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.

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.

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!

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.....

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.

p.s., this is the best Big Red site I've seen, w/o question!