Corn Nation

Corn Flakes Relegates The Rose Bowl To HELL

2012-05-16T13:00:03Z

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by the mothership to implore y'all to go over and subscribe to the SB Nation Youtube channel. I had it all written and ready to go, but right around then I had a problem while at work that lead to me taking my first ambulance ride and I'd forgotten all about it until I happened to see it amongst my unpublished drafts.

So, I'd appreciate it if you'd consider subscribing to the SB Nation Youtube channel. There you go, I've done my bit.

Oh, except that SB Nation released a new game called Pick 6 - a type of baseball fantasy game where you have limited cash and have to pick the best six baseball players at their position. It's addictive and then you win. There you go. Now I have my bases covered.

My ambulance ride happened after I completely lost control of my balance, suffered from slurred speech, and basically became a blubbering, useless mass.

I know what you're thinking.

Too much gin, right?

I wish that were the case. At the time they diagnosed me with directional somethingdoctorsounding vertigo and sent me home. This was good news, since at the time, I though I was having a stroke. By now I know that it's due to an inner ear problem probably brought on by allergies and not by too much gin.

Unfortunately, I still haven't completely recovered.

It's been about all I can do to get through a day at work and by the time I get home, my brains are fried. Bottom line - until I get my energy and therefore my brains back intact, you're going to be treated to frequent misspellings, rambling incoherency and words and names in a jumble. Maybe it's best to think of it like watching Buzz Bissinger in a debate. Or a Corn Nation game thread during football season without the profanity.

Still, I want to keep y'all up to date and comment on some happenings around the world of college football, so here we go.

They're talking about relegation around SB Nation. Being Nebraskan and therefore most likely violently opposed to soccer, you're probably not familiar with relegation. In a nutshell, relegation is when your team sucks so bad that you're sent down to a minor league and the best teams in that minor league are shuffled into your former position. (I'm familiar with relegation because my kids are involved in competitive soccer. When they're good, a class C3 team moves up to C2. When they're bad, a C2 team moves down to C3, and so on through the classes.)

It's an interesting concept that could be applied to college football if BCS conference were to ally with lower league conferences, such as the Big Ten contracting out to the MAC.

Some Baylor dude was brave enough to look at the Big 12's records over the last 20 years and discover that Nebraska, Texas, and Oklahoma were the only three teams of that conference that would not have been relegated. I guess Bill Callahan didn't destroy us quite as badly as we'd have thought (remember that bit above about incoherence, please).

College Football Playoffs: No Campus Games, Says Michigan State AD

I hate the Rose Bowl. I hated it before we joined the Big Ten, I hated it last year, and I'm going to hate it even more now. I don't want a college playoff system if it includes the existing bowl system. I don't care about Rose Bowl tradition.

I wanted to see a SEC team play in freezing temperatures in the snow some day before I die. Now it looks like I'm just going to have to live forever. Bastards.

Delany discusses changing bowl landscape - Big Ten Blog - ESPN

In good news, the Big Ten will push for seven wins for bowl eligibility. In bad news, they're still thinking about bowls the same way they've always thought about them:

"When you have three bowls in Florida and you're a school that is constantly in that range for selection, your fan base could end up, in a five-year period, four times in the state of Florida," Delany said. "So does that depress the interest?
Again, sometimes less is more. Is there a way to give them a taste of Florida and Phoenix and Texas and other places in California? We want to have the fan base excited about going, about who they're playing and about where they're playing.?

What we've got here is the same old thinking that's existed for the past 100 years. Let's go south and west and warm for bowl games and then wonder why we never win a national title. Let's not bother kidding ourselves that we belong in the same league as the SEC.

It is impossible to think about imaginative ways to create an attractive bowl site at a northern-based location with a domed stadium when the conference is run by old men who want to take free vacations in warm locations.

When Mike wrote his article about the Big Ten's Rose Bowl obsession, it earned a link and some comments at mgoblog which consisted of the same old crap from Michigan fans about 1997 and the comment: Nebraskans are confused, understandably.

Nebraskans aren't confused. We want to win another national title. If anyone is confused, it's Big Ten fans that still delude themselves about the importance of the Rose Bowl - those of the same conference who didn't win a national title from 1948 to 1997, you know, that one they shared with us after being gifted it by a media desperate to sell more commemorative gear.

Ohio State Football: Urban Meyer & Staff Reveal New Tradition - Land-Grant Holy Land

At a Town Hall Meeting with students at the Ohio Union Tuesday evening, Coach Urban Meyer and his assistant unveiled the new High Energy Drill, expected to be done in the south end of the stadium after warmups before each home football game.

Thank God they have the whole offseason to practice this. (Or - "What? No Double Dream Hands?")

Chris Brown of Smart Football has released a book!

That's kind of cool. Only $9.99 and 154 pages, hell, even people from Ohio State could finish that during the offseason. (I can't take all those shots at Michigan without getting some in at the Buckeyes and still be considered unbiased, could I?)

And last, certainly not least, your moment of zen (I guess, lacking creativity). This is a munny that my oldest created, and I continually wonder if I should use it as a representation of Jim Delany, a BCS official, bowl representative, or all of the above. Your feedback is welcome.

