@brich88 #fromwaydowntownbang

Nebraska traveled to Iowa City last night and beat a team that is currently its peer in the middle-to-bottom of the Big 10. We say currently, because as Ken Sadler keeps whiffing on the little in-state talent Nebraska does have, Iowa has raked in its share of talented, local recruits.

Nonetheless, NU beat the Hawkeyes on this night where it matters most, in a surprisingly entertaining 79-73 game. PYB made its first wise call in a couple weeks by trusting our instincts and not betting the game with Iowa -4.5. (We also ignored 'advisors' who told us North Carolina, the Nebraska/Iowa overs and Hawaii were golden and missed out on a 3-0 night..but we digress.)

During pre-game research, we were a bit surprised to see just how competitive the Huskers had been (relatively, of course) on the road, away from the 5,000 basketball dullards that help half-fill the Devaney Center and create one of the lamest environments in major college basketball. Outside of the bottle blasting NU took in Columbus against the Suckeyes, the rest of the road slate went as follows: win at USC (sure they suck but it's a road win and it's NU), 10-point, competitive loss to 15th-ranked Creighton, win at TCU, near miss at previously-ranked Illinois, near miss at Wisconsin.

Now add a six-point win at Iowa. For a team that's struggled as mightily as Nebraska and trailed by nine early in the game, that's huge and we'll take it. Baby steps. So, as we move on, Sadler & company have a chance to win their next six games. Not all of them, but they could win any of them. Three wins in that stretch would be commendable and would keep NU out of the conference cellar--always a good thing---especially for a coach hoping to keep his job a while longer.

Some notes:

--PYB favorite Brandon Richardson led the way with 25 points and six three-pointers. He looked confident shooting from outside Thursday, as he does once a season. Something tells us that the right coach could have made a monster out of Richardson, who seems too passive most nights despite his consistently good defensive play. He's kept his mouth shut, worked hard and stuck it out through five tough years in Lincoln. Hopefully, he can finish his last season with a flourish.

--Bo Spencer chipped in 16 points, which is noteworthy considering that he spent half his time on the offensive end dribbling up, over and around double teams from Iowa's Nazi-esque, skinheaded forwards. It's a shame Spencer can't play with some better talent so we can see his full capabilities. He's the best scorer NU has had since Tyronn Lue. No question.

--George Diaz continued cementing his place as one of the biggest pussies in NU hoops history. PYB will take it a bit easy on him, as we don't know how bad his feet really are. But, at this point, we're not even sure he can jump and his two rebounds aren't enough either way. A strong, healthy & aggressive (oxymoron, we know) Diaz should have had 15 and 10 minimum, last night. Amazingly, the team said the game turned when Nebraska started putting the ball inside to he post. No shit?!

With that said, NU is off for a week until they travel to Northwestern Thursday to avenge that nasty football loss in Lincoln. Can't wait!

Finally, off topic, PYB would like to take this time to honor a former classmate & teammate who was killed in a car accident two days ago on his way to work as a Lincoln police officr. He was a great guy, much better than we are---and it's a tragic end to a too-short life. RIP Tony.

Fading Into Bolivion...

The Dallas Morning News published an updated version of this list today, featuring the Top 100 recruits in the DFW Metroplex. Nebraska has ZERO commits and just two who are considering them along with a host of other schools. Not good.

We can feel the team getting slower as we type. Hopefully, the Loomis pipeline keeps funneling in Lance Thorells for DB prospects....

Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

Nebraska basketball fans are stupid. So are their football fans, but that's another story for another time. Somehow, farmers in Indiana and Iowa can grasp the concepts of James Naismith's game, but the rubes in Nebraska cannot.

