Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

I think Illinois will get 6 wins. They're a decent team that should get 2 more wins off their schedule.

I think Indiana will not. I think that went out the window with their disastrous collapse against Rutgers.

I think Minnesota will not. There's no way they can beat HARBAUGH! and a win over Ohio State in Columbus is unlikely. I don't think they win in Iowa City and Wisconsin has historically beaten them like a drum. And, for that matter, they could easily lose to Illinois or [INSERT TEAM]

I think UNL is a toss-up. I think they could easily beat MSU or Iowa at home. Then again, they could also easily shit the bed with one of their two "gimme" wins.

I think Rutgers won't come close, but will be closer than Purdue.

So, I think 8 teams. However, with so many bowl spots this season, 5-7 teams will be going to bowls.

[Hannibal]

No way does Nebraska beat MSU at home. It won't be close. That pass defense is a sieve. Cook will tear them apart.

[entropy]

We need Nebraska to be Nebraska again. The B1G didn't bring them in to be fodder for NW ..

UNL might be perfect right now.. easy win, won't upset any of the traditional power structures?. BIG fans can claim the ?see how tough the BIG is compared to the Big12?? UNL still sells out and has good TV ratings, so they are a net donor to the cause, not another NW or Purdue?

And I?m not optimistic about our future with the fractioned fan base..

[iam416]

We need Nebraska to be Nebraska again.

Nebraska hasn't been "Nebraska" for over a decade. And there's no real reason to think they'll be "Nebraska" any time soon. The reality is that their long-term prospects are West Division-competitive, which puts them in line with programs like Wisky and Iowa and Minnesota. They are not going to be a national presence.

[froot loops]

The Big Ten will be fine with or without Nebraska being a power.

[iam416]

Correct.

[froot loops]

I am no expert in Nebraska football, but it seems to me when they were really good, they had some competitive advantages that probably aren't there anymore.

1. The first program to really embrace weight lifting, they were far ahead of everybody else for quite a long time.

2. They had an extensive walk-on program that gave the team incredible strength. Anybody in the plains wanted to go to Nebraska and sometimes they would walk on rather than going to a lesser school on a scholarship.

3. They played in a weak conference with the Big 8 for most of those great years.

[Hannibal]

The Big Ten will be fine with or without Nebraska being a power.

Maybe. But if the Big Ten East wins 90% of the conference championship games, it will get sort of tiresome.

[entropy]

I am no expert in Nebraska football, but it seems to me when they were really good, they had some competitive advantages that probably aren't there anymore.

1. The first program to really embrace weight lifting, they were far ahead of everybody else for quite a long time.

2. They had an extensive walk-on program that gave the team incredible strength. Anybody in the plains wanted to go to Nebraska and sometimes they would walk on rather than going to a lesser school on a scholarship.

3. They played in a weak conference with the Big 8 for most of those great years.

You probably should have typed Tom Osborne and left it at that.... UNL doesn't have a NC without TO on the staff calling the plays. He was an great offensive mind who managed every aspect of the program as part of one larger plan.. everything was done for a reason and the players understood why. UNL has been an outlier when it comes to winning. The question is can UNL find another TO..

So I chuckle when people say UNL is losing because they're in the BIG or now they have to play real teams... (like the big was mich/osu for yrs too).. or any other lame excuse. It is and will be about the rare capabilities of TO.

[Hannibal]

Nebraska still is on better long term footing than anyone else in the West thanks to their name recognition, fan support, and history. They can still pull a good recruit from out of state whereas Minnehaha and Iowa can't.

[Jeff Buchanan]

You probably should have typed Tom Osborne and left it at that.... UNL doesn't have a NC without TO on the staff calling the plays. ........ It is and will be about the rare capabilities of TO.

I find it entertaining to be talking about this stuff in hindsight because, you know, it is so familiar to us M fans now that all of that is behind us. Heh.

Anyway .... like I said above. It's about hiring a good coach. I don't know if you'll find your TO. He was unique in ways that Bo was not. So yeah, Harbaugh is of the Bo coaching tree and all that so it's good.

But there are plenty of young coordinators out there with huge potential to be great head football coaches, right off the top of my head I'd name Tom Herman (yes, I now, he already has a HC gig) and DJ Durkin.

I think Neb fans who know football in your state know about the politics there better than any of us here do but, I think I get the picture. It's not just about finding a great football coach in Lincoln. You do have to find another TO who fits in politically with the U and with the circmstances he is going to be expected to deal with. Tall order.

[entropy]

and I'd suggest the BIG needs both PSU and Nebraska to be better. Like it or not, people judge a conference and the teams within that conference based upon the quality of the name brands. The big12 is not getting the reputation it had when Texas/OU were on top now that Baylor/TCU are leading the charge.. just the way it is..

[entropy]

I find it entertaining to be talking about this stuff in hindsight because, you know, it is so familiar to us M fans now that all of that is behind us. Heh.

Anyway .... like I said above. It's about hiring a good coach. I don't know if you'll find your TO. He was unique in ways that Bo was not. So yeah, Harbaugh is of the Bo coaching tree and all that so it's good.

But there are plenty of young coordinators out there with huge potential to be great head football coaches, right off the top of my head I'd name Tom Herman (yes, I now, he already has a HC gig) and DJ Durkin.

I think Neb fans who know football in your state know about the politics there better than any of us here do but, I think I get the picture. It's not just about finding a great football coach in Lincoln. You do have to find another TO who fits in politically with the U and with the circmstances he is going to be expected to deal with. Tall order.

the program has this problem where winning isn't good enough. You have to win the "Nebraska Way". There is this sense from a loud small minoirty that all you have to do is run the ball, lift more and try harder and NC are around the corner. It's not true. The amount of pressure on the kids to live up to the 90's standard is crushing. I believe it is part of the problem.

The N on the helmet still means something.. 20 yrs from now, not sure. The next hire needs to be a big splash and a guy who wants physical football. And the fans need to accept that winning is a good thing.

[UMStan White]

'It is and will be about the rare capabilities of TO. "

Oh I think Delaney would have something to say about that. (if he were still alive)

[Hannibal]

Nebraska needs to find somebody who can leverage the name and the fan support for better recruiting. Riley is not that guy. Nebraska's recruiting has been poop. It's not the only problem, but it is a problem. When was the last time that Nebraska beat Michigan, Ohio State, and/or Penn State for a prized recruit?