All Hell Breaks Loose

I realize it's been a while since I've written everything, especially in light of all the developments we've seen in the past week. The Colorado beatdown, the firing of Callahan, the coaching search. I know all 7 of my devoted fans have been hanging on the edge of their seat, waiting to hear what my thoughts are on all that has happened in Husker Nation. The thing is, with every blogger, journalist, and fan talking about it, I seriously felt, what the hell am I going to add to it? I have kind of taken a let-the-dust-settle approach, fearful that anything I say will be contradicted the next day with an announcement that we've hired someone.

Perfect example: a while back, I said that the Michigan/OSU rivalry was being over-hyped because neither team had a chance at the national title. A few short weeks later, enough teams have stumbled that the Buckeyes find themselves a Missouri or West Virginia loss away from playing in their second straight national title game.

Another: In a post a while back, I said it was probably best if we didn't long for the return of Bo Pelini, because all we were doing was entertaining a fantasy that would never come to fruition. And now we find ourselves just days away from that possibly happening.

I get tired of all the speculation, the constant rumors, and the uncertainty that comes with having nobody in charge of our football team. Meanwhile, recruits are fleeing like Frenchmen in a war zone, and I'm concerned that if we don't get somebody fast, we'll be left with a marginal class. That said, we had awesome classes before, and that didn't really get us all that far. So if it takes a couple extra days to find someone who can actually develop players, I'm all for it.

I'm still firmly entrenched in the Bo Pelini camp. Some may want Gill, and I don't begrudge them for it, he is an icon to Nebraskans and has a bright future as a coach, but I just don't think he's ready for that jump, even if he does have HC experience and Pelini doesn't. I'd argue that there is more pressure being a DC at Oklahoma and LSU then there is being the head coach of Buffalo. I'm just glad that Osborne hasn't offered the job to anyone right away. When Petersen was propositioning coaches in 2003 like a stumbling drunk guy hitting on women at the tail end of a kegger, he got shot down several times, which was embarrassing for the program. Osborne is going about it the right way, taking his time and making sure that the right decision is made.

I'm still not sold on Jim Grobe. Seems like a good coach, but I think people are too quick to talk themselves into him when they look at his ACC title last year. Let's be honest, the ACC with horrible Florida State and Miami teams isn't really that powerful of a conference. Plus, his loyalty to his assistants (which I actually do love) means that there won't be many, if any, spots on his staff those with Husker ties (which I don't really love). I'm not saying the whole staff has to have Big Red ties, but I think one or two is kind of a necessity.

Hiring a new coach is an inexact science. There are hits and misses, and we are coming off a miss of Biblical proportions, at least when it comes to the expectations of Nebraska fans. Which brings me to my next point: is the head coaching position at the University of Nebraska still an elite job? I've read multiple stories about this is an unwinnable situation with unrealistic fan expectations. And perhaps, to a point, they are right. The time of expecting national championships has come and gone. With the rise of Mizzou and KU, it's going to be tough just to win our division every year, let alone the conference title. But what pisses me off is, if this isn't an elite job, than what is? Tell me what schools with openings are elite jobs. Look at the top of the rankings right now. Would you say Missouri or West Virginia is an elite job? How about Florida State? If Bowden were to retire, would that be a desirable job, coming off 5 years of general suckiness? There are crappy jobs out there, but there are few programs with the history, facilities, and commitment to winning than Nebraska. So to all the media types who say we aren't a good job, you can feel free to pull your head out of your ass at any time.

As far as our search goes, I agree with what T.O. said during his press conference announcing the firing of Callahan: there's something to be said for competing. Do I expect to beat everyone? Of course not. But dammit, I do expect to compete and play every opponent, whether they are USC or Ball State, with a fire that honors our past. Getting blown out is not an option, even in today's college football where every giant can fall on Saturday. I still think the Nebraska job is an elite one, albeit slightly diminished over the past 5 years. We still have the best facilities in the nation. We still have one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. With the right coach, a resurgence is not going to be impossible to pull off. And if you do, you will be rewarded for the duration of your stay on this planet. Just look at Osborne, who is a pigskin toss away from deity status to Nebraska fans.

Let's hope that within the next couple of days, we'll have the next one.

My Bad Joe, My Bad

Joe, I'm sorry. I had you all wrong.

