Football has recently had much press about the head injuries in players during their playing days and afterwards.  The medical concerns are very important to consider in the future of football.  But there is another much grayer area that the recent attacks on football have lived in.  Is the student-athlete being exploited by universities making millions of dollars in television deals, licensing, and ticket sales?  And other than the schools making a profit from the football programs, what value do the programs bring to the school?

Every year there is a problem or debate that comes up trying to take down college football or change the shape of the game and its relationships with universities and athletes.  Last year, Grantland had a piece indicating that the end of college football was near, for no other reason that the eventual paying of players will remove amateurism from the game, and lead to the downfall of college football.

The fact that schools are making such large sums of money on the backs of players who are not getting paid is called "The Shame of College Sports" by the Atlantic.  According to the report, the past of college football is riddled with changes and concessions that have greatly altered how the schools make money and treat the students.  Players may not be paid more than a small yearly stipend for living expenses, but the schools greatly compensate players with an education, gear, training, travel, medical expenses, and complimentary tickets.  One report indicated that the value received by basketball players was nearly $120,000 per year.

This year, those very arguments get more than just a shaming, the call is to ban college football rather than pay players.  The priority of the university in regards to football is wrong according to many of the arguments.  Schools who field financially unsuccessful teams are burning precious resources that school be focusing on academics or even other athletic areas.  The same sort of debates happened when the University of Nebraska at Omaha decided to cut football in its move to the Div. I Summit League.  While sports media blasted the move, very little was heard on the side of eliminating the program.  Former UNO football player Chris Bober unintentionally sums up the dichotomy of this years debate in the ESPN article on UNO last year.

I think that programs should be held to a standard to where they maximize the amount of revenue they can generate, but they shouldn't be expected to generate more than it costs ... that's not what college athletics are about. They're about competing. They're about education. They're about opportunities. And if you start basing success on revenues, on trying to make a profit, well, then you're not going to find many successful programs anywhere.

You can't quibble with every selection.  But when you look at a player from a WAC school who played in the same era as Tommie Frazier, how can you say he achieved more in a team sport than Frazier?  You could say the same about Eddie George a year ago.  Likewise, does the eighth place finisher in Heisman voting like Otis Armstrong, really belong in ahead of Heisman winner Eric Crouch?

The pro football bias also may have been what did in players like Brian Bosworth.  The "Boz" is regarded as an NFL bust.  But you won't find many linebackers who gained as much attention nationally in college.

It's hard to believe that Frazier and Crouch can be kept out forever.  Someday, justice will have to be served.

The Husker trio all seem like they have a strong case for admission. Crouch seems in a good position as inducting former Heisman winners seems almost automatic. Detmer is such an example. Frazier would also seem likely to be selected both due to his two national championships and three championship game appearances as well the prevailing sense that he should have been given the Heisman trophy after he led the stomping of Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

Alberts might be more of a longshot given how relatively few linebackers have gotten in. Considering how much attention Brian Bosworth garnered in his day, it's hard to believe that the relatively quieter Alberts would be selected ahead of him. Both players seem deserving, but this may not be their year.

What the Big 12 Would Get

Adding two teams seems like a certainty for the Big 12. Any two teams mean the return of the conference championship game. And what other realistic choices are better than Florida State and Miami? Notre Dame is determinedly independent. The existing Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC schools seem out of play. Virginia Tech has had a nice run in the last 15 years, but probably doesn't offer much more than FSU or the Hurricanes. Miami's a reasonably good TV market, Tallahassee not so much. But if you consider that people all over the state of Florida follow the teams, they look that much better. Florida State has done well in basketball recently. Both the Seminoles and 'Canes have done well in baseball. It also would give the Big 12 a foothold in a hotbed for college football recruiting.

The major drawbacks would be the additional travel and lack of tradition between most schools. In Miami's case, you also wonder how well past performance can predict future success. The school is still private which can put it at a disadvantage when compared with state schools with larger enrollments. Despite much of its past glory, the Hurricanes often had trouble selling tickets even in seasons where the football program was winning 8-10 games. How appealing is the school if it can't even get to bowl eligibility? Gone are the days when Florida State and Miami were the only strong local schools recruiting in their state. Not only has Florida improved, but programs like South Florida, Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International are becoming increasing viable division I programs.  That's made recruiting in the state that much more challenging.

What FSU and Miami Would Get

Presumably this new Big 12 would command more TV dollars, but that's hardly guaranteed. Especially, if Texas would be taking more than 1/12th of the pie. The Longhorns could also siphon off what might otherwise be conference money with their own network. How much of that would FSU and Miami want to put up with? In the ACC, they aren't facing that kind of stacked deck (except maybe in basketball). The extra travel would hit them harder than other conference schools because other than playing each other, they are fairly distant from their conference brethren. Then there's the whole ACC buyout thing to contend with, which could offset the financial benefit in the near to mid-term considerably.

Given all these factors, the move is far from a slam dunk. From a Nebraska perspective, its not something to be rooting for or against in any strong way. It might be a good thing to see FSU, Miami, Texas, and OU all have to play tougher schedules. And some of us might just be pleased to see a conference called the Big 12 actually having 12 teams. That might also reduce ACC might to becoming "Virginia Tech and the 11 dwarfs", which might ultimately doom it as a football league. It shouldn't be the kind of thing to make NU fans rethink their departure from the Big 12. This likely wouldn't be possible without all of the Big 12 defections over the past two years. So it's probably not the case that NU missed out on the chance to play these teams annually. You also wonder what the SEC powers might be thinking. Would they want to scoop up FSU and Miami? They don't really expand the footprint but might expand the money.

Anyhow, this new era of colleges as free agents has made the offseasons that much more interesting. Stay tuned.

On many occasions, Bo Pelini discusses football in terms of attacking and being aggressive on the field.  But as to threats against football off the field, he cannot defend against those as easily.  A quick glance at sports sections would reveal a number of popular topics that threaten the football status quo, both professional and collegiate.  The medical issues do merit the most concern and are valid, but other areas are attacks against the institution of football in general.

