Hey, Nebraska won the Game.

     I knew this was going to happen, but every story I've seen on Nebraska's win over Penn State has focused on Penn State losing, Penn State's rally falling short, or Penn State just not making the right plays at the right time. Outside of Nebraska, the Huskers aren't getting much credit for what they did. That's fine, we still get the win, Michigan's next.
     I have to give credit where credit is due. Penn State's quarterback, Matt McGloin, played much better than I thought he would, and I do need to thank him for trying to test Dennard. I think Dennard got beat once, and that was for minimal damage.
     The Blackshirts did a good job containing Silas Redd, who had gotten all the hype, but Stephone Green did more damage, both in terms of yards and scoring. All things considered the battle in the trenches was a pretty even match, and both sides acquitted themselves well.
     All in all, this was a classic, old-school, smack-em-in-the-mouth kind of game. It was fitting that it was Nebraska and Penn State, two schools where the mere suggestion of altering the helmet is considered seditious. Both teams tried one razzle-dazzle play. Penn State's worked. Nebraska's didn't.
     Check this out. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7224530
      There were lots of isolations, and off-tackle and Nebraska ran the option a few times. Burkhead's touchdown was a classic. Credit Taylor with a perfect pitch, in stride, to Rex, as Taylor was getting tackled. On one other option, the refs needed to dust off their rule-books, or glasses or something. I've never seen a lateral called an incomplete shuffle/shovel-pass. It negated what would have been at least a positive gain for Rex.



     (I'm a Therapod!)

(Photo from Huskers.com)

 As for Taylor, he has continued to grow as a quarterback. In the past few weeks, he has made huge strides. He looks more comfortable in the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield, keeping plays alive even though he could pick up yards with his feet. He has been going through his progressions much better. He will even throw the ball away to live another day. His numbers weren't awesome, but they weren't awful, either. He went 13-26, 143 yards, no TD's and most importantly, no picks. There were at least 6 drops by the receivers, a couple of blown routes and a couple of throw aways when the play wasn't there. The ball got mashed at the line, once, but there weren't any that were wildly off, or that were forced into spaces they shouldn't be. Dare I say it? Taylor is developing into a pretty decent quarterback.
     The defense played well enough. They gave up some yards to an offense that's not very good, but when you get up by 17, the opposition starts taking bigger risks, and some of those risky calls paid off for Penn State. I have to say the old-school part of me loved the Battle of the Somme in the fourth quarter. Both teams combined for 8 running plays that netted 18 yards. Lavonte David came up huge, again, in stopping Penn State on fourth-and-one. It's too bad Rex slipped on the third-and-three play, because he had enough room to pick up the first down, had he kept his footing. Even though it didn't work out, I completely agreed with Bo's call to go for it on fourth down. I think I would have had Taylor run a run-pass-option and use his feet to the wide side of the field, but that's only because the play that got called got stopped.



   (Blackshirts doing a damn fine job)

(Photo from Huskers.com)

  Give credit to Penn State's defense. They hung in there and could have folded their tents after going down by 17, but they kept swinging. Devon Still impressed the hell out of me. Dude manhandled the o-line on several plays, and forced the fumble with a great, instinctive gamble on the play. If he would have played it straight up, the way he's supposed to in that situation, Legate picks up an easy first down. As it was, Still followed the pulling guard into the backfield, gambled on hitting Burkhead before he could get started and disrupted the entire play, forcing the fumble. He was one of the few players from Penn State that I would have been willing to trade for.
     One last note on the Husker game. How awesome is Bret Maher? He averaged 45 yards per punt, and tilted the field in the fourth quarter when the defense needed every yard of territory. His 40-yard field goal was pretty awesome too.
     In the Big Ten, Michigan State surprised me by playing well at Iowa. We need to become huge Northwestern fans because Indiana isn't going to beat Michigan State, and we need Sparty to drop one of their last two. Michigan surprised me by handling Illinois with little problem. Wolverhampton is in the same boat we are. They need to win out and hope for a Sparty loss to get to the Championship. Purdue surprised everybody outside of West Lafayette, by slapping Brutus in the mouth.
     Over in the LeaderS division, Penn State is still in the driver's seat. Wisconsin is in the thick of it, and Ohio State is on life support. It''s awesome, if Brutus wants to go to Indianapolis, OSU needs to beat Penn State and Michigan, and then hope that Wisconsin loses to Illinois and beats Penn State.
     Yayyyyy, Boise State got dropped by TCU on a missed field goal. The best part is that BSU in the National Championship game discussion is on permanent mute.
     Stanford got drilled by Oregon. Sloppy play and Oregon's speed killed the smart kids. I picked Stanford to win, but Oregon proved themselves, and pretty much secured home field for the Pac-12 championship. The Pac-12 south is up for grabs between USC, UCLA, and Arizona State. I need to do research. If USC is ineligible for post-season play, does that include the Pac-12 Championship game? If so, does the second place team go instead? Must find out.
     Right now, Oklahoma State is the irresistable force, and LSU is the immovable object. LSU has to survive a test with Arkansas and Okie Lite has a game with OU that can't be overlooked. I'm kind of hoping both teams go undefeated. I want the National Championship to be a game of two teams enter, one team leaves. No, Houston doesn't matter, see the Boise State rule.
     Need to get ready for Wolverhampton.
     Husk-husk and on the qb. 
      

