SB Nation User Blog: corn blight

Cornhusker Kickoff 2009 - The Nebraska Football Yearbook For the Die Hard Fan

corn blight — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:59:38 -0000

View full size photo uploaded July 1, 2009

As editor, I'm proud to announce this year's Husker football yearbook Cornhusker Kickoff 2009. Unlike other preseason magazines that have only a couple of pages about your favorite football team, Cornhusker Kickoff 2009 is all about the Huskers and this upcoming season.

The format has changed somewhat this season. The yearbook is longer (128 pages compared to 112 last year), and it has a look and feel more like a preseason football magazine. There are a lot more photos, and a lot more relevant stats, particularly in the position breakdowns. One important thing stays the same - it's a full 128 pages of content with absolutely NO ads. Obviously, I'm biased, but it's one fine-looking item to have in your possession for the upcoming season.

The yearbook is available for ordering online at Huskerpedia. It will be available in stores later in July across Nebraska wherever you can find other preseason college football magazines.

After last year's inaugural issue, A Sea of Red, we changed the name this season. To be honest, I liked the name A Sea of Red better, but unfortunately distributors (the people who need to buy the book and get it into circulation) weren't recognizing the link between A Sea of Red and Cornhusker football, so a name change was in order. Cornhusker Kickoff is a little cheesier, but if it helps sell the book so that more people see it, the better. Ah, the realities of business.

Click the jump for a look at the contents.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. To post a comment, you must be a member of Corn Nation. Accounts are free and shared across the entire SB Nation network of sports blogs.

Table of Contents is as follows:

Building On The Foundation: 2009 Cornhusker Position Breakdown

by Jon Johnston - A complete breakdown of the 2009 team by unit, with position analysis, returning statistics and record holders.

Know Your Enemy: Cornhuskers 2009 Schedule Analysis

by Jon Johnston - An extensive look at the opponents for the upcoming season

The First Step In Restoration

by Mike Jaixen - a review of the 2008 season

Ready To Lead

by Tad Stryker of Huskerpedia - an interview with Ndamukong Suh about his role as a leader

The Pursuit Of Chemistry

by Brian Christopherson of Husker Extra - the challenge of replacing Joe Ganz, Nate Swift, and Todd Peterson. It isn't just about the stats.

Adjusting To Personnel

by Mike Jaixen - A look at how offensive coordinator Shawn Watson adjusts his offense to the personnel at hand, a preview of what we can expect this sason.

Five Who Make The Year

by Darren Carlson of Big Red Network - Five players who will make the season a success

And... Five You Need To Watch

by Darren Carlson - Five more players you need to be aware of who'll make a difference

Game Of Cycles, Man Of Tradition

by Adam Nettina of In the Bleachers - An outsider's look at Bo Pelini's first year as a head coach

Meet The Freshmen

by Brandon Cavanaugh - a look at the 2009 recruiting class, including walk-ons. The photos here are much improved over last season's edition.

The Power Of Red... Shirts

by Darren Carlson - Bo Pelini redshirted a lot of players last season that will make an impact this year.

The State Of Husker Athletics

by Steve Sipple of Husker Extra - an interview with Tom Osborne about the current state of the Nebraska athletic department

The Great Wide Open

by Darren Carlson - A look at the wide open Big 12 North

Return To Prominence

by Brandon Vogel of Big Red Network - What will it take for the Cornhuskers to reach the top?

Bob vs. The Bear

by Brandon Vogel of Big Red Network - People remember Bob Devaney as a humorist more than a coach, it seems, but this article will convince to look at him in a different way

"Thunder" Thornton

by David Max - "Big Red Max" of Huskerpedia - Who Was Bob "Thunder" Thornton and why was he important to the foundation of Nebraska football

Nebraska Gamedays

by Mark Fricke - A look back at what Husker gamedays were like in yesteryear.

Paydirt! Touchdown! Six Points!

by Mark Fricke - the Huskers will score their 4000th touchdown this season. A look at milestone touchdowns throughout Husker history

Jordan Larson paced the United States’ efforts with a match-high 14 points, including 12 kills and t...

corn blight — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:39:20 -0000

Jordan Larson paced the United States’ efforts with a match-high 14 points, including 12 kills and two service aces. It is the second time in three matches that Larson has led Team USA in points. Nancy Metcalf added 13 points, as five U.S. players totaled at least 10 points in its fourth consecutive sweep.
Nebraska is making an impact on the US Volleyball team. Nice to see Jordan Larson kicking some butt - we'll keep following her career.

U.S. Remains Perfect at Pan Am Cup - Huskers.com—Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Setting Expectations Has Everything To Do With Success - So What Do You Expect This Season?

corn blight — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:28:51 -0000

A couple of recent articles by other Husker writers have me thinking about expectation management this week. It's something I'm struggling with lately as I prepare to do an email migration for one of my clients. I've done a lot of project management over my years as a network and communication consultant. What I've learned is that setting the wrong expectations leads to project failure as often as whatever it is you're actually trying to accomplish.

