FOX News

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A guess at the new Big 10 alignment!

Here is my guess at the Big 10 alignment that is to be announced tomorrow. I guess I am just doing this for fun because its all a guess.

For fun we will call the divisions the White and Black divisions!

White
Iowa
Nebraska
Minnesota
Penn St.
Northwestern
Illinois

Black
Indiana
Purdue
Michigan St.
Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin

This writer feels the divisions would be pretty equal. You would keep the Michigan St.-Michigan rivalry which they won't give up. You would keep the Iowa-Minnesota game annually. The Michigan-Ohio St. rivalry would be guaranteed an annual game. Indian-Purdue is somewhat of a regional game. Penn St-Nebraska would be huge each year.

Tomorrow we find out! Should be interesting.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Maurice Clarett to the Nighthawks?

Maurice Clarett, the sensational running back from Ohio State, may play for the Omaha Nighthawks if he can get a judge to release him to Nebraska. Clarett was a key player of the 2002 Ohio State national championship team. Clarett was cut by the Denver Broncos in 2005 when he was convicted of armed robbery.

This new football league is for real and should produce a fun product to watch. Jeff Garcia will quarterback the Nighthawks and Ahman Green will be in the backfield.

Nebraska basketball is getting a quality point guard next year. Bo Spencer is transferring from LSU and will have to sit out this year. He will be a walk-on.

The 6-foot-2 Spencer started 28 of 31 games last season for LSU and averaged 14.5 points, 2.7 assists, 3 turnovers and 2.5 rebounds. He shot 33 percent from the field (138-of-414) and 80 percent from the free-throw line (99-of-118). He scored more than 20 points 11 times, including back-to-back 25-point games against Tennessee and Kentucky, and averaged 36 minutes a game.

Spencer was dismissed by the LSU team for failing to meet academic requirements.

Drake Beranek has been awarded a scholarship by Doc Sadler. One of the keys of Nebraska's success is having Nebraska boys on the team. They lead the way in work ethic and they know the Nebraska culture.

Using "Cheatsheets" when you draft your fantasy football teams is like using Rivals.com to determine your recruits. Its a guideline but you have to use other tools to pick the best players. A lot of years the hot players do little of nothing.

This year I like Ladainian Thomlinson as a sleeper. Shonn Green is all anybody is talking about but LT has some juice left and the Jets will allow him to show his skills. LT isn't listed in a lot of the cheatsheets. I think Eddie Royal will rebound and have a year like in had in 2008 when he caught 91 passes. Go with your gut and you will probably do better than the magazine you are using to draft with.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Western Kentucky won't tell us much!


This game won't tell us much about the defense or offense as Western Kentucky is really bad and we should win this one by a score in the neighborhood of 66-3. I don't see this one being much different. It doesn't much mean the offense is back or the defense is dominant. Western Kentucky is just bad.

WKU was 0-12 last year in the Sun Belt Conference. They have a new coach for 2010. Just another reason, because they are learning a new system, that the Hilltoppers will not have a great start to the season. Their new coach is Willie Taggert.

Willie Taggart was named head football coach at Western Kentucky University on November 23. Taggart spent the last three seasons as running backs coach at Stanford. He coached the runner-up to the Heisman, Toby Gerhart, last year. He previously spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at WKU from 1999-2006. As a standout player at quarterback for Western Kentucky, he set 11 school records.

Believe me a 66-3 score does not mean the offense is back. What it will tell us is who the starting quarterback is. It will give us a chance to see a lot of players on the field. A few unknowns will have a good game and give us something to talk about.

Who will this years Phillip Dillard be? This writer thinks that he was as valuable as Suh was last year in a lot of the late games. He was underrated, but was all over the field. Do we have that player this year? We probably won't know until we get into Big 12 play.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Ode to Bo

Sports Shorts!

The PGA golf championship was exciting at the end. Dustin Johnson gets a two stroke penalty and missed what looked like a three way playoff. Martin Kaymer beat Bubba Watson in the playoff.