The greatest threat to football players in their careers and lifetimes are not injuries like tearing a ligament or breaking a bone, it has always been concussions.  Boxer's dementia is a known issue and has been in the vernacular for 80 years.  It is hard to imagine that the repeated violent blows that are often suffered by football players would not lead to similar symptoms.  The benefits of greater protection have often been attributed to the increase in speed and violence with which players hurl themselves at each other.  For a very in depth history of the violence of the sport, this piece from the New Yorker says it all.

The medical issues are legitimate worries to help hurting people.  Those concerned parties who bring up the problem in the media may be perceived as a threat to a league that is defensive of their treatment as it pertains to the medical part of the game.  The NFL needs more than just some public relations work to resolve the issues of player health brought to the table.

There are also a series of concerns with the NFL because of the bounties imposed by players and staffs of certain programs.  The New Orleans Saints are facing a series of suspensions of coaches and players because of the "bounty program" put in place to intentionally injure opponents.  Coupled with the recent high profile deaths attributed to the Chronic traumatic encephalopathy of football players, this does not go over well.  It is easy to argue for the players being suspended.  But if the indications that many players end up with CTE just by playing the game regularly, then the whole system of player getting paid to do their job is just one giant bounty for injuries.

The Four-Letter Network

ESPN called Miles the fourth-best hire nationally. However, as you look at the explanations that follow their rankings, you almost wonder if they shouldn't have ranked him higher. Frank Martin was the top choice as he moved to South Carolina and was outstanding at Kansas State. But you might wonder if the guy's intensity is too over the top. Dan Hurley at Rhode Island had a nice track record at Wagner, but you almost get the sense that it's his family ties (he's Bobby Hurley's brother) that gained him this attention. Bruce Weber at Kansas State is a class act who had a nice run at Illinois. But generally speaking, how often do you see a coach moving down the food chain of coaching jobs maintain or increase on his past successes. That's not to say he won't win in Manhattan. Only that his best days are probably behind him.

You Can't Coach Tall

Nebraska obtained a commitment from 7'1", 235 lbs. Sergej Vucetic. Vucetic reportedly was receiving recruiting interest from schools like Georgia Tech, Illinois, Marquette, Vanderbilt, Providence, Rhode Island (take that Dan Hurley), and Northwestern. One thing you like about Vucetic's frame is that he's got a little meat on his bones. He doesn't arrive too thin to compete with other post players in the Big Ten. He also showed some good production having average 19 points and 14 rebounds last year. More interesting is that he came on the radar via AAU. That seems to be the method by which a lot of top programs acquire talent.

Getting After It

Miles has been turning up the heat in offseason conditioning. This would seem like a major component for Nebraska to have a turnaround. The Huskers will have four players (including Vucetic) who are 6'10" or taller. But that's only really a benefit if they can get up and down the court. Making sure his team can run seems like a good way for NU to be more competitive. When Pat Riley turned the New York Knicks from a post-season afterthought to a contender in the 1990's, he handed out playbooks that said, "we will be the best-conditioned team in the NBA". That allowed him to take Patrick Ewing and a bunch of role players to the conference and NBA finals. It helps to have the most skills, but anyone who's even played pickup basketball knows there's a real benefit to beating your man up and down the court.

But history might also need to remember what was becoming of NU football when Byrne left. He resigned from Nebraska on the heels of the worst season for NU football since 1968. The Huskers had gone 7-6 and were headed to the Independence Bowl. How much blame Byrne deserves for that, or for any of the seasons that followed is an open question. If Frank Solich was not the right hire to succeed Tom Osborne, it didn't seem like Byrne had the clout to choose anyone else. Husker football was on top the world and the desire for continuity was very strong. So what should or could Byrne have done to change course? Byrne was in command when the Huskers decided to join the Big 12. Whether that was the right call is an open question.

His hires at Texas A&M for football didn't work out too well. Dennis Franchione (who may have been selected just ahead of Byrne), lasted five seasons and never finished higher than third in the Big 12 South. Byrne did give Franchione a raise and an extension after his second season in College Station. But after showing improvement and making the Cotton Bowl in year two, many other AD's would have done the same thing. Things fizzled for coach Fran after five seasons and Byrne brought in Mike Sherman.

Sherman was a puzzling hire, considering how things had worked out for Nebraska with their NFL coach. Byrne rewarded Sherman with an extension after his third season, where the Aggies tied for the best conference record in the Big 12 South and made another Cotton Bowl. Sherman could not survive the 6-6 season that followed, despite Byrne's desire to keep him. The hiring of Kevin Sumlin, happened on Byrne's watch. So perhaps he'll deserve some credit if Sumlin works out as A&M hopes. Playing in the SEC though, it's hard to predict an easy road ahead for the Aggies. Byrne was reportedly minimally involved in the Big 12 exit for Texas A&M. The Aggie president and a prominent regent seemed to be the ones more responsible. His legacy at A&M might really be defined by the fundraising and facilty improvements he guided.

Byrne's "retirement" smells a bit of "forced resignation" especially as there is talk of him continuing to receive his salary and of a new role to be defined for him. So at A&M, just as at Nebraska, he won't walk away a universally beloved figure. Still, there's a lot that he can point to that he can be proud of. Including raising a son who's the Athletic Director at Arizona.

Lacouture already had an impressive list of offers including LSU, Michigan, Texas A&M, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, and Utah. At 6'5" and 250 lbs., he could arrive on campus a little over a year from now already the size you'd seek in an end. He could add 10-20 lbs. as a senior and might even grow an inch or two. As an added bonus, he's set to graduate in December.  That means he could participate in Spring football which could make him ready to compete for playing time as a true freshman.

Defensive end is an area of critical need for this class with three seniors from the two-deep departing after the 2012 season in Cameron Meredith, Eric Martin, and Joe Carter. Look for Nebraska to seek to add at least one more player at the position as well.

