SB Nation User Blog: Blankman

Keys to the Game: Clemson

Blankman — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:03:20 -0000

Ah New Year’s Day. A fine day to nurse a hangover with some skull-cracking action and what better team to watch then our own scarlet and cream? An interesting match up is presented in the Clemson Tigers as with a combination of talent, speed and a somewhat soft schedule, no one really knows what to expect from the orange-clad warriors from South Carolina. Still, Nebraska knows what they can do and with that in mind, get out the keys and let’s get a jinglin’.

1.) Protect Ganz with Your Life – Joe Ganz can carve a defense up like a holiday ham when he has time, but if he’s pressured as we’ve seen, he thinks too much. He needs to have those 3-5 seconds very badly otherwise Clemson has already put a huge dent in the Huskers’ gameplan. If Ganz stays on his feet, his usual 300+ yards and 2 TDs look probable.

2.) Use Marlon like Never Before – The debate will rage long past his graduation, but Marlon Lucky is going to be crucial in the Gator Bowl. I would heavily anticipate seeing some of the more unique formations such as the Wildcat and even formations we’ve not seen yet. Roy Helu and Marlon Lucky on the field at the same time is still a dangerous combination and Clemson knows it.

3.) Contain Spiller & Davis – Easier said than done, that’s given, but I would be very content in forcing Clemson to go one dimensional even if it’s to the air with a suspect secondary. Larry Asante could have the game of his career for all we know (and let’s pray).

In Summary: Between the Ducky Formation, the WildHusker and anything else Shawn Watson can throw at Clemson, I think if we get to 30, we win, but part of me thinks that this could be Michigan State ’03 II. Then again Clemson doesn’t play in the Big 10. I’ll take beating one ACC team in a bowl game for losing to one earlier in the year. Let’s see what Bo & Co. can do with a month’s worth of prep.

Poll

Which Key is Most Important in Beating Clemson?

Protect Ganz with Your Life

44 votes

Use Marlon like Never Before

3 votes

Contain Spiller & Davis

44 votes

91 votes | Poll has closed

New Defensive Ankrah? Jason Ankrah is N

Blankman — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:43:33 -0000

I know, King of the Horrible Pun. That said, Nebraska’s newest commit, 6’4" 248 pound Jason Ankrah is deserving of far more praise. In the end it came down to Nebraska and the Maryland Terrapins. In the end the Cornhuskers have themselves another young gun defensive end to add to their collection alongside Cameron Meredith and Josh Williams of last year’s class.

I bring up Meredith and Williams specifically because Ankrah reminds me of the bookends that Nebraska signed last year. Quite honestly, I see traits of both in Jason. He’s got the "motor", he never quits on a play even if he whiffs and whistle to whistle, he’s hunting the ballcarrier down. Jason’s already got both the bulrush and the swim move down which he’ll need to perfect to an even better level since he’ll be stepping up to some of the best tackles and guards in the country within the Big XII conference.

Ankrah’s ability to keep up with a quarterback on a rollout is impressive whether coming from the side for a hit/sack or even getting his hands up for a possible pick. If a QB takes off, they need to have some speed, because outrunning Jason is going to be a feat once he introduces his body to Division 1-A strength and conditioning. Ankrah’s a special talent and gives Nebraska fans even more reason to be excited about having amassed quite a bit of raw talent at the end spots. In a year or two, I think that with Ankrah, Williams and Meredith Nebraska has secured a solid corps of defensive ends for the next several years.

Poll

With DE Ankrah in the fold, what position does Nebraska need to lock down next?

Defensive Tackle

77 votes

Wide Receiver

61 votes

Linebacker

34 votes

Other (Add in comments)

3 votes

175 votes | Poll has closed

Huskers Snag Second Texas Stud: Rex Burkhead is N

Blankman — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:55:45 -0000

For those of you who haven’t been playing "Nebraska Recruiting: The Home Game", a little bit about Nebraska’s newest commit Rex Burkhead:

Burkhead’s running style seems to change up given the situation. In some cases he reminds me of the days of Mike Rozier in the way he seems to run with abandon that makes you wonder how he doesn’t fall down on his own and is deceptively quick. It’s that sort of speed where if everyone’s running at a blazing pace side by side they don’t necessarily look THAT fast, but Burkhead possesses speed, vision and hands which is exactly what the current trend in college football points to.

