Bo Will Go

This morning, Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst terminated the tenure of Bo Pelini as head coach at the University of Nebraska. Bo Pelini helped restore the order after the disastrous Bill Callahan regime, running the football program adhering to Nebraska principles and no doubt a very good football coach.  A measurement of that can be seen by the reactions of the players who play for him, who are without question hurt deeply by this decision.

Bo Pelini
Photo/Aaron Babcock

While player admiration is an outstanding attribute, the overriding factor at the end of the day is winning football games; not only football games, but key football games of significance versus conference rivals and non-conference top tier teams where glimpses of ascending status can be seen.  Legitimately competing for championships is also important, and for those who coaches who are decent at the former but failing in the latter, tenure is short.

With that stated, Bo Pelini is out at Nebraska. 'Husker AD Shawn Eichorst said Bo Pelini "didn't win the games that mattered the most".  Agreed.

I thought the hire of Pelini was outstanding, and had hoped things would have turned out differently. However, sadly, this was the right decision. Pelini is a good man and good football coach, but Nebraska continued to lose relevancy and should demand more out of the traditionally proud football program than the gridiron company currently being kept.

Many in Husker Nation think the fan base expects too much, viewing Pelini having won nine games in each of his seasons as above average and a new normal of what Husker fan expectations should be.  I find that defeatist.  Although times, and quite frankly, the game, have changed, there is no reason to think the University of Nebraska cannot achieve and maintain greatness; competing for and winning championships.

Under Pelini, the team is stable leaning toward regressing.  Rather than keep Pelini and remain stagnant, the time is now to seek new leadership to take the program higher from the very solid base Pelini built in the aftermath of Callahan.  I for one appreciate very much the job Pelini did in restoring the order.

While the players are venting heavily on social media, and I recognize they are young men, many away from home on a relationship built with Bo who are hurt, Husker fans across the nation have been hurt as well. Getting waxed by Wisconsin on national television repeatedly, losing to Minnesota, failing to score a big win over a top ten team and needing individual player heroics to beat pedestrian Iowa, not to mention McNeese State, is not where this once proud program should be standing.

It is not, and it needs to change.  It will change.

Firing Pelini was the easy decision.  Now comes the hard part, hiring the next coach.

There are many names being thrown about, but it I got a vibe from the Eichorst presser that he has his guy. Lists are popping up everywhere with potential candidates to succeed Pelini, and I do not have a favorite.  I would like a coach that employs a run based open offense and an attacking defensive scheme.

It does not seem you can turn over a program of national historical prominence such as Nebraska to a favorite son former quarterback who is currently in his second season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon. After all, Scott Frost has said that Duck signal caller Marcus Mariota is the best player he has ever seen, and with that the Ducks might be 7-3 without him, which takes some shine off the coaching efforts. Perhaps a better option would be Craig Bohl, a former Nebraska assistant who after directing 1-AA North Dakota State to three consecutive national titles is in his first season at Wyoming. Or, maybe, Jim McElwain at Colorado State.  A seemingly unrealistic candidate who is mentioned that I like is Georgia coach and Nebraska native Mark Richt.  Minnesota coach Jerry Kill is intriguing, with the job he has done for the Gophers eye opening.

Interesting options include Willie Fritz of Georgia Southern and Justin Fuente of Memphis.

Among the candidates I would not support are Greg Schiano, Jim Tressell, Paul Chryst, Al Golden, Pat Narduzzi, Dave Doren and Tom Herman.

Eichorst is on the clock, and this decision had better be a good one. GBR!

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.      Florida State, 12-0, 1
2.      Alabama, 11-1, 2
3.      Oregon, 11-1, 3
4.      Texas Christian, 10-1, 5
5.      Baylor, 10-1, 5
6.      Ohio State, 11-1, 7
7.      Arizona, 10-2, 12
8.      Michigan State, 10-2, 10
9.      Georgia Tech, 10-2, 15
10.    Kansas State, 9-2, 11
11.    Mississippi State, 10-2, 4
12.    Wisconsin, 10-2, 13
13.    Missouri, 10-2, 17
14.    Mississippi, 9-3, 17
15.    Georgia, 9-3, 8
16.    Oklahoma, 8-3, 18
17.    UCLA, 9-3, 9
18.    Arizona State, 9-3, 15
19.    Louisville, 9-3, 18
20.    Auburn, 8-4, 14
21.    Clemson, 9-3, 23
22.    Minnesota, 8-4, 22
23.    Nebraska, 9-3, NR
24.    Louisiana State, 8-4, NR
25.    Southern Cal, 8-4, NR

OUT: Arkansas (20), Colorado State (24) and Marshall (25).

VOTES:  Boise State, Arkansas, Utah, Duke, Stanford, Colorado State, Texas A&M, Washington and Iowa.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

The Texas Longhorns played tough, but were lacking at quarterback and were unable to hold Texas Christian at from blasting the Horns at Austin.....Louisiana State shut down Texas A&M at College Station, and got a Herschel Walker style smash mouth run while running over the Aggies.....UCLA once again failed on a big stage, getting controlled by at home by Stanford, culminating a most disappointing regular season for the Bruins....UCF smothered cross state rival South Florida...Houston bombed SMU who finished 0-11 and should be phoning Mack Brown immediately....Marshall fell from the unbeaten losing a track meet to Western Kentucky, whose quarterback tossed eight touchdown passes in losing 67-66....Missouri got a home win over a surging Arkansas, and will represent the SEC East for the second consecutive season in the SEC Championship game....Arizona, who had the longest drought in gaining a PAC 12 division title, won at home against Arizona State.....Air Force upset Colorado State....Virginia could not take out offensively challenged Va. Tech, who will extend their bowl streak to 22 years....Clemson finally was able to defeat South Carolina....Georgia Tech won at Georgia, a huge wins for the Jackets....Louisville held off a very much improved Kentucky team.....West Virginia came from behind to knock out Iowa State.....Michigan played strong, but fell at Ohio State, and while the Buckeyes march on, they have lost standout QB J. T. Barrett, who broke an ankle late.  Michigan QB Devin Gardner showed some real class in consoling Barrett during the game.....Illinois won at Northwestern, and is bowl eligible while Indiana held off Purdue....North Carolina State blasted North Carolina, who showed signs in beating Duke of what could have been, but this loss to the Wolfpack, at home, is troubling....Boston College handled Syracuse....Utah won late at Colorado, a team that is heading in the right direction....Southern Cal mauled an injury riddled Notre Dame....New Big Ten league members squared off, and Maryland lost a huge lead and the game to Rutgers....Baylor held off Texas Tech 48-46, which in comparison to TCU, who put up 80 on TT, looks bad.....K State blasted instate rival Kansas....Memphis is 9-3, and a better team than you might think....Tennessee survived s big effort from Vanderbilt.....BYU won at Cal, who did put up numbers on occasion.....Duke held off Wake Forest.....Pitt went down to Miami and dismantled the Hurricanes, and questions must be presented on the status of Al Golden, who is not leading the Canes to where they aspire to be....Auburn got up on Alabama 33-21, but then BAMA turned up the heat and won the Iron Bowl going away 55-44 behind Lane Kiffin's wide open offense, although it is note the Crimson Tide does not stop folks like they ised to...Oregon mauled Oregon State in the Civil War, serving some notice....Washington beat Wazzu in the Apple Cup....Boise State beat a tough but injured Utah State team.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

Another dismal beginning for Nebraska at Iowa as the Cornhuskers fell behind 24-7 behind miscues, penalties and failed execution. Nebraska was able to stabilize the situation, and got some big plays from Ameer Abdullah to find themselves in position to compete for the win. Tommy Armstrong found Tariq Allen alone in the end zone for a score, Kenny Bell caught a 32 yard touchdown and Demornay Pierson-El returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown helping the Huskers claw back.  The Huskers took the lead on Pierson-El's punt return, but were unable to stop a pedestrian Iowa as the Hawkeyes scored a touchdown and took the lead with limited time remaining, but the Big Red came down and got a field goal as time expired.  In overtime, Iowa got a field goal.  Nebraska would win with a touchdown.  Tommy Armstrong scrambled out from the nine yard line to find senior Kenny Bell for the score right at the goal line.  The comeback matched the largest in school history.  It was a big win for Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers should have never found itself in the position to come storming back against Iowa.  The game was similar to many others; games that come down to the wire.  Many times, poor execution, penalties and  bad play calling led Nebraska to find itself tested, and defeated, by teams inferior to Nebraska. Saturday at Iowa City was no different, but standout individual plays saved the day.  Was the win at Iowa enough to save Bo Pelini's job; no it was not as Pelini was terminated earlier this morning. Sadly, this was the right decision. Pelini is a good man and good football coach, but Nebraska continued to lose relevancy and should demand more out of the traditionally proud football program than the gridiron company currently being kept.  Please key an eye out for a future singular post on this subject.  GBR!