The Huskers had already obtained a verbal commitment from another four-star end in Wisconsin's A.J. Natter. Now the key will be to hold the talented pair until signing day and maybe finding another prospect to add to the mix as well. It's still several months until signing day, but the Huskers are off to a fine start with all six verbally committed players receiving a four-star rating from at least one of the major recruiting services. This class could go down as the best under Bo Pelini.

One such coach is Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. He largely ignores statistics like total defense in favor of things like play-by-play success rate. For an example of why nontraditional statistics are superior, let's say your running back busts two big runs for 50 yards but then is stopped for no gain on the next 18 carries. His final line would be twenty carries for 100 yards, but that 5 yard average is pretty deceptive since 90% of his runs failed to move the ball an inch.

Some of the traditional statistics can be very good. Third down conversion rate offensively and defensively is always pretty telling. It's generally never a good thing when an opponent picks up a first down or when you fail to. Likewise, the only turnovers that don't hurt are things like a Hail Mary as time expires or an interception 50-yards downfield on third down (which is effectively a punt). Those don't happen real often. There are very few good penalties (save maybe a delay of game when you're just outside field goal range).

What you see when you explore some of these alternative statistics probably isn't all that surprising. When Nebraska won its division in 2009 and 2010, it had a top 5 defense in terms of play by play success rate. But in 2011, the defense dropped to 23rd. These numbers take the strength of schedule into account, so you can't blame the decline on the conference switch. You might blame injuries. Losing Jared Crick and Alfonzo Dennard for chunks of the season may have been a big reason for the dropoff.

The best offense under Bo Pelni was the 2008 unit. Since then, it's been middling (2010 and 2011) to bad (2009). When we hear talk about taking the next step, it might mean putting things together to where you pair a top 5 defense with a top 20 offense. Maybe not in terms of total yards, but in terms of play by play success. Then again, it might take more than that. Alabama was sixth nationally in offensive play-by-play success, even better than LSU (who was ninth). Alabama topped the traditional and nontraditional defensive categories (total defense, scoring defense, play-by-play success rate) with LSU second. Wisconsin won the Big Ten with the best offense nationally in terms of play-by-play success. Michigan State won its division with the Big Ten's best play-by-play success rate on defense.

Even in a sport where games are seemingly decided by a handful of plays, these success rate stats (which are really measures of efficiency) seem like great indicators of who wins and who loses. Nebraska has shown the ability to be among the best in the country in some of these categories under Bo Pelini. The question for 2012 and beyond is can they put it all together and be highly efficient and effective on both sides of the ball. That's going to mean fewer turnovers and penalties on offense and a stiffer defense. You didn't need statistics to tell you that, but these might also be something to revisit as Nebraska cruises through the nonconference schedule to get a reality check on where the team stands.

The SEC's Mike Slive and ACC commissioner John Swofford are in favor of a 1 v. 4 and 2 v. 4.  It would still be controversial basing the selections on arbitrary polling, but the possibility of a top four team being left out seems to be a bigger possible controversy.  An independent like Notre Dame could end up number 1 and not get selected if the Champions/top 6 idea has the most merit.

The model is still not as rife for complaint as the selection of the top four requiring the team be a conference champion.  Wisconsin last year at number 10 would have had a spot in the 4 team playoff, with six teams higher ranked being left out.  This is a system favored by Larry Scott of the Pac-12, and currently it also removes independents from the equation.

Some ideas in the discussion clearly have more merit than others, and would lead to less controversy.  While options are still on the table, it might be time for the Big Ten to think bigger, involving the Rose Bowl more or pushing for on-campus semifinals.  Protecting the Rose Bowl may be critical if the parity of the conference continues.  Two-loss champions are probably going to be pretty regular and getting into the Top 4 or 6 with that will continue to be as difficult as it has in the past.

Looking backward, you have to go back to the 2009 draft to find a Husker team without a player taken in the first four rounds. That came on the heels of a 9-4 season that ended with a Gator Bowl victory over Clemson. The 2008 draft class was also fairly unremarkable, coming after the disastrous 5-7 2007 campaign.

The 2004 draft had no Nebraska player taken in the first three rounds. That came after the 10-3 Alamo Bowl season that saw Frank Solich lose his job. You then have to go back to the Devaney era to find teams that didn't feature at least one player that was drafted in the first three rounds. Those were the 1968 and 1969 drafts that followed a pair of 6-4 seasons for NU. You then have to go back to Bill Jennings and losing football at Nebraska to find such sparse NFL prospects.

To some degree, it stands to reason that the Huskers would lack high picks this season. The redshirts from the recruiting class hastily brought in during Bo Pelini's first few weeks as head coach make up a big chunk of this year's senior class. Some of them appear as late round draft picks in McKewon's predictions, but none stand out as top NFL prospects. Other seniors either don't have the measurables or so far have lacked the production to look like players drafted in the first three rounds. A player like Rex Burkhead from the class that followed is an outstanding college player, but simply doesn't project as a star NFL player right now.

Does that place the ceiling for Nebraska at 9-10 wins? Not really. McKewon can't know if a player is going to transform himself into a top pick this season. That would hardly be unprecedented. Ndamukong Suh probably wasn't considered the second-best NFL draft prospect going into his senior season. Likewise, Brandon Jackson seemed lost on the depth chart before rising to become a second-round prospect in his last year. Scott Frost probably needed the 1997 season to become a third-rounder. Likewise was probably true for Troy Dumas in 1994 and for Toby Wright to be a second rounder in 1993.

These predictions don't account for that. Who's to say Daimion Stafford won't be the next Toby Wright? Or that Baker Steinkuhler won't become a dominant inside force? Who's to say someone wouldn't reach on Brett Maher like Jacksonville did for a punter? Maybe Burkhead's upside will be too big to ignore. Maybe Will Compton gains national attention as a tackle machine. Kyler Reed could make enough big plays to be taken in the first two days. Cameron Meredith may come to look like the next Adam Carriker. Maybe a junior has a huge year to become a top prospect. No one can say.