PYB says this not because we hate so-called NU basketball fans (well, we hate a lot of them), but because we have to hear the same song and dance from them every season. After not doing their part for nearly 15 years by supporting their team, they show up in volume a game or so AFTER their 'beloved' Huskers beat a rated team. Only problem being it is usually against a more highly rated team (Kansas) that has NU physically outmatched--by a long shot. Then, after the inevitable blowout, they give up on the team for the rest of the year and don't show up for home games where Ken Sadler's squad has a chance to win and needs their support the most. Loud crowd ain't turning a 34-point loss into a win, but it will turn a six-point loss into a win.

Such was the case Saturday night against Ohio State, as the Suckeyes were vastly superior at every position on the floor and three spots into the bench. Bo Spencer would be the only NU player who would play for Thad Matta's squad. Any semi-savvy basketball fan could tell this because Nebraska was rarely able to get into its half-court offense. Buckeye guards continually blocked shots by NU guards and forwards with ease.

Nebraska would not win this game if they played it 1000 times in Lincoln. Basketball is all about matchups, and this one is horrible for Nebraska. So, NU fans showed their lack of knowledge by acting horrified about the 34-point loss. It was inevitable. Sit back, bet big on the Buckeyes, rake in your dough and enjoy it. Bobby Knight would. Oh wait, gambling is illegal--Nebraskans wouldn't do that.

A 15-point loss wouldn't have been any better. Wouldn't have mattered. What does matter is that NU has a chance to win its next seven games and needs to win three of them--at least. Their roster is devoid of talent, and blowouts will happen. Get over it.

What also matters is that Sadler doesn't have a point guard for next year. In fact, he has nothing at all except two big men who can score 15 against bad teams but only score four points against most good teams. George Diaz is a pussy and is pushed around every game. Doc will have to sign a difference-maker in his next class, or he'll be gone. As much as we like him, that's just the fact of the matter.

PYB thinks that maybe Doc just isn't cut out to be a head coach at this level of Division I, just like Dana Altman wasn't. But it's obvious he can teach defense and is a good X and O guy and may be cut out to be a top-notch assistant at a great program. We won't be surprised to see him racking up NCAA tournament trips after NU inevitably dumps him for another underwhelming hire.

The only other path would be to go with a big name, if you could get any big name to come to Lincoln. It would have to be a coach who can push the limits of the NCAA rules to get guys to come in from basketball talent hotbeds. We say push the envelope, because unless your Ohio State, USC or John Calipari you can't outright cheat. The new facilities will give someone that chance. But it's no layup.

There is literally ZERO talent base at the Nebraska high-school level. The state hasn't produced a legitimate Division-I prospect for 20 years. What about Mike Gesell, in Sioux City, you say? Well, he scores a lot of points, but his team is 9-5 and just lost to another Class B team last nite. Any top-notch Division I recruit can carry a Class A team to a state championship or close to it. Losing to Beatrice?? Doesn't happen if you're a true next-level guy. That's a fact.

So, as we move from here, PYB waits for NU to drop two more home games it should win. Partly because the team isn't very good and doesn't play to its limited potential. But moreso because 6,400 fans show up and sit on their hands and grumble rather than just making the best of the current situation, being loud and helping its team to a victory. How about putting on a good face for potential future recruits? Guarantee that they notice the moribund environment at most games.

Guarantee they notice the nerd-ridden student section. Seriously....the section has BOTH a douche thats wraps himself in a Snuggie and thinks it's cool AND a guy who dresses up like the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. For lack of better insight, what the fuck??? And Associate AD Marc Boehm says this will intimidate other teams at the new arena. We're sure Tom Izzo is shaking in his boots.

Sadly, the basketball team's current situation is just part of a larger problem within the athletic ranks at NU. Its teams' competitiveness is at an all-time low across the board. Football sucks, basketball sucks, baseball sucks......even volleyball sucks in relative terms.

We're SURE you noticed how NU fans have started 'following' wrestling more closely, since the team is actually rated. That increased coverage in the OWH.....no coincedence. Nebraska fans want a winner, but they don't want to work for it. It's the new American way. Just ask any new-age athlete. Or any illegal immigrant using your tax dollars while sitting in the emergency room waiting to pop out her fourth illegitimate kid.....

