The two top teams of the Big 12 meet this weekend when the #1 Texas A&M Aggies come into Lincoln this weekend to face #2 Nebraska. Given where these two teams are and how they're playing, something has to give:

- Nebraska is 26-2-1 at home, having won their last 14 of 15.
- Texas A&M is 10-2 away from home this year and has won nine straight road games for the first time since 1989. The Aggies have won 24 of their last 26.
- The Aggies have swept five consecutive conference series (Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Missouri) for the first time in school history.
- Texas A&M is leading nearly every offensive stat in the Big 12. Nebraska... isnÕt even close. (see below)
- NebraskaÕs pitching is better than Texas A&MÕs, but not by much (below).
- Both teams have good pitchers, and good depth.

All of this stacks up to be one heckuva series. 

I am currently buried in a project that is consuming all of my free time. Here we are the weekend before the biggest Big 12 baseball series of the year, and I’m overrun. I hope to get something out on stats today or tonight.

I apologize for not getting as much stuff out in the last couple of weeks, and I hope to get my head above water early next week.

In the meantime, contemplate this view of the University of Nebraska campus.

It’s been my amateur opinion that in the game of college football recruiting that barring a massively successful season commitments following a spring game are unlikely until summer camps begin.  Shawn Bodtmann and Thaddeus Randle decided to prove me and several others wrong.  Let’s see what we have with the two newest additions to the 2008-2009 Cornhusker Class.

Name: Shawn Bodtmann Projected position: Linebacker
Height: 6’0" Weight: 205 pounds

As a junior for West Scranton High School, Bodtmann played both sides of the football.  As a running back he displayed a quick burst out of the backfield followed by an immediate trust in his line.  This allowed him to crank things into full gear and speed towards the end zone ready to batter and bruise anyone who got in his way.  Speed and power: two things you look for in a linebacker.  

He has vision and uses it well to watch a quarterback’s eyes.  I’ve seen several highly ranked prospects struggle significantly with that so +1 for Shawn.  He clearly has no regard for his physical well-being or at least that’s what film would indicate.  That’s a negative as he needs to both allow himself to grow and put on added muscle mass before bringing that mentality to the Big XII.  Is Bodtmann quick, slippery and hard-hitting?  Absolutely and I’m anxious to see what he’ll do during his senior season, however no doubt the Nebraska coaching staff is equally as excited to see what teammate and highly rated offensive tackle Eric Shrive does.

Name: Thaddeus Randle Projected position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’1" Weight: 255 pounds

We’ll address this up front: Don’t think for a second that Randle hasn’t been measured for the potential of growth.  I’d wager an inch or two is still left in his frame and Glenn Dorsey didn’t seem to have much trouble at 6’2".  I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’.  Randle definitely has the "run stuffer" portion of his resume down.  My chief complaint is that he locks up with his man far too much and dances with him in the event he can nab a tackle.  Another year of camps and work will ideally change that up.

What most intrigues me about "Thad" is his frame.  He’s got the tools to play defensive tackle.  I’m not going to argue that.  He has the frame, however, not to be Dorsey but be Dorsey-esque and I think that’s what Pelini saw in this young man.  I do have concerns about Texas A&M with Tim Cassidy on their staff.  Tim knows a thing or two about how to play this chess match and it’s going to be interesting to see if Pelini & Co. can keep Mr. Randle around.  For any worrywarts, look at it this way: At one point David Whitmore was considered by some (myself included) as the least likely to sign with Nebraska.  I was wrong.  Don’t let me down, Thad.

We lost all our linebackers. All of them. Oh, except for Phillip Dillard, who had 37 tackles last season. He’ll be a starter at the middle linebacker position, you can bet on that. He can tackle.

The rest of the potential linebacking corps will be made up of Blake Lawrence, Latravis Washington, Tyler Wortman, Nick Covey and Austin Stafford. Between them they totaled 18 tackles in 2007. That’s, uh, not very many.

Between all of them (including Dilard) they have two starts, both Dillard’s.

Also amongst our potential starters are a converted senior running back (Cody Glenn) and a freshman recruit (Will Compton) that hasn’t been on campus yet.

Ouch.

I disagree with the guys at Big Red Network about the importance of linebackers. Linebackers are the hunter-killers of any defense.

The linebacker has changed quite a bit over the past few years, and 2008 will be no exception. No less than 10 Big 12 return starting quarterbacks, and they're playing in quick-bang offensive styles that leave little room for a guy who can't catch every player in the backfield.

Linebackers today have to do everything well. They must extra support against the run. They must do pass coverage. They must be fast and have a head for the game (think Bo Ruud), but most of all they must be versatile. They must have attitude.

They are the guys that will be chasing down the Big 12’s quarterbacks when they take off on the zone read. Hence, Hunter - Killers.

This is where Major Culbert fits into the equation. Is he a safety? Is he a linebacker? Does it make a difference as to what he's labeled? Culbert is one of those guys that's a big 'x' factor heading into the coming season. If he's on the field with Larry Asante and Ricky Thenarse playing safety, he'll be the guy the defense will be wondering about. Is he going to come up against the run? Is he capable of defending the pass? I'm glad we have him.