Rex can switch things up in a hurry, though and once he snags the ball on a quick dump off pass can either do damage or with a properly placed hit take it to the house. Regardless of what running style Burkhead chooses to initiate at any given time, it’s powerful and effective. I look at Burkhead as this year’s Sam McGuffie except he doesn’t jump over trash cans and will likely be far more effective when he plays as a freshman and yes I do believe he can hurdle a redshirt.

Rex’s Plano High School team managed to get to the second round of the Texas Class 5A Division I playoffs before a loss to Euless Trinity knocked Burkhead’s mindset from high school football into the next level and he’ll be playing it as a Cornhusker. This is a good thing. Don’t believe me? Burkhead rushed for 1,762 yards, snagged 42 passes for 594 yards and scored 33 touchdowns during his senior season. He’s also logged 74 all-purpose touchdowns and 4,560 rushing yards since his sophomore season to compliment his 1,155 receiving yards in that time span as well.

Have a look at what the 5’ 11" 190-pound APB can do (He’s the guy who looks really good all the time):

Poll

What Position Should Nebraska Attack Next?

Wide Receiver

31 votes

Defensive Tackle

52 votes

Defensive End

27 votes

Other (Add in comments)

5 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Tom Osborne: Congressman: No. Coach? Absolutely

Blankman — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:14:28 -0000

The regular season comes to a close on what has been as an underlined understatement a rollercoaster of emotion for Nebraska football fans for the past 365 days. One of my strongest concerns was the hiring on of Tom Osborne as Athletic Director. While at the time I saw the brilliance behind the strategy due to Steve Pederson having the favor of, say, a witch in old time Salem, I questioned whether or not this would simply be an invitation to all former Cornhuskers to come back and catch a gig at their old alma mater.

Fears were ratcheted up as that’s exactly what happened, but AD Osborne had an understanding coming back into a program he still knew a thing or two about. His time away from the program hadn’t served him well, but this is where the transformation begins. Much to my dismay I felt that there were more quality candidates that could’ve been hired on. Phil Bennett, now defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh, would’ve been my choice over Carl Pelini at the spot. Now while Carl has had an intense working relationship with his men in the trenches, I find it hard to believe that his title of DC is just that: a title. I felt Phil would’ve been another mind to meld with Pelini’s, but there was a big factor for the dream coaching staff that I had concocted: money.

(Actual Osborne may vary)

Tom came in feeling what I think can appropriately be called "frugal." The salaries given to the current staff seem almost paltry to what we've become accustomed to in today's college football. Slowly after this, things started to change and the guy who spent his time stumping on Capitol Hill began to revert to the guy with three National Championships under his belt. Battles with Wyoming, Miami (FL), Southern Miss (Thank you, sir) and Fresno State were inked. Pelini came to Osborne looking for guidance in his first season under the head coach banner and certainly times were tough in the early going. Osborne even took and passed the test required for anyone to recruit for their given school, so you can’t say the man hasn’t been trying.

I feel that the Tom Osborne that Nebraska has now versus the T.O. in the Athletic Director slot mid-season 2007 is a different individual and someone who will continue on a solid transition until 2010 when I think he steps down. As much good as he’s done for the University of Nebraska as a whole, the man deserves some rest and between the Fishbowl of Nebraska Football and politics, he’s gotta be beat.

