Paging...Cornhusker

[The Seer]

Game sets up nicely for your scheduling...couple warm up patsies, then UCLA in the middle of your 5 game season starting homestand....and no real challenge until Nov......

Looking forward to learning a lot this weekend.

Who are the other Huskerhonks around here...At Large left a long time ago, is it Harvdog?

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

I guess I'll pull for the Gutties in this one. Conference loyalty and whatnot...

[Cornhusker]

Being played off as a tough test for UCLA in part due to the early start time and being in Lincoln, but that's about all 'Sker fan is hanging their hat on.

Nebraska will be wearing black gear for this game as their now annual "alternate" uni. (Gimmicky bells and whistles if you will.) Being an "old timer" it pretty much turns my lower bowel. But because of the recruiting stick..I guess it has to happen in this day and age..thanks Oregon..and Addidas.

The key will be Martinez. He cannot turn the ball over. Or anyone else for that matter. (Nebraska has faced 20 ranked teams under Bo Pelini. In games when they lose the turnover battle, they are 0-11. When they win the turnover battle, they are 5-0. When turnovers are equal, Nebraska is 3-1)

The 'Clan will be too good offensively to give them short fields and extra possessions, just because it's Jim Mora Jr. calling the shots, if nothing else. NU's young defense, while having better talent than last year, is just that YOUNG. Very young. NU will start 3 freshman and a sophomore in the front seven.

I don't know if you heard but NU will honor Nick Pasquale with a moment of silence before the game and NU players will be wearing a #36 sticker on the helmets.

Will be a game we can at least get a gauge as to where the hell Pelini has the team. Really, if the Bruins take NU to the woodshed, I'd bet Pelini will be looking for work next fall. Cuz he probably will drop 2 or 3 in conference. Maybe more if he doesn't get the breaks he got last fall. See MSU / Northwestern / Penn St.

Wondering how UCLA's younger skill offensive players are..? Hundley is a load, that we know, the type of QB that deals Pelini's cover two fits...NU couldn't defend Franklin last year and thank the Lord above Fauria is getting paid for his services elsewhere.

Nail-biter..will go a long way in the psyche of a team that is playing with a ton of pressure to get NU somewhat relevant once again. Been an uphill battle for far too long for the people in this state.
I always feel that it seems Nebraska plays with a freekin' boulder on their shoulders when the competition is raised, due to expectations here, and it costs them in pivotable games. It could again Saturday.

Here comes the "homer"... IF...NU's offense doesn't beat themselves, and the defense makes as much progress as it did between the first two games, I think they win.. but, shoot yourself in the foot..expect to limp all season. I will promise you NU has some play makers, and will get at least two very big plays on offense.

[Left Seater]

just how short is Pelini's leash? Will an 8-4 season get him fired? Wasn't Solich let go after 9 wins?

If he is shown the door, where do they go looking? A young HC on the way up?

[The Seer]

Nebraska's plans for honoring Nick Pasquale is pure class.

Always wonder what effect it could have on my team's psyche....

Normally I'd feel fairly confident regarding the outcome of this game due to UCLA being much better this year with their front 7 on D. Lots of kids in the D backfield but if they can keep the Skers receivers in front of them the others should be able to reasonably limit Martinez.

Nevada wasn't Nicholls St. but after only 1 game we will learn a ton by Saturday afternoon. I like our O-line and they could be the difference.

[Cornhusker]

just how short is Pelini's leash? Will an 8-4 season get him fired? Wasn't Solich let go after 9 wins?

If he is shown the door, where do they go looking? A young HC on the way up?

That's the Catch 22. After Solich was let go with 9 wins, (10 for the season after the bowl game that he did not coach , Pelini was name interium) Cleti.. (nickname for the blinder fan base here), was all up in arms. Add in the fact the most hated man of the time AD Steve Pederson dropped the axe on Solich and hired the most disjointed man that had no clue about Nebraska's tradition or expectations. So it divided an otherwise un-dividable fan base.

Now fast forward to Pelini. He has won no less than 9 games, so if you shitcan him, the question lurks..who in their right mind would take a job where you or 9-4 on average, and you are out in 5-6 years?

The thing is.. Pelini wins against inferior competition and losses when the lights are on..The deep pocket guys don't feel good about that and frankly he hasn't given much hope for that to change. Cleti on the other hand says "we don't want to start over and remember, Osborne almost left for Colorado when his 9 wins a year wasn't enough. Look what happened to him."

There is enough disgruntedness with Pelini's temper (gotten better because he has a new boss) and his treatment of the media, again improved since Shawn Eichorst has become AD, and the fact he lays an egg in big games, that if he gets embrassed on the big stage again.. he will be on thin ice. It feels as if he is.
An otherwise supportive media is making a case for him to look over his shoulder. Plus a big time booster publicly made comment on these very issues.

