• Nebraska offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf
• Randy Gregory to enter draft
• What a crazy year for Nebraska Football
• Nebraska and Miami battle it out in Lincoln
• Nebraska rolls past Florida Atlantic
• Three Nebraska Football night games announced
• Statement from athletic director and my quick thoughts
• UCLA embarrasses Nebraska 41-21
• Nebraska survives 37-34 against Wyoming
• I’m ready for some football!
• Thoughts heading into the 2013 season
• It’s Nebraska vs Wisconsin in the Big 10 Championship
• Thoughts on the Huskers season so far
• Big10 releases schedules for 2015 and 2016
• Aaron Green set to transfer from Nebraska

Head coach Bo Pelini told reporters and his players that they would need to win out to make the Big 10 Championship after they suffered a disappointing loss to Ohio State back on October 6th. That is exactly what the Cornhuskers did as they are headed to the Big 10 Championship to face off against Wisconsin with a berth to the Rose Bowl on the line.

The six game win streak sure didn’t come easy as the guys had to come from behind in the 2nd half and barely escape with wins over Michigan State, Penn State and also Northwestern. This team goes into half time behind on the scoreboard but has had the confidence that things will play out for them in the second half and you have to look at the coaching staff for giving the players that confidence. Bo has so much trust in Taylor Martinez at quarterback and that it trickles down through the rest of the team. The offense knows that that the defense is going to get a stop just like the defense knows that the offense is going to score to win the game. It’s a team working together from the coaching staff down through the players.

So how do I see things playing out Saturday night in Indianapolis? With a healthy Rex Burkhead back I see the running game going for around 150 total yards and Taylor Martinez throwing for over 200 yards on the Badger defense. The one concern I have on offense is the starting center position where Justin Jackson will be out.

On defense I’m hoping that Chase Rome can fill in for Baker Steinkuler who will also be out due to injury. Everyone expects to see Monte Ball carry the ball over thirty times so it’s time to load up that box and stop ball from making big plays. I trust the corners to play one-on-one coverage on the outside and win that battle against the Wisconsin quarterback/receivers.

At the end of the game I see Nebraska winning their first Big 10 Championship by the score of 35-21 and Husker fans booking their second trip of the season to Pasadena.

So after beating Southern Miss in the season opener 49-20 the team had a big let down on the road when they faced off against UCLA. The 36-30 loss to the Bruins has Husker fans once again thinking about the coaching staff as well as what players should be out there on the field. As a Nebraska fan, you know this happens after a loss, and it’s not really the loss that is making fans mad, but the way the loss are happened.

So where do I stand after two games?

The offense is clicking pretty good once they get a good rhythm and that means in a fast pace tempo. Taylor is making some nice plays and throws if he is given time by the offensive line. The line was a low point in the UCLA game which was surprising because against Southern Miss they played great. Were the guys not prepared for the outside blitzes that the Bruins were bringing? The say they knew  they blitzing would happen but were still unable to stop it. Hmm sounds like the coaches should have made some adjustments or changes to get the line playing better but it never happened.

Even without Rex at RB, the backs are running the ball pretty good. I’m impressed with Ameer Abdullah has he has started the season off strong. Then you have Heard and Cross behind him who can help carry the load. It will be fun to watch how the coaching staff uses all four of the backs. I think Ameer and the two other young players get the ball quite a bit in the next few weeks as Rex continues to rest his knee.

The receiving core is strong even though they have lost a couple to injuries. The guys are catching most of the balls that Taylor gets to them and are making defenders miss. For once, I can say Nebraska has a strong and quick receiving group that are also great blockers down field. Great job by every one of them.

So now to the bad. The defense can’t stop opposing teams from moving the ball and getting into the end zone. I thought that the d-line would be able to get some pressure and the secondary would be able to make some plays in the open field but so far neither of those is really happening. If a team spreads their offense out, and Nebraska is forced to spread their linebackers out or move a safety up closer, it doesn’t bode well for the Blackshirts. Lack of speed, poor angles and terrible tackling accounted for many big plays against UCLA. The speed issue can’t be fixed unless other players see the field but the poor tackling and angles can definitely be fixed.

The defense needs to improve there isn’t much more to say about that…

So where does this team go? Do they respond well as they face Arkansas State and Idaho State in Lincoln the next two weeks? They better get some things figured out because Wisconsin will be visiting town on Sep 29th to kick off B1G play and that’s when the real season starts for this team and for us fans. It’s time to get behind these guys and show them support because the main goal of winning the B1G Championship is still out there and winnable.

@NebSports is where you can follow me on Twitter for Husker talk and sports gambling information.

Nebraska now knows what their 2015 and 2016 Big 10 schedules will look like as the conference released the information Monday morning.

