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.