Iowa State is never on anyone's radar.  That is just the reality of playing Cyclone football.  Sure, there are a couple years where they had a decent showing, but overall they are half of the Big 12 punching bag.  The other half being Baylor. 

Last year, the 'Clones lost to Northern Iowa.  It wasn't unil the last few games of the 2007 campaign that there were signs of life in Ames, IA.  Iowa State may be picking up where they left off.  South Dakota State lost in grand fasion to a solid looking Iowa State squad. 

Ok.  SDS is an FCS team, but they are certainly much better than Northern Iowa.  Last year, South Dakota State beat the North Dakota powerhouse coached by ex-Nebraska Defensive Coordinator, Craig Bohl.  That is the same ND team that beat Minnesota. 

My point being that Iowa State may not be the easy win on the schedule they have been in year's past.  The 'Clones travel to Iowa City and Las Vegas next, but they get Kansas at home in Ames.  A cocky, overconfident Kansas team could be a bit shocked by a highly motivated team clicking on all cylinders.  That just sounds weird...cocky, overconfident Kansas team.

Ok, the Stanford win over Oregon State was ok, but the biggest surprise has to be the emergence of Buffalo.  42-17 over UTEP is something to be proud of.  When has Buffalo scored 42 before?  This was the first game of the season and they put up 40+ against a FBS team.  I am shocked and awed. 

What is going on here?  Did the players at Buffalo all of a sudden figure out how to play?  Is it another team pretending to be Buffalo?  Does Turner Gill have something to prove being passed over for the Nebraska job? 

I hear ya.  It is just the first week. 

The season is finally upon us.  The kids are back in school.  ESPN is getting geared up for another great season of NCAA Football.  Lou and Kirk are ready to debate.  May and Holtz, well they are ready to do whatever it is that they do.  It is easy to get caught up in following your team. It would be a shame for someone to get hurt or arrested while tailgating.  Knowing this, I have made a list of things that one could do to enhance and make safer the activity of tailgating. 

Hosting a Tailgate 

Choosing the best spot for a proper tailgate should take at least 6 hours of recon.  During the intelligence gathering phase the host needs to keep in mind that a bathroom facility should be nearby but not so close that the smell will sour appetites for beer and brauts.  Also, the terrain and flow of traffic need to be considered.  The savvy host would not position his/her tailgate party at the bottom of a mound of rocks or the side of a ravine.  These kinds of hazards need to be avoided at all costs.  Remember, safety first.  Nothing will kill a perfectly good tailgate party faster than an accidental death or dismemberment.

Reserving the spot can sometimes be tricky.  I have seen two very effective ways to reserve the perfect tailgate spot.  The first way is to make sure you are the first person to be let in the parking area.  A bribe is usually helpful.  I do not recommend sleeping in your vehicle.  Police tend to frown upon people sleeping in vehicles loaded with beer.  Plus the temptation to crack open one may overcome some.  The second way is to go to the nearest hobby store to get some fake blood and police tape.  Simply mark your spot with police crime scene tape and dump a ton of fake blood in the area.  This has always worked when I have seen it done.  The only problem is that if you don’t get there before the press, then there will be some explaining to do.

A proper tailgate should provide 3 full meals with food from different food groups offered.  A suggested menu would be something like this.  Breakfast – Fruit and vegetables: Salty-dogs, Bloody-marys, or Screwdrivers.  Breads and cereals and dairy:  chips and cheese dip.  Meats: any.  Lunch and dinner would be the same as the breakfast menu.  Of course the beer exception will be in effect.  This is that beer can substituted for all food groups.  It can’t be that wimpy “lite” stuff.  Full-flavored beers only.  Guinness, NewCastle, Bass, or Harp are acceptable for the imports.  Any domestic microbrew will suffice.  These are regional, so the names will vary.  Some of my favorites are Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, Blue Moon, Blue Paddle,  Sunshine Wheat.  Of course there is an exception to that exception.  As long as copious amounts of mass produced domestics are consumed, Bud, Coors, Pabst, Old Style, Miller, and Michelob are alright.

While cooking the food, the chef needs to know that the rules of cooking in a kitchen and cooking in a parking lot have some subtle differences.   First of all, there is no sink readily available.  Proper planning can fix this minor inconvenience.  A small bucket of water can make for a nice makeshift sink.  The bucket will also come in handy during the later stages of the tailgate.  Second, the 5 second rule is now extended to 90 seconds.  If the food does not get lost in the dirt or roll under a car, it is still food.  I would suggest giving it to the last person who didn’t bring anything to the tailgate. 

I cannot stress the importance of choosing a designated driver.  In the last paragraph, I mentioned that the sink/bucket would come in handy later.  This would be the time.  Find your designated driver and throw the bucket of water directly onto his/her face.  Usually, the DD is asleep (passed-out) by the time a proper tailgate is finished.  I have found that making the splash in the face a tradition can be great fun.  Throwing the water in the face of a fully conscious person is much more difficult and takes a certain kind of finesse.  But if they are comatose it is like shooting fish in a barrel.  It is always entertaining to yell something right before the kitchen sink is emptied onto the DD’s face like “Watch Out!” or “Thar she blows!” or “Incoming!”  I do not recommend a countdown because you are risking waking the DD before the water can be thrown.  One thing I would recommend is to have plenty of witnesses so that the DD won’t immediately know whose idea it was.  This will usually give you enough time to ditch the bucket and act like you can’t believe someone would do such a childish thing.  The “insincere shock, horror, and disgust” is a talent that is not possessed by everyone.  It needs to be practiced on family members before attempting it on drunks…I mean friends.

One often overlooked detail of tailgating is respect for the area that you are in.  Nobody wants to see crying Native Americans because you left all your trash conveniently strewn about the area.  Trash is one aspect, but there is another that is much more serious: peeing in public.  I know that there are some men who think it is a divine right handed down from God that we can pee where ever and when ever we feel the urge.  I am here to say that is not true.  If the urge is too great.  If the Port-a-Poty is just too far.  If your legs are not responding correctly to your brain’s orders, you can, in emergencies only, open the door to your truck and while facing inward urinate.   This is a very bold maneuver to attempt especially if one is very drunk.  Peeing onto the floorboards or on the inside of the door is very possible.  It is not advised to pee in public while intoxicated.  Ones awareness to ones surroundings are usually at an all-time low.  Police tend to frown upon the act of urinating in public.

Part Two:  Visiting a Tailgate

As a home fan patronizing a tailgate, there is a hierarchy of outcomes that one would not want to occur.  So as that no one will get confused, I will list and explore these unwanted outcomes in order from least desirable to not so bad but unwanted nonetheless.

Death – This outcome is often assumed as to be a very bad thing, but it is seldom prepared for adequately.  Before going to the tailgate, please remember to say your good byes to your family and friends.  Also, try to make sure that you have a living will and it is current. 

What can cause death at a tailgate?  There are obvious answers like drinking and driving, wandering into an oncoming train, or accidentally crashing a #### gathering dressed in black-face and drag.  So, I will only mention the obscure ways death can sneak up on unsuspecting tailgaters such as death by cheese dip.  This is caused by ingesting too much cheese dip.  Unless you are genetically predisposed to a condition known as Lactose Intolerance, cheese will cause constipation.  Too much cheese could back you up for days.  That kind of a plumbing problem can’t be helped by Roto-Rooter.  So remember, take it easy on the cheese.  Cardiac arrest can occur at just about anytime to anyone.  Precautions must be made to prevent this terrible buzz-kill from happening.  I would suggest surrounding yourself with things that will keep you calm.  Incense, mood music, and lots of magic crystals can help.  I like to keep a Voo-Doo priestess nearby just in case I do die.  Maybe she could bring me back before the end of the game.  Sure, I may be a mindless zombie, powerless to the orders of the priestess, who craves nothing more than the taste of human flesh, but at least I will see our team triumph over the visiting team.  You do need to make clear that if we are going to lose, then don’t bring me back.  Just leave me be.

Serious Bodily Injury – There is nothing like 3rd degree burns over 80% of one’s body or the loss of a favorite limb to bring a party to a screeching halt.  If I had a dollar for every time I have heard “Has anyone seen my left hand?  I have seemed to accidentally cut it off.” at a party, I would have some serious bank. 

Another way that many people from outside of the state of Texas can end up hurting themselves is by eating chili prepared by a Texas native.  Through the process of natural selection, Texans have become immune to eating corrosive toxic waste and calling it chili.  There are uses for this chili.  Personally, I find that it works well to unclog your kitchen sink.  It also works well as a hair removal product provided that you don’t use it on your genitals. 

I have eaten this so called chili and I have paid dearly for the error.  First, there was an intense burning sensation that started in my mouth, throat, and stomach.  Next, my eyes started watering profusely, and my ears started ringing.  Then, there was the tunnel vision and the voice of God telling me that I made a big mistake.  Luckily, a person noticed that I was having a bad time handling the chili, so they offered me a Lone Star beer to help.  I don’t know which was worse but after guzzling down that gutter juice, I had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom.  The excrement exited my body at 800 degrees F.  Then, finally I found a bathroom.  For the next two days, I experienced a series of nose bleeds, hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, vomiting, sweating, headaches, blurred vision, bloody urine, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, dysphasia, loss of coordination, memory loss, mood swings, numbness of the arms and legs, one-sided weakness, restlessness, seizures, shortness of breath; speech changes; swelling of the hands, legs, and feet, tremors, trouble concentrating, twitching, body aches, and uncontrollable urges to wear Ropers, an affinity towards Willie Nelson and George Strait, and yellow roses.  It was all very intense, and it has converted me to Buddhism.  

Incarceration – There are a myriad of offenses one could rattle off in a forum such as this that would end up as a night in jail.  Peeing in public is my favorite.  There is nothing more embarrassing than having to try to answer questions coming from a policeman while urinating.  Usually a fight will end you up in jail as well.  Sleeping in the parking lot is also a no-no.  You can be in your truck or on the ground; cops don’t like you sleeping in a parking lot.  Starting a fire is a good way to get arrested.  It’s like you get to spend the night in jail and you get to see firemen put out a blaze.  Depending how drunk you are, going to jail may not be a bad thing.  If your spouse is as displeased to see you wasted as mine is to see me…Jail is sometimes a good safe place to be.

Throw out the records from last year.  Forget the hype that surrounds up and coming programs.  Don’t count your chickens quite yet.  Not so fast my friend…it is OldSkewler’s Big 12 North Preseason Prognostications.  If you see something you don’t like just remember that I’m just some schmuck with nothing better to do than to recycle stats and make lame-brained predictions that are correct  about 50% of the time.  At least I use lots of pictures.

From as far North as the Niobrara river to as far South as Rio Grande, and West of the Mississippi to East of the Colorado the schools of the Big 12 are gearing up for what has been anticipated as one of the best seasons this young conference has experienced.  The Big 12 enjoyed a stellar season last year with 3 top-5 teams throughout the year.  Instant credibility is what Missouri and Kansas gave to the underperforming Northern Division.  Kansas State and Colorado had a big win over a top 10 and top 5 teams respectively.  The Wildcats beat up on number 7 Texas in Austin while the Buffaloes edged number 3 Oklahoma in Boulder.  Texas Tech stunned us all with an amazing win over the unstoppable Sooners ranked number 4.  Two years removed from the National Championship game over USC, Texas reminded us that they still have the PAC-10’s number when they beat up on Arizona State 52-34.  OU came out on top in the Big 12 with a huge win over number 1 Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.  That is all fine stuff, but it is yesterday’s news.  The Big 12 has much to live up to this year.  I have listed the teams in the order they finished last year in the Big 12 North.  At the end of the post I give my predictions on where they will finish.

Missouri is the hands down team to beat this year in the North.  Last year's Heisman finalist, Chase Daniel, is back for his senior season. The defenses of the Big 12 are preparing.  Make no bones about it, Daniel is the QB everyone loves have on their team and everyone hates to play against.  Another big-time returning starter is sophomore WR Jeremy Maclin.  This kid is quick and fast.  He can run tight routes and catch just about anything that gets near him.  Good news for the Tigers, bad news for everyone else. 

Missouri seems to have had some big losses at TE and RB, but the reserves are no slouches and should fill in nicely.  The phenom Martin Rucker is gone at TE.  Who is going to replace one of the biggest, strongest weapons the Tigers had?  How about 6-foot 6-inch 245 pounder Chase Coffman.  At the svelte weight of 245, chasing Chase may prove to be a difficult task.  At 6-6, getting around that stiff-arm and bringing him down is a completely different problem.  Cotton Bowl record holder at 281 yards rushing RB Tony Temple is also going to be missed.  It seems to be a 2-horse-race between Jimmy Jackson and Derrick Washington.    

The biggest obstacle Missouri has to overcome on offense is the loss of C Adam Speiker and LT Tyler Luellen.  It seems that through graduation and early departures to the NFL Missouri has been left with a gaping hole at those two positions.  Much of the success Missouri enjoyed on the ground was due to outstanding O-line play.  If Missouri does not control the line of scrimmage, then it may be possible to rattle the unflappable Chase Daniel.  Sophomore C Tim Barnes and Junior LT Dain Wise will try to shore up the holes. 

Missouri’s defense is returning 10 starters.  After a slow start last year, the Tiger defense came into its own during the middle of the season and played very well to the end.  It should be much more difficult to score on the Tigers this year.  The only loss the Tigers had was at NT.  Lorenzo Williams was a disruptive force on the line of scrimmage.  I believe that he will be missed.  To replace him is the 300-pounder Jaron Baston.  With 3 seniors on the D-line, they will be ok.

Interception receiver William Moore is back and ready to see if he can beat his own school record of 8 interceptions.  He will have many chances in the pass-happy Big 12.  The rest of the secondary is very solid.  Their tackle totals are misleadingly low from last year.  I attribute that to the outstanding D-line and LB play which will only get better this year.

 Kansas is the biggest question mark in the Big 12 North.  The only improvement on last season that the Jayhawks can have is an undefeated season.  If the Jayhawks go undefeated this year, there will be no detractors saying that they had too easy of a schedule to be considered in the BCS.  After the convincing win over Virginia Tech, I’m not sure how many detractors are still mouthing off.

Todd Reesing is back at QB for the Jayhawks.  This mobile, accurate passer is a nightmare to cover and contain.  Like Chase Daniel is for the Tigers, Reesing is the unchallenged leader of the Jayhawk offense.  Try these numbers on for size as a sophomore: Passing yards – 3486, TDs – 33, INTs – 7, QB rating – 148.81.  Not too shabby. 

Kansas has to perceiver through some very key losses on the offense starting with the stand-out RB Brandon McAnderson.  He will be tough to replace, but Jocques Crawford is ready to give it a go at RB.  Crawford should do well to compliment the elevated passing acumen of Reesing.

The receivers should be fine.  Dezmon Briscoe performed well at times, but he was inconsistent.  He will be a good compliment to Dexton Fields.  Losing Marcus Henry will have an effect on the big-play making abilities of the receiving corps as a whole.

The O-line is big, mean, and senior-laden.  They played well last year and should continue.  Three starters return on the line including standout senior center Ryan Cantrell.  The tackle positions are the two that need to have new starters this year.  The ever important LT position should go to senior Matt Darton.  It is up in the air as to how he will do as the starter at LT.

The defense returns 6 starters, but none of them are named Aqib Talib.  As far as I’m concerned, KU will have to prove themselves in the secondary in order to get over losing Talib.  I don’t see them having as good a year overall considering the slew of returning passers in the Big 12 North.  They will need to get lots of help from their D-line which as a gaping hole from losing James McClinton.  D-line play was the weakest part of KU’s defense last year.  It needs to make massive improvements this year if the Jayhawks plan to make a run for the Big 12 North again.  If there is one bright spot in the defense, then it would have to be at the LB position.    Linebackers Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera should put up astronomical numbers this year.

If KU is the biggest question mark in the Big 12 North, then Colorado has to be a close second.  Showing flashes of brilliance against Oklahoma and Texas Tech last year, the Buffaloes could be on the verge of a breakout season and may be the Tiger’s biggest competition in the North.

Coming back as the starting QB is Cody Hawkins.  Hawkins is a smart player with a great deal of accuracy.  His biggest knock is his arm strength.  His other attributes more than make up for the lack of arm strength.  Hawkins understands his role in the offense and he executes well.  Cody needs to work on being more consistent.  He has his top two receivers returning from last year in Scotty McKnight and Josh Smith to help him out with his consistency.  Big things are expected from the 6-foot 2-inch redshirt freshman Markques Simas. 

RB and the O-line are the biggest question marks on the offense.  The O-line is young and unproven.  Losing their 1,000 yard rusher in Hugh Charles will cause some problems for the Buffs.  Colorado seems to be putting much of their faith in true freshman Darrell Scott.  This kid may light it up, or he may flop.  It has been my experience that when a team is exclusively counting on a true freshman to produce, they are actually screaming for help at that position.  There are exceptions like Bernie Kosar and Maurice Clarett, but those are few and far between.  Please don’t get me wrong here.  A team can expect a contribution from true freshmen, but to start a true freshman seems a bit desperate.

Colorado enjoys having their best D-line in years and a battle tested secondary.  The only loss on the line was DE Alonzo Barrett.  True freshman Curtis Cunningham should make an impact along.  NT Brandon Nicolas, DT George Hypolite and DE Maurice Lucas should be dominant in most games.  Terrance Wheatley is gone and will be missed, but CB Gardner McKay will step up.  DJ #### and Ryan Walters will start at strong and free safety respectively.  By far, the biggest loss on the D-side will be LB Jordan Dizon.  There is no one person in the country that could fill his shoes. Despite losing Dizon and Wheatley, this CU defense should be very good.

Kansas State was a bit of an enigma last year.  KSU gave away an early win to Auburn, smoked Texas in Austin, and dominated Colorado all last year.  Then, they dropped 4 straight to the likes of Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Fresno State.  Huh?  Taking a page right out of Bill Snyder’s “Quick Fix” book in the recruiting chapter, Ron Prince has brought on 19 JUCO transfers.  WOW!  Employing this kind of graduate school for junior colleges technique has worked well for Coach Snyder in the past.  Personally, I don’t think you usually get a full year’s production from first-year starting JUCOs.  Either it takes them a while to get adjusted to the level of play, or they don’t have the proper conditioning to last the entire year.  But hey!  What do I know?

The very highly touted QB Josh Freeman is back.  Without a doubt, he will be much improved this year.  After getting thrown to the wolves during his freshman season and starting his entire sophomore season, this season he should break out and become the dominant, game-changing QB KSU needs.  The Wildcats have a somewhat proven RB in junior Leon Patton.  He will be helped by JUCO RB Daniel Thomas.  WR Jordy Nelson will be missed tremendously, but big things are expected from JUCOs Aubrey Quarles, Attrail Snipes, and Brandon Banks, and Adrian Hilburn.  Returning at TE is junior Jeron Mastrud.  At 6-foot 6-inches and nearly 260 pounds, he is quite an obstacle to get through for a DE.  LG Logan Robinson is gone and will be missed.  He is being replaced by JUCO Wade Weibert.  Weibert is expected to be very good and probably the best JUCO of the bunch.  

Prince has brought in 11 JUCOs on defense to help shore up his secondary and D-line.  There is some consistency at LB though.  Reggie Walker, Olu Hall, and Antwon Moore are all very good.  With the addition of the JUCO wonder Grant Valentine, the Linebacker position seems to be stocked and ready to go.  The secondary needs some help.  Second-Team All Big 12 CB Justin McKinney is gone along with CB Byron Garvin, CB Bryan Baldwin, and FS Marcus Watts.  JUCO defensive backs Blair Irvin and Dustin The D-line is much the same story as the secondary.  Many guys gone and lots of JUCOs like DL Daniel Calvin and DL Josh Berard.

Bo Pelini is seen by many as the savior of the Husker tradition that was thrown away by his predecessor, Bill Callahan.  Many in the Husker Nation consider this to be a step in the right direction.  So far, Coach Pelini has said all the right things to win the hearts and minds of Cornhusker fans across the country.  All he has to do now is win, right?  That may be harder than expected with a schedule that puts Nebraska up against Texas Tech and Oklahoma on the road.  Not to mention Virginia Tech and Missouri at home.  By the way, Missouri has not won in Lincoln since 1978.   Nebraska doesn’t return many starters on either side of the ball.  That is probably good news for the defense, but it is definitely bad news for the offense.

One bright spot on offense is that Joe Ganz will be starting at QB.  His three starts for the Huskers last year were nothing short of outstanding.  As a matter of fact, he enjoyed the most prolific day passing the ball for Nebraska ever.  His 510 yard, 7 TD, and 0 INT performance against Kansas State last year was good enough to put him in the Nebraska record books.  With the retention of the offensive coordinator from Callahan’s regime, Shawn Watson, Nebraska doesn’t expect to lose much in the way of a new coaching staff.  Nebraska will be hardest hit at the receiver position with the loss of Terrance Nunn and Maurice Purify.  WR Nate Swift is back and has proved himsel####ood possession receiver.  WR Niles Paul has shown some promise as a deep threat, but that overall package that Purify provided is gone.  RB Marlon Lucky will probably be the biggest impact player on the offensive side of the ball.  Lucky is an all-around threat with the ball.  He can catch.  He can run.  Watch Lucky run much more this year than last.  He will be running behind one of the better O-lines in the Big 12 North.  Senior LT Lydon Murtha, Senior LG Matt Slauson, and Junior C Jacob Hickman are all outstanding and have ample experience.  Sophomore RT Jaivorio Burkes started 3 games last year; Senior RG Mike Huff has waited patiently. 

On the D-line, everyone is back.  Logic would dictate that there should be a dramatic increase in production from the D-line this year.  Ndamukong Suh and Ty Steinkuhler are the tackles while Barry Turner and Zach Potter are the ends.  And somewhere between the O-line and D-line is Baker Steinkuhler, the much heralded 5-star recruit.  His role is still undecided, but it would seem that he could play either side of the ball effectively.  There are no starting linebackers back from last year which may or may not be a bad thing.  RB turned weak-side LB, Cody Glenn, has seemed to impress the coaches.  Walk-on, Tyler Wortman (6-3, 235) also made an impression this spring.  One can expect significant playing time from each of these two surprises.  In the secondary, sophomore CB Prince Amukamara could develop into the lock-down corner Nebraska so desperately needs.  Very solid play is expected from Armando Murillo at CB and Larry Asante at SS.  Another notable is junior FS Major Culbert who will likely be sharing time with Rickey Thenarse.  Overall, the secondary looks to be improved from last year.

Gene Chizik’s crew had a couple of great wins late in the season last year against Colorado and Kansas State.  They also played OU to the wire only to fall flat late in the fourth losing 17-7.  There seems to be some promise in this team this year.  McCarney was able to get some decent talent when he was there.  Chizik has this group headed in the right direction.

First and foremost, Iowa State is the only team in the Big 12 North that is breaking in a new Quarterback.  QB Austen Arnaud got some very valuable playing time last year despite being 4-year starter Bret Meyer’s back-up.  Arnaud is bigger and stronger than Meyer.  There will be a learning curve to be sure, but Arnaud seems to be poised for a decent season.  He is throwing to 2 of last year’s top receivers.  WR RJ Sumrall and WR Marquis Hamilton are back, but the crew will miss last year’s number one WR Todd Blythe.  There is some experience on this squad despite losing Blythe.  Arnaud gets to hand the ball off to RB JJ Scales.  He was suspended for the spring, but should have the starting job in the fall.  ISU seems to be relatively deep at RB with Alexander Robinson and Jason Scales waiting in the wings.  The offensive line may be the strength of the offense this year.  They have a ton of experience coming back and they did well late last season despite learning a new system.  The line is returning all but the RG.  Senior Joe Blaes seems to be the choice to start at RG.  There is not much depth behind him with 2 redshirt freshmen, so the Clones need to get the most out of Blaes as they can.

ISU has a decent D-line coming back.  The new starting NG has some considerable playing time.  Junior Nate Frere will fill in nicely for the departed NG Athyba Rubin.  The biggest question on the line will be Sophomore DT Bailey Johnson.  We will find out if he is indeed ready for the fire.  Linebacker is where ISU was hit the worst on defense.  Two of the top three tacklers from last year are now gone.  Senior LB Michael Bibbs and Junior LB Josh Raven need to replace two of the best players on the ISU defense in linebackers Alvin Bowen and Jon Banks.  Good luck.  The secondary is returning just about everyone and should be much improved this year.  They have a lot of room for improvement from last year for sure.

Finally, my predictions for the Big 12 North are as follows.

1. Missouri – They are the team to beat with Daniel and Maclin back to wreck any defensive coordinator’s Saturday afternoon.  The defense comes back confident with the way they finished the year.  Missouri is possibly taking over the Big 12 North for some time to come.  Finally, Missouri kids from St Louis and Kansas City are staying in Missouri to play.  Pinkel will be coaching the Tigers against OU, TX, or TxTech in the Big 12 Championship game this year.
2. Kansas – I don’t like putting Kansas here at the number 2 spot, but until Colorado can show some consistency on both sides of the ball, I have to give the slight edge to KU.  I think that Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech really stated that the Fighting Manginos are for real.  I think their offense will be productive and consistent.  I think their defense will be improved, except for the secondary.  The loss of Talib will affect them more than people think.  KU’s biggest problem is that this year everyone will see them coming.
3. Colorado – The more I think about it, the more I believe that CU may be the Mizzou’s biggest threat for Big 12 North supremacy.  Hawkins will have this team as ready as they can be.  Consistency is the key.  I think the offense is potent and the defense can be dominant, but unless they are both playing well on the same day there will be some bad losses.  I think the defense will carry CU through a couple games, but it won’t be able to carry them through the season.  The running game has to get going from the start of the season unlike last year.    
4. Nebraska – Bo Pelini’s first year as the head coach (not interim) has been much anticipated by many depressed and humbled Husker fans.  The return of some position coaches has been a breath of fresh air.  Blah, Blah, Blah.  The fact of the matter is that it is Pelini’s first year as a head coach.  Period.  There will be mistakes.  There will be disappointments.  Nebraska will have to earn every one of the 6 wins needed for a bowl game.  Virginia Tech, Missouri, Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Colorado do not make for a very easy schedule this year.  I see Nebraska hanging tough with these teams, tougher than last year at least.  Maybe there is an upset in there somewhere, but I am having a hard time finding one.
5. Kansas State – Prince has put all his eggs in the basket of JUCO players this year.  Maybe it will work out, maybe not.  It has worked for Snyder in the past, but I don’t know if 19 JUCOs is sane.  Freeman will give them credibility on offense and probably make his receivers better than they are.  If the running game can get going and they get some consistency and longevity out of the defense, then maybe they got another upset or two in the works this year. 
6. Iowa State – Chizik will see improvement in his squad on the defensive side of the ball for sure.  The question lies with how quickly QB Austen Arnaud can get up to speed as the only new starting QB in the Big 12 North.  I think it will be a battle between Kansas State and Iowa State for the bottom of the division.  How fitting that KSU is the last game on the schedule for Iowa State this year.

My fellow Huskers, be not afraid of the season upon us.  Be relieved, and be assured that our future is bright.  The last few years have been hard.  We have sacrificed and suffered much under the tyrannical rule of our past leader.  We have sacrificed many records and streaks that will take decades to rebuild.  We have suffered defeat at the hands of those whom we have defeated many, many times over.  We have suffered that defeat in a most embarrassing manner.  I need not tell you that we have suffered and sacrificed much over the last few years.  I need not tell you this because you know it to be true.         

We were told that we would have to endure some pains caused by our philosophical change in our attack.  We accepted that.  We were told that in order to successfully make the transition to our new “air attack” we would need to bleed.  We accepted that.  For four long years we were told that we were improving in all areas.  We accepted that.  We are acceptant of change.  We are tolerant of mistakes made.  We have already proven this.  I need not tell you this because you know it to be true.

I am, however, here to embrace our past in order to succeed in the future.   I am here to reassure you that the longstanding traditions of old will be remembered and honored.  I am here to tell you that we are on the right track.  We are on the track to prosperity and success.  We are on the track to regain our honor on the field.  We are on the track to becoming the feared and respected opponent we once were.  We are on the track and not in danger of getting hit by a train.  We are on a train to becoming a great power that we once were.  We are on the train to success.  This train will need to be fed with the fuel that is hard work and respect for the game and others.  Parts on this train will need to be replaced from time to time, and this will cause us to slow our progress.  Let me assure you that our progress will be constant and improving.  Let me assure you that our progress will be slow at times but will never stop or go backward.

Bravely, my fellow Huskers, into the future we will fearlessly know that the light that is Husker football is being held by a trusted and competent steward by the name of Bo Pelini.  Bo knows the importance of our beloved program.  Bo knows the reasons we, as Nebraska fans, love our team so dearly.  Bo knows how important our traditions are to us.  Bo knows how to win and succeed.  Bo knows that it will take time, but the end result is inevitable.  Bo knows.  Let me assure you of that fact.  Bo knows.

I need not remind the most knowledgeable and respectful fans in college football that our next few years will be filled with joys and disappointments.  In our future there will be highs and lows.  I will tell you that there will be times where it may seem that we are not improving.  Let me assure you that those times will be followed closely by times of great improvement.  To get better, we will need to bleed.  We have bled much already, but it is inevitable that we will need to bleed to get better.

What doesn’t kill us will make us stronger.  We have weathered a storm that has peaked.  We have survived an earthquake of catastrophic proportions and we will have some aftershocks to deal with, but the worst seems to be over.  We have survived the F-5 tornado that was Bill Callahan, and now we need to rebuild like our good neighbors are doing in Greensville, Kansas.  We have survived to fight another day.

Go forth, my fellow Huskers, with a guarded optimism regarding our future in the college football world.  Go forth and know we will be secure and safe.  Our past is well documented and will be remembered and honored, but our future has yet to be written.  Our future is what is important, and we are in good hands.

Good night and God bless.