It's certainly representative of the current state of politics in college football. Exactly what? You decide and tell me.

Hey Cool Wake Forest Is Playing Nebraska In The Big Ten/ACC Challenge Again - Blogger So Dear

2012-05-15T22:28:44Z

Hey Cool Wake Forest Is Playing Nebraska In The Big Ten/ACC Challenge Again - Blogger So Dear

Nebraska will take on Wake Forest again in next season's Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

This is not exciting, or at least, our opponent is not excited. Are they not excited because it's a re-match, or because it's us playing them?

I don't know. Was the book "Into The Wild" really that bad?

Tommie Frazier Snub Shows Irrelevence of College Football Hall-of-Fame

2012-05-15T17:57:09Z

Once again, the College Football Hall-of-Fame has selected fourteen candidates to be inducted, and once again, former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier was omitted from the list. Frazier, along with Eric Crouch and Trev Alberts, apparently wasn't even eligible to be inducted, according to ESPN's Ivan Maisel, despite being on the ballot:

The College Football Hall of Fame began to announce the Class of 2012 Monday by revealing the selection of BYU quarterback Ty Detmer on College Football Live. The remainder will be announced Tuesday. Why does it take so long for a Heisman winner like Detmer (1990) to be elected? Math. There are 22 All-Americans every year. The Hall inducts 12-14 annually. It must select all positions and from all regions. And the Hall has a rule against taking players from the same school in consecutive years.

Will Shields was inducted last season, so that meant no Huskers could be inducted in 2012. Sounds like a silly rule, but if you are going to have a rule like that, why even put the names of Frazier, Crouch, or Alberts on the ballot in the first place? Why raise people's expectations when they aren't even going to be considered?

The idea that Frazier is not in any Hall of Fame that claims to represent the best of college football is simply absurd. Yes, Husker fans are biased in that regard...so I won't make that case. I'll let others make that case:

College Football News: "Frazier, Pace, Wuerrfel, Ismail, Boz, Bruschi. The snubs are better than anyone in the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Class but Detmer"

Bruce Feldman, CBS: "S(haking) M(y) H(ead). MT @TomFornelli: Tommie Frazier: 33-2, 2 NATIONAL titles, 4 conf champs, 6,266 yds, 83 TDs. NOT GOOD ENOUGH, APPARENTLY"

Jason McIntyre, TheBigLead: "Tommie Frazier: 3 title games (2 titles; MVP of the game Nebraska lost), 9-3 as true freshman. He never won the Heisman, which is criminal"

Mark Kisla, Denver Post : "@TheBigLead Nobody asked me but Tommie Frazier is best college (college, not future pro) QB I have seen in 35 years. Way better than Tebow."

John Taylor, NBC College Football Talk: "Not to slight any of those members of this year’s class, but Tommie Frazier being excluded for a second straight year is, to quote many a response on Twitter, a travesty."

Dave Matter, Columbia Daily Tribune: "Jonathan Ogden elected to College Football Hall of Fame but not Orlando Pace? No Tommie Frazier? Mark Simoneau but noy Derrick Thomas?"

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: "When a Hall of Fame announcement makes as much news for who doesn't make it (Tommie Frazier), you've got a problem."

Ohio State fans are also (rightfully) indignant that tackle Orlando Pace wasn't inducted as well. Frankly, if Nebraska could only induct one player in 2011 and 2012, that player should have been Tommie Frazier. Will Shields was a great player, but Frazier might just be the best college quarterback ever. That's not just my opinion; a lot of people share that opinion. We can argue that point, but that's secondary to the discussion at hand as to whether Frazier belongs in the college hall of fame.

As Kerkhoff points out, it really raises questions as to how the college football Hall of Fame conducts their voting. Frankly, I question it as well. I've received ballots the last two years and actually voted last year. This year, the instructions seemed to make it clear I had to be a paying member of the National Football Foundation to vote. Which raises the question about a "pay-to-play" system. Then this lulu:

"The ballot of players and coaches is mailed to all dues-paying members for a member vote, of which results are provided to the Honors Court as part of the information for its meeting. The Honors Court selects the Class."

In other words, the vote means nothing. The "Honors Court" makes the call. Who's the Honors Court? Good question.

And that's why we have the following list of inductees:

PLAYERS

CHARLES ALEXANDER - TB, LSU (1975-78)
OTIS ARMSTRONG - HB, Purdue (1970-72)
STEVE BARTKOWSKI - QB, California (1972-74)
HAL BEDSOLE - SE, Southern California (1961-63)
DAVE CASPER - TE, Notre Dame (1971-73)
TY DETMER - QB, BYU (1988-91)
TOMMY KRAMER - QB, Rice (1973-76)
ART MONK - WR, Syracuse (1976-79)
GREG MYERS - DB, Colorado State (1992-95)
JONATHAN OGDEN - OT, UCLA (1992-95)
GABE RIVERA - DT, Texas Tech (1979-82)
MARK SIMONEAU - LB, Kansas State (1996-99)
SCOTT THOMAS - S, Air Force (1982-85)
JOHN WOOTEN* - OG, Colorado (1956-58)

And because it's a closed society that doesn't have to account for their choices, is why Greg Myers is now a college football Hall of Fame player...and Tommie Frazier isn't. Myers wasn't a bad player; a 2 time all-American from Colorado State who won the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back in 1995. He was drafted in the 5th round of the NFL Draft and played five seasons in the NFL. He's now an anesthesiologist in Denver. Probably a great guy, and a pretty good player.

