Bowl Musings...

December 31
Missouri just put the finishing touches on a 35-13 loss to Navy. Blaine Gabbert is garbage. So is Gary Pinkel. No effort in a 22-point loss to the Midshipmen. Way to represent the Big 12. The Big 10 is calling.

Kevin Cosgrove has his Golden Gopher defensive unit fired up today.....Minnesota held Iowa State to just 428 yards in the Insight Bowl!

January 1
ESPN Gameday has wasted 5+ minutes on a feature telling us why Tim Tebow will persevere past his shitty throwing motion and accuracy to be an NFL QB. Spare us, Todd McShay. Where is Mel Kiper when you need him?

Auburn vs. Northwestern--One of the greatest games of shitty football PYB has ever seen. It takes a truly talented team to nearly lose a game that should be won by 35 points. Good work Auburn. And did Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald dial up Frank Solich for that fake FG call?

Penn St. vs. LSU--Another SEC tank job. Only thing cool about this game was the muddy field.

West Virginia vs. Florida State--The fix had to be in, right? WVA rolls out 14-3 and looks unstoppable. Then magically FSU and its backup QB can't be stopped and WVA can't gain a yard. Had to be rigged for the Bowden Pity Party.

Oregon vs. Ohio State--Oregon pulls another Pac 10 no show, then gets in position to win (and more importantly cover 4 points), then fumbles the game through the end zone, thus allowing Brent Musburger and Pony Boy Herbstreit to revel in the fact that the Big 10 is back and has just as much team speed as the SEC, Pac 10, Big 12, etc.

Cincy vs. Florida--Not sure which was more annoying....the fact that Cincy showed up like a bunch of studio gangstas being coached by former Bearcat hoops coach Bob Thuggins, trying to cover up for their lack of talent, then getting blasted OR having to listen to one of the worst five announcers in sports, Thom Brenneman, rail on about Tim Tebow and how it's unfair that Tebow has had to endure all the backlash from the haters who are sick of hearing about it.

Thom, they don't hate Tebow, they hate fagots like you spewing hyperbole all game about how great he is. Thom, you're the douche who dropped the "anyone who spends just five minutes with Tebow comes away a better person for it" line. Fuck you, Thom. You're a garbage baseball announcer (and at least you know the nuances of that game--you helped us realize this by name-dropping the story about Urban Meyer coming to Reds games in the summers. he and five other people), and an even worse football announcer (a game of which you hold zero knowledge).

Final downside to this game...Tebow's good passing statistics. It will prompt four months of "Can Tebow Be an NFL QB?" stories on ESPN. Hell, Fox gave us two hours of it the other night, since the game was a bottle blasting. Quick answer, FUCK NO, he has no shot. End of story.

January 2
UConn vs. South Carolina--The Gamecocks didn't show up? Are you kidding? I don't believe you. Another SEC flop.

Ole Miss vs. Okie State--OSU turns bowl over seven times and the game was still in the balance with four minutes to go, before their WR coughed up the final fumble after a long gain. One of the worst games PYB has ever seen....in other words, a typical Cotton Bowl game. Horrible coaching, no excitement...a fitting end for the two biggest underachievers of 2009. And despite what this hack says, it's downright sad to listen to the demise of Pat Summerall, who can barely stay standing during a broadcast these days and makes error after error. Somebody please save his dignity.

East Carolina vs. Arkansas--Another near-flameout for the SEC, as the Razorbacks needed three shanked FGs by ECU's kicker to escape with a 20-17 OT win. Horrible game.

Michigan St. vs. Texas Tech--Entertaining, watchable, if not well played. TT comes back with two late TDs to cover for all it's bettors out there. The spread jumped two full points during the day, from 7.5 to 9.5. ESPN's Mike Patrick campaigned for TT's interim coach to get the job permanently because: A. He's a nice guy and he liked him in the pre-game interview sessions and B. He won a game over Michigan State. Hell, if B was the criterion to keep a coaching job, Charlie Weis would still be in South Bend.

Almost another week until the BCS game, in another flatly played, overhyped, made-for-tv game as Texas takes on 'Bama. Here's to hoping Cunt McCoy gets rolled again, after he scoffed off the Nebraska defense's effort in the B12 championship...saying he has to step it up because he didn't play well against Nebraska, and Alabama's defense is better than Nebraska's. Maybe individually, but as a unit, PYB has a hard time believing any unit is currently better than the Blackshirts.

Longhorn arrogance continues....first Mack Brown says UT should have had two seconds remaining, not one, to kick their FG and now McCoy just can't admit he was dominated. UT hasn't beaten anybody good all year. They played three decent (at best) teams in TT, OU and NU and almost lost all three. Roll Tide.

Holiday Bowl Rewind

As NU's Big 12 brethren Oklahoma and Missouri do their best to tarnish the conference's image today, PYB takes a moment to look bad on the pluses and minuses of the Cornhuskers' Holiday Bowl performance Wednesday in San Diego.

The Good
-Defensive dominance--Arizona didn't stand a chance. The Mildcats came out Pac 10 soft from the outset last nite, as they were smothered on first and second down, then threw a pick on 3rd and long. Matt O'Hanlon returned the ball to the five yard line, where not even NU's inept offensive could screw it up, and the rest was history.

-Success out of the Wildcat formation--Too bad we couldn't see Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu together, as Helu allegedly suffered a 'bruised knee.' PYB hopes that NU's coaches are not using this as a BS excuse to phase out Helu, as he still has a much higher upside than Burkhead. Most Nebraska fans will disagree, since they love Burkhead mostly because he is white.

-Blackshirts' future--Sure, the loss of Ndamukong Suh will be huge, but the most impressive aspect of NU's defense is its function as a collective unit. One player will not make or break the success they have. When you see three CBs on the field that are better than any NU has had in 10 years, you realize it's the depth they have there and everywhere else that allows them all the success. That, along with pro-level zone coverages that confuse almost every QB, mean great things for years to come. Next year: Crick, Allen, Meredith, Gomes, Amukamara, Dennard, PJ Smith, Blue, et al, will return. Find a linebacker that can make plays like Phillip Dillard, and they're in business.

-Alex Henery, PK--Four more field goals for Alex Henery, as he continues his career as the best kicker NU has had since Kris Brown. Complete control of his kicks, as even 50+-yarders sail high through the uprights.

-Kick coverage--The kickoff team let up on one kick return, but that was just once in seven chances. And Blue looked ultra-fast on the punt coverages all nite. If he can transfer this to his defensive play in 2010, look for a bright future as he shakes off a major knee injury.

-New plays--It looked as if Shawn Watson used the 25-day layoff to pick Tom Osborne's brain for more plays that gained positive yardage. Option off a wingback-in-motion set, reverse for the first time in 11 games, tight end passes, etc. Who knew that there were other plays that worked?