I’ll add this as a closing note: I see a lot of love given to both Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. Two men who in their own right deserve statues and accolades for what they have given to the game of college football and while this may smack of homerism, what of Tom Osborne? I honestly believe Joe or Bobby would be quick to point out the good that not only Tom has done, but also in helping them develop their programs (as PSU and FSU have helped Nebraska learn most often the hard way). Tom wouldn’t ask for that though. It’s not his way. Coach Bowden received an award this past week along with several other athletes including 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and when asked how he’d like it all to end, he said (paraphrasing) that he’d like to go out on top.

T.O. did. Nuff said.

Shooting Pointe Blank: Colorado

Blankman — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:19:10 -0000

Hey members of the Corn Nation! It’s been a while since I’ve chimed in, but with Turkey Day behind me, I look forward to stepping out into the sunshine and chatting with you all more often. The team was looking at Colorado with a lot of attitude and swagger (swagger like us, (swagger) swagger like us) which I’m glad to see, but I think that dipped into the dangerous level of overconfidence. Still, after being down 14-0, I at no point felt that all was lost. I think we’ve reached a point where a 14 point deficit does not scare fans anymore barring that there’s not 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The seniors get to go out on a positive note and while the game was incredibly entertaining (read: tight) and came down to two fantastic plays (thank you Alex Henery and Ndamukong “Yeah, I do this every week” Suh), I would’ve liked to have seen Beau Davis get a few snaps in just to make up for the Massacre in Lubbock back in 2004. Seriously, the guy’s stuck through the program knowing he was more than likely never going to get a shot. Isn’t that worth a snap or two in junk time?

I give Colorado all of the credit in the world. They came to play and they had to. Their team was dinged up, a bowl bid was on the line much like last year and also much like last year Nebraska was standing in their way. Unfortunately, 2008 Nebraska feels a little bit better about themselves than 2007 Nebraska.

Roy Helu gets the start and it was bittersweet as while Roy is the future and a guy I think has the potential to be Nebraska’s next great I-Back, Marlon Lucky, a guy who has done a ton for the program and a guy who, in my opinion, will never get the props he deserves had to stand on the sidelines with turf toe. A big thank you goes out to both Roy and Marlon, the former for his performance on the field and the latter for everything he has done as a Husker. I sincerely hope that we get to see them both in the bowl game.

On that note...BOWL GAME! Now, where are the Cornhuskers going to end up? I’m going to perch myself on the limb and say the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville where they face FSU. A great throwback game, FSU usually puts up a good fight in their bowl games (pay no attention to what you saw against Florida please) and beating a Florida team, especially one of the Big Three, in Florida would be a major recruiting tool in the off-season.

Regardless of where or whom the Cornhuskers play, there’s no doubt that Bo will be working his charges as if they’re playing for the national title. A 9-4 season would be a fantastic opening campaign for Pelini and again a great recruiting tool. Yes, I’ve mentioned recruiting twice and there’s a reason for that. In the upcoming weeks and months, I plan to focus a little bit more on recruiting than anything else because not only do I have a passion for it but it allows me to slack until early February regarding what to write.

This regular season has had its ups and its downs, but overall, much like the past two home games against Kansas and Colorado, it’s been a fun rollercoaster.

Poll

If Nebraska goes to the Gator Bowl, which ACC team would you want to face?

Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson)

40 votes

Florida State (Bobby Bowden)

152 votes

192 votes | Poll has closed

Shooting Pointe Blank: Kansas State

Blankman — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:01:57 -0000

In watching the Kansas State-Nebraska game once more, I decided to do so from a different perspective. Sure, I enjoyed seeing the plays ran again, but it was how they were ran and how eerily familiar this was. In a year where Michigan is not only staying home for the holidays but having their worst season since they began playing which I believe is somewhere between the fall of Rome and the founding of the United States, Kansas State reminds me of us one year ago: they just didn't care.