But he's a hall of famer and Tommie Frazier isn't? That tells you everything you need to know about the College Football Hall of Fame.

Big Ten Baseball Weekly Review: 2012 Week 13

2012-05-15T13:56:41Z

My predictions from last Friday as to how the weekend would turn out were pretty close. Penn State and Indiana remain the surprise stories of the conference, although Purdue should remain in the spotlight as they clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title, their first since 1909.

Nebraska stepped on Minnesota's head, driving them into desperate territory and giving the Huskers a boost by sweeping them in Lincoln. Penn State swept Illinois at home and drove them from postseason consideration.

Things are taking shape for the Big Ten tournament. At this point, it's Purdue's conference. With Penn State and Indiana sitting at second and RPI's of 116 and 105, they're not exactly qualifiers for the NCAA tournament. Someone besides Purdue, Indiana or Penn State needs to win the tournament to get a second qualifier from the Big Ten into the NCAA tournament.

Big Ten		Overall
Team	Record	Pct.	Record	Pct.
1. Purdue	16-5	.762	39-10	.796
2. Penn State	13-8	.619	27-24	.529
Indiana	13-8	.619	26-26	.500
4. Michigan State	12-9	.571	33-17	.660
Nebraska	12-9	.571	32-19	.627
6. Ohio State	11-10	.524	30-22	.577
7. Minnesota	10-11	.476	28-25	.528
8. Illinois	9-12	.429	26-24	.520
9. Iowa	8-13	.381	20-26	.435
10. Michigan	7-14	.333	21-31	.404
11. Northwestern	6-18	.250	17-33	.340

