Huskers intend to make a statement

[SpiralHawk]

AP Preseason Poll Released: Nebraska Ranked Eighth

The AP Preseason Poll was released this morning. Nebraska is ranked eighth while Texas is fifth and Oklahoma seventh.

Texas above Oklahoma? Whatever. Unfortunately, with the state of crappy non-conference games being the norm now days, it'll take weeks before that's corrected.

Coaches poll a couple weeks ago had the Huskers at #9.

Huskers play Texas on Oct. 16 - should be a doozy...

[El Supremo]

1. Yeah. But did you see who's #3?

[SpiralHawk]

2. Husker Kick (er) is 139 for 140

Alex Henery heads into his senior season as one of the top special teams performers in the country. Henery has provided Nebraska with accurate place-kicking since 2007, and as a junior last fall he also became one of the nation's top punters. The Omaha native is likely to continue in both roles in 2010, and has the ability to contend for All-America honors in either specialty.

Henery owns All-Big 12 honors as both a kicker and punter entering his senior season, and has been Nebraska's Special Teams MVP the past two seasons. He is poised to not only leave a lasting mark in the Nebraska record book, but is also in position to put his name in impressive position on conference and national charts.

Henery was one of only three players nationally to rank in the top 50 in both field goals and punting average in 2009. He enters his senior season 50-of-57 on field goals...

Henery has 289 career points entering 2010, good for fifth on the NU career list. He has posted 110 points each of the past two seasons, good for eighth on the single-season list. A third 100-point season this fall would move Henery to the top of Nebraska's career scoring list. Henery's point total ranks third nationally among players returning for the 2010 season. He has six career games with four or more field goals, an accomplishment that has already tied an NCAA record.

He also enters 2010 with a 139-of-140 success rate on extra points, the most accurate career mark for a Nebraska kicker.

In his first season as punter, he led the Big 12 with 30 punts downed inside the 20, including an impressive eight inside the three-yard line.

[SpiralHawk]

3. First victim: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers next Saturday

Who? Oh well, at least they have a fearsome mascot.

[era veteran]

13. This thing is supposed to represent the red towel

LOL, the towel, from Ed Diddle, gets waved at basketball games. "Edgar Allen Diddle (March 12, 1895 in Gradyville, Kentucky, United States - January 2, 1970) was a college men's basketball coach. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school. Diddle was known for waving a red towel around along the sidelines during his games. He was known to wave, toss, and chew on this towel, and even cover his face in times of disappointment. His red towel is now part of WKU's official athletic logo. Diddle experienced only five losing seasons in 42 years and overall, averaged 25 wins per year."

[backwoodsbob]

4. opening with W Kentucky makes a statement all right

We are scared to line up real opponents is the statement

[SpiralHawk]

5. Uh huh - Tell that to Texas

Ranked #5

And the rest of the Big 12.

We can discuss this further in December.

[era veteran]

14. 2009 season, 0-12, first full year in Div 1

They play @ Kentucky a week later. Not ready for the big time yet.

[SpiralHawk]

15. 'tis a Hilltopper suicide mission, it seems

Huskers are planning to use all 3 QBs -- as they try to figure out who to go with when the season really starts.

[era veteran]

16. I will see them play (WKU) next week if they can still field

a team. BUT, you have to start somewhere. Nebraska by how many?

[Va Lefty]

6. Wish they had made a "statement" at Blacksburg last year

Up 5 with under a minute to play and Tech had the ball on their own 20. Game over right--Wrong! They let WR get behind the secondary and lose game and more importantly lose me $75!!
:grr:

[SpiralHawk]

7. That was totally lame

Huskers sputtered and failed.

But that was then, and this is now.

Every year is different in college ball.

[Condem]

8. Hey, Spiral. Great article on how the NU to the Big Ten went down

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100830/BIGRED/708309872

[SpiralHawk]

9. Interesting read. Thanks, Condem

" The World-Herald recently dug deeper into Nebraska's decision to jump to the Big Ten, a landmark shift that in 2011 will end a century of athletic traditions but open a new chapter for the Cornhuskers in one of the nation's most prestigious athletic leagues. The paper's examination included the most extensive interviews to date on the topic with Delany, Perlman and NU Athletic Director Tom Osborne.

The paper's examination revealed many misconceptions about how and why the change unfolded. It also revealed a high drama featuring inside tips, surprises, powerful players, back-channel contacts, cloak-and-dagger meetings, tough bargaining and big stakes. Consider:

THIS REALLY SUCKED MAJORLY
Sure, Husker football fans had screamed robbery just 10 days earlier when a second was put back on the clock, allowing Texas to beat Nebraska for the Big 12 title.

[SpiralHawk]

10. What the Big Ten was looking for

But Perlman recalls a statement from Delany he took as very encouraging: “All I can say is from what we see, the culture, the aspirations and the tenor of Nebraska seem to fit what we are looking for in the Big Ten.''

It was enough to convince Perlman the Big Ten was now seriously interested in Nebraska.

[Condem]

11. The thing that gets me, Spiral..

..is that 12 to 18 month timetable. In the end it was 17 days. I guess the old adage "when push comes to shove" aptly fits. A great move in my very humble opinion.

[SpiralHawk]

12. I'm with you, Condem and so is most of Nebraska

Most everyone likes the move to the Big Ten.

It ends the great rivalry with Oklahoma, of course -- but that had been stretched thin to every other year within the Big 12 anyhow.

My prophecy: NE and OK, who are not otherwise scheduled to play each other this year, will meet in December to play for the Big 12 Championship, thus ending their long-standing rivalry with a BANG rather than a whimper.

"The Huskers will win that game." - Hawkstradamus