FDLink

The best parts are these quotes, from Tramel himself: Commentary: how can we be called crazy in the first place if we were right all along? Granted, Tramel is a shameless flip-flopper (one day he's lamenting Nebraska's loss, the next he's cursing their "betrayal.") but there is some small vindication to be had in reading this. Also, I should say that I don't condone trolling on the part of Nebraska fans, but there is the occasional piece of gold to be found-- like this zinger:

That is the perception, but I think the SEC was expecting the other shoe to drop on the Big 12 when they allowed that info to get out. However, you'll notice that once the Big 12 was saved, all that talk died pretty quick. There are many angry aTm fans who like to think the SEC invite still stands, but I sincerely believe the SEC is taking a more reactive stance to expansion.

I don't buy the notion that the Big Ten is seriously looking to expand, at all. Does anyone remember the official statement they issued last December? It basically said, "we're done. Thanks for playing." Besides, if you look back to what happened at the 11th hour of the failed Pac-16 deal, it should tell you something. Nobody (except Larry Scott) is terribly willing to test the waters of going beyond 12 teams. There were several, very concerned parties with a vested interest in the current status quo that stepped in at the last minute and saved the Big 12 by satiating Texas. The SEC could have stepped in at any time and re-ignited things by aggressively courting Oklahoma/aTm, but they seem content to stand pat at 12. Why would the Big Ten want to start Realignment Musical Chairs all over again with no juicy, reasonably-attainable targets available? If Notre Dame were to call the Big Ten up and say, "we want in," only then would they change their current stance, and possibly add a 14th team to keep things even. I'm not counting on it, though. Besides, I don't necessarily want the B1G to expand, further. I like the idea of the Big Ten being a more exclusive club-- and don't underestimate how much other schools are green with envy over the position Nebraska has found themselves in. Also, I do not want to see the age of superconferences... at least not for several decades.

The AAU debacle still pisses me off. The circumstances surrounding NU's ouster are extremely fishy, and all the issue has done is bring unfair and unwarranted criticism-- not to mention, cheap fodder for haters. When I see how NU ranks among Big Ten and Big 12 schools on certain statistics (competitive or near the top), I shake my head at the notion that NU's academics are on anything but an upward trajectory.

With all the questions that come with changing offenses, coaches and conferences, I think Nebraska is a wild card in this year's B1G race. They could pull an Iowa '09 or MSU '10 and win a ton of close games. Or they could pull an Oklahoma '09 and lose a ton of close games. I'd say the best case scenario is 10-2 with the worst case being 8-4. Here's my best case breakdown: Tennessee-Chattanooga - W - 45-7 Shouldn't be too hard to roll in this one, though there could be growing pains. Fresno State - W - 31-14 This will be tougher than most think. They will come to play and may give us a scare. Washington - W - 37-17 Motivation will not be an issue here, though Chris Polk will still give us some problems. Wyoming - W - 35-10 You know how Pelini's 'skers like "playin' against road games," and this is their first one. I would doubt that they'd get too complacent. Wisconsin - L - 21-19 Night game in Madison. The last super-heated road environment the Huskers went into didn't treat them well. Ohio State - W - 20-18 OSU comes in with everything to prove and gives us their best. However, the Tat 5 are too rusty, and hopefully that "Take Back Gameday" movement on FB will have made Memorial Stadium a tougher environment. Minnesota - W - 30-20 This has letdown/scare written all over it. Kill is a good coach. Who's to say he won't have some kind of Rhoads-esque luck against Pelini? Michigan State - W - 35-15 Huskers should win this handily if they take care of fundamentals and play a clean game. Northwestern - W - 39-30 Their spread attack gives us a scare. It could very well be an upset if Pelini and Co. don't take the other NU seriously. Penn State - L - 15-14 This year's Texas A&M. A good-- but not great-- Penn State team gets juiced by their home crowd and edges us in an ugly game. Michigan - W - 28-15 A mad Husker team with lots to prove takes it out on Michigan's rebuilding D and does enough against their new pro-style O. Iowa - W - 21-20 Don't think Iowa doesn't have this one circled, already. Nebraska could be the better team at this point, but get ready for Iowa to go all Colorado on us and keep it frighteningly close. If that record comes to fruition, you'd have to imagine they will go the B1G championship for a rematch with Wisky. In which case, the rule of rematches always seems to favor the team that lost the first time. It'll be ugly, though.

While I don't think that's necessarily true, I wouldn't feel bad for Oklahoma-- they made their bed. I never understood this reverence for OU among Nebraska fans. Sure we can be chummy with their fans and reflect on the good old days of the Big 8 and all that, but the fact remains that they hung Nebraska out to dry during the formation of the Big 12. Instead of joining Nebraska in sticking up for the old Big 8, they got in bed with the Texas schools and were only too willing to end our annual series. Even his Snideness, Berry Tramel, conceded that OU's disloyalty was a key factor in Nebraska's departure. It is kind of sad. They've beaten Texas up and down the field for years, but off the field, they'd follow Texas off a cliff.

