Huskerland.net Blog

From AP:

“I think I’m ready for it,” Martinez said.

The redshirt freshman’s performance featured elusive and tough running along with sudden bursts of speed, the likes of which Nebraska hasn’t seen for a while from its quarterbacks. He also showed he could pass a little.

All in all, Martinez validated coach Bo Pelini’s decision to elevate him over 2009 starter Zac Lee and last year’s top backup, Cody Green.

The only redshirt or true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for Nebraska, Martinez became the first Husker signal-caller since 2003 to run for more than 100 yards in a game.

Martinez led Nebraska to touchdowns on his first two series and on four of his eight. Green led the Huskers to touchdowns on his two series. Lee, who entered in the middle of the fourth quarter, handed off twice on a short touchdown drive and then ran out the last four minutes.

Pelini said Martinez’s body of work in preseason practices gave him the edge over Lee and Green.

“It was a really close race,” Pelini said. “In the end he was the guy who won the job. It wasn’t like one particular day or scrimmage.”

Martinez ran only seven times and averaged 18.1 yards a carry. His TDs were from 46, 19 and 15 yards.

“He gets to top speed in a hurry,” said receiver Niles Paul, who gave Martinez the “T-Magic” nickname. “He’s surprisingly tough, and he can break tackles. He’s a playmaker, and you saw it today.”

Martinez overshadowed a Nebraska defense that Pelini called an “embarrassment” against a Western Kentucky team that was winless in 2009 and has lost 21 straight.

WKU’s Bobby Rainey rushed 30 times for a career-high 155 yards and a TD against a unit that was ninth nationally against the run last season.

The Hilltoppers, who crossed midfield once in the first half — and then only because of a Nebraska penalty — dented the Huskers’ defense in the second half, when they generated 219 of their 299 yards.

“I don’t like anything we did defensively,” Pelini said. “There were a couple of things we did OK, but we did not play up to our standard.”

Casey Tinius kicked a 25-yard field goal and Rainey had a 5-yard touchdown run for WKU. Rainey almost had another touchdown, but DeJones Gomes stripped the ball just as he was about to cross the goal line to finish a 47-yard run. Eric Hagg recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

“That hurt from a momentum standpoint,” said first-year WKU coach Willie Taggart. “You make a play like that and you get your guys fired up, then you fumble and just that quick ‘Uncle Mo’ jumps back on Nebraska’s side.”

Pelini kept the identity of his starting quarterback under wraps until about a half-hour before the game. That’s when the Huskers’ starters introduced themselves in a video on the big-screen scoreboard. The crowd roared when Martinez’s face appeared.

“I got chills throughout my body,” Martinez said. “I was glad the fans wanted me to start.”

Since last spring Pelini and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson have raved about the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder’s athleticism. Husker fans found out why on his first touchdown.

Martinez kept the ball on a zone read, squirted through the line, juked a linebacker and darted left, shifting into a higher gear while outrunning cornerback Kareem Peterson to the end zone for his 46-yard TD.

Martinez, who was 9 for 15 passing, hit Rex Burkhead in stride across the middle for a 28-yard gain to start the next series, which Burkhead finished with a 20-yard TD run.

The Huskers went three-and-out on Martinez’s last two series of the half, but he started the third quarter with a 43-yard run that featured a spin move after he broke through the line. That drive ended when he faked an inside handoff and scored from 19 yards.

Martinez showed some strength on his 15-yard TD, shaking his foot loose from Peterson’s grasp just before going into the end zone.

“You got to see his speed and how he can get downfield in a hurry,” Burkhead said. “He did a good job making quick decisions. He makes it exciting and fun.”

Martinez gets a chance to polish his game next week at home against Idaho before the Huskers play a big road game at Washington.

“I’ve never been around a football team that played its best football in game one,” Pelini said. “You play that first one and move on. We have to make a big jump between game one and game two.”

All courtesy of ESPN, and AP

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt, Huskerland.net Owner

Tags: Nebraska, T-Magic, Taylor Martinez, WKU

On Sept 4th, 2010, Nebraska comes out of the Memorial Stadium gates to face Western, Kentucky, sure they aren’t a big time team, or a national power house, but Nebraska needs a good starter game, and I know for a fact that they want to keep that “Winning the season opener” record that they have going.

