Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[SeanB]

I believe they will excel in the following areas:

Grazing, shucking, felling trees, plowing, raising pole barns, whittlin' things out of sticks, constructing corn mazes and wearing more things that are red than Wisky and O-lie-o combined.

That is all.

[entropy]

In football, I expect Nebraska to be a permanent fixture in the top 4-5 in the conference. I expect that they will be in the CCG quite frequently. I doubt that they will ever be in the lower 3-4 of the conference.

Baseball, I expect them to dominate. Basketball, probably mid-range.

The rest of the sports, I think they'll be like everyone else. They'll have good and bad years.

Agree in football. Baseball neb should dominate but we have a bad coach. Basketball neb will suck. Also neb will do well in wrestling and volleyball. The rest neb will be average.

[entropy]

They may be in good hands with Bo but if Neb struggles early (and I agree with all who think they will), how long will Bo last if he blows his top a few more times than he should and at the same time is loosing 3 or 4 games a season. The guy is volatile.

Nebraska's biggest problem will be preparing 12 game schedule with 11 new teams. (Washington being the exception). Every week is brand new learning.


Well that a QB play

[entropy]

I believe they will excel in the following areas:

Grazing, shucking, felling trees, plowing, raising pole barns, whittlin' things out of sticks, constructing corn mazes and wearing more things that are red than Wisky and O-lie-o combined.

That is all.

If it helps a site is asking for fan predictions. 10 so far with 9 predicting a loss to Michigan.

[lineygoblue]

9 predicting a loss to Michigan.

That's going to be a tough two week stretch for Michigan. They play the Huskers, then the Schmucknuts. I can't see Michigan winning both. I know they'll be aiming for a win over O-lie-O, and I think most folks would trade a loss to the Huskers for a win over the Schmucks.

[WM Wolverine]

Huskers, Ohio State then the B10 CCG; tough 3-week stretch for M.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Michigan fans will find out if M is back or still working on it in those two games.

Like most, I want to see the kind of teams that Michigan had in the height of the Schembechler era that got better in every game playing there best againat osu at the end of the season.

[entropy]

'N' brand is classy, DiNardo says

Posted by: Steve Sipple on April 21, 2011 at 9:31PM CST

As a Big Ten Network football analyst, Gerry DiNardo obviously has some pull in the league.

Enough pull to be able to watch at least one practice at every Big Ten school this spring. Yep, full access. In fact, the 58-year-old DiNardo, a former head coach at Vanderbilt (1991-94), Louisiana State (1995-99) and Indiana (2002-04), recently completed his spring tour. He covered 5,322 miles.

“You crisscross back and forth because I want to get to a school for its fifth or sixth practice, when they’re in full pads, and they’re not really worried about injuries yet," DiNardo told me Thursday. "Kids usually still have their legs at that point of the spring, and I can compare apples to apples.”

I'll give DiNardo's insights about the Big Ten in 2011 in an extensive Saturday column.

For now, here's a nugget about one area that impressed him during his April 4 visit to Nebraska:

Regarding NU's football facilities, "Obviously, they're on par with Penn State and Ohio State, which have the best facilities in the Big Ten. So now you have three of them.

What jumped out at me in Lincoln was the 'N' is so well-branded. It's done in a very classy manner. It's a clean, crisp image, which was really impressive to me. I thought it was right on target. It's boom. It's Nebraska. It's the 'N.' It's done in very good taste, maybe that's the best way to say it."

He said he regards Nebraska and Michigan State as favorites to capture the Legends Division. Sorry, Iowa fans.

I asked him if there's a significant gap after Ohio State and Wisconsin in the Leaders Division?

“Yes,” he said flatly.

[entropy]

'N' brand is classy, DiNardo says

Posted by: Steve Sipple on April 21, 2011 at 9:31PM CST

As a Big Ten Network football analyst, Gerry DiNardo obviously has some pull in the league.

Enough pull to be able to watch at least one practice at every Big Ten school this spring. Yep, full access. In fact, the 58-year-old DiNardo, a former head coach at Vanderbilt (1991-94), Louisiana State (1995-99) and Indiana (2002-04), recently completed his spring tour. He covered 5,322 miles.