In other words, if you go around telling people the next big thing is the next big thing, and it's good, but not great, you're probably screwed. Conversely, if you go around underselling what you're doing, and it becomes the next big thing, your client is going to end up a lot happier and more likely to bring you back for another project. This is the difference between being in sales and doing project management. The unfortunate reality is that a lot of consultants confuse the two and keep on selling when they really should be managing the project.

So, what's all this have to do with Husker football?

Well, let's take a look at the two articles I have in mind. Sam McKewon at Nebraska State Paper gives us a nice bit - "The Cupboard Isn't Bare" - about how the Huskers have enough talent to get to (potentially) win the Big 12 and get to a BCS bowl this season.

Then you've got Tad Stryker over at Huskerpedia doing a bit about how the Huskers still have to prove they can beat anyone of substance because they haven't done in a while. Compare the two and tell me who's going to win the popularity contest amongst Husker fans. I doubt it's going to be Tad. There's simply a lot more rah-rah in McKewon's article, while Stryker's article has more to do with fact. Rah-rah gives you that instant gratification and tastes a lot better than fact, kind of like a twinkie relative to meat and potatoes.

Anyway, McKewon makes the comment that "NU has plenty - read: loads - of talent." - and it honestly makes me bristle. First of all, it's not true relative to the team we really want to be - Oklahoma - and secondly, if I read it enough times I'll start to believe it and then start to expect a Big 12 Championship and BCS bowl out of this team. McKewon deals with my bristling by playing the role of psychiatrist, ending his article with "It's OK to have expectations, y'know. It's how Nebraska football got anywhere in the first place."

Arrrrghhh! Not only is McKewon selling, he's pure evil. Ask Tom Osborne about expectations in 1978, and again in the late '80s and early '90s. Regardless of how in love you are with Bo Pelini as we move into 2009, expecting this team to beat Oklahoma at home, win the Big 12 championship and get to a BCS bowl is nothing more than setting Pelini up for failure. Failure gets you fired these days. Coaches don't survive the way Osborne did when he didn't "win the big one".

Despite my natural need to downplay my own expectations, it's hard to not pick Nebraska to win the Big 12 North despite the fact that we're starting over with a new quarterback. Given the strengths and weaknesses for each team, it's clear the division is up for grabs.

But here's the thing - I'd rather not pick Nebraska to win it. I'd rather pick Kansas. Or Colorado, or Missouri for that matter. That probably rubs some fans the wrong way - as if I'm not being "pro-Nebraska" enough for their liking. Fact is, I'd rather the target and the pressure were on some other team - let them disappoint their fans when they don't win the North and don't get a shot at the Big 12 Championship. Let them put their coach on the hot seat and ultimately de-stabilize their program with all the belly-aching.

It's part of the "promise low, deliver high" philosophy I've tried to live with in my professional life, and that doesn't change just because I'm writing about football. It doesn't change in my personal life - I don't expect a birthday cake but if one happens to show up on June 6th - well, that makes it all the more exciting, then doesn't it? The same correlation holds true for the Huskers - if I expect us to win the Big 12 North, and we happen to beat Oklahoma at home, somehow win the Big 12 and get a BCS bowl berth, well, that's one damned big birthday cake, isn't it? Isn't that more conducive to success?

So I'm wondering - are you one of those fans who expects to win every game, and is then disappointed with the losses? Or do you purposefully set your expectations lower so that you're pleasantly surprised with the outcome?

The "Best of Big Red" -or- When Will I Be Able to Download Husker Football Games On the Internet?

corn blight — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:19:49 -0000

Earlier this year Corn Nation became an affiliate of "Best of Big Red", an organization run by Mike Osborne that provides the broadest array of Husker products on the internet. They have everything from the latest line of Husker clothing to tailgating equipment, along with autographed paraphernalia - you name it.

Of particular interest to me is the availability of past Husker games. Instead of spending the offseason wondering if ESPN Classic will ever show an old Nebraska game where the Huskers win, why not have a whole library available and pick the game I want to watch? I used to have a lot of them on VHS, but I'm not embellishing when I say my VHS of the '97 Nebraska - Missouri game is worn out from too many July viewings.

I decided to start somewhere - so I purchased last season’s DVD set. It was an excellent resource for doing the unit and opponent previews for this year’s "Cornhusker Kickoff" yearbook. I’d recommend the DVDs to any Husker fan wanting to keep a collection of all the games. Each game has a short pre-game segment and includes the post-game press conferences, so they’re excellent for getting an offseason fix.

There are a couple areas of product offerings I’d like to see improved, so I asked Mike Osborne about them. I'd like to see all of the old games offered on DVD, and I'm interested to know when Husker fans will be able to download and view Husker games, via iTunes or any other delivery method. Continue on for some answers from Mike about the process of putting the DVD’s together and what you can expect to see from future offerings.

