Thank God Football is Over! Now on to B1G Basketball!!

[MandRHusker]

we'll be beat badly many times in B1G play this year but at least I have hope for a brighter future!

[cipsucks]

Football's not over. Winter conditioning is just around the corner.....

And as far as the football program is concerned, they'll be okay.

[tcp]

Whilst watching us melt down in the 4th today, I was thinking about the highlights from last year's basketball season.

And as disappointing as the year was, I found myself hoping we could at least match the quality of wht I thought were the two wonderful things about hoops in 2011-2012.

My number one highlight was Caleb's dunk on the alley oop. That was as good as any college dunk you will ever see.

My number two, though, is the guilty pleasure of making Myers Leonard cry. That's not my nature to be cruel like that, but I'm hoping that maybe we can make some other star in the league sob this season.

That would actually be a pretty good poll: Who will the Huskers reduce to tears in the upcoming season? And you can answer "their fans", if you'd like.

Anyway, just musing out loud today. Happy New Year everyone!

[49r]

I will NEVER get tired of seeing that alley oop.

[HB]

Football's not over. Winter conditioning is just around the corner.....

And as far as the football program is concerned, they'll be okay.

Well said, Cip. I agree.

[Tallbaby21]

It's amazing how much more likable our hoops team is than the football team to me as a fan.

[uneblinstu]

It's amazing how much more likable our hoops team is than the football team to me as a fan.

really? I thought this was a pretty likable football team.

[unl]

Here we go...

I thought after UCLA that NU really needed to consider a complete makeover with the football team. That was truly embarrassing, just like Ohio State and Wisconsin. But looking at the whole picture I'm okay with where we're at. Some improvement, players in the right spots, just needed the players of 2009 to be able to make the plays on defense. The more I thought about it, unless the program has losing seasons or low character guys, the last thing it needs is more turnover. Continuity with Bo for a few more seasons, I think, will lead to better successes. The chances for a 'instant winner' are few and far between. I went to the B1G and was as pissed as anyone, stunned, disappointed, all those things. A lot of bad defensive records were set this year, I'm very cognizant of that. But the ship isn't sinking.

[HuskerFever]

It's amazing how much more likable our hoops team is than the football team to me as a fan.

really? I thought this was a pretty likable football team.

Sadler tried to embrace the football mantra by incorporating 'punting' into our basketball program. Just saying.

[MandRHusker]

Yes, we will be OK in football. But I see all the pieces in what Tim Miles is putting together. Coach Miles is likable, while still being demanding of his players and coaches, he knows how to deal with fans and has a very capable group of assistant coaches who can really recruit. Yes, my expectations are lower for Husker hoops, but I think Coach Miles will take us further. While we start at a much higher level in football and will probably remain competitive in the lower half of the top 30 in college football, I don't see all the same pieces in the football coaching staff.

[jimmykc]

I'm afraid 2013 is beginning with a resounding thud. I can't remember a year when my expectations were this low in all sports to begin a year. Guess I'll just have to sit back and wait to be surprised.

[Norm Peterson]

Whoa, Jimmy, why so glum? The volleyball team just picked up a huge transfer and the Rolfzen girls are enrolling at Nebraska for spring semester; the women's hoops team is loaded and ready for B1G play; and women's gymnastics is, once again, among the top 10 or 15 programs in the nation. No one drowned on the swim team; the wrestlers have apparently managed to avoid doing gay porn (so far as the NCAA is aware); and Erstad looks to have the makings of a decent pitching rotation for this spring. So, it's not all bad.

[uneblinstu]

I'm afraid 2013 is beginning with a resounding thud. I can't remember a year when my expectations were this low in all sports to begin a year. Guess I'll just have to sit back and wait to be surprised.

The football team is set up for its best season in 12 years.  My expectations for that team are as high as they've been in a long time.

[hhcmatt]

T.O.'s bowl record was 12-13, btw

[bobcat402]

the football team has basically all of the best offensive in the big ten coming back, the secondary is now seasoned and loaded with filthy talent, the D- Line will be young but from all accounts similar loaded with potential and our schedule is favorable we will be ok, volleyball will just continue to do what volleyball does baseball should improve and hopefully find a niche in recruiting. And to close i feel that 2013 will be swoon of a year we will feel down on the board than we will feel uplifited when the 13 recruits thia year than than down with boredom in those dreadful summer months than high when we look like a complete team and even higher when we snag a big time stud for 2014 and 2015 in back to back months towards November and by Xmas were undefeated out of non conference schedule

[huskerbaseball13]

I'm afraid 2013 is beginning with a resounding thud. I can't remember a year when my expectations were this low in all sports to begin a year. Guess I'll just have to sit back and wait to be surprised.

The football team is set up for its best season in 12 years.  My expectations for that team are as high as they've been in a long time.

Our schedule next year is so easy its quite possible we may win 11 games in the regular season without getting much better.  That of course will be entirely dependant on the defense.  I think we have some  very good young players on the defensive side of the ball but will they be ready to go next year?  The transfer from Auburn...Rose will have a major impact.  Offense will be one of the best in the nation and will be a force to stop if we can find some tackles who know how to pass block.   

[huskerbaseball13]

Whoa, Jimmy, why so glum? The volleyball team just picked up a huge transfer and the Rolfzen girls are enrolling at Nebraska for spring semester; the women's hoops team is loaded and ready for B1G play; and women's gymnastics is, once again, among the top 10 or 15 programs in the nation. No one drowned on the swim team; the wrestlers have apparently managed to avoid doing gay porn (so far as the NCAA is aware); and Erstad looks to have the makings of a decent pitching rotation for this spring. So, it's not all bad.

