Larry from PA Dec 29 09

I would love to see Nebraska in the Big 10. A great football tradition and strong program would be a better addition competitively than any of the Big East teams being thrown around.

One correct though, move Michigan to the cupcake side of your list!

Larry from PA Dec 29 09

I would love to see Nebraska in the Big 10. A great football tradition and strong program would be a better addition competitively than any of the Big East teams being thrown around.

One correction though, move Michigan to the cupcake side of your list!

OU7times Dec 29 09

Nebraska has played in the Rose Bowl while in the Big 12.

I still contend that playing 'cupcakes' doesn't make you a better team. It just makes you fall harder against better compitition in the bowl games. Besides, the Big 12 North has been full of cupcakes over the past few years. If you are hellbent on moving, move to the Big 12 South Division.

In years past, Nebraska has recruited New Jersey, california etc. Recruiting Ohio (Pelini) should not be a problem either.

The Texas B.S.? Which account is that reference to? The fourth down fake punt in 1996 for the Big 12 Championship or the Jamal Lord absolutely ridiculous pass interception to lose the game when all you had to do was run the ball and kick a field goal?

The Big 12 is just as prestigious as the Big 10 and if no one has not heard of Nebraska by now then what dif would it make anyway?

Unfortunately and like it or not, there was one second left on the clock, fair and square.

Pete Dec 29 09

It may open up new recruiting areas to the east (eventually), but it would significantly damage recruiting in Texas. Alot of those kids sign with NU knowing that they'll go home once or twice a year. That will stop if NU joins the Big 10.
@OU7times - Texas has all the advantages in the Big 12 and wants to continue getting more advantages. Moving the Big 12 HQ to Texas....that's BS! Championship game every year in Texas, .....that's BS. I wonder how many UT grads are Big 12 execs. Still, I remain unconvinced a move to the Big 10 is a good idea in the long run.

cvldfg Dec 29 09

I say, if the Big 10 "really" wants to give a big middle finger to the rest of the country, they should take NEBRASKA, missouri, iowa state, rutgers and pittsburgh, make it the "Ginormous 16", split it into two sets of eight and go tell the rest of the conferences to go to hell!

Asten Dec 29 09

@OU: The "Texas BS" is in reference to how the Big 12 favors Texas. The population density is out of whack - the Big 8 schools all had similar challenges, whereas texas has, well, texas.

They get game changing penalties that are dubious at best (and i'm not talking about the 1 second - many other examples). The HQ is in texas, despite the texas teams being added to the Big 8, not the other way around.

Whoever from the big 8 negotiated the formation of the big 12 was a complete failure.

Matt Dec 29 09

Actually, a jump to the Big 10(11) won't damage recruiting in Texas all that much, IMO.

While some recruits are about staying as close to home as possible, many kids don't give two whits about that (read: all of the West and East Coast kids that come to Nebraska). What they care about is whether or not their family and friends can see them back home via media coverage.

Nebraska gets virtually no play from the Texas print media (except to cast them in a negative light) in recruiting or other sports news, and what little attention is thrown our way is when they are more or less forced to cover us (read Big XII title game).

However, television media is a completely different story. The major cable players, including Verizon FiOS, carry the Big 10(11) Network. Those folks that live in areas where they aren't serviced could just as easily sign up for DirecTV or Dish and get the Big 10(11) Network that way. Between the Big 10(11) Network, ABC, and ESPN, Bo would be able to look recruits in the eye and tell them their family and friends will be able to see them on television for every single game they play.

---

Also, just to comment on the original article that caused this counterpoint to come into creation--it's already been pointed out that TV revenues, despite the commie split, would still be in our favor.

However, what people don't realize is that any allegiance to the old Big 8 died when the Big XII came into being. It wasn't just the Texas schools that voted/decided to shaft all of the items that Nebraska wanted to fight for--they had help from most of the old Big 8 schools at one point or another in screwing Nebraska over during the formation of the conference.

While it's more than assured that the smell of Texas' oil-soaked, ill-gotten money was what drove these former schools to vote as they did, there should be no allegiance or concern for these former colleagues--they hung us out to dry during the formation of the conference, and had they the same opportunity (jump ship to a better conference with a more stable future), they would do so in a heartbeat and wouldn't look back.