Oh, in the interest of full disclosure - if you click on a link for Best of Big Red, it has an affiliate code in it for Corn Nation, so we will get paid a percentage if you buy from them. If you feel the need to support us, that's great. I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

How popular are the season DVDs, i.e., how many sets do you sell a year?

There are quite a few fans who are collectors of the season sets and some others that live in remote places where they have little access to televised Husker games. We sell to a fair number of fans overseas, including military folks. Last year we had about 300 full season subscribers. That is down significantly from the mid 1990's when we had as many as 650 full season subscribers for the VHS full seasons. Subscriber levels came down as the proliferation of sports cable channels offered more and more games and as the Huskers had some tough seasons (by Nebraska standards).

Besides season DVDs, what are the most popular?

Our most popular DVD's include the Game of The Century with Lyell Bremser's radio call for audio, the 1996 Fiesta Bowl (both TV broadcast and HuskerVision footage), the Greatest Plays of the 20th Century (over 1,000 of the Huskers biggest plays 1940-2000), The Husker Century DVDs (produced and aired by NETV, Part I, Part II and Part III), and the Husker Vision highlight DVD's of the 1994, 1995 and 1997 seasons. We also have season box sets for the 1994, 1995 and 1997 seasons that contain DVDs of every game in their entirety with the radio play-by-play for audio - they are very popular as well.

Who does the production for the season DVD's?

I personally do the editing of the raw footage and authoring to DVD right after the game. Our office staff then duplicate, package and send the DVD's on Mondays following a Saturday game. Husker Vision provides us with the footage. The footage for home games comes from their multi-camera in-stadium production, it is the same video that you see on the big screens. The footage for the away games comes from the heroic efforts of Husker Vision's Kirk Hartman, who keeps a very steady hand on a singular hi-resolution digital camera for the entire 4 hour pre-game to post game period. The radio broadcast is hard-wired into the video capture at both home and away games so it is in sync and crisp.

We plan to begin providing a downloadable option for purchasing the games either this season or the next. DVD's will still be available and will probably remain the preferred format for collectors who want something tangible and nicely package to place on a shelf. There are extra production steps involved in making the video ready for download, so it is doubtful the games would be offered to download until Tuesday following a Saturday game.

Can you explain some of the legal rights surrounding how the Husker games are produced, i.e. why are the Nebraska announcers used as opposed to national personalities that accompany the broadcasts?

The footage is all from Husker Vision and owned by the University. The contract the University has with the Husker radio network operator has a clause that states the University is allowed to provide the radio feed to one outside source for the purposes of video production and sales. We consider ourselves privileged to be that "outside source" and we considerate it a serious responsibility to create the best possible archive of Husker games, not only for current fans, but for future fans and Husker history buffs.

Best of Big Red's involvement with offering Husker games on video originated from a personal desire to see more Husker games when I lived out of state. I was living in Atlanta, Georgia while attending graduate school in the late 1980s and could only see maybe 2 or 3 Husker games on television. Atlanta was fed a steady diet of SEC football games by the networks.

Dave Finn was the video coordinator for the Football staff at that time (he shot and edited the coaches films of the games on Super VHS). He was good enough to send me VHS copies of the coaches films so I could see every game - it helped that I was Tom's son. I moved back to Lincoln in 1991 with my wife and started a business by creating a guide to all of Nebraska's golf courses.

In the summer of 1991 my dad handed me a brochure where a company from Dallas had made a proposal to the Athletic Dept. to create a weekly highlight of the games that could be offered as a subscription service to interested fans. The Football Dept. already had a sophisticated (for that era) production facility so the thought was that I could work with Dave Finn to produce and market the coaches films as a subscription service.

Dave Finn and I worked together to get the service started and advertise it to ticket holders, boosters, and alumni - and it took off nicely. Many fans were in the same situation I had been in while in Atlanta, and they wanted to see more of the Huskers! Once it was established that there was a demand, I had to go through a bidding process to secure that rights to provide the service and had to do so again about 5 years ago. Since 1992 Best of Big Red has sold over 250,000 copies of games and highlights and has given UNL $1,800,000 in revenue and license fees.

A couple of years ago, I speculated that schools like Nebraska would be putting their old seasons on iTunes just like publishers are releasing old TV shows (Monty Python's ‘74 season is $11.94 on iTunes). This has yet to happen. There is very little college football content on iTunes, something I still find surprising. It'd be nice to pull up a game from 1983 for $1.99 while you're waiting in an airport or... suffering through a long offseason. To the best of your knowledge, has the athletic department considered doing anything like this? Are there any obstacles to keep them from doing so?

The company that I am working with to create the best possible downloadable video of games, also formats video for iTunes and many other popular platforms. We will be pushing forward to make the games available on most platforms. The first step will be providing quality downloads for your PC or Mac and then we'll move on to the others. Hopefully you will be able to do just what you described within 18 months.

They (the athletic department) are awfully busy on many fronts. It is a service that needs to be provided and we are best suited to move forward and get it done. We intend to do so.

