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Men vs. Women
No this blog is not to debate on if the current Husker women’s basketball team could beat the men’s team. But its about the popularity of each program. I was lucky enough to go to the Husker women’s basketball game on the 17th (60-50 over Iowa State). I decided I needed to see this team live at least once before the end of the year for many of the reasons as I’ve said in previous blogs. This is a team that needs to be seen, because seasons like this don’t just come around very often. I walked up an hour before tip-off and got a GA seat for $5 bucks. I had no trouble finding a seat in the first row of the C section right behind one of the baskets. For the womens games, GA is above row 19 in the C section on the sidelines and all of the C sections in the corners and behind the baskets.
Wednesday’s game drew just a tad over 10k and honestly I was a bit disappointed at the time. After seeing today’s attendance (12747) it seems that it was the result of the weekday. But what prompted this blog was a comment a lady next to me said during pregame. She asked me how big Devaney was, I said 13500-14000. (Actual capacity 13595) But the lady then said something very interesting. She said “You know its sad, this team is 23-0 (at the time) and we can’t get them on TV, but they follow the men’s team down to Manhattan to broadcast a terrible basketball team.” Not really wanting to get into an argument with her I said, “Well its all about money” And then she said something else, “No, because if it was about money we’d have these girls on TV.” I shrugged my shoulders and let it end there.
Had I continued the conversation with her, I would have posed this question to her: “Think about this, if the men’s team was 23 and 0, ranked #3 in the nation and playing the #3 team in the nation...could you have got a general admission ticket to this game?” “Could you have sat in this seat for the mens game?” “Could you have walked up to the ticket window and bought a $5 ticket an hour before the game?” “Would you have been able to get a ticket even a week before this game?” My point would have been, had the mens team been in the situation that the women are in right now, you couldn’t FIND a ticket because this place would be jammed packed. And here we are, and the arena is only three-fourths full. Why is that?
Nebraska vs. Ohio State
They have faced each other twice on the football field in 1955 and 1956. Ohio State won both matchups but Nebraska could get a chance to even things up. It shouldn’t be news that the Big 10 is looking to expand to 12 teams (They currently have 11) and there have been several schools that have been rumored to be the 12th team. We’ve heard the obvious choice of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Missouri and lately Texas. But what about Nebraska? Dr. Tom had an interview with LJS’ Steve Sipple about the Big 10 expansion and if Nebraska is involved in those talks. Osborne said that Nebraska has had no discussions with the Big 10 about joining the conference. Jim Delaney, commissioner of the Big 10, also has said that he has had no contact with any schools about joining the conference. But what Tom did say is that if the Big 10 came calling, they would listen. The Big 10 adding a team from the Big 12 would create a huge shift in the college football landscape. Losing Texas or Nebraska would be a huge blow to the Big 12 and I wonder if they could recover.
What would that mean for Nebraska sports? Lets take a look. In football Nebraska would immediately fall into that #2 or #3 team in the conference and could compete annually for a Rose Bowl birth. In volleyball, Nebraska’s competition gets considerably harder. Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State would be an upgrade over the Big 12. In mens basketball, it would probably be hard to get worse than the Big 12 but it does. Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, are a killer run to go through. Iowa, Indiana, and Minnesota are not there right now but are no cupcakes. In womens basketball, Nebraska would certainly be there with the best of the Big 10, the Big 12 is a much better conference. In baseball, Nebraska would absolutely vault to the top of the Big 10 standings. The Big 10 is not great conference for baseball and could compete for Big 10 titles annually. In softball, Nebraska would definitely be in the top 4 in the conference. In wrestling, it would be a push. Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State are just as good as Big 12 competition. Nebraska does not compete in a couple of Big 10 sponsored sports. Hockey being the top sport.
The biggest boost to Nebraska though would be the TV exposure. The Big 12 TV contract is less than to be desired but the Big 10 contract is a great one, including their own network, the Big 10 network. Nebraska instantly would get every single one of their football games televised and more television appearances in every sport. The Big 10 network would also instantly get a ton of more exposure in Nebraska.
Nebraska is probably the most likely candidate from the Big 12 if you ask me. Texas just doesn’t make sense. Not only geographically, but Texas already runs the Big 12 and they would not want to lose their many rivalries they have in the South division. I just don’t see it happening. Missouri just isn’t a big enough name to go to the Big 10. Missouri may want to, but the Big 10 can get a better team. Will it happen? Probably not but like T.O said, they’re willing to listen.