Talk about another story for another day.....

--PYB

Nebraska...The Slipper Still Fits

Going into Wednesday evening's game against Indiana, PYB thought the best reason to watch the game was the fact that a pair of Johnsons -- Gus and Eddie -- was announcing the game. Gus, of Rise & Fire fame, is the better known of the announcing pair. Eddie has been a longtime Phoenix Suns analyst and is certainly the more underrated of the two. "No doubt about it...."

Throughout the first half, we were impressed with NU's effort and were surprised that the talent difference didn't seem to be outrageously different. IU was much more solid fundamentally and shot the ball much better, but at least George Diaz wasn't getting dunked on and getting smacked in the face with the other guy's nut sack....."Puuure!"

Cracks soon developed, though, as NU couldn't penetrate the Hoosier defense and lived up to its reputation as the worst half-finishing team in college basketball history. As usual, the Huskers wasted 17 minutes of solid play and turned a two-point deficit into a seven-point gap at the break. "Bang!"

After another deflating first-half finish, NU started the second stanza with zero attitude and energy and promptly fell behind by 13 points when Cody Zeller dunked to make it 49-36. Another big loss with an early exiting crowd was in store. Eddie Johnson was mystified by the Huskers' lack of fire -- "No Doubt About It..."

So PYB kept watching while surfing the internet and watching the Twitter folks throw dirt on the Huskers' grave. Somehow, the lead dwindled. Somehow, Nebraska got within striking distance. Somehow, Nebraska won. "What a game!"

In our eyes, IU's main advantage over NU was Zeller and its better outside shooting. The Hoosiers forgot to keep Zeller involved, which took away outside opportunities. Simple game. Apparently hard lessons to remember. "Ballgame!"

Nebraska hit 10 of 30 threes, including two timely/lucky ones by Butterfingers Toney McCray. They shot 38% for the game. Somehow Bo Spencer ground his way to 23 points despite being Nebraska's only legitimate scoring threat. Dylan Talley and Brandon Richardson each made huge defensive plays late. But, they turned it over just 11 times, played hard defense and gave themsevles a chance to win. That's all you can ask from a team devoid of talent. "There's no doubt about it."

Ken Sadler looked both happy and relieved after the win, even taking the time to mosh around with the nerd-laded NU student section. (Click here for Exhibit A) In pure Lincoln fashion, the song of choice was several years out of date. A fun moment, nonetheless.

The win was 'huge' in relative terms. Ken and Co. are still 2-5 in Big 10 play. But, after they take a sure bottle-blasting against Ohio State this weekend, NU has at least a chance in its next seven games. A win against the Suckeyes ain't happening. The Huskers have nobody to control a player as strong as Jared Sullinger..."Here comes the All-America!"

They're outmatched everywhere else too. But -- if NU can win three or four of the next seven, that's at least respectable and would be a success for this team. "There's no doubt about it."

So in the moribund state of NU hoops, the program owns bragging rights for a year over a storied Indiana program and the Ghost of Larry Bird.......Maybe!?

Big Red is Big Blue

We are sure you've read this already. We're speechless. The Rat wants a medal for ruining the Husker program for 15 seasons and counting. Apparently, some have forgotten what a truly awful coach he was on all levels. Watch the game tapes. Take a look at his recruiting classes. It's embarrasing. For a refresher course, watch the fourth quarter of this year's MAC Championship game. Panic and butchered clock management at its worst. Pure Solich.

So, this is what NU has come to. Figurehead Tom Osborne clamoring to honor the biggest mistake in school history. Keep in mind that Rat Solich was TO's hand-picked successor. Bad hire. Everyone makes them. Apparently, Osborne has not learned from this mistake and was doomed to repeat it.

Now, the new 'source of pride' in Lincoln is how many Academic All-Americans the team spits out. Sure, that was a nice talking point when the team was actually good. Now, poster boys like Austin Cassidy also get undeserved starting spots and lose the team games.