Best of Big red has over 700 video and highlight titles dating back to the 1940 Rose Bowl - most of which are still on VHS. We are steadily working to digitize and convert the older titles so they can be made into DVD's and provided as downloads. As of today, we have all games and highlights from 1992 to today available on DVD. We have just a few games (such as the Game of the Century) older than that converted to digital format. Our goal is to have every game from 1962 (the beginning of the Devaney era) forward converted to digital format, and complete with some sort of quality audio tract (right now some of the older games have no audio) within 4 years.

Taking a look at your web site, you have seasons available on DVD back to 1992. Are there any plans to convert older seasons that may have been available on video tape to DVD?

It is a bit of a slow process because we run a for-profit business and do not have unlimited funds to throw at the project. Many of the games are a labor of love to convert because they will sell so few copies. There are several bad losses that virtually no one will want - but they will take considerable time and money to convert and must be done in order to complete the archive. I believe it is very important to complete this process so we will keep pecking away. We have plans to make available another 3 or 4 seasons on DVD this year - we are working back from 1992.

Thanks for the time, Mike, and making the games available!

Why They Will Win the Big 12 North - A Focus On Strengths

corn blight — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:22:27 -0000

Last week I looked at the weaknesses of Big 12 North teams. I also stated that the Big 12 North will come down to a finish between three teams - Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. This article focuses on the strengths of the Big 12 North teams. I did not pick the strengths nor weaknesses based solely on units (offensive line, linebacker, etc) nor on great players, but on what I felt were the most positive characteristics that would help each team to win games, and therefore win the conference division.

The teams are in no particular order of predicted finish - that will come later this summer.

Nebraska

Primary Strength - The Lines

It might have been easy to rank the primary strength as the defensive line with secondary strength as offensive, but it would be both lazy and a little hopeful with regards to the offensive line. While the Husker offensive linemen showed signs they were bringing back memories of "The Pipeline" days of the ‘90s, the fact is they still have a ways to go. It was relatively easy to develop a strong running game when they had a ball control-based passing game last season. This year their will be much more pressure on the offensive line to perform - if they can develop into a strong unit, Nebraska should win the North.

The defensive line is in exellent shape, with potential All-American Ndamukong Suh up front and defensive ends Barry Turner and Pierre Allen bringing pressure from the outside. Sophomore Jared Crick must play well to keep the double teams from Suh. Two highly ranked redshirt freshman, Baker Steinkuhler and Cameron Meredith will add to the rotation.

Secondary Strength - Turnover Margin

It might be an odd pick for a strength, but turnover ration might be the biggest key to a successful Nebraska season. Bo Pelini’s defenses are known for generating turnovers - in his three years at LSU, his defense went from 105th to 58th to 2nd nationally, improving from -9 to even to +20. In his first season at Nebraska, the Huskers finished -11 and dead last in the Big 12. Despite the low finish, Nebraska finished tied for first in the Big 12 North. What happens with improvement can’t be anything bad.

Kansas

Primary Strength - Offensive Production

Quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier and running back Jake Sharp make up the most productive offensive set in school history. Coming into his final season, Reesing already owns over 30 school records, while Briscoe set a school record for single-season receiving yardage with 1,407. As much as Briscoe provides flash, Meier provides clutch, setting a school record for single-season receptions with 97 and a single-game reception record with 14 against Missouri, including the last minute game winning touchdown.

If Sharp sounds anti-climactic, consider that he finished last season with the third-most carries amongst Big 12 running backs - this after Kansas used a running back by committee approach during the non-conference season.
Given this group, Kansas can’t be counted out of any game they’ll play against a Big 12 North opponent.

Secondary Strength - Defensive Secondary

On defense, the Jayhawks are replacing three linebackers that combined for 103 starts and 821 tackles. While that sounds daunting, Kansas will be switching their defensive back to the nickel package, which will somewhat alleviate the loss of experience.

Kansas returns a secondary that remains intact from the last half of 2008. They’re lead by First-Team All-Big 12 safety Darrell Stuckey, who finished second in tackles and with five interceptions. The unit should be better, after finishing third in conference pass efficiency defense despite shuffling starters the first half of the year.

Colorado

Primary Strength - The Running game

Colorado suffered so many injuries last season, it’s difficult to base any prediction on who started how many times or in what position. However, it isn’t difficult to see that the injuries may be of benefit to this season because of the number of young players getting experience when otherwise they would have been watching.

Another not-so-difficult observation was the talent borne by the pair of young running backs Rodney Stewart and Darrell Scott. Neither have been around long enough to gain much attention - on top of that, both were injured during the season with Scott never being fully healthy and Stewart suffering a broken leg against Texas A&M. Demetrius Sumler got a fair amount of work as a third back, so the depth is there.

Injuries didn’t just kill the running backs last season, but took quite a tool on the offensive line. Looking at averages or rankings doesn’t tell that tale. Despite the loss of Devin Head, the only senior of the bunch, to academics this is the best line unit the Buffs have had in years. Add to that a deep tight end unit and the running game will be fine.