It's fair to say though, that the 2013 draft isn't likely to be "The Husker Show". But keep the faith, NU's day will come again.

How do you entertain yourself during a college baseball rain delay? If you're the Huskers, you challenge your rivals to a dance off.

Enjoy.

The Near Term Future

Last season made it very clear that Rex Burkhead was going to get the lion share of the meaningful reps at running back this fall. If there was a clear #2 behind Burkhead, it was Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah had the next most carries behind Burkhead at running back in 2011. Of course, Taylor Martinez takes a lot of carries as well. So Green was looking at the being the likely fourth option in 2012 running the football. He was actually the fifth option in 2011, with Braylon Heard also getting one more carry than he did. It's possible that he also saw enough out of Mike Marrow in practice to believe that Marrow could steal a good amount of carries, though Husker fullbacks haven't gotten many touches in recent years. It's fair to say that Green didn't dream of being a fourth or fifth option out of high school, but with a transfer he spends a year as a non-option as he'll be required to redshirt.

2013 and Beyond

Rex Burkhead departs after the 2012 season which would free up about 20 carries a game for other players. Maybe Green saw most of those carries going to Abdullah, but does he really think he wouldn't have to compete for carries at another school? Green's father did mention that Aaron didn't think he fit in the system. Perhaps Green wasn't crazy about the zone read. Or maybe the talk about more passing by Nebraska was for real.

On Green's list of possible transfer destinations was Oklahoma, which already has a number of four-star options at running back. Ironically, they had a five-star runner of their own decide transfer to Texas A&M this offseason. Green would seem to be in a better position to compete at TCU, Baylor, or Houston, which were all schools he was said to be considering. Texas Tech was also on his list.

What's it Mean for Nebraska?

In 2012, you might hardly notice that Green's gone. In 2013, he might have risen to be the second option at running back (though still also behind Martinez for carries). In 2014, things might really have changed depending upon the running abilities of Martinez's successor at quarterback. But to young people sometimes, 2014 may as well be 2040. Green's father had said that Aaron's not a very patient person. One memorable highlight of the 2011 season, showed Green getting visibly upset when he was wide open on a pass route with no one behind him only to see Martinez hit Quincy Enunwa for a touchdown on the same play.

Braylon Heard may be asked to return to running back from cornerback. Imani Cross is probably that much more likely not to redshirt. Marrow may see more carries. And we might see a greater effort to recruit running backs this season. This might open the door for Nebraska to bring in their own transfer either from another major program or junior college.

It's easy to get high hopes when you see a five star player recruit come into your program.  In the end, mentality always seems to trump ability. Green clearly lacked the determination to make things work out at Nebraska.  He might well emerge as a standout at another program. But often the same kinds of perceived obstacles that were insurmountable in one place, appear at the new destination. You'd love to see Green tough it out at Nebraska. For his sake, you hope he comes to realize it will be worth doing at the next school.

Late Sunday night, Sean Callahan broke the news that sophomore RB Aaron Green has requested a release from his scholarship and will look to play somewhere closer to home. No official word from the Nebraska staff yet, but Green's father, the source for Callahan's story, also confirmed it for the Lincoln Journal-Star and the Omaha World-Herald. Given Green's talent coming out of high school, it's a tough but not altogether surprising loss. Green was visibly upset at times last year, something that seemed to have passed this spring, but now the five-star recruit is looking for a place to play that's closer to home. Two immediate questions come to mind: 1) Does Braylon Heard return to the offensive backfield now? 2) Did the move to the Big Ten work against Nebraska in this case? Most of the schools he's now considering -- Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU and Houston -- play in Nebraska's old conference and, when you're frustrated with a limited role, the Big Ten can be a cold and lonely place for a former Texas schoolboy superstar.

#4 Lavonte David

Sr • LB • 6-1 • 220 lbs
Lavonte's full bio

Lavonte David » David was an exceptional linebacker with great pursuit abilities.  His size was thought to be a factor that would lower his draft stock, but Tampa Bay decided on him with the 26th pick in round 2 (58th overall).  New Bucs head coach Greg Schiano wants a tough defense and David is a player that fits the bill.

Jared Crick » Defensive Lineman Crick had his Husker career cut short by the torn pectoral muscle, but was medically cleared in time for the combine.  Houston selected him in the 4th round with the 126th pick overall.  The selection is considered to be one of the better values in the draft.

#94 Jared Crick

Sr • DT • 6-6 • 285 lbs
Jared 's full bio

Alfonzo Dennard » The legal issues notwithstanding, Dennard should have been drafted a few rounds earlier.  With the 224th overall pick, New England selected him in the 7th round.  Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said that the arrest was a major factor in how low he was picked, but they were comfortable with the selection.

Marcel Jones » Jones was picked by New Orleans at number 234 in the 7th round.  Career injuries may have played a part in his late round status, but wants to dispel the idea that he is injury prone with his strong senior season.

Free Agents

• Mike Caputo is looking to earn a shot with the Vikings at their mini camp.
• Jermarcus "Yoshi" Hardrick gets a chance with Tampa Bay after a few options presented themselves.
• Brandon Kinnie worked out with the Chiefs on April 10th and has an opportunity in his native Kansas City.
• Terrence Moore will be going to the Ravens' mini-camp over Arizona.
• Others waiting for chances include Tyler Legate, Marcus Mendoza, Austin Cassidy, and Curenski Gilleylen.

Public Sentiment

Polls like these have shown an increasing acceptance of homosexuality over the years. That acceptance is stronger among younger people than older people, which might suggest that the trend is likely to continue. One might think that a point of view that's becoming increasingly out of step with a majority of Americans, particularly young people, could alienate potential recruits and their families.

Football Culture

But how closely does football culture resemble the nation as a whole? It's hard to name an openly gay coach or athlete in team sports. The few one could come up with often only became known after they're out of the game. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would be embraced in the typical locker room, so those athletes seem to prefer to remain silent about their orientation.