The road can be a scary place
Nebraska was put into a position it had never been this season. Behind. Twice. The last two road game were both a cardiologists dream as both games saw the 23-0 Nebraska women’s basketball team trailing in the late stages of games. With the average margin of victory hovering somewhere around 20 points in their first 21 games, victories of seven and four points respectively caused some tense moments. On the 10th, Nebraska traveled to Kansas and trailed by 5 points with 8 minutes left. Now that might not sound like a lot but I doubt they had trailed by that much at any point in the 2nd half during any of their previous games. Nebraska rallied for a 67-60 win for win number 22. But it was Saturday’s game that proved to be the closest one yet. In Columbia, Missouri, the Huskers trailed by 6 points with only 3 minutes remaining. And only got the lead for good with less than 43 seconds to play and squeaked out a 82-78 victory. This game might be of most concern because Missouri has only one win in the conference (good for last place) and 11 overall this year. But Nebraska moved to 23-0 (which tied a school record for wins in a year) on the year and still one of two teams that are still undefeated late in the college basketball year (Connecticut being the other).
In the latest polls (released the 8th and 9th) Nebraska eeked ahead of Notre Dame in the AP poll good for the #3 spot in that poll and is only two votes shy of #3 Notre Dame in the coaches poll. I’m guessing some of you people are wondering why a undefeated Nebraska is still behind one loss Stanford and Notre Dame. Well, both of Stanford;s and Notre Dame’s losses have come at the hands of the consensus #1 UConn. Notre Dame will still have to play UConn one more time this year in Big East regular season play and also very conceivably in the Big East tournament. And make no mistake about this folks, Connecticut is the lead dog in this race, and there really isn’t a question.
Nebraska’s next opponent will provide another challenge but it is in the friendly confines of the Bob. Iowa State is #17 in the latest rankings and comes to Lincoln on Wednesday. Nebraska defeated the Cyclones 57-49 in their first meeting. Colorado comes to town on the 20th. Again I encourage people to come out and see this great team.
If you win, they will come
The secret is out apparently about the Nebraska woman’s basketball team. Drawing their THIRD STRAIGHT crowd of over 10,000...they hold off a late charge and down the #10 & 12 Texas A&M Aggies 71-60.
Seriously, when is the last time the mens team drew 10,000+ at 3 straight games?
We’ve all heard the saying that everybody likes a winner, and that holds just as true at Nebraska. We’ve seen it in baseball and early 90’s in basketball around here, the fans come out and come out in droves to watch good teams. If anybody remembers how quickly people came out to watch the baseball team in 99, you’ll know that every Nebraska fan is clamoring for a team to develop into a big thing. I’ll never forget standing behind home plate in 1999 on a late march day watching Nebraska sweep Texas. I was standing behind the plate because there were no seats to be had. And for as much as people rag on Devaney (me included) I’ve heard nothing but great things about the BDSC in Nebraska’s heyday in the early 90’s and how it was such a great place to see a game.
Nebraska has now passed the toughest part of their schedule and halfway through the Big 12 schedule. Of their remaining 8 games, 6 of them come against teams in the bottom half of the league. The two remaining tests on the schedule comes first on Feb. 17th against Iowa State and then Feb 24th @ Oklahoma.
Folks again, I encourage you to get out and watch this basketball teams. A team like this does not come around very often and needs to be appreciated in the moment.
Moving on and moving up
Two more wins since we last talked for the women’s basketball team. A 89-47 drubbing of Texas Tech in Lubbock and a 80-64 win over Colorado in Boulder. The Tech win was a significant one because it was Nebraska’s first victory in Lubbock in 7 tries. Plus, though 6 games in the Big 12 they have won 4 of their 8 scheduled road games. From here on out Nebraska will play 6 home games as opposed to 4 on the road.
Nebraska continues to move up in the polls as they are 6th in the AP poll and an astonishing #4 in the Coaches poll. Nebraska will most likely move up two spots in the AP poll as both Ohio State and Tennessee lost in the previous week (Nebraska was ahead of both in the Coaches poll) A move up in the Coaches poll is not likely this week but possible.
A big two game stretch faces Nebraska at home this week. On Wednesday it is against #17 Oklahoma State. OSU is the #2 team in the Big 12 and Nebraska could really themselves some good by putting some distance between them and 2nd place in the conference. Another huge road block comes to Lincoln when Texas A&M comes calling. And that road blocks name is Danielle Adams. The 6-1, ”Barkley-esque” player has already logged a triple double this year and will be a big challenge for the Huskers down low. Nebraska has shown they can win when the inside game and Kelsey Griffin are hampered (Baylor win) , but this will be another test for Connie Yori’s Huskers.