I'm not going to act like we're sinless over here, but I sure don't see any Nebraska beat-writers/columnists getting on their soapboxes to write ill-mannered, editorial whine-fests about other college football programs or the states those programs call home. On the contrary, several writers from other newspapers around Big Ten/12 country have felt it necessary to do just that towards Nebraska in the last year. Mike DeArmond, Sam Mellinger, Berry Tramel, Dave Sittler, Jennifer Floyd-Engel, Kirk Bohls, and now this guy. The source of our indignation as a fanbase stems from the fact that these so-called "professional" journalists seem to happily eschew their professional protocol of objectivity to write these smarmy anti-Nebraska columns, whose arguments each boil down to: "What's so great about Nebraska? They only have 14 TV sets!" You'll forgive me if I'm averse to snobbish BS'ers who take cheap shots under the guise of professionalism.

I think it was the tone of the article. It reeks of a knee-jerk response by someone who has a burr up their butt about Nebraska. It's also clear he doesn't "get" the purpose of Delaney's comparison between NU and the Packers. He's not the only one. The guys at ESPN nearly howled in disgust on College Football Live the other day when that was brought up. They seemed to take it literally, just like the Iowan who wrote that piece. Delaney was responding to those scratching their heads as to why the Big Ten would invite a school in such a small market. It's because, like Green Bay, Nebraska has hit above its weight for all these years. People DO take interest nationally when Nebraska plays another heavyweight team. Period. Notre Dame hasn't won anything in ages, either, but people still tune in. If the author of this piece reflects the general insecurity of Iowans about Nebraska joining its ranks, then we certainly do have another Colorado on our hands. And that will be fun. Spot-on analysis. That article's tone was rather snarky, wasn't it? I'm sorry, but you CANNOT write off Nebraska while trumpeting Notre Dame and Michigan as superiors-- especially when you consider the record depths that both of those programs have sunk to in recent years. His dismissal of Nebraska's national brand is just plain hypocrisy and ignorance (with more than a hint of envy). Nebraska has been in the headlines of the national sports scene more times in the last 3 years for various reasons (good and bad) than at anytime in recent memory. That's brand awareness, folks. It's a testament to what Osborne and Pelini have accomplished in that amount of time. Also, bully on that last bit about Iowa-fan insecurity. It's not just them, though, unfortunately.

Yeah, I saw that. Sad, twisted folks, the lot of them. So many years of ingrained jealousy for our football program that they'll latch onto the slightest bit of dirt they can find and vent their pathetic, petty little hearts over it. It is amusing, however, when fans of non-AAU schools decide to pile on. What they should be saying is: "ONE OF US. ONE OF US. ONE OF US..."

Welcome. Assuming Nebraska IS still B1G-bound (what with this little AAU fiasco), I am very much looking forward to seeing Nebraska square off with Michigan for the division crown every year. Can't wait for the first trip to the Big House.

After all the anti-Nebraska fallout came to a head in late November, Sam McKewon predicted that Nebraska fans would have their vindication in about 5 years after the Big 12 fell apart. But I say: I have my vindication now. With forthcoming membership into the exclusive and prestigious Big Ten, Nebraska is pretty much set for life. Athletics may be in for a grind the next few years, but fiscally and academically, the Big Ten is a dream come true for any university (or small-population state that houses said university). In losing Nebraska, even the most stubborn Big 12 homers know deep down that their conference is neutered/wounded, while other fans are openly proclaiming that the sky is falling. With the Big 12 losing post-Thanksgiving relevance, while the Big Ten and SEC are dominating the airwaves with marquee matchups, and being one of the 2 of 6 AQ conferences who are NOT playing December CCGs, how can you not feel like you shouldn't have let Dear Ol' Nebraska U get away? Perhaps this is the true reason for all the vitriol. They hate us, and they hate the fact that they'll suffer without us.

So Jackson's dad cleared it up on USC today. All is well in Huskerland. Unfortunately, this won't make airwaves and newspapers nearly as quick as that OWH article.

As several have said, the classy thing to do in light of this perceived betrayal is for Pelini to offer Jackson a release from his LOI. He deserves that chance, NU deserves to lose him, and it would tell us a lot about the kid, depending on his choice.

Some might argue that this is what any major program would have done, were it in Nebraska's position. Still, between the preseason media lockout, the A&M meltdown, Sailor-gate, and now the curiously-timed dismissal of key assistants, it seems that the Pelini PR trainwreck will continue well into the new year. Ugh. Pelini needs to fly out to see this kid and butter him up, ASAFP.

Congrats. Your post just got read on 1620AM-- Unsportsmanlike Conduct's Message Board Posting of the Day, not three minutes ago.