Illinois	0-3	Penn State 3, Illinois 2 Penn State 8, Illinois 6 Penn State 3, Illinois 2
What a horrid week for Illinois. I thought they'd lose the series at Penn State, but I figured there was little probability of them being swept. Illinois was picked to finish sixth at the start of the season, but at this point, it's a safe bet that they won't be making the Big Ten tournament. Illini pitcher Kevin Johnson threw a complete game (fourth of the season) on Friday, giving up seven hits, three runs (two earned), but Penn State's start Joe Kurrach and his relief gave up only three hits. Penn State committed five errors. How do you lose a game when the other team commits five errors? No base runners. Saturday Illinois came up with 14 hits, but the Lions hit four home runs. Sunday - Illinois scored a run at the top of the ninth, and had base runners at 1st and 2nd with only one out, but, again Penn State pitching shut them down. With their final series at home against Minnesota, Illinois has a shot at postseason, but they'll probably need some help.
Indiana		Northwestern 4, Indiana 3 Indiana 5, Northwestern 2 Indiana 2, Northwestern 1
Indiana - still second in the conference with a series win at Northwestern. Friday's loss came as Northwestern scored four runs in the first four innings and Joey DeNato was chased after only four innings. He may still be feeling the affects of getting pounded by Nebraska the previous series. Indiana tried to rally, scoring a run in the ninth, but couldn't drive in another base runner, the final out coming on a check-swing appeal from the first base ump. Tough way to lose a game. Saturday, pitchers Kyle Hart and Johnny Hoffman combined to limit the Wildcats to seven hits and two runs. Hoffman's relief yielded 4.1 innings, two hits and no runs. Sunday, pitcher Chad Martin went 8.1 innings, allowing only five hits and a run. Indiana's final series comes against Ohio State at home, a series they should win, given their hot hand and the Buckeyes' problems winning on the road.
Iowa		Michigan State 6, Iowa 0 Iowa 2, Michigan State 1 Michigan State 7, Iowa 3
Iowa managed a win in the series at home with Michigan State, ensuring that they'll miss the Big Ten tournament this season. The lone win came when the Hawkeyes scored a run in each of the eighth and ninth innings while Sasha Kuebel threw seven innings, giving up six hits and a run. That winning run - a bases loaded walk.
Michigan	2-3	Coastal Carolina 6, Michigan 1 Michigan 5, Coastal Carolina 2 Purdue 4, Michigan 0 Purdue 14, Michigan 3 Michigan 4, Purdue 3
Hey, the Wolverines at least took a game from Purdue, which is more than I expected of them, although they did it because of a base running error by Purdue: Michigan executed a weird double play to end the contest. The Wolverines held a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Purdue's David Miller was hit by a pitch and Andrew Dixon walked to open the inning. Stephen Talbott then moved both runners up on a sacrifice bunt. Tyler Spillner's pop up was corralled by Brosnahan, who dropped it on the transfer. Miller, thinking he dropped the pop up, went home and was tagged out at the plate ending the game. Michigan finishes their season at home against Nebraska.
Michigan State		Michigan State 15, Western Michigan 7 Michigan State 7, Toledo 2 Michigan State 6, Iowa 0 Iowa 2, Michigan State 1 Michigan State 7, Iowa 3
In the Friday win at Iowa, Sparty starting pitcher Tony Bucciferro threw a complete game shutout, giving up just five hits. The Saturday loss came on a two-out, bases loaded walk. Starter Andrew Waszak did hit job, throwing 7.1 innings, giving up three hits and one run, but his relief failed him when Tony Wieber walked the only two batters he faced, and then Bryce Jenney struck out one then walked another. Sunday, David Garner threw seven scoreless innings, giving up only two hits. Reliever Trey Popp made it a little interesting, giving up four hits and three runs in the eighth in seven at-bits, but closer Bryce Jenney shut the Hawkeyes down for the series win. Michigan State's final series comes against Penn State at home. The edge here has to go to the home team as the Spartans have a chance at getting to that #2 spot.
Minnesota	0-3	Nebraska 4, Minnesota 3 Nebraska 8, Minnesota 7 Nebraska 6, Minnesota 5
It is clear from this series that the last two seasons have been something close to hell for Minnesota. Last year, the Gophers played most of their games on the road due to the roof collapsing at the Metrodome. They tried to make up for it this year by playing nearly all their games at home. The lack of playing outside on the road was a factor in this series as the Gophers road record dropped to 2-9. Nebraska jumped to early leads in all three games, but Minnesota battled back. In Friday's game, the Huskers lead 4-1 as the Gophers tried to rally. TJ Oakes, the conference's best pitcher, went eight innings, giving up four earned runs while giving up 10 hits. Saturday the Gophers erased a 7-1 Nebraska lead to tie it in the sixth. The normally reliable DJ Snelten was chased after only 3.2 innings, giving up all seven runs on eight hits. The winning run came off a home run bashed by Husker Pat Kelly, a Red Wing, Minnesota native. Sunday, Nebraska jumped to a 6-2 lead, and again the Gophers came back but couldn't finish the deal. They pounded out 16 hits, but stranded 12. Minnesota's final series is at Illinois. Given their problems on the road, it's doubtful that the Gophers win that series, so it's probable that Minnesota's season will end next week.
Nebraska	3-1	Creighton 8, Nebraska 1 Nebraska 4, Minnesota 3 Nebraska 8, Minnesota 7 Nebraska 6, Minnesota 5
Nebraska did what they needed to do to make sure they will make the Big Ten tournament, sweeping Minnesota in three one-run games. This came after a lousy showing against in-state rival Creighton, and after Darin Erstad refused to name starters for two of the weekend games. The motivational ploy must have worked because Nebraska wasted little time in jumping on top of the Gophers in all three games (read above). Husker pitching was suspect, allowing the Gophers back in those games, but Nebraska finally showed some grind-it-out guts to win all three, putting themselves in position to grab the coveted #2 spot in the Big Ten tourney. A big part of that grit came from Minnesota native and Nebraska freshman Pat Kelly, who won Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his performance, listed below. Nebraska should win their final series at Michigan. Given that Indiana is at home against Ohio State, and Penn State
Northwestern	1-4	Chicago 6, Northwestern 3 Milwaukee 6, Northwestern 4 Northwestern 4, Indiana 3 Indiana 5, Northwestern 2 Indiana 2, Northwestern 1
Egad. Combine the previous week in which the Wildcats were swept by Ohio State along with a conference series loss and two losses against the University of Chicago and a Milwaukee teamed with a RPI of 232 and you've got team that's won one of it's last eight games. That one win came courtesy of a eight-inning pitching performance from Brooke Francis in which he gave up six hits and only two runs.
Ohio State		Oklahoma State 4, Ohio State 2 Ohio State 4, Oklahoma State 0 Ohio State 4, Seattle 1 Seattle 11, Ohio State 1 Ohio State 7, Seattle 2
The Buckeyes played the lone non-conference series this weekend and won it at home against a Seattle University squad with a losing record (after the weekend) and a RPI of 198. That's what makes the 11-1 loss so confounding. The Buckeyes scored their only run in the first inning, after which Seattle starter Brandon Kizer gave up only three hits over the next six innings. Seattle pounded out 17 hits, The Buckeyes finish on the road at Indiana. The Hoosiers should win that series, given Ohio State's somewhat abysmal road record (7-12).
Penn State		Maryland 7, Penn State 3 (5 innings) Penn State 3, Illinois 2 Penn State 8, Illinois 6 Penn State 3, Illinois 2
The Lions won the first game when senior Jordan Steranka hit a home run in the sixth inning and relievers Greg Walsh and Dave Walkling didn't allow a Illinois run the last 4.1 innings. Steranka earned Big Ten Player of the Week for his performance in the series. Penn State was a team that wasn't worth talking about at the beginning of the season. Yet, here they are, tied for second place after winning their fifth-straight conference series. Their RPI is 116, and their schedule strength is 124.
Purdue		Purdue 11, IPFW 4 Purdue 11, Illinois-Chicago 4 Purdue 4, Michigan 0 Purdue 14, Michigan 3 Michigan 4, Purdue 3
Purdue clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title this week, but with their last series at Iowa, you can go ahead and give it to them. It is a little disturbing that they could have won a title outright with a sweep, but couldn't finish the deal. We'll see what they do this next week and in postseason play. Purdue isn't just a good team. They're a team that has potential to raise the bar nationally for the Big Ten, something the conference needs if it expects to get more teams in the NCAA tourney. They've played a tough schedule (ranked 10th by Boyds World) and they're improving their facilities - taking away two of the complaints used by warm weather coaches as an excuse as to why baseball can't be changed to assist northern teams in competing. (More on this later.)

Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue Earn Weekly Baseball Awards

Player of the Week

Jordan Steranka, Penn State

1B - Sr. - Pittsburgh, Pa. - Mt. Lebanon

Hit .545, reached base at a .615 clip and slugged 1.364 to combine for a 1.979 OPS, leading Penn State to a series sweep against Illinois and into a tie for second in the conference standings
Belted two home runs and recorded three doubles in the series, including a solo shot in the sixth inning of Game 1, which proved to be the game winner
Moved into first place in the Penn State records book with 459 career total bases, is 10 base knocks shy of tying the school record for hits, and is two shy of Penn State's career mark in doubles
Earns his second award of the season and of his career
Last Penn State Player of the Week: Jordan Steranka (April 16, 2012)

Co-Pitchers of the Week

Tony Bucciferro, Michigan State

RHP - Sr. - Joliet, Ill. - Minooka Community

Tossed his fourth career complete-game shutout to lead Michigan State to a win over Iowa on Friday
Scattered five hits and no walks over nine innings while striking out nine batters, one shy of his career high
Became Michigan State's all-time leader in innings pitched with the performance
Earns his third career Pitcher of the Week honor and his second this season
Last Michigan State Pitcher of the Week: David Garner (April 30, 2012)

Joe Haase, Purdue

RHP - Sr. - Knightstown, Ind. - Knightstown

Threw his third career complete-game shutout in a series-opening win over Michigan, helping Purdue to its first Big Ten championship since 1909
Scattered four hits and did not walk a batter, tying his career high with seven strikeouts
Recorded five 1-2-3 innings and retired 17 of 18 batters in from the third through ninth frames
Earns his third career weekly honor and his second this season
Last Purdue Pitcher of the Week: Joe Haase (April 9, 2012)

Freshman of the Week

Pat Kelly, Nebraska

2B - Fr. - Red Wing, Minn. - Red Wing

Hit .500 and slugged 1.000 to lead Nebraska to a sweep over Minnesota, moving the Huskers from seventh in the Big Ten standings into a tie for fourth
Smacked a two-run homer in the fourth inning of the series opener, which proved to be the game-winner, before hitting a solo shot in the sixth inning on Saturday to break a 7-7 tie
Scored four runs and drove in four in the series, also stealing a base, while extending his hitting streak to 11 games
Earns his second Freshman of the Week honor
Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Pat Kelly (March 19, 2012)

ESPN.com Recaps the Huskers Spring Practice

2012-05-14T11:40:07Z

ESPN.com blogger Adam Rittenberg recapped the Huskers' spring practice with three answers and three questions that still remain. My first take is to ask ask how anybody can really judge the Huskers spring practice without a spring game, but then I quickly reminded myself that the spring game is now much more exhibition than evaluation. Even if we had seen a spring game, we'd still be dependent on the same quotes from coaches and players to get any sort of feel as to the progress of the program.

In answers, Rittenberg calls out the secondary, the receivers, and Will Compton. While I'm optimistic about these areas, I'm not sure how anybody can label theses areas as "answered." Will the secondary be better, even with having to replace Alfonzo Dennard? It's certainly possible. We have no idea how good Mohammed Seisay can be, let alone will be... but with a spring practice to get himself familiarized with the scheme, I have to expect him to be serviceable at worst.

So why the optimism after a sub-par season in 2011? Everything seems to revolve around new assistant Terry Joseph. Nobody seems to want to directly throw former secondary coach Corey Raymond under the bus, but you do get the impression that everybody is excited about Joseph. Can Nebraska be better? Yes, but that's not assured. Change does not always mean things will get better, and frankly, for as bad as the secondary played last season, it is possible to get worse (*cough*Cosgrove*cough*)

Receivers being a point of optimism? I'll go there as well. Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed both battled injuries last season, robbing the offense of a couple of playmakers. Kenny Bell emerged as the season evolved as a real threat as well. The weapon in waiting, though, is Jamal Turner. People who attended the 2011 spring game know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. The Turner situation is one to pay particular attention to: he's a player who this coaching staff HAS to find a way to get on the field. If he's not figuring out the offense, simplify enough of the offense to at least get him a few touches. Heck, get him in the kick return game. We want to think that there's talent there to work with, but right now, it's just talk.