I saw a 6'1", 200 pound kid that looked way too much like a D-III linebacker and not enough like a D-I quarterback. Like many of my fellow Husker fans, I looked at you and thought of one phrase: "career backup". Sure, we heard reports about you being a "gamer", about you knowing the system better than even our beloved Zac Taylor, about the respect your teammates had for you. But still we weren't convinced. In a world where style is too often glorified over substance, we gave you a once-over and looked elsewhere on the depth chart. We talked about incoming stud recruits. We drooled over high-profile transfers. We did all we could to ignore you, but you kept fighting like you always had, and even more impressive is the manner in which you did it. In an era of me-first athletes, you put your head down, gritted your teeth, and kept fighting. You said all the right things, supported the guys in front of you, even though deep down in your gut burned a fire to compete that few of us could fully comprehend.

When a kid named Sam Keller announced that he would transfer to Nebraska and sit out a year in hopes of becoming a starter for his senior season, Husker nation rejoiced. Sure, we wouldn't have Zac anymore, but at least we had someone coming in who could bridge the divide between him and whatever hot recruit would eventually take over. Yeah, we knew you were there Joe, but we didn't give it much thought. You were our fall-back insurance policy, something you could rely on in a pinch but certainly not the one you'd look to first. To make a comparison, Sam was the hottest girl in school who we suddenly had a shot with, and you were the girl next door. Sure, we had a soft spot for you for all the sacrifices you'd made, but look at Sam. A coach's dream, a 6'4", 220 pound prototype QB who would come in and operate our inconsistent West Coast Offense like a well oiled machine. The problem was, the hottest girl in school had some maddening faults. A little reckless. Didn't protect the ball nearly as much as we'd have liked. And when you finally got your shot, you showed why the one next door is the one who usually wins our hearts. It took a while for us to find out, but when we did, it was a thing of beauty: 2 games, 915 yards, and 11 TDs. Kind of like taking the girl next door to prom and finding out that she's a 10 when you had thought she was a 6.

I realize that it's only two games. I realize that this piece might have some seemingly gay innuendos with all the hot girl/girl next door comparisons (it's the most accurate one I could think of, but kind of derailed when I realized I was talking about dudes). But that's neither here nor there. What I'm trying to say Joe, is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I underestimated your ability and your heart. And while we are only in the first couple of chapters of your legacy here, I'm excited to see what kind of ending you write.

What T.O. Warned Us About

I don't have enough time for a lengthy entry today, but after Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech (and their subsequent drop from national title contention), I can't help but look at the next couple of weeks and remember what Tom Osborne warned when the Big 12 was formed: that while it would make money, it would ultimately cost the conference chances at national titles.

After this week's big game between KU and Mizzou, the winner will end up facing the Sooners for the conference crown. And what is going to happen? Sure enough, Oklahoma will probably prevail, meaning that after having three teams in the top 5, we will have no more contenders for the national title, allowing West Virginia to step in and fill the #2 slot to face (barring a loss beforehand) LSU.

This isn't the first time that having a conference title game has cost the Big XII. In 1996, the Huskers, despite having one loss, were in position to leap into the #2 spot and a shot at an unprecedented third consecutive national championship. And what happened? Texas, led by Priest Holmes and unheralded QB James Brown, came in and beat the Huskers, 37-27.

It may make a lot of money, but this thing has cost the conference several times. Also, it has robbed us of an annual OU-NU game, which is perhaps the biggest crime of all. Anyways, just thought it was worth mentioning that we might be shut out of the national title game again. Back tomorrow for some Husker stuff.

Some Potpourri before the weekend

Just some assorted thoughts before we head into the bye weekend:

-As if this season hasn't been insane enough. With Arizona knocking off the 2nd-ranked Oregon Ducks (the 5th time a #2 has lost this season), I think it's official that this has been the wildest season of college football I have ever seen. Granted, I'm only 23, so I can't go back that far, but still, what a year. The only other time I can think of something like this was in 2001 after the Huskers lost to Colorado in the regular season finale but still made it to the national title game. About 10 teams that year lost in the next couple of weeks, allowing Nebraska to get back in. But what makes this year special is that it has been a season-long trend, whereas 2001 was limited to less than a month. Before this season started, Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated wrote an article about how teams lower than 20th in the country in the pre-season polls realistically have no shot of playing for the national championship because there is no way to rise from that low without an unbelievable set of circumstances come into play. The soon to be second-ranked team in the country? The Kansas Jayhawks, who started the season unranked. If this season has taught us one thing though, they probably won't be there for long.

