As a Husker, stuck behind enemy lines in Austin, Texas, I approached the State of Texas to approve Husker license plates for all of the Husker fans down here in Texas. They finally approved them late last year and are now available for all Nebraska fans who live in Texas.

I ordered my plates a few weeks ago and when you open the attachment this is what they will look like. I hope you get a kick out of them.

GO BIG RED

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I am a prisoner being held partially against my will behind enemy lines in Colorado. I’ve lived here long enough to study and investigate the strange specimen that is…the Boof. Even though I reside in Fort Collins, behind CU enemy lines as the home of Colorado State, the area is still reasonably infested with them. And, of course, I must contend with them every other year when the Big Red punches its ticket for Boulder.

You may know one. You may, out of the goodness of your own heart, love one. The Boof is a fan of the University of Colorado football team. A particular kind of fan, I’ve noticed, as Boofs grown out of their behavior around 60 years old, then live the rest of their lives in deep regret over the Boofworm that possessed them for most of their adult lives.

Through careful study of them over the years, and direct abuse taken from them after, let’s see, five games, I have learned some of their most important traits, or…

…Ten Truths About Boofs!

Enjoy, and keep notes for future travels. And by all means…share with a Husker fan you know…

And if you’re a CU fan and see this…please…don’t take it too seriously.

1. Boofs always travel in packs. They’re usually smallish and wiry, with shaggy hair, weak chins, squinty eyes and expressions that look like they just smelled a trash can full of fish. Often, they stumble around. How much is dependent on the time of day, the rate with which they’ve consumed Boof Beer, and whether they sufficiently cured their hangover from the night before with a plate of eggs and chili burritos (Boofs fashion themselves “Southwestern” for reasons I’ve yet to discern.)

2. They define liquid courage. If you’re anywhere in Colorado, and you hear sharp “Hey!” followed by an expletive, expect to see a miniature Boof behind you, at the ready, armed with false hope and a half-empty longneck of whatever microbrew the barmaid tricked them into drinking. Which brings me to…

3. They’re fascinated with urine. This explains why they drink almost exclusively beer, why they pour beer on themselves and others, why they urinate on themselves and others, and why they put urine (and beer) in water balloons. I am convinced their love affair with pee accounts for almost all of the violent incidents in Boof history.

4. They can’t drive. You may think Boofs drive fast in Nebraska, and indeed they do. Nebraska roads are open, uncongested, and sensible. But in their natural habitat, with bike lanes and ridiculous speed limits and arterial roads and surface roads and mountain roads and tree-lined roads and putt-putt cars, Boofs drive like they’re in Cairo.

5. The rich ones have phony California accents. To be fair, many very rich people do develop an odd, self-satisfied tone. But the Boofs who weekend in Aspen tend to have plastered smiles and inexplicable beach voices. Sentences are punctuated are with “wow” and “boy” and “I’ll tell you” and “this is some fragrant”…lines like that. When the Colorado team makes a good play, they cheer by smashing their palms together in exaggerated ways and yelling “terrific!” These are the male Boofs, of course. The female Boofs come from a mix called “Snow Bunny” sold exclusively at Colorado ski resorts. By contract, they divorce and retire to Phoenix at 42 generally just want to leave wherever they’re at to shop.

6. They care little for their own team’s history, much less anyone else’s history. I can name players off their national championship team better than they can.

7. They can’t tell time. That must be why they show up late. To every game.

8. They don’t eat. Well, they must, but I’ve just never seen them. Some of them smoke. Almost all of them drink. But you try to get something resembling a sandwich within three miles of Boulder, and good luck. No, not a piece of cheese, bean sprouts and avocado in between two halves of a garlic bagel. A sandwich. Almost impossible. Even the fast food restaurants in Boulder are packed with workers who take off their professor glasses behind the glasses, clear their throat and say “I don’t really think you want fries with that.”

9. They were deprived as children. How else to explain why they feel the need to scoop up the snow inside the stadium and throw it all over the place? Their mothers must have kept them inside.

