NCAA Silly Season Continues... Friday Update...

Today we can add three Alabama players- Alabama running back Mark Ingram, defensive lineman Marcell Dareus and wide receiver Julio Jones say they're entering the NFL draft.

Linebacker Dont'a Hightower says he is returning to school.
Coach Nick Saban says each player made the right decision.

This adds to the total of: Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett
((HT: KTHV-TV Little Rock))


UCLA's Rahim Moore, and according to FOSG Kelin Johnson, the HQ is supposed to keep an eye on three UGA players- AJ Green, Justin Houston, and Brandon Boykin...

Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles is staying... which means the Sooners will, probably, be ranked Pre-season Number One

Newsok.com's Jenni Carlson and FOSG Berry Tramel discuss Monday's game for us instead...
((HT: Newsok.com))


Coaching Carousel: Pat Fitzgerald is NOT leaving Northwestern for Michigan and neither is Bo Pelini...

But Dan Mullen's staff takes a huge hit as Manny Diaz leaves Miss State and moves over to Texas to be DC for Mack Brown...
((HT KXAN-TV Austin))

Longhorns introduce DC Diaz: kxan.com

More when we know more...

Bo Pelini talks to Miami, Nebraska folks not happy about it....

Bo Pelini/Courtesy: Lincoln Star-Journal

The accepted rule in college football, a place where not many rules apply, is that if you want to talk to another schools coach for your job opening...and that coach is still under contract, you need to ask for permission.

According to a couple of reports, Bo Pelini and Miami broke that rule. No, there aren't any "Sanctions" that go with it, but it is really bad mojo/PR.

Apparently, University of Miami's athletic director Kirby Horcutt has discussed his coaching vacancy with Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. The problem...according to Pelini's boss, nobody asked him for permission.

More from Sun-Sentinel.com RIGHT HERE

For their part, the Nebraska folks have stayed quiet about all of this, though according to the Lincoln Star-Journal, Pelini's contract requires him to notify his boss if he discusses another job with anyone before his contract expires in 2014.

Realistically, we don't think that Pelini is a serious candidate for the job. While he's done a very good job at Nebraska, why would he give it up to come to Coral Gables? We do believe he spoke to Horcutt and the silence from Nebraska indicates they are aware of it and not very happy about it.

We've gone on record, multiple times saying that Tommy Tuberville will be the favorite for this job. We still believe that. We also will go out on a limb and throw out another name, Mario Cristobal. It would, in the mind of UM alumni, be a settling move, but realistically, face the facts Hurricane fans, your coaching job isn't the "Plum" that is was back in your "Glory Days" of the '80's and early 90's.

Candidates For Miami Job, Tuberville In The Mix

Tommy Tuberville/Courtesy: Zimbio.com

[HT: Miami Herald]

University of Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt has discussed the vacant Miami job with three candidates this week while in New York.

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen was approached but with the developments with Urban Meyer's resignation that is a long shot.

The others were Connecticut's Randy Edsall and Tommy Tuberville of Texas Tech. Not unexpected.

Read the story from the Miami Herald RIGHT HERE

Bo Pelini is now in the mix. According to a Miami Herald source, Nebraska gave Pellini permission to pursue the Miami job. Hocutt plans to speak to Pellini who has expressed some interest.

The Associated Press reports that Nebraska athletic director Tom Osburne did not grant permission for Pelini to speak with Miami nor did Pelini seek such permission.

Those of us at the OSG HQ feel Tuberville is the front runner. Tubs enjoys support from the football alumni plus he's been successful where ever he has coached.

The process continues.

TWTW: Nebraska coach Bo Pellini is angry....

Football coaches can be intense people. At least during a game. Many of them are as mellow off of it as they are intense on it. It's an interesting paradox that sometimes brings out the best and worst in people...all within the same day.

It also makes for some interesting highlights. Take for example Nebraska head coach Bo Pellini. Pellini was...well...let's just say less than thrilled about several things in Saturday nights 9-6 loss to Texas A&M. One was the performance...or lack of it by his team. They racked up 16 penalties during the game, the Aggies 2.

Check out Pellini going off on his quarterback Taylor Martinez:



This game also feature an incident where Texas A&M receiver Jerod Eddie reached into an "Interesting Place" trying to recover a fumble:



Here is Pellini's thoughts on the game from Omaha.com RIGHT HERE

And post game from Omaha.com:



Sorry Aggie fans, this was the only highlights we could post due to a technical thingie...but here are your second half highlights and post game:

TWTW: Nebraska Solidifies Reputation Over Kansas

((HT: KOLN/KGIN-TV Lincoln, Grand Island))

Kansas is hot and cold to say the very least...

Sometimes, Turner Gill's teams can scare the ever-loving crap out of you... Sometimes, it's blowout city and you wonder if he's outclassed as a head coach in a big-boy conference.

And, yes, it's easy to say that what's left of the Big 12/11/10 may not be exactly "big-boy."

The HQ will give the Jayhawks credit for all of their defensive efforts against Nebraska- losing only 20-3.

Problem is you need to score points yourself to have a chance to win a game against the 2010 Nebraska team... Kansas, apparently, left their offense on the bus...

Kevin Sjuts anchors the coverage for 1011Now.com
So, sure you can look at it now...


Coach Pelini said after practice Monday that the fans were "dead" on Saturday, and that the atmosphere was disappointing. He said, "I felt like I was at a scrimmage."

Don't think that'll go over well at all...

TWTW: Nebraska Brings Mizzou Back To Reality

((HT: KSHB-TV Kansas City))

Roy Helu Jr. rushed for a school-record 307 yards and Number 14 Nebraska knocked 7th-ranked Missouri from the ranks of the unbeatens with a 31-17 victory.