Packing the house and some punch
Its been about a week and a half but the Nebraska women’s basketball team has picked up two wins in that time frame. The most recent was in front of a near sell out crowd of 13,303 (official BDSC sellout attendance is just over 13,500) the women muscled their way past Kansas State 71-56. Of course dollar tickets didn’t hurt the attendance but the last home game drew over 7000, so its obvious that Husker Nation is taking notice. Before the Kansas State game the women picked up their third top 10 win of the year with a 65-56 road win over #9 Baylor. That win vaulted the women into the top 10 in both the AP and the coaches poll. And lets see you chew on this one, in his latest Bracketology update, Charlie Creme has placed Nebraska as a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Out of everything, that probably is the toughest to get your head around. Another little nugget since we last talked Wisconsin-Bay, Georgia and Notre Dame lost games so there are two undefeated teams in the nation, Nebraska and UConn.
This team, right now...is a legit Elite Eight contender and has a very good shot at going to the Final Four. But there is still a long way to go in the Big 12 season just yet. Just a quarter of the way through, Nebraska still has tough games @ Oklahoma (Feb. 24th), vs. Texas A&M (Feb 6th) and vs. Oklahoma State (Feb 3rd). The Oklahoma game presents the last major road block on the road. The OSU game is the next one at home and I encourage everybody to go out and check this team out.
Mama…there goes that girl again.
The amazing Kelsey Griffin had another outstanding game last night as she paced the Cornhuskers with 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the #9 and #11 ranked (yep, you’re reading that right) Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 91-79 victory over Texas. Texas, no slouch at #19 and #22 were neck and neck with the Cornhuskers throughout the first half but Nebraska went on a 13-2 run to start the 2nd half and never looked back.
Griffin earned some high praise from Vermont head coach Sharon Dawley about Griffin. “She’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen,” ”Maya Moore‘s probably the only person better we’ve seen live.” (I encourage all of you who don’t know Maya Moore is to click that link to see her accomplishments and what kind of company Coach Dawley is putting Griffin is)
Apparently, Husker Nation is taking notice to. Just over seven thousand people set foot in the Bob Devaney Sports Center to watch Nebraska. That’s an amazing turnout for the girls and if they keep winning, you can only expect that number to rise on a weekly basis.
Nebraska’s next game proves to be again another challenge, maybe the biggest one of the season. The Huskers go on the road to #9 Baylor on Sunday. It will be a tall task for the Husker women but if they come out of this one as victors...there’s no telling where this team is going to stop.
Folks, I really encourage you to head over to the Devaney and support the women. Seven thousand is an awesome number but this team is playing out of this world basketball right now and we have a once in a lifetime player on our hands in Griffin. Nebraska’s next home game will be January 23rd against Kansas State, and you can find the rest of Nebraska’s schedule here. There are going to be a couple TV appearances down the stretch if you can’t make it to the Bob. I also encourage you to listen to Matt Coatney on the Husker Sports Network. Matt is a good friend and the best announcer in the Husker Sports Network stable, IMO. In Lincoln you can hear the games on Froggy 98 and 93.3 in Omaha.
Edit: I should also throw in a plug for the mens basketball team tonight as they take on #3 Kansas at home tonight. Its an 8pm tip time and the game will be televised on ESPN2. It will be a packed house at the BDSC tonight as is every Kansas game, but there are still some tickets left. This will be a tough one for the men who will have to play the perfect game to beat Kansas. If they can keep it within the 14 point margin of victory the women beat Texas with...that should be a victory in itself.
And you thought the football team had a good year…
Folks hold onto your butts cause we are starting to see a potential historic season in Nebraska. The Nebraska women’s basketball team is off to a Nebraska women’s basketball best, 13-0 start. The first undefeated non-conference season in school history has been highlighted by one game decided by less than 10 points. It has also featured probably the biggest win in school history with a 14 point win over the #5 team in the nation at the time, the LSU Tigers.
The women are led by Kelsey Griffin. Griffin has so far put together a 1st team All-American season and is in the discussion for national player of the year. She is the real deal. The senior from Alaska battled an injury last year and did not play. She has had injury concerns throughout her Husker career but has been one of the best players for Connie Yori. Griffin is averaging almost 20 points/game and 10 rebounds/game.
To show you how big a season this has been so far, Nebraska started the year unranked and didn’t see the rankings until they played Creighton on Dec. 9th and that was #24. After their LSU win they vaulted up to 13. And then they climbed another spot in the polls to #12 and promptly crushed Vermont 94-50 (Vermont was a fringe Top 25 team before the Nebraska game as well). The buzz word around college basketball is Bracketology and the study of if the tournament started now, where would they be in the tournament. Again before the LSU game on December 10th ESPN.com had a 10-0 Nebraska as the #4 seed. Now with conference play starting up, Nebraska is the #3 seed right now.