Into Ia Drang

     I'm going to have to play this one straight up. Not any of my usual fantasist trips into places I've never been, like Poe used to do. I considered doing a Lovecraftian piece wrought with eldritch horrors and unspeakable monsters from beyond time and space, but even Lovecrafts monsters pale in comparison to the real monster that was allowed to roam free.
     There has been a lot of chatter this past week. Play or not to play, that is the question, sorry, Bill. I understand the argument that to cancel the game, and all the other games for Penn State punishes the players, who had nothing to do with the case, and weren't even students when the crimes were being committed (allegedly). Neither does it  do anything to show compassion or support to the victims. What it does do for the victims is send the message that it is business as usual at Beaver Stadium.
     I have seen a lot of articles and heard a lot of radioheads suggesting that the game be played as a means of moving forward, beyond the controversy. That the purity of a college football can somehow wash away the collective sins that have come to light (I'm paraphrasing and editorializing at the same time). College football and purity? That hasn't been accurate in the last 40 years, if ever. I was amused that these same guys extolling the virtues of the purity of the game are the same ones who, a week before, could have been heard condemning the corruption of the game, and how the student-athlete is really an athlete student. They would rail against low graduation rates, and recruiting violations and pay for play, so please, don't try to sway my opinion by pointing to the 'purity' of college football.
     My chief concern is for the Nebraska fans heading out to 'Happy Valley'. Penn State is notorious for how they treat visiting fans. Assaults, objects thrown, fluids thrown, bodily fluids thrown, abusive insults and vandalism occur so regularly that there is a student group that tries to 'police' the crowd to remind them how fans should behave properly. That shouldn't be necessary.
     The Chancellor of PSU has had to write letters of apology to Ohio State fans and the University after abusive treatment at a game last year. That shouldn't be necessary.
     A Penn State fan thought it would be funny to dress in Michigan gear as a joke for a game at Beaver Stadium. For his little joke, he was assaulted, and had to spend the night in the hospital with a broken nose. Yep, Penn State fans are classy.
     Those same classy Penn State fans are the ones who have reacted to the firing/resignation/arrest of the football operational hierarchy with the unbridled rage of a three-year-old in the midst of a grand mal tantrum. They are a pissed of bunch, they feel cheated, and they feel that they are being punished.
Because of that, and because at the best of times, Penn State fans can be unmitigated jackass, I worry that Huskerfan will be the target of some venting.
     Any Penn State fan that feels that JoePa got a raw deal, should read this.   http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/Sandusky-Grand-Jury-Presentment-1.pdf
     All that being said, and with the game proceeding, I guess I should add my take as to how I think the game will unfold.
     Nebraska will not get credit for this game, other than the 'W' in the the win-loss column. Even if they drop half-a-hunnert on the Lions, and win it 56-0, the media response will be 'What did you expect? There was no way for the Penn State players to focus with all the controversy.' If Penn State manages to make it close, which I think they will, it will be spun as an 'Amazing testament to the focus and dedication of these athletes, especially amid all the controversy.'
     Penn State has a salty, stingy defense that does not give up many points. They will load up the box, and force Taylor to go to the air. I just hope Beck goes the unexpected route and uses the pass to set up the run. I also want to see more of the Young Ones and less of Burkhead. I love I-backasaurus Rex, but he needs a bit of a rest, and this last three-game stretch is the perfect time to let the Young Ones emerge as viable back-ups.
     The Nebraska o-line will have its hands full with the Penn State front seven. Luckily for the Huskers, Penn State is a big, straight-ahead defense, like Michigan State. This is the kind of defense that Beck likes to run straight at,, and impose his will on. I'm hoping he's more creative today. I expect Penn State to be on an emotional high to start the game. The sooner the Huskers can bring that emotion crashing down to earth, the better. A big play to start the game, a long pass or some razzle-dazzle will crush Penn State's spirits and their emotions will trough.
     I want Carl and company to dare Penn State to throw the ball. Man-to-man on the corners, bring a safety into the box. Essentially make it a 5-2 front, with strong safety playing run support. The Penn State quarterbacks are awful, and have needed help to eke out wins over less than stellar opponents. The one game they can point to that has me concerned is that they dropped Northwestern 34-24, and we all know how well Nebraska did against the Wildcats.
     It is vitally important to stop the run, Penn State has an excellent runner in Silas Redd, and if he gets going, it will be a long day for the Blackshirts.
     Special teams will be important. In a huge, hostile environment, Taylor will be asked to manage the game. There will be times where the Huskers concede a first down in order to tilt the field with a punt. Abdullah will be extremely important in gaining field position with good return following the many Penn State punts.
     Bret Maher will be huge, not only with his punting, but I think it will be his leg that wins the game for Nebraska. This game could easily go one of two ways. Either it  will be a tough, hard-fought battle with Maher winning it with a last second field goal. Or, the emotional drain of the last week has the Lions come out flat, get down early, and allows Nebraska to roll up a huge, muti-touchdown win.
     My bold prediction, the former. Maher hits a clutch 35-yard field goal to pull out a 16-14 win.
     Husk-husk and on the qb.  