Secondary Strength - Defensive Back Seven

Colorado finished first in conference pass defense last season. While that may drop due to having to retool the defensive line, the linebacking unit is one of the better in the Big 12. Top returning tacklers are linebackers Jeff Smart and Shaun Mohler, and while the Buffs lose three starters in the secondary, the return five players with starting experience. Cha’pelle Brown will get a lot of attention, but it’s Jimmy Smith fans will need to watch. Husker fans will remember him as the player who returned a botched fake field goal for a touchdown last season. Benjamin Burney adds experience after missing lsat season due to injury.

Kansas State

Primary Strength - Schedule

Bill Snyder might not have much of an overall team to work with in 2009, but he does have scheduling on his side. The non-conference cupcakes will give him a chance to find out who his players are before moving into Big 12 play. The Wildcats have only three conference road games (not counting the neutral site game in Kansas City against Iowa State), and although they’re against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Nebraska, they get the rest of their Big 12 North counterparts at home.

If Snyder can find his players, the Wildcats might shock some people.

Secondary Strength - Pass Defense

The Wildcats have a rising star in sophomore defensive end Brandon Herald, who finished as the top freshman in tackles for loss last season. He’ll provide the pressure while the back seven provides the experience. Of the back seven, four projected starters are seniors. Sophomore free safety Tysyn Hartman will gain some notoriety this season.

Missouri

Primary Strength - The Running Game

Missouri’s offense last season was pass-happy and prolific, but the majority of those players have moved on. The good news for Tigers fans is they have one of the best offensive line units in the conference with three starters returning and a fourth who received plenty of playing time last year. That fourth player in Dan Hoch, who originally committed to Nebraska, but went to Missouri after Bill Callahan’s firing at the end of 2007.

Running back Derrick Washington gained over 1,000 yards last year despite being slowed by injuries late in the season. Washington is a strong runner who’ll be backed up by speed burner De’Vion Moore.

Secondary Strength - Linebacker

It can border on silliness to base a strength on a single player, but Sean Weatherspoon might be that good. He returns as the top tackler in the Big 12 with 155, nearly more than all Husker linebackers had combined. While the unit loses the second leading tackler Christopher Brock (who finished with 105 tackles), the drop off won’t be bad.

Iowa State

Primary Strength - Overall Athleticism

You wouldn’t know it from their 0-8 Big 12 finish, but the 2008 version of the Cyclones was an improved team relative to their recent predecessors. Between quarterback Austen Arnaud and cornerback/kick returner Leonard Johnson, the team’s overall athleticism was much better than the previous season.

Secondary Strength - Coaching Staff

Gene Chizik’s bolting for Auburn after two lousy seasons might be the best thing that’s happened to Iowa State in a while. Chizik left with a 5-19 record, but replacement Bill Rhoads was just what the Cyclones are looking for - a coach that wants to be in Ames. Rhoads hired offensive coordinator Tom Herman from Rice, and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham from South Florida, both excellent hires in their own regard. Herman’s spread is prolific, while Burnham’s defense will attack. The aggressiveness of both coaches should find Iowa State improved over the past couple of years.

The new coaches come into a good situation. After ten straight losses and a 17-game road losing streak, Cyclone fans will be happy with anything that looks like improvement.

Corn Flakes Finds More Reasons Nebraska Wins the Big 12 North

corn blight — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:11:03 -0000

Someone Stole Shawn Watson's Email Account?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police are investigating an e-mail that was sent to a Kansas high school football coach, purportedly from Watson, asking for insight and information on particular players...... were they from Nigeria, promising gobloads of money should only the coach send some first?

Texting will be added as a method of summoning the police
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police will offer a service allowing fans to summon them to the stadium via text message.... by the time I entered anything meaningful the game will be long over, people at the bars or sleeping. I wonder if they have to employ an interpreter for this?

Husker Mike's Blasphemy: Four Years of Blasphemy
Husker Mike's blog celebrates it's four year anniversary! Hey, Mike, did you go for quality over quantity or the other way around?

Being a Fan Means Not Having Control of Certain Cranial Functions - Bring On The Cats

The offseason breeds hope - to all teams, all fans, and that idea is especially represented here by TB at Kansas State site BOTC. There's no sarcasm here.... just pointing out that optimism is the most beautiful asset of the off-season.

10 things David Haugh knows about the Bears -- chicagotribune.com

"I know cornerback Zack Bowman quietly has made one of the biggest impressions during off-season workouts and could be a sleeper that comes on strong during training camp. In the first 10 OTA practices, Bowman made seven interceptions, according to the team's Web site."

Good news about Zack Bowman with the Bears.