Baseball starts up in a month.  Will be interesting to see the improvements from year 1 to year 2.  NU is probably playing the most difficult non-conference schedule in the nation.  Hopefully it will help come Big 10 play.  NU baseball is still probably two years away from being where they want to be but with Erstad and the staffs recruiting ability it may not take long.  Those guys do work on the recruiting trail. 

[Norm Peterson]

the football team has basically all of the best offensive in the big ten coming back, the secondary is now seasoned and loaded with filthy talent, the D- Line will be young but from all accounts similar loaded with potential and our schedule is favorable we will be ok, volleyball will just continue to do what volleyball does baseball should improve and hopefully find a niche in recruiting. And to close i feel that 2013 will be swoon of a year we will feel down on the board than we will feel uplifited when the 13 recruits thia year than than down with boredom in those dreadful summer months than high when we look like a complete team and even higher when we snag a big time stud for 2014 and 2015 in back to back months towards November and by Xmas were undefeated out of non conference schedule

We're going to have to ride the train through a tough hoops season here.  We'll have a few more moments to cheer about as this season progresses but we definitely will have to maintain some perspective in order not to get too depressed about some of the beatdowns that are inevitably waiting for us (including tonight, most likely.)

 

Next season may or may not be a lot better.  Hopefully Ray continues to improve.  But we'll be reeeeaaaally young next season.  Don't know how much PT Parker is looking at having next year but Peltz probably will see the floor a lot less.  But we're swapping in Biggs for Peltz and I'm not sure that Biggs is any much better of a shooter than Peltz is.

 

The freshmen may be a talent upgrade but experience counts for something and even the more talented freshmen rarely play like seasoned vets.  Takes them awhile.  Pitchford and Petteway will be juniors in terms of age but sophomores in terms of eligibility and playing experience.

 

Meanwhile, we lose Talley, Ubel and Almeida.  That's actually a pretty big loss because that senior class represents probably about 60% of our scoring and maybe about that much of our rebounding.  Ubel is very underrated in terms of what he contributes and, even when Talley's shots aren't dropping, he's very important to our offense because of his ability to create his own shot and open things up for other players.  Plus he's been dang solid on defense as well.

 

Believe it or not but I think we lose a lot off this team this year and, while our 2013 recruits may be good and the kids sitting on the bench may be players, it'll still take a little time for the talent to acclimate and the players to coalesce into a unit.  Honestly, I feel like next year might not be a whole lot better than this year.

 

The year after THAT, however, is where I think we start to see what Coach Miles is made of.  When Rivers is a senior and Pitchford, Petteway, Parker and Shields (and Vucetic) are juniors and our 2013 recruits are sophomores, that's when we really should be able to see what kind of team Tim Miles is putting together for the Huskers.

[Handy Johnson]

I'm sick of Nebraska being called a "Football" school. They haven't won a damn thing since '99, nearly as long as our NCAA tourney drought. Just wait 'til we start hangin' Big 10 banners down in the Haymarket, everyone can stop pickin' the bones of that old football carcass and LET IT DIE!

[hhcmatt]

I'm sick of Nebraska being called a "Football" school. They haven't won a damn thing since '99, nearly as long as our NCAA tourney drought. Just wait 'til we start hangin' Big 10 banners down in the Haymarket, everyone can stop pickin' the bones of that old football carcass and LET IT DIE!

 

Uh.....what?!?!?  The answer isn't for football to come down to basketball's level...it's for basketball to come up to football's level.

Is Michigan a football school or basketball school?  The answer is yes and that's what we should be shooting for.

[jimmykc]

Guess I should have clarified my post since Norm is right and the sports he mentioned at NU will do ok, I just do not follow them closely myself. The rest of my personal sports menu consists of Red Sox, Celtics, and KC Chiefs, so that should account for my pessimism at this point. However, as I stated, I will be most open to pleasant surprises in 2013.

[HB]

I'm sick of Nebraska being called a "Football" school. They haven't won a damn thing since '99, nearly as long as our NCAA tourney drought. Just wait 'til we start hangin' Big 10 banners down in the Haymarket, everyone can stop pickin' the bones of that old football carcass and LET IT DIE!

 

Go ahead and let it die, and see what happens to the entire athletic department. 

[uneblinstu]

Next season may or may not be a lot better.  Hopefully Ray continues to improve.  But we'll be reeeeaaaally young next season.  Don't know how much PT Parker is looking at having next year but Peltz probably will see the floor a lot less.  But we're swapping in Biggs for Peltz and I'm not sure that Biggs is any much better of a shooter than Peltz is.

 

The freshmen may be a talent upgrade but experience counts for something and even the more talented freshmen rarely play like seasoned vets.  Takes them awhile.  Pitchford and Petteway will be juniors in terms of age but sophomores in terms of eligibility and playing experience.

I'lll take the inexperienced talent over the less talented experience every time and take my chances.

[huskerbaseball13]

I'm sick of Nebraska being called a "Football" school. They haven't won a damn thing since '99, nearly as long as our NCAA tourney drought. Just wait 'til we start hangin' Big 10 banners down in the Haymarket, everyone can stop pickin' the bones of that old football carcass and LET IT DIE!

[Mr. Red]

I'm sick of Nebraska being called a "Football" school. They haven't won a damn thing since '99, nearly as long as our NCAA tourney drought. Just wait 'til we start hangin' Big 10 banners down in the Haymarket, everyone can stop pickin' the bones of that old football carcass and LET IT DIE!