---

And Pete, I'll tell you one Big XII exec that is a UT alum--the head of referees for the Big XII is a graduate of their Dental School.

That, right there, was enough for Texas to win the Big XII Title this year when they had the inferior team.

willy Dec 29 09

Was the B12 championship fair? The referee twice during the game adjusted the ABC clock and then at the end adjusted his clock by adding one more second to allow the field goal? Am I wrong? Just a question but if the answer is that he adjusted the game clock to match ABC then we need to get out of the Big 12 or rather the little eleven and the Big One!

Mark Dec 29 09

I like the point-counterpoint. I don't think a move to the Big Ten is something that should be dismissed out of hand, as many Husker fans seem to be doing.

One point of contention: Northwestern really doesn't count as a cupcake anymore. Over the past four years, it's gone 27-22 -- a better record over that span than K-State (23-26), Colorado (16-33) and Iowa State (15-33). And over the past two years, it has almost an identical record to Nebraska.

Me Dec 29 09

10) Nebraska would never have to put up with any Texas b.s. ever again!

What happens when NU cant compete with the PSU, OSUs, etc..run away to the MAC? The so called Texas bs is only going to be 4x stronger in the BIG 10. Are all NU "fans" going to whine and cry when the conference championship (when the finally get to it) is held in Indianapolis every year?

Mark Dec 29 09

Wow. My computer went postal when I tried to post that comment. Sorry about that.

iggy Dec 29 09

I do think that moving to the big 10 is the right move on a number of different levels. I think being the first school to jump in on a power conference puts us in the best position long term. I don't want NU to be stuck in a dying conference if we have the chance to be the first to go. I do wonder however if the mere threat of losing NU and MU to the Big 10 would make the Big 12 take a closer look at the current 'situation' in regards to the way NU and some of the other north schools have been treated by the conference.

Personally I think what we might see in the not too distant future is the big 12 getting cut up with UT OU OSU and T A&M going to the SEC, and NU MU ISU going to the Big 10. CU might then head off to the PAC 10 leaving the two Kansas schools and Baylor in the lurch or forced to join C-usa, the MAC or the Mountain West.

All things considered I don't care what happens to the Kansas schools or Colorado. We have a Natural rivalry with MU and ISU along with great potential to start one with Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Not to mention OSU and MICH. We could also (if we chose to) renew our annual rivalry with OU by scheduling them as an OOC rival and schedule it for the day after Thanksgiving if we chose to.

There is no pretty option unfortunately but this is the one I'd like to see. Let UT and OU see how well their BS works in the SEC. We can take our chances in the Big 10 thank you very much.

Joel Schmidt Dec 29 09

Interesting, interesting stuff. Still not sure what to think. Any word on how possible any of this really is? How big is Osborne's opinion? And what's the B10 championship trophy gonna look like? Gotta know what we're going to be stocking our trophy shelves with if this actually happens....haha

Jim Lonergan Dec 29 09

bring it on! Northwestern and the rest of the cupcakes welcome you!

Matt Dec 29 09

Joel--this is all possible. In fact, a lot of this comes from comments that Maisel and Mandel have made recently.

In addition, Mandel suggested back in 2007 that a defection by Nebraska was extremely possible (back in 2007 when expansion came up last time for the Big 10). Reasons that were brought up then that are still relevant today:

-We have a built-in ally with Barry Alvarez @ Wisconsin, and Barry is likely aware of our growing frustration with how Texas is running the conference into the ground.

-The former Big XII commissioner abruptly quit at that time and went on to head the Big 10 Conference Network. He likely had multiple stories of how Nebraska and the Texas schools (read: Austin) were constantly butting heads, ten years after the conference was brought kicking and screaming into the world.

Also, the Forbes report could not have come at a better time. When everyone is thinking that Mizzery is a likely candidate (only for boob tubes--they bring nothing else to the table), the report shows what we have known for a long time--we're one of the perennial brands in all of collegiate football.

