Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[lineygoblue]

Yeah, they've been real good lately.

Still, I think that the Husker's volleyball program will dominate the Big Ten in the long run.

The team winning the conference title will have to be a top seed in the NCAA's and probably a favorite to win it all each year.

[Tony G]

Big Ten primer for Big Red

By Rick Reilly
ESPN.com
Archive
Eric Francis/Getty ImagesThis fall, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini will lead the Cornhuskers into their first season in the Big Ten.

Hello, Nebraska!
Now that you're joining the 12-team Big Ten, nothing is going to make sense anymore. I know it doesn't for me. Growing up as a Colorado Buffs fan, we were taught that if Nebraska was playing Libya, we should be there with a giant poster of Moammar Gaddafi.
So why do we feel this weird need to help you switch over?
Because your state gave us Johnny Carson and Larry the Cable Guy. Besides, you kicked our butts to the state line every year and we're frankly glad to see you go.
You are joining one of the great football traditions in America, a fabric woven with sturdy football, passionate fans and the time-honored institution of selling your jerseys for tattoos. So here you go, Nebraska. Let us help you get the lay of the Heartland.
Your new rival -- Forget Oklahoma. Now it's Iowa, like it or not. You close out your regular season with the Hawkeyes on the day after Thanksgiving at home. Iowa's a natural for you. Both your states are so flat you can watch a train pull out for three days.
Football-wise, Iowa has been better than you lately, but you're 26-12-3 against the Hawkeyes overall, plus your football lore gives their lore an atomic wedgie (Nebraska: three full national championships and two half ones; Iowa: one-half of a national championship). All in all, it ought to be a big game every year. Got a name for it, too. The Cornfrontation.
I'm afraid Wisconsin is you, Nebraska, only with much better parties and more wins.

Academics -- I wouldn't bring this up at meetings, Nebraska. Until you joined, the Big Ten was the only Division I conference to have all its members in the prestigious Association of American Universities, which selects only the finest research and academic institutions in America. Sad how some people don't see the value in your night crawler research. Ah, well, when's the last time a bunch of lab geeks put 85,000 fannies in a stadium, am I right?
Dress code -- Now that Jim Tressel and The Vest are gone from Ohio State, there is no dress code. Your lunatic screamer of a head coach, Bo Pelini -- the man who could be an entire season of "What Not to Wear" -- is going to fit in nicely. Your fans aren't exactly ripped from the Armani catalog, either. Oy, that Sea of Red some of you wear: red socks, red overalls, red cowboy hats. Goes nice with your necks, though.
And since nobody travels better than Nebraska -- remember the time you went to South Bend? -- all that red is going to wash into Big Ten stadiums and they're going to wish you were all Big Dead. Divisions -- The Big Ten is divided into two divisions: Legends and Leaders. Yes, these are incredibly anvil-brained names for divisions, but you should have seen the stuff that lost out:
Second -- Princes and Potentates
Third -- Behemoths and Brutes
Fourth -- Cheats and Soon-to-be-caught Cheats
You will be in the Legends division, along with Michigan and Iowa and a bunch of Twinkies. But you're going to end up playing everybody, so let me give you the thumbnail on all of them (in order of how you'll grow to hate them):

MICHIGAN
There is a thing you'll discover called The Michigan Man. The Michigan Man believes he is above Normal Man. The Michigan Man is certain he invented the Big Ten, along with intellect, cocktails and sex. The Michigan Man is full of pride in himself and his Michigan degree -- so much so that you're going to want to bring a throw-up bowl along with you. Sadly, the Michigan Man has had to reduce the volume a little lately, having not beaten The Ohio State Man since the debut of the Edsel.
Michigan has arguably the grandest stadium in college football. The Big House is the largest in the United States -- holding 109,901 -- and yet they still sell out 102 percent of the seats. Can you imagine? They have very cool helmets that have nothing to do with their nickname, the Wolverines, which is about as indigenous to Michigan as the fairy penguin. They're talking about having a mascot, though, which is going to ruin everything.
Anyway, Michigan runs things. It's the Dean Wormer of the Big Ten. It's fun to mess with Michigan.

OHIO STATE
You're coming to the Big Ten at a lucky time, Nebraska. Ohio State has been the king, but if the king is not dead, it's on one knee and searching around for its mouthpiece. Buckeyes fans are usually very nice people, but all this vacating of wins has caused them to vacate their manners. They harassed Golden Boy QB and ESPN announcer Kirk Herbstreit into moving to Nashville and they sent death threats to the college newspaper sports editor over Tressel. Remind me, what did those guys sell?Your Cornhuskers and coach Bo Weevil have a chance to come in early and corn-slap some people.

WISCONSIN
You're going to love coming to Madison, until kickoff. Put it this way, a weekend in Madison is going to beat the bejesus out of going to Ames, Manhattan or Stillwater. Great town, fun fans, delicious brats.The problem is, Wisconsin has even bigger and stronger linemen than you do. Do you realize that the last lineman you had taken in the first round of the NFL draft was 27 years ago? Dean Steinkuhler? The Badgers have had five in that time!
I'm afraid Wisconsin is you, Nebraska, only with much better parties and more wins.

