Business Trippin'

PYB chimes in to wish its readers a Happy Thanksgiving and to provide a quasi-preview of Nebraska's regular-season finale against Friday against Iowa. We'll stick to reality, while the Omaha World-Herald's sports staff strokes its collective cock about the 'history and rivalry' within the series. Please.

And please don't hold it against us for failing to do a post-mortem of the win at Rutgers. The team did what it should have. Beat a bad fucking team on the road. Got the W. Left. Business trip.

Find 'em, fuck 'em, and flee -- we always say.

--A couple points before we move forward and talk about NU's next step in its Drive for .500.

1. The game at Piscataway became needlessly close, thanks to Tommy Armstrong's three pointless interceptions. Those gaffes turned a blowout into a temporary nailbiter, with NU's fans, players and coaches knowing full well that the Cornhuskers were capable of blowing the game. Armstrong made similar momentum-crushing plays against Michigan State, and had the game not ended on the upside of his Hero Ball teeter totter, we'd be discussing a seven-loss football team. Sure....ifs and buts.  But we know two things: Armstrong is a third-year starter and consistent huge mistakes won't work, and Iowa won't be as generous as the Spartans and Scarlet Knights. A classic tortoise and hare situation. Either way, TA, you're on notice. Fail to develop into a smarter, consistent player by year four and you'll enter the Taylor Martinez zone. PYB has the hammer cocked and ready.
2. Either Rutgers is that freaking bad, or NU is getting better. Or both. A pass rush and blitzes getting home, with six sacks to show for it. Two interceptions. What is this world coming to? We'll find out tomorrow if there has been real progress or if this is just another nugget of Fool's Gold.

--That said, at least Armstrong and his boyfriend Jordan Westerkamp didn't get charged with rape. PYB is glad that Nebraska's quarterback, and supposed leader, was quoted in the newspapers saying that they were "partying" at his house after he got back from New Jersey at 1230a. Does PYB condone partying? No. We actually encourage it.

Do we condone having an inconsistent starting quarterback (on a 5-6 team) dumb enough to go on record admitting it. Fuck no. But had his ill-advised behavior cost Nebraska a chance at one more win and a .500 record AND a bad bowl game, we'd have been really pissed. UNL must have broken out its big-time lawyers for this one. We're just hopeful that we'll never have to see that piece of shit house on omaha.com anymore. Too many memories from our own college days --  frigid winters and bad hangovers. Depression, anyone?


 --In the meantime, Iowa has moved into a college football playoff position with an 11-0 record. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz is going to try to follow up his long-running attempt to win games without actually trying to score points by trying to go undefeated without playing (or beating) one quality opponent. Good luck, coach!

--Unfortunately for Nebraska, Iowa won't beat itself. They'll plod ahead and do what they do. NU will have to play its best game of the season to win. The Huskers won't need to play better than they have during the good times this season, but they'll have to avoid the inevitable quarter-long siesta that has become their trademark. Considering they haven't done so all year, that will be a tall order. Good luck, Coach Riley.

--PYB's weekly sign that college football is 'fine': A national-championship 'contender' is playing a crappy 5-6 team on the road in the season's final week and is a one-point favorite.

--Iowa's starting quarterback, C.J. Beathard, has to be one of NU's biggest worries. PYB watched him scramble some the last couple weeks, and considering he's a much better runner than the stiffs from Northwestern and Purdue that gashed the Blackskirts defense, it's a huge concern.

That's all we have as we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving once again. Family duty calls. Enjoy all the quality NFL action. With the following slate of starting quarterbacks, exciting action is sure to follow: Gabbert. Keenum. Taylor. Fitzpatrick. Tannehill. Dalton. Flacco. Manziel. Hasselbeck. Bortles. Hoyer. Mariota. Osweiler. Alex Smith. E. Manning. Sanchez. Cousins. Cutler. Stafford. Ryan.

That's 20 of the league's 32 quarterbacks who are either shaky and young, confirmed to have topped out as mediocre, or completely fucking awful. Considering we didn't including Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Andy Dalton or a benched Peyton Manning in that group -- that's generous. Here's hoping to a speedy influx of talent from college to the professional ranks. Maybe the ABC announcers were actually on to something when they discussed Armstrong's 'next-level potential' about two seconds before one of his horrific interceptions against Michigan State.

Either way, it's football to watch and we don't have to work. See you on the other side on Saturday.

PYB