Always Something

by Mike Babcock

Bo Pelini was on the offensive following the Nebraska football team’s final bowl practice in Lincoln. “All right, guys,” he said as he approached reporters, “first of all, there’s some . . .”

Clearly, he had anticipated the first question.

“The irresponsible reports out there aren’t true,” he said. “I have not interviewed for Penn State. And I’m not saying anything anymore on that.”

The Nittany Lions are looking for a head coach to replace Joe Paterno, of course. And according to a newspaper report in Harrisburg, Pa., Pelini had talked to Penn State officials.

The report quickly spread through social media and provided the short-lived post-practice topic, as well as a back-drop of sorts…

Such Great Heights

by Brandon Vogel

Something special has happened at Morrison Stadium this fall. Back when summer was ending the Creighton men’s soccer team was expected to be very good.

Now with winter beginning – and the Jays one win away from the program’s fourth appearance in the College Cup – Creighton might be considerably better than “very good.” Creighton might be great.

That’s what we’ll find out Saturday afternoon at Morrison Stadium when the second-seeded Jays host No. 7 South Florida with a trip to college soccer’s version of the Final Four on the line. It is likely the biggest home game in program history.

Creighton has reached these heights before, making the College Cup in 1996 and 2000…

Language No Barrier Now

by Mike Babcock

The most difficult adjustment was being away from family, of course. Seung Hoon Choi left home in Seoul, South Korea when he was 14-years-old.

The next most difficult adjustment for Choi was communication, the English language. That required the better part of two years. “I didn’t know what was going on, so I just sat in the class every day, just stare at teacher, try (to) figure out what she’s saying, what he’s saying,” said Nebraska’s junior offensive guard.

The classes in which he sat were at Lincoln Christian High School. Because he couldn’t speak the language, he avoided classmates. “I didn’t want them to ask me questions,” Choi said.

Once he made some friends, however,…

Standing Tall

by Mike Babcock

When the history of Bo Pelini’s tenure as head football coach at Nebraska is written, the 2011 Penn State game will figure prominently. It will say Pelini never stood taller.

Yes, the Huskers won the game, 17-14, on the road, against a Penn State team that had lost only once. But Pelini has coached many victories during his four seasons. And he’ll coach many more.

What distinguished this game above the others, and those to come, were his words afterward. “Going in, I didn’t think the game should have been played,” he said.

And because of that he was conflicted. During the week leading up to it, “there were times when I felt like, ‘Here, I’m…

Jays Aim to Return to High Flying Ways

by Jason Krivanek

There is a buzz surrounding Head Coach Greg McDermott’s second Bluejay basketball squad, and, no, the youngsters haven’t been over indulging over at the NoDo nightspots. In fact, these guys have been strictly business heading into the season, and word on the street says it could be a good one, maybe even one worthy of a toast when all is said and done.

It’s been five years since Creighton punched a ticket to the Big Dance and ten years since the Jays knocked off Florida for their last NCAA tournament win. But the players and coaches haven’t shied away from talking about the potential this year’s mix of experience, talent and fresh faces has to break that drought.

Help Wanted

by Mike Babcock

Some Huskers were pulling for Wisconsin when it played Michigan State the week before Michigan State came to Lincoln. But Tyler Legate wasn’t among them.

“I was hoping for a good game,” the senior fullback said on the Monday after.

A Wisconsin victory would have helped Nebraska in its quest to win the Big Ten’s Legends Division and play in the conference championship game at Indianapolis on Dec. 3 because Michigan State and Nebraska are divisional rivals.

However, regardless of the outcome of the Wisconsin game, said Legate, the Huskers would still have to beat Michigan State, which, of course, they did in impressive fashion.

Usually, Legate doesn’t pick one team over another, but when…

Back In Black

by Mike Babcock

When will the Blackshirts be handed out?

From the beginning that question was clearly a major irritant. So over time, reporters quit asking. Bo Pelini would hand out the black practice jerseys when he saw fit, and certainly not because someone else’s interpretation of Husker tradition required it.

Besides, Blackshirts weren’t simply handed out. They had to be earned, in practice as well as in games.

Pelini’s first season, 2008, Blackshirts weren’t earned until early November. They were handed out after the 10th game, at Kansas, 11 of them.

In 2009, as near as anybody could tell, they were handed out on the Friday before the Texas Tech game, following an off-week and a victory…