But as the Cornhuskers step threw those gates and march onto the field, chills will be sent up millions of Husker fans back, knowing that this could possibly be the making of a National Title year, and marking the last year that Nebraska will be in the Big 12.

Nebraska has a pretty easy schedule in my book, playing some tough teams in, Texas, Mizzou, and Washington, but other than that Nebraska should win every single game this year. I don’t think Nebraska has had this much talk of playing for a National Title since 2001, which seems like centuries ago. Lee Corso himself has picked Nebraska to face Florida in the National Title Game. Me on the other hand would love it if we were to play……

Ohio State for the National Championship, they are getting some pretty huge talk themselves and could very well make their own title run but just think of how awesome it would be NEBRASKA vs OHIO STATE for the National Title, the 2 future Powers in the Big 10 battling it out for the National Championship.

Nebraska to me would be the favorite in this game, not just because I love Nebraska but because our defense is going to be so stellar, and Ohio State, to me, does not have a very good offense. Sure they have Pryor and a few decent guys, but there is no way that they would be able to compare to Prince Akukamara, Will Compton, Rickey Thenarse (6 year Senior), Jared Crick, Pierre Allen. Let’s just face it Nebraska has to much talent on that side of the ball to be messed with.

The Nebraska offense also seems to be making some strides, and if the Holiday bowl was any indication of what is to come for this year, Nebraska should have no problem putting points on the board, and making their run at a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt, Huskerland.net Owner

Tags: Florida, National Title, Nebraska, Nebraska National Champs, Ohio State

I recently read a post about someone (they will remain nameless) saying that Nebraska should remove the quote saying “Greatest Fans in College Football” because we are classy and we don’t have to announce it.

Well I’m here to say, leave the quote, we should take great pride in that quote because so many have used it, and believe in it, I personally believe that Nebraska does have the best fans in College Football, we cheer other teams, whether they beat us or not, we also are very passionate for the game and know almost every rule in the handbook, lol. And if you are reading this and are a true Husker Fan, you just grinned a little bit because you know its true.

I’m going to give you a good example of how classy our fans are. Back in 2005 when Oklahoma came to town, a buddy of mine and myself went to the game and had to sit in the visitor section, I figured ehh it can’t be so bad, but dear god, from the beginning of the game to the very end the Oklahoma fans were ridiculousy rude. Yelling things at my buddy and I, like, “You suck, Nebraska ain’t sh*t” and just all sorts of vulgar remarks. And trust me folks, it was so hard not to respond to that because me being a 6′4″ 300lbs boy I could hold my own against them Sooner Fans, but I did keep my cool bit my tongue.

At the end of the game, when Oklahoma won, I congradulated their fans, and of course they had nothing but bashing remarks to make, and many other Husker Fans heard them to and kept their cool, it wasn’t because we were affraid, it was because we know class, and we are class. That is the very thing that seperates us from ordinary fans, we bring Passion, Heart, and Comrodery to the game, no matter win or lose, and that is why we should leave the quote of  “Greatest Fans in College Football” because we truely are Husker Nation, so don’t take it as being cocky, take it as it is and keep the Tradition going, be classy, cheer no matter what and always have respect for the other competitor at the end of the game.

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt, Huskerland.net Owner

Tags: "Greatest Fans in College Football"

From Sports Illustrated.

While most of NFL nation is gearing up for the start of training camps at the end of the month, the scouting process for next April’s draft is already in full swing. Grades for more than 1,400 draft eligible college seniors recently were sent to league franchises by National, the predominant scouting organization in the NFL.

Almost two dozen franchises belong to National, which collects data on potential NFL prospects and then shares the information with member teams. Franchises pay a fee of more than $100,000 and, in many cases, donate one scout in the effort to collect the data on players across the country.

Scouts assigned to National travel the country during the spring, measuring, timing and watching hours of film on college players who will be seniors during the upcoming campaign. Information is gathered on players’ character, work habits, injury history and other attributes important to NFL teams. Reports, which can be several pages long, are processed on every player then sent to the teams which belong to National. (Most of the NFL teams that don’t use National subscribe instead to BLESTO, and a few teams aren’t associated with either scouting service.)

The seniors are assigned several grades based on different criteria, with playing skill being the most prominent grade of all.

