NCAA Tournament 2011 Thoughts

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I hope all of you enjoyed the national holiday yesterday! Selection Sunday ranks right up there with the NFL Draft opening round (although it's tougher to classify now with the way it's structured), the opening NFL weekend, the NFL playoff divisional round, and NFL's Conference Championship sunday. Hmm, I think I like the NFL...

However, I will make the argument that Selection Sunday is a better sports day than Super Bowl Sunday. Yea, I said it. But, once again, this is because I usually have one eye dead set on the future. The Super Bowl is somewhat bittersweet because it is the end of football for 7 months, while Selection Sunday is the launching pad of a 3 day vacation spent in Bracketville (where I turn everyday decisions into an 8 idea bracket), followed by the greatest sporting event known to man (where I spend so much time on my couch that I develop George's condition caused by a "prolonged state of inactivity"). So however silly this sounds, a simple reading of 68 College Basketball teams, in a specific random order, may be my single favorite sports day of the year.

On to some thoughts, I'll start with KU thoughts first for all my homiez out there....

• I would give KU's draw, in terms of favorability, a grade of a rock chalk solid B. I believe they got the softest 8/9 draw with generi-8-seed UNLV, who has been on the 8/9 line with KU as the 1-seed now in 2008, 2010, and 2011. My buddy CS Mofo explains this phenomenon with the simple fact that Lon Kruger looks like a number 8 (better analysis than I got from the CBS fools). Looking past that, I think 4-seed Louisville could be rough, but I think KU handles their pressure style because of the history against Mizzou. The team that I am most afraid of is 3-seed Purdue, who I consider superior to 2-seed Notre Dame. And, if KU is fortunate enough to advance to the Final 4, I like that we are on opposite sides of both Duke and Ohio St (who I consider to be the overall favorites).
• All this being said, I think KU is absolutely screwed this year. As soon as 3 of the 4 CBS fellas picked KU on national television for all of the world, all of the KU players, and all of the other teams to see, they were done. I don't like it, but it's true. KU absolutely CANNOT operate as the prohibitive favorite in the NCAA Tournament. Especially, when there's little-to-no reason to think they are overly superior. What are all these experts seeing that I don't see? How can they continue to pick KU year after year to win it all? Give us a chance! My buddy, S'nave compared KU to the Indianapolis Colts recently (to which I'll never concede - because they have a soul), but as far as the way they're treated by the national media (which may have been his point), it's a very fair comparison. Take me now baby Jesus (who I like to think of as a mischievous badger).
• Everybody's first words out of their mouth last night were over Colorado's snub. Here's my favorite take, via Jack the Quack Harry: "Colorado gets the biggest hose job in the history of NCAA. How in the world could Buffs be left out and VCU & UAB get in. AWFUL. SHAMEFUL!" He then went on to compare it to the Japanese tsunami. What I haven't heard anybody bring up yet (maybe just because Husker fans are quiet right now) is the name Dan Beebe (Big 12 Commissioner - Nebraska public enemy #1). Nebraska blamed every bad break from the football season on Beebe (some of them justified - you can't change my mind), and now yet another Big 12 castoff gets a bit of the shaft? What if this man really is evil-set on revenge against the two teams that put a clown suit on his commissioner tenure, so he makes it his life mission to campaign against these two teams? 
• For the record, the only change I would have made to the field would be to add Colorado, and subtract Clemson. I like how the Committee is giving more and more respect to mid-majors like UAB and VCU. Also, beware of those two teams specifically, who had to have heard all the bickering about how they shouldn't have gotten into the Tournament. Don't underestimate the motivational impact that can have on a team.
• While Colorado may have the biggest beef amongst Big 12 teams, the Selection Committee did the other teams little favors. Texas was looking at a potential 2-seed with a win over KU on Saturday, but instead fell to a 4-seed and faces uber-dangerous Oakland in the first round now. K-State got a favorable 5-seed, but draws a team ranked higher than them in the first round, 12th seeded Utah St (who I was terrified to draw as an 8/9 seed). However, as I told a few of my K-State friends yesterday, if they can advance to the Sweet 16, they might become the favorites in that region. The top 4 seeds in the Southeast are incredibly weak. So, if the Wildcats goal is to make the Sweet 16 then they may have gotten screwed, but if their goal is to make the Final 4, I believe they may have received a gift.
• While we're on the topic of regions, here is my ranking of the four from best to worst: (1.) East (2.) West (3.) Southwest (108.) Southeast
• I'm very interested to see how the "First Four" affects the Tournament this year. Will it be an advantage to play and win in that game or a disadvantage? For instance, if I tell you that your team wins that game, would you rather be in that position or as an already-locked in 11th/12th seed position. Not only do you get your early Tournament jitters out in the first game, but you get the taste of winning in your mouth. On the other hand, you face the possibility that your team gets worn out playing 3 games in 6 days, as opposed to 2 games in 4 days. So, advantage or disadvantage?
• In closing, I leave you with the circle of life possibility that Bill Self plays his former team (Illinois) in the city of another team he coached, also near where he grew up (Tulsa).