10. Most of them hate Nebraska and have no idea why. At least in the last 10 years or so. Woody Paige is barely a fart in the wind out here anymore now that he fries bigger fish on ESPN, and the red-letter stuff is over, dead. Dan Hawkins is too busy fashioning his ten-win, tin foil hat to really put his heart and soul into it. In fact, Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins being an area of self-proclaimed cultural acuity, the Omaha rock bands – Bright Eyes, Cursive and others I’ll never hear of – have quite a bit of cred out here. And the last significant game between these two teams was won by Colorado in 2001. Yet they hold disdain for us Huskers for better reason than holding it. I think they resent us for not being as fascinated with bodily fluids.

If you’ve got some of your own, by all means. Hope you enjoyed.

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Periodically throughout the summer, we'll be offering some insights on the national college football scene, both through our burning questions, and through top and bottom five lists.

You can access the entire archive right here, or by the NCFB tag at the bottom of this blog.

Today, we consider five teams that will take a step back – and maybe a dramatic one – in 2009.

South Carolina: Steve Spurrier has a date with irrelevancy, and it’s been coming for two years. In 2009, it finally arrives, as the Gamecocks face a brutal schedule. Three out of their four best opponents – Florida, Mississippi, Clemson – are at home, while pick em games vs. Tennessee, NC State and Arkansas are all on the road. Throw in a game at Alabama, and it’s a slate that USC’s uncertain offense just can’t handle. Five wins – maybe. Home games vs. Kentucky and Vanderbilt won’t be gimmes.

As for Spurrier – one has to wonder whether he’s got the patience or the stomach for the turf war the SEC East is about to become. Lane Kiffin resembles a more reckless, younger version of Spurrier. Urban Meyer could win awards for his insolence. The SEC’s revenue-sharing plan has given Vandy and Kentucky a real shot at competing. Georgia is still Georgia. Recruiting down there is a nightmare, and Clemson’s on the way back up now that Tommy Bowden’s out of picture. We suspect a retirement, soon.

Southern California: Blasphemy? Nope – just reality. The Trojans will boast one of the nation’s sturdiest running games, and Aaron Corp/Matt Barkley should capably fill shoes previously worn by Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez.

But the defense, awe-inspiring in 2008, needs a year to retool after losing nine of the top 12 tacklers. We suspect, for the first time in five years, that opposing teams might really gain some traction running the ball on USC. The September-October schedule is really tough – games at Ohio State, California, Notre Dame and Oregon – and we could see a trap set in one of the two final home games vs. UCLA and Arizona. The Trojans could still win 10 games. If not, don’t be surprised.

Utah: No undefeated season this year. The Utes lose quarterback Brian Johnson, their top four receivers and one of the nation’s best punter/kickers Louie Sakoda, who a consensus first-team All American. Throw in games at Oregon and the three best teams in Mountain West – BYU, TCU and UNLV – and you get the picture. A rebuilding job in Salt Lake City.

Wake Forest: The smoke and mirrors are going to run out for Jim Grobe’s crew. The non-conference schedule, with games at Navy and vs. Baylor and Stanford, is sneaky hard, especially for a team that lost all of its starting linebackers. And while the conference schedule seems manageable from afar, we see take Wake taking a hard dive with home games vs. Miami, Florida State and NC State and road games at Clemson and Georgia Tech. Something’s gotta give in the ACC, and this year, it’s the Deacs. Seven losses. Maybe more.

Oklahoma State: We make risky calls sometimes around here, and this is our riskiest. While many predict a breakout season for the Cowboys this year similar to the one Texas Tech (sorta) experienced last year, we go in the opposite direction.

Part of it is a matter of pressure and expectations. At Tech, Mike Leach crafts his teams to his liking, toils away from the state’s major newspapers, and keeps perspective and occasionally gets a pass from the media because of it. Not Mike Gundy, for obvious reasons: The watchful eye of T. Boone Pickens, and, well, this little moment.

The Cowboys also host Georgia to open the season, the most significant season-opener since, oh, whenever. OSU buckled in Athens back in 2007, and its fan base can taste a win here. If the Pokes can’t beat a Dawg team that’s replacing its top quarterback, running back and receiver, well, you can imagine the pressure that goes on the team, and Gundy, after that.

Thirdly, Oklahoma State couldn’t stop the pass in last year, and, with replacing three starters in the secondary, we don’t forsee it this year. Couple that with a front seven that gave up at least 110 yards in nine of 13 games, and you’ve got a defense poised for a major meltdown in 2009. Gundy seems to know as much, which is why he signed up coordinator-for-hire Bill Young to do something – anything – with the defense.

