Dear ESPN, Nebraska should NOT return to the Big XII

On Wednesday, Oklahoma’s president said the Big XII “should strive for” a 12-team league.  Since it is the end of June, when you’re more likely to see snowflakes than college football news*, several outlets pounced on the story and began speculation on who teams XI and XII might be.

*Or at least, college football news outside of recruiting and arrests.  Those two topics know no off-season.

One of those pieces came from ESPN’s Jake Trotter, who broke down 12 possible additions from most likely (BYU, Memphis, Boise State, Cincinnati, etc.), less likely (Florida State and Clemson, or other defectors from a Power 5 conference), down to the least likely:  Nebraska.

You’re reading that correctly:  somebody at the Worldwide Leader made a case for Nebraska going back to the Big XII.

Now, before I rip his rationale to shreds, it is worth mentioning in Trotter’s defense that he considers North Dakota State* – a current member of the FCS – a much more likely addition than Nebraska.  Whether or not this improves Trotter’s credibility is up to you.

*Be sure to give Trotter credit for this spectacular factoid about the Bison:  “They actually have as many wins against the Big 12 as Kansas does in the last five years.”  

But let’s face it:  at best, suggesting Nebraska as a “new” member of the Big XII is an ignorant pipe dream.  At worst, it’s click-bait trolling.

So where is Trotter wrong in his assessment?  Let’s go line by line.  Trotter’s words are in bold.  My responses are not.

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Put a truth serum in many Nebraska fans, and they would probably admit their realignment to the Big Ten hasn’t been what they hoped it would be.

Okay – so Trotter actually comes out of the gate with an ugly truth.  I think there are many of us who expected an easier time than a combined 22-10 conference (counting the 2012 championship game) in football and expected dominance in other sports (i.e. baseball) has not materialized.  There are lots are reasons for this, but that is an entirely separate discussion.  But four seasons is a little quick for buyer’s remorse.

Also, it’s worth remembering that in my “State of the Husker Nation” poll last November, 58% of the nearly 6,000 respondents said the decision to join the Big Ten was not a mistake.  Only 18.5% said it was a mistake.

The Huskers have fallen into second-tier status in the Big Ten.

 

Agree to disagree here.  Yes, the NU brand is not as shiny as it was in the inaugural Big Ten season of 2011 (again, an entirely separate discussion).  But to say NU is second-tier is ludicrous.

B1G tiers off the top of my head:

Top-Tier

1. Ohio State.  The class of the conference.
2. Michigan.  Even after Rich Rod and Hoke, the Wolverines are a top-tier program.  Period.
3. Michigan State.  If you got that truth serum back out, how many Husker fans probably would trade straight up for MSU’s roster, coaches, and especially their recent success?
4. Nebraska.  Yes, Wisconsin has owned Nebraska, but I cannot (will not?) say the Badgers are the better program.
5. Wisconsin.  A top-tier program in any Power 5 conference.

Second-Tier

1. Penn State.  If not for the sanctions (and the tarnish to Paterno’s legacy), they are securely in the top-tier – and they may get back there soon.
2. Iowa.  The case could be made that Nebraska joining the Big Ten helped to knock the Hawkeyes to second-tier status.
3. Minnesota.  They’ve crept out of the dregs.
4. Northwestern.  At serious risk of falling out of the second-tier.

Bottom of the Barrel

1. Maryland.  Need to prove something to earn a promotion to second-tier, but they’re close.
2. Illinois.  Like Missouri in the 1980s and 90s – the potential is there.  The plan is not.
3. Indiana.  Is it basketball season yet?
4. Purdue.  Look!  We have a big drum!
5. Rutgers.  Still a head-scratching decision by Jim Delany.  You know you would mock to the Big XII if they took a school of Rutgers’ caliber.

They’re in the division opposite Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, which reduces their number of marquee games.