The current Cornhuskers, however, are playing with a sense of pride on both sides of the ball, Ndamukong Suh only gains confidence and thusly the eye of every offensive coordinator he faces with each passing game and Joe Ganz throws for 300 yards much like many of us mow the lawn during the time when it’s green. It’s gone well every week before, so let’s bring out the key ring and have a look:

1.) Stop Josh Freeman – Well big checkmark next to that one. Freeman was held to a 7 of 18 day with one long bomb TD of 63 yards helping him to a whopping 114 yards passing. Husker Mike and I are in agreement on two things: Josh Freeman is not a legitimate NFL prospect and if I were a KSU fan, I’d be getting on the Chase Coffman bandwagon yesterday. As went Freeman, so went KSU and the shame of it is that if properly cultivated, Freeman would be an absolute beast quite possibly as efficient and dominant as Tim Tebow or at least a quarterback in that vein.

Against Nebraska, however, Freeman is still winless after shunning them for the soon-to-be-departed Ron Prince. He has broken record after record at Kansas State, but aside from him and his coach beating Texas twice, what he has truly achieved? Under Bill Snyder, this young man could’ve been special but under Ron Prince, his time spent at Kansas State was a waste of both his and everyone else’s within the program. It’s hard to be #1 when you go 0-3 against a team you turned your back on.

2.) Infuriate Ron Prince – On Friday when the Keys to the Game article was published, I actually thought about this one in particular and asked myself if this was possible. Prince probably already has his bags packed, so why would he be infuriated? What’s the point in being mad when you have no reason to express extreme emotion? What’s going to happen? He could’ve won his last two games 100-0 and it wouldn't matter.

As the saying goes more often than not a team will emulate the personality of their coach and Kansas State looked downright depressed. It seemed like half the team didn’t even want to be there and once the heat got ratcheted up, it wasn’t pathetic, it was sad. KSU players got decked and dropped like flies, Nebraska fans took over Bill Snyder Family Stadium and once the final whistle blew Prince and his team looked like visitors wearing their home uniform.

3.) Blitz – I wouldn’t say a ton of blitzing occurred because quite honestly it wasn't necessary. Four sacks, three forced fumbles, eight tackles for loss, it was unruly. Truly this KSU team is lost and nothing short of Bill Snyder returning or a Mark Mangino coaching effort will save this program. Right now KSU looks like their old 1988 selves and while I love to watch Nebraska pound a team into their own turf, it’s a little more entertaining when they, you know, try.

In Summary: Nebraska kicked the snot out of Kansas State and has completed the second chapter in the Quest to Become 3-0 in Their Last Three Games. The Colorado Buffaloes come to Lincoln and I don’t like their chances much. I think it’ll be closer than this contest because their coach has a future and a team that can make plays happen, but I see Nebraska pulling out a closer one. I’m thinking 7-14 points myself which would be fine leading into a pretty darn good bowl for a first year coach.

Husker Mike and I agreed on two premises when it came to KSU’s QB situation, but there’s one thing I do wish to speak out on. Two outta three ain't bad, though:

“Nebraska had to insert yet another freshman walk-on into the game at linebacker. Matthew May moved from safety to linebacker, and entered the game after Blake Lawrence suffered a concussion. So now we've seen walk-ons Tyler Wortman, Matt Holt, Colton Koehler, and May (not to mention converted I-back Cody Glenn) all having to fill the void created by bad recruiting.”

Unfortunately, Jax, what you saw with Mr. May was not the result of bad recruiting. Far from it, in fact. No one can honestly tell me that Will Compton couldn’t have played well this entire year if they watched him during last. Very few redshirts were burned. I think maybe two or three out of a crop of what? 20+? Pelini has been using the cards that are on the table that are either expendable or have to be used due to no more redshirts being available.

This is both a good and bad thing in my eyes. Good because it states that Pelini’s schemes are able to take advantage of the players he inserts while masking deficiencies and bad in how Nebraska is sending a vibe out that says “We don’t play true freshman a lot.” That’s not something several top recruits want to hear, but at the same time I do praise the staff as the team has improved as the season progressed and really isn’t that all we ask for aside from yearly nine win seasons and a national title in every decade?

To Jax I say bad recruiting? No sir. A fantastic amount of talent waiting in the wings? Most definitely.

