And after watching the opposing guards go 9/9 on threes we just launch them up contested on the other side trying to match. Just awful
Has to be. I was thinking Fred would get fired but now all the talk about the secret extension makes me think he gets the revised contract and forced to bring in assistants who can actually coach.
First I’ve seen of this. I like it. Spoiler Shatel: The Big Ten eliminating divisions, dropping to eight conference games? Yes, please I must have passed out. I could have sworn I read that the Big Ten is considering dumping its two divisions and dropping to eight conference games per season. All in the name of a 12-team College Football Playoff and having as many Big Ten teams as possible chase a national title. Holy Legends and Leaders, Batman. It’s true. Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman reported that the Big Ten is considering the moves and seemed to be leaning that way. You’ve read my take before. The SEC wants to be No. 1 in college football. The Big Ten wants to be the Big Ten. Now maybe the Big Ten poobahs are admitting they merely want to stop and smell the Pasadena roses on the way to the playoff. People are also reading… It’s good news for an ever-improving Big Ten football brand. And potentially good news for Nebraska, if and when the Huskers and playoff are used in the same sentence. Divisional play hasn’t worked for the Big Ten. It hasn’t made it better. It shined a light on the unbalanced nature of the league. The power division. And the other guys, writes Tom Shatel. THE WORLD-HERALD » No divisions. Yes, please. Divisional play hasn’t worked for the Big Ten. It hasn’t made it better. It shined a light on the unbalanced nature of the league. The power division. And the other guys. Consider: Since going to East-West divisions in 2014, the East has won the conference championship game every year. All of 'em. The divisions were a prop to create a cash-cow title game. But most years you’re not giving Fox the two best teams in the league. And you’re telling the CFP committee that your champ didn’t necessarily have a quality win. “I think the two best teams in the Big Ten ought to be able to play each other for the championship,” said NU Athletic Director Trev Alberts, a proponent of scrapping the divisions. It would also highlight the best teams for CFP committee members. » Without divisions, the Big Ten would go to four-team schedule “pods.” This would be good for NU. Realignment has damaged the regional nature of college football. And that was always one of the sport’s strengths. When Nebraska-Maryland is a conference game, well, yuck. Dochterman projected that Nebraska’s pod would include playing Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin every year then a rotation of five other Big Ten teams. In other words, NU wouldn’t play Ohio State six years in a row. Some pods would be tricky. What to do with Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State? But Nebraska’s pod makes sense. Those three games are drivable for Husker fans. Those are NU’s neighbors, some uglier than others. Imagine a cage extending from Omaha to Minneapolis to Madison to Iowa City. It looks like fun. Ahem, a lot more fun if Scott Frost figures out how to beat the other three. Nebraska’s projected pod would include playing Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin every year. And then a rotation of five other Big Ten teams. THE WORLD-HERALD » Eight conference games. The right move on a couple of levels. When the Big Ten went to nine league games, it thought it was playing up to the CFP committee. Strength of schedule and all that. But the Big Ten smart guys got outsmarted. First, Ohio State missed playoff bids in 2017 and 2018 after losses at Iowa and Purdue. Would that have happened with eight league games? I’d love to know what a former Jacksonville Jaguars coach says. Also, observers noticed an annual trend from the committee. “What we’ve found is that strength of schedule has not been viewed by the committee as important as winning games,” Alberts said. Basically, being a tough guy doesn't help you. A fourth nonconference game — a win — helped teams get in the playoff more than an extra league game. “The SEC has a good plan in place,” Alberts said. » Four nonconference games would benefit Nebraska football. If Alberts gets creative. It would give NU a better chance to have seven home games a year. Which apparently helps keep the lights on at Memorial Stadium and downtown Lincoln merchants. I also think of scheduling possibilities. A long-term series with Wyoming. Old Big Eight types like Kansas State, KU and Iowa State. And “one off” games with Missouri in Kansas City or the Texas school of your choice in Arlington, where NU might like to pitch a recruiting tent again. I envision one of the “pod” games happening in September. Then save a noncon game for mid-November, ala the SEC. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Tom Shatel calls the move to eight conference games would "the right move, on a couple of levels." THE WORLD-HERALD » And then there’s the Alliance. The Alliance between Big Ten-ACC-Pac 12 enables the Big Ten to move to eight league games. You pick up a noncon game from the other two leagues. I like it for Nebraska if it’s UCLA, Southern California, Washington or Oregon. But the ACC doesn’t bring much juice. The Alliance is a short-sighted concept, meant to pay back the SEC for adding Oklahoma and Texas last summer when the world was asleep. The Big Ten and the other two Alliance partners need to be working with the SEC to better the playoff and college football. What’s the saying about keeping your enemies close? “Originally, the thinking was we would have two Alliance games,” Alberts said. “There were some models that say maybe just one.” Let’s leave room for none also. I would hope NU would still be able to schedule SEC teams. LSU. ’Bama. The Tennessee series is still on the docket. However it falls, eight will be good for Nebraska. That’s one more regional game or quality noncon and one fewer Big Ten game back east that few Husker fans care about. » If there are no divisions, how would Nebraska win the Big Ten? That’s the crutch of the divisional proponent. That the one-shot league title game gave the “other guys” 60 minutes to knock off Goliath and win a title. Otherwise, in a 14-team scrum, the other guys would always get left out. “Our job is to get better,” Albert said. “Our job is to find a way to get there.” » Do we really need conference championship games? I would love to see the leagues — and Big Ten in general — have the guts to tell the networks that these games are too often lacking drama or meaning. But league officials are too busy counting money. What’s going to happen in the no-division Big Ten the first time that, say, Michigan and Ohio State have to play a league title game the week after their regular-season Super Bowl? I wonder, too, if a 12-team College Football Playoff would come with players and officials saying there’s too many games. And the solution is cutting the league championship TV shows. Here’s a rub: If a 12-team playoff gives automatic berths to league champs, then the first weekend in December becomes compelling TV. If the committee goes with the best 12 teams, no league champs, then the games are less necessary. All of this could happen by 2023. Right now, Big Ten officials are trying to guess when the playoff might expand — which seems unlikely until 2026. There’s a lot to unpack, but I like the direction and discussion. Now, to get the Huskers inserted into the conversation.
I think this has only been discussed for a few days, saw a random article earlier this week and then Trev talked about it on the radio show too. I've always thought it was a classic Big Ten move to not have 8 conference games. It annoys me how the mindset is always "dont be like the SEC" and they just make it harder on themselves, rather than a "if you cant beat em join em" type thing. Same with the oversigning stuff. Plus, the Big Ten sucks so I'd rather tack on a game against like Kansas State or something than Rutgers lol we'll lose either way who cares
Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t bet all 50 million doll hairs to my name on Buttgers ML today?
I helped a guy who was doing an apprenticeship. His girlfriend was 7 months pregnant. His hours had been significantly cut due to COVID so he was barely scraping by with bills and doctor appointments. Then his car crapped out on him. He fell a bit behind on rent and got evicted. I helped him get rental assistance, worked out a deal with his landlord so he could stay. Suddenly this guy who was about to be homeless with his 7 months pregnant girlfriend had his back rent covered along with 4 months of future rent. This is one story. I helped several people just like this every week as did many other volunteers. There is going to be significant human suffering costs to this decision and it's all dumb politics
If I’m ever out in a field pretending to pheasant hunt for a political campaign I’d hope someone would turn the shotgun on me and put me out of my misery
I’ll tell you what. Moving from Oregon back to Nebraska might make me literally go insane from a political angle. fuckkkk
My wife’s job is a good job and she now is able to work remotely and got the ok to do it from Nebraska. 100% long-term goal is to buy land in the gorge and eventually move back. I love Nebraska but Oregon is so fucking gorgeous and awesome that I can’t stay away forever. I’m not looking forward to taking in Nebraska games in person again. Woof
Welcome back to The Good Life! I was up in Pierce County last weekend. Drove through Osmond. Still a shithole.
I’ll defend Osmond over Randolph till the day I die! but I also completely acknowledge I have about 3-4 days of being in Osmond a year in me.
User OZ is 100% in this video 2 times with hair. still the worst rollercoaster game I’ve seen live and I saw Nunn fumble against Texas in the snow.
I sat behind home plate for the win against ASU, then camped out for the GA seats against Florida. Not that the bar is incredibly high but one of the better memories of my Husker fandom for sure (even though they lost to UF).
Does Bryce shoot from 8 feet beyond the line constantly to prove he has NBA range? Because he doesn’t.
Fred getting smarter with his scoring droughts. 10 minute FG drought but doesn’t seem as bad when there is a halftime break in the middle.
Man, Bryce is getting fouled and converting every time he gets to the rim. Why does he pull up there?