Two things here:  1) Before the additional of Maryland and Rutgers, Nebraska was in the same division as Michigan and played an annual crossover game with Penn State.  Yes, the new geographic divisions have the marquee schools in the East, but remember:  2) In the old Big XII North, the marquee teams (Oklahoma, Texas, A&M) were in the opposite division.

Nebraska once played one of college football’s most storied rivalry games against Oklahoma. Today, Nebraska’s big rival is Iowa, which barely moves the needle in Lincoln, much less the rest of the country.

“Once” is the key word here.  For me, the NU-OU rivalry officially ended in the second year of the Big XII play – 1997 – when the two storied programs played their final annual contest before moving to the “play two years, take two years off” format that all North and South schools shared.  Had NU-OU remained an annual game (which was something OU did not want, by the way), I firmly believe it is much more difficult for NU to leave the XII in the first place.

As for Iowa, Trotter is correct that the game barely moves the needle in Lincoln.  But, surely Trotter would agree that it takes more than four seasons to build a strong rivalry (even if it does come with a generic, nondescript trophy sponsored by a grocery store).  Give the Iowa series a little more time before we declare it a dud – even if I believe that the Wisconsin game will likely surpass Iowa as NU’s hated rival.

Nebraska left the Big 12 primarily over its frustrations with the leadership at Texas.

That is a very oversimplified (if not completely inaccurate) statement.

If you were to ask me why NU left, Texas’s leadership doesn’t make the top three:

1. Nebraska needed stability, and Texas (among others) were not looking to commit to the Big XII.  Back in 2010 the conference was a sinking ship and every school was racing for the lifeboats.  Texas had a life yacht, but had not interest in sharing it with others.
2. The Big XII lacked leadership.  Dan Beebe was a bad commissioner who did little to strengthen the league or build unity.  (A cynic might note that the new leadership at Texas is a veiled reference to new conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby).
3. Money.  Nebraska had the opportunity to make more money in the Big Ten than the Big XII.

But since Nebraska’s exit, the Longhorns have hired a president, a new athletic director and a new football coach.

So?  That pompous jerk  you hated in high school may have a new wife, a new job, and a new house, but the odds say he’s still a ______ that you don’t want to associate with.  Is the implication here that since Nebraska struggled to beat Mack Brown teams, they should come back and take a shot at Charlie Strong’s squads?

If the Huskers completely soured on their Big Ten experience, maybe they would be open to reconciliation.

What would have to happen for NU to “completely sour” on the Big Ten?

Let’s say Jim Delaney retires and is replaced by Dan Beebe 2.0.  Ohio State assumes the role of Texas, leading coalitions to block any idea, policy, or rule that Nebraska supports.  The rest of the Big Ten West starts giving Nebraska the same beat downs as Wisconsin.  All Husker games are locked into an 11 am kickoff on BTN.  Would that be enough to make NU look elsewhere?

Personally, I think that even if NU’s B1G adventure went to hell, Nebraska would stick it out for two reasons:  1) Pride, and 2) the check Big Ten schools will get from the next TV rights deal.

One thing is for sure: The Big 12 would welcome them back with open arms.

Oh Jake.  Remember how you started strong?  You could not be more wrong here.

Intentionally or not, Nebraska (and Husker fans) burned a lot of bridges on their way out the door in 2010.  Do you think it is a coincidence that no Big XII team has scheduled Nebraska in football or basketball since NU left?  I can’t find a link, but I remember reading that Nebraska has called Big XII schools looking for basketball games, and has been refused by all.

You could make an argument that the only folks in the Big XII land who would truly welcome Nebraska back would be the hoteliers, restaurant owners, and barkeeps in Ames, Manhattan, Lawrence, and other Big XII towns.

Otherwise?  The only open arms Nebraska might see would be from a spurned rival preparing to put a “kick me” sign on NU’s back during a feigned embrace.

 

Husker Hot Takes

For it being a relatively slow time of year, there is a lot going on the world of Husker athletics.  Things that are getting a lot of local and even national attention.  Things that I have strong opinions on.