Time to go beat our non-rivalriest of non-rivals.

Poll

SAT Prep Time: Ron Prince is to Coaching Football as:

A horse is to deep sea diving

4 votes

An elephant is to teaching chemistry

5 votes

Nick Saban is to sticking around in one spot for more than two years

12 votes

Paris Hilton is to studying third grade math

29 votes

50 votes | Poll has closed

Keys to the Game: Kansas State

Blankman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:30:02 -0000

Ron Prince is on everybody’s mind, the last road game of the season is upon us and people are talking about Josh Freeman. Yup, it’s K-State week. I felt that Nebraska would go 3-0 and so far so good. The Wildcats don’t put the fear of God into me nor should they. Given, Cody Glenn is suspended, but the front four have been playing like their hair is on fire what with intercepting passes and catching touchdowns. If Josh Freeman stays in the pocket, he’ll get eaten for lunch which when playing against Ndamukong Suh or Mark Mangino isn’t exactly outside the realm of possibility. Enough with the schoolyard taunts.

1.) Stop Josh Freeman – I could stop here but that wouldn’t make for much of an article, would it? Freeman is the heart and soul of this team (what’s left of it anyway) and if he’s stopped dead in his tracks, Nebraska will cruise. Right now Ron Prince is comfortably nestled between a rock and a hard place. He has no way to escape dismissal. He knows it, the players know it and when a downtrodden coach starts to rub off onto his players when hosting a coach with a mad as hell defense that just got awarded Blackshirts for the first time in his tenure come to visit, bad things are bound to happen.

Freeman’s always been a talent but he still has not been brought along properly. He’s got natural ability, but I still don’t see refined mechanics just instinct and a good call every now and again. I’m sure he’ll burn the safeties deep and get the short routes between a linebacker or two, but if he starts running for his life, KSU will be done from that point on.

2.) Infuriate Ron Prince – Last year’s mud-stomping of Kansas State in Lincoln is going to be used as fodder for Kansas State’s pre-game psych up. The problem is if Nebraska can continue that sort of rout one year later or at least appear to start revving that engine, Prince is going to get livid in a hurry and make stupid calls. You know, what am I talking about? It’s Ron Prince. The guy’s made of stupid calls. He makes Frank Solich look like Knute Rockne.

3.) Blitz – I don’t have a lot of faith in Freeman’s line and he shouldn’t either. This is a game in which I would blitz the ever loving hell out of Larry Asante because we all know he wants to put a hurting on someone and I can’t think of anyone better than Text Boy. Suh, Potter, Allen and the big dogs up from should be able to part the KSU O-line like the Red…er…Purple Sea and even Tyler Wortman and Blake Lawrence could look All-Big XII if the defense plays like they did against Kansas.

In Summary: Nebraska has the potential to make these next two games look similar to 2007. A year ago Kansas State was shell-shocked. It wasn’t Nebraska vs. Kansas State, it was Nebraska vs. Jordy Nelson. Jordy is gone and soon Ron Prince will be, too. The Cornhuskers want style points going into the bowl and the second chapter of 3-0 involves turning Manhattan, Kansas into ground zero of a megaton blast.

Poll

What is the most important "key" to the game?

Stop Josh Freeman

57 votes

Infuriate Ron Prince

12 votes

Blitz

21 votes

90 votes | Poll has closed

Shooting Pointe Blank: Kansas

Blankman — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:01:59 -0000

For those of you who were not in attendance or watching yesterday’s game: I feel sorry for you. The game itself ran like a children’s book. This happened and…and then this happened and and then, well you get the idea. From the no-look toss fakes to the Wildcat Formation, Mark Mangino and his crew got outcoached. Instead of keys to this game, Bo and his bunch just kicked the door down.