Is anyone in charge capable, or lucid, enough to turn the ship around? From what we've seen, very doubtful indeed. But give Frankie his medal.....his tenure alone earned him accolades as a Nebraska hero....just like it does at every floundering, antiquated corporation across America. In the meantime, we'll watch the schools where merit is rewarded rack up the titles. Nebraska = IBM. Oregon = Apple.

VoTD

PYB can't decide if this is more ridiculous, funny or awesome??

Lock it Down

--Ken Sadler and Co. grabbed their first Big 10 basketball win in history by beating Penn State handily, in a sloppy-but-effective 70-58 win. The Nittany Lions had one player in double figures (Tim Frazier with 30) and the rest put on one of the worst shooting displays PYB has ever seen in 30 years of watching college hoops. As a Nebraska fan, that says a lot.

PSU shot .333 from the field (20/60) and an amazing .125 (3/24) from three-point range. Sure, we've seen cold-shooting nights, but these shots weren't close. They weren't in & out. They weren't misfortune. They were off from the point of release. They were bad.

So, for one night, NU got to look like Tony Delk and a mid-1990s Kentucky team in comparison and locked down their first B10 win. They were more athletic. They were better. They covered the five points. Everyone went home happy. Now, go have fun on Sunday playing at Wisconsin, a team who bottle blasted the Huskers 64-40 two weeks ago.

We'll revel in the win for a few hours more, though, as NU put four player into double figures--led by Bo Spencer's 19 points and five assists. His six turnovers were way too many, but given how much he has to do for the offense that's collateral damage. Toney McCray, Dylan Talley and Caleb Walker also cracked double figures, and George Diaz manned up enough to pussyfoot around the Devaney Center floor for four points and five rebounds in 27 minutes.

NU shot over .500 from the field for the second straight game, and if they can sustain the effort and avoid more injuries, there are a few potential wins left. We count 10 possibly winnable games. Eight realistically winnable games. Not good, but not as disastrous as it looked two days back.

--It was fun watching Northwestern lose to Michigan on BTN just before the NU-PSU game. Danny Crawford's (longtime NBA ref for you racists in NE that don't follow the League) son Drew got jobbed on a no-call on a play at the end of regulation where he was clearly fouled twice. Possibly, this was payback for all the money he's cost Wednesday night's zebras on NBA games over the years with his trumped-up calls. Just a theory. Crawford still racked up 20 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. two-stepped his way to 19 points and five threes for 13th-rated Bitchigan.

--As some things change, more stay the same. LeQueen James helps tank another game, this time a meaningless regular-season tilt vs. the LA Clippers, by missing free throws and leading his team's game-ending scoring drought. Miami didn't score a field goal in the last 12+ minutes of regulation. Heat lose, 95-89. An icon, indeed.

All for now. PYB.

Strike Four

We'll keep this short and to the point, because a loss is a loss and Nebraska is still 0-4 to start its inaugural Big 10 season. However, in a downright ugly game, NU gained a spark from the surprise return from Dylan Talley and JB Diaz and nearly pulled off an upset before falling 59-54 to Illinois.

PYB only wishes the Omaha World Herald had the inside scoop on the two players' returns, so we could have adjusted our wagers accordingly. In the first half, Ken Sadler's squad couldn't even make a simple entry pass without turning the ball over. Still, they fought back and had the ball with the game tied at 54. Sadler had a great play set, even though Talley screwed up the rhythm by waving off point man Brandon Richardson until the shot clock was at 10.

Still, Richardson found a crease but rushed a bounce pass to a cutting Bo Spencer who couldn't contain the ball before it slipped out of bounds. On the next possession, with the game still tied at 54, Sadler had another great play set as Spencer ran the baseline past three picks. In succession, Talley, Diaz and Toney "Butterfingers" McCray did their best Austin Cassidys and whiffed on the picks. Spencer's defended was never deterred and altered his desperation three-point heave.