Up to my ankles in Brackets,
His Bracketness

KU: It's Time To Get Serious

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Those who have been following my KU analyses throughout the year know that I'm all about the ridiculousness - from Withey's golden slumbers, to a slew of perfected nicknames (Mar-Mo, Marqueef, Thryrell, Morningstarch, Ratatat Ty Tay, Selby Don't, T-Robb The Backboard Slobb, The Mid Ranger Banger, ChenoWithey, BobbleHeadeford, and The Book of Eli-Jah Rule), to the angel who descended from heaven and graced us with the Yaya's of the Century (YOTC - pronounced Yahtzee) inside the Fieldhouse - but that's what the College Basketball regular season is all about.

Now, it's time to get serious.

Duke wasn't the best team last season by any means. What they did better than any other team in the country was know their roles. A wise man once said, "Knowing your weaknesses can be your greatest strength." So when Zoubek was grabbing offensive rebounds, he wasn't looking for his own shot, but was looking for one of his plethora of shooters around the 3-point arc. Simply, they never played outside of themselves. Duke used this strategy all the way to a National Championship.

Fast forward to this season with KU. How well do the players from top to bottom know their role right now? In a word, not. Which makes this Big 12 Tournament extremely important for the Jayhawks. It's more important that they make it to the Championship Game than it is that they win it. They need the experience because the team's dynamic has changed since the Tyshawn suspension and the Selby implosion. Players are now being casted in new roles, and the biggest question I have moving forward is...

Is there enough time?

The change in the team's infrastructure centers around 3 players. Tyshawn Taylor was the starting Point Guard for the majority of the season up until his suspension for posting a double-double on Marisha Brown at mid-court of the Fieldhouse. Josh Selby had been starting until his man-pon fell out and landed on his foot, sidelining him for 3 games. His spot has been long lost to M-Star by now. Elijah Johnson has filled in gracefully as the starting Point Guard, and has kept the job even since Ty-Tay's return. So how will Bill But-Butta Self juggle this threesome heading into the most important games of the season?

Josh Selby - Ranting time. For the record, I've been against the recruitment of Josh Selby from day one. I feel like I'm the only one that gets it when it comes to 1-and-dones, but I'll explain once again. They may benefit a program like Baylor or Kansas St, but Kansas has no business recruiting these types of players. Not only do they not breed National Championships (the most repeated line in His Dirknesstory), with Carmelo Anthony as the lone exception (and that was 8 years ago!), but they leave your program in worse shape for the next season. If Xavier Henry (who some people still try to argue was successful at KU - SPOILER - he wasn't) and Selby hadn't enrolled at KU, then a player like Travis Releford would have two years of game experience by now and would be ready to contribute not only this season, but for the next two as well.

The most mind-boggling part of it all is that Self hasn't seemed to figure this out, even though it's not how he won his National Championship at KU. But will this experience with Selby change his recruiting strategy? They can't be getting along. And, now, Selby finds himself in a pickle. He can either cut his losses and go to the NBA with a depleted draft stock, or try and repair his relationship with Self and come back and improve his game with one more year of college experience. You have to wander what NBA scouts are thinking about Selby not playing a single minute in the 2nd half on Saturday. Whatever happens, I'm sure nobody hates the rule forcing players to wait a year to enter the NBA Draft more than Josh Selby.

That's enough ranting. Sorry, it's just difficult to listen to people discuss the situation and get it so wrong. Lets address Selby's current situation with KU. I was so sickened by his performance against Missouri on Saturday that I scribbled down in my notes, "I don't even want to look at Josh Selby's face anymore." Well, my guess is that he finds himself 9th in the rotation now, which might not crack more than 10 minutes a game (if he ever takes his warmups off). I would let him see the floor, but wouldn't let his time extend beyond two missed shots, to see if he decided to mentally show up for that game. However, my nightmare of him costing us a game in the NCAA Tournament may no longer be realistic, because I don't think he'll see enough meaningful minutes.

Tyshawn Taylor/Elijah Johnson - I figured Tyshawn would've regained his position in the starting lineup after his suspension, but Self's decision to go with Elijah in the Missouri game may have been telling as to where they stand in his mind. We may be seeing a Point Guard-by-committee situation developing. I really don't know who to expect in the game come crunch time with the season on the line. That's something you need to know this time of year. And maybe Self does. That's what he must get ironed out though, and the Big 12 Tournament is the last opportunity to tinker with his many pieces. I'm in favor of starting Elijah from here on out, and using Ty Tay as more of an off guard, coming off the bench, specializing in transition and getting to the rim. EJ provides something that has been lacking from this team throughout most of the season, which is great on-the-ball defense. I'm talkin Russ-Rob style defense. It's very refreshing, and may give KU the defensive spark they've needed all season.