Chris Brooks wins the ex-Nebraska player of the week with three catches for 50 yards. Terrance Nunn had one catch for six yards, also with Tampa Bay.

The Nebraska players are receiving pickles to eat after practice for medicinal purposes. Brad Dickson wrote in the Omaha World Herald "We won't have BLACKSIRTS anytime soon for you, son, but there's a nice juicy pickle in your locker." Dickson used to write for Jay Leno.

Lance Thorell and Austin Cassidy are practicing holding for field goals. Brett Maher is the number one holder.

Kevin Harvick wins at Michigan.Clint Bowyer moved into the top 12 for the Chase. In contention still are Mark Martin (13),Ryan Newman (14), Jamie McMurray (15), Kasey Kahne (16), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (17), and David Reutiman (18). Mark Martin is close to the top 12 only 35 points out.

Now there is no doubt a lot of things will change as to who plays due to effort and injuries but right now the two deep chart is starters.

Four defensive starters are seniors. They are Pierre Allen (defensive end), Prince Amukamara (cornerback), DeJon Gomes (safety) and Anthony West (safety). The only two deep position is one of the safety positions with Gomes and Ricky Thenarse.

On offense the following are entering their senior season: Zac Lee (QB) Roy Helu (Running Back), Mike McNeil (Receiver), Niles Paul (Receiver, Punt Returner, and Kickoff Returner), Keith Williams (Left Guard), and Ricky Henry (Right Guard).

Redshirt listed on the two deep charts are as follows on defense: Thaddeus Randle (Defensive Tackle) and Jason Ankrah (Defensive End).

Redshirt freshmen listed on the two deep charts on offense are as follows: Jeremiah Sirles (Left tackle), Brent Qvale (Right and Left guard), and Cole Pensick (Center).

Also Alex Henery is a senior, which is huge with his backup Adi Kunalic also a senior.

Notes from the Texas Longhorn football team:
1. Cody Johnson has drawn even with Tre’ Newton and Foswhitt Whittaker as the team’s every-down tailback.
2. The offense is running 60 percent under center. It might be too early to project that for the season. But that’s where we are right now.
3. Mack Brown thinks this could be the best defense he’s had at Texas.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Let's get ready for football!

Tonight the NFL starts its preseason with Cincinnati and Dallas. Former NU players Maurice Purify plays for the Bengals and Steve Octavien plays for the Cowboys.

Nebraska has started practice. Heat has to be a factor. 105 players are allowed to practice this fall before school starts. Some notable scholarship players that didn't make the 105 were sophomore linebacker Micah Kreikemeier, junior cornerback Marcus Mendoza and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Nick Ash. I am a little surprised by Ash not practicing. Maybe he has a possible injury. Kody Spano is not playing due to rehabbing his injury. The fact that Mendoza isn't on the 105 could be a reflection that the talent level is increasing on offense now.

The touted Ohio running back, Braylon Heard, will not be on the roster this fall and will start school in January.

A healthy Zac Lee will be our quarterback this fall. He knows the offense and takes care of the ball. His arm is back after surgery. Look to spot play from Martinez and Green. Martinez could play more as the Big 12 play begins. Having Martinez, Helu, and Burkhead on the field at the same time would be awesome for our running game.

I'm still on the fullback running the ball and I hope we see this finally this fall. Use all weapons or get at least two running backs on the field at the same time that will run the ball even if it isn't a fullback.

Ben Cotton may be our main tight end this fall but I like Kyler Reed and Dreu Young also.

Mike McNeil will be our top receiver this year in passes caught. Niles Paul may have the most yards with Brandon Kinnie competing for both. We actually could have two or three receivers drafted next spring. Well I think we could.

NU basketball has a commitment from Corey Hilliard, a point guard from Kansas City, Missouri. Nebraska has two scholarships for the 2011-2012 season.

One of the fan's most hated NASCAR drivers won today at Watkins Glen. He is Juan Montoya. Recently attending the race in Daytona it wasn't hard to see who the fans hate the most. They are Montoya and Kyle Busch.

We hope to have more posts coming now that the football season is beginning. If you have any ideas to make this better, let me know.