2015 Nebraska Football Schedule

Sept. 5 BYU
Sept. 12 South Alabama
Sept. 19 at Miami
Sept. 26 Southern Miss
Oct. 3 at Minnesota
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 Northwestern
Oct. 24 at Wisconsin
Oct. 31 Michigan State
Nov. 7 at Michigan
Nov. 14 Indiana
Nov. 21 at Penn State
Nov. 28 Iowa

2016 Nebraska Football Schedule
One non-conference game TBA
Sept. 3 Fresno State
Sept. 10 Tennessee
Sept. 17 Wyoming
Oct. 1 at Northwestern
Oct. 8 Wisconsin
Oct. 15 BYE
Oct. 22 Minnesota
Oct. 29 at Michigan State
Nov. 5 at Indiana
Nov. 12 Michigan
Nov. 19 Penn State
Nov. 26 at Iowa

Looking things over, 2015 will definitely be a tough schedule but things should ease up in the 2016 season. Should be an exciting time for Husker football playing the likes of Miami and Tennessee as well as the Big10 games. Kinda weird how Wisconsin got back on the schedule very quickly but we do miss out on Ohio State.

Running back Aaron Green has decided to transfer from the University of Nebraska and all signs point to him attending a school in his home state of Texas. Green carried the ball 24 times for 105 yards as a true freshman in 2011. Green was wanting more carries and you can’t blame him but sometimes you gotta be patient and wait your turn especially as a freshman.

Schools that Green may be transferring to based on reports would be Houston, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU and Texas A&M. You can’t fault the kid for wanting to play closer to home and we wish him well in the future.

Aaron’s older brother Andrew is still part of the Nebraska team and will be getting quite a bit of action in the secondary for the blackshirts.

The depth chart would now look like this at the running back position: Rex Burkhead, Ammer Abdullah, Mike Marrow.

Three game times have been announced for conference games this up coming season as the Big10 announced their prime time schedule. Nebraska will be playing three games that will be either shows on ABC or ESPN in prime time.

The Cornhuskers will face off against Wisconsin Sep 29th in Lincoln and then again Oct 26th against the visiting Michigan Wolverines. The night game on the road will be played in Columbus, Ohio against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Getting Wisconsin and Michigan at night will be a big advantage to that Huskers. The home crowed is always more into the game after tailgating all day and it also gives the coaches more time to get recruits in for a long weekend. Expect Sep 29th and Oct 26th to be the biggest recruiting weekends for the upcoming season.

Basically it times to to put up or shut up with these games. It’s time to show the Big10 what Nebraska is about and it starts by beating teams at home under the lights.

@NebSports

So the NCAA has announced some rule changes that will go into affect for the 2012 college football season. Mostly rules on kickoffs and helmets coming off of players.

Teams will kick off at the 35-yard line instead of the 30. Also, players on the kicking team can’t line up for the play behind the 30-yard line, which is intended to limit the running start kicking teams used to have during the play.

Also, touchbacks on free kicks will be moved to the 25-yard line instead of the 20 to encourage more touchbacks. Touchbacks on other plays (for example, punts that go into the end zone, or fumbles that go out of the end zone) will remain at the 20-yard line.

If a player loses his helmet (other than as the result of a foul by the opponent, such as a facemask), it will be treated like an injury. The player must leave the game and is not allowed to participate for the next play.

Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap who are not in motion are allowed to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with a few exceptions (for example, straight-ahead blocks).

A rule prohibiting players from leaping over blockers in an attempt to block a punt.

Hmm so let me get this straight. A perfectly fine non-injured player gets his helmet knocked off during a tackle and has to come out for a play. What about a linemen that gets hands to the face and his helmet knocked off backwards? You are out a play kid! Stupid rule if you ask me. Yay for more touchbacks… Or not, let’s take out of the more exciting plays and limit those speedy play makers that return the ball. This will soon be like the NFL where guys get anxious and try running the ball out 7 yards deep in the end zone.

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the rule changes for the upcoming season?

@NebSports -Twitter

Nebraska announced that the football team will be playing Idaho State on September 22nd as they finished up the schedule for the 2012 season. Yep, Idaho State who won only two games last season. Idaho State who is also a FCS/Division 1-AA team. Would have been nice to at least play a legit FCS team but the school has to guarantee another home game and one that is as close to a win as possible.

Other games were also announced today. In 2014, Nebraska will face off against Florida Atlantic. In 2015 BYU will come to Lincoln. South Alabama will also make the trip to Lincoln in 2015 as well as 2019.

@NebSports

National letter of intent day has come and gone. Nebraska received commitments from 15 players who will receive scholarships and then 19 others who chose to walk on to the university.

The staff really stressed importance at the linebacker position where they three guys including Michael Rose, Thomas Brown and Jared Afalava. Rose will probably be the highlight of that group and one of the overall highlights of this recruiting class on the defensive side of the ball. I would have liked to see them signed more secondary players but they just didn’t get the guys to sign that they were after and that is how it goes in the recruiting game sometimes.

