possible for us anymore. What say you?

I am in no way saying I am in favor of this idea I just know that in the recent past the summer has been pretty hectic in terms of conference expansion rumors flying around. Some guy on a different board said that the Big 12 had the rights to the Big 14 name and was going to add ND, Fla St, Clemson and another team. Talked like it was a done deal. I don't see that happening but there are some out there that think it will. Others ideas out there will depend on how this BCS stuff works out and once it is settled how it seems to go over the next 10 years or so. Some have even put the idea out there that CFB should go to a English Premier League type set up where the top 60 ncaa FBS teams or so are in a top league with the rest in a lesser league and having a relegation process where the top teams in the lower league are given the opportunity to move up and play in the top league with bottom of the top level moving down. There are a lot of interesting ideas out there.

So it is the off season and we are all dying to get college football back. It seems to be coming to a time when Conference expansion gets fired back up, at least in the recent past. Do you think will the B1G be in the market to expand any more? If so who and if not why? How about other conferences? I am hearing all kinds of rumors around from other boards about a bunch of teams joining the big 12 and ACC etc such as ND, Florida St, etc. There are some crazy rumors out there and apparently geography really doesn't matter anymore. Does ND finally join a conference, what conferences survive, how is the national champion decided? I think all of these questions are kind of linked in many ways. Basically what does college football look like in 5, 10, 20 years? I find this to be a fascinating topic for whatever reason! What say you?

I like getting college football news and used to dvr CFL regularly but it is almost unwatchable in my opinion. I really only watch ESPN for games anymore as almost all of their other programming is so biased and agenda driven I can't stomach it. They are in bed with too many people to be unbiased.

It is up and live again, I think this time you have log in and vote through Facebook and are required to enter a Captia each time!

I personally like what I have seen so far. There is certainly a buzz around the program that we certainly haven't seen in a while. In terms of exposure we are certainly getting out there, having the guys from Chicago visit, the talk about the new facilities etc have really helped us being recognized nationally. I don't really see why he shouldn't be successful but then again it depends on what your definition of successful is. For me I would love for Husker Basketball to be competitive, occasionally competing for conference championships, making the tourney oh lets say 3 times out of 5 years with an occasional sweet 16 or elite 8 run in there. I am not even thinking National Championships at this point at all. Miles seems to be a hard worker, knows how the system works, surrounds himself with good people, is personable, young, has good connections and willing to keep up with the times (using twitter etc) those qualities seem to bode well in recruiting. The biggest issue in the end is whether or not he can get bigger name guys to come to Lincoln. IN the recent past there has not been enough talent locally to really succeed we need to get guys from elsewhere to come here. Maybe I am a hopeless optimist but I think he can do it but time will tell.

I actually wondered this myself. It seems to be pretty common for College Football players to have children.

Looks like they are setting the count back to zero and starting over at noon eastern on May 1st.

It is tough to go against the almighty ESPN. I really hope that FOX and other outlets can start bringing about programming that is worth watching to directly compete with the ENTERTAINMENT and Sports Programming Network. All they do is create news and begin controversy. They have zero credibility now that they are in bed with everyone, Texas and USC etc!

Agreed, I despise ESPN as well. If it weren't that they do a pretty good job at televising college football and have a lot of it I would not watch it nearly as much. They have lost all credibility in actually being a news organization. They are all for entertainment. Other outlets like Yahoo are now my source for sports news. I only watch games on ESPN now.

Apparently ESPN and College Gameday are doing a contest to see where they are going to film a commercial this summer. It is decided by a fan vote that apparently starts on Monday April 23rd at 12 noon ET. The following is a link to the Facebook page. Go get em Husker Nation. https://www.facebook.com/collegegameday/app_383641931657889

Got a 1, 2, 3 9th. It is Final 9-4 Huskers. Gotta get the series tomorrow!

9-4 Huskers t9.

Could be, and if he is as good as some say I would be ok with that! I really don't care who it is I just want someone that can get some reps!

This is getting ridiculous, passed balls and balks. We need to finish out games. We have put teams away!