- With Dennis Dixon down for who knows how long, the Heisman race just became even more wide-open. I still think Tebow should get the nod, I don't care how many losses the Gators have. If Chase Daniel can get hot and beat both KU and OU and lead his team to the national championship, he can probably come in and steal it.

- I may not agree with his coaching, but what has happened to Kevin Cosgrove is unforgivable and a horrible representation of Husker fans. Can he coach a defense? No, not really. But he certainly doesn't deserve to have his life threatened by some loser who most likely never played football past middle school. You have to feel for Cosgrove and his family. As much as it sucks to be out of a job, you have to think that they are borderline excited to get out of Lincoln.

- Glad to see Barry Bonds is going where he belongs, which is behind bars. It's not a crime to cheat in baseball (it's against the rules, but it's not a crime). But lying to the federal government? Yea, that's not gonna go over very well. There is one thing bothers me about this whole steroids situation though. Yes, Bonds is a cheater who has been dogged by steroid speculation for years. But why is it that baseball steroid use is so much worse than it is in the NFL? Shawn Merriman, the phenomenal defensive end for the Chargers, was suspended for four games for steroid use, yet it seems like most people have completely forgot about this. If he goes to Canton, will he get an asterisk on his bust? It's almost as if people brush off NFL steroid use as OK because of the violence of the game.

Back into the swing of things next week, hope everybody has a good weekend.

Enough about an overrated rivalry

You know, I was originally going to write about Joe Ganz's initial two games as NU's starter, but after hearing the non-stop hype about OSU/Michigan, I felt compelled to write about just how unbelievably fucking stupid the pundits at Bristol are.

First off, let me make it clear that I do respect the tradition of the rivalry between OSU and Michigan. I know they've met 103 times, I know about the "10 Year War" between Bo and Woody, and I understand that it is the Big 10 equivalent of what used to be the annual battle between Oklahoma and the Huskers. So don't get me wrong, I realize the importance of the game to the fanbases involved and those in Big 10 country.

With that being said, can we please end the ongoing charade that this is a battle between elite teams? This year, we have to hear about an OSU team who's most impressive victory was against then-#20 Purdue and about a Michigan team who, in the words of ESPN's own Pat Forde, is "nothing special."Last year, it came to a head when the two steamrolled through the Big 10 like it was made up of high school teams, leading up to an over-hyped matchup that was pronounced by many as "The Game of the Century". Forget for a minute that that century was only seven years old at the time, and think back to that game. Yes, they were #1 and #2. But the game was never really in doubt. Every time Michigan would score to cut the lead to one score, Ohio State would answer on the next series. Sure, they only ended up winning by 3 points, but the fact of the matter is that it was a 2 score game for the majority of the game, and any educated college football fan who watched the game knew early on that OSU would (and did) answer every challenge Michigan presented. For a conference that prides itself on it's supposed toughness, the defenses gave up stat lines that the 2007 Husker squad would be proud of: Troy Smith and Chad Henne combined for 583 yards and 6 touchdowns.

What stands out most to me is how these supposed powerhouses from the Big 10 went on to perform in their bowl games. We all know that the Buckeyes were subject to a massacre of Biblical proportions at the hands of the Gators in the National title game, and the Wolverines were raped up and down the field by USC in the Rose Bowl.

Just how full of themselves are these two schools and their fans? In 2004, Michigan and Ohio State announced a deal with SBC communications to sponsor their football game for the next two years for $1.06 million, to be split between the universities. The game would be dubbed the "SBC Michigan-Ohio State Classic" that year and the order of the school names would be switched the next. Fortunately, the fans were smart enough to protest the move until it was canceled. In honor of the 100th meeting between the schools in 2003, US Representative Stephanie Jones of Ohio proposed a resolution in the House to recognize Michigan and Ohio State as the "greatest sports rivalry in history." Really? The greatest in not just college football history, but SPORTS HISTORY? Even HBO is getting into the act, producing a special feature, "The Rivalry", that chronicles the history of the matchup.

All of this makes the struggles of the Big 2 and Little 9, er, the Big 10 even better. This year, both Michigan and OSU stumble into the game with losses the previous week. Yet despite most of the nation having a hangover from having horrendous Big 10 football jammed down our throats, here comes east-coast ESPN again, hyping the game again. I don't know, maybe I'm still pissed about Michigan being voted #1 in 1997 by the media despite their struggles with an overrated Washington State team while the Huskers demolished #3, Peyton-Manning-led Tennessee. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm sick of a horrible conference taking precedence in a year when the Big 12 has a resurgence and three teams ranked in the top 6.