Game still not over....as McCray drew a charge on a made bucket and had the chance to tie the game at 56. But...as we've come to expect...McCray looked more nervous than a whore at church and missed both free-throw attempts badly. Then, Richardson commits intentional foul on the pending fast break. Game finally over.

Oh well, we all expected a loss. At least NU showed some fight. First chance for a conference win comes Wednesday in Lincoln against Penn State. Let's hope NU doesn't come out flat and that the Nittany Lion players aren't wearing Sandusky Snuggies on the bench.

All for now....we'll check back when the point spread is published....and finish by saying that 20 turnovers will never get it done on the road, especially when your team can't score. Either will a 1:2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.

PS--Steve Stricker about to win another golf tournament. He's awesome when there's nothing on the line. Put him in a major, and he's more nervous on the tee than Toney McCray on the free throw line...

PPS--BCS title game tonite....Boring.

Saturday Slew

--Thanks to Deadspin for posting this gem and saving us the work. Still, a classic. I bet I do.... Most impressive--$30 fucking million a year for the Jim Rome radio show. Even better that he's leaving ESPN. PYB certainly hopes the new CBS Sports Network turns out to be legit. Looks like Tony Barnhart has a show, however, and that can't help any network's credibility.

--Cubs suck. They're awful. And their only good player is being investigated for Roethlisbergering some chick. Go Cubs Go.

--Pitt and SMU get it on today in Birmingham, Ala., in some college football bowl game. Can't wait.

--Wild Card Weekend starts today in the NFL. Our picks: Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York Giants, Pittsburgh (barely). Our best bet would be a 10-point teaser with Cincy +14, New Orleans at a pick, and Denver +19 against a banged up Rape Curtain team.

--Nebraska +10 at Illinois today. Certain PYB sources like NU in this one, claiming the Illini's guards suck and will be looking ahead to a Tuesday matchup against Ohio State. We don't care and expect Doc's squad may just quit--his excuses are getting very tired very quickly. Injuries have depleted an already bad Husker squad, and they have no size. Hammer Illinois. Nebraska is giving minutes to Mike Fox, after all.

Even funnier is that the Omaha World Herald wrote about Fox's 'brush with fame' because he got to guard Jared Sullinger. Is this what constitutes 'fame' these days? Guarding a decent college player who only gets his accolades because the entire sport is watered down? The guy will be a marginal NBA player, at best. Telling times. We'd take Andrew Fox over Mike any day.

Poppy-Cock

After sitting through another brutal Nebraska football performance Monday during the Capital One Bowl, PYB has chewed on how to put this story on wax. What to cover, what to bitch about. On a macro level, so much of it will be repeats of repeats from the last two seasons. On a micro level, there were so many embarrassing fuckups during the game itself, and so little time to cover them all. So we'll just forge ahead and rant as we see fit. Regardless of the path we take, just be aware that Parental Discretion Iz Advised....

What we took away from another meltdown that looked so much like many before, was that anyone concerned for the Nebraska program's long-term success should be happy the Cornhuskers lost. Not happy, obviously, as a proud fan and a competitor. But happy, so that we didn't have to sit through an off-season claiming that NU had beaten an SEC team and that Taylor Martinez was 'just about to get over the hump' and become an elite QB that could lead his team to championship hardware. A win would have meant little, or nothing, in becoming an elite program again. South Carolina wasn't very good. They were a borderline Top 25 team, at best. They were in the Top 10 only because college football is so watered down. They were Michigan, part II.

The Gamecocks were entirely beatable. Their speed was not impressive. Their quarterback was forgettable, and would be eaten alive by any decent defense with a pass rush. They were undisciplined, albeit more disciplined than the pathetic Nebraska players and coaching staff. (On a quick side note, when the lack of composure and borderline bipolar behavior of a head coach filter all the way to the top of the team's talent chain (Alfonzo Dennard), a team has problems). In short, NU turned a potential 10-point win into a 17-point drubbing--again.