The Bad
-Diary of a Freshman--Bad isn't the word for the way Watson & Pelini handled Cody Green's freshman season. Awful may be a start. After spending two weeks telling us all that he'd see meaningful snaps, he played for once meaningful series. That series, like the games against CU and Texas, were defined by terrible dropback pass calls that Green should never run. He obviously is not comfortable running those plays (which not even Lee runs), but Watson keeps forcing it. Granted, Green looked lost last night, but could the coaches highlight his attributes just once? Rollouts, run/pass option plays, the zone read that Zac Lee ran 50 fucking times. Wake up, Shawn. Please spare me the kudos that people are throwing his way, as it was more of the same.

-Overhype for 2010--ESPN was already juicing over NU's likelihood of being preseason top 10. Now fans are talking conference and national title, already. Lest we forget this offense sucked all season and still couldn't finish in the red zone against a soft Pac 10 defense in San Diego. There are few playmakers on the offense. Helu and Burkhead, maybe. Niles Paul, despite his lame flexing routine after running past a DB who slipped on the wet turf, is not one. Check out his disappearing act against good teams. PYB remembers the last time these grand ideas surfaced, and it was followed by embarrassing losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State

-Where's Roy?--Did the coaches bench Roy Helu, or was he really hurt? PYB wants to see him run behind a real offensive line, just once. He has gained so many yards without any consistent blocking, we'd like to see what he'd do with some holes to run through.

-Zac Leebow--Why does Watson insist on running Zac Lee 20 times a game when he won't run Cody Green?

-Celebrate good times--The celebrations by Pierre Allen and Niles Paul were lame. This is not a team that is talented enough to pull that crap. This is a team that must show up every day and outwork the other team. No team is good enough to put a bullseye on its back and get away with it, not these days. There will never be teams good enough to do that again, in this watered-down age of college football. No more Miami from the 80s & 90s. Allen seemed like he temporarily lost his head, while Paul seems to keep thinking he's better than he is...as proven by his spike and flex act. Then his ungracious comments when receiving the MVP trophy: "Next year we gonna make some plays..." How about trying to make some this year first?

-Injured??--Lee's post-game revelation that he needs arm surgery and has been playing injured for 10 games. Is this true or a coverup for why he sucks and can't throw a ball within five yards of wide open receivers?

That's all for now, keep posted for some more season wrap up comments and bowl coverage...





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Steeler Arrogance...

This is funny. Woodley obviously is oblivious to the fact that the NFL has rigged two Super Bowls for Pittsburgh in five seasons.

Fuck Craig James...

It's been 13+ years since we've heard this song at the Sidetrack Tavern in Lincoln, but this song seems quite appropriate right now. Just when the Pony Boy had regained respect, it's gone in a jiffy. Poof! Whether Mike Leach was right or wrong, keep your mouth shut and stay off our televisions...

Fuck, fuck, fuck Craig James,
Shove a football up his ass,
Find another line of work,
You disgusting fucking jerk,
and take your pussy son with you when you go.....

Get Rich or Die Tryin'...

PYB's bowl-game picks (Subject to change):

NU +1.5 over Arizona (moved to -3 NU late, not sure about that one)
Mizzou -6.5 over Navy
Houston -4.5 over Air Force
Oregon -4 over Ohio St.
Texas Tech -7.5 over Michigan St.
TCU -7.5 over Boise St. (the WAC is exposed)
Georgia Tech -3.5 over Iowa
Alabama -4 over Texas

Interesting link here, as the Mildcats haven't shown up yet in San Diego. You'd think they'd be flocking to get out of Lebanon ASAP for a vacation, but maybe the natives can't take a day off from their hourly-wage jobs. No surprise, as the fans for every Arizona sports team are as bandwagon as they come. Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Suns, Sun Devils, Mildcats, Coyotes....

Bowl Season Blues

Can anyone possibly like this song?

ESPN continues to find ways to make itself worse. This campaign is hands down the most overplayed, worst campaign since ABC's NBA Playoffs use of Let's Get it Started...

I didn't think anything could make me want to quit watching bowl season...not even five missed bets in a row. Now this song, followed by the miserable slate of games on January 1. Somehow the greatest sports day of the year is now completely ruined...Exhibit A is this year's 1/1 schedule:

10am--Northwestern vs. Auburn (meaningless)
Noon--Penn St. vs. LSU (meaningless)
Noon--Florida St. vs. West Virginia (Bowden's last game, no relevance otherwise)
3:30pm--Ohio St. vs. Oregon (intriguing matchup, but no impact on national title)
7:30pm--Florida vs. Cincinnati (Top 5 teams, but outside of coach drama, no NC implications)

Five games. Four Top 10 teams. Nothing that impacts the national title scenario. We get to wait a week for that overhyped disaster. Sweet.

Pics of the Day...Ass/Knee/Leg/Ass

Cougars Slam Cornhuskers in Vegas...

Did the Cornhuskers celebrate their first-round win over Tulsa by boozing and chasing SELs around Vegas all night? It certainly looked like it Wednesday, as BYU bottle blasted NU 88-66. The Cougars jumped out to a 39-7 lead, as Nebraska played without its team leader and leading scorer (given, it's a whopping 11 ppg) Ryan Anderson.

Doc Sadler got two bright spots, as Bear Jones scored 21 points and Brandon Richardson had 13. Sadler is going to have to play these guys more, as they are proving to be the only guards who can compete and score against top Division I teams. Translation: teams that aren't Chicago St., South Carolina-Upstate, or similar dogs.

Hopefully, he can mix them in with Anderson, Brian Diaz and uber-kraut Christian Standhardinger (upon his return in four games) to provide a core that will log heavier minutes and give NU some rhythm. Hopefully, Standhardinger is not another 'star' that NU fans wait on for a year, who then averages six points for his career. The Cornhuskers dearly need someone who can pour in 15 a game, consistently. Mix in some bench minutes for the promising Ray Gallegos and some low-post banging minutes for Quincy Hankins-Cole, and then bench the stiffs. Supposed Big 12-ready point guard Lance Jeter is on the verge of becoming a flop. PYB is sure glad Sadler ran Cookie Miller out of town. Read more HERE.

Otherwise, it will be a long season, especially when the Big 12 begins. Six of NU's conference foes at least received votes in the latest AP rankings. Kansas and Texas are ranked numbers one and two. Colorado is much improved, Kansas State is rated 12th, Texas A&M is 19th (even though team leader Derrick Roland snapped his leg in a gruesome injury this week. Video link HERE, listen for the SNAP! as he comes down) Texas Tech is 23rd and blasted Stanford in its last game, Okie State got 29 votes, and Baylor got six.

Doc, find a rotation, and soon. NU needs some quality wins to impress the NIT committee.

Nothing to Prove?

When your offense had 106 yards in its last outing, PYB contends that there is plenty to prove. Apparently, this writer believes a team has hit the apex of achievement after going 9-4 and almost beating a ranked team. PYB, Sam.

A more enlightened viewpoint is HERE.