West Coast Throwdown and a little thing called PSU

     The weekly conference call took on a somber tone, this week. Sure, there are football games coming up, but are they really that important in the grand scheme of things? The greater the distance from the epicenter at Happy Valley you are, the more normal your football worldview is. I wager that every college football fan in the country is averring quite openly that they are glad it didn't happen at their school.
     That being said, I will follow my instincts and try to keep an even perspective, and try to maintain an air of normalcy during what has been a horrendously abnormal week.
     I got through to Leroix, still basking in the glory of LSU's 9-6 old-school cage match win over Alabama. "What's on the agenda this week, Leroix?" I asked.
     "Not a whole Helluva lot. Ah got Les Tigres playin' Western Kentucky. We'd stomp all of Kentucky, so just dealing with the Western Half should be even less of a concern. Ah'm thinkin' that'll be 49-10 for Les Tigres and one step closer to deh National Championship game. Deh Gumps at 'Bammy get to play at Mississippi State. Deh Gumps is maaaaad and ready to take out some o' dey frustrations on deh poor, wittle Bulldogs. Ah'm bettin' that Nick Saban goes for it on every fourth down inside the 40, if dey even have one. Why risk the embarrassment of a missed field goal? Gumps 45, Bullpups 13. Deh only semi-interesting game ah got all week is Arkansas wit' Tennessee. Dis is deh most intrestin' game and it ain't all dat intrestin'. The Piggies are deh third best team in deh division, which is also makes dem deh third best team in deh conference. Tennessee is waaaaaay down from deh good ole' days. Piggies 42, Voles 17."
     "Do you have any take on the situation up in Penn State?" I asked, wondering if he even cared about it.
     "Deh big thing dat gets me about all of dis, is dat ain't no-one steppin' up and keeping deh victims in dey minds. Everything is revolving around JoePa and deh administration and who did or didn't do what dey should. Ain't no-one pointing out dat dere are at least 8, and maybe as many as 20 young-uns, dat have been scarred for life by dis scumbag (alleged) Sandusky. Ah don' know if it's dis me-first society we all done made for ourselves or what, but deh lack of compassion and humanity for deh victims is depressing. So, as I watch my games dis week, I got to think about what we, as humans, can do to make it a little bit better. I ain't got a solution, raht now, but gimme some tahm, and Ah'l t'ink of sometin'."
     I had to call Bubba, who was also pretty much in a holding pattern, with only one game on his slate. "Bubba, tell me what for."
     "I tell you what, I know two things for sure. One, I know that Okie State will pound Texas Tech like a circus tent stake, I'm thinking in the neighborhood of 45-24, just to show OU how it's done. The other thing I know, is that the one thing missing from anyone involved in the Penn State situation is courage. Where was the courage to step up and confront a man observed attacking a little boy? Where were the guts it takes to rise up and defend the defenseless? In my humble, unconsidered opinion, is that McQuarry cat is the biggest coward of them all. I can understand if JoePa and the AD and Spanier and anybody else that heard the story second or third hand didn't comprehend the gravity of the situation. I can see why they didn't understand the horror. What I don't understand is how someone could witness it, have the physical tools necessary to stop it, and then do nothing. How hard would it be to confront a naked, old man in the shower? The way we run things down here, there would have been a moment where I stepped in, told the kid to get a towel, hand him my cell phone, tell him to call 9-1-1 and request a cop and an ambulence, because in the next 5 minutes, there's going to be a lot of 'falling down' in the shower. But that's just me."