Grades range as high as 9.0, which represents a potential superstar, to as low as 1.0, given to a player whose football career will likely finish in college. Only on rare occasions are players handed grades of 8.0 or higher. Top-rated players usually receive a grade of 7.0 or higher, which translates into a possible first round pick. Grades of 6.0 or higher represents a prospect with the potential to be a top seventy-five selection in the following year’s draft.

Of the graded seniors in 2009, Ndamukong Suh, Greg Hardy and Brandon LaFell all received a 7.0, the highest grade of the class. Nebraska’s Suh went on to become the second pick in April’s draft. LSU’s LaFell was a third-round choice while Hardy fell into the sixth round after a disappointing senior season at Ole Miss, proving these pre-season grades ultimately take a backseat to on-field performance.

Moving toward the 2010 season, it looks like once again next year’s draft will offer plenty of talent on the defensive line and at offensive tackle. The senior class is weakest at wide receiver, tight end and running back.

Here are the top 25 NFL prospects from the senior class as graded by National.

Prince Amukamara/CB/Nebraska/7.3: Amukamara offers NFL size (6-feet, 201 pounds) which he uses to shut down opponents regularly. His game has shown tremendous improvement the past two seasons and scouts are excited about his upside.

Adrian Clayborn/DE/Iowa/7.3: Clayborn is a terrific pass rusher who must improve his skills defending the run.

Mark Herzlich/OLB/Boston College/7.2: Herzlich’s grade is equal to the one he received last year after his cancer diagnoses.

Allen Bailey/DL/Miami-Fl/6.9: For years the Miami program put quality defensive linemen into the NFL yet they’ve not had one selected in the first round since 2004 (Vince Wilfork). Bailey, who can play a variety of positions up front, is set to reverse the recent trend.

Von Miller/OLB/Texas A&M/6.9: Miller will begin the season as the premier 3-4 outside linebacker.

Greg Romeus/DE/Pittbugh/6.8: Romeus has been a force for the Panthers defense since his freshman season. He’s a terrific athlete with an NFL body (6-5, 267).

Marvin Austin/DT/North Carolina/6.7: Austin draws a variety of opinions in scouting circles. His physical ability is on a par with any defender in the senior class. His gameday intensity is not.

Christian Ponder/QB/Florida State/6.7: Ponder, who already completed his Master’s Degree at FSU, scored a big number on the pre-season Wonderlic. He lacks the eye-popping stats on the college level yet is considered the most NFL-ready passer in the senior class.

Washington’s Jake Locker could be the first quarterback selected in the 2010 draft.

John Biever/SI

Jake Locker/QB/Washington/6.7: Scouts applauded Locker’s decision to return to college for another season. He has the athletic skills and leadership ability to be the centerpiece of a franchise yet needs to improve the consistency of his throwing mechanics.

• ANDREW PERLOFF: Analyzing Ponder-Locker debate and more draft observations

Stephen Paea/DT/Oregon State/6.5: Paea, who measures 6-1½, 306, compares favorably in style and substance to another Pac-10 performer, former first-round pick Sedrick Ellis.

Anthony Castonzo/T/Boston College/6.5: Castonzo is a tall (6-7) and athletic pass protector with the ability to hold down the all important left tackle position at the next level.

Pernell McPhee/DE/Mississippi State/6.4: The junior college all-American was a dominant force in the SEC during the 2009 season, his first at MSU. McPhee is a terrific pass rusher who holds up well defending the run.

Stefen Wisniewski /C/Penn State/6.4: Wisniewski plays a smart and tough brand of football, just like his Pro-Bowl father.

Jeremy Beal/DE/Oklahoma/6.3: Beal has been a disruptive force the past two seasons, combining for 34.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks.

Ross Homan/LB/Ohio State/6.3: Many in the scouting community think Homan is a better NFL prospect than former Buckeye star James Laurinaitis.

DeMarcus Love/T/Arkansas/6.3: Love is an athletic tackle who will get consideration at guard from a number of teams.

DeMarco Murray/RB/Oklahoma/6.3: Murray, the highest rated senior running back on the list, must stay healthy to maintain a high draft grade.

Niles Paul/WR/Nebraska/6.3: Paul, a terrific possession wideout, is an enticing target who measures 6-1, 222.