Honestly, the most accurate post I have read in quite some time. So far, Bo has shown a desire or predisposition to not have anyone, but the starters take meaningful snaps. I liked an article about our O line developing depth by having the guys run 8-9 plays and then bring in the 2's. Garrison said their old way (3 plays and switch) developed a 3 and out mentality on O and also did not get the guys in "game shape" to run a significant number of plays full speed in a real game. He said this will improve their game conditioning. We need to desperately get a bona fide #2 who can a) push Martinez b) give a change of pace if the D is teeing off on Martinez c) have a guy ready if Martinez gets hurt who can actually come in and play at a high level with the same knowledge of the O as Martinez d) have a guy who the coaches can come in who they feel can play to win as opposed to sending in a guy whom the staff has play to not lose I could care less if the #2 is RKIII, Carnes, Armstrong or anyone so long as this guy is capable of winning. AGREE BIG TIME!!! This is something we have been missing for quite a while now. We really need a number 2 that the coaches trust to come in and take meaningful snaps. Gotta get backups some experience so we don't have to go through growing pains every time a qb graduates. How hard is it do get the back up a few snaps in a game where the game is decided. I am not saying pulling the starter in the middle of the 1st half but gotta get younger guys who you think could be the guy in the future some experience before he has to be the guy!

We really need to develop that killer mentality that Erstad seems to have. When we smell blood in the water and can put a team away we have to do it!

Honestly at this point I would like to have a change of pace guy to bring in at times that knows the offense like that back of his hand and can chuck the ball around the yard. Obviously having a guy like Martinez that has the athleticism to take it to the house on any given play is a major asset to have but I would like to see a guy more like Joe Ganz who can run the zone read and the option and may not be able to take it to the house but are effective while having the understanding of the offense to throw the ball with a very high completion percentage and distribute the ball to our play makers! When I think of Beck's offense I can't help but think of a guy like Reesing at Kansas or Joe Ganz, not the fastest guys but certainly capable of running the ball while possessing the threat to throw the ball 10 consecutive times in a hurry up situation or to push tempo. I don't claim to know a lot about football but if I were a coach that is what I would be looking for more than a guy who has Tmarts athleticism.

What can we say, football is kind of a big deal around here!

Gotta stay positive Husker fans. Tough way to lose but lets get out to the ballpark and cheer them on to victory today and tomorrow! I have to work so I will be following the live stats online but may try to make it down to the game tomorrow if we can work it out! GBR! Gotta come out and play hard and get the series win!

Don't get me wrong the Rose Bowl is an amazing bowl with great tradition and pageantry. Even as a kid rooting for a Big 8 team in Nebraska I always looked forward to watching the Rose Bowl. In no way was this thread meant to demean the importance of the bowl as a whole. I just remember rooting for my Huskers to make it to the Orange Bowl not because of the Orange Bowl but because being in that bowl meant we won the conference and if you did that you were competing for National Championships. As time passed and the Big 12 was formed and then the BCS was formed my allegiances changed because the way to win a National Title changed. Instead of rooting for us to go to the Orange Bowl I now was rooting for us to go to the BCS, and early on we did not so much lately. Moving forward if the way to win a National Championship changes again to a plus 1 format or to a 8 or 16 team playoff then I will again change my goals for each year. Ultimately my goal every year is to compete for National Championships. If that is not your ultimate goal then I guess I don't understand why you play the games anyway. Most teams in division 1 in all honesty really don't have much of a chance at all to really play for or win the National Title but I think you have to start your season wanting to win all the games on your schedule that year and taking it a step further you need to schedule in such a manner that if you go undefeated in that schedule you will be competing for a title. Just a few thoughts.

I think it's more if you can't play for the NC, it's Rose Bowl or bust (including against the other BCS bowl games) I guess that makes sense. It just seems that many of my friends that follow other B1G teams don't really seem to care as much about the MNC game. Mind you they are not making a statement about it not being the best way to crown a champion etc they just don't seem to talk about it at all. They only worry about the Rose Bowl. I just don't want the B1G to only be trying for the grand daddy of them all I want teams competing and winning the National Championship and soon dang it! Someone needs to stick it to the SEC! Sooner rather than later hopefully! The B1G hasn't been competitive enough as a whole conference to think it would even stand a chance at making a run for the NC. Plus in our conference, you have to go undefeated to make it to the NC which is hard to do. A guy can dream can't he!