Athlon Sports previews the Big 12 Quarterbacks

12. Zac Lee, Nebraska (JR) — Bye Week — 5 With a strong offensive line and running game, don’t expect the Huskers to ask too much from their quarterback this year. Lee has played in only two games, attempted two passes and rushed for 17 yards. Although the Huskers like Lee’s potential, especially with his ability to beat teams on the ground and through the air, he is still an unknown commodity. All signs point to Lee taking the first snap of the season, but freshman Cody Green or converted linebacker Latravis Washington could get a look if the offense sputters.

Lindys Sports says Nebraska's defense could get them far:

The Cornhuskers have to replace five defensive starters, but they just might have enough depth on that side of the ball to pull it off and Bo Pelini knows defense about as well as any head coach in the country. Nebraska’s biggest problem will be scoring, but its defense just might shoulder the load until the offense gets going. So let’s look ahead to the Big 12 Championship Game. How about—just for sake of argument—a Nebraska vs. Oklahoma showdown? It would conjure up memories of some of those great Nebraska-Oklahoma games of the 1960s and ’70s. It could happen.

Could happen? I'd say it's pretty darned likely. And great games fo the '60s and 70's.... what about the '80s? What was this guy doing then? In a coma? Sleeping?

KUsports.com | "History says Huskers should be favorites to win Big 12 North" by The Newell Post
Even a dude at KU Sports thinks the Huskers will win the Big 12 North because defensive teams are more likely to win conference championships. Is that reverse psychology... or does he really mean it?

Bill Snyder Admits Nebraska Will Kick Butt - Sports Radio 810 WHB

Bill Snyder says in an interview that Nebraska is the clear-cut favorite and win the North.... okay... he doesn't really say that. But he does say this:

The tempting piece for coaches is to load up a roster full of offensive skill positions players, especially receivers and quarterbacks. Of course, the problem with that is the 85-scholarship limit because the more offense you add, the less room for defense. Faced with building his first team since the spring and summer of 2005, Snyder said defensive depth is one of the main concerns in trying to prepare a team for what it will encounter.

So the question is - which do you want more of - defense or offense? You can't have everything, as he points out, because of the 85-scholarship limit, which, by the way Nebraska does a better job of getting around than anyone because of the way we run our walk-on program.

Nebraska's defense improved by a large margin last year. Some might say that's because we were so bad in 2007 that there wasn't anywhere to go but up, but you could also argue it's because we truly got better. With a year under Pelini, what do you think the defense can do this season? Improve? You betcha.

Hits Around the Nation - College World Series Edition

corn blight — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:24:18 -0000

The CWS Joins in Ticket Scalping

The College World Series now is in the ticket-reselling game, along with eBay, Stub Hub and others. For the first time, the CWS is taking part in the secondary ticket market, allowing what could be seen as NCAA-supported scalping.
Series season-ticket holders who can't use their reserved seats can now sell them with the NCAA's blessing on a Web site called Ticket Exchange.

Two shocking things here - that the NCAA is involved in ticket scalping.... well, maybe that's not all that shocking, there's a buck involved. Other shocking thing - the Omaha World Herald finally joined the '90s and allows comments on some of their articles.

Baseball America College Blog - CWS Stat Pack
BA has an interesting view of statistics from the CWS teams, worth a look.

The College Baseball Blog | CWS Preview: Bracket 1
The CBB has a preview of Bracket 1 for the College World Series. The bracket features Cal-State Fullerton, Arkansas, LSU, and Virginia.

The College Baseball Blog | CWS Preview: Bracket 2
The CBB's CWS Preview for Bracket 2. The second bracket of the College World Series features Arizona State, North Carolina, Texas, and Southern Miss.

Changes at CWS While Documenting History

Rosenblatt will be replaced by the new downtown stadium in 2011, named not after a former player and mayor but a company - TD Ameritrade.
"It's going to start a new history is what it's going to do, but it's not going to be the same," says Trumble. Which is why the CWS heritage at Rosenblatt is getting a permanent story.
"It's only deserving to have a documentary of the history of how it was formed and how it was built and the many games that have played here and the memories of the individuals who have played here. It's important to capture tradition and history and maintain that," explains Poppe.
The documentary will be filmed this year and should be ready in 2010.

Hey, they're doing a documentary about Rosenblatt. Darned good idea. I realize there's this romanticism about the CWS but the idea that you're going to build a new stadium today without someone paying to put a name on it... okay, I understand the complaining, I guess it's just something we're going to have to accept. Like maybe more bathrooms.

College Baseball Insider - College World Series Team Capsules
College Baseball Insider has team overviews for all the teams in the CWS, because we all need interesting tidbits about the teams, right? Makes you sound like you know what you're talking about.

EXPERIENCE THE CWS: Omaha Bar Guide - CWS Edition
Do I really need to explain this?

Why They Won't Win the Big 12 North - A Focus on Weaknesses

corn blight — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:19:54 -0000

There's plenty of offseason prognostication going on, and it's time to to join in the fun. The the Big 12 North race should come down to three teams, not necessarily in this order; Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado.

First a couple points to remember. Last season, Missouri and Nebraska tied for first with 5-3 records. Given that there's not a clear-cut leader, it's not unrealistic to expect that a similar record won't win the North again.