SELs

Just an SUV?

Reports say that USC is under investigation for Joe McKnight's use of an SUV, obviously funded by an outside source. PYB knows that this thing will never see the light of day.....hell, Reggie Bush's parents got a free house and that case mysteriously got deep-sixed and the Trojans got off completely unscathed. I guess that tells us the difference in the levels of game that McKnight and Bush have...one gets a used Land Rover and the other a fat house.

Historically Bad....

A new low for the Cornhusker offense. NU is so bad that this OWH article talks about how WR Brandon Kinnie is developing, and cites two catches that didn't count as proof!

And just in case that doesn't do it for you, OC Shawn Watson continues to talk in circles when explaining while NU's offensive recruits are jumping like rats on a sinking ship. He is equally unclear when explaining his direction for the future. "We want to be what we were in the past." So mediocre at best to completely awful?

Watson: Coaches have been clear with recruits

Posted by: Brian Christopherson on December 16, 2009 at 8:17PM CST

Shawn Watson can’t comment specifically on quarterback Tyler Gabbert and wide receiver Curtis Carter — two recruits who recently decommitted from Nebraska. But he said after Wednesday's practice all recruits have been told that Nebraska’s offense at season's end isn’t what they should expect to see going forward.

“We can’t apologize for what we’ve had to do,” Watson said. “We’ve produced five wins in a real critical time. It was basically we had to really manage the game to put us in position to win. We’ve made that real clear what we were doing. Is that going to be us? No. That’s not me at all. That’s not our staff. That’s not the direction we want to be.”

What direction does Watson want the offense to go in?

"We want to be what we've been in the years past," Watson said. "We want to be a team that spreads the field and spreads the offense out, so that would be the spread aspect. So that's what we want to be. I think that's what you have to do to win. Because you can run and pass equally as well out of it. That's where we need to go. So we need the skill players to be able to do that."

As you can read in our practice notebook, Watson also spoke about the search for a quarterback in this recruiting class.

“It’s not a must,” Watson said. “I don’t think that we all feel it’s a must, but we would like to bring competition into the room, add an extra dimension, some elements that obviously we think we need.”

Tiger Slam....Up to 14 Whores and Counting...

We've heard it all by now: Two porn stars, no condoms, big crank, stamina, Perkins waitresses, cocktail lounge skanks, a total of 14 sluts....and now the cake taker--the 'family values' interview that came 10 days before the outing of Tiger Woods as a complete fucking fraud. A big deal to everyone but Nike's Phil Knight, who said this will just a blip in a few years. Hey Phil, tell me how Tiger's dick tastes. (Credit for the witty lyric: Shaquille O'Neal)

PYB has just one question: why are all the gory details above printed mostly in foreign media? Random websites from the UK, India and Germany. Has anyone seen a blow-by-blow recap of all the philandering in one spot? Hell, we get this when president Obama shoots a few hoops outside the White House. But not once for the biggest story in several years? The New York Daily News is the only publication we've seen willing to tackle any of the salacious details.

We are screaming conspiracy. It's all about the money. ESPN won't say shit. Nike won't drop him. No mainstream internet site has recapped his 14 transgressions in a clear, concise manner. Keep riding your golden goose, I guess. Just tell me you will jump off the bandwagon when it comes out that he gave Elin herpes after 'going veins' on whore after whore after whore.....

But perhaps the match is fitting. Cowardly companies too afraid to drop their cowardly spokesman, who is too afraid to show his face, do a real interview (not on his own website) or show up to play golf for the next few months. To quote the great Lenny Brisco (sort of): "Tiger you got the gravy, time to take the grief...."

More detail on the "GAG ORDER" here...

Barfknecht Man Love...

Judging by the two columns below, PYB suspects that OWH columnist Lee Barfknecht would have been found under the podium servicing Turner Gill during his introductory press conference. These take the cake in his fall from any shred of objectivity, which began with his voting of Michigan #1 over Nebraska in 1997 and ballooned during the Bill Callahan era, as he refused to offer any sort of fact-based coverage. Wipe off your lips, Lee.

You can contrast it with the third link, another flop from the KC Star's Jason Whitlock....always trying to go against the grain just for the sake of being different and not having a real take. Always trying to show us how forward-thinking he is, this time he continues by telling us he doesn't support the hire of a black coach just because he is black himself. And he shreds any ounce of credibility he has by whining about calls from the 2008 MAC championship game.....does anyone care? Sadly, PYB did watch this game and the Ball State loss was more about Nate Davis' complete ineptitude than it was a couple calls going Buffalo's way. PYB, Mr. Whitlock!

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091214/SPORTS/712149838

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091213/SPORTS/712139861

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091214/SPORTS/712149848/0/SPORTS

Nerds Still Do Have to Nail Fat Chicks...

P-I-G! Good job Eldrick.

http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=7fb695fe-dcbf-4f11-9767-1e689122f12c

Flossin'.....

This is legit.....POTNA!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G1_sTYS14k

Pic of the Day...

NU Pounds Chicago State

Chicago State is quite possibly the worst Division I basketball team PYB has seen. Ever. Nebraska throttled them 74-39 Thursday in a game that wasn't even that close, in a game that was unwatchable because of how bad CSU was. The only thing worse was the attendance of 4500+. It is definitely time for the athletic department to get people into the seats--one way or another. And having Runza Rex sing during timeouts isn't going to cut it. PYB's quick idea, offer some free fashionable haircuts and tanning booth minutes to the NU student section, which is undoubtedly the most nerd-laden in college basketball.

Some quick Cougar stats:

24.2% FG shooting for the game
0/11 from three-point range
9/22 from the FT line for a dismal 40.9%

A game like this is hardly worthy of our analysis, especially at 5:30 in the morning. However, we'll go the extra mile...or half mile...today. Brian Diaz had nine points, 12 rebounds and three blocks while playing half the game. Lance Jeter had 13 points and three assists as he continues to develop as NU's floor leader. He also looked uncomfortably uncomfortable in his post-game interview with Eric Piatkowski.

Brandon Richardson, who will be key if the Cornhuskers are to have any Big 12 success, had 10 points and three assists and nailed two three-pointers. Myles Holley and Adrien Coleman had nice games, while Quincy Hankins-Cole was mysteriously absent.

Seventeen turnovers is too many, especially against a shitty team. And Doc Sadler was pissed about NU's bad rebounding. PYB was more pissed about nerdy Ben Nelson sporting a headband when he got his nine garbage-time minutes on the floor.

Next up, Oregon State. The Beavers are 4-3 and with some decent wins and bad losses. Should be an epic struggle at the Devaney Center on Saturday. Most of the overweight fan base, who took 45 minutes to wedge into their two-size-too-small Eric Crouch jersey, will have their eyes on the Heisman Trophy presentation anyway, as someone other than the most deserving recipient takes home the hardware.

Another Twat Bites the Dust...