Jimmy Smith/CB/Colorado/6.2: Smith possesses outstanding size/speed numbers (6-2, 201, 4.46 forty time). He has a large upside and was wise to return for his senior season.

Ras-I Dowling/CB/Virginia/6.2: Dowling is another well-sized cornerback at 6-1½, 199. His ball skills and overall game significantly improved last season.

Jabaal Sheard/DE/Pittsburgh/6.2: Sheard is a terrific player and a solid pass rushing end yet can be overlooked playing on the same line as Greg Romeus.

Jerrell Powe/DT/Mississippi/6.2: Powe is the premiere nose tackle prospect from the senior class. He could easily make a big move up draft boards starting in September.

Bruce Carter/OLB/North Carolina/6.2: Carter is one of the most complete linebackers in the nation and a three-down defender with instant starting potential at the next level.

Derek Sherrod/T/Mississippi State/6.2: Sherrod is fundamentally sound and gets the most from his ability at left tackle.

Rodney Hudson/C-G/Florida State/6.1: One of the better zone blocking linemen in the nation, the Seminoles offensive guard has been graded at center by a number of teams.

For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, the previous Husker player was none other than Heisman trophy winner Eric Crouch.

This weeks player is going to take us back a few years…ok maybe 40 years, for those of you young Husker Fans, this one may have you stumped alittle.

Guess this Husker

As a senior that season, I won both the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, awarded to the outstanding interior player and top lineman in the country, respectively. I helped create holes for Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, who became only the second player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

I am about 6′3″ tall and weighed around 270 lbs.

As a junior in 1982, I played side-by-side with three All-Big Eight selections (Dave Rimington, Mike Mandelko and Randy Theiss) before earning the honor myself the following year.

Following a stellar senior season, I became the highest-drafted Husker linemen ever, when the Houston Oilers selected me as the second pick in the 1984 NFL Draft. Steinkuhler played eight seasons with the Houston Oilers before retiring following the 1991 season. I followed fellow Husker Irving Fryar in the draft, marking only the second time in NFL history, and the first since 1967, that the top two players were from the same school.

So…Have any ideas of who I am?

Find out tomorrow when we review another Husker Player of the past.

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt, Huskerland.net Owner.

Tags: name that Husker

Eric Crouch

Can you figure out who this former Husker Player is based on a few awards and info from the Former Husker Player?

I am a 2001 graduate, I stand about 6′1″ and weigh about 200 lbs.

I graduated from Millard North and am from Omaha, NE

Got any ideas of who I am yet?

Here are some of the awards I have won, while at Nebraska.

I also love to run alot, as you can tell by some of my awards and stats.

Awards

2001 Walter Camp Player of the Year

2001 Sporting News National Offensive Player of the Year

2001 ABC/Chevrolet National Player of the Year

2001 First-Team All-American (AP, AFCA, The Sporting News, ABC Sports Online)

2001 Football News Offensive Player of the Year Semifinalist

2001 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (Coaches, AP, Kansas City Star, Austin American Statesman, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram, San Antonio News Express, Waco Tribune Herald)

2001 First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, AP, KC Star, AAS, DMN, FWST, SANE, WTH)

2001 USAToday.com National Player of the Week (Sept. 24)

2001 Co-Guy Chamberlain Award Winner

2001 NACDA Pigskin Classic MVP ($5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship)

2001 Team Co-Captain

2000 Football News Offensive Player of the Year Semifinalist

2000 Third-Team All-American (Collegefootballnews.com)

2000 Second-Team All-Big 12 (AP, The Sporting News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle)

2000 Fiesta Bowl MVP vs. Tennessee

1999 Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Year (Coaches)

1999 Co-First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)

1999 Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Academic Honor Roll

Eight-Time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (2 in 1999, 3 in 2000, 3 in 2001)

16-time TV Player of the Game (13 by ABC, 1 by NBC and 1 by Fox Sports Net; 1 by Big 12 Syndicated; 1 in 1998, 6 in 1999, 4 in 2000, 5 in 2001)

I can’t give away all of them….

Have you figured it out yet?

Here is the last and final hint….I was drafted by the Saint Louis Rams….

Come Back tomorrow as the photo is reveiled on who I am.