So I hope every one has fun watching college game day on Saturday. They'll spend one half of the two-hour program watching highlights of Mike Hart bowl his way for 4 yards. All the while, Herbstreit and Co. talk breathlessly about how important the game is despite the fact that neither of these teams have a shot at a national title. Instead of focusing on that, they'll do what we Husker fans tend to do: talk about a period when we were national powerhouses, a time that has, at least for the time being, passed these programs by. What will be even more fun is watching them get their ass kicked in January bowl games yet again.

Big 10 football, feel the excitement! I think I'll take a f*cking nap.

What the Hell?

Unbelievable. There's really no other way to describe what we witnessed on Saturday. How does a team who just a week ago looked like a deer in the headlights come out and flip the script on the next team? How does it go from the wrong end of 76-39 to winning 73-31? On a glorious senior day, the Huskers left home in style, cruising to a blowout behind Joe Ganz's 510 yards and 7 passing touchdowns. While I'm thrilled with the result (and relieved, the losing streak was draining on the fans as well as the players), I can't help but think that this is such a good indicator of why Callahan finds himself on the way out at the end of the season: the most consistent part of his tenure has been inconsistency.

Set a new standard for defensive futility one week, and then follow it up with the most prolific passing day in school history. Beat a top 15 team one week, lose to an unranked the next. Over the past four years, we have seen patches of brilliance mixed with periods of complete ineptitude. It's not that we expect to put up 73 a game, but where has this been? Was this an aberration, a one-day fluke where a pissed off team decided to shut some people up? Or was this something that we could have been doing all season? It is maddening and hope-inspiring at the same time. Maddening because we've witnessed the worst defensive season in school history, hope-inspiring because it shows that perhaps among all those supposedly great recruiting classes, we do indeed have some playmakers.

And all of a sudden, a bowl berth seems like a legitimate possibility. Unfortunately, this could make the coaching situation even messier. What happens if we beat CU? We will go to a bowl, and Osborne, being a man of his word, will let Callahan remain till the season is truly over. This means that we will lose a month that we could have used to hire our new coach and hopefully retain some of our recruits. If we do indeed go to a bowl game, and Callahan is fired, that will leave the new staff just over a month to not only retain Callahan's recruits, but try and fill out a class with whatever prospects remain undecided at that point (which there won't be many undecideds left).

But for now at least, let's forget about the mess and bask in the glow of the victory over K-State. On a day when the Huskers could do no wrong, the seniors spent one last day saying thank you to the Husker faithful, at the same time giving us hope that we aren't as bad as everyone has been saying we are.

Some quick-hit thoughts on the game before I cut this short so I can actually work:

-Frantz Hardy: 3 catches, 3 touchdowns. For all his speed, he didn't do much over the past four years, but what a way to go out. And I'll always remember his long TD against KU last year that was crucial to our victory over the Jayhawks.

-You know you've had a good passing day when Marlon Lucky can rush for 103 yards on 16 carries and nobody even notices.

-Mo Purify.......what a wasted season.....why haven't we been making it a point to throw to this guy every chance we can? There comes a time to forget about the West Coast offense and it's 5 yard out routes and just throw it up to your playmakers. Mo should have been 1st team All Conference, instead we're going to have to be content to see him tear it up the last three or four games. He'll always be one of my favorites from a dark Husker era. He's the definition of a gamer.

-Another catch for Meno Holt.......glad to see him finally getting some playing time......wish we coulda seen all the youngsters (Brooks, Paul, etc.) get some catches, but at least we have the next couple years to see them develop.

-Great line for Octo: 9 tackles, 2.5 for loss and a sack. Wish we could have seen more of those games from him this season....wonder what he could have done with an effective defensive coordinator instead of a mannequin.

-Finally, some significant action for Anthony Blue......who knew that if you put good athletes on the field, they might just make a play? Oh wait, we're not supposed to play young guys, no matter what? Yea, good call on that one. Dumbasses.

-The kick return for Grixby was such a heart-warming event for so many reasons. Last year, he shouldered much of the blame for the struggles of the entire secondary. He has been one of our most consistent performers this year, and one of our special teams aces. To see him take one back on senior day was truly special, and yet another example of why college football is such a special sport. You don't see stuff like that in the NFL.

-Glad to see Ruud get on the field for senior day despite nursing an injury. We need to find someone with that last name for the next four years, there's gonna be a void without one.