But it will not be easy for Nebraska in the Big 12. There are two teams ranked ahead of Nebraska as Baylor is #5 and Texas A&M is #10, Oklahoma and Texas is right behind Nebraska at #14 and #15. Kansas and Oklahoma St. are ranked as well in the top 25. This will not be easy for Nebraska. They start conference play tonight versus Iowa State and have a big game next Tuesday at home versus Texas.
Happy Husker Holiday
What team was that? I should say, what offensive team was that? Nebraska ran all over Arizona with an easy 33-0 win in the Holiday Bowl. Did Mike Leech get a one game contract and wear a Shawn Watson mask as our Offensive Coordinator? Whatever it was, I liked it.
It was a good season for Nebraska, we had a couple opportunities to be much better than our record indicates. But if you asked a Husker fan before this season would they take B12 North champs and 10 wins, I’d think you’d get a resounding yes from most everybody. Yes Nebraska was damn close to being in a BCS game (:01) a last second loss to Virginia Tech and a poorly played Iowa State game away from actually being in the national title discussion. And here’s a shocker, expectations will be very high next year. I know...who would have thunk it at Nebraska.
The schedule sets up PERFECTLY for Nebraska next year. The non-conference is as weak as ever. Western Kentucky, Idaho and South Dakota St. all at home with a trip to Washington. Washington is a tricky team to figure out. They were 5-7 this year but had quality wins over USC and California and several close losses (by 8 vs. LSU, by 7 to Notre Dame in OT, by 7 to Arizona State and by 1 to Oregon State) And they have an above average QB (Jake Locker) who was going to be a high draft pick in this years NFL draft had he decided to leave early. The conference schedule sets up nicely for Nebraska too. As far as the North is concerned both key games are at home (Mizzou and Kansas). Mizzou will be improved this year with Gabbert and Kansas could be good with Turner now at the helm, but Nebraska is the clear cut favorite next year. As for the South opponents, Texas comes to town and very little motivation will be needed to win that game. Plus, how far do the Longhorns fall off without McCoy at the helm? Texas is ripe for the picking. Road games against OSU and aTm aren’t easy but should be winnable. OU isn’t on the schedule but could be a B12CG opponent and they’re losing a lot and Landry Jones isn’t half the QB that Sam Bradford is.
At first glance there are a lot of W’s on this schedule for Nebraska next year. I don’t think a 10-2/11-1 regular season is out of the question next year. A birth in the B12CG is almost a necessity and it could be a very winnable game. A BCS bowl birth (automatic or at-large) is a distinct possibility as well.
As I said, expectations are high but if everything goes right, Bo Pelini in year 3 could back up his postgame Holiday Bowl comment of “Nebraska is back and here to stay” with a year that could put Nebraska back in the national title discussion.
Heads held high Husker fans
Sure things didn’t go our way. Sure 2009 is full of “what if’s”. But that was an amazing effort in the Big 12 championship game. That was 2009 wrapped into a nutshell in one game. An amazing D, with a stagnate offense. The Holiday Bowl looks to be the likely destination against probably Arizona (it was probably going to be USC before Arizona beat them today).
Back in the saddle again
Ok Ok I’ve been gone a while. And I was rightly outed by Mr.Wilson on the radio. So for a return post, I stride in...riding my white horse...just like:
Brett Favre.
My favorite football team now has one of my most hated enemies as their QB. I can’t tell you how ill this makes me. I have spent a lifetime of watching Brett Favre beat the Minnesota Vikings and I’ve spent what seems like a lifetime of watching Brett Favre flip flop and hem and haw over his decisions to play football. He’s done it numerous times and this latest episode he stayed retired and now he is back in the NFL with the Vikings.
I don’t like this decision by the Vikings. I said it back then, but Mike Vick was a better option for the Vikings than Brett Favre is. But I’m sure the Vikings never considered that option because they were blinded by the “god-like” aura than Favre emits.
Now I’m conflicted...I have a man I absolutely HATE...leading a team that I absolutely love.