     I called up Marcus, out on the Left Coast, somewhere. "You actually have some games of interest this week."
     "Dude, I have THE game this week. I've got the game where Stanford finally gets through on the Oregon Trail. The game is down on the Farm, Oregon is a little banged up, and Luck is ready to step up in front of a big-time audience. It will still be a shootout, but the Hoover School of Public Policy has put together a think-tank that they think have determined a way to avoid a second half melt-down like last year. This one will be a shoot-out, Smart Kids 48, Quackers 45, dude."
     "That's great, what about your other big game?"
     "Oh, dude, this is the only chance anyone has at stopping Boise State. If TCU can't do it, then there will be a lot of whining about how Boise State deserves their shot at the National Championship, even if Stanford wins out or Okie State wins out. Those Bunco cats think they are on the same level as the big boys, but they won't find out how tough it really is for a couple of years. They get to keep whining, this year. The Buncos will beat the Horny Toads 31-28, dude."
     I was finally able to get some attention on the B1G. Lloyd had his picks ready to go.
    "The Wildcats over Rice, 42-21," Lloyd said. "The Stinking Badgers maul the Golden Rodents in Minnesota 48-10. Michigan State, who plays like crap on the road, goes to Iowa, who plays awesome at home. Hackneys 28-14."
     "This whole Penn State thing really pisses me off," Lloyd expounded. "Actually, it's the reaction of the Students and the fans that gets me going. They are all whining about JoePa getting a raw deal, and getting fired even though he didn't do anything illegal. Illegal? No. Immoral? Not completely. Irresponsible? Oh, hell yeah! Pick up the damn phone, Joe. The biggest mistake he made was by passing the buck. Don't tell me he didn't know what was going on. This guy was the most powerful man in Pennsylvania, governor included. To think that he was 'out of the loop' and had no idea of what was transpiring, simply flies in the face of reason. It almost sounds like he wouldn't have called if Sandusky was raping a kid on Joes desk while he sat there lecturing a player on the importance of attending class. Sorry, I'm better, now."
     My last call came from Grandma Gunn, who probably has a bit of a soft spot for the old guy. "Let me know who you think is going to win, Granny," I said.
     "Michigan is spiralling out of control, and I think Illinois will win it at home in a close one, 27-24. THE Ohio State lances a few Boilmakers even though it's in Indiana, maybe 31-17. I can't stand by my old boyfriend. He's not as big of a monster as that Sandusky, but he's kind of like Renfield in Dracula, the human servant that allows the monster to feed. I just hope that when Sandusky is imprisoned, the guard yells 'short eyes!' as he makes his way through cell-block A. Either that, or I'd like to see the moms of the victims be given fifteen minutes alone with him and a supply of nail enhanced baseball bats. How's that, deary?"
     "Not bad, Granny. Any other bold predictions?"
     "JoePa will top himself within three months. His entire life, his entire being, and his entire reason for existing have all vanished in a puff of smoke. Compound that with the fact that he will never really be known as the winningest coach in football history, but known as the coach who did nothing to stop the sexual predation of little boys when he had every opportunity to do so will make a self-inflicted exit almost certain."
     "Ok, Grandma, hope your day is a pleasant one."
     Husk-husk and on the qb