?You crisscross back and forth because I want to get to a school for its fifth or sixth practice, when they?re in full pads, and they?re not really worried about injuries yet," DiNardo told me Thursday. "Kids usually still have their legs at that point of the spring, and I can compare apples to apples.?

I'll give DiNardo's insights about the Big Ten in 2011 in an extensive Saturday column.

For now, here's a nugget about one area that impressed him during his April 4 visit to Nebraska:

Regarding NU's football facilities, "Obviously, they're on par with Penn State and Ohio State, which have the best facilities in the Big Ten. So now you have three of them.

What jumped out at me in Lincoln was the 'N' is so well-branded. It's done in a very classy manner. It's a clean, crisp image, which was really impressive to me. I thought it was right on target. It's boom. It's Nebraska. It's the 'N.' It's done in very good taste, maybe that's the best way to say it."

He said he regards Nebraska and Michigan State as favorites to capture the Legends Division. Sorry, Iowa fans.

I asked him if there's a significant gap after Ohio State and Wisconsin in the Leaders Division?

?Yes,? he said flatly.

[entropy]

OL issues for Nebraska?...


2008 Class OL Recruits

- David Grant: Didn't Make It
- Ricky Henry: Gone, graduated
- Brandon Thompson: Career Backup (at best)
- Baker Steinkuhler: Moved to DT

2009 Class OL Recruits

- Nick Ash: Non-contributor
- Jesse Coffey: Done (injury)
- Brent Qvale: Starter (as a redshirt soph)
- Sirles: Starter (as a redshirt soph)
- Pensick: Undetermined (not likely to contribute based on injuries and talent level)

2010 Class OL Recruits

- Jermarcus Hardrick: Backup (gone after this year)
- Mike Moudy: Backup (will play)
- Andrew Rodriguez: Starter (as a true soph)
- Jake Cotton: Backup (should play)

With an O-fer on high school recruits in 2008, and potentially only 2 out of 5 high school recruits producing from our 2009 class, we're going to lean heavy on the 2010 and 2011 classes after this year. The good news is that the 2010 class looks very good. The bad news is that we don't know what we're getting yet from the 2011 class (with the exception of Moore), and by most accounts we're taking a small class this year (2012).

From a numbers perspective, 2012 could get interesting if we have any injuries or the 2011 class fails to produce.

[entropy]

LJS

Bo Pelini heads into the Big Ten Conference with a revised contract that places him in the upper tier of the league's highest-paid football coaches.

Under terms of a deal that became effective March 1, the fourth-year Nebraska head coach's annual base salary increased to $2.775 million, a raise of $425,000 from his 2010 contract. Under the new, five-year deal, Pelini's base salary will escalate $100,000 annually, reaching $3.175 million in 2015.

The length of Pelini's contract was extended one year, and his performance bonuses increased significantly. The new deal also more than doubles the amount NU would owe Pelini if he is fired.

Gone from Pelini's contract is a one-time retention bonus. Under terms of his old deal, Pelini had been set to earn a payment of $500,000 if still employed as Nebraska's head coach on Jan. 31, 2015.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said Friday that a recent court ruling eliminated academic performance bonuses from coaches' contracts. Consequently, Osborne said, Pelini's raise is partially meant to compensate for those two factors.

"But there was an increase over and above those things because we're pleased with Bo's performance overall," Osborne said. "He's done a very good job over a short period of time, and we want to make sure he understands that."

Osborne added, "What people look at today when looking at contracts is not how much you're going to make over five years, or how much you're going to make in 2015. They want to know what you're making right now. When someone thinks about making somebody a better offer … I just felt we needed to make the contract a little more contemporary and more consistent with what other people are doing, so that's what we did."

The 43-year-old Pelini is 30-12 as Nebraska's head coach. The Huskers this past season finished 10-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12, losing in the conference championship game for the second straight season.

Based on published reports of Big Ten coaches' pay, Pelini's new base salary ranks third in the 12-team league behind Ohio State's Jim Tressel ($4.1 million) and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz ($3.8 million).

Pelini's base salary in 2008, his first season at NU, was $1.1 million.

