Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[THE_WIZARD_]

....and Leon is getting LARGER...

[entropy]

Wisky 28
Nebraska 24

[entropy]

....and Leon is getting LARGER...

[WM Wolverine]

Oklahoma on the schedule, congrats.

[entropy]

from deadspin..

Nov 29, 2012 12:50 PM
Barry Petchesky

What's the market price for an easy home win in college football? The Southern Miss Golden Eagles have made a deal to move next season's opener—a long-anticipated matchup against Nebraska in Hattiesburg—to Nebraska instead. In a letter between the schools' athletic directors dated last week, which was viewed by Deadspin, Southern Miss agreed to sell home-field advantage to the Cornhuskers for $2,125,000, which is almost exactly the amount Southern Miss owes to its newly fired football coach.

The contract, sent from Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne to Southern Miss AD Jeff Hammond, serves as an amendment to a three-year deal signed in 2008. It was officially signed by USM's president this morning. Here's how it reads:


The location for the game shall be changed from M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, MS to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE.

The visiting team (the University of Southern Mississippi) shall be paid a flat dollar guarantee of $2,125,000,00.

On Tuesday, USM announced the firing of coach Ellis Johnson. For a debt-ridden athletics department, the cost of buying out the remaining three years of his contract is steep: $2.1 million. Funny how things work out.

[WM Wolverine]

It was a 1-for-1 deal? Basically you paid half of that $2.125mil per visit.

[Mike]

Plus whatever So. Miss made for this year's game.

[WM Wolverine]

Yeah, didn't think of that. Either way a home date you weren't expected value is well, well north of $2mil.

[THE_WIZARD_]

It was a 2 for 1 deal. We have another home game down the road with them that was part of this deal. USM is selling out so they can buyout their coach who they just fired. They know they stood little chance of winning even at home and stood NO chance of raising 2.1 mil with a home game (closer to like $700k) so they did the fiscally responsible thing. UNL will now have 8 home games next year...and two of the away games are at Purdue and at Minnesota...along with away games at Penn State (who will be down further in really what will be the first year of the sanctions) and at Ann Arbor...frankly that is the only game UNL may lose next year and we'll still be favored in that game I think. Next year could come down to the SEC Champ vs. B1G Champ (UNL vs. tOSU).

[entropy]

Nebraska does play UCLA at home

[WM Wolverine]

M's schedule next season: Legends & OSU, PSU & Indiana from Leaders and only ND competitive (they lose quite a bit imo) in OOC...

M loses 4 OL (if Lewan leaves as expected), Denard Robinson, Roy Roundtree, William Campbell, Kenny Demens, JT Floyd, Craig Roh and Jordan Kovacs. Might not have Toussaint back too, potential full year injury if not a career ending...

10-2 are my hopes, 9-3 are my expectations, 8-4 will be a disappointment.

No depth on OL with the losses to graduation, early entry so injuries can't happen there. Need those redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomores to be ready before they are expected to be. Devin will need time in pocket (pass protection) to find his receivers, which aren't an overly talented bunch. Expect we'll see a lot more of Funchess as I hope he progresses as a blocker and used in more than just passing situation and M will be more of a passing game vs the conservative runing team they were in '12... M will need a capable running back and capable run blocking... Kovacs will be greatly missed, he kept almost every play in front of him and throwing someone else back there means big plays by the opposition. LB's will be in excellent shape without Demens who had a strong senior season, expect or hope Desmond Morgan to be better inside than outside. Ross was better than Morgan by seasons end at outside linebacker...

Losses of Campbell and Roh are significant but replaceable if talented athletes behind them step up as hoped/expected; e.g. like Frank Clark, Jibreel Black and the redshirt freshman like Pipkens, Wormley, Strobel, Ojemudia, etc...

Ohio is young everywhere this season (most everyone is back from an undefeated season) except for their DL where they are loaded with very talented underclassman that could easily take over...

Way too much depends on M's offense bringing in 4 new OL, 1 new QB, 1 new RB... Hopefully these guys have a great off-season and are very ready come next fall as way too much rest on unproven players.

[lineygoblue]

Gardner should be ready to sail right into the season as QB.

Lewan may surprise and stay. Especially if he thinks Michigan may have a shot at the CCG. I don't think he's projected very high in the NFL draft, but its still early.

Kovacs will be missed for his play an his leadership. A great story. If he had went to ND, they'd make a movie about him.

Back to Gardner for a moment. I hope that Borges will begin to utilize the medium to long range pass more in the offense. Gardner can see downfield, and has the arm strength and accuracy to put the 30-40 yard pass into play. That could make defenses sag back a bit, and open up some running lanes for the running game. If they have to respect the pass, they can't clog up the LOS. Gardner can make defenses respect the passing threat. Denard .. as much as we loved him .. was no such threat. DB's and safeties could just defend 20 yards and in, and likely not get burned.

[hack]

I think the key to the future is all those OL recruits. Gonna have to dominate the line.

Really, Lewan? He's a first-rounder, no?

[Hannibal]

10-2 are my hopes, 9-3 are my expectations, 8-4 will be a disappointment.

10-2 will be a miracle. Barring a commitment by Green, we will have absolutely nothing remotely resembling a running game. It will be a similar offense to what we had in 1999, but with siginificantly less talent at QB and WR. What I am seeing as the "swing" games are all on the road, which really hurts. Our home schedule is a mixture of sorry-ass tomato cans that should be automatic victories, and a few teams that I expect to be significantly favored regardless of venue (ND, Nebraska, OSU).

[hack]

To me your last sentence is overdoing it. Hoke has yet to lose in Ann Arbor; he's not gonna lose 3 times next year. Those teams aren't going to be significantly favored. Perhaps a little bit if any. You're right about the RB situation, but why not consider Deveon Smith? He's a 4-star recruit.

And what about Wyatt Shallman? We expected him to switch to defense, and IIRC he's too tall to fit the conventional profile of an effective RB, but in particular given the situation he's gonna get a look still, right?