The Nebraska Baseball phenomenon
We’ve been living in a dream world for 10 years but nirvana has come crashing down in 2009. The Nebraska baseball 10 year run came to an end today as Nebraska finished up the 2009 season. No NCAA post season...no Big 12 tournament...last place in the Big 12...and a losing record. Not since Nebraska hired a man named Dave Van Horne have things been this bad at Nebraska. Nebraska was decimated by the MLB draft in the past off season with players on the roster and recruits coming in. There have been rumblings all year that Mike Anderson should be on the chopping block. I don’t think that is fair to Mike but he is definitely on the hot seat. In recruiting circles, Nebraska is very passive. It is very common for college baseball teams to “oversign”. Meaning they will recruit more players than they have spots for, in the thought that some will leave for the pros and you will still have a full recruiting class. But, if no one leaves for the pros and everybody wants to go to school, then some players are left out high and dry. Nebraska doesn’t do this, signs the full amount and hope that the class stays in tact. Well this year the perfect storm of current players leaving and a decimated recruiting class has put Nebraska in a bad spot. And being a northern school, the high prize recruits are few and far between so when they leave, the number of Big 12 talented players on the roster are few and far between.
Nebraska really needs to get back to its roots of hard nosed, gritty, work your ass off baseball. When Nebraska was good they had a bunch of hard working players (Will Bolt, Daniel Bruce, etc) with an occasional superstar mixed in (Dan Johnson, Alex Gordon, etc.) and a dominant Friday night pitcher (Shane Komine, Joba, etc.) I don’t know if Nebraska has any of those 3 this year. Unfortunately it isn’t going to be a fast return back to the top for Nebraska and it might be another couple down years for the local nine at Haymarket Park.
The QB conundrum
For the first time in a while, there is some depth at the Nebraska QB position but why is it that people are still wary of what Nebraska has under center going into the fall season. From all indications, Zach Lee is going to be the starter going into the fall season. He preformed well in the glorified scrimmage last Saturday going 15-18 and 214 yards and 3 TD passes. Hot shot freshman Cody Green was hit and miss going 8 for 15 and 81 yards. Green’s strength will probably be his mobility which is always hampered in that glorified scrimmage. The biggest surprise has to be quaterback turned linebacker turned quarterback Latravis Washington. Washington, who played QB throughout HS but came to Nebraska as a LB, moved to QB after Patrick Witt decided to leave NU. Washington made the move only a couple of weeks ago and could maybe be a nice little wild card in the whole process. Washington went 13 for 21, 190 yards and 2 TD’s. Washington’s move was also prompted by Kody Spano’s knee injury that is going to sideline him for the summer and maybe some of the fall. Before Spano went down, Nebraska felt pretty darn comfortable about its depth, even though there’s game inexperience everybody felt pretty good about things. But now things have changed. With Witt and Lee being the only true QB’s and Washington still probably not ready for D1 play at this point...the depth chart at QB could look like this (Lee, Green, Washington) or could some other names be in the mix.
Two people Robert Marve and Greg Paulus could be on campus next year as part of Nebraska football. Robert Marve is a transfer from Miami who has starting experience who decided to leave Miami several months ago and still hasn’t decided on his next destination. Marve will have to sit out a year but would have two years of eligibility in ‘10 and ‘11. He has expressed interest in NU and could be a nice red shirt player for NU this year.
The other potential QB is Greg Paulus. He may not be a big name but he certainly has big game experience. Greg Paulus was a two sports star coming out of HS and decided to play basketball...at a place called Duke. Paulus for some reason has a year left of eligibility. Paulus, who started at PG for the Blue Devils for his first 3 years, fell out of favor his senior year and because of that has one year of college eligibility and since he won’t be playing in the NBA any time soon has decided to try his hand at football. Paulus can play immediately but only for one year. NU has talked with Paulus and seems to be interested. If Greg wants any shot at playing in the NFL he needs game experience so he needs to play right away. Can he get that at a place like Nebraska? Can he unseat both Zach Lee and Cody Green? And only in a few short months before fall camp? And not playing organized football since his senior year in HS?
Nebraska’s QB situation could stay exactly the way it is...or it could be dramatically different come next fall.
State Volleyball goes west
In the first major move by the NSAA since the wrestling tournament went to Omaha, the state volleyball tournament will end a 29 year run in Lincoln this fall when the 2010 and 2011 state volleyball tournament will move to Kearney. According to quotes in the LJS article people feel the NSAA moving the volleyball tournament sends a clear message that the city of Lincoln needs to build an arena and that Pershing just isn’t cutting it anymore.
Following the board’s vote, York Superintendent Terry Kenealy described Pershing as “an old facility” and said the NSAA has heard from schools that “don’t want to play there.”
This is a massive blow to the city of Lincoln. The economic impact is going to be felt right away. State VB falls right at the end of the calendar year when stores are counting on those sales to finish off the year. If the NSAA were to ever decide to move basketball (which is the next step) it would be a big loss for the city.
Can the city sit idly by while the NSAA picks off these events one by one and sends them else where? Or is not building a new arena THAT important?
My Final Four
Missouri, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse
with Pittsburgh cutting down the nets in Detroit.
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