Unfortunately, my opinions on these topics tend to be too long for Twitter (damn you, 140 characters!), but not quite beefy enough for a full post of their own.

Therefore, I give you Husker Hot Takes – seven servings of delicious opinion, hopefully with no bad aftertaste.

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1.  NU Baseball survives crazy road trip, but has to cancel game with Creighton.
After NU’s three game sweep at Michigan State, the Huskers had a hard time getting back to Lincoln.  Cancelled flights, delayed buses, the fact that East Lansing is 725 stinkin’ miles from Lincoln.  I’m guessing during their 24 hour+ trip home, they quoted every single line from Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.  As a result, Nebraska’s game with Creighton had to be cancelled, and the 10,000 fans who bought tickets are likely out of luck.

Things like this make me miss the Big XII (and especially the Big 8).  Why?  Everything was closer in the 8 / XII.  The average distance between Lincoln and the other eleven towns in the Big XII was 480.5 miles.  In the current Big Ten, the average distance is 625.5 miles.  When Rutgers and Maryland officially join the league this summer, that average will jump to 720.5 miles.

720 miles used to be on the long end of Big XII roadies.  Only two Big XII schools (Texas and Texas A&M) were farther than the 720 mile voyage to Baylor in Waco.  In a few months, that becomes the average trip, and would still leave the baseball team five miles short of completing their epic journey home.

Put it another way:  in the B1G, Nebraska’s closest foe is Iowa – 301 miles away.  In the Big XII, Nebraska had three conference foes less than 225 miles from home (Kansas State, Kansas, and Iowa State), with a fourth that is practically the same distance from home as Iowa (Mizzou, 319 miles).

I get that there are a billion caveats here, notably that cancelled flights, bad weather, travel delays, can (and will) happen to everyone.  But I question the sanity of teams like Nebraska and Creighton travelling cross-country for baseball and other non-revenue / Olympic sports (like Cross Country).  All it does it wastes money and keeps students out of class.

Ultimately, it comes back to something I’ve believed for a while:  eventually, schools will belong to multiple conferences.  There will be a football/basketball conference that is tied to a big TV contract and may span 1500 miles and multiple time zones.  And a smaller, regional conference for Olympic and non-revenue sports.  Because eventually schools will realize that there is little gain in travelling 725 – each way – to play a game, especially when there are dozens of schools within a 500 mile radius of home that would likely offer the same level of competition.

2.  Taylor Martinez fails his NFL physical.

First and foremost, I’m bummed for Martinez.  I don’t follow the NFL as much as I used to, but I was intrigued to see how Chip Kelly would use him in Philadelphia’s offense.  Plus, I’d really like to see the kid be successful.

But clearly, I am in the minority on that.

Here is a quick sampling of some of the 200+ comments left on a Facebook post from a Omaha TV station announcing the news:

• “You have to pass a physical to be an NFL water boy?”
• “I think I can speak for all husker fans when I say that we never really trusted him at QB, let alone ever liked the guy.”
• “Hahaha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha”
• “he sucks…..lost all the big games for us….he didn’t care……good riddance……”
• “Hahahahahahahaha thank god! I hate this loser so much”

Keep in mind, these comments aren’t from the stereotypical message board guy hiding behind an anonymous screen name and avatar in his mother’s basement.  These are Facebook users putting their actual names behind this garbage.  Most of them had profile pictures of (presumably) themselves.  Others had pictures of young children, who I assume are their kids.

Look:  I’m not saying you have to love every Husker to come through the program.  It’s perfectly okay to question the talent and desire of a kid, but there is a line between honest criticism (“Taylor Martinez fumbled too much”) and a cheap personal attack (“Did he call his daddy? Hahah. What a loser!”).

If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t post it on the internet, ya damn trolls.  Next time, I’ll include your name and profile picture so more folks can see just what a great fan you are.

