Thanks Trev. No Really!

For better and worse, Trev Alberts isn't afraid to speak his mind and you can never really fault that. While I've taken exception with some of his statements over the years the following quote about the Sandhills for this excellent Rany York piece is pretty damn excellent:

The Sandhills have a way of chaning your perspective. You feel so small out there. The Dismal golf course we played goes on forever. You can't see civilization. You can't see the hole. You can't see people. You can't see houses. You can't see anything but beautiful, rolling hills and a sky that doesn't quit. You feel a little vulnerable. It would humble almost anybody. You realize how dependent those people are who live out there with the weather and the conditions. At night, it's the quietest place I've ever been, and the darkest place I've ever seen. I'd describe that golf course as pure, unspoiled serenity.

"You can't see people."

"At night, it's the quietest place I've ever been and the darkest place I've ever seen."

Yep, that pretty much describes it.

Well done, sir. Well done.

Was there ever really any option?

Let the deification of Bo Pelini commence (or continue depending on your POV). THEYRANTHEOPTION! Yesterday! In practice!

"We got a lot of things going in the offense. That's part of it," Pelini said. "That will be part of the offense. How much? We're not sure yet. But we know it's going to be an element to our offense."

It's just that easy, isn't it? Bo Pelini hasn't coached a game yet for Nebraska but in terms of public favor I'd say he's undefeated so far. Get back to basics, do things the right way, recruit in-state and/or ask the homegrown talent to enlist, rebuild the Blackshirts by eliminating tag from practice and now run the option.

Is there any way Nebraska doesn't win nine games next year? Those are all the things we used to do and we always won at least nine games back then.

If you can't tell, I'm ready for some games to start. Only five months to go.

Naming rights...We don't really know what Watson's offense will look like next year. Everyone assumes it will be a little West Coast offense with a nostalgic nod to the option offense of yore with a modern spreadtastic twist.

In other words, The Sandhills Offense. At least that's what 40+ readers of this blog decided to call it in the poll from last week. I like the choice.

There's a handy acronym--The SHO--and not only can you pronounce it, it also evokes fireworks, massive scoring outbursts and getting called up to the majors. All good things.

Geographically, it's pretty fitting as well. The Sandhills are in Nebraska (there's your option) but closer to the Pacific Ocean than Lincoln (there's your West Coast).

Well done, voters.

The Morning Line favorite...In addition to the option quote from Monday's practice, I think we also may have found Pelini's catchphrase. Bill Callahan had "they're a good football team." Tom Osborne had silence. Bo Pelini? He has this (from the same LJS article from above where Bo explained why he was absent during the LSU Tigers visit to the White House):

"I was invited but obviously I had a little different agenda today. That's about it. That's all I got to say about that."

The emphasis is obviously mine. Bo Pelini has never spoken in italics in his entire life, but here's Bo saying much the same thing after confronting Bill Snyder in 2003, a choice that probably cost him the Nebraska job the first time around.

On second thought, let's not make that Bo Pelini's catchphrase. I like that the guy knows how to end an interview and deal with the media, but now I can't help but think that it was at least partially responsible for the past four years of utter torment.

What else you got?