It's up to Self to get this figured out in time for the NCAA Tournament. I just hope there's enough time. The wrong decision and KU could be headed for another early round upset. However, if Self can find the right combination to these three guards, he might just crack the safe's code, and potentially unlock another National Championship.

For my Big 12 Awards including 1st team, 2nd team, Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman, Most Overrated/Underrated: Click here.

For my Big 12 Tournament predictions: Click here.

His Dirkness

KU vs. Oklahoma Live Feed

2010 College Football Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers

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Two years ago, Nebraska was considered almost irrelevant amongst the national College Football scene.

Two days ago, Lee Corso picked Nebraska to defeat Florida in the 2010 BCS National Championship.

The man that Big Red Nation can thank for this is Sir Bo Pelini (is anybody named Bo ever not great?). I stated last year that I would take Bo over any coach in the nation aside from Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, and Bob Stoops. After Meyer's health problems and uncertain future, Carroll's departure from college, and reconsidering Saban's nomadic ways, the list has been reduced to only Stoops and Tressel. And I wouldn't instantly make those trades either, believing that Pelini's upside could be higher. We really don't know how good he could eventually become. Just look how downhill LSU has gone since he left. And if you don't trust a biased Nebraska fan's opinion on the matter, then take a look at this stat:

Defense PPG Allowed:
2007 (Callahan's last year)- 37.9 PPG
2008 (Pelini's first year)- 28.5 PPG
2009- 10.4 PPG- #1 in the nation

While many expect the defense's dominance to continue, but are they underestimating the impact that Ndamukong the Great had? Not if you were to believe Pelini's history of developing Defensive Tackles. While you couldn't unanimously agree on the following matter at hand, few would take objection with the following statement: The three best Defensive Tackles in College Fooball of the last ten years were Ndamukong Suh, Glenn Dorsey (LSU), and Tommie Harris (Oklahoma). What did they all have in common? They were all coached by Pelini. Bo knows Defensive Tackles. Enter stage left, Jared Crick, who earns this quote from an opposing Big 12 assistant coach via Athlon Magazine:

Suh, that dude was a manchild (I love that band!). The scary thing is the guy who lined up next to him, Jared Crick, has a different skill set but definitely is as hard to block.

The rest of the defense is stacked at the Defensive Line and Cornerback positions, while questions exist at Linebacker and Safety. Injuries have become a bit of a problem, already losing LB Sean Fisher for the season, and the loss of other starting LB Will Compton for part of the season with a bum foot. Look for them to be replaced by Special Teams madman Eric Martin and Ft. Scott CC product, Lavonte David.

A majority of the Blackshirts' success on defense last year was their ability to shut down spread offenses, which had taken the Big 12 by storm. They did this with hybrid Cornerback/Safety players, Eric Hagg and Dejon 'Bones' Gomes, who excelled at stopping the run and the pass. Both players return. The secondary is captained by shutdown CB Prince Amukamara, who some 2011 NFL Draft rankings have rated as high as 3rd overall. Like 3rd overall pick. The highest drafted CB in the last ten years were Terrence Newman and Quentin Jammer, taken with the 5th overall pick. The secondary will be integral in continuing the Blackshirt Revivalist Party.

I have yet to touch on the most noteworthy aspect (biggest question) of the Cornhuskers, the QB position. All signs continue to point to a battle between incumbent Zac Lee, sophomore Cody Green, and redshirt frosh Taylor Martinez. I'm all for competition, but with hopes so high for this season, The Wildman (Lee) has got to get the call. There is too much to lose with an inexperienced QB. I would be shocked (and maybe somewhat disappointed) if he's not the signal caller at least until a game is lost. The argument on his side is that he had a hurt shoulder all last year, and thrived in the bowl game once he received time to rest it. I look for The Wildman to be much improved, and think this issue goes rather quietly into the night.

Lee's job should be made easier with the two-headed Roy-Rex monster in the backfield (Helu and Burkhead, respectively). Nebraska should field a run-first offense, with playaction passing mixed in at the right times. Defenses will be stretched by big play extraordinaire, Niles Paul (Holiday Bowl MVP). The offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters (but loses Mike Smith to season-ending injury). With little knowledge on the subject, my insider, John Clements, tells me to keep an eye on redshirt freshmen linemen Brent Qvale and Jeremiah Sirles, while undersized ass-kicker Mike Caputo will anchor the line at center. Now I must fulfill my Pat Summerall obligation with a big "Thanks Jaaaahn."