If we jumped over to the Big 10 today, the only program we would be looking up to is Penn State, and we would have programs like tOSU and Michigan looking up at us. That, and our good friend Barry Alvarez, should help smooth the transition over and prevent the perennial screw jobs (real or imagined...) that we've experienced in our current conference.

And if Nebraska and Oklahoma really want to play annually, they'll schedule it as a non-conference game and get it back to Thanksgiving day again. The thing is...Oklahoma won't do this. There's a reason they chickened out before in keeping the OU/NU game going annually, and it's not because of the supposed talent level in the Big XII South--it's because Texas shuffles them enough money to make them their main rival and allow that game to be a perennial springboard for Texas' National Championship aspirations.

Frankly, I not only hope Nebraska jumps ship, I hope they do it soon and give the Big XII the middle finger doing so. Nebraska owes this conference nothing, and it will sure as hell be nice to see Nebraska play on TV week in and week out without fail. :)

OU7times Dec 29 09

OU chickened out? Where did you get your information?

OU is scared of no one, including Nebraska. Why would they be scared of Nebraska when OU has the series lead?

Nice try but I am throwing the BS flag on that 'analysis'.

Baloooonnnnneeeeyyyyyyy!

Scrote Dec 29 09

NU has to be the most hated school in the big 12. We have always been a threat, minus the Callahan years. If you watched any of the 2009 season the officials seemed to be on the payroll of any school we faced. As far as the one second one point texas b.s. it went against big 12 regulation. As the rules of replay state the play must be in question to challenge the clock with an instant replay. The only question that was issued was the clock. Not saying there wasn't that one second left (disregarding all other clock changes and blatant penalties that weren't called against texas) Nebraska deserved to win that game.
Coming in as a complete underdog and upstaging Texas only to lose the game by one point with one second was a huge heartbreak.
The big 10 would be fun to watch, and maybe I could see the games without blackouts or paying out the ass in Chicago to watch them but the big twelve is where we belong, we are in the middle of some huge rebuilding and have proved we are on our way back to the top.
If it comes to one second and one point against the number 2 team in the nation (unfairly officiated) then we can compete with anyone in any conference

Greg Morrow Dec 29 09

10) Nebraska would never have to put up with any Texas b.s. ever again!

Or, put up with snotty, compulsive cheaters!

1. Nebraska's about preparing for, competing for, and winning championships.
Had Solich and then Pelini not been ridiculously dismissed, after shoring up the defense AND the record, this team would've been closer to what it is now (in '04).
Now, the team is creeping, trying to become offensively, what it would've already been, following '03.
These last 6 seasons should've simply been building up from that.

2. To contend for championships, Nebraska has to be able to prepare for the fastest teams, because it's those type of teams they'd play, come BCS time.
Even in the current configuration, the North teams, with their gimmicky offenses, show enough formations and skill to provide good scout work. For when Nebraska plays teams that do similiar things, but at a quicker clip.
Nebraska's renewed physicality has again got to be it's calling card. Pelini's just giving Watson a winter and spring to come to grips with that. Watson can still fit in fancy pass plays, and everything.

3. One day, when Nebraska finally wins another Big 12 title, they'll most likely get to play for the bigger title, because that's usually the situation, these last 14 seasons. A coulple of times, the Big 12 has even gotten too much respect.
Has the Big 10?

4. Nebraska's not only a founding member of the Big 8, the Big 6 and before that, old Missouri Valley, it's essentially a founding team of all of college football.
It's easy to get paranoid and assume there's elements who want to demographically market Nebraska right out into the colder cold. Maybe so.
But, at the moment, Nebraska's one of the financially strongest programs going. And recruiting seems to be doing just fine, considering the sophomores and younger.
Nebraska makes it's way, invite or not.

5. One other thing, the last academic ranking I saw, of all schools, Nebraska would've been ranked LAST in the Big 10...
We'd want to deal with THAT, on future message boards?
I actually read that info, from a link on a Big 10 message board some months ago. When they were discussing the feasibility of inviting Nebraska.
At the moment, Nebraska wears a cut of cloth, that suits it.

LOOKING IN Dec 30 09

Don't know if this applys to Nebraska or not?