Finally, well, we just don’t trust the HC. Don’t trust a guy so involved in the offense that he turns his back on an awful defense to go draw up plays. Worked like a real peach in the last quarter of the season, when OSU went 1-3 and gave up more than 500 yards per game, didn’t it? We see too many similarities in Stillwater – meddlesome administration, aloof coaching, mercenary, cerebral guys on defense – to what happened at Nebraska in 2007.

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Here we go Nebraska fans. This is what you wanted, a big game against a great opponent on a giant stage and you're the favorite. Now what. Staring accross the line of scrimmage at you is the Missouri Tigers, good luck.

Missouri's defense has a number of big time players but perhaps none more disruptive than sophmore defensive end Aldon Smith. He was a force last year totaling 11.5 sacks last season and had three sacks in three games this season before getting injured playing.

He finally got back against Oklahoma and didn't do much, other than intercept a pass in the Missouri redzone to kill a sooner drive and then run it back 58 yards to the OU 28-yardline.

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I have been going to Michigan home games since I was 5 years old (1979). Your fans yesterday, were by far the classiest and most supportive road crowd that I have seen in many many years. Top notch!

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T1. Brent Venables/Oklahoma: The Sooners might have had a down year on defense in 2008, but Venables consistently translates head coach Bob Stoops’ overall vision into on-field success. Encourages his players to take chances, and usually knows when to bring the heat. Additionally, he’s a superior linebackers coach.

T1. Bo and Carl Pelini/Nebraska: Carl has the title, but head coach Bo is still dialing up the blitzes on Saturday. More creative, and arguably more daring, than any defensive guy in the Big 12, Bo occasionally called blitzes at the wrong time in 2008, and the Huskers were burned because of it. Still – this is a braintrust that gets after the quarterback and consistently produces sacks. And Carl’s done an excellent job thus far of coaching the defensive line.

T1. Will Muschamp/Texas: There’s no question he’s fiery, and works his players into a fever pitch, as well. Muschamp gets a lot out of base sets and the work of his front four. His scheme does tend to leave cornerbacks in a bind, but they’ve seemed to hold up well over the years. He’ got a national title in his cap from his LSU days.

4. Bill Young/Oklahoma State: Young’s coached in a lot of places – including one Bo Pelini at Ohio State - and picked up his share of tricks along the way. His success has been so-so. Does anybody remember his time as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator, in 1996 and 1997, fondly? We doubt it. He had his moments, or lack thereof, with the Buckeyes. But the guy knows his way around a scheme, and he turned around a pretty average Kansas unit.

5. Paul Rhoads and Wally Burnham/Iowa State: We like the foundation of defense first in Ames, and Rhoads, who’s spent most of the last 15 years of his career at ISU and Pittsburgh, runs a solid 4-3 Cover 2 scheme that’s helped a typically rancid offense at Pitt, and gave some respect to Iowa State. Burnham the DC who helped turn around South Florida’s program. Good minds here.

6. Joe Kines/Texas A&M: Another gentleman who’s been around, and prefers to use a slightly more exotic approach to scheme. He’ll use 3-4, 3-3-5, robbers and rovers, you name it. He worked for a stint at Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and other locales. His first year at A&M was a disaster. He knows his stuff, but is, like Young, a bit of a gun for hire. He was also born on a train, if that kind of thing interests you.

7. Ruffin McNeill/Texas Tech: The defense remains maligned in Lubbock, but McNeill’s put a little shine on the shoes in the last 1 ½ seasons. He’ll have considerably less talent to work with this year, though.

8. Dave Steckel/Missouri: We think this is potentially a very good hire for Mizzou, as Steckel is promoted to replace the Cosgrove-like Matt Eberflus. Steckel’s style is more blunt and aggressive than his predecessor, something the Tigers need in 2009. This ranking could be higher in 2010.

9. Brian Norwood/Baylor: Good first year for the longtime Penn State coach, at least in terms of improving Baylor. Norwood favors a fairly conservative 4-3 that uses safety Jordan Lake as a eighth man against the run. If nothing else, it produced a more consistent, dependable defense in 2008, if not outstanding.

10. Chris Cosh and Vic Koenning/Kansas State: Spotty resumes for the both of these guys, coaching Maryland and Clemson, respectively. Both had defenses accused of being too soft against the run in big games, and both probably aren’t as aggressive as some of the other coordinator in the Big 12. We’ll see if they’re conservatism pays off in a wild Big 12.