Prayer is often integrated into athletics, even if it might seem contrary to the separation of church and state at a public university. There have been clear cases where Ron Brown's faith has been an asset in recruiting. Running back Imani Cross is said to be considering ministry after football and that his relationship with Ron Brown means a lot. Running back Aaron Green announced his college commitment after worship at Maranatha Bible Church, his brother Andrew was also recruited by Brown. Todd Peat, another Brown recruit, said he spent a lot of time praying and asking for guidance before choosing Nebraska.

What's harder to determine is which recruits, if any, might have avoided Nebraska because of Brown. If a person is put off by someone who's outspoken about their faith, might that cause them to think twice about Nebraska - particularly if they are a running back? What if the player had a gay family member? While it might not be a major issue today, you wonder as the years pass and public sentiment continues trending toward acceptance whether Brown's anti-gay statements will become a hindrance. Then will history be kind to Brown for his views or to Pelini for having Brown on staff?

What it Means for NU

In the end, there's no clear evidence that Brown's sentiments have hurt the program. That's not to say that he's right, only that enough people haven't seemed bothered enough by his views for it to be a barrier...yet. Chances are that the longer he remains outspokenly anti-gay, the more likely that is to impact the program in a negative way. Brown might believe that to stop speaking out would be to turn his back on God, but in time he may come to realize that his interpretation of the Bible is not the only one. That might be the best of all worlds from a football standpoint. He could still connect with young people on issues of faith, without being viewed as a hateful extremist.

In his tenure at Nebraska, Bo Pelini has been very consistent in the non conference portion of the schedule.  Going 14-2 has meant some potential momentum for the Huskers heading into league play every season.  While 4 years is a small sample set, the non-conference portion of the season appears to have little to no bearing on the outcome of a conference championship game appearance.  They may have an effect on the slotting for Bowl match-ups, but the team goal every year should be to get to the championship.

All of the conference starts for Bo Pelini have been night games and he has come away with a 2-2 record.  The two losses (to Missouri in 2008 and Wisconsin last season) were disappointing, lopsided showings in favor of the Husker opponents.  In each of those two season, the Huskers were in the hunt for a division title, but never overcame the initial loss right into conference play.  In the two seasons with wins to start out, the Huskers made it to the conference championship game.

Causation does not necessarily mean correlation.  But in this case, the Huskers either jumped out ahead of division rivals, or played from behind the whole season.  The disappointment from the Badgers beating almost carried over to a loss against the Buckeyes were it not for Lavonte David and Taylor Martinez heroics.  Wins against Ohio State are always difficult, but the Huskers will find it even more so if they roll into Columbus with an 0-1 conference record.  All the more reason to put the emphasis on the Wisconsin game in Lincoln on Saturday, September 29th.

The University of Nebraska confirmed that Head Football Coach Bo Pelini has been given a pay increase from $2.775 million per year to $2.875 per year. An additional year has also been added to Pelini's contract, putting him in a five-year agreement with the University (through the 2016 season). The University also disclosed the terms of new assistant coach Terry Joseph's contract. Joseph will make $230,000 per year, making him the fifth highest paid assistant on Pelini's staff. His predecessor, Corey Raymond, made $200,000 last season.

First, knowing the kickoff times helps the typical fan in a very routine way. It's helpful to know when at least some of the game times in advance. Gone are the days when you could anticipate a kickoff time and plan your fall day or week around it. Now, fans must wait until the week of the game before knowing the kickoff time. So, knowing that three of the games are at night help everyone - from athletic directors to Joe Fan plan accordingly. And, let's be honest, isn't NU playin at night better than seeing play at 11:00 in the morning?

Next, NU fans can rejoice in the fact that Nebraska has three prime time games on their B1G slate, tied with Ohio State for tops in the league. Purdue is the only conference school that won't be playing a conference night game. Getting three night games speaks to the quality of NU's brand and the difficulty of their schedule. The Huskers are still a major draw. Playing in prime time has a significant impact on the program's ability to sell itself outside of its typical fan base or geographic footprint. Casual college football fans from Maryland to Washington will often watch the ABC/ESPN primetime telecast. It's the big stage. NU gets it three times. Can they put it to good use?

Frankly, playing at night influences the outcome considerably. Considering that NU is 35-5 all time in night games at Memorial Stadium, the odds of Nebraska beating Wisconsin and Michigan just got a whole lot better. Beating Ohio State...not so much. With the intensity of playing in prime time and the fans having ample time to prime, home teams win a lot more night games. 

Finally, playing home games at night has a positive impact on Nebraska's ability to recruit. Not only do they benefit from the aforementioned media effect of getting the increased exposure from a night game, they also have an easier time with scheduling and managing the travel for visiting recruits. The big games are the ones the top recruits want to see. These are the weeks when you can expect NU to load up on visitors. Having the luxury of an extra travel day and the electricity of an amped up crowd will make it easier to get visitors to Lincoln and (quite possibly) get them to commit.

There really is a lot to like about seeing the Huskers in prime time. The only downside may be having to wait the entire day. But, I suspect most fans will be able to find a way to use that day wisely. 

"I visited North Carolina. I visited Duke," the 6-foot-10, 280-pounder said Thursday. "Those campuses were great. But I think Nebraska has the best facilities, definitely."

How long has it been since we heard that NU had an edge on these kind of top programs in anything related to basketball? Maybe never? But now that's changed.

The arms race in major college athletics can make any kind of facilities advantage very temporary. Still, any edge can be meaningful in a sport where a single player can change the fortunes of a program. Even in football, Kansas State's major turnaround in the 1990's coincided with a major facilty improvement project. And once a program can start winning, things can snowball in a positive way.

Already, the Huskers received a signed letter of intent from junior college All-American Deverell Biggs. With three to five additional scholarships available for the upcoming season, the potential for significant roster upgrades is there.

Taking advantage of facilities in recruiting that match or exceed those seen anywhere in the country, could be the key to a new era of basketball prosperity for Nebraska. Maybe if you build it, they will come.