PYB can't decide which fact is more disconcerting:

1. The fact that the recruiting rats jumping ship can't see the fact that NU's offense sucks means they could immediately impact the team (if they were any good).

2. The fact that these guys are so weak mentally, that they can't see themselves easily beating out guys like Zac Lee and Currenski Gilleylen.

3. The fact that, regardless of how overrated and pampered these recruits are, Shawn Watson's offense (or lack thereof) is costing Nebraska players. It's cost NU several games this season, and now, potentially games in the future.

The whole Tyler Gabbert situation is truly laughable. Here's a guy whose brother did the same thing. Blaine got all kinds of props despite putting up below average numbers in high school. Now, at Mizzou, he has occasional big yardage games but can't lead the Tigers to any meaningful progress. He led them to a loss at home against Baylor. We saw what he did against a top-notch defense against Nebraska. Basically, he sucks. Big numbers, no results. His brother (like we knew he would) finked out of his commitment. He will be the same, unimpactful QB in college.

The frustrating part is that these guys think and act like they're gamebreakers who deserve all this love and attention. Don't kiss my ass enough, I'm gone, they say. Good riddance.....enjoy your four years at those perennial powerhouses in Fort Worth and Columbia. NU will chug away at rebuilding its program to championship form with the type of player it did from the 60s to 1998. Tough, committed to football, willing to play a role as a cog in a bigger machine that spits out titles....winners.

Another final concern, as you scan NU's 2010 commitment list, is the lack of offensive skill players. Maybe Bo Pelini is trying to put together a defense that can score enough points that the NU offense can just kneel the ball down three times and punt every possession. Who knows, but PYB hopes that he's got a plan. If not, next season will be more of the same.....but without 2009 Outland Award Winner Ndamukong Suh to save them.

Gory Detail...

Some more interesting detail on the disgraced fraud, Eldrick Woods...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1233559/Tiger-Woods-8-hour-diner-waitress-deal-kept-affair-news.html

Good Riddance...

Tissue soft. Personification of what is weak about today's athlete. Hard to say which is more stunning: the complete lack of confidence this 'athlete' has in himself to impact any offense OR the total stupidity and lack of foresight to see that if the offense is broke, maybe he could have a hand in fixing it.

http://huskerextra.com/articles/2009/12/08/football/doc4b1dd9ac1902a541422334.txt

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Past Yo' Bedtime
Dec 4, 2009 ... This time, it was Adi Kunalic's inexplicable kick out of bounds. ... Was Kunalic told to target the corner? Did he just choke? ...
pastyobedtime.blogspot.com/ - Cached -

Part III

From a sports bar this season, no word on if the guy wearing it likes hot tubbing with 15-year olds...

Jerseys, Part Deux

Pics of the Day...

A great array of jerseys at this past weekend's Big XII title game...

Holy Shit...

Anyone with doubts about whether Shawn Watson should be fired, take a look at the tidbit below, from the OWH's Dirk Chatelain...

Since 2000, Watson has been an offensive coordinator nine seasons in the Big 12. At Colorado (2000 to ’05), and at Nebraska (2007 to ’09). His standing in the Big 12 offensive rankings:

• ’00: 8th in total offense, 10th in scoring offense

• ’01: 2nd, 4th

• ’02: 9th, 9th

• ’03: 9th, 8th

• ’04: 9th, 9th

• ’05: 8th, 9th

• ’07: 5th, 8th

• ’08: 6th, 6th

• ’09: 11th, 8th

Longhorn Magic...

If you thought Sooner Magic had Nebraska riddled in the 1980s, then Longhorn Magic has the Cornhuskers completely mystified. Somehow, this perennially soft, underachieving Texas team keeps finding ways to beat a game Nebraska team. Almost every time, it's been a self-inflicted wound. This time, it was Adi Kunalic's inexplicable kick out of bounds. He's never done that before, probably never will again. The main question is, was he told to kick at the corner or did he just pull a Byron Bennett?

Amazing is the word to describe this game. Amazing describes all of the following:

-Ndamukong Suh
-Nebraska's defense
-Zac Lee's ineptitude
-NU's offensive line ineptitude
-Shawn Watson's ineptitude
-NU's overall offensive ineptitude
-The fact that Nebraska almost won without a functioning offense
-Texas' arrogant gameplan
-The fact that the 'horse collar' penalty is in the rule book at all
-Adi Kunalic's final kickoff

So as we go down the list:

1. Suh--12 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 2 QB hurries. A purely dominating performance. One of the best PYB has seen. Tossing around a supposed Heisman candidate like it was nothing. All to be lost due to one piss-poor kick. Suh didn't even receive a mention on ESPN Sunday, as the network's four 'experts' put in their Heisman choices. Two even picked McCoy and his three INTs to win. Money talks.

2. The Blackshirts--Dominated a supposed top-five team all night on defense. The front four sacked McCoy nine times, Phillip Dillard was all over the place and the DBs were for the most part flawless. Gomes, Amukamara and Dennard showed they could play against any offense in the country. This team almost beat a third-ranked Longhorn team on its own, with NO help from its offense. NONE.

3. Lee--Simply horrible. What has he done the last four games that Cody Green couldn't be doing by now? Handing off? Running options for no gain? Throwing INTs? Granted, he didn't have many open receivers, but his complete lack of touch ruins most the chances NU does have on passing plays. His rocket ball at Roy Helu Saturday almost cost NU another pick. The bad part, he's only a junior and there's no evidence he'll be unseated.

4. Offensive Line--Horrible too. Blown assignments. No drive off the ball. No fire. Barney Cotton must go.

5. Watson--Horrible, part III. Obviously, he doesn't have that many tools to work with, but his inopportune play calls continually haunt the Cornhuskers. Twice in the first quarter, on third & short, he goes deep rather than try to move the chains with a run or short pass. No rhythm, no insight, nary a trick play, never the sense that he could outfox the opposing coach...just once! Is it time for Mark Mangino in Lincoln?

6. Offense--Sure, this isn't the 1999 St. Louis Rams, or even the 2008 Cornhuskers. But there is enough ability on offense to be at least a bad offense. This one is purely nonexistent. With Burkhead, Helu, McNeill, and Paul, the offense should at least be able to put up 17 points. So who's responsible? The line or the OC? Or both? You decide.

7. Texas--Stupid or arrogant? Arrogant or stupid? Texas came out and tried to do what they always do.....which is usually beat up creampuffs and struggle versus real teams. But why, outside of complete arrogance, would the Longhorns not target the weakness that Colorado exposed last week. NU was clearly an average defense when CU had their base package in and were forced to play Sean Fisher and Will Compton. But not once did UT force NU to play them, they allowed the Blackshirts to sit in their dime & nickel packages all game, where they are virtually impenetrable.

