Big 12 Media Makes The Right Choice for North: Mizzou!

by Jon Johnston on Jul 19, 2007 11:07 PM CDT in Nebraska Husker Football

The Big 12 Media voted and picked Mizzou as the favorite to win the Big 12 North this season, ahead of Nebraska and Kansas State. There is nothing wrong with the choice. Mizzou has Nebraska at home and Kansas State is in their second year of rebuilding.

It doesn't suck that much being the underdog. Source:Dave Weaver/AP

A lot of things point to Missouri winning the North:

This year's Nebraska-Missouri game is in Columbia, MO. The Tigers have won the last two meetings in Columbia.
Chase Daniels is a darned good quarterback.
Tony Temple is more than an adequate running back.
Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker are excellent receivers.
98% of their offensive firepower returns this season.
Their defense is, uh, questionable at best, having lost five key playmakers so the offense had better be darned good.
They have a history of winning big games when it counts. They won the Big Eight in 1969 and they haven't won a title since.

All of these are nothing compared to the most important reason to pick them:

If you don't pick them this year, then when?

What is the Big 12 media to write about from year to year? If they'd have picked Nebraska, it'd be the same ol', same ol'. Picking Missouri gives them another team to write fresh stuff about. They can put them at the top and see if they stand or fall.

If Mizzou happens to win it, the media can live it up with regards to their powers of prediction. If they don't, they can tear Gary Pinkel apart. Therefore, Mizzou is the best pick possible.
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I was going to respond about regarding Stewart Mandels' response regarding Bill Callahan being a bad coach, but I see that Jeffie Husker over at Double Extra Point has already done a good job of it.

I can understand Mandel's point about Callahan playing not to lose, like they do in the NFL. In his first year, Callahan attempted an extra point from the one foot line at Pittsburgh, a typical NFL road game move. I went ballistic at that. It was clear at that time that he was not a good college coach. But in last year's USC game he called a fake punt that should have scored, and against Auburn called another fake punt that probably cost us the ball game. This isn't a coach that's playing not to lose anymore.

I'm not 100% sold on Bill Callahan as the next great Nebraska coach. I hope that he is, but he's going to have to prove it in the win column. I do believe that as the Huskers have improved as a team, Bill Callahan has grown as a college football coach. 2007 will be a fascinating year for Husker football.

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I stayed up late last night watching the 1930 version of "All Quiet on the Western Front". I think I read the book somewhere around seventh grade and I've seen the movie several times. 77 years later the movie remains incredible.

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Comments

18 yard field goal attempt...

I think it took me a good year and a half to put that (bleepity-bleepity-bleep) 18 yard field goal attempt out of my mind, and you just had to bring it up again.

by Husker Mike on Jul 20, 2007 8:24 AM CDT reply actions

yea, sorry

I've gotten over it.... but it was such a bad call at the time I'd wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into.

Nothing said "NFL Coach" like trying a field goal on the road that close to the end zone.

At least we're in better shape than Pitt these days.

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Jul 21, 2007 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions

Mandell & Callahan/NE/CFB

I just read the article you quoted from Mandel and it's typical lameness only reconfirms my opinion of him that he is a friggin' idiot! He's in the wrong line of work, for sure, a narcissistic prima dona that probably couldn't throw a fb, shoot a hoop, catch a beisbol even if a gun were being held to his head. He'd be better off disappearing into the priesthood or something.
That he is one of S.I.'s main cfb writers only confirms that S.I. is NOT the source of good cfb analysis for the serious fan, especially a Big Red fan. I almost never go to their website.

Callahan will continue to prove him wrong. Just watch it happen.

'za blang thang

by Ze Robertinho on Jul 22, 2007 4:31 AM CDT reply actions

"Not to Lose"

Also, the whole idea that Callahan has ever played "not to lose"--even vs SC--also dwells in the depths of stupidity; a completely knee jerk form of 'thinking'. I mean, when I read that anywhere I'm like, "somebody light a match, have I been down here before?" Dark, dark, dark, smokey "thinking". No coach or player in any sport, on any level--since the beginning of time-- has played "not to lose". Playing conservatively, keeping it close, trying to create a break is a VALID overall STRATEGY vs a team that is clearly of superior ability, especially when your receivers can barely get open vs said team's better dbs, and your qb is fighting for his life.
The concept, "not to lose", defies logic and intuition--doesn't make any friggin' sense: "O.k. fellas let's get out there and 'play not to lose' this one--rock the world!" Literally, what does this even mean? It can only mean "play to win", right? "Uh, coach, does that mean we're playing to win, just need a clarification, yeah, 10-4 good buddy?" Please, give me a break!
It will continue to be said/written after any loss by BR under Callahan by those who have nothing better to say, evidently. But I wish it wasn't so.

Mandel even reiterates it, and I've already established that he blows.

'za blang thang

by Ze Robertinho on Jul 22, 2007 5:02 AM CDT reply actions

Corn Nation

P.S.
This is a very nice and hip website BTW. I'm glad to have stumbled across it. It'd be great if a poster could edit his/her posts and add fun personal graphics to them as well.

LATE!

'za blang thang

by Ze Robertinho on Jul 22, 2007 5:08 AM CDT reply actions

you can link to graphics

on other sites, but we don't allow uploads of graphics by users because of copyright issues, and things like porn,spam, etc.

or are you thinking things like avatars, or a graphics-based signature?

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Jul 22, 2007 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions

"Misery"

It's good that "Misery" is favored now over NE in the north(wasn't it ISU last year?, ha ha ha!); it'll give Big Red extra incentive this summer. For the same reason, I hope they are favored when we play them, though I doubt they will be when the time comes.

We will beat "Misery", guaranteed, by at least 10. We just have a better overall team, coaches, and Keller is a better qb than Daniels.

Pinkel will have to up his meds after that one, fo' real.....

'za blang thang

by Ze Robertinho on Jul 22, 2007 5:16 AM CDT reply actions

editing, graphics

Corn Blight,

On pro fb sites(Bears, for e.g.) they supply user graphics, little smiley faces and a lot of other stuff to highlight your post. Plus, people download their own pics as signatures or to add to the text of the post. Some have an edit fxn too, so you can edit your post after it's been posted.

It's all good, but not a huge deal, just adds color.

'za blang thang

by Ze Robertinho on Jul 23, 2007 9:18 PM CDT reply actions