3.  The day of the Taylor Martinez tell-all interview is getting closer.

At some point during Martinez’s senior season, I had a thought:  “Some day this kid is going to do a tell-all interview where he airs ALL of his dirty laundry – the back story of how he beat out Cody Green and Zac Lee, what was said during and after that A&M game, his true feelings on Pelini, Tim Beck, his teammates, and the Nebraska fans who cheered him when he scored and booed him when he turned the ball over.  And it will be EPIC.”

That interview likely will not happen while Martinez still has a chance at the NFL, or even the CFL or arena leagues, but getting cut by the Eagles puts us another step closer to Taylor taking a match to the bridge leading back to what had to be an uncomfortable (and probably unenjoyable) college career.

4.  Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst says NU is “lucky to have” Bo as our coach.

Without getting to the Bo-liever / Bo-leaver partisan bickering that this sound byte provides, I’ll say this:  Nebraska is lucky.  NU is lucky that Bill Callahan is no longer our coach.  Lucky that Frank Solich has found a good fit at Ohio.  Lucky that some of the other candidates never took the job.  (Houston Nutt, I’m looking directly at you).

A part of me wonders if this quote will haunt Eichort’s tenure the way “gravitating towards mediocrity” did for Pedersen.  Let’s face it, I have a feeling that if 2014 is a five or six loss season, Eichorst may try to change his luck by finding a new coach.

5.  The B1G moves the basketball tournament to Washington D.C., fans react with much angst.  

I get it.  Husker fans are getting deja vu all over again about how the Big XII tournament shifted from Kansas City to wherever the heck Texas wanted it to be played.  But here’s the thing:  Having the tournament in D.C. should help Nebraska.  It is a simple fact that there is more hoops talent out east than in Nebraska’s back yard.  Tim Miles has an assistant coach who was at Georgetown for a number of years.  Nebraska can tell a recruit that mom and dad will get to watch him just down the road during the conference tournament.

Besides, raise your hand if you truly planned to travel to the B1G hoops tourney in the next few years.  For most of us, we’re going to watch the event on TV.  With a neutral paint job on the court, most of us would have no idea if the games are in D.C., Indianapolis, Chicago, or the Pershing Center.

6.  That said, Omaha may bid on the basketball tournament.

During an interview, Eichorst said that he saw no reason why the hoops tournament couldn’t be played in Omaha from time to time.  It makes perfect sense.  The Century Link is an excellent venue.  Downtown Omaha has lots of hotels and entertainment options for out of town fans.  And Omaha has a proven track record of surpassing expectations when they host big events – both in Nebraska niceness and in attendance.

I see no reason why Omaha shouldn’t put a bid together for any Big Ten championship.  And after Omaha gets done blowing the doors off of the attendance records for the Big Ten baseball tournament next week, I think they’ll have a damn good chance.

7.  Josh Banderas is arrested and charged with felony theft.

If you thought the comments on the Taylor Martinez story were bad, you should take a look at what some people posted on the Journal-Star’s website.  On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t.  By allowing people to comment on the news story of Banderas’s arrest – something that I had never seen before on the LJS – they seem content to scrap the presumption of innocence for these young men.  Josh Banderas may very well be guilty of what he has been accused of doing, but I’d prefer if his due process came in a court room instead of the comments section of the local newspaper.

Speaking of due process, I don’t expect Bo Pelini to decide on possibly suspending or dismissing Banderas until the case is further along.  We can all speculate on what Bo would do in case of A, B, or C, but what I really like is the confidence I have that Nebraska’s depth a linebacker will not factor in Bo’s decision making process.

 

What if Nebraska Never Left the Big XII?

Here’s a great “what if” question that I’ve been thinking about lately…

What if all of the conference realignment drama of 2010 and 2011 never happened?  What if Nebraska and Colorado never left the Big XII?  How would Nebraska’s 2011 season play out?  Here is my best guess: