The NoTex Rant: This is a great day for all Americans

- Bo is back. He's intense, can motivate, can relate to the college athlete, will not be intimidated by any opponent, and is only 39.

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=2&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1331513&Q_SEASON=2008

- The love fest begins. These players seem to be more than on board with Bo.

Players excited to work with Pelini
By BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star
Sunday, Dec 02, 2007 - 05:48:05 pm CST

First impressions mean a lot, some folks say.

Apparently, the first impression that many Nebraska football players got during a 10-minute meeting with Bo Pelini was that their new head coach is full of fire.

“That’s the first thing you notice about him,” quarterback Joe Ganz said as he left the meeting. “He’s really energetic and enthusiastic about getting this thing turned around.”

The players were informed of the meeting this morning but didn’t know who the new coach would be for certain until Pelini walked into the room. Even though many expected it would be Pelini, there was a mood of shock and excitement upon his arrival.

“He’s really excited to get things turned around, and seems like a really nice guy,” Ganz said. “I can’t wait to go to work for him.”

Another early impression?

“He was trying to keep it real low key, but I could see he’s a real high-energy guy,” lineman Matt Slauson said. “He was moving around a lot.”

Pelini will call the defensive plays. He said the offense will be multiple.

“We’re going to have a defensive genius, and the offense will keep rolling, it’s going to be great,” Slauson said.

The players were told by interim athletic director Tom Osborne that it’s possible a few current assistant coaches might remain. Ganz hopes offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is one of them.

“We did some good things on offense,” Ganz said. “(Watson) is an up-and-comer, and he’s probably going to be a head coach soon. I hope that he stays.”

One of Pelini’s first messages to the players was that every player would start now with a clean slate, no matter how many recruiting stars they had.

“I’m excited because he’s all about trust and integrity, and is really a players’ coach,” Slauson said.

Off-season conditioning begins on Monday. If the smile and bounce in the steps of many players on Sunday was any indication, there will be some spirited workouts.

“I’m ready to get out there for Spring ball again,” Slauson said. “I just wish we could fast forward straight to that.”

- The Austin Rat Chip Brown looks at the hiring.

Nebraska taking a chance on potential in Pelini

02:30 AM CST on Monday, December 3, 2007

Nebraska fans have no idea if Bo Pelini will be any good as a head coach. Every one of them is hoping he's the next Bob Stoops and not the next Carl Torbush.

Torbush tanked after taking over a talent-laden roster at North Carolina when Mack Brown left for Texas. Pelini has worked for some of the best in the business – Pete Carroll and Mike Sherman in the NFL and Stoops in the college game.

It seems interim athletic director Tom Osborne was in position to hire a head coach, someone who has already proved he can build a program from the ground up and win – someone like Greg Schiano at Rutgers or Brian Kelly at Cincinnati.

Instead, Osborne went with a hunch that the 39-year-old Pelini is a star on the rise. Let's hope for Nebraska's sake that Osborne is right because you don't want a program as established as the Cornhuskers' to be betting on potential.

In today's ever-changing college football landscape, you'd rather have a coach who knows how to run a program already instead of someone who hopes he knows.

Osborne's criteria for a new head coach were: defensive minded, a good teacher and inspirational leader and someone who embraces Nebraska's traditions.

Pelini, who served as defensive coordinator at Nebraska in 2003, fits the criteria. Now, we just need to know if he's head coaching material.

- Press Conference.

- Bowls announced. Ohio State has a chance to go 0-9 vs. the last 9 SEC teams they have faced.

Jan. 7 BCS Title New Orleans FOX 8 p.m. Ohio State (Big Ten Champion/BCS No. 1) vs. LSU (SEC Champion/BCS No. 2)
Jan. 3 Orange Miami FOX 8 p.m. Virginia Tech (ACC Champions) vs. Kansas (BCS at-large)
Jan. 2 Fiesta Glendale, Ariz. FOX 8 p.m. Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion) vs. West Virginia (BCS at-large)
Jan. 1 Rose Pasadena, Calif. ABC 4:30 p.m. Southern California (Pac-10 Champion) vs. Illinois (BCS at-large)
Jan. 1 Sugar New Orleans FOX 8:30 p.m. Georgia (BCS at-large) vs. Hawaii (BCS at-large)