PENN STATE
Fun facts for you to tell when you visit Happy Valley on Nov. 12: Q: If they are the Nittany Lions, why do they play in Beaver Stadium?
A: It's named after James Beaver, former Pennsylvania governor.
Q: Why do Penn State players wear black shoes?
A: Reportedly, coach Joe Paterno believes it makes his players look slower, which is not true. Bowl games do.
Q: How is the health of the 84-year-old Paterno?
A: His ears still hurt a little from The Big Bang.

MICHIGAN STATE
If you want to get under their skin, just go up to Michigan State fans wearing Spartans jerseys and say, "Oh, couldn't get into Michigan, huh?"Then duck.

NORTHWESTERN
You will see a few people in purple shirts with a stupid cat logo on them. You do NOT have to worry about them. But be nice to their students. A lot of them end up running big media companies. The Wildcats found a really good coach in Pat Fitzgerald, though. He's hot property. Get his email ready for when Pelini rips off a referee's arm and eats it
.
AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarJoe Paterno may still be smiling after his Penn State team plays Nebraska Nov. 12 in Happy Valley.


ILLINOIS
You draw more for your spring game than the Illini do for regular-season ones. I'm not kidding. You drew 66,784 for your spring game this year. The Illini didn't even average that for home games last year.

INDIANA
Just awful. Being a football fan in Indiana is like being a scuba fan in Tibet. There's no point. The "I" on the Hoosiers' helmets is for the number of games they win every year.

PURDUE
It's hard to hate Purdue. You get to watch the little train that runs around. You get to watch the Boilermaker mascot get in fights. And you get to watch Purdue throw the football like crazy and still lose 56-35. Great fun.

MINNESOTA
The Gophers are in your Legends division. The only thing they're legendary for is losing. You'll love them. As for you, Nebraska, the Big Ten is really going to take an instant dislike to you. Why? Saves time.Yes, you're relatively nice people. You never swear. You're devoted fans. But you represent a real threat. You could win a few titles someday and they aren't going to like it.
Also, those games at Memorial Stadium with the freezing rain and the howling wind and nothing around for 100 miles to hide behind but corn stalks? They're not fun. Put it this way: You're going to have LOTS of visiting team tickets to re-sell.
You know what might impress them, though? Your bowl record. You're 24-23 all time. You better knock that crap off.
In the Big Ten, that's just showing off.

[lineygoblue]

I know this guys article is supposed to be tongue in cheek, but I think he's completely wrong on how Nebraska fans will view Michigan. I think Nebraska and Michigan will end up having a great rivalry, but it will be friendlier than most rivalries.

The reason is both schools' fans enjoy and appreciate the game in the same ways. Nebraska will learn very quickly who the "worst" fans are, and they aren't in Ann Arbor.

And Nebraska's rivalry with Iowa will soon become classic. Its a great game for the Friday after Thanksgiving. I know I'll be watching.

[Mike]

I'm concerened for any fan that travels to columbus.

[lineygoblue]

Its not a nice place, and I'm concerned for the Nebraska fans who go there with an open mind, just to find that they're about to be treated like pond scum.

[entropy]

I think that was a CU fans attempt at humor.

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110723/BIGRED/707239836/-1#mckewon-professors-careful-with-nu-s-inner-workings

McKewon: 'Professors' careful with NU's inner workings

[entropy]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110723/BIGRED/707239829#rookie-to-dig-hard-as-a-husker

Rookie to dig hard as a Husker

[entropy]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/6796146/michael-rose-believes-nebraska

When you talk football, recruiting and the future with Nebraska commitment and Gridiron King Michael Rose (Kansas City, Mo./Rockhurst), you can't help but get excited for this linebacker prospect.
You're excited because he's excited. Rose, for one, is proud of his decision to continue his football career in Lincoln.
"I love the direction of the program at Nebraska," said Rose, the nation's No. 4 middle linebacker. "Coach [Bo] Pelini is a defensive-minded guy. Up there, it's tough-nosed and hard work. They have a great strength coach and I can't wait to put on that muscle. The ideals of old Nebraska football are back from their glory days in the 1990s. Even Coach [Tom] Osborne is still there as their AD.
cont..

[entropy]

http://www.bigtennetwork.com/dpp/about_us/Time-Warner-Cable-Moving-Big-Ten-Network-to-Standard-Service-in-Nebraska

TWC moving Big Ten Network to standard service in Nebraska. That leaves Cox, Charter, and Dish

[entropy]

LINCOLN — Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck walks with purpose into the auditorium.

There's a rustle in the audience of Husker fans who have paid $285 to hear, ostensibly, how NU's football team is preparing for its inaugural season in the Big Ten.