Bonuses in the new deal increased markedly compared with those in Pelini's 2010 deal, when Nebraska played in the Big 12. Under the new bonus structure, Pelini would be paid one of the following amounts (with increases in parentheses):

*$100,000 for tying for the Legends Division title, without an appearance in the conference championship game (up $50,000).

*$200,000 for reaching the Big Ten championship game (up $50,000)

*$350,000 for winning the league championship game (up $100,000).

In addition, Pelini would receive $150,000 if Nebraska reaches any bowl game (up $50,000) or $250,000 if it's a BCS bowl, which is a bonus not part of his previous deal.

He would receive $350,000 if NU reaches the BCS championship game (up $200,000) or $650,000 if the Huskers win the BCS crown (up $400,000).

Another new perk is 16 hours of private jet use for personal travel.

If Pelini is fired without contractual cause, Nebraska will owe him $150,000 per month, or $1.8 million annually, for the remaining time on his contract. In his 2010 deal, the liquidated damages per month were $62,500.

[entropy]

LJS

Bo Pelini heads into the Big Ten Conference with a revised contract that places him in the upper tier of the league's highest-paid football coaches.

Under terms of a deal that became effective March 1, the fourth-year Nebraska head coach's annual base salary increased to $2.775 million, a raise of $425,000 from his 2010 contract. Under the new, five-year deal, Pelini's base salary will escalate $100,000 annually, reaching $3.175 million in 2015.

The length of Pelini's contract was extended one year, and his performance bonuses increased significantly. The new deal also more than doubles the amount NU would owe Pelini if he is fired.

Gone from Pelini's contract is a one-time retention bonus. Under terms of his old deal, Pelini had been set to earn a payment of $500,000 if still employed as Nebraska's head coach on Jan. 31, 2015.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said Friday that a recent court ruling eliminated academic performance bonuses from coaches' contracts. Consequently, Osborne said, Pelini's raise is partially meant to compensate for those two factors.

"But there was an increase over and above those things because we're pleased with Bo's performance overall," Osborne said. "He's done a very good job over a short period of time, and we want to make sure he understands that."

Osborne added, "What people look at today when looking at contracts is not how much you're going to make over five years, or how much you're going to make in 2015. They want to know what you're making right now. When someone thinks about making somebody a better offer ? I just felt we needed to make the contract a little more contemporary and more consistent with what other people are doing, so that's what we did."

The 43-year-old Pelini is 30-12 as Nebraska's head coach. The Huskers this past season finished 10-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12, losing in the conference championship game for the second straight season.

Based on published reports of Big Ten coaches' pay, Pelini's new base salary ranks third in the 12-team league behind Ohio State's Jim Tressel ($4.1 million) and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz ($3.8 million).

Pelini's base salary in 2008, his first season at NU, was $1.1 million.

Bonuses in the new deal increased markedly compared with those in Pelini's 2010 deal, when Nebraska played in the Big 12. Under the new bonus structure, Pelini would be paid one of the following amounts (with increases in parentheses):

*$100,000 for tying for the Legends Division title, without an appearance in the conference championship game (up $50,000).

*$200,000 for reaching the Big Ten championship game (up $50,000)

*$350,000 for winning the league championship game (up $100,000).

In addition, Pelini would receive $150,000 if Nebraska reaches any bowl game (up $50,000) or $250,000 if it's a BCS bowl, which is a bonus not part of his previous deal.

He would receive $350,000 if NU reaches the BCS championship game (up $200,000) or $650,000 if the Huskers win the BCS crown (up $400,000).

Another new perk is 16 hours of private jet use for personal travel.

If Pelini is fired without contractual cause, Nebraska will owe him $150,000 per month, or $1.8 million annually, for the remaining time on his contract. In his 2010 deal, the liquidated damages per month were $62,500.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Huskerz-Buckeyes is officially going to be a primetime game on ABC or ESPN

[entropy]

In nebraska they are saying ABC.

When the schedule came out, I laughed that Nebraska's first BigTen home game was the same week as Texas/OU. I think we see why..

[Regelbuck]

Huskers, Ohio State then the B10 CCG; tough 3-week stretch for M.

lol...thanks I needed that.