Huskers Add Linebacker

Cardinal Mooney linebacker Courtney Love of Youngstown, Ohio announced he'd committed to Nebraska over the weekend. He was sought after by a number of top programs including Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Michigan State, among others. He's on schedule to graduate mid-year which would make him available to participate in spring football. That's extremely helpful for a Nebraska team that's likely to start three seniors this year (Will Compton, Sean Fisher, and Alonzo Whaley).

At Least One More Silent Commit?

On Friday, NU head coach Bo Pelini told the Omaha World-Herald's Sam McKewon that the Huskers had a couple of silent commitments from players that hadn't announced them publicly yet. Love may have been one of those commitments. There's been some speculation that the other could be Chicago four-star dual-threat quarterback Aaron Bailey. Bailey holds offers from at least eight Big Ten schools and about as many schools from outside the conference.

Paul to Tight End?

Tight end had been the one position in recent years where the Washington Redskins have had good depth and talent, while they've struggled to find good wide receivers. So it made it a bit curious, that they would move former Husker wideout Niles Paul to tight end. A closer inspection though, reveals a potentially promising opportunity for Paul. Fan favorite Chris Cooley has been limited with recurring knee injuries. His cap figure of $6.23 million is hefty for a team that is handicapped by a reduced salary cap due to league penalties. Cooley will turn 30 this year, which can seem downright ancient to NFL general managers. Fred Davis was having a breakout season for the Redskins a year ago, before a failed drug test left him suspended by the league. Davis was given the one-year franchise tag, but another failed drug test would leave the Redskins without the services of the tight end. Undrafted free agent Logan Paulsen has played as mostly a blocking tight end. That means that if Davis and Cooley weren't available, Paul could become the top receiving option at tight end for the Redskins. Paul has always been an effective blocker, and at 234 lbs., he's just big enough to play the position.  He's actually very similar in size to New England's Aaron Hernandez.

Dennard Charged with Assaulting an Officer

The timing could not be worse for Alfonzo Dennard. Projected as a second round draft pick, Alfonzo Dennard now may not be selected until the final day of the draft after an incident where he allegedly punched an officer.   The policeman was trying to restrain Dennard after the cornerback had apparently punched another male after 2 am in the morning outside a Lincoln bar. This comes after Dennard had been ejected from the Capital One bowl for a fight with South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery. Third degree assault of an officer is a felony, which means Dennard could face some pretty serious charges.

Two of the players named in the article are carryovers from the 2000 season (Dominic Raiola and Russ Hochstein). Three of the interior offensive linemen, including Richie Incognito, Carl Nicks, and Matt Slauson spent two years at tackle for Nebraska. Both Incognito and Slauson were moved to interior spots in theirtime at Nebraska. Like Nicks, Ricky Henry was also a two-year player, though he played guard.

Iowa edged out Nebraska by a "razor-thin edge" to be named Guard/Center U. by Rivals.com. Two other Big Ten programs were mentioned prominently, Illinois and Michigan.

In order to maintain this status, Nebraska will have to replace older players like Raiola and Hochstein with new ones. So who's next? Marcel Jones and Jermarcus Hardrick appear to be the only players on the offensive line with hopes of being drafted this next week, but at 6'7" neither looks like an NFL guard. Center Mike Caputo at times seemed too small to play at the college level and is probably too small to be anything but a long snapper at the pro level. Instead, it will probably be at least a year or two until an interior offensive lineman is drafted from Nebraska.

Walk-on Spencer Long was named second team all-conference at guard a year ago and still has two years of eligibility remaining. At 6'4" and 305 lbs., he's got a sufficient frame to be an NFL guard (particularly if he can add just a little more weight). At 6'6", standout sophomore tackle Tyler Moore might remain a tackle at the college and pro levels, but he could probably also be moved to a guard spot. He probably needs to add 20 lbs. or so to be a major pro prospect. Junior Jeremiah Sirles already has pro size and could conceivably be a guard at the pro level if he didn't remain at tackle. The same is true for junior Andrew Rodriguez, who has played at guard but may be used as a tackle this fall. Looking a little further to the future, freshman Ryne Reeves was a highly touted center prospect out of high school as was Ryan Klachko at guard. Though he hasn't even started school yet, you might project Paul Thurston as an NFL guard. That excludes some other Husker players at 6'7" or taller that seem likely to remain tackles.

It's taken a fair amount of recruiting and development for Nebraska to remain a producer of NFL linemen. It will take even greater development to regain regular appearances on All-American and all-conference teams. Adding a second coach for the offensive line a year ago, seems like a step in the right direction. For the first time in a fair number of years, the Huskers also seem to have enough talent on the line for that to be a possibility. It's been ten years since NU had its last All-American on the offensive line. Maybe the waiting is nearly over before we see the next one.

The Big Ten Network gets a lot of access other outlets don't. This makes sense. As the golden-egg-laying goose of the conference, it is good for a coach to keep those guys happy.

And the results of that relationship is mutually beneficial. The schools get exposure to the millions of people who no longer live in the Big Ten footprint and we get features like this one from Gerry DiNardo and Tim Beck on the mechanics of Taylor Martinez.

Now, we know that through the magic of television you can make anyone look like they did anything. But, in the three clips that comprise the video, you do notice a difference in Martinez' throwing motion. The bad example, was on the road at a notoriously tough place to play. The two good examples were in practice. To show progress, of course, you have to display the before and after but before I pencil Nebraska in for a conference title, I thought it important to note the difference in setting. Forget the mechanics for a second, if Taylor Martinez is that calm in the pocket in live action in 2012, that will be worth quite a bit on its own.

That said, I have some questions about the sign above the video room (really it's a theater) door. "What you see on film is either coached or allowed." I'm not sure how to interpret that presumably motivational bit of word play. Is it meant to put the onus on the coaches? To say to the players, no matter what you see behind these doors, we are the ones who put it there? Nobody would coach Taylor Martinez to throw with his current footwork/motion, but he was allowed to because he brought other things to the table, right?