11. Bill Miller and Clint Bowen/Kansas: KU’s defense was awful one year after Bill Young left, and so head Mark Mangino brought in Miller, previously the coordinator at Western Michigan, to help Bowen. Miller is known for being aggressive, putting eight men in the box to stop the run, and blitzing when called for. Still, on the basis of Bowen’s work last year, we’re not optimistic.

12. Ron Collins/Colorado: Brought over by head coach Dan Hawkins, Collins hasn’t been jaw-dropping in his time thus far. What’s more, CU’s linebackers coach, Brain Cabral, was a better DC than Collins was. This guy will be heading out the door when and if Hawkins does.

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“"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."

-- Hartley Burr Alexander, Philosophy Professor


Motto engraved on the wall of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The photo above was from the postcard collection of Burlington Antiques, a Huskerlocker sponsor.

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For two years, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez essentially learned one kind of language for Shawn Watson's West Coast/spread hybrid offense.

Now he will bark out the calls and checks in Tim Beck's no-huddle, simplified attack.

“You have to deprogram that whole offense in a three-month period,” Martinez says, echoing a term Beck has used several times. “You pretty much have to forget last year."

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Hey There! Husker Locker's NCAA Tournament Challenge returns for another year - with prizes to give away!

Join our Tourney Pick Em Conteston Yahoo!

Group number: 107088

Password: gobigred

The winner gets a free year's subscription to Locker Pass and a DVD of one of last year's games! Second and third place get Locker Pass subscriptions, too!

Here's the key: You have to use your own name or your Husker Locker user name as your picks handle to claim the overall prize. That way we can track your progress and declare a winner at the end! So go for it!

Remember

Group number: 107088

Password: gobigred

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“Good football players. Guys that play with passion, play with an attitude. I think that’s what makes the University of Nebraska unique over any place I’ve been coaching-how much it means to the state. It’s like one big family, and that’s what I want it to be.”


-- Bo Pelini, Nebraska Football Head Coach.

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Ayars & Ayars, Inc. would like to invite you to a presentation and discussion about a new Sports Complex Practice concept. The proposed site is a property on the southeast corner of Van Dorn Street and Park Boulevard.

The drawings include specialized practice buildings for baseball/softball, basketball, swimming, volleyball, and wrestling. The five buildings will be 100% suited to the specific sport it will house. To go along with baseball/softball building there will be four high school regulation baseball fields along with six softball/youth baseball fields throughout the complex. We are focusing on creating very cost effective buildings that are completely suited to the practice of the specific sport.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday August 17, 2011, 6:00 p.m. at the 48 Rock the home of Ayars & Ayars Inc. at 2436 N. 48th Street.

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"It's a very classy conference," Bo Pelini said about his new conference ties. "I've enjoyed working with all the new Big Ten people. It just exudes class, and it's great to be a part of."

Bo Pelini, Nebraska Cornhusker Head Coach

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Cast upon a twinkled thy
Anger, in pure childish form
Radiantly exemplifies ~
Sweet trio
Bo, temper, no self control
Lack of mature manhood, personified ~

BO’S rage
Strong oh strong
As the tide inhale ~
Steadfast
Sure
Abidingly, without fail ~
Has no limit
Has no end ~
BO’S wrath, to coaches, players, media
Even me, his good ‘ol friend ~

BO’S prize
My wish
Come now so true ~
May BO be granted serenity
If tranquility, dear almighty God
Really be his coveted due ~
This inglorious behavior of BO
Doth offend so many hearts
Totally unlike virtue of any other ~
Sweet Trio,
Exaltation
Bo, cool-n-composed, with the patience of a mother ~

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Questioned by a reporter today at the Big Ten media day on how "good" Coach Bo Pelini feels the Nebraska football team is this year, he responded: "You're going to get what you earn out there. We have great leadership, some talent, depth...we have a lot of pieces in place, but it takes a tremendous amount of work from the coaches and players."

When asked about his goals for this year, Bo Pelini said, "To win a Championship!"

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Once every year I go out to a Husker game. I live in Michigan and so it gets pretty tough to see myself at more than one game per year. When Nebraska joined the Big Ten and the divisions were announced, I knew what game I would be attending each year. I circled October 29, 2011 on my calendar the day they announced this season's schedule. This day was my favorite Husker experience to date.

I began to follow Kenny Bell last year when he was named the scout team MVP. He is very fun to follow in social media. He talks about the preparations he makes for the "zombie apocalypse" among other extreme ideas. He proudly displays his love for his hometown in Colorado. Most importantly, he responds to his fans. If you talk to him, odds are he will talk back. That means the world to me as a fan.

I asked him before the trip out to Lincoln if I could meet him and get his autograph. He had responded with one word: "Absolutely" he said.

I found out where I could meet him at the stadium on gameday and he came out to a crowd of supporters. There were probably 30 people circled around him at any given time for the next 15 minutes. I patiently waited for the kids to get their chance to meet him before I would take my turn. He stood there for at least 40 minutes before I even saw a chance to get near him. He happily signed every autograph that was requested. He took pictures with any fan that asked him to. He hoisted children onto his shoulders for family shots.

He thanked each individual fan for coming out to the game.

I thought it was my job to be thankful! He expressed sincere gratitude to each person that he met that day. I was floored. He was not looking for a way to escape a burden, he was happy to be there meeting his fans!

When I finally got up there to meet him, he knew who I was. He recognized me as the guy from michigan and thanked my brother and me for driving so far to watch him play. He asked how long it took us to drive and seemed floored that we would make such a trip to see our Huskers play. I asked him to take a picture with us while putting up his signature touchdown move, "the 303." He let us get a picture with him and again thanked us for supporting him.

The first thing I did when I got home was to post it to my facebook page. I was excited to show my friends! I tagged him in the picture with myself and my brother. He commented on the picture again thanking us for driving so far to see the game!

Kenny Bell is truly a gifted athlete that represents our football program as good as anybody. The gratitude that he shows to his fans is unmatched by anybody that I have ever met. He made this husker fan's day with his actions.

Kenny Bell has set the new standard for being a great Nebraska Football player!

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UConn and Butler played to an unbelievable low scoring championship game last night. I attempting to count this to a good defensive game. Or, maybe a total lack of offense!!

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For two years, Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez essentially learned one kind of language for Shawn Watson's West Coast/spread hybrid offense.

Now he barks out the calls and checks in Tim Beck's no-huddle, simplified attack.

“You have to deprogram that whole offense in a three-month period,” Martinez said Friday echoing a term Beck has used several times. “You pretty much have to forget last year."

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This December 1st marks the 10th Anniversary of my family's move to Liberty, MO. It was a big move, but it's not a bad trip back home to York, and it's shorter to my sister's in Omaha.

We have come to find out that Kansas City is one of the top Husker transplants in the USA, and though you don't meet thousands of people wearing RED every day, it is amazing how many Husker faithful you do run into.

In our neighbor hood, you will see 3 or 4 Husker rocks, mailboxes and flags. Every morning I see several Husker emblems on vehicles as I drive to work. The guy that hired me here was a Husker fan, my bosses son lives in Omaha, there are several families in our kids sports programs that moved here from Nebraska, my main supplier graduated from Nebraska, and now RUNZA is here in the KC Metro! There are also a number of Husker restaurant owners in the Metro and I have been to almost all of them.

There is a big Husker Nation here in KC, and we all love to say, "Hi! Love your shirt/hat/bumper sticker. Go Big RED!"

Although I hate the BIG 10, I am glad that the BIG 10 Network is part of our TV package so I won't miss any games.

So, if you come to KC to visit, you won't have to look far to find a friend. We are everywhere, and you can't miss us cause we are the only ones wearing RED!

Or we drive Red Trucks like mine.

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The first game at TD Ameritrade Park between the Nebraska Cornhusker Baseball Team and the Creighton Bluejays is sold out. TD Ameritrade Park is the replacement for Rosenblatt and the home of the College World Series.

The Creighton vs. Nebraska baseball game is April 19, 2011. If you didn't have luck to get a ticket, follow Nebraska Baseball on Huskerlocker.com.

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Wichita Bishop Carroll QB Blake Bell climbed aboard the Sooner Schooner Friday, committing to Oklahoma just two weeks before he was scheduled to look at Nebraska for the Red/White Spring Game.

It's a loss, but the Huskers are in on a number of other quarterbacks. Of course, they have true freshman Cody Green, too.

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