Back tomorrow to talk about Joey Ganz. And while I think about it, if you know one, hug a vet today. It's disheartening for me to see my generation oversee the general decay of a once-great country, but let us not forget the men who so valiantly defended freedom from WWII to Operation Iraqi Freedom. I don't care about your stance on the war, these men deserve our respect and gratitude for their service and sacrifice to our country. May God bless them all.

Thank You Seniors

It wasn't supposed to end like this. This group of kids was supposed to come in and alter the landscape of Husker football. To take them the program out of the dark ages of the option football and usher in a new era for one of the most powerful schools in the country. Instead, this crop of hard-working kids now faces their senior day mired in what has become the worst season in Husker football history. There might be more losses in previous years if you go back far enough, but for pure ineptitude, none can match the current Husker squad. But this weekend, let's not think about that. Let's not worry about the lame-duck coaching staff and their inability to earn their paychecks. Instead, let's send this group of seniors out with a farewell befitting a group of guys who have sacrificed years of their life to a program in it's most tumultuous time.

Years from now when we look back, we'll remember the Callahan era as a trainwreck of historic proportions, a four-year hiccup in a four-decade run of relative dominance. But it is important that we remember the contributions of these seniors and the good memories that they have provided us over the years, even if they didn't always result in the wins we have wanted.

I'll always remember the infinite potential of Mo Purify and the inability of this staff to properly utilize his talents. The great game against Kansas last week shows what he is capable of if given some downfield chances, and it's a shame that they didn't make it an integral part of our offensive strategy to showcase his abilities. And if nothing else, we'll always have his 63 yard catch-and-run against Texas and his game-winner against A&M last year. Through all his tough times and personal tragedy, Mo has been a warrior for this Nebraska squad, and I'm going to sincerely miss him.

I'll always remember Sam Keller, the kid that was supposed to take us to the next level but instead gutted out a season with no defensive support and an anemic running game. A guy that was perceived to be a hired gun, the sight of him crying after the his injury at the Texas game showed just how much this season has taken it's toll on him and just how important it was to him to represent this school. He became our unofficial captain and the spokesman for the rest of the team when it was playing horribly, and I'll always appreciate his contribution to the Big Red.

I'll always remember Octo's game against UT in the snow, and always wonder what he would have done if he'd have been healthy his whole career. It's a shame he had all the injuries, and it's a shame that Cosgrove couldn't find a way to use him better.

I'll always remember Zach Bowman's hardships and how he fought back to get on the field senior year. A great football player, and an even better person.

I'll always remember Corey McKeon's stellar sophomore year and his amazing fall from grace this season. But despite his disappearance, I still am thankful that for that one year he tore it up and brought some pride to the Blackshirts.

Every senior has given a something to this program. Whether it was a remarkably consistent, solid, but unspectacular contribution over four years (Terrence Nunn) or a single season of attempting to carry a team on his back (Keller), we owe these kids our thanks. Our coaches efforts may have fallen short of what we expect, but the same cannot be said for these kids. This Saturday, don't think about the five game losing streak, don't think about the coaching staff on it's way out or which one is on it's way in. Instead, let's show the seniors that their contributions to this program, no matter what the result has been, mean a lot to us, and no matter how cheesy it sounds, that they'll always be Huskers to us. Thanks guys.

What more can be said?

Wow. And we thought USC or Ball State was bad. At this point, what is really left that can be said? We've bitched and moaned for weeks now, only to see the team somehow perform even worse (which none of us thought was possible). I've never seen so many players routinely out of position at any level of football in my life, and quite frankly, I've grown tired of trying to dissect what is wrong with this team. I'm glad that I didn't have time on Friday to get a prediction in, because who honestly would have predicted us giving up 76 points? 45 or 50, I'd understand, I figure that's a given with the defense we have right now, but really? 76? That was one of the most embarrassing games I have ever witnessed. I was still getting calls and text messages at 11:30 at night, wondering what the hell was going on with our program.

I think T.O. is a man of his word and will let Callahan finish out the season. But if I were on this staff, I'd start putting out my resume right now, because while the writing was on the wall a couple weeks ago, it is now highlighted and underlined: unless the new HC wants you, you will be replaced.

A few quick thoughts before we move on and never speak of this game again:

-It's not like the offense played poorly. Ganz had some picks, but he was in a tough spot trying to keep up with an onslaught of Biblical proportions. Even if KU did have 3rd stringers in at the end, we still put up 39. Put up 31 against the starters, which is more than enough to win a game if you have a defense that doesn't completely blow. Unfortunately, ours does.