Nebraska is headed the opposite direction of where they were after beating Clemson in the 2009 Gator Bowl. Then, they were beating more talented teams with discplined, gutsy, smart play. Now, they're losing to teams far less talented than that Clemson squad, even though NU itself has better talent throughout its roster. So, either the coaches ain't teaching fundamentals well enough, or the players ain't listening. Either way, it's not working.

We'll go on record for perhaps the 100th time and say that the problems start, and end, at quarterback. Anyone watching bowl season surely noticed that almost every school has a better QB than Nebraska. The number of mistakes that Martinez makes and the way he makes them is laughable, or embarrasing, depending on who you're rooting for. We were actually getting texts during the game claiming that had Taylorina played well. Looking at the box score, he racked up a whopping 116 yards passing (with a crushing INT before halftime) and 36 yards rushing. When NU fans think that is the mark of a well-played game by its QB, that tells you all you need to know about the state of the program. Until there is a new quarterback under center, we'll keep writing these post-mortems after every game against a decent team. If Bo Pinelli keeps refusing to make a change, he may as well say 'sayonara' to his time in Lincoln.

So, with this said, we delve into the psyche of the rest of the Nebraska team. Football players may be dumb, but they're not stupid. They're definitely smart enough to know that their chances going into any game against a solid team with Martinez as their leader are slim to none. So, once the initial wrinkles and tricks of the gameplan wear off, and the team has to rely on their QB to move the offense with bread-and-butter plays, it all unravels. Mistakes turn a potential 14-point lead into a senseless halftime deficit.

Then, once the team is behind, and Tim Beck breaks out the dreaded dropback passing game, they know it's over. T Vagic freezes in the pocket, takes sacks, holds the ball too long and gets drilled, fumbles, bumbles, and stumbles....game over. An already bad defense has to know this. Has to know they can't stop a decent team and even if they do, their effort will likely be in vain. Can't work. Won't work.....won't DO it.

Offensively, out side of Taylorina, it's too hot-and-cold. Is that because the QB is so sporadic himself? Dumb penalties reared up again from the offensive line. Dropped passes by receivers (Kinnie, Reed, Marlowe). Fumbles in the red zone by a freshman running back (Abdullah). Game plans go into panic mode as soon as NU falls behind.

Defensively, it's worse. Outside of Dennard and LaVonte David there is NO talent. Not one playmaker. Sadly, Dennard and David played their last games Monday and are off to the NFL. Maybe it will be good for Pinelli to see just how bad his team is without the two big Band-Aids they've relied on all season. To see how continuing to run stiffs like Cameron Meredith, Lance Thorell and Austin Cassidy out on the field keeps getting the whole state of Nebraska embarrassed. To see how none of his cornerbacks can stay within four yards of a receiver, once Dennard was ejected from the game. Not good. 2012 may mean a .500 record, unless sweeping changes happen.

As for Dennard, PYB remembers just one other ejection in its 30+ years of following the NU program, and that hardly counts because it was Richie Incognito, perhaps the biggest fuckwad in NU football history. Dennard was one of our favorite players ever....the fact that he melted down like his head coach does nearly every game is telling. Over the years, NU has played teams that talked way more shit than the lowly Cocks. Played way flashier and way more irritating opponents. The fact that Dennard was not well-trained enough to avoid getting into a fight with this fat alley cat says volumes.

Alshon Jeffery beat Dennard once in the first half and got the lucky hail mary TD thanks to Pinelli playing his wide receiver-turned permanent CB-turned bench warmer Stanley Jean-Baptiste in the prevent formation. But otherwise, Dennard was in Jeffery's head with his physical play. He was wearing him out. Had he kept his cool, South Carolina would have lost its only big play threat and NU would have kept its hopes of winning the game. Too bad it didn't happen and the stupidity of a fat, lazy opponent won out.