Or does the allowed part fall on the players? For example, the staff didn't coach Nebraska to give up a game-changing Hail Mary to Alshon Jeffrey at the end of the first half of the Capital One Bowl and, given the choice, they wouldn't have allowed it to happen either. Thus, the players allowed it to happen. That's a more hardline approach but also seems out of place.

I like to think I'm capable of understanding most things but this is puzzling. If I were a Nebraska football player, i could see myself just staring at that sign for minutes at a time, trying to unlock its riddle. Thankfully, for Nebraska fans at least, I am not. And, in a place and a sport that's full of signs and words meant to motivate, I'm guessing most of the current squad doesn't spend much time on this one. That's probably a good thing.

So, to recap, I got two things out of this video: 1) maybe there is a kernel of truth behind all of the "night and day" talk when it comes to an improved Martinez and 2) what's up with the non sequitur above the video room?

It is clear from the media and fans that a change to the BCS is expected.  Even institutions now appear to be in favor of action against the current model used to decide a college football National Champion.  Mike Slive of the SEC said he wasn't happy with it.

It’s not one of my favorites. What we’re trying to do is simplify in many ways. I don’t think that adds to the simplification of the postseason.

For the Big Ten to cling to the traditions of the Rose Bowl can, at times, seem antiquated and backwards.  Considering the fluidity of the sport over the last ten years, it runs counter to all the changes that have been embraced.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany could face some backlash if it comes down to Rose Bowl or bust.  The BCS has run its course, and if the suggestion to replace it is just as complex and rife with situational and arbitrary selections, then there is no point in replacing the system.

It is very likely that the two conferences that hold the Rose Bowl affiliation may be putting on the best show they can to prove that they believe in the importance of the Granddaddy of Them All.  If they do not put up a fight, it will make the traditionalists and Bowl enthusiasts upset.

If they put up too much of a fight, media could paint the conferences in a very unflattering light.  If a recruit comes down to something like Ohio State and Alabama, I am sure Nick Saban would bring up how the "other conference" does not want that young man to play for a National Championship in his career.  The line is very thin right now, and there is no telling the direction of the talks this year.

Natter chose Nebraska over a number of Big Ten schools that had offered scholarships including Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue.  He also reportedly had offers from programs like Missouri, Boston College, and Vanderbilt. 

Listed at 6'5" and 240 lbs., Natter has the prototypical frame for a defensive end.  With another 20-30 lbs., he'd be the prototypical end for a Pelini defense.  Perhaps not lost on Natter is the fact that the Huskers are set to lose three seniors from the two-deep at defensive end after this season.  That should provide a great opportunity for early playing time for a player like Natter.  You'd imagine that NU will seek to add at least one more recruit at the position.

Stealing a standout from so near a Big Ten rival's campus is a big win for Nebraska.  Not only do they benefit from Natter's talent, but they also won't have to go up against it.  Recruiting face-offs like these within the conference footprint can be deciding factors in the years to come.  Good to see the Huskers on the right side of this one. 

One thing you often hear in college football is the benefit of playing in a bowl game to a team the following year. Bob Stoops considered their 1999 bowl game appearance as one of the critical factors leading to Oklahoma's 2000 national championship season. Not necessarily the game itself, but the extra practices it allowed the team to have. Similarly, the fifteen practices allowed in spring football are a chance to develop talent for the future. So if these practices are so valuable, why cancel one? The answer, is that the scrimmage might be the least important practice of the spring.

Head coach Bo Pelini had stated that the Huskers would be "as basic as you can get" on both sides of the football leading up to the spring contest. In that sense then, it wasn't going to resemble the offense or defense that the team would seek to run against an actual opponent. Then the units themselves were mixed up enough that you had combinations of players that you're not likely to see in the fall. On the offensive line in particular, you really want to get your top unit accustomed to playing together. That wasn't going to happen at all on Saturday. They also were going to sit some key players. Rex Burkhead wasn't going to play long according to Pelini. It seemed unlikely that Martinez would either. While getting some reps for reserves can have value, it hardly seems essential in mid-April.

Some point to the value of spring as a recruiting tool. But the word from ace recruiter John Papuchis and others was that the lack of a game actually gave the coaching staff more time to spend with recruits that had made the trip to see the game. In that sense, the spring game served its purpose even without actually being played.

The staff could have decided to hold another practice without selling tickets. Ultimately, they decided that proceeding with their conditioning schedule as planned would be fine. At this point, a fifteenth spring practice seemed equivalent to running and lifting weights. That's pretty telling about how meaningful that last scrimmage is for the team. It's brought entertainment to the fans over the years, but in the end it means about as much as a good workout.

You still feel sorry for the walk-ons and reserves for whom the spring game can often be the highlight of their college career. But fear not for the team in terms of losing needed practice time. The spring game is more of a celebration than about preparation. It's sad to see the party cancelled, but hopefully there will be much more to celebrate come December.

The Athletic Department decided that the severe weather potential was too great to move forward with the Spring Game today.  Lightning forced the field and stands to be cleared at 12:30.  The game will not be rescheduled due to logistics.  The ticket stubs from the game will allow admission to one regular season baseball or softball game.  Fans had the opportunity to get free concessions and some players even went and signed autographs in the concourses.  Bo Pelini indicated that the team will just continue to move forward with the planned practices in place.

Of course, some of what we see may be an illusion. Is it an advantage for the White team to have Rex Burkhead if he plays less than half a quarter? Likewise, will Taylor Martinez play more than a third of the game for the red team? Will the defensive tackles really play only for the team they've been assigned, or will they end up playing for both squads? Let's take a look position by position.

Quarterback

The Red team seemingly has the edge with Martinez. When he sits, then it's Ron Kellogg up against the Brion Carnes. Both teams will feature Bronson Marsh. Since Kellogg's been a gamer (at least in the Spring), give a slight edge to the Red team assuming Martinez plays a decent amount.