Three questions:

• Do you think the linebacker unit will be okay in the fall?
• Care to take a guess at the three guys that will be chosen as starters?
• Sure tackler, Speed, Head for the Game - Pick Two And Tell Why

Husker fans may have expected this year's team to do better than last, but this much better is like Christmas, your birthday and the Fourth of July all wrapped into one. Big change from last year. Part of that can be attributed to new pitching coach Eric Newman, but most of it is the result of a team that plays together.

• The NCBWA poll has us at #7, up from #9.

Texas A&M is ranked right in front of us at #6, Oklahoma State right behind at #8, Missouri is at #16, and I don't know why the hell they continue to rank Texas, but they're right there at #26.

up from #14 the previous week. Figure that.
Texas A&M is #8, Missouri at #10, Oklahoma State at #10, and Missouri at #15.

• Baseball America moves us to 5#.

Texas A&M at #9, Oklahoma State is at #18,  and Texas at #20.

• Collegiate Baseball has the Huskers at #6 from #10 the previous week.

Texas A&M is at #7, and Oklahoma State at #10, Missouri at #14.

• Nebraska is ranked 7th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, same as were the previous week.  

Texas A&M is #5, Oklahoma State #8, and Missouri #17.

In the Big 12 this week:

- Not a lot of surprises this week with the exception of Kansas sweeping Oklahoma. Oh, and their win over Missouri midweek.
- Texas won a series over Baylor to move to .500 and fifth in the Big 12. No shock there.
- Missouri won a series over Kansas State. No shock there.
- Texas A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma State both beat non-conference foes. No shock there.
- Texas Tech didn't lose because they didn't play. No shocking result there either.
- The Aggies became the first 40-win team in the nation this past weekend. Maybe that's shocking?

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
Series History: Tied 2-2

Date: May 3rd

Park: Haymarket Park

Game time: 12:00 pm, 6:30 pm

Television: none

Radio: Husker Sports Network and on the Internet at Huskers.com

• Last night’s game was cancelled due to inclement weather. It won’t be made up, but the Huskers will be playing a double header today.  
• The cancellation of the game is an advantage for the Ragin’ Cajuns, as they won’t need to worry about pitching depth near as much as they would given a three-game series.

• You're welcome to join us, however in order to participate in posting, you must create an account using the "Create Account" link at the upper right. It will require a valid email address, but what doesn't these days?
  

Here's something to chew on over the weekend

Looking at the crop of receivers as potential starters for 2008, who’s going to step up and be the next big playmaker?

Let’s not worry much about Todd Peterson or Nate Swift. Both are proven receivers, both can move the chains. In fact, Nate Swift is moving up the charts in total receptions and if he has a decent season in 2008 he could pass Johnny Rodgers on the all-time receptions list.

But let’s face it. Neither Peterson nor Swift are going to strike fear into the hearts of a defense. Neither are going to be that ‘stretch the field’ guy, and that’s who I’m looking for. It's who the 2008 Nebraska offense will be looking for.

I’m worried about the next big playmaker.

Your candidates:

• Menelik Holt - four receptions for 97 yards, all in the last three games of 2007 even though he was he the field for all 12 games. Probably should have redshirted, but that wasn’t in the cards. Big guy at 6'4" but can he run?
• Niles Paul - had one for six, I keep hearing his name as high potential. Will it show up as a receiver or a kick/punt return man? Wasn't he a presidential candidate or something like that?
• Chris Brooks - one career reception for four yards.  He's a Junior who played in only a single game last season. Given Callahan's penchant for throwing the ball all over the place is he any good?
• Curenski Gilleylen - much can be made about a 77 yard bomb for a touchdown in the spring game, but it takes more than one play to make him the guy. Especially when it’s during a spring game.
• Will Henry - didn’t play last season.
• Matt Donahue - hasn’t seen the field yet.

Who amongst these is going to be ‘the guy’ and why?

Nebraska takes a break from Big 12 play this weekend to welcome the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns to Lincoln.

Here’s what I said about the Ragin’ Cajuns before the season started:

Talk about a tale of two teams not doing what they’re expected. The Ragin’ Cajuns are currently in seventh place in the Sun Belt Conference with a 12-12 record. Their record stands at 22-23 overall and they have a RPI of 114.  What appeared to be a nasty tough match up at the beginning of the season doesn’t appear so now.

I'll admit I haven't paid much attention to the Ragin' Cajuns since I wrote my preview. I checked on them once, and I knew they weren’t doing that well. In writing this preview, I thought I’d check into why.

The Ragin’ Cajuns were ranked coming into preseason, but they started their season at 6-12. Their team batting average is fairly low, only .246. They currently have only one guy batting above .300, and that’s at Scott Hawkins at .309. He has 31 RBI and 33 runs and he leads the team in eight of offensive statistic categories.  

Danny Farquhar was one of the pitchers I mentioned in the pre-season, and he is 3-7 on the season. Another, Hunter Moody, will face Johnny Dorn on Friday in a match up of the two winningest active pitchers in college baseball. Dorn has 36 career wins, Moody 29.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are 9-10 at home, 11-12 away. Nebraska is 24-2-1 at home. Doesn’t bode well for them, does it?