Expectations are higher for the 2010 season than I could've imagined and it has me a little scared. Pelini's teams have stumbled out of the gates in his two seasons, and an early season matchup at Washington could prove tricky if they're not ready. If Nebraska continues to win, they should be favored in every game of the season prior to their bowl game (unless Texas overly impresses or Oklahoma is similarly undefeated going into the Big 12 Championship). I'm not sure how many teams can say that. Another interesting factor of the season will be the mindsets of other teams (and fans) when playing Nebraska. Gameday atmospheres will be raucous in opposing Big 12 stadiums, with Nebraska pinpointed as the villain from the near crumbling of the conference, and fans out for blood. Fans will get their chances in Manhattan, Stillwater, Ames, and College Station. The rest of the conference's fans will have to settle for pouring their support behind any and every Husker opponent. Can Nebraska handle it?

Here's to hoping that Nebraska takes the last Big 12 title and never gives it back (and beats Texas in the process). Upside down hook em horns.

And if you're not ready, enjoy this...



Go Big Red,
His dirkness

2010 College Football Preview: PREDICTIONS

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It's prediction time baby. Time to separate the men from the boys. And me, I'm a man. I'm 24! My annual laundry list of predictions consist of records for every Big 12 team, the surprise team and champions of every conference (big or small), and the combatants and winners of the BCS Bowl Games. And if the heisman was still relevant, I'd predict that too (Ok, Jacquizz Rodgers). Lets light this candle...

Big 12~

North:
1. Nebraska 10-2 (7-1)
2. Missouri 9-3 (5-3)
3. Kansas St. 7-5 (4-4)
4. Iowa St. 5-7 (3-5)
5. Kansas 4-8 (2-6)
6. Colorado 3-9 (1-7)

South:
1. Oklahoma 10-2 (7-1)
2. Texas 10-2 (6-2)
3. Texas A&M 8-4 (5-3)
4. Baylor 8-4 (5-3)
5. Texas Tech 5-7 (2-6)
6. Oklahoma St. 5-7 (1-7)


Conference Champions:


ACC- Virginia Tech over Florida St.
Surprise- Georgia Tech

Big East- Pittsburgh
Surprise- UConn

Big 10- Ohio St.
Surprise- Michigan

Big 12- Oklahoma over Nebraska
Surprise- Baylor

Conference USA- Houston over Central Florida
Surprise- SMU

MAC- Northern Illinois over Temple
Surprise- Golden Flashes of Kent St.

Mountain West- TCU
Surprise- The Wyoming David Leonards

Pac-10- Oregon St.
Surprise- Arizona

SEC- Alabama over Florida
Surprise- Kentucky

Sun Belt- Middle Tennessee St.
Surprise- This conference still exists

WAC- Boise St.
Surprise- Nevada


BCS Bowl Games


Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma over Boise St.
Orange Bowl: Miami over Oregon
Rose Bowl: Iowa over Oregon St.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama over Pitt
National Championship: Ohio St. over Virginia Tech


These picks were made while under the influence and are all subject to change...

FOOTBALL!!!

His Dirkness

2010 College Football Preview: Big 12 South Edition

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Baylor~~12 Returning Starters

This year could be their best chance to break a 16 year streak with no bowl games. It's impossible not to cheer for Lil' Baylor.

Quarterback: Robert Griffin- Back after missing all of last year with a torn ACL. He excelled as a freshman in 2008, accounting for 28 touchdowns. He is as exciting as anybody in the conference.

Player to Watch: Derek Epperson, P- Must be something in the water in Waco, because Baylor always has awesome punters.

Oklahoma~~11 Returning Starters

Hard to believe a team could be ranked so high after losing 3 Top-5 draft picks last year, especially when that team lost five games. Common sense alert! However, the Sooners reload each and every year, and their questions might not be any louder than the other top teams in the conference.

Quarterback: Landry Jones- Thrusted into the lineup as a freshman last year when Samuel Bradford went down with injuries. Fared well against the bad teams, but shaky against the good teams. Lee Corso picked him to win the heisman (lowercase).

Player to Watch: Travis Lewis, LB- The junior led the Sooner defense in tackles as a freshman and a sophomore.

Oklahoma St~~5 Returning Starters

We should find out just how much of a man head coach Mike Gundy is this year, as an exodus of starters leave the program. Yoda says...Get the program back to the level it was, and a good coach they may have.

Quarterback: Brandon Weeden- A 26 year old former baseball player. Yet to be determined how much Weinke he has in him.

Player to Watch: Kendall Hunter, RB- The senior Running Back was hurt throughout much of last year, but ran for 1,555 yards as a sophomore in 2008.