Helu surpasses guys like Mike Rozier and Calvin Jones on only 26 carries. He had three scores from over 50 yards in length, and has six of those this year.

The Cornhuskers, now 7-1/3-1 raced out to a 24-0 lead and into a first-place tie with the Tigers in the Big 12 North. Nebraska ended a 13-game losing streak against Top 10 teams.

Missouri, now also 7-1/3-1 was off to its best start since 1960. The Tigers have lost 17 straight road games against Top 25 opponents since 1997...

Enough stats for you...???
Here's one more... Blaine Gabbert was 18-for-42 on the day and got sacked six times.

Here's your highlights, thanks to our friends at NBCActionNews...
Justin Unell sits at the adult table...


Oh, those of you freaking out about Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez's injury...???
Bo Pelini says that his right knee is just "bruised" and he'll be okay for the Iowa State game next week.

Of course, it's just a bruise...

TWTW: Nebraska Hit By Mack Truck, Lose To Texas

((HT: 1011now.com/KOLN-KGIN-TV))

The HQ found something out Saturday... and this statistic could be true, or a Gawd-Awful fabrication...

Longhorns Head Coach Mack Brown is 11-0 after the Oklahoma game- with or without a bye week...

How's that for "always bet on burnt orange..."
The Longhorns defense kept Taylor Martinez in check to the point where Bo Pelini brought in third-stringer Zac Lee for their fourth quarter comeback...

Too many dropped passes and penalties killed the Huskers attempts at winning this one from behind, despite the best efforts of the Texas special teams to give this one away...

Keep sharp objects away from people in Lincoln for a while...
Here's Bo Pelini's comments...Or, if you choose, here's your highlights...
Kevin Sjuts and Dan Hedman double-team your video from Memorial Stadium...

TWTW: No Holiday For Arizona, Nebraska Crushes The 'Cats

The Nebraska we knew and loved on the football field just may be back. Wednesday night at the Holiday Bowl, the Cornhuskers pitched its first bowl shutout in school history whipping Arizona 33-0. Don't you find it hard to believe that in 46 bowls games this storied football program has played in Nebraska has never shut out an opponent. The Cornhuskers did in the Holiday Bowl and that is very significant.

A year ago Bo Pellini took over a program that had lost its way. The ole swagger was gone, their was no mystic. Nebraska had become just another mediocre program in the Big 12 North.

Slowly the program has gotten back on its feet. Winning the Big 12 North and playing in the Big 12 Championship game was a big first step in getting back on the national stage but then the Cornhuskers upped the ante with a remarkable defensive performance and the coming out party of Ndamukong Suh. If the Husker offense would have..... aw the heck with it.

Wednesday in San Diego the Nebraska way was back. The Cornhuskers jumped all over Arizona and showed the confidence and swagger that defined the Tom Osbourne era.

Those of us in the OSG HQ are glad to see Nebraska back on the college football radar screen and think the Huskers will be back in the Top 10 of the polls next season.

Here are the highlights of the game. (Thanks ESPN/Youtube.com)

Click here for a full post game wrap up from WOWT-TV in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photos Courtesy: Huskers.com & Ted Kirk/Lincoln Journal Star

TWTW: Huskers Get Their OU Jones, Win 10-3

This game used to mean something, and should always be held on Thanksgiving week...

Now, they've gone and screwed it up...
At least, that's what OU is thinking these days...
((HT: KOLN/KGIN/Nebraska Media Relations))

Nebraska brought home a sweet victory over an old rival, as the Blackshirt defense hauled in five interceptions and shut down No. 20 Oklahoma in a 10-3 victory at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

In a game that harkened back to the classic battles of the Big Red of the past four decades, Nebraska held the Sooners out of the end zone and mustered enough offense to improve to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12. The Huskers dropped the 20th-ranked Sooners to 5-4 and 3-2 in front of 86,115 fans and ABC television audience.

In a game dominated by one of the nation's best defensive units, Blackshirt Matt O'Hanlon played the biggest game of his career to help the Huskers erase a two-game home skid while erasing the memory of committing eight turnovers in a loss to Iowa State at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24.

O'Hanlon, a senior from Omaha, Neb., tied a Nebraska record with three interceptions while erupting for a career-high 12 tackles. The last of his interceptions ended the Sooners' last chance at the end zone with 27 seconds left in the game. O'Hanlon's huge game also erased any memories Husker fans had of a last second touchdown scored by Virginia Tech in a road loss against the Hokies in September.

"This is one of the biggest wins of my career here and I probably can't play much better," O'Hanlon said after the game. "I was pretty down after the Virginia Tech game, and I just needed a breakout game to get my confidence back. I think that happened tonight."

Here's your highlights, thanks to 10-11News...

Suh vs. Parked Cars

Despite playing a good role in Nebraska's 20-10 victory over Baylor on Saturday afternoon, Cornhusker star Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh had...let's just say a "Not-so good" night. Sometime very early Sunday morning, Suh was ticketed for totaling one car and seriously damaging 3 others. Yes, he was tested for his blood-alcohol level, which was measured at .035.

More on the story from NE StatePaper.com RIGHT HERE

((Ndamukong Suh photo//Courtesy: HuskerExtra.com))

Suh says that he "Was trying to avoid a small cat or dog in the road". He apparently has been more successful avoiding offensive lineman thus far in 2009. No telling whether that is actually true. His coach, Bo Pellini was aware of the incident but hasn't really commented on it either.

Suh is a top candidate for the Outland Trophy and has been projected as possibly the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. No telling whether this will have any impact on any of it, though you can bet that the NFL folks will be doing there homework.