A replacement..? Couldn't say. Eichorst bailed Miami when he realized he was given the reins to a program that was about to be investigated.. (the infamous Ponzi scheme) his first year on the job. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/co ... n/1613155/
Nothing that happened on his short watch. He got his start with Wisconsin and Alvarez.. an NU grad and a Bob Devaney linebacker. I REALLY wanted Pelini to leave on his own accord and NU hire Gary Anderson.. Wisky got a good one.

Eichorst has been lying in the weeds.. not much known about him or what his shortlist might look like. His relationship with Pelini doesn't get much run, which speaks to being cool imo.

In my eyes and people I respect that understand the game from an Xs and Os standpoint, Pelini gets outcoached more often than not. I don't feel, and I believe the people paying the bills, see him getting NU back to national relevance.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Cornhusker,
You seem to have a pretty realistic view of the current state of Nebraska football. Unfortunately, I think you're becoming a rarity in Husker Nation. I don't know if Pelini is the long term answer for you guys or not, but like you said, if nine wins a year and a spot in the CCG every 2-3 years isn't good enough for the fan base, who in his right mind would take that job?

The things that made Nebraska a powerhouse in the '90s -- state-of-the-art facilities and an elite strength & conditioning program -- have become commonplace at most major NCAA programs. Not to mention, the '90s are ancient history to the average 17-year-old blue chip recruit.

I'm not saying Nebraska will never win another national championship, but I don't think they'll ever have run of dominance like we saw from '93 (when they should've won their first of three straight MNCs) thru '97. I think a lot of Husker fans need to lower their expectations a little bit. If you can find a coach that will keep you in or around the Top 25, get you to the CCG every few years and field a playoff-caliber team every 6-8 years, you should be very, very happy. Pelini has proven to be capable of the first two criteria, but the verdict is still out on whether he can put together a truly elite team. Regardless, I think it'd be premature to fire him unless the team just completely tanks this season.

[The Seer]

If you can find a coach that will keep you in or around the Top 25, get you to the CCG every few years and field a playoff-caliber team every 6-8 years, you should be very, very happy.

Mike, your years of steady Buff-fandom is showing.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

That's all I'm looking for in a CU coach. It's really the best that 95% of college programs can hope for. If you're expecting anything more from Mora, you might be as delusional as the Husker fans I was talking about.

[At Large]

I didn't leave, but I'm barely around. I've just been really busy in my life with a toddler running around, house projects and work.

Quickly. I think NU has a really good chance to win on Saturday. They have an experienced offense with a lot of good playmakers. I have yet to see them turn it on the whole game. They are long overdue for a breakout game. UCLA's secondary is young and hopefully, NU does things to attack that.

On the other hand, NU's D is very young on the front seven. They are very talented, but you see big breakdowns and wrong positions. This is Pelini's fault. He didn't plan/recruit properly to maintain his defense. I think he's figured it out, but as I said, the result is the young, talented defense that will look stupid at times (see the Wyoming game).

NU needs to play great on offense and special teams. They need to get up early and stay up as NU's D will most likely leak some big plays.

I think they win strictly on the O's potential. They've yet to explode. This is the time to do it.

[At Large]

Early in the game, NU 7, UCLA 3. 7:33 left, 1st qtr.

[At Large]

Near end of 1st qtr. NU 14, LA 3. NU just ground out a 92-yrd drive.

[War Wagon]

where the hell is that H4ever honk?

Not often I root for the Huskers but Go Big Red!

[Screw_Michigan]

where the hell is that H4ever honk?

Getting bent over by his wife.

Nice unis, Big Red.

[King Crimson]

Nice unis, Big Red.

yeah, pretty gruesome. some kind of Gestapo look.

[The Seer]

That TD before HT could loom large. Typically we make decent halftime adjustments on D. But Neb looks like they have enough talent in the trenches...

UCLA couldn't play any worse so I'm mildly optimistic. Have to stop Neb on 1st series of 2nd half.

UCLA RB Jordan James should be kept in the locker room for the 2nd half.

MIA - Anthony Barr

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Wow. A tale of two halves. Gutties score 28 straight to go up 10 and the 'skers suddenly look inept.

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

Damn. Make that 35 straight. What was looking like a Nebraska rout is turning into a UCLA rout.

[King Crimson]

UCLA couldn't play any worse so I'm mildly optimistic. Have to stop Neb on 1st series of 2nd half.

rack the seer

as we used to say

[At Large]

How many double-digit lead games has Pelini let slip through his fingers? It's really pissing me off. I am so sick of this.

[Cornhusker]

Anyone that has seen all of these embarassing losses cannot come to any conclusion other than Pelini is a terrible sideline coach and clearly in way over his head. The pattern is obvious.

Never in my life have I wanted to see NU fail. Just to get that clown out of town, I'm strongly considering pulling for each opponent the rest of the season.

Eichorst's inbox is filling fast.

The media will be ready to unleash on this guy as payback for his condescending attitude over these past 6 years. That bitch was shopping 2 years ago for a new gig. I'm sure Eichorst got this message when he arrived. No one in their right mind will hire him. He's our wart. Time to get it removed this November.

Congrats Seer, the Bruins surely look like a nice team. I'll be hoping you win the PAC. Jim Mora Jr. IS what I consider a coach... wish we had one.