1.) Bring the “Hyde” out of Reesing – Coming into the game, a lot of people I spoke to (or just talked at me and I chose to ignore) went on about how Reesing was going to carve the secondary up like a Thanksgiving turkey, but thanks to the defensive line having its best game of the year (See: Suh, Ndamukong) that was far from the case. Suh may be the Man of No True Position what with playing fullback and catching touchdown passes aside from enveloping quarterbacks, but he wasn’t the only guy doing damage.

Zach Potter put his hands out in a heads up play and snagged one of Reesing’s passes, Pierre Allen got all up in his grill even Tyler Wortman and Eric Hagg got in on the anti-yard-retention effort against the Jayhawks. Forget Reesing, I think the “Hyde” got brought out of the Blackshirts and it was pretty to watch.

2.) It’s Either Lucky or Helu – BZZZZT. Quentin Castille must’ve had duct tape and a football in one hand this week which was promptly removed before game time. Admittedly during every one of his impressive runs I was saying, “Hold onto the ball” in repetition until the whistle. I can apparently do that very quickly, but that’s not the point. Castille is a force, but again when holding onto the ball. I was surprised to see Lucky cough it up for what I believe was the first time this season. Watching him run though, I can’t be led to believe he’s 100%

What I believe we are witnessing here though is a passing of the torch. I don’t think Marlon will ever get the credit due for what he’s actually done as many compared him to the next Reggie Bush and thought national titles would ensue with his signing, but unfortunately NU’s OL is not as good as USC’s and ain’t gonna be for a while. Fingers crossed it is some day though. That said it’s obvious that Roy Helu is the future and the only major aspect of his game that needs to be fine-tuned his is catching. Other than that he has an insane ability to cut while running a straight north-south line. With 115 yards and two touchdowns punctuated with a 52 yard long run and hurdling tacklers, Nebraska has seen the future at I-back and it wears #10

3.) Keep Bo Happy – Bo’s demeanor was a complete 180 from Oklahoma. He acted like your standard Division 1-A coach which impressed me for several reasons. It shows that he actually cares how he represents himself and understands where his temper can get him. As a matter of fact, I thought it was not only appropriate but hilarious when Bo went after the refs the most he had Memorial Stadium screaming just as loudly! It was kinda fun. I see why he gets into it.

For those who visit the site and were thinking that perhaps Mike Eckler is in the doghouse, I wish you could’ve seen Eck and his players on the sideline yesterday. I think he could move into a DC slot some day and he doesn’t just handle the ‘backers when it comes to spreading the love. He gets into every aspect of the game and celebrates along with the players. I can see why he’s so good at his job from coaching to recruiting.

In Summary: I like Mark Mangino a lot and I know he’s a good coach. Definitely is good enough to beat Nebraska and was good enough to beat them yesterday, but he was out-foxed by Pelini’s crew. That’s a pretty nice feather in your cap and best of all Nebraska is officially bowl eligible. With Kansas State and Colorado coming down the pike along with a likely mid-tier Big Televen team, 9-4 looks like a distinct possibility after the toppling of Kansas. Wildcats and Buffs alike beware: The chain has been released because the Cornhuskers are now officially off it for the duration.

Poll

Which "Innovation" Was Your Favorite?

No-look snap fake to Henery

29 votes

Ndamukong Suh lining up at fullback

24 votes

Ndamukong Suh playing wide receiver

39 votes

The Wildcat Formation with Lucky & Helu

32 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed

Keys to the Game: Kansas

Blankman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:45:03 -0000

After a merciless pounding in Norman, Nebraska returns home to what sounds like the welcoming but chilly confines of Memorial Stadium. Their next foe: The Fightin’ Manginos! The Jayhawks offer up an honest challenge for the Huskers and many feel there’s next to no shot for the Cornhuskers to pick up a “W”. PHOOEY to that, I say! I think Nebraska has an honest chance to go 3-0 in the final stretch here. Of course it’s one game at a time so let’s talk about what needs to be done to clip the Jayhawk’s wings.