Non-BCS Games

Date Game Location TV Time Matchup
Jan. 6 GMAC Mobile, Ala. ESPN 8 p.m. Bowling Green (MAC) vs. Tulsa (C-USA No. 2)
Jan. 5 International Toronto ESPN2 Noon Rutgers (Big East) vs. Ball State (MAC)
Jan. 1 Outback Tampa, Fla. ESPN 11 a.m. Wisconsin (Big Ten No. 3) vs. Tennessee (SEC)
Jan. 1 Cotton Dallas FOX 11:30 a.m. Arkansas (SEC) vs. Missouri (Big 12)
Jan. 1 Gator Jacksonville, Fla. CBS Noon Virginia (ACC No. 3) vs. Texas Tech (Big East/Big 12)
Jan. 1 Capital One Orlando, Fla. ABC 1 p.m. Michigan (Big Ten No. 2) vs. Florida (SEC No. 2)
Dec. 31 Armed Forces Fort Worth, Tex. ESPN 12:30 p.m. California (Pac-10 No. 6) vs. Air Force (MWC)
Dec. 31 Sun El Paso, Tex. CBS 2 p.m. Oregon (Pac-10 No. 3) vs. South Florida (Big East)
Dec. 31 Humanitarian Boise, Idaho ESPN2 2 p.m. Fresno State (WAC) vs. Georgia Tech (ACC No. 8)
Dec. 31 Music City Nashville, Tenn. ESPN 4 p.m. Kentucky (SEC) vs. Florida State (ACC No. 5/6/7)
Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Atlanta ESPN 7:30 p.m. Auburn (SEC No. 5) vs. Clemson (ACC No. 2)
Dec. 31 Insight Tempe, Ariz. NFL Net. 5:30 p.m. Oklahoma State (Big Ten No. 6) vs. Indiana (Big 12 No. 6)
Dec. 30 Independence Shreveport, La. ESPN 8 p.m. Colorado (Big 12 No. 7) vs. Alabama (SEC)
Dec. 29 Meineke Car Care Charlotte, N.C. ESPN 1 p.m. Wake Forest (ACC No. 5/6/7) vs. Connecticut (Big East No. 3)
Dec. 29 Liberty Memphis, Tenn. ESPN 4:30 p.m. UCF (C-USA No. 1) vs. Mississippi State (SEC)
Dec. 29 Alamo San Antonio ESPN 8 p.m. Penn State (Big Ten No. 4/5) vs. Texas A&M (Big 12 No. 5)
Dec. 28 Texas Houston NFL Net. 8 p.m. Texas Christian* (at-large) vs. Houston (C-USA No. 6)
Dec. 28 Champs Sports Orlando, Fla. ESPN 5 p.m. Boston College (ACC No. 4) vs. Michigan State (Big Ten No. 4/5)
Dec. 28 Emerald San Francisco ESPN 8:30 p.m. Maryland (ACC No. 5/6/7) vs. Oregon St (Pac-10 No. 4)
Dec. 27 Holiday San Diego, Calif. ESPN 8 p.m. Arizona State (Pac-10 No. 2) vs. Texas (Big 12)
Dec. 26 Motor City Detroit, Mich. ESPN 7:30 p.m. Central Michigan (MAC) vs. Purdue (Big Ten No. 7)
Dec. 23 Hawaii Honolulu ESPN 8 p.m. Boise St. (WAC) vs. East Carolina (C-USA No. 5)
Dec. 22 Papajohns.com Birmingham, Ala. ESPN2 1 p.m. Cincinnati (Big East) vs. Southern Miss (C-USA No. 3)
Dec. 22 New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. ESPN 4:30 p.m. Nevada v New Mexico (MWC vs. WAC)
Dec. 22 Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nev. ESPN 8 p.m. UCLA (Pac-10 No. 5) vs. BYU (MWC No. 1)
Dec. 21 New Orleans New Orleans ESPN2 8 p.m. Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt No. 1) vs. Memphis (C-USA No. 4)
Dec. 20 Poinsettia San Diego, Calif. ESPN 9 p.m. Utah (MWC) vs. Navy (at-large)

- What Bo left in Baton Rouge and what Les Miles couldn't leave when Michigan offered him a job. What a place.

- Mavericks in an offensive slump.

Dallas Mavericks' offense in a cold spell

Nowitzki, Harris have been off-target in last two games

11:13 PM CST on Sunday, December 2, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

CHICAGO – There is little doubt the Dallas Mavericks are struggling on offense these days.

Collectively, they are shooting better than 46 percent from the field. That's fine.

But the recent results haven't been good. In the last two games, both Dirk Nowitzki (10-of-30) and Devin Harris (8-of-24) have shot 33.3 percent from the field.

In addition, the Mavericks shot 30 percent from 3-point range on Saturday against New Orleans.

Add it up, and the Mavericks probably are lucky to have gone 1-1 over their last two games.

While the Mavericks are confident they will regain their shooting touch, they can't rely on the return of Eddie Jones or the first appearance of Devean George to make the difference.

Avery Johnson would like to start Jones, who is trying to make it back from an injury to his lower right leg, at shooting guard. In a perfect world, Jones spreads the floor on offense because he's a 3-point threat and shadows the opponent's best wing player on the defensive end.

But Johnson knows things don't always go as the coach hopes.
"We hope for a lot of things," Johnson said. "I can hope Avery Jr. will come out here and be the next starting point guard, and I want to coach him. That may not happen. Not for a while.

"We hope Eddie Jones can come back and start at the two-guard spot. But if it doesn't work, you can't push something that's not going to work."

In the meantime, the Mavs will try to work out the kinks in their shooting.

More time for Barea? J.J. Barea and Orlando's Carlos Arroyo carry the flag for Puerto Rico in the NBA.

The point guards are representatives of the basketball played on the Caribbean island.

"We've got a lot of good point guards in Puerto Rico," Barea said. "Sometimes, they're too small. But they're really good. We don't have big guys. But in a 6-2-and-under league, we'd be the best ever."

American point guards might beg to differ. But at this point, all the Mavs care about is that Barea is forcing Johnson to get him on the court. The 5-11 Barea has been so effective in his brief opportunities that Johnson feels it's in the team's best interest to get Barea some meaningful playing time.

And yet, Barea hasn't come to expect it.

"We have a lot of great players who are proven," Barea said. "It looks pretty good when I'm out there. But I've still got to prove myself every time I come out.

Barea is capable of penetrating and finishing, and he can make 3-point shots. But in the half-court sets, he has been prone to turnovers.

Still, it's hard not to be impressed by his play of late. He has averaged 5.9 points in 14 games.

"It gives me confidence to come out and play like that," Barea said. "And then you practice against Jason [Terry] and Devin [Harris], and they are proven point guards in this league. So if I do good things against them, it gives me a little more confidence and energy."

- Man it hurts to read this.