Tuesday at the Polls - Look into the Crystal Football

As you already know, Steve Pederson is all set to be Nebraska's AD for the foreseeable future. There are some who think that a contract extension for Bill Callahan can't be far behind and Blankman even forecast an exact date in this week's podcast: August 6.

That's when fall camp opens and an extension would essentially bring an end to the experimentation phase of the Callahan era. We already know the West Coast Offense can and will work in Lincoln. The recruiting results are so damn good that you can't help but be giddy and I REALLY try not to care about recruiting. Nebraska has shown steady improvement and, while not the 9-win sure bet they once were (see below), the Cornhuskers are starting to cause ears to prick up around the country.

Those are answers that we have and they all point to the fact that Nebraska is way better than they were before Bill Callahan got there. The one question that still looms, of course, is will this be a long term arrangement? We should have an answer to that question soon enough, so let's take the next step and get hypothetical with this week's poll:

Do you think Bill Callahan will win a National Title at Nebraska?

I frequently feel that I may be a little too hard on Callahan. Part of it is that I'm never certain he won't bolt for the NFL at any moment, another part of it is seeing his pro-game coaching on Nebraska's campus and a big part of it is that I'm simply sick of the phrase "great football team" and it's universal application.

But those are all petty matters. When it comes down to trying to decide exactly how I feel about Callahan and his future at Nebraska I ask myself the above question and, for now, my answer is no.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to happen with Callahan. I think it's the only way he would get universal credit for what he's done in Lincoln, but until I feel certain this is THE job he wants for the immediate future and the person Nebraska should want, I still see the next national title coming a year or two into a new regime. Callahan's players are still there, but somebody else is going to get the lifetime of free drinks in Nebraska.

Please cast your vote at right and remember, we're not trying to determine the answer to any of the ancillary questions I mentioned above, just this one: When you dream of the Sears Trophy, is Bill Callahan holding it?

Last Week's Result: With little fanfare I decided to utilize the new polls function in Blogger by asking you to take the Over/Under on Nebraska wins for the season at nine. We only received 15 responses, but 60% of the readers took the over and that's probably not a bad bet. As it looks now, the Cornhuskers should be favored in all but two games meaning they'd have to be "upset" twice to hit the under.

Look for a new poll each Tuesday and please vote or I'll be forced to unleash an MTV "patriotism is hip" campaign chock full of washed up, fame hungry celebrities.