But, almost seven hours into this Football 202 event, they're also here for the man tabbed by head coach Bo Pelini to rebuild Nebraska's offense. The same offense that, under former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, ran aground in 2009 and 2010 at all the wrong times.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110723/BIGRED/707239836/1048#mckewon-professors-careful-with-nu-s-inner-workings

[Mike]

Interesting historical connections between the Michigan and Nebraska football programs.

From the archives at mgoblue.com:

Michigan and Nebraska have a unique connection dating back to the early days of college football. Nebraska?s first official head coach was Frank Crawford in 1893, who had been a part of Michigan?s original coaching duo in 1891. Crawford was replaced at Nebraska by Charles Thomas, a guard on Michigan?s teams of 1891 and 1892 and who had served as an assistant coach under Crawford since his graduation. Thomas took over the reins as Nebraska?s head coach for the 1895 season. In 1898, Fielding Yost stepped in to lead the Huskers. Yost, who three years later would begin his storied Wolverine coaching career, compiled an 8-3 record in his only season at the helm. In 1919, Henry Shulte, a guard on Michigan?s national championship teams of 1903 and 1904 as a well as 1905, took over as coach of Nebraska. He led the Huskers to an 8-6-3 record over two seasons, but is more well known as a track coach, guiding the NU track team to 15 conference titles in 20 years. A standout quarterback on Michigan?s national championship team of 1948, Pete Elliott became the fifth person to become part of both Wolverine and Husker football history when he took the top spot at Nebraska in 1956. At just 29 years of age, Elliott was the youngest coach in the modern history of Nebraska. He compiled a 4-6 record in just one season before going west to take the head coaching position at California.

[entropy]

mike.. great stuff. thanks

[entropy]

@stevesipple Nebraska football team's GPA (3.00080) is highest since at least 1987, and perhaps highest ever, NU team officials say. Column for Tuesday


Posted: Monday, July 25, 2011 11:35 pm

This isn't a juicy story that will appear on ESPN's scroll.

This isn't labor strife, or another five-star football recruit choosing an SEC school. This isn't scandal. Nancy Grace wouldn't touch this information with a 10-foot Ethernet cord.

Nobody will shout "stop the presses" for this news, but perhaps someone should.
The Nebraska football team's overall grade-point average recently jumped to 3.008 (on a 4.0 scale), the highest mark since at least 1987, according to Dennis Leblanc, NU senior associate athletic director.

Some Husker officials believe you'd have to search back many, many years to find a Husker football team that had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. In fact, you might not find such a team at all (NU officials started tracking the football team's GPA in the late 1980s).

Nebraska's current players obviously deserve praise, as do Leblanc and his academic support team (he highlighted "behind-the-scenes work" by Kim Schellpeper and Katie Jewell). Truth is, there's a long list of folks that help make such success happen.

Bo Pelini should be placed high on the list, Leblanc said. After all, he sets the tone.

Granted, the fourth-year Nebraska head coach has his flaws, like the rest of us. He's the first to admit it. He can be, um, a bit surly. He could benefit from a Dale Carnegie course or two. Of course, Bo doesn't seem overly interested in winning friends. He's mostly interested in winning games.

A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection at Ohio State (1988-1990), Pelini also takes a hard-line stance when it comes to his players excelling in the classroom.

"As most people know, there's no gray area with Bo about a lot of things," Leblanc said. "That's how it is with academics."

Leblanc has been a member of Nebraska's academic support program for student-athletes since 1987. He greatly appreciates Pelini's approach.

"If the head football coach is on my side -- which in my time at Nebraska always has been the case -- it allows me the leverage to tell the players, ‘Look, you guys can either deal with me on this, or you're going to have to deal with coach Pelini,'" Leblanc said. "Most of the time the guys are going to say, ‘OK, Dennis, let's work it out.'"

Probably a wise move, if you get my drift.

"Bo's always so supportive of what we do in academic support," Leblanc said. "I know at some schools, the head coach questions the academic people. It's not that Bo doesn't stick behind his players. He does. Everybody knows that. But when it comes to the academic part of it, he knows if I'm bringing something to him, it's gotten to the point where we need his assistance, and he's going to back us 100 percent. The players know that."

Evidence backs Leblanc. Pelini and his staff track four main academic statistics -- fall semester GPA, fall cumulative GPA, spring semester GPA and spring cumulative GPA. This past year, three out of those four GPAs were higher than any year since 1987, said Jeff Jamrog, Nebraska assistant athletic director for football operations.

The academic success of Husker student-athletes in all sports is well-documented. Nebraska has had more CoSIDA Academic All-Americans than any school in the nation.

Nebraska fans will appreciate that the most high-profile of all Husker sports is more than holding its own academically.

I recall a conversation with Pelini in the spring of 2009. I caught him on his cell phone as he looked for a building on campus. He was checking to see if a couple of his players were in a class. How many head coaches do that?

"He still may do that occasionally," Jamrog said. "The good thing is, he really hasn't had to do it in a long time because we aren't getting any feedback that says kids are missing class."

The proof is in the GPA.

Stop the presses.

[entropy]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUKNdhVAswY&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUKNdhVAswY&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]