Note: projections will not include my predictions for the Big Ten basketball tournament, nor any March Madness predictions.
Follow paulmbanks2012 Big Ten Power Rankings: post media day edition
July 29, 2012 By 1 Comment
These are highly subject to change. Brady Hoke remarked at Media Day that UM was picked fifth in their division a year ago; and just outside the top 25 in the year they won their last national title- 1997.
So maybe these rankings don’t really mean all that much? Of course, that won’t stop you from reading them and commenting, right?
Follow paulmbanksNebraska Cornhuskers-Iowa Hawkeyes Rivalry: Tom Osborne is Excited
November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
On the last Friday of November in Lincoln, Neb., the college football teams from the University of Iowa and the University of Nebraska will square off in the first of what is expected to be a long and competitive and entertaining rivalry between one of the Big Ten Conference’s original member institutions and the league’s most recent addition.
It could be the beginning of a huge rivalry between the Cornhuskers and the Hawkeyes.
“It is the last regular season game, so it may have implications on the Big Ten title game which will be a week later. I have not spoken to the players on how much it will mean but it will be like every game,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
Follow paulmbanksNebraska National Champion Wes Mabin Sees Nephew Become Star at Northwestern
November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the Big Ten in 2011 means there are now two NUs in the league. And there’s connections between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Huskers. Former blackshirt/cornerback Wes Mabin (1968-1971), won two national titles under Bob Devaney (Tom Osborne was still offensive coordinator) at Nebraska in the early 1970s. The 6-2, 184 DB played left corner and wore #39.
His nephew is 5-11 (and that’s a very generously listed height) Northwestern cornerback Jordan Mabin, a three year starter.
Follow paulmbanksNebraska Cornhuskers Named Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week
October 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
They registered the biggest comeback in school history in their first ever Big Ten home game. Yes, the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) earned Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.
Nebraska recorded its first ever Big Ten win, 34-27, over Ohio State, rallying from a 27-6 deficit in the third quarter before a NCAA-record 315th consecutive sellout at Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium on Homecoming.
Follow paulmbanksNebraska’s Jared Crick: Best NFL Talent in Big 10, Not the Next Suh
August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Jared Crick has really torn up opposing offenses in his three years with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ndamukong Suh’s alma mater. Crick is a dominating player in his own right; but he’s not like Suh. Detroit Lions DL Ndamukong Suh was fined $20,000 by the NFL last Wednesday for a hit on Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton.
Infractions aside, Suh is a beast among beasts, and the search is on for NFL teams to find the next game-changing DL in his mold. Crick’s name comes up often in this specific discussion because well obviously he played with Suh and wears the same uniform. But Crick has his own legacy to build.
Follow paulmbanksNebraska Cornhuskers Back-7 Blackshirt Stars: Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard
August 18, 2011 By 2 Comments
Defense is a tradition in Lincoln, Nebraska. The “Blackshirts” are a legendary point of pride for the Nebraska Cornhuskers college football program, and this year’s unit looks especially special. There are future NFL stars and potential national award winners in all three position groups. We’ll get to DTs Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuhler later.
For now, let’s focus on seniors LB Lavonte David and CB Alfonzo Dennard.
David was described by NU Defensive Coordinator Carl Pellini as “another quick reactor that has a great feel for the box. He just always seems to be around the football. He has that knack that great linebackers have and is equally good defending the run and the pass. He’s a very balanced player.”
Lavonte is a junior college transfer who set the school record for single season tackles last year.
Follow paulmbanksNext Ndamukong Suh: Michigan Wolverines Mike Martin? Possibly?
August 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
Detroit Lions DL Ndamukong Suh was fined $20,000 by the NFL Wednesday for a hit on Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, Suh’s third fine of this sort in the past year. He was obviously upset, tweeting before practice: “$20,000REALLY???!!!!!!… #NFL #BIGFAIL”
The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year grabbed the Bengals rookie ginger-haired quarterback after he released the ball, and threw him to the turf in the first quarter of Friday’s preseason game. Suh was penalized for unnecessary roughness.
Infractions aside, Suh is a beast among beasts, and the search is on for NFL teams to find the next game-changing DL in his mold. How about Jared Crick, who’s tearing it up for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Suh’s alma mater? Well, Crick is a dominating player in his own right; but he’s not like Suh. We’ll explore this more in a future post.
But we may have found another Suh.
Follow paulmbanksWith Nebraska Cornhuskers in Big 10, All “NU” Rivalry with Northwestern Developing?
August 12, 2011 By 5 Comments
There’s a new college football team which simply has a “N” on it’s helmet in the Big Ten this year. This year, the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers means we have a new NU in the league. Contrary to popular practice/belief, the Northwestern Wildcats are NU, not NWU or NW as you’ll sometimes hear/see on ESPN. The school chant is “Go U, NU!”
The Cats and Cornhuskers haven’t played all that much, so they don’t have much of a rivalry and obviously, the two programs are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to winning tradition- 5 national titles on one side, versus zero bowl wins this past half-century). But they did meet in the 2000 Alamo Bowl.
Follow paulmbanksHow Good/Bad Could Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez Be in 2011?
August 5, 2011 By 10 Comments
Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez, sometimes referred to as “T-Mart” or “T-Magic” has a tendency to polarize Husker fans with his play. There are some fans who only know the guy thrust into the Heisman race after setting a NU QB record for rushing yards (241) versus Kansas State, the frosh record for passing yards in a game, and becoming the only Husker signal caller to throw for 300 and run for 100 in the same game.
Other fans only know the kid who played awful versus Texas, and saw his yards-per-carry average dip post-injury from 8.7 in the first seven games, to 1.5 in the final seven. Knowledgeable college football fans know that he’s somewhere in the middle, a hybrid of the two dualities.
“I think he’s always been a confident kid, he wasn’t a healthy kid at the end of last year,” NU Head Coach Bo Pelini told journalists at Big Ten media day.
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