Texas~~10 Returning Starters

Word has it the Longhorns are abandoning the spread offense for a more prototypical running offense, with an emphasis on setting up the playaction pass. One of the teams with a lot to replace, including Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley on offense and Sergio Kindle and Earl Thomas on defense.

Quarterback: The man, the myth, the legend: Garret Gilbert- You remember him from last year's National Championship. He has won his last 30 starts at QB, winning Texas state high school titles in 2007 and 2008.

Player to Watch: Curtis Brown, CB- Senior leader of what should be a dominating secondary.

Texas A&M~~16 Returning Starters

Seems like everybody is anointing the Aggies as the surprise team of the league this year. The same question is raised as with Colorado, with ten starters back from a terrible defense: Is that a good thing?

Quarterback: Jerrod Johnson- Most people's selection for all-conference QB. He's big, strong, and fast, and put up good numbers last year with most of his weapons back in tact this season.

Player to Watch: Von Miller, OLB- Switches from Defensive End to Outside Linebacker in the new 3-4 defense. He had 17 sacks last year. Will be a top draft pick next year in a coveted position (hear that Chiefs?).

Texas Tech~~13 Returning Starters

So ol' Mikey Leach got fired. Word is they're talking about running the ball and actually playing defense this year. I dunno how the fans are gonna feel about that down in Lubbock. Or how this guy is gonna feel….

Or this guy…

How do I sign up to become the Texas Tech bell ringer?

Quarterback: Taylor Potts- The moustached man won the job over girly man, Steven Sheffield. Is any position in the country going to be less predictable than the new Texas Tech Quarterback? I say no.

Player to Watch: Adam James- New coach, Tommy Tuberville, better make sure to tuck James in every night and read him a bedtime story, or else his daddy might get him fired too. 

2010 College Football Preview: Big 12 North Edition

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The College Football Preview Extravaganza is underway. I had been getting a bit crazy with the NFL, but what can I say, I love everything about it. That being said, I might be more excited for College Football this year, especially in my main rooting interest, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Expectations are high in Big Red Country in what could be a wide open 2010 season. 

The Big 12 has gone through something of an era change, losing the likes of Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Mike Leach, Todd Reesing, Mark Mangino, and the man-beast himself, Ndamukong Suh. This is only the first step in the preview process that will rock your world before things get kicked off on Thursday. Seriously, College Football starts Thursday!!

I'm gonna get you up to date on all things Big 12 with a brief overview of each team, starting with the North, including a look at their Quarterback (lot of new faces) as well as another player to keep your eye on throughout the season. Predictions coming later this week. Lets do this…

Colorado~~15 Returning Starters

Return all 5 Offensive Line starters from a team that gave up a Big 12 high, 44 sacks, which raises the common College Football question: Is it a good thing to bring back a bunch of starters that underperformed? I know my boy, Lil' Bert Ladd thinks so, he's really confident that Colorado is the surprise team of the conference this year.

Quarterback: Tyler Hansen- Beat out the coach's son, Cody Hawkins, for the starting gig. This raises another interesting question: How hard is it for Dan Hawkins to tell his son just how bad he is?

Player to Watch: Nate Solder, LT- CBSSportsline.com has him ranked as the 2nd best Offensive Tackle prospect (11th best overall) for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Iowa St~~12 Returning Starters

Paul Rhoads did a great coaching job last year, taking a rather pedestrian squad to a bowl game victory and a winning record, including a win in Lincoln over Nebraska. That's about the gold standard for this program, unlikely to ever have a shot at conference supremacy.

Quarterback: Austen Arnaud- Decent QB, who can run a little bit, will provide Senior leadership.

Player to Watch: Alexander Robinson, RB- Sparkplug Senior that ran for 1,195 yards last year.

Kansas~~11 Returning Starters

Nebraska great, Turner Gill, takes over the reigns in Lawrence, and immediately has to deal with a bugaboo of injuries in the preseason (as well as me hitting on his daughter constantly in effort to join the family). Season has to be considered a success with a trip to a bowl game with all the transition occurring at 11th and Maine.

Quarterback: Kale Pick 6- Remember him? The man that Mangino inexplicably replaced Reesing with last year, leading to his eventual firing. He better not throw many INT's or else that nickname might just stick around.

Player to Watch: Olaitan Oguntodu, S, #44- I see you O'Lightning! I see you Double O! I see you boy. My former neighbor (The Tiburon 3!) in Lawrence finds himself atop the depth chart at Safety this year. He is one of the nicest gents I've ever come across, and deserves everybody's support this year. Keep your eye on him.

Kansas St~~10 Returning Starters

A theory that I support throughout all forms of football is the overachieving team gaining higher expectations and underachieving the next year. Lets call it the 90's Chiefs Theory. I'm not sure if it's fully applicable in this situation, but I'm going to apply it. Another team where reaching a bowl game would equal a successful season.

Quarterback: Carson Coffman- Not sure if Chase's little brother's name is set in stone just yet, but he most likely gets the job first.

Player to Watch: Daniel Thomas, RB- The team, the whole team, and nothing but the team. Honestly haven't heard of another player on the team.

Missouri~~15 Returning Starters

The biggest competitors with the Huskers for the Big 12 North crown, should be improved from last year. Returning Running Back, Derrick Washington, has been suspended indefinitely for digital penetration. Yea, go ahead and urban dictionary that one.

Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert- You think Gabbert remembers the Blackshirts from last year?

I wish the same curse on him that I did on fellow Nebraska spurner, Josh Freeman. And yes, by that I mean becoming a future millionaire 1st round draft pick.

Player to Watch: Aldon Smith, DE- Was unanimous Big 12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 with 11.5 sacks.

Nebraska~~15 Returning Starters

Much more to come on an All Nebraska preview later this week…

Quarterback: 'The Wildman' Zac Lee- There is lots of talk of a Quarterback competition, but as long as the Huskers are winning, Lee will be the QB. Supposedly played all last year with a bum shoulder, and thrived in the bowl game once finally receiving rest.

Player to Watch: Dejon 'Bones' Gomes/Eric Hagg- Much sexier names but I wanted to rep the unheralded. The Blackshirts killed the spread offense last year due to these hybrid nickleback/safety types that could cover the slot receiver as well as stop the run.

Nebraska in the Big 12?!?

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Ding-dong the Big 12 is dead (insert generic joke about incorrectly numbered conferences here). While most people are stuck living in the past, Dirkness will stick to progressive thinking and examine what the future might look like for Nebraska in the Huge 12 (sad thought- soon conferences will be renamed and will most likely be attached to sponsors- maybe the Amazon 12 and the Roscoe's Chicken n Waffles 16). I'll share just a few thoughts on the messy break up before a team-by-team breakdown of the new Evan Williams Green Label 12.

~I don't hear enough people blaming the true villain of this situation- Dan Beebe- Commish of the Atari 12. His lack of forward thought and ability to adjust to new-aged media will be the death of the Xanga 12. If there were a Big 12 Network right now, there's no way the conference breaks up.

~Given the USC sanctions and impending fall from the nation's elite, Texas is the number one team to avoid in conference realignment. They, along with Oklahoma, will dominate the Taco Tico 16.

~I feel bad for Iowa State in this situation. They always had great fans and a happy-to-be-here kind of attitude. KU basketball will be fine because you can win it all without being in a top conference (although it's extremely fascinating how completely ignored basketball is in all of the realignment discussions). Missouri started talk of the exodus, but wasn't prominent enough to finish it. Nobody really cares about K-State, and I think they are a basketball school now anyway. But, Iowa State, doesn't stand a chance in this cruel, cruel world.

~Next season's Big 12, especially Nebraska road games, should reach a new level of intensity. Players and fans alike will be out for blood against any and all defectors. How crazy would it be, and this is very possible, if Nebraska runs the table and wins the Big 12 Championship in its final year?

On to the breakdown of the newly formed Red Apple Cigarettes 12 (Dirkness Dollas to whoever comprehends that):

West- Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern
East- Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

Iowa- The most natural, impending rival with Nebraska due to geographical location and prestige. Iowa is my personal third favorite team in the NCAA behind Nebraska and Kansas, which will make it hard to develop true hatred for them (and even harder for my Dad, who went to Iowa). Could possibly evolve into more of a respected rivalry (Nebraska-Oklahoma) than one built on abhorrence (Nebraska-Colorado). Oh yea, and then there is Eric Crouch's introduction to the country...



Minnesota- Met with Nebraska four times from 1983-1990. Combined score: 226-20 (84-13, 38-7, 48-0, 56-0). That's some serious Gopher exterminating. Minnesota has remained relatively irrelevant since their incoherent decision to fire Glen Mason.

Wisconsin- Could foster into a good blue-collared annual rivalry filled with running games, hard hats, defense, and warm PBR's. Wisconsin won the last meeting in 1974, upsetting the #4 ranked Huskers. One of the newly formed matchups I am greatly looking forward to.

Illinois- The Fightin' Ron Zooks would've rather seen their true rival Missouri knighted into the conference, but instead will have to settle for a yearly beatdown from a non-rival. Not much history aside from two lopsided Husker victories from the mid-80's.

Northwestern- The fans of the new purple-clad Wildcats adversary most likely remember ending one of their most successful seasons with a 66-17 drubbing at the hands of a Nebraska team that felt it should've been playing in something better than the Alamo Bowl. This rounds out what could be a relatively weak Western division of the Beard n' Stache 12.

Purdue- Only one meeting between the two in their history and it was a 28-0 thrashing in favor of Purduhhhhhh in 1958. I assure you, Nebraska fans have not let go of that, and will finally get their chance at revenge. Purdue won't be anything until they hire Herm Edwards as their next head coach.

Indiana- Another red and white brethren actually leads the all-time series 9-7-3, despite Nebraska romping in the last four meetings. It'll be intriguing to see if this team on the rise can survive in the new landscape of the Fop 12.

Michigan- Here's where things get interesting. These two teams shared the 1997 National Championship after Nebraska was more impressive in beating the Tennessee Peytons than Michigan was in beating the Washington State Ryan Leafs (which of those seems more impressive now?). There was also the 2005 Alamo Bowl with one of the more improbable endings of all time...



Michigan State- Interesting fact: Bo Pelini's first game as head coach of Nebraska, when he was interim coach for the 2003 Alamo Bowl only, came against Michigan State (I'm told there was a coach in between there somewhere, but I just can't recall). Sure enough, we only allowed three points, and although I can't vouch for it, I'm sure we had dominant defensive tackle play. The Spartans also had the honor of getting bamboozled by the greatest team of all time, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Ohio State- These will be the two teams wrestling for alpha dog status in the immediate future in the Nissan Blaxima 12. It will be a spectacle every time these two juggernauts get together, and will prove to be one of the more captivating matchups that results from all the realigning. These two storied programs have met only two times in their history, both Buckeyes victories from the 1950's. Although, I faintly remember another encounter...



Penn State- Tom Osborne vs. Joe Paterno (the obviously disputable two best College Football coaches of all time). A history exists between these two programs, meeting five years in a row from 1979-1983, with both teams being ranked in every game, and Nebraska winning three of the five (not to mention, their heated volleyball past). There is also 1994, when both Nebraska and Penn State finished the season undefeated, that saw Nebraska emerge with the National Championship, which the Nittanies are sure to hold against the incoming Huskers. This traditional, powerhouse matchup should be fun every time they get together.


Go Big Red!
Dirk Blaximess

Big 12 College Basketball Postseason

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All Big 12 First Team

G Sherron Collins, Kansas
G Jacob Pullen, Kansas St.
F James Anderson, Oklahoma St.
F Damion James, Texas
C Ekpe Udoh, Baylor

Player of the Year: James Anderson, Oklahoma St.

All Big 12 Second Team

G LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor
G Donald Sloan, Texas A&M
F Marquis Gilstrap, Iowa St.
F Curtis Kelly, Kansas St.
C Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Coach of the Year: Scott Drew, Baylor

Big 12 Tournament Predictions

1st Round
Colorado over Texas Tech
Missouri over Nebraska
Oklahoma St. over Oklahoma
Iowa St. over Texas

2nd Round
Kansas over Colorado
Missouri over Texas A&M
Kansas St. over Oklahoma St.
Baylor over Iowa St.

Semifinals
Kansas over Missouri
Baylor over Kansas St.

Finals
Kansas over Baylor

NCAA Tournament Seed Projections

Kansas - 1st overall
Kansas State - 2
Baylor - 4
Texas A&M - 6
Missouri - 7
Texas - 8
Oklahoma State - 8

Mucho more coming the next couple weeks on the Conference and NCAA Tournaments, including reactions to the field, predictions for the tournament, and breakdowns of Kansas games as they come.

'Dirkness

2009 Holiday Bowl Reaction: Nebraska-Arizona

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What Could Have Been

The biggest thought going through my head during the game, aside from the excitement of watching Nebraska put the BEATDOWN on Arizona, was a curiosity of what could have been. Nebraska was much much better than what their year end record showed. You have to look not only at the closeness of the losses this year, but the circumstances that surrounded them. O'Hanlon falls asleep and allows an 80 yard pass with under a minute left vs. Virginia Tech. They lose to Iowa St in the most Ndominant loss I've ever seen. Finally, they somehow lose to Texas after leading with no time left in the game. Texas Tech is the only game of the season that the Huskers had no business winning, and I'd still take Nebraska in that game 7 times out of 10. Obviously, this isn't how games get recorded though, so where does blame find itself?

Bo Pelini- I would say that when you lose games you should be winning, you blame coaching. Bo Pelini may have some short-term concerns, but looking at the big picture I am extremely impressed. Not only did he turn one of the worst defenses in the country(2007) into THE best(right now), but you can see dramatic improvements from them throughout the year. The Blackshirts went from a below mediocre defense to a pretty good defense in 2008. In 2009, they started out as a pretty good defense and ended as the most Ndominant in the country. The defense is so good right now that I want to line up the best offenses in the country and give them one drive to try and score a touchdown, similar to a Madden mini game. Aside from the Top 5 coaches in the country (Stoops-dropping, Saban-afraid of commitment, Meyer-afraid of life after Tebow, Carroll-overrated, Tressel-underrated), I cannot think of anyone that I'd replace Pelini with if given the opportunity.

2010- Everyone talks about how the defense next year could be even better than this year. I won't go that far, especially at the beginning of the year, but they will still be a top 20 defense in the country, even without the Man-boy named Suh. Suh even nominated the next version of himself in sophomore Jared Crick. Pair him with 5-star recruit Baker Steinkuhler and the middle of the defense is already set. Find some safeties to play and the defense looks stacked. The offense will return 10 starters and only loses center Jacob Hickman. You have to stick with the Wildman at quarterback and hope that he improves dramatically. Cody Green just hasn't shown enough to be handed the job right now. The offense should have earned back some of the trust in the bowl game that it had lost following the Iowa St game this year, and with playmakers Roy Helu, Rex Burkhead, Niles Paul, and Mike McNeill all returning, it will be much more dynamic and allowed more opportunities to score points. With a schedule where every game is very winnable, I hate to say it, but here it goes, keep an eye on Nebraska running the table next year and earning the honor of getting whooped by the best SEC team in the National Championship.

I just noticed I went the whole post without even really talking about the game that just occurred against Arizona. That was one of the most thorough beatdowns I've seen amongst two supposedly even-matched teams. Their quarterback was from Austin and received texts from his friends all week warning him about Ndamukong Suh, and I think it worked. I've never seen a quarterback so scared going into a game. Thanks Matt Jones' coked out friends. There's not much else to say except that I'd like a shot at a BCS team to see what we could do. I'll just have to take solace in the beating Colt McCoy is about to take in T-minus 5 days.

2009 Holiday Bowl Preview Nebraska vs. Arizona

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I'll start by saying that I love the matchup between Nebraska and Arizona tonight in the Extenze energy drink Holiday Bowl tonight. I've thought Arizona was underrated most of the year and had them ranked higher than any of the major polls throughout the year. I was pretty shocked to see that Arizona started as the favorite(now underdogs), expecting something more along the lines of the 73% of America that picked Nebraska to win via ESPN. Let's take a look at how I see this one playing out.

Arizona- All the talk is about two stingy defenses playing in this game, but I'm not really seeing it. They gave up the following point totals: Iowa(most similar offense to Nebraska-very basic)-27, Oregon St-32, Washington-36, Stanford-38, Oregon-44(2 overtimes at least). I don't see it. The majority of those high scores are running teams similar to Nebraska. They have a better pass defense but who knows if that will even matter much against Nebraska. Their offense is led by their 7 foot quarterback Nick Foles who resembles Matt Jones from Arkansas a few years back (minus the Coke problem hopefully). My biggest fear is running back Nic (finally someone who spells their name right) Grigsby, who is finally healthy after an injury plagued year. Quarterback and overall offense advantage-Arizona. My other biggest worry is the Stoops connection. I'm sure Mike was asking brotha Bob all kinds of questions over Christmas dinner, so lets just hope that Bobby did the honorable thing and refused to gossip.

Nebraska- My first thought is that Ndamukong Suh is under a lot of pressure going into this game. The Big XII Championship is fresh in every one's mind and all eyes will be on him tonight-including Arizona's. I expect him to be as dominant as he has been all year, but to put up paltry stats compared to his last outing. He will go down as the best defensive player in Nebraska history, if not Big XII history(can't think of anyone better), if not NCAA history(too hard to judge).

My next thought is how big a game this is for "The Wildman" Zac Lee. We know he will be amped up for the game for better or worse, lets just hope he hits his peak in the 4th quarter. I think the Wildman is playing for his job going into next year. If he struggles like he did in the Big XII Championship, I think the Cody Green era starts in the first game next year. However, Nebraska has a chance to compete at a very high level next year and might not want to go through the growing pains of a first year starting quarterback. That's why I think if he can play well in this game then he will go into next year as the starter. Green is supposed to see some action tonight as well, but has been unimpressive so far, otherwise the job would probably already be his.

Prediction- I feel very confident about Nebraska winning this game. I think they boast the best defense in the country, and I don't think Arizona will be able to score much unless Grigsby is able to regain his form to the tune of over 300 yards in the first two games this year. I envision Nebraska shutting down the run and then pressuring Matt Jones Lite, who is pretty immobile from what I hear on the streets. I think Zac Lee plays well throwing mostly from playaction along with Helu cracking the 100 yard barrier, and Sexy Rex Burkhead chipping in for 50 yards. Nebraska should be extra motivated after getting screwed against Texas, and I think they take it out on the pretty boys from Arizona.

Nebraska 24, Arizona 9