But everyone post a comment guessing on who you think it is.

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt – Huskerland.net Owner.

Tags: Guess that Husker.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is going to be one exciting year for our defense, we return plenty of key starters, and have great depth at each position. Bo Pelini was quoted as saying, that the 2010 defense will be better than the 09 defense. I know some of you are probably asking “How?”. Well I’m going to break it down for you.

Why the Defense will be better.

We return Jared Crick, Prince Amukamara, Rickey Thenarse is back, and we have tons of other talent. Yes Suh is gone, but Suh wasn’t the whole defense last year, If I am correct Jared Crick had some stats better than Suh, if not more stats better, so that definitly gives us something positive to look forward to.

Key Players

Jared Crick – He stands 6′6″ 285 lbs, and is a force to be reckoned with, At the Baylor game Crick had 13 tackles, 6 Solo Tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, and on top of that 5 sacks…Are you kidding me 5 sacks, I don’t care if it was against Baylor or not, it’s tough for anyone to get 5 sacks in a game, lets face it, the guy is a beast, I belive that Jared Crick will be this years MVP on Defense.

Prince Amukamara – Prince is 6′1″ 205 lbs, Amukamara is one of the best CBs I’ve seen in a long time at Nebraska, this year will be his biggest year, being a Senior and having so much hype behind him, will push him to be the best player that he can be. He finished 19th nationally last year, with 1.14 passes defended per game. He accounted for 5 picks, and 64 tackles last year. Prince will have even more of a standout year in 2010, I gauruntee it.

Rickey Thenarse – The 6′0″ Senior only played in 4 games last year, but has shown me over the last 5 years at Nebraska that he can play, and play hard. Rickey at times struggled with assignments and following what needed to be done, instead of doing his part in the defenseive scheme. But last year Rickey really started to take in what the coaches were saying and really focusing on improving, Rickey to me has the heart of a champion, he never quits and always leaves his heart on the field, Rickey will defenitly see tons of playing time in 2010.

So Husker Fans, these are my 3 key players to the 2010 defensive season, there are many more key players but I belive these 3 will break away from the rest.

What do you think Husker Nation? Who are your 3 key players?

GO BIG RED

Andrew Brandt – Huskerland.net Owner.

Per NBC Sports

Starling commits to ‘Huskers, ND QB plans change

Sat Jun 19,2010 6:00 PM ET By Keith Arnold

Steve Wiltfong of IrishSportsDaily.com reports that Bubba Starling has committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a move that likely puts Notre Dame’s recruiting plans at quarterback in a rebuilding mode.

As discussed earlier this week, the dismissal of Notre Dame baseball coach Dave Schrage could have been a factor in Starling’s decision to pick the Cornhuskers over the Irish. Whether that had a factor or not doesn’t matter now, as the Irish now move down their list of quarterback targets.

Once a who’s who of national names, the Irish offer list now lacks a favorite to commit to the Irish, with Justin Worley of South Carolina the most-likely to pledge Irish and already scheduled to attend camp in South Bend at the end of the month.

While the commitment of Starling to Nebraska is no doubt a blow, the lingering worries of a professional baseball career at least put the uncertainty of Starling maybe or maybe not playing college football out of the question. (Also worth mentioning, recruiting is never over until Signing Day.) I was curious to see what Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Charley Molnar would’ve done with an athlete with raw skills and explosive speed like Starling, who reportedly can run a sub-4.5 forty-yard dash.

Geography could have played a factor in Starling’s commitment to Nebraska (Lincoln is three times closer to his home than South Bend) and it is possible that the stability of Nebraska’s baseball program, with Mike Anderson set for his 8th season while Notre Dame is between coaches could’ve been important to Bubba as well. But a log-jam at quarterback, where Notre Dame has three freshman QBs set for the fall and Dayne Crist has three years of eligibility could have been important. The depth chart at Nebraska seems much more favorable for Bubba, where Zac Lee seems entrenched at quarterback as a senior and Cody Green should back him up, but is far from an heir apparent. More importantly, Nebraska has only received two QB commitments in the past two seasons, leaving a depth chart that is there for the taking for Starling. Playing time is likely an important part of the decision making process for a quarterback that’ll likely be looking at a mid-six figures signing bonus out of high school as a baseball player.