Side note: We loved that Austin Cassidy blamed not being able to stop the first-half hail mary on the fact that Jeffery is 6'7" when he is actually just 6'4". A loser's excuse, to be sure

The 2011 campaign can certainly be classified as a deep disappointment, and this game summarized all of the recurrent problems within the program. A few one-hitters as we finish up:

--Corey Raymond hinting publicly that the team is short on athletes. True, but didn't he watch any tape before accepting the job in Lincoln?

--Rex Burkhead. It's got to hurt this guy to be surrounded by so many heartless stiffs. We still contend that the junior RB is the best decision-making quarterback on the roster. Would the offense be any worse if he ran the offense full-time? Couldn't be.

--What the hell is wrong with Ciante Evans. Looked promising for two games in 2010 before The Pinellis benched him. Looked awful all of 2011, despite doing the Cam Newton "Superman" celebration on the one play he made all year in Orlando. Is he just bad or is his confidence shot? Maybe this should tell Bo that giving underclassmen experience is important, after all.

--No pass rush. The defensive ends and tackles look weak, slow and are essentially a non-factor.

--The Cotton Factor: Did Barney get more hands-on for this game? Seems that way, with all the dumb penalties that re-surfaced....turning one drive from first and goal to 3rd and goal at the 35-yard line.

--The Gabbert Factor: The Diggler said it best. The longer Cameron Meredith and Austin Cassidy grow their hair, the more they suck. PYB is so tired of watching Meredith stand in pattycake formation with his blocker, before finally deciding to run away from him and waddle behind a play for 20 yards. We're equally sick of watching Cassidy drop his head and whiff on tackles. That is an error that weeds out shitty players in JV high school ball....not Division I.

--Ameer Abdullah: The guy proved to be a spark, but had consistent fumbling issues at inopportune times. Can he learn to hang on to the ball or maybe he'll just keep getting playing time regardless of his errors, like Taylorina Martinez.

--Speaking of T Vagic, we still would like to hear from anyone what he does well? Can't run the option effectively. Can't scramble. Can't pass deep consistently. Fumbles a lot. Throws crushing interceptions in EVERY important game and has the accuracy of a television weatherman. How in the world can this program continue with him as starter? Is Pelini that blind, or that desperate?

--Receivers: The drops have gone from freakish, to ridiculous, to downright paralyzing and demoralizing. It's preposterous! Outrageous! Ludicrous!

--Bo Pinelli: Does he have to melt down every time a bad call is made? Can't the athletic director force him to get counseling? Is he not smart enough to see the results of the games after every one of his tantrums? There was one horrendous call followed by a no-call because one of NU's pussy defensive linemen got body slammed. Lift weights. Quit getting manhandled. Get over it. Had the Huskers not pissed away a myriad of chances earlier in the game, they'd have had a comfortable lead and these calls would have been irrelevant. Again, a loser's MO.

PYB had a hard time writing this column, as it's all been said 100 times before. But someone has to keep beating the drum. Such bullshit efforts cannot be accepted, if NU is to ever regain status as a legitimate Top 15 program. Right now, NU is not even a borderline Top 25 program. It hasn't been elite for 15 years, has been mediocre for 10 years and outright bad for a few of those seasons.

The football team's demise comes at the lowest point we can remember for the entire NU athletic department. As Tom Osborne and company raise money to build some of the nation's best facilities, the teams' play suffer. Baseball....fell from Top 10 program to worthless in five years. Basketball....been shit for 13+ years...and followed up the Capital One Bowl performance by taking a wing-ding-ding-a-ling down their throat against Ohio State with a pathetic 71-40 effort in Columbus. Volleyball....noticeably absent fron the round of 16 this year. Not good.

So, as it goes, we move forward toward next season. Next up...the Spring Game. We hate the fucking Spring Game. But, we may just like it this year. It might be the last time Nebraska will have a starting quarterback not named Martinez before 2014. Ouch.