Running Back

There was talk that the backs would play a lot, but apparently Ameer Abdullah will take every snap at I-back for the Red team. Meanwhile, the White team will mix Burkhead, Aaron Green and fullback Mike Marrow. Give the edge to the Whites, even if Burkhead only sees one series.

Offensive Line

There's a lot to like about the red team with four potential starters in Pensick, Sirles, Qvale, and Long. But, there's no clear fifth starter which is likely to leave a hole at guard. Maybe Mike Moudy or the young Givens Price will take the spot. The white team has a number of options in the interior with Mark Pelini, Justin Jackson, Andrew Rodriguez, Seung Hoon Choi, and Nick Ash. At tackle they have Tyler Moore who they can bookend with Ryan Klachko or Zach Sterup. So the edge would seem to go to the White team.

Receivers/Tight Ends

Kenny Bell, Tim Marlowe, Jake Long and Ben Cotton are the veterans for the red team. It also features young up and comers in Taariq Allen and the Tyler Wullenwaber. The White team has a nice trio in Kyler Reed, Quincy Enunwa, and Jamal Turner. They also have some nice reserve options in Steven Osborne, and KC Hyland. Still, the edge goes to the red team.

Defensive Line

If taken at face value, you'd give a huge edge to the red team for having Baker Steinkuhler and Jay Guy to go with Jason Ankrah and Eric Martin. But if the only real difference is the defensive ends, then things are a lot closer with Cameron Meredith and Joe Carter at end for the white team. Still, the edge goes to the red team.

Linebackers

Will Compton leads an otherwise inexperienced group of red linebackers that includes David Santos, Micah Kreikemeier, and Max Pirman. Meanwhile Sean Fisher, Trevor Roach, and Alonzo Whaley are all in White. Edge to the white team.

Secondary

Damion Stafford and Courtney Osborne bring starting experience to the safety spot for the red team, which also features Corey Cooper. The white team will feature PJ Smith, Harvey Jackson, and Dijon Washington. The white team has a nice trio of corners in Antonio Bell, Mohammed Seisay, and Ciante Evans. The red has a deeper group with Andrew Green, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Josh Mitchell, Braylon Heard, Daniel Davie, and Jase Dean. Advantage red team.

Kicking

Taken at face value, the red team gets Brett Maher and their long snapper while the white team must make due with Mauri Bondi and a punter to be named later? Potential huge edge to the red team.

Put it all together and it looks like the red team might be a touchdown better. The running game for the white team (coupled with some inexperienced linebacking on the outside for the red team) could keep them in the game. But the passing game for the red team, coupled with the push up front on defense, secondary depth and special teams advantage should allow them to prevail.

Banderas already held offers from former Big 12 division rivals Kansas State and Iowa State as well as current division rival Iowa.  He also had received offers from Vanderbilt and Tulsa and it appeared likely that others would be forthcoming.

Rivals.com lists Banderas as an outside linebacker.  At already 220 lbs., he might reflect the new prototype for Big Ten football, since he could add another 20 lbs. to his frame.  

His father, Tom Banderas played tight end for Nebraska earning letters from 1985-1987.  He might be best remembered for scoring three touchdowns against Missouri in 1987.  He also managed to catch touchdowns from four different Husker quarterbacks, including Travis Turner, McCathorn Clayton, Clete Blakeman, and Steve Taylor. 

Josh Banderas is the third commitment to the class of 2013 and the third four-star commitment.  While most of the recruiting still needs to happen, you can't quibble with the caliber of players added so far.  As an in-state and legacy prospect, Banderas should also help maintain a sense of tradition for the team.  Good news, even if it's not all that surprising. 

Whuh Happened - 2011

Nebraska was almost astonishingly consistent in how often they threw the ball in 2011. In ten of thirteen games, Taylor Martinez threw the ball between 21 and 26 times. The Huskers won eight of those games. NU was just 1-2 in the three games where they departed from that range. That included the 24-3 victory over Michigan State where T-Magic threw the ball just 13 times, the 28-25 home loss to Northwestern where Martinez threw it 37 times, and the 30-13 loss to South Carolina where Martinez passed just sixteen times. None of that paints a picture of whether more or less passing is needed. The Huskers won 80% of the games that T-Mart threw it 21-26 times, and just 33% when they got away from that range.

Should it Happen

If we take the outcome of the Northwestern game as the indicator of what happens when Martinez passes over 35 times, then we might decide it's not a good thing. Except he had a very good day passing the ball. He completed 76% of his passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions and averaged nearly 8 yards per attempt. If anything, in that game maybe Nebraska didn't pass the ball enough. Still, football is situational. You're going to run the ball late in a game when you hold a lead and you're going to pass if you're trying to catch up. Third and long is dominantly a passing situation. So the question is how much more do you pass on first and second down and how often on third and short? Unless you want to give up the dual-threat element of your offense, you still want to find 5-10 runs for your quarterback and you get a few more when pass protection breaks down. You probably also still want 25 or more carries for your running backs and another couple carries for fullbacks and receivers. That might leave room for say 30 passes a game, but probably not 35 or more. That is, unless you seek to replace a lot of your running back carries with passes to the backs. How often, then are you willing to live with an incomplete pass on first down or third and short? Given the way the team is constructed, probably not a whole lot more than we saw last year.

Will it Happen

If wouldn't be shocking to see more than 33% of the offensive plays next year be passes. But 50% would be very surprising. That would mean a radically different approach to a lot of situations and it might mean moving away from areas of strength to areas of relative weakness. Pelini never said that they'd get to a 50/50 run/pass split. He only said "closer". Thirty-four percent would be closer. So put the over-under nowhere higher than a sixty-forty run/pass ratio. With this team, 50/50 just isn't in the cards.  Don't look for many clues this weekend either.  Pelini has already said that they wouldn't show anything.  Take him at his word there.  The Red-White game isn't a preview of a new offense, even if we see an increase in the number of passes.