[At Large]

There's a civil war going on right now in the Husker community, or at least on the board I frequent. There seems to be the old guard that loves Bo because he's a great coach who does things the right way, except for when he doesn't which is often. They spend most of their time arguing that NU fans are idiots for losing patience and we'll only get what we deserve for forcing out a coach like Bo. It's everyone else's fault that he's testy with the media. Every blowout loss they point out that it's not the scheme, it's the execution. It's the player's fault for failing to tackle, Bo says today. So do the apologists. While that may be true, Bo, I just have one question, "Who in the HELL is teaching them proper tackling technique? Or are they learning on their own?"

[MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan]

I guess I'll pull for the Gutties in this one. Conference loyalty and whatnot...

how sec fan of you.
conference rivals are generally the most hated ones, I want every Pac team, other than USC, to lose every OOC game, unless they are playing the french, every time

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Weird game. I didn't pay that close attention because I was watching Michigan almost lose to Akron, but it seemed like Nebraska had things under control then UCLA started pouring it on and never looked back. To the left of me was a Michigan fan and to the right was a Husker fan. The simultaneous melts were pretty entertaining.

[Cornhusker]

http://deadspin.com/bo-pelini-on-nebras ... socialflow

The door is open : Nebraska mafia alive and well..
Timing is everything..thanks Seer for your Bruins doing their part ..bye bye Bo..whenever..he will NOT be here next fall.. if not sooner.

[At Large]

He won't be gone this week or month. He'll be gone if they continue to slide the rest of the year. If they run the table to get a division championship, he's probably fine depending on how they do in the Big10 championship game and the bowl game.

Pretty sure the NU athletic dept. knew about this side of him so it would be a huge mistake to let him go right now. He was with a person from the AD who most definitely overheard him. I don't blame him for dogging our fans. We have a split of fans in the stadium who, when things start to go downhill, immediately stop cheering and start grumbling. 30,000 fans left in the game Pelini was bitching about, so they missed the comeback win. I'd be pissed, too.

[Left Seater]

I agree with At Large, he isn't going anywhere now. All you can do then is name a temp coach from the current staff thru the end of the season. How does that help, unless you just want to throw this season away and Feb's recruiting class.

[Cornhusker]

I agree with At Large, he isn't going anywhere now. All you can do then is name a temp coach from the current staff thru the end of the season. How does that help, unless you just want to throw this season away and Feb's recruiting class.

I'm sure the recruiting class won't be fooled to believe he's returning or not, what with today's media blitz. What they will know is, he's on thin ice, now and in the future. So they will probably look at other options regardless. You can't worry about ten, 18 year olds decisions, controlling who your head coach is. His fate will be known long before signing day. I honestly feel he's deadman walking, I bet that will be the general consensus through-out the season with NU fan, especially after the next coaching disaster that is awaiting on his horizon.. The recruits will get that.

According to Harvey Perlman's comment to media.. "We are evaluating the situation.." translation...What will the general attitude of NU fan be at Saturday's game?.. How many fans will actually show-up?.. How many SDSU fans will be in seats otherwise occupied by red clad fans?..Legal issues..?..The tape was made by the media outlet, exclusively hired by UNL. How can you fire him without just cause, especially using this as a viable reason? Insubordination? How does his contract read?

So they will wait to see the bottom line.. win-loss record, and what will the major boosters be willing to kick in to buy him out if (when) that record goes south. The only thing that is meaningful to the university is that sell-out streak. If NU fan decides to let seats become unoccupied..he's gone. Even though they are sold out for this season. That will be the bottom line.

[At Large]

Now I'm hearing the decision has already been made. Bo was asked if he would be coaching on Saturday. He said that he was given no guarantees. They must be combing over his contract. It's not like they don't have several reasons to fire him. After all, Bobby Knight got fired for grabbing a student's arm while lecturing him about manners after the student yelled at him. He was warned many times about his behavior.
I'm sure Bo's been warned a few times and he's got several hits against him.

• He called Bill Snyder an asshole in 2003 after Snyder still had his starters in when Bo was playing his reserves.
  Also in 2003, I've heard of tales of his behavior while interim coach during the bowl trip.
  He berated officials so badly when they played VT the first time, he got flagged, which led to them scoring a TD a play or two later.
  He screamed obscenities at Taylor Martinez on national tv, which caused a camera to be on him in every game.
  He was seen cursing at refs and sometimes players from then on.
  The blowout losses the last several years.

[At Large]

You mean he didn't know that Bo Pelini was the person he is when he, Tom Osborne, hired him over his favorite Turner Gill?

:doh:

He knew. Don't forget, Osborne got his start coaching under Bob Devaney, who was a polar opposite of him, too.

[At Large]

Well I'll be dipped...

NU AD and Chancellor have said that Bo won't be punished. I'm guessing it's because they already addressed it after it happened. They were in a bind legally in that they knew of this incident and that it was already handled internally. To fire him now would have set them up for a huge lawsuit from Pelini.