I went back home this Christmas (Big 10 state) and a relative who just retired from that same state Big 10 university was part of the support clerical team that put together the info' concerning Penn State joining the Big 10 some years ago. I guess she only did what she was told and had no say in the data collection but she said the most important thing was whether or not the university being invited was a major research university and that Notre Dame would be the only exception.

She also said that the chancellors were adament that a move to include a school, any school other than N.D. would not be in their best interest(s) unless the school's academic ranking was equaal too or better than the upper 50 percentile of the Big 10 schools. The only other thing I was able to get out of her was maybe things have changed and the football revenue (being what it is today) may have been moved up on the criteria list, but apparently they looked at every possibilty up north and Penn State and Notre Dame were the only two targeted.

Matt Dec 30 09

OU7Times, it would behoove you to actually know some of your own team's history--more specifically, the period during the 1990s that had Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger, and John Blake coaching.

If you recall, Nebraska was making life a living hell for Oklahoma post-Switzer. When the formation of the Big XII came along, Nebraska wanted to continue the OU series and have schools select a 'designated rival' (as is done in other conferences) for scheduling that they would play every year from the other part of the conference.

OU, still reeling from the annual thrashing they received at the hands of Nebraska, rejected such a move saying that the 2-on/2-off was fine by them as the Big XII South schedule was satisfactory. Of course, having their palms greased with Texas Tea money doesn't hurt either...

...but the long and the short of it is that Nebraska wanted the annual NU/OU tilt to happen, and OU weaseled out of it by not supporting Nebraska's request.

OU7times Dec 30 09

Behoove this,

"Annual thrashings", as you mentioned, are more like the Switzer years (16) and I believe Nebraska won 4 of those contests. OU redeemed themeselves by thrashing Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The last NU touchdown was meaningless and as time expired with OU's 2nd string playing. Was not that close...how short of a memory do you hnave or were you still crapping your pants then.

Switzer made a living out of beating Nebraska.
John Blake was a coach 'wanna be' (which Nebraska hired). Gary Gibbs was a freaking joke and Schnellenbreathalizer was a proven coach who eventually (after one season)'Mike Leached' his way to unemployment.

Your recollection reminds me of narrow minded people who base a poll on a sample of one.

Be proud that Nebraska 'thrashed' Oklahoma during the 90's agaist 2 of the Big 8/Big 12's most ridiculous coaches.

It's like I told a snot nose on this site before, It's a natural emotion to hate Oklahoma because they knocked you down and took your lunch money for so many years.

You need to get over your bitterness and realize that Nebraska is not what they were when Tom Osborne was on the sideline (against most Big 8 teams, anyway). It's just like OU's game against Oregon, you probably shouldn't have put yourself in a position to have a single play cost you the game. If you are saying there was NOT one second left on the clock, you are in denial,son.

BTW, word in the media is the Pelini better watch out with his temper (ticking time bomb) or he will receive the Mangino/Leach treatment.

Anyway, get your proof/documentation together with the greased palms rant and get over the fact that OU might not have laid down to Nebraska's wants for other reasons than to piss you off (if there is a hint of truth to begin with).

Lots of comments by people in denial. Try losing with some class since it comes so easy to you all to win with class. Not all the officials are in the 'grassy knoll'.

Have a great New Years.

Matt Dec 31 09

OU7times--It appears you're not emotionally capable of handling the truth or history of your team, so I'll apologize for making you have to ramble on and create a post full of straw men to knock down to make yourself feel better.

Oklahoma wussing out on the NU/OU game is fact--if you want documentation, go find it yourself, because I'm not about to trudge through circa 1997 media to prove something to you that anyone that hasn't had their head up their arse about Big XII college football knows as fact.

But you keep putting up those straw men and knockin' them down--it looks like that's the only meaningful thing Oklahoma will be able to knock down for the foreseeable future.

Oklahoma Husker Jan 06 10

LSU 21
OU 14

USC 55
OU 19

BOISE ST 43
OU 42

WEST VA 48
OU 28

FLORIDA 24
OU 14

Since the 2001 Orange Bowl, what meaningful bowl game has Overrated U and Coach Stoopid more than simply shown up in, better yet competed for or won??

Exactly.