From my perspective, Will Compton made Lavonte David better last season. That being said, David's production is going to be nearly impossible to replace. Compton always seemed to be the steadying influence that enabled David to become a disruptive heat-seeking missile. But that missile is gone...and we haven't seen anybody who can be another missile...unless it's one of the incoming freshmen. That's why one of Rittenburg's questions for the fall is also the linebacker corps. Is it going to be Sean Fisher, who's apparently finally healthy, or Alonzo Whaley? Or one of the incoming players, like Zaire Anderson or Michael Rose? If it's one of the new players, the defense will need Compton to make sure the others are in the right place...and make sure he's a rock in the middle of the field.

The number one question that Rittenburg raises is quarterback Taylor Martinez. Husker fans' opinions of Martinez range from extreme to extreme. He started his career as the subject of a viral Heisman campaign, yet other fans insist that he be benched. We know that Martinez spent part of his spring vacation with a quarterback coach to refine his mechanics, but without the spring game, we have no way of truly evaluating whether he made progress. One thing to keep an eye on this summer is whether Martinez is spending more time with Steve Calhoun now that the spring semester is over.

The other remaining question is the defensive line rotation. With the number of injuries on the defensive line this spring, it's unlikely anything developed this spring. But one sign of optimism in my mind is that new line coach Rich Kaczenski was hired to improve the production of the front four. Pelini's best defenses had a dominant lineman (Ndamukong Suh, Glenn Dorsey)...and Kaczenski has a track record of developing those types of players at Iowa. But with so many players missing time in the spring, will we see that this fall?

Frankly, when I look at Rittenburg's list, I see five questions without solid answers. That's troubling to some extent...but also not a surprise when you consider the inconsistent performance of Nebraska the last few years. How many answers will be find this fall...or how many more questions will we find?

Nebraska Baseball: Minnesota Gophers Come To Lincoln For Make or Break Series for Huskers

2012-05-11T17:44:29Z

It's pretty simple. Nebraska needs to win their series against Minnesota this weekend if they want to maintain their chances of postseason play.

Nebraska is currently in seventh place in the Big Ten in baseball. Only the top six teams make the Big Ten Tournament.

If that seems melodramatic, it's not. This is a team that hasn't made a postseason tournament in three years. They're also basically the same team that got Mike Anderson fired. If they want to stop people like me saying things like that, then it's time to suck it up and win a home series against a good team.

Below are this week's Big Ten match ups, along with a projection of wins and losses:

Illinois @ Penn State 1-2

Indiana @ Northwestern 1-2

Iowa @ Michigan State 1-2

Michigan @ Purdue 0-3

Minnesota @ Nebraska ???

Seattle @ Ohio State Non-Conference Game

If this were to happen, after the weekend, the standings will look like this:

Purdue 17-4

Indiana 13-8

Michigan State 12-9

Minnesota (Currently 10-8)

Penn State 12-9

Ohio State 11-10

Nebraska (Currently 9-9)

Illinois 10-12

Iowa 8-13
Michigan 6-15

Northwestern 6-17

I have my doubts about a sweep by either Minnesota or Nebraska. Minnesota's pitching is pretty good, but lacks the depth for them to shutdown opponents in a three-game series. Nebraska's pitching isn't doing so well (being kind), but the offense is doing a lot better than Minnesota's.

Perhaps the biggest difference is Minnesota's bad road record, which currently stands at 2-6 (1-2 at a neutral site and 1-5 in conference).

A 2-1 series win by Nebraska would put them at 11-10, tied with Ohio State and Minnesota for sixth with a series left at Michigan. A 1-2 series loss would put them in sole possession of seventh, hoping that Ohio State loses on the road next week at Indiana. Given that the Huskers have only won one road series this season (Ohio State), the series against the Wolverines isn't a gimme.

It'd be nice if there weren't so much drama involved, but that's where we are. That series loss to Northwestern looms large right now.

Sunday is Nebraska's Senior Day, given that this is the last home series of the season. Catcher Cory Burleson, outfielder Kale Kiser, pitcher Dexter Spitsnogle, and catcher Sam Stucky will play their last game at Haymarket Park.

Given that they've never gotten to a postseason tournament, a series win would be a great sendoff.

Projected Starting Pitchers:

Friday - Kyle Kubat, Fr., LHP (3-0) vs. TJ Oakes, Jr., RHP (7-2)

Saturday - TBA RHP vs. DJ Snelten, So., LHP (4-3)

Sunday - TBA RHP vs. Austin Lubinsky, Sr., RHP (3-3)

If there's a clear-cut indication as to how Nebraska's season has gone, it's that we're this far into the season and head coach Darin Erstad hasn't named starting pitchers for two of the three games this weekend.

Friday's game will feature a potent Husker offense against the Big Ten's best pitcher, TJ Oakes, who enters the weekend with a 1.70 ERA, a record of 7-2 and 74 strikeouts against only 13 walks. Saturday's starter, Golden Gopher pitcher DJ Snelten, stands at sixth in conference with a 2.48 ERA, a 4-3 record, 50 strikeouts and 28 walks.

Minnesota has had problems on offense. They've worked their way up to seventh with a team batting average of .264. They have five players over .300, and are lead by Dan Olinger and Matt Halloran.

Television, Radio:

Friday's game at 6:35 pm will be shown on NET across the state of Nebraska and streamed on the Big Ten's Digital Network (Subscription required). The game will be broadcast on the Husker Sports Network (don't forget your handy Huskers iPhone app).