Mack Brown....can recruit with the use of all that Texas money and amenities, but as a game coach, well below average. Probably closer to bad. And, despite his 'say all the right things about respecting the opponent' act, he's a wolf in sheeps clothing. Just buttering up the other side as he racks up another undeserved win. Just like Bobby Bowden in the 1990s. And, the smug prick had the nerve to tell ESPN Sunday morning that he thought they should have gotten two seconds put back on the clock instead of one. How about none, Mack? Tell us how Nick Saban's dick tastes the first week of January...

8. According to the rule, Larry Asante's 15-yard horse collar penalty was the right call. But why the fuck is this even a rule? It was put in two years ago because Terrell Owens broke his ankle on a similar play. PYB has never seen a player seriously hurt on that type of play before or after. This is a man's game, not soccer. Players get injured. If the softened up public can't take it, there's always figure skating to watch.

9. What the hell happened on the final kickoff? Was Kunalic told to target the corner? Did he just choke? If a coach had him going for the corner, he should be fired on the spot. Even the most casual fan has seen 50 games pissed away by getting cute with a kickoff. It would have been better to lose on a 99-yard kickoff return than the Mickey Mouse drive UT had, with ONE 19-yard completion being all they needed to get into FG range. Texas hadn't gotten past the 25-yard line all night on a return.

And so, the magic continues. Or, should we say, NU continues to step on its own collective dick. The Holiday Bowl is a nice finish to the season, which had NU four points away from a 12-1 record. But the Fiesta was there, within reach. The wait for a return to relevance continues...

Championship Saturday Notes...

Starting with a definite non-championship outfit--Notre Dame. Their arrogance has hit an amazing high for at least the second time PYB can recall, as the Irish decline a bowl bid due to "unique circumstances." Let's go over what those unique circumstances might be, since the Domers didn't bless us with an explanation:

1. Your team is no good, and would suffer the likely indignity of losing in the Humanitarian Bowl. In this case, just act like that bowl game is beneath you.

2. A 1-9 record in your last 10 bowl games (with the one win being the lollipop they got tossed vs. Hawaii last season)

3. The ludicrous TV contract with NBC (is there any wonder why NBC is #4 in network standings?) pays you so much that the few hundred grand you might get for the game isn't worth the time? Well, ND would likely lose a bit of money, but lord knows the program needs the exposure and extra practice time. This extra time might allow the Irish the fine-tuning it needs to take out the likes of Navy and UConn. And the exposure might sway a recruit or two away from a real football program (choose from 50) or a real academic institution (Stanford) that isn't stuck in the Rust Belt with no good looking snatch.

4. An overblown sense of self-worth. Notre Dame has not been good since 1991. Notre Dame has not mattered since at least 1993. Somehow this is listed still as a marquee program and a marquee coaching job. Spare me, just let us all know when you find your next puppet. And please save us the moaning about financial concerns.....NBC can bail you out and, if that fails, you can always ask that the good folks at mass pony up 15% of their incomes instead of 10.

Nebraska vs. Texas
Don't think it, Nebraska fans. Don't believe it. Don't talk yourselves into thinking that NU can beat the Longhorns. The offense is bad....brutally bad. Unless the defense and special teams can account for 17 or more points, there is no chance. Hell, Nebraska couldn't even beat UT when they were three notches above them in talent and fortitude. So, NU fans, just accept that you blew $1000 to go to Dallas to see the Cowboys' new stadium...when you could have see it on a YouTube video for free. Texas has everything that has owned Nebraska this season:

-Scrambling QB
-Accurate QB, who can find spaces between zone defenses AND hit big plays
-Good receivers
-Smart coaching (not great, but smart enough to make sure Sean Fisher and Will Compton are on the field for the Blackshirts. Which, by the way, has there been a worse LB performance than Fisher supplied us last week in Boulder?)
-Stout defense
-Speed

Even worse for NU, their QB stinks and is even shakier against real competition. Their only receiver gets fat against weak competition, but is nowhere to be found against teams of any magnitude. We could delve into the numbers, but is it really necessary?

NU's strength is in the Blackshirts. PYB was mortified to watch last week, as Colorado totally exposed the unit's main weakness. When Fisher & Compton have to be on the field depending against power sets.......they're screwed. Pelini & Pelini would be better off staying in the nickel or dime and letting undersized DBs play than they would letting two scrubs plod four steps behind Texas' RBs all game.

Anyway, PYB hopes for a win. But it's not coming. Too bad, because Texas is overrated. Texas is soft. Always has been--it's the tradition that pussies like Chris Simms instilled in Austin. They prey on creampuffs in non-conference. They use their excess talent to win games they should lose. In tough times, they fold. Too bad NU doesn't quite have enough firepower to make the times tough enough Saturday. Maybe soon.

AND, just a postscript for those of you who need numbers to quantify your thoughts. A reader submission is posted below:

From: Donger, Lincoln, NE
OK, so how good a season was this, really? Does NOT include Texas.
Played (and lost to) one team in the last BCS Top 25 (VT - #11). Did
play (and beat) the following teams in the bottom 35 of the FBS -
Arkansas State (#106), Florida Atlantic (#103) and Colorado
(#84)....with Baylor at #75...technically beat 4 teams in the bottom 40%
of the Sagarin rankings....

9 Wins - FAU, ULL, ASU, MU, BU, OU, KSU, KU, CU
Combined Record - 46-60, .433%
Combined Score - 275 - 77
Average Margin of Victory - 22.0 Points
Non-Con Combined Score - 142 - 12
Non-Con Average Margin of Victory - 43.33 Points
Conference Combined Score - 133 - 65
Conference Average Margin of Victory - 11.33 Points


3 Losses - VT, TT, ISU
Combined Record - 23-13, .638%
Combined Score - 32 - 56
Average Margin of Loss - 8.0 Points

Sorry, ridiculously bored today...and I think we're gonna get blasted
Saturday. Now, more than ever, I think it's been smoke and mirrors all
year...

Trouble in "Paradise"

That is, if your version of 'paradise' is under the I-480 bridge with the bums and a couple empty sports bars.
Seems selling beer at a college game can only please the faux-riche in Omaha for so long. If this isn't typical, Omahans have gotten a completely overblown image of who they are and what their city is. Except for you myopic Jaybackers, the rest of us knew all along that Creighton was a nothing school, in the middle of the worst part of its city (if you think PYB is exaggerating, click here), with a huge inferiority complex (as Doc Sadler makes very evident here).

We especially loved all the Creighton grads who railed on about its great academics, which is code for "I have to pump it up because daddy droped $25,000 a year for me to go here because I couldn't get in to a real school that charges the same tuition and I was too scared to go to a bigger school that didn't have teachers to hold my hand the whole way." Even funnier are the alums who puff out their chests and go on record in the OWH about their expectations for Creighton, acting like they're Bill Gates when they never had the balls to leave Omaha.

This just in: Dana Altman will never take you to the next level. He flopped at Kansas State!! Duh. He pissed his pants after one day at Arkansas. So realize who you are, Jays.....a mid-level MVC team that beats Nebraska 50% of the time because it's your version of the Final Four. Congrats!

NU Blasts UTPA in Last Tuneup Before Bluegays

Not a victory worthy of an analysis, but some notes of interest from the box score:

1. Brian Diaz 11 points in 19 minutes

2. Sek Henry 5 & 8 playing half the game

3. Ryan Anderson continued production with 21 points & four steals.

4. Ray Gallegos gets his most playing time of the year, due in part to Brandon Richardson's aggravated back injury, and gets 13 points and three assists as he continues to impress.

5. Bear Jones gets 11 points playing 21 minutes.

So this game tells us little, except that Doc is working to find the rotation that works best against legitimate teams, who can play, who can not and what type of team he really has. We'll find out a little more on Sunday against the Bluegays, as this is their Super Bowl. Dana, should you have stayed in Fayetteville and cashed that big check? Something here at PYB tells us yes, as your program slides further into the middle of the pack in the Mo Valley...

Pounding Whores from Coast to Coast...

A good recap of the whole fraud that is Tiger Woods....

Inside the Nebraska Football Experience Room...

Done by Daake Design, an ardent supporter of PYB...We see only one error..."Eric Crouch, greatest running QB in school history."

Most yards, maybe. Most attempts, likely. Greatest runner, no chance.

Check the link.

Cornhuskers Sneak Past Trojans

Bear Jones' corner three locked down a nice victory in Los Angeles Sunday, as NU beat USC 51-48 in its first BCS non-conference road win in five years. Whatever the hell that means, since the BCS is a football thing...we thought?

Thoughts:

1. Brian Diaz and Brandon Ubel looked decent. The skills are obviously there. They can catch, move, shoot and rebound. USC's big men were obviously much stronger, but the fundamentals are in place and when they gain the needed strength, they'll be nice players.

2. Three for 11 from the FT line. Pathetic. But, that being said, there are a lot of new guys playing their first meaningful D-I minutes. Let's see how they shoot in a couple weeks. Newcomers were only three for eight. We expect improvement.

3. Only seven turnovers. This is great in any road game and is the first key in having a chance to win.

4. USC was far from Final Four material. But they have big, strong, athletic players, and a win like this can do nothing but help NU's confidence. We'll pretend we don't notice if/when the Trojans finish last in the Pac 10.

5. Ryan Anderson showed nice leadership, coming up with 14 points and going 3/3 from 3. Sek Henry's stat line looks awful, 1/7 from the field, 0/2 from the FT line, and two turnovers, but he fought and scrapped all game and showed the new players what one has to do to compete in a road game.

Most important was the play where USC somehow was granted the timeout, where Henry finally took the ball from two Trojans and had to be separated from them after the whistle. It didn't impact the score directly, but showing teammates that you won't back down from anybody, anywhere is never underrated. Just in time for next Sunday's matchup against the BlueGays in Omaha, fresh off their two-game meltdown in Orlando.

Woods Punks Out....Three Times...

After blowing off police three times, Eldrick finally goes public on his web site!!?? What a pussy move. Typical, though, for a complete fake whose fake marriage is crumbling before the nation's eyes. Typical, for a fake who 'wants to bring golf to an international level', but only does so when the poor schmucks in Thailand or Australia pony up the $3 million appearance fee.

Obviously, this is why he is a robot. Look at all the furor that surrounds things when he bangs one NYC club slut. Which poses another question: how can you be over age 30 and take yourself seriously when you work at a night club? We'll try to answer that another day.

The 911 transcript has been released, but truly, is a complete waste of your time.

The biggest question in this whole mess: How the hell is his house only valued at $2.4 million? The thing is bigger than his mistress's tits...

And he'll be spending much more than that on his 'Kobe Special'. Especially if he came in the back side of his whore like Mr. Bryant did in Eagle, Colorado. In all seriousness, a marriage you can save by placating your overratedly hot wife with expensive jewelry after you bone another chick is one made in heaven.

Mizzou--Best Uniforms Ever

The Hamilton Tiger Cats would be proud.

Dildo of the Day Award...

See below...Should be about time for some doorknob to send in his Husker version of "The Night Before Christmas"....

From: Bob, West Des Moines, Iowa
Published Wednesday, Nov. 25

The Nebraska legislature should take inspiration from the Omaha City Council and rename the Platte River “Suh Crick.”

This is not a question, but I'm using it because it is flat-out brilliant.

Mangino Seals His Fate....

Most teams want to go to a bowl game. Apparently, KU coach Mark Mangino didn't. Pinned deep in its own territory with 2:54 remaining, the Jayhawks' play-calling sequence was one of the worst PYB has ever witnessed. Worse, even, than some of Frank Solich's finest. Worse than Dave Wannstedt's playcalling against Navy a couple years back.

Mizzou, sporting the greatest uniforms ever seen in college football, had one timeout remaining. From its own one, you'd think KU would run the ball to work the clock. Instead, we get:

First down: deep pass down the sideline, incomplete
Second down: Incomplete flat pass as WR slips
Third down: QB sacked for safety to make it 39-38 KU

MIZZOU didn't even have to use its lone timeout!! Mangino was gracious enough to let the Tigers save it for setting up the game-winning field goal, which they converted as time expired for a 41-39 victory. Amazingly bad. Should he get fired? NO. Will he? YES. You're not allowed to poke guys in the chest who are only protected with shoulder pads. This is 2009, after all.

Why is Tiger Woods Nailing a Dude?

If you're going to cheat, you might as well make it with a woman...

W

Well a win is a win. Nebraska avoided a huge trap game in Boulder and held on to win 28-20. The performance was pretty much what was expected, with a couple of exceptions. A subpar offensive perfomance (or should we say par by now?), a decent defensive performance given the pressure the unit has been under and the continual tight spots the Blackshirts find themselves in, with a twist of drama at the end just to keep us watching.

Offense:
The offensive line looked bad as usual, until its one late-game drive to help clinch the game. Zac Lee was his normal self, but hit a few of his best passes of the season. Of course, his TOTAL lack of pocket presence and timing is aggravating. Lee needs to develop the internal clock to either throw to a receiver or get rid of the ball instead of taking sacks. This is crucial, considering he has no ability to elude the rush. This will be even more critical against Texas, as the speed will be several notches higher than the last few games.

Rex Burkhead created a nice spark, gaining 100 yards on 18 carries. Is it possible to get him some reps at punt returner? Sure, Niles Paul makes one nice return every few games against bad teams, but he will never make anything happen against a top-10 team. Roy Helu only had 40 yards, and one fumble, but didn't get much help from the line during the first three quarters. Mike McNeill had one early catch, then was mysteriously absent from the field the rest of the game.

Defense:
PYB believes the defense is pretty worn out. Worse yet, Colorado exploited a HUGE hole in the Cornhusker armor when they forced the Blackshirts to play with two or three linebackers. Will Compton was serviceable, but Sean Fisher was truly awful in all aspects. Poor coverage, poor tackling, overpursuit and a complete lack of speed were his trademarks Friday. The Texas coaching staff will surely notice this and add some formations/plays to its repertoire to take advantage.

If NU was having that much trouble with the Bluffs, one can only imagine what will happen versus the Longhorns. Texas loves to throw underneath zones. The Huskers give up the short pass, almost on purpose at times. The Horns, unlike most of Nebraska's chump competition, have the ability to close out drives. One more two mistakes will mean doom in Dallas.

Special Teams:
Alex Henery continued his rapid improvement as a punter, becoming more than just a 'coffin corner' specialist. The last two games, he has punted for a good average and kept NU in great field position the entire game. If there is any hope in the B12 title game, continuing this will be imperative. We'll see how he handles the pressure. Another missed 51-yard FG wasn't a positive sign.

Niles Paul chipped in a punt-return touchdown. Great. He ran straight ahead, untouched and continued his big playmaking versus bad teams. The next time he makes one against a good team will be the first. To make big plays on punt returns versus a real team like Texas, it will require at least one move. Paul has none.

There's your PYB analysis. A rather uninspired version for an uninspired win....but a win nonetheless. Nine wins is another great regular season for Bo Pelini in his second season. Scary, but this could have been an 11-1 campaign. Is Nebraska an 11-1 team? Under past circumstances, hell no. But these days, just keep winning because nobody is a cut above the rest, and you don't know what happens.

As for chances to take down Texas, we say not good. Like 5% chance. Check back later this week for an in-depth investigation of the matchup.

Huskers Hop on Kangaroos

Nebraska played its slew of newcomers while pounding UMKC 70-48 last night in Lincoln. Thoughts are below, as the Huskers didn't look great but had enough bright spots to leave fans happy:

Brandon Ubel: 6'10" freshman has nice skills, smooth around the hoops. Needs to get his body ready for B12 play. At this point, too skinny.

Sek Henry: Will be the leader of the team and can't afford to take games off like in the past. Another nice effort with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks.

Lance Jeter: The future at PG had a bigger impact and looked strong taking it to the rack for points. Will need this, CONSISTENTLY, against B12 competition. 12 points and four assists.

Ryan Anderson: His usual dirty-work game. Nine points and five boards and good team defender.

Ray Gallegos: Looked like the quickest offensive player NU has had in many years. Dropped UMKC defenders twice with his crossover dribble and had a nice pull-up jumper after a crossover that could develop as a weapon against any team in the future. Hopefully this happens.

Brian Diaz: His ability to carry performances like this into conference play will determine whether NU is middle of the pack in the B12 or at the bottom. He is skilled around the hoop and can block shots and rebound, but sometimes may struggle getting his offensive position due to lack of strength...which will improve. Played half the game and had 10 points and three rebounds. The most athletic big man NU has had in years.

Quincy Hankins-Cole & Adrien Coleman: Looks like these guys could go either way. Very athletic, the difference will be whether they figure out how to contribute it to impact a D-I team.

Myles Holley: Didn't see enough to judge.

Toney McCray: It was announced he was out for the season. Unfortunately, he used his redshirt two seasons ago and can't get this year back. Not sure why no medical hardship is allowed...I gave up trying to figure out the NCAA long ago. Maybe because it's not a football player?

Anyway, PYB says this is not as big of a loss as everyone else. McCray is surely talented, but looks like a fish out of water in the B12. Doesn't have the offensive skills to take his game outside to 18 feet and doesn't quite have the power and athleticism to take it to the low post and score consistently on big-time competition. Looks like a guy who could average 22 and 8 for a D-II school. Hopefully, we're wrong on this evaluation and he was just learning last season. But this is the new college hoops, where freshmen and sophomores make an impact if they have the game.

More later, as NU faces a huge test of maturity on the road at USC on Sunday.

Minister of Disinformation...

Special teams sparkle? Because they didn't give up a punt return TD in two games? And held Ryan Broyles one yard under his season average...if, of course, you excluded his 35-yarder? What am I missing? Where is the mention of being 95th nationally in net punting? Or the fact that NU's returners have ZERO ability to take one the distance? It may be just us at PYB, but we think a special teams TD or five might help an offense as anemic as the Cornhuskers'.

The Chairman would be proud of this propaganda campaign...

Bottle Blasted...Duck Style...

Arizona sports fans prove their complete uselessness once again, this time by KO'ing a cheerleader with a bottle. Glad those Mildkittens tanked the end of the game, sending all the scum fans back into the stands before they could rush the field.

These pics are worth a look, fo' sho'.

VY...Still a Pussy....

Glad to see Vince Young emerging as a real man of the NFL. His display last night on MNF was embarrassing. The details:

1. Going studio gangster on the Houston sideline after taking a late hit and acting like he wanted to fight the entire 53-man Texan roster.

2. Slap fighting a defender who wouldn't let go of his jersey after the whistle.

3. Trying to fight three Texans after the whistle when they jostled him a bit.

4. Running down the sideline with hands in the air, after Kris Brown missed the potential game-tying FG, like he won the Super Bowl--when in fact, the Titans had just gone to 4-6.

Not once did he look like a real leader. Not once did he look like he really wanted a piece of those who were obviously trying to rile him. Vince...100% fake. 100% Longhorn soft (in the tradition of Chrissy Simms, Ricky Williams & Roy Williams). 100% PUSSY. One of these days, momma won't know when to tell the cops to come save you.

PYB vs. OWH Banter....

In response to an e-mail PYB sent to Tom Shatel on his overzealous rating of Iowa's schedule this season:

Dave,

If the Fiesta Bowl wants to make nice with the Big 12, that's fine. Just admit that. But don't tell me OSU's schedule is better. I cover the Big 12. I see these teams. It's not. I'm also tired of the Big 12 South hype. Would it be terrible if OSU went to the Fiesta Bowl? No. They're a good team. But more deserving than Iowa? No. That's my point.

Thanks and stay in touch,

Tom S.



▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Omaha World-Herald
www.omaha.com

Tom Shatel
Sports Columnist
Office: 402-444-1025
Fax: 402-444-1238
Email: Tom.Shatel@owh.com

1314 Douglas St.- Suite 700
Omaha, NE 68102


From: David Vincent [mailto:dvincen1@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:02 AM
To: Shatel, Tom
Subject: Iowa?

Tom,
Tell me you aren't serious when you say you like Iowa's win over Penn State better than anything on OSU's resume? Penn State is terrible. They had the nation's biggest creampuff schedule and then got blasted by the two decent (barely decent) teams they played in Iowa and Ohio State.

So you want to persecute Okie St. for a meager win versus a perennial national power (UGA) from the SEC, but then fail to mention that Iowa beat Northern Iowa by one point and Arkansas State by just three? And lost to Northwestern with everything on the line.

Come on, I know newspaper sales are down but not even the OWH's Western Iowa market could take this seriously!