We’ll know some day in the near future whether or not Bubba Starling, the football player, was a recruit worth worrying about. For now, it seems that those concerns will fall solely on the shoulders of Huskers fans. Either way, it’s a great get for Bo Pelini and the Cornhuskers.

Tags: 4 star QB recruit Nebraska, Bubba Starling

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins said Wednesday that the five Big 12 schools in danger of being left without a conference came up with a plan that included offering money to keep Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma in the league.

Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor and Missouri drafted a “business plan” to persuade the bigger schools to reject any interest from the Pac-10 or Southeastern Conference, Perkins said. The idea was to make sure the three Big 12 South schools would not lose any money by sticking with the Big 12.

“Five schools got together, and we tried to develop a business plan like everything else,” said Perkins, who did not disclose financial details of the offer. He said paying to remain aligned with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M is no different from a school giving a pay raise to a coach who wins a national championship and gets other job offers.

Perkins and Kansas State athletics director John Currie both said they don’t expect the three big schools to need the money because league revenues are expected to grow in coming years.

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe indicated on Tuesday that the five schools had offered to give Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma their share of whatever exit penalty money Colorado (which will join the Pac-10) and Nebraska (Big Ten) wind up paying for leaving the league over the next two years.

But Perkins said the five offered to take the money out of their share of conference revenues from other sources such as television and NCAA basketball, not the penalty money. Calls to the Big 12 offices in Dallas were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Nebraska, which will join the Big Ten in July 2011, said it does not believe it owes any penalty money.

“The bylaw is structured as ‘damages,’ and it’s hard for me to see that there are any damages,” Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman said. “The Big 12 is getting more now than they did when we were a member.”

Perlman wouldn’t discuss how much the penalty might be, saying, “The distribution is around $9 million, so you can figure it out.” Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn said Tuesday that the school’s penalty for bolting to the Pac-10 in July 2012 “could be” around $9 million.

Under Big 12 bylaws, schools must give up 50 percent of their share of conference revenues if they give two years’ notice, as Colorado has done, or 70 percent of the revenue if the notice is less than 18 months before departure, which apparently would apply to Nebraska.

According to IRS tax records examined by The Associated Press, the Big 12 in 2008-09 distributed $10.1 million to Colorado and $11.5 million to Nebraska. Using those figures, the overall penalty for Colorado over two years would be $10.1 million and $8.05 million for Nebraska over the next year.

Divided up among the remaining 10 members, each would get about $1.8 million.

Perkins insisted on referring to penalty money that may be paid by Colorado and Nebraska as “damages,” rebuking reporters during a news conference for calling it anything else.

“Just take the liquidating damages and put an ‘X’ on it,” he said. “Put it over here and don’t even think about it. … We’re not going to touch that money.”

Currie declined to discuss the details of the smaller schools’ guarantee but said it was the “right long-term move.”

“We knew that because of the projections and analysis of the marketplace, we knew that we were in an excellent position as a league to continue to grow, to grow our pie,” he said. “The big picture is what we’re focused on right now, which is the fact that our pie will grow, and we have two less mouths to feed around the table at dinnertime from now on.”

Once Colorado and Nebraska decided to leave, there was a possibility that the Big 12 might dissolve because the Pac-10 was courting Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech probably would also have come along. Had they gone, it would have created a crisis for the other five and left them scrambling to find a major conference.

But the league held together at 10 members when Texas turned down the Pac-10 and everyone else fell into line, lured with the promise of much richer football television contracts and the promise that Texas and Oklahoma, at least, can start their own TV networks without sharing with other members.

The talk of concessions didn’t bother Kevin Capper, a barber whose shop is near the Kansas State campus. He said Kansas State is better off in the Big 12, “even with Texas getting the better end of the deal.”

“We’re going to benefit more from them being in the conference,” he said. “How can you fight with that? I guess you can argue it wasn’t fair and equal, but what is?”

Dan Lykins, a Topeka attorney who serves on the Kansas Board of Regents and has missed only one Kansas State football game since 1986, said Kansas officials understood that their schools didn’t have as much power in the conference as Texas.

“It really doesn’t bother me because KU and K-State will end up getting more money,” he said. “One of the most powerful schools in our country is staying in our conference.”

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Andrew Brandt, Huskerland.net Owner