The last time Nebraska started a season 1-3 was in 1957. It was Bill Jennings first year as head coach; the same Jennings who would be fired so that Bob Devaney could take over, finish with a head coaching career of 15-34-1, and the same Jennings who's most famous line was thus:
There is a desire in this state to do something big, like elect a President. But you can't feed the ego of the state of Nebraska with a football team.
The 1957 team finished with a 1-9 record, the worst record in school history.
You might be wondering why I'm writing such a cheery bit this morning. Perhaps you feel I'm jinxing the team (if you believe in jinxes, which I don't unless they happen then of course I do). Perhaps I am doing a bit of chain yanking.
It is none of the above. I am merely following a personal philosophy of "hope for the best, prepare for the worst".
The good news (should you be nervous) is that the spread is +22 for Nebraska and SBNation's stats dude Bill Connelly has predicted a 92.1% win probability for the Huskers.
Hmmmm.... maybe I am just yanking your chain.
Previews And Such
Bowling Green at Purdue Preview - Hammer and Rails
There will be points on Saturday, and a lot of them.
Column: Northwestern's defense, and the beauty in winning ugly - Inside NU
Everybody loves shootouts. But more importantly, everybody loves winning.
Cardale Jones to remain Ohio State's starting quarterback - Land-Grant Holy Land
While it was up in the air during the early part of the week, Cardale Jones remains the starter for the Buckeyes.
Forget College Gameday for a minute, Wake Forest is more important than everything else - The Crimson Quarry
Looking for the program's first 4-0 start since 1990, the Hoosiers roll into Winston-Salem for what may be the biggest trap game that any of us under 30 can remember. But this trap game may just be...
BIG TEN WIN PROJECTIONS: POST-WEEK 3 - Black Heart Gold Pants
Week 3 saw a mini ACC Coastal-Big Ten West Tournament, in which Iowa and Northwestern took care of business and Nebraska... well, LOL. Meanwhile, Ohio State continues to look less juggernauty over in the East.
Report: Big Ten allows independents, AAC teams to fill Power 5 requirement - The Champaign Room
The Big Ten conference will allow its schools to schedule games against independents and American Athletic Conference teams to fill the one non-conference Power 5 conference game per season next...
Anybody can be a Power Five team, even Army and UConn - Underdog Dynasty
If you root for a Big Ten team, this eliminates the weakest level of competition you could schedule. This both creates an automatic boost to your strength of schedule, while also making wins in general more difficult to come by. Double-edged sword. If you're a Group of Five team, you're guaranteed an increase in non-conference games against Power Five teams, which means more guaranteed paychecks but also the potential for more guaranteed losses. Same kind of double-edged sword.
Just the Stats: Penn State vs San Diego State - Black Shoe Diaries
...if you're coming into this game looking for some offensive firepower, you're going to have to look elsewhere.
Nebraska
Jalen Richard ignites USM's Ground game | Southern Miss | The Sun Herald
HATTIESBURG -- Southern Miss running backs and their offensive linemen celebrated after the last two games.
Numbers to Know: Nebraska-Southern Miss | Hail Varsity
Numbers rarely tell the whole story but they are frequently interesting. Here are a few to consider ahead of Saturday’s Nebraska-Southern Miss game.
Huskers Sweep Iowa to Open Big Ten Play - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
The fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team began Big Ten play with a 25-23, 25-20, 25-23 sweep at Iowa on Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Huskers Return Home, Seek First Big Ten Win - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site
The Nebraska soccer team (4-3-1) hosts No. 12 Penn State and Ohio State this weekend at Barbara Hibner Stadium.
Then There's This
TV ratings decline - Business Insider
'TV viewing among adults 18 to 24 is now down 20% versus the first two nights of the 2014-15 season."
You guys aren't watching TV anymore, especially you young people. Is it too expensive? What's going to become of it? Is it because of commercials, as in too many of them? It seems like there are more and more and you might as well DVR a show you want to watch, then skip all the commercials.
What the hell are you people doing with all that spare time?
NFL First Major U.S. League to Win FAA Permission to Use Drones - Bloomberg Business
The National Football League can use drones to shoot films, documentaries and television segments, becoming the first major sports league to receive such permission from the Federal Aviation Administration.
You know what this means? This means that some day in the not too distant future, you'll see a Lil' Red drone somewhere over Memorial.