Dave Vincent
Chandler, AZ

NU Slams Frogs

It was nice to see Nebraska hold off a good opponent and pull away for a 90-77 victory Saturday over TCU. This is the same TCU squad that had lost a close one, 69-65, earlier this week at Arizona State. NU put five men in double figures, led by Brian Diaz with 22 points. Diaz found it easier to contribute to the cause in games where his front two teeth weren't smashed back into his mouth.

Brandon Richardson chipped in 15 points and four steals. Hopefully, he'll play consistently enough that he can gain confidence and contribute in every. The Huskers need more of his smooth athleticism when they play upper-level competition. Sek Henry had 11 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks--nice numbers for the senior, who must give consistent play given all of the newcomers on the roster. It's apparent Lance Jeter isn't quite ready to save the day (isn't he why they told Cookie Miller to leave), after his three-point, one-assist effort.

Ryan Anderson was his usual solid but unspectacular self, with 15 points and Quincy Hankins-Cole had 10 points in just 12 minutes.

PYB is hoping that ESPN Full Court has its act together tomorrow, so that we can get our first look at the squad on television and offer more complete analysis. The Cornhuskers take on the UMKC Kangaroos.

Dildo of the Day Award...

Goes to this OWH 'reader', who wants to solve Nebraska's offensive ills by replacing Shawn Watson with Barney Cotton....the football equivalent of trading herpes for AIDS.

From: Tom F., Ewing, Neb.
Published Saturday, Nov. 21

I just read a World-Herald article on the 22 formation. Its a great article, and I am so pleased by it, but deep down it sounds like Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson still is not convinced on the running game. It's more obvious to me that he needs to be shown the door, and Barney Cotton needs to be ushered in. How many years are we going to be like this? Shawn Watson said when he gets his personnel, then he will resort back to the West Coast offense. Tom Osborne with his wealth of knowledge, saved his day this time, yet coach Wats still can't catch on? Shawn Watson will never get the top recruits that it takes to run that spread crap. When is he going to learn that? You need to tell him that in a nice way. That simplicity is the name of the game. You can go through all the records, books, stats, logs, trees, branches, whatever, but the facts are that the safest and most productive way of moving a football has been to surround the ball with big burley lineman and run it. Because it sets up play action. This makes the defense defend with a number of guys, and if they want to bring in more to stop it, then they are going to suffer more from the play action pass. I can tell you this: If Bo wants to be competitive, he had better get physical, and get Barney. Now here is my question. Going back to Shawn Watson's school days, when he didn't know the meaning of a word, do you think he ever thought about opening up a dictionary and looking it up? Or did someone open up the dictionary to the correct page, and leave it for him to find?

I know Watson knows the meaning of power running because he was calling the plays — on Gary Barnett's offense — that fateful day in 2001 when Chris Brown and Colorado ran it down the Blackshirts' throats. This is what Watson has evolved into. I thought that quote was a little disturbing, or disappointing might be a better word, because I think what they are doing now is a great direction. A lot of folks think you can run the ball out of the shotgun spread. And don't forget Tom Osborne is a fan of Florida's offense, though Urban Meyer has a fullback for a quarterback in Tebow. Let's wait and see how this season ends and then corral Bo Pelini and Watson after the dust settles to figure out what sort of philosophy the future will hold. Right now, I'm a little confused, which is normal for me.

Cornhuskers Flop Past Mildcats

Another terrible offensive line performance. More bad play calling, this time, with a twist of poor play designs. Continued subpar quarterback play. Another win.


PYB puts this game on the rack with the Oklahoma game, one so mind-numbingly boring that it's hard to remember the details. We knew it would be the case, but the defense saved the day again. What's truly alarming is how many assignments the offensive line flat out blows. It seems to be at least one every play. Barney Cotton's crowning achievement for 2009 will have to settle reducing holding penalties from five per game.

Shawn Watson's continued reliance on an option game that doesn't fit Zac Lee's abilities at all is annoying. So are a lot of his play designs. PYB especially enjoyed the one that led to a goal-line KSU interception. The one where the design had Lee roll out, away from his throwing-arm side, and look for a play with only one receiver option (TE Mike McNeill) that had run that receiver right into three (maybe four.....we had starting slamming flat beer to keep it entertaining) defenders. And what you get with that, from a juco-level QB, is a forced interception and (if you were playing a decent team) disastrous consequences.

NU is 82nd in total offense, 73rd in scoring offense and is averaging 17 points per game against non-Sun Belt opponents. They can't pass, the run is sporadic at best and the Cornhuskers will face the top run defense in the nation in two weeks in Dallas.

The defense (now third in national scoring defense) dominated, despite surrendering some yards for the third straight game. Hell, the Blackshirts have to be tired. Eight weeks with little to no support from the other 11 has to take its toll. However, we never sensed any danger, even as KSU got inside NU's 33 yard line four times. As always, Bo's unit was in complete control. They only blitz when they have to. It's always great to see more blitzing, but the Pelinis keep the ball in front of their back seven and wait for the QB to make the error. The one time they did call up a blitz, KSU's QB read it and hit his man for an apparent touchdown. However, Larry "The Assassin" Asante made a big hit at the one-yard line and Prince Amukamara recovered. Crisis averted.

Alex Henery had his best game, benefiting from mostly good field position. This showed his forte, of placing kicks inside the 10, while masking the fact that his hang time and distance are weaknesses. As a result, the Cornhuskers shot up the national rankings to 95th in net punting.

So, it was more of the same one week after everyone fell in love with the offense and its 'explosion' in Lawrence. The Mildcats just didn't have enough firepower to muster a true threat to win the game, not even with the Power Towel looming over Memorial Stadium. PYB has a bad feeling about Boulder. Dan Hawkins will likely be coaching his last game at CU. The Bluffs have show signs of life in recent weeks. The offense sucks. Will the short week before next Friday's game finally be the straw that breaks the Blackshirts' back?

The Blind Side

The Blind Side opens tonight in theaters, and has gotten raves from critics so far. So, amazingly enough, has Sandra Bullock despite the fact that she's a laughably bad actress who somehow has duped the critics with her good girl act and gets consistently good critiques. This, even after the fact she goes out with/is married to a dude who used to nail porn stars....anyway....

Do yourself a favor, as usual, SKIP THE MOVIE and read the book by "Moneyball" author Michael Lewis.

Bottle Blasted

Hopefully NU's loss at SLU's new, beer-serving arena is more a product of inexperience than lack of new players' talent. Word is, Brian Diaz missed most the game with a cracked tooth and the players looked uncomfortable together. Understandable, but experience better breed better play--quickly. PYB can't submit an accurate analysis, since ESPN Full Court inexplicably blacked out the game on our end. $104 well spent.

We would at least analyze the box score, but neither the OWH or huskers.com have it published to this point. Huskers.com must be working on another pointless press release telling us about the latest football practice and that NU plays against KSU Saturday and that it's another sellout!! Sweet.