On offense, the group is led by wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp who turned down a late offer by Notre Dame and stuck with the Huskers. Westerkamp is a guy that Bo Pelini compares to Red Burkhead when he was coming out of high school. A big time player who could get playing time as a true freshman. Their was only one quarterback in this class and that is Tommy Armstrong from Arlington, Texas. Armstrong is another dual threat qb that can hurt you by passing or running the ball.

The one offensive linemen that impresses me is Paul Thurston from Colorado. This is a guy that I could see growing into an all conference linemen after a good year or two in the weight room and learning the speed of the college game.

It sucks to lose out on Andrus Peat. Many thought that he was Lincoln bound as his older brother Todd Peat is currently on the team and his cousin Avery Moss will be coming to Lincoln next year. Andrus chose Stanford however as they signed a exceptional offensive line class that includes three 5* players.

Overall the coaches missed out on some big time players that they weren’t able to lock up but they did do a good job keeping Westerkamp from Notre Dame and doing the best that they could with limited scholarships this year.

Complete 2012 Scholarship Class:
Jared Afalava LB 6-3 215
LeRoy Alexander ATH 6-2 190
Zaire Anderson LB 6-1 220 *junior college*
Tommy Armstrong QB 6-2 210
Thomas Brown LB 6-2 210
Sam Cotton TE 6-4 240
Imani Cross RB 6-1 220
Aaron Curry DT 6-3 275
Greg McMullen DE 6-5 255
Alonzo Moore ATH 6-2 170
Avery Moss DE 6-4 245
Michael Rose LB 6-0 230
Mohammed Seisay DB 6-2 200 *junior college*
Paul Thurston OL 6-5 275
Vincent Valentine DT 6-3 300
Jordan Westerkamp WR 6-2 195
Corey Whitaker OL 6-5 270

Complete 2012 Walk On Class:
Jared Blum DE/TE 6-4 230
Cole Chvatal WR 5-11 175
Carson Collins FB 5-10 220
Ross Dzuris DE/TE 6-3 225
Sam Foltz ATH 6-2 190
Trey Foster TE 6-2 230
Ryker Fyfe QB 6-3 195
Taylor Hoffman LB 6-0 200
Andy Janovich FB 6-1 215
Garret Johns OL 6-1 275
Spencer Lindsay PK 5-10 195
Mitch McCann LB 6-1 225
Graham Nabity RB 6-1 205
Jordan Nelson RB 5-8 175
Robby Painter OL 6-6 270
Brandon Reilly WR 6-2 180
Brad Simpson LB 6-0 195

@NebSports

Ouch, that wasn’t the way Nebraska wanted to end the 2011-2012 football season. South Carolina pulled away in the second half to defeat the Cornhuskers 30-13 down in Orlando at the Capital One Bowl. It was a crazy game that saw a blocked PAT that was returned for a two points, two future first round draft picks ejected and many missed opportunities for the Huskers.

The game turned on Nebraska when Gamecocks receiver Alshon Jeffery leaped over the Nebraska defenders and then launched himself into the end zone on a hail mary pass to put South Carolina up 16-13. That play gave all the momentum to South Carolina and they came out in the second half and punished Nebraska up and down the field.

After the game, there was talk about communication problems in the second half as the team went to a silent count. Nebraska had nine penalties, including four false starts and one delay of game while only picking up five first downs in the second half. Martinez said he was unable to get the cadence calls to the line in time due the crowd noise. Hmm maybe that should have been practiced a little bit more between Martinez and the line? Or have the coaching staff possibly signal it in with the play?

Not a whole lot to talk about on the positive side of things unfortunately. It was down right en embarrassing game for coaches, the team and also the fans. It’s going to be another long break that will have many Husker fans wondering which direction this team is headed. I’m hoping for a good ending to the recruiting class and then some good spring practices. There is plenty of people coming back on offense that there should be no reason the offense won’t put up better numbers. I think the question will be how will the defense play after losing Alfonzo Dennard, LaVonte David and Jared Crick…

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It will be Nebraska vs South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl January 2nd in Orlando. The Cornhuskers learned of their opponent Sunday evening even though there was wide speculation for the last week that it would be the Huskers vs GameCocks down in Orlando.

The Capital One bowl is one of the highest paying non-bcs bowls out there so they did very well with their draw. Based off payouts and bowl selection this is probably the Huskers best bowl game since 2001 when they played in the Rose Bowl vs Miami.

South Carolina comes into the Capital One Bowl with a 10-2 record, including a 6-2 mark in the SEC, and is ranked 10th in the AP Poll and No. 9 by the coaches. The Gamecocks’ only losses this season were by three points to defending national champion Auburn and on the road at Arkansas.

The game appears to be a great match up for both teams. Tickets are currently on sale at Huskers.Com as well as the official Capital One Bowl website. Nebraska will be the away team and will be on the west sidelines.