Ivan Maisel's 3-point stance

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1. The more I see Nebraska merge into the Big Ten, the more I like it. The league moved the season-ending game between Nebraska and Iowa to Thanksgiving Friday for the next two seasons. The Big Ten hasn’t played games on that Friday in the past. But the Huskers have played on the day after Thanksgiving since 1990 (Oklahoma in the Big Eight, Colorado in the Big 12). The Big Ten didn’t say, “We don’t do that.” The adoption of Nebraska’s tradition illustrates why this will be a happy marriage.
2. Quarterbacks Tommie Frazier of Nebraska and Joe Hamilton of Georgia Tech may have been the two best players who failed to win the Heisman Trophy during the 1990s. Frazier remains the best option quarterback I’ve ever covered. Hamilton combined running and passing in a manner that we now take for granted from the Cam Newtons and Denard Robinsons. Both appear on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. I feel for the holdover quarterbacks on the ballot.

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I actually agree with Maisel for the first time in a while. There has to be a give and take--we haven't known such a relationship with a conference since the Big 8 days, and we're already having a positive influence on the Big 10 (and vice versa).

Nebraska isn't going to get everything they want (see 2011, 2012 schedule), nor should they. But the B1G embracing change like Thursday and Friday games (something Nebraska is willing to play) and sitting down with ESPN/ABC to renegotiate parts of the TV contract is good for the conference. Then again, Fox Broadcasting (Not Fox Cable Sports) getting the Big 10 Title game is perhaps the wakeup call that ABC/ESPN needs to realize they need to end their pro-SEC/Texas whoring ways, lest they lose the Pac-12 and Big 10 TV contracts up in a couple of years.

What's funny is that all of the Big XII asshat smacktalk from last June that told us we'd be substituting one dictator (Texas) for another (Ohio State) are already being proven wrong. The conference is run by Delany, take it or leave it. Delany looks out for his schools, for better or worse, and while Delany is not perfect (Leaders and Legends, anyone?), he's had many more successes.

 
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