Projected Starting Pitchers

	Nebraska	La-Lafayette
Friday	RH Johnny Dorn (5-1, 2.60 ERA)	LH Hunter Moody (7-2, 3.21 ERA)
Saturday - G1	RH Thad Weber (8-2, 3.75 ERA)	RH Michael Cook (5-3, 4.66 ERA)
Saturday - G2	RH Aaron Pribanic (3-3, 4.29 ERA)	LH Brent Solich (1-3, 7.05 ERA)

With how many wins will Johnny finish his Husker career?

Barring weather issues, one of the two head coaches will reach a milestone this weekend.

• Louisiana head coach Tony Robichaux needs two wins to become the 33rd active NCAA Division I head baseball coach to win 750 career games. Here’s to hoping he gets #750 somewhere else.
• Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson enters the weekend series needing two wins to reach 250 career wins. Here’s hoping he gets them.

If any of you folks are coming into Lincoln from Lafayette, you might stop by Buzzard Billy's in the Haymarket Area. The red beans n rice I had there was excellent. Tell Chris the bartender the loud guy from Corn Nation sent you, and have the Lincoln-brewed porter. It's very good as well.

The Columbus Telegram had posted a full 45-minute speech that Bo Pelini gave at a Chamber Banquet. Informative, funny. As of this morning it’s been taken down - I’m guessing they saw their bandwidth being consumed by gobs.
(Folks, that’s why people post things on youtube - so they can let them provide the bandwidth, not just because it's a place where kids can post videos of themselves picking their nose. If the link goes up there, we’ll attach it.)

He’s a good speaker - he said a lot of the right things about tradition and a return of playing with passion. If nothing else, he sounds good. It’s hard not to warm up to the guy. He also said something about success taking a while, but I have no idea what he means when he says that.

He takes a few veiled shots at the former coaching staff - nothing too heavy, but they’re there.  One that stood out for me is Pelini pointing out that while he was focused on discipline he also said it was important that the players understand that the coach has their best interests at heart - specifically ‘that I have their back’. In other words, the players need to know that the coach would support them.  I’m sure all y’all have heard some stories but let’s just say that the former ‘culture of fear’ extended beyond the people who worked for the athletic department.

He answered a questions pointing out that the players will be practicing in full pads on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then on shorts on Thursday. It’s bizarre to think that’s even a hot issue, but it garnered a fair amount of applause.

Someone must have asked him if he should have been head coach in 2003 (the sound from the questioners was suspect). Pelini responded by saying that he should not have been made head coach in 2003 because Frank Solich should not have been fired - a response which drew applause. More interesting than that (I don’t want to start a Frank debate all over again), he stated that he’s gained a lot of experience since 2003 and is more prepared to be a head coach now.

I like Pelini’s laugh - it reminds me of that guy in high school you thought was too dumb to live past 30. I mean that in a good way.

Nebraska has fallen in love with the guy. That’s not a difficult accomplishment given who he’s replaced. I just hope he’s successful. I don’t want to go through all this again in four years.

[ED - Video is backonline - located here.]

[ED - Bumped from the diaries yet again....]

The city of Lincoln has been looking towards building a new convention center area and arena in the west Haymarket area (near Haymarket Park) for some time now, and now the Journal-Star reports that the mayor has selected the Lincoln Traction Partners' proposal.

The proposal, which will go before Lincoln voters next year, contains the new Haymarket Arena (to replace the aging Pershing center), a 150-room hotel attached to the arena with 70 club-suite like rooms that face into the arena, a second 250-seat hotel near the arena, and three parking garages with built-in retail space.

The arena would likely (as seen in LTP's video) be the new home for Husker Basketball.  The arena looks to be NBA-caliber (like the Qwest Center), and would immediately be one of the top facilities in the Big XII.

Once again I sit at a chair next to the Big 12 Roundtable.  Matt from The Crimson and Cream Machine challenged us to speak of spring and what hope may or may not spring eternal.  Blankman sayeth:

1. Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

A good question.  I think that Nebraska’s offensive linemen as a whole stepped up large in the spring and made some great strides.  I also think that Lance Thorell stepped up, but he could be this year’s Garth Glissman (also known as the guy we don’t hear about after the Spring Game).  I loved what I saw out of WR Curenski Gilleylen.

2. What is your biggest concern following the spring?

The defensive front seven.  Injuries and departures not to mention flat out inexperience plagues this bunch.  Not to say they will be an entire liability, but they do need to step up.  If Ndamukong Suh can come back and regain his former glory, that will help immensely along with the addition of incoming linebacker Will Compton who looks to vie for immediate playing time at MIKE.

3.  Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned or worried about?

Yeah, Barney Cotton.  This guy’s got about as much between the ears as Mr. Potato Head except I think I’d trust Mr. Potato Head more with my offensive line.

4.  Looking over the 2008 which home and away game will be the most difficult?

Home: Missouri
Away: Oklahoma with Texas Tech a close second

5.  Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up next season.

1. Missouri

2. Nebraska

3. Colorado

4. Kansas

5. Kansas State

6. Iowa State