1.) Bring the “Hyde” out of Reesing – Todd Reesing is a great quarterback, but in the Big XII that seems to come standard like a CD player in a car these days. Still, he can do damage and that’s the last thing that Nebraska’s back seven wants to hear. Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler and Ndamukong Suh need to break through and do damage. The latter needs to have himself some monster games if he wants to succeed and find fame and fortune in the NFL. There’d be no better day to come out and slam Reesing to the turf. It’s no secret that there is a “Hyde” to his “Jekyll” and if Nebraska pulls it out of him, we could see one of the finest defensive displays of the season.

2.) It’s Lucky or Helu – Unfortunately for Quentin Castille he puts more balls on the carpet than a CEO with a cocktail glass and a putter. Right now Lucky doesn’t seem to be in the best of shape, either. I admire the guy for all he’s done, but he can only do so much. Helu is a young, raw talent who I can’t wait to see grow within the program along with many others, but regardless of how injured Lucky is, both he and Roy need to carry the rock not Castille. At this point, I’d say it’s linebacker or bust for Quentin. If Nebraska wants to win out, it can’t be with #19 carrying the rock with any less than half of a yard line to go and even that’s iffy.

3.) Keep Bo Happy – Well…Bo being “happy” is a relative term. I suppose “Keep Bo less red in the face” would be a more appropriate request. There are some aspects of Bo’s gameday attitude I really like. He’s attentive, he knows what’s going on from all angles, but he’s letting things get to him far too easily. I’d like to think he will look back on what’s happened so far and end 2008 out with a nice, solid demeanor for the most part. Hey, we can’t expect the guy to stop hollering at the refs overnight. Still, he has to reign in his temper at some point. If he doesn’t, we’re not going to get calls going our way and that can, and I can almost guarantee you will, play as a big negative recruiting point.

In Summary: Nebraska has to play focused much like they did versus Texas Tech. They’re at home and they want to put on a show for the crowd. I say let ‘em. Last week’s first play shows that obviously it’s time to go to page 26 of the playbook blind and see what your finger lands on. Start out slow, make a bit of progress then begin with the screwing of the minds. Mangino is a crafty coach and a good fella, but he can be beaten and that is one thing that Bo knows.

Poll

Which Key is Most Important Vs. Kansas?

Bring the "Hyde" out of Reesing

36 votes

It’s Lucky or Helu

18 votes

Keep Bo Happy

9 votes

63 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation User Blog: Blankman

Keys to the Game: Clemson

Which Key is Most Important in Beating Clemson?

Protect Ganz with Your Life

Use Marlon like Never Before

Contain Spiller & Davis

New Defensive Ankrah? Jason Ankrah is N

With DE Ankrah in the fold, what position does Nebraska need to lock down next?

Defensive Tackle

Wide Receiver

Linebacker

Other (Add in comments)

More Burkhead Video

Huskers Snag Second Texas Stud: Rex Burkhead is N

What Position Should Nebraska Attack Next?

Wide Receiver

Defensive Tackle

Defensive End

Other (Add in comments)

Tom Osborne: Congressman: No. Coach? Absolutely

Shooting Pointe Blank: Colorado

If Nebraska goes to the Gator Bowl, which ACC team would you want to face?

Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson)

Florida State (Bobby Bowden)

Shooting Pointe Blank: Kansas State

SAT Prep Time: Ron Prince is to Coaching Football as:

A horse is to deep sea diving

An elephant is to teaching chemistry

Nick Saban is to sticking around in one spot for more than two years

Paris Hilton is to studying third grade math

Keys to the Game: Kansas State

What is the most important "key" to the game?

Stop Josh Freeman

Infuriate Ron Prince

Blitz

Shooting Pointe Blank: Kansas

Which "Innovation" Was Your Favorite?

No-look snap fake to Henery

Ndamukong Suh lining up at fullback

Ndamukong Suh playing wide receiver

The Wildcat Formation with Lucky & Helu

Keys to the Game: Kansas

Which Key is Most Important Vs. Kansas?

Bring the "Hyde" out of Reesing

It’s Lucky or Helu

Keep Bo Happy