Every team has strengths and weaknesses. This article focuses on the weaknesses, listing two for each team. The beauty of the offseason is the hope that fans have in their teams before the season begins, each fan hoping that their weakness... isn't.

Kansas

Primary Weakness: Schedule

Kansas is the only Big 12 North team that plays both Oklahoma and Texas. Add to that a trip to Texas Tech and you're looking at a high probability for three losses before considering their games against their North counterparts. Add a trip to Colorado the week before Oklahoma and you've got your trap game.

Secondary Weakness: Offensive Line

I make no secret about an affinity for offensive lines. It's not a popular subject, most fans (and most pundits) tend to look at the skill position players and decide they can do everything on their own. Kansas can adjust in the passing game by getting rid of the ball quickly before quarterback Todd Reesing gets killed, but it takes a quality line to establish the run. Lack of a strong running game hurt Kansas last season. It may hurt them again this year.

Nebraska

Primary Weakness: The Passing Game

It isn't just about a new quarterback. It's about one half of the offense. A new quarterback, regardless who it is, can have much more success when he's throwing to a proven, dependable receiver (or two). Unfortunately, in this case, the Huskers don't have one. Niles Paul and Menelik Holt aren't at the same level as Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, the two players they're replacing.

If the passing game doesn't gel, the Huskers must hope they develop a strong running game or their Big 12 North title chances will be lost.

Secondary Weakness: Quarterback Depth & Experience

Zac Lee has attempted all of two passes and rushed twice - in his career. Kody Spano suffered a knee injury in the spring. After that, there's a converted linebacker and a true freshman. If Spano hasn't fully recovered, someone will be starting that doesn't have a full grasp of the offense. That's no way to win a division.

Colorado

Primary Weakness: Defensive Line

Colorado lost a combined 130 starts on the defensive line from last season. They have a decent secondary, but any secondary can be beaten if the defensive line can't put pressure on the quarterback. A weak defensive line also exposes the team to the running game, meaning Colorado will need to score a lot of points to win games.

Secondary Weakness: The Passing Game

The Buffalo passing game took a big step backwards when playmaker Josh Smith unexpectedly transferred. The Buffs' two choices at quarterback, Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen, haven't exactly been consistent. Some of that can be blamed on the ton of injuries that happened last year - it's hard to get settled when you don't have the same guys in front of you throughout the year.

If Colorado can't find an answer here, they'll suffer the same fate as the Cornhuskers - a one-dimensional offense and another mediocre season.

Missouri

Primary Weakness: Youth

It's one thing when you're replacing a new quarterback, but then add your main playmaker, your dominant tight end, and the anchors of your defensive line and secondary. Add to that your placekicker, it's just too much to do in one season. The Tigers have some good players coming in, but this is the Big 12 - who doesn't?

Keep in mind, though, that by the end of the season this team will no longer be ‘inexperienced'. That's when they play Kansas.

Secondary Weakness: Coaching Staff Changes

After eight years with no changes, Pinkel's staff went through a bunch of changes this offseason. Missouri fans might be grateful that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is gone, but the new guy, Dave Steckel, has been coaching linebackers for the past eight seasons. Regardless of how good he is, he's in the same position as his players. It'll take some time to adjust. Add to that an offensive coordinator change as former quarterback coach David Yost takes over offensive coordinator positions from Dave Christensen who's now the head coach at Wyoming.

There's simply too much change to overcome in one season for the Tigers.

Iowa State

Primary Weakness: New Coaching Staff

Gene Chizik left after two conference wins in two seasons, leaving the Cyclones with a ten-game losing streak. Iowa State appears to have made a good hire in Paul Rhoads, an Iowa native who was born within ten miles of Jack Trice stadium. Rhoads' hiring of offensive coordinator Tom Herman from Rice and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham from South Florida look like great moves, but, like any staff turnover, a new system takes time.

Secondary Weakness: They're Iowa State

Not to be rude to the Cyclone fans, but Iowa State couldn't grab the Big 12 North title when they had good teams. They have some good players (QB Austen Arnaud, DB/KR Leonard Johnson), but they don't have enough to make up for all the changes.

Kansas State

Primary Weakness: Dis-array

It wasn't enough that Ron Prince brought in a bunch of JUCO transfers who didn't work out last season, nor that Bill Snyder was called in to perform another miracle. Add to that the discovery that former athletic director Robert Krause entered into a (double) secret contract with Ron Prince that would allow Prince to be paid $3.2M well after he'd already been fired. You might say this doesn't directly affect the football team, but you'd be wrong. Any time an organization suffers chaos, it impacts every aspect of operations. Coaches, fans, and players may choose to ignore it, but the monetary cost (whether KSU has to pay the full $3.2M or not) and prestige damage alone will hinder development.