- How many times can one defense fall for the same play? I saw KU send the slot guy into the flats, with the outside WR come right back in with a slant about 50 times, and every damn time the slant was open. Why? Because every time, we'd chase the out route, and Reesing would hit the slant. There were seriously a couple times I thought I was just watching an instant replay, but instead it was an actual live touchdown. And you know what fixes this simple mistake? Good coaching. Hell, not even good coaching, just somebody who knows what the hell they are doing would know how to stop it.

-What the hell happened to our kickoff coverage? It seemed like every time KU was returning the ball to midfield.

- I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad that the Husker football season is almost over. Usually, I dread the end of it because with it comes the long, agonizing wait for next season. At this point, however, I can't watch many more of these massacres and retain what is left of my sanity. Thank God the Gophers and the Big 10 suck too, otherwise I'd really be miserable.

-The only real competition I can look forward to on Saturdays is no longer Husker games, it's seeing how many beers I can drink to make me oblivious to the outcomes of those games.

- Good thing I didn't go down to Lawrence and use the tickets I had bought for the game. That would not have been a fun trip.

- I would say that the Huskers should play for pride now, but I get the feeling they were playing for that a while ago and realized they didn't have any left.

Congratulations to Kansas. We might be atrocious, but that doesn't take away from the fact that that is a hell of a Jayhawk team. They are now FOURTH in the BCS, ahead of Oklahoma. Should be interesting the rest of the way, with the battle against Mizzou for the right to face OU in San Antonio. Good luck the rest of the way.

One question that has been bothering me: how does the nosedive that we are witnessing affect next season? If your the incoming coach, how do you convince your players, particularly the defense, that they don't suck? How do you revive their self-confidence for next year? Whoever we bring in has the daunting task of repairing a downtrodden team and a demoralized fan base.

And as one last note, I seriously think we will start seeing some Huskers on the police blotter the next month or so. When your team plays this horribly and falls so short of expectations, often times players will offset it by drinking more on the weekends to get away from the stress of it all, and that can lead to some bad decisions. Believe me, I've seen it on teams I've played on. Let's hope that they can just hold it together the next three weeks so we can turn the page and finish the darkest chapter in the history of Husker football.

Texas Reflections and Other Crap.......

So I'll admit, I was concerned about the Huskers being broadcast to half the country this past Saturday. The way we had been playing, I figured the last thing we needed to was an embarassing performance that could be seen everywhere west of the Mississippi. But who knew the Huskers had that type of performance in them? Sure, they fell apart at the end, mostly due to exhaustion and injuries. But that heart, the effort we had been looking for? It was evident from the outset. You could see the pain on the faces of the Big Red when they lost, you could see that they had left it all out on the field, which is all we have asked for the past month. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into a win, but I wasn't concerned about that.

Some random thoughts:

- When was the last time we weren't favored against Kansas? The Kennedy administration?

- I feel horrible for Sam Keller. He came here hoping to have a special year, but instead he oversaw a trainwreck of a team through one of the worst years in program history. That doesn't fall on his shoulders though. He left it on the field every game and became the unofficial voice of the Huskers. Here's to hoping that he heals quickly and has a great combine to up his draft status. He deserves it after all he's been through these past few years.

- What was Suh thinking on that 3rd and 13? He makes that play, we get the ball back with time to at least tie the game, maybe even win. Instead, Charles escapes and gets the 1st. What a backbreaker. That one play may encapsulate this season better than any other we've seen.

- It'll be interesting to see what Joe Ganz does with this opportunity. This is his chance to get a jump on the job for next year, and he better seize it. Because once the new staff comes in, I guarantee that Witt is going to impress them, so Joe better get ready for a battle again.

- I have Kansas tickets if anybody wants them. Glad I dropped 75 a piece on them, turned out to be a great investment.

- Among all the coaching rumors, I still am holding out hope that a deal with Bo gets done. I'm not on the Turner for HC bandwagon, and I'm not sure why so many others are.

- I can't wait till Ohio State gets beat by Michigan and BC loses too. There's now way they make it through unscathed, unless Michigan is missing Hart and Henne for the game. It's just been one of those seasons where maybe two 1-loss teams makes it in to NC game.

I'll add more here tomorrow, but today's a busy day at work. Kansas preview to come, as well as a quick look around the Big 12.