Game Times:

Friday: 6:35 pm

Saturday 2:00 pm

Sunday: 1:05 pm

Ron Brown: Living Large the Leviticus Way!

2012-05-11T14:16:31Z

No doubt about it, the last few weeks have been trying times for Nebraska Running Backs Coach Ron Brown. Back in March, he appeared in front of the Omaha City Council to defend an employer's right to can a gay employee ~~for~~ ~~making him or her feel creepy~~ thus rising in defense of the Word of God. There were some biblical references, thundering on about Pontius Pilate, and vague promises of supernatural retribution from above, but, in the end, council members decided the risks of global flooding, strategic lightning strikes, etc. to be minimal at best and the ordinance passed.

There was some local furor, but Brown appeared to have skated nationally until Lincoln looked to adopt a similar measure. When speculation began as to whether he would put on a fire and brimstone sequel, the national pundits were ready.

Arguably best well-known of these was Rick Reilly. The ESPN columnist, who takes hissy-fit offense to things as strongly as anyone, fired a salvo in his column late last week. (It should be noted that Reilly, a Boulder, CO, native, somehow managed for years to not be offended by former Buff coach Bill McCartney's strong and public anti-gay views when they were in his back yard. However, now that they are coming from straight down his nose in backwards-ass Nebraska...well, you do the math.)

However, as much as it pains me, I agree with just about everything in that column. Reilly, as well as others without an anti-Nebraska axe to grind, have all made some pretty legitimate points.

Now when Brown and wild-eyed lunatics rail against homma-sex-shuls being afforded the same basic rights as anyone else - you know, get married, serve in the military, not be fired or not hired for no good reason, etc. - even the most dim-witted realize that when asked why they feel that way, "Because, eeeww!! I mean, it totally grosses me out, dude!" will not be a response well-received by others.

No, no, they instead swell with the power of Christ and belt out those oft-quoted verses from Leviticus that they believe provide the biblical justification for imposing 2nd class citizenship on these abominations.

"18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

Or even better:

20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

Good stuff! Not only are gay folks detestable, you're allowed to kill 'em!

YESSSSS!!!

Okay, step away from the butcher knife, Malachai (1), that's just a joke. And therein lies the problem. Most folks who take the anti-gay stance selectively cherry-pick Quote #1 and stop short of Quote #2, realizing that your average person on the fence about gay rights will not 1) condone the murder of the gay community and 2) bother perusing the Old Testament to see just what other madcap "rules" were laid down from above.

However, laid down they were and it's safe to say that even the truest of true believers regard them as whacked out and loopy. But knowing this, they still hold fast to Quote #1. You know, because that's the one that God really meant.

However, Ron Brown is not a hypocrite. It's a little-known fact that he follows the rules of Leviticus and Exodus to the letter. However, while it cements his reputation as a straight arrow, Old Testament livin' makes for some dicey neighborhood relations, not to mention questionable legal activity.

While ~~creeping about the Brown residence like a teenage stalker~~ patiently waiting for a chance to perhaps ask Coach Brown about his views, I happened to witness this exchange (2) on Brown's front porch with a friendly neighbor who had a few questions:

"Coach Brown, how are you doing today?"

"Fine, fine, Mr. Johnston, it's a blessed day, indeed. What can I do for you?"

"Well, some of the kids were gonna toss the old pigskin around & they were wondering if you wanted to join in?"

"Sounds like fun, let me grab a long-sleeved shirt, my gloves and some rubbing alcohol."

"Say what?"

"Well, touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean (Lev 11:6-8), you know. That's why I recommend that position players scrub profusely after practice & games. Rex slathers himself in anti-bacterial gel daily."

"Um, coach? Footballs aren't really made of pigskin - that's just an expression. Also, tell Rex that's pretty creepy and really unnecessary. But anyway, we're gonna toss the ball around a little and - what the - what's that smoke coming out of your back yard? And, ack, what's that smell??"

"Ah, Mr. Johnston, every now and then we like to burn a bull as a sacrifice. It creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9)."

"Well, it creates a pretty shitty odor for the neighborhood. Is that really necessary????"

"The biblical path can be a difficult one..."

"Well, for those of us not walking it literally it is, that's for sure. Isn't there something else you can do?"

"I don't know..."

"How about this? You don't have to burn it all at once right? And for God's sake-"

"Please don't blaspheme. It would break my heart to have to stone you. (Lev 24:10-16)"

"Sorry, my bad. But I was saying, I'm thinking you don't have to leave the hide and fur & all that crap on, right? How about you get some steaks? We'll take turns grilling, everyone can bring drinks and sides and we'll create an odor that's pleasing to the Lord and the local population."

"Hmmm. Might work."

"I'll even bring some shrimp over! We'll get a little surf and turf action going. How does that sound?"

"No shellfish, please. Eating them is an abomination. (Lev 11:10)"

"Of course it is. Silly me."

"But the cookout itself sounds great. I'll get my slaves on it right away. Maurice can fetch the steaks from the market and I'll have Diego begin heating the grill."