Secondary Weakness: New Coaching Staff

Given what Ron Prince did to Kansas State, this could be considered a strength. Unfortunately, it's (again) all about change - players learning what the new coaching staff wants them to do. Snyder might have some magic left, and his hiring of defensive coordinator Vic Koenning was a great move, but the Wildcats have to first find players to fill the slots. After they've figured out who's going where, they'll have to teach them their new systems, which means they've got more of a mountain to climb than your average new coaching staff.

Nebraska Cornhusker & Big 12 Resources on Twitter (Updated)

corn blight — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:14:02 -0000

I've decided to update this document, given that Nebraska's head football and basketball coaches are now on twitter, along with tons more Husker fans. In the next couple days we'll have some more news about Corn Nation and twitter that you might find interesting.

I’ve been using twitter on a regular basis now for a few months, and just went over 1700 followers within the past few days. I’ll admit, I’m surprised at twitter’s popularity. Part of me thinks it’s the silliest damned thing every invented.

The other part thinks it’s a pretty darned useful communication tool. I’m not going to try to explain what it is other than saying that it’s public chat without awareness. The whole concept revolves around the idea of sending short messages into the ether. You follow people, and if they find you interesting, they follow you. It’s the interaction along with the equality that makes it interesting.

Like everything else on the internet there is a big mixture of good, bad and useless information. The good thing is you can find a subject expert in very little time, follow them and send them a message and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get a reply. If not, you can dump them and find another one.

Whether you’re new to twitter, or an experienced veteran, I have compiled a list of Nebraska Cornhuskers and Big 12 references you might find useful.

Nebraska Coaches, Staff, Teams, Clubs:

@bopelini - Bo Pelini, Head Football Coach
@coach_sadler - Doc Sadler, Head Basketball Coach
@chris_croft_nu - Director of Basketball Operations
@jim_shaw_nu - Video Coordinator for Husker Basketball
@coach_roese - Assistant Coach, Basketball
@coach_anwar - Assistant Coach, Basketball
@coach_mathews - Assistant Coach, Basketball
@nuhoopsblog - Huskers.com - about basketball
@huskervball - The Husker Volleyball Team
@unlfastbreakers - Women's Basketball Booster Club

Nebraska News Sources:

@bchristo - Brian Christopherson of Husker Extra
@BigRedNetwork - they’ve been on twitter long than I have, representing the Husker site "Big Red Network" - very good for their articles and news items.
@BretNellor - husker basketball fan with a web site about husker basketball
@Cornnation - That’s us (me?)
@dmn_colleges - The latest news and information on The Big 12 and area schools from The Dallas Morning News and dallasnews.com.
@dnsports - The Daily Nebraskan Sports Feed
@drimington - Dave Rimington - if I have to explain this one - why are you here?
@huskerextra - mostly headlines from the guys at Husker Extra
@huskerhellion - Husker football updates, links, rumors...
@huskerlocker - news feeds from huskerlocker.com
@Husker_Mike - CN’s co-manager Husker Mike
@huskerzone - Huskerzone.com - By Husker fans for Husker fans!
@IndySports - Covering Sports for the Grand Island Independent
@iowans4nebraska - The Iowans for Nebraska Alumni Chapter
@krvn - The big radio station at 880 am - sends out links to news stories on their web site
@nebraskabuzztap - An automated feed of Husker-related stories.
@RedCladLoon - Steve Smith, author of the best Nebraskan fan book to date,"Forever Red"
@Sean_Callahan - covers Nebraska football for HuskersIllustrated.com, WOWT TV and KFAB Radio
@shamus_mcknight - Media Relations dude from www.huskers.com

@theindependent - The Grand Island Independent. Central Nebraska's news source
@unlbands - Your twitter source of information about the Pride of Nebraska - UNL's Bands!
@unlnews - UNL News manager

Others of Note:

@andyroddick - self-explanatory.
@aTrubow - Texas football/baseball reporter 4 Austin American-Statesman
@big12network - ESPN’s Big 12 Network,
@thecbb - The college baseball blog - everything college baseball!

@espn - ESPN News
@ESPN_Big12 - Tim Griffin’s feed for Nebraska news from his blog at ESPN
@kbohsl - Austin American-Statesman sports columnist Kirk Bohls.
@PeteCarroll - yeah, that’s him.
@suzhalliburton - Covers Texas football, Lance Armstrong for the Austin American Statesman.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I’ve purposefully left off individuals who are Husker fans. I’ve also left off some of the automated accounts that don’t do anything but provide news links as there’s a fair amount of redundancy.

If you’re interested in being included on the list, please either reply with your twitter address in the comments section or send me an email (cornnation-AT-gmail-DOT-com). Better yet, follow me @cornnation and I’ll follow you back and then let me know.

If you’re interested in being taken off it, well, let me know too!

College World Series Visitors Guide to Omaha - Corn Nation

corn blight — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:33:40 -0000

College World Series Visitors Guide to Omaha - Corn Nation

A visitors guide to Omaha for all you LSU fans that will be making the trip. We're encouraging people to share as well.