"I'm sorry. Your what?"

"My slaves. Maurice and Diego."

"Slaves?"

"Their possession is perfectly sanctioned. They were purchased from neighboring nations. (Lev 25:44)"

"Slaves??????"

"What? What's wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure that's against the law?"

"I would be proud to go to jail for obeying God's laws!"

"You may get your chance on that one, chief. Well, anyway, my old lady's going to bring you over some tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden. We can't eat them all, so she's going to be handing some out up & down the street."

"You are planting two kinds of crops in the same field??"

"Well, our backyard. Why?"

"This is a violation of Leviticus 19:19. As is wearing a garment made from two different kinds of thread - that Husker hoodie! That's a cotton-polyester blend, is it not??"

"Of course it is."

"Please wait here, Mr. Johnston. I am going to fetch my daughter and gather some large stones. The bruises and cuts will heal and you will be a better man for your punishment."

"Of course I will. Wait a minute. I thought you had two daughters."

"I did. We sold our oldest into slavery to pay for the new rec room. OK, there's that look on your face again. Just stop it, Exodus 21:7 sanctioned the sale."

"I'm outta here."

"Have a blessed day. I'll pray for your soul as well as the souls of all the doomed queers that Nebraska employers are forced to endure."

**********************************************

(1) - There may not be a better trove of unintended comedy on DVD that the original Children of the Corn. Do you think Linda Hamilton talks this one up when discussing her body of work? And can you help but watch it without thinking that John Connor's mom Hamilton from T2 would wade through those psychotic little shits like Willie Miller through a pack of teletubbies? And isn't Malachai one of the greatest movie icons from a completely crappy movie there is? Besides Jason Voorhees, I mean? OK, I'm babbling now.

(2) - No, I didn't. I don't even know where he lives. Of course I made this whole thing up.

Remembering Bob Devaney

2012-05-10T18:02:27Z

For many younger Husker fans, Bob Devaney is just a name. A meaningful name, memorialized in the Devaney Center for basketball, mind you. But they don't remember the man who really is the Bobfather of Nebraska athletics. But recent events bring him back to mind. Tippy Dye, who brought Devaney to Lincoln from Wyoming, passed away last month at age 97. Dye was Nebraska's athletic director from 1962-1967, handing over the reigns of the entire athletic department to Devaney at that time. Devaney was athletic director from 1967 to 1993, who was replaced by Bill Byrne, who retired from Texas A&M earlier this week.

So if you think Nebraska's three national championships in the 1990's are ancient history, you likely don't have an appreciation for Bob Devaney. But make no bones about it - without Bob Devaney, Nebraska football would not be what it is today. Heck, it might not even be what Iowa State football is today. Nebraska would not be a member of the Big Ten; heck, the Huskers might not even be in the Big XII. Maybe the Mountain West or Conference USA.

Prior to Devaney, Nebraska football was horrid. Bill Jennings went 15-34-1 in five seasons in Lincoln with four straight sixth place finishes in the Big Eight. The Huskers had only been to two bowl games by 1962: the 1941 Rose and 1955 Orange. Heck in the 1950's, Omaha University (now Nebraska-Omaha) had as many bowl games as the Huskers did. Nebraska's Memorial Stadium held the same number of fans that it did when the place opened in 1923: 31,080.

Devaney started winning almost immediately. He caught everybody's attention by upsetting Michigan in the Big House 25-13 in the second game of the season. At the start of November, Nebraska sold out a home game with Missouri with an overflow crowd of 36,000, starting a sellout streak that continues fifty years later. The winning continued, forcing the University to quickly expand Memorial Stadium. The South end zone was enclosed in 1964 to take capacity to 48,000. The next year, seats were added in the North end zone, and by 1966, the stadium was enclosed and capacity had been doubled to 62,644.

After the 1965 season, Nebraska played Alabama for a national championship against Alabama, but lost 39-28 in the Orange Bowl. But Devaney's programs struggled in 1967 and 1968, going 6-4. Fans started to jump off the bandwagon and there was even a petition drive to fire Devaney underway. Assistant coach John Melton used to joke that he signed it. Devaney then handed the playcalling duties to a young assistant coach named Tom Osborne in 1969. The next season, Nebraska won a national championship, and did it again in 1971. And in 1972, Devaney handed Osborne the reigns of the football program, stepping aside with a 101-20-2 (.82) record.

Devaney continued to lead the program until his later years. The stadium continued to expand, and the rest of the athletic department started to flourish. Though it the later years, the football program found itself in debt, and University leadership brought in Bill Byrne to balance the books. Devaney continued as "athletic director emeritus" until a 1995 stroke led to his retirement in 1996. He died on May 9, 1997.

Devaney was known for being a man-about-town, and the stories about Devaney are legendary. Devaney even hosted a football prediction show on Lincoln television on Friday nights, and in 1980, he started talking about sending Barry Switzer to the Sun Bowl the next day. Switzer walked onto the set and handed Devaney a bag of tacos. The next night, Switzer handed Nebraska a defeat...and it was the Huskers heading to El Paso instead of the Sooners.