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

With the arch rival Florida Gators coming to town, with a bulging chest of confidence playing their last game for terminated coach Will Muschamp, you would think the Seminoles would recognize the importance of jumping on the one dimensional Gators early.  Once again, following a disappointing pattern, FSU fell behind 9-0 after a series of miscues,and turnovers.  It is worth noting that the Seminole defensive unit stood tall, forcing the Gators to kick field goals, whichmay have cost the Gators. Jamies Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, played a miserable game, tossing four interceptions helping dig the Seminoles into a huge hole.  With the Gators threatening yet again, Terrance Smith picked off a deflected pass and returned it over 90 yards for a score to cut it to 9-7 Florida.  FSU then gained some form, with Nick O'Leary getting loose, and got a 21-9 lead, and the rout was about to on.  But, off a turnover in the kicking game, the Gators got a touchdown just before the half to cut the lead.  The Gators have always played stellar defense, and they made Winston look very ordinary most of the day.  If not for Dalvin Cook, the FSU freshman running back who looks awful special, running wild, FSU may have lost.  But would they have?  No.  This team is resilient, and finds a way to win with few peers.  FSU surrendered a field goal to Florida, but got one from Roberto Aguayo to extend the lead to more than field goal. FSU looked very poor on many levels, and champion caliber on others during the day, but at the end of the day, Florida State won again against arch rival Florida, owns the state having defeated the Hurricanes five times in a row and the Gators four out of the last five times.  FSU has now won 28 times in a row, with elite company of teams to reach this goal post WWII.  FSU now faces Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship game, which will be a difficult task against a well coached team.  If FSU wins, they will be in the playoff and will have time to fix the many issues they have.  Congratulations to Coach Fisher and the seniors who have helped FSU get back to the highest level in college football.  Haters will have to wait.  The Seminoles remain unconquered.

Is FSU Target of Political Left?

It was shortly before President Obama was elected in 2008, when comments made by Michelle Obama got her yanked off the campaign trail, as these comments, if appropriately analyzed by a curious media, would pull the mask away from the blank canvas many considered Barack Obama to be and alert the nation to some of the real, hidden objectives.

Please take a listen to the following commentary from Michelle Obama while in Puerto Rico in 2008:

 

"Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation, we're going to have to change our history, our traditions. We're going to have move into a different place as a nation", said Mrs. Obama.

Might changing of traditions include the demise of football in America?  Without question, the game of football is under attack from the political left, all the way up to the White House.  President Obama has publicly admonished the use of the nickname Redskins by the Washington Redskins of The National Football League, and through his associates, most notably Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D:NV), have gone after Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, a republican, for both failing to bow to political pressure and for having the audacity to not support Obama and his vision of American.  The NFL remains under attack.

Fast forward to what is happening to Florida State University in college football, the currently undefeated defending national champions.  Last fall, star quarterback Jameis Winston, a redshirt freshman, was leading the Seminoles to their undefeated championship season when he was questioned about a sexual assault.

After an investigation by the state attorney, the state attorney's office found the evidence did not support charging Winston with any crime.  While many in the media were in uproar, Winston went on to win The Heisman Trophy while guiding the Seminoles to their third National Championship.

Since that time, Winston has had some lapses in maturity, walking out of a grocery store without paying for crab legs he ordered and yelling obscenities, sexual in nature which is certainly inappropriate considering the charges which considered against him, in the FSU student union.

No doubt, while Winston is stellar on field, he is at times immature off it, failing to accurately gauge the temperature outside in this era of appropriate non-tolerance of assault against women.  Although the Winston case was and is a factor, the blowup surrounding Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice, who struck his girlfriend and now wife in an elevator and who has been suspended from the NFL ever since, has been at the forefront publicly.

But has the left found Winston as a vehicle to punish political opponents, be they individuals, agencies, or even public universities? Don't laugh.  I am wondering, as I review a series of events.  Maybe you should too.

In 2008, as reported by The Tampa Bay Times, "A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University's economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting "political economy and free enterprise."  The article references "a separate grant from BB&T (formerly run by John Allison, who is supporter of Rand philosophies) funds a course on ethics and economics in which Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is required reading. The novel, which depicts society's collapse in the wake of government encroachment on free enterprise, was recently made into a movie marketed to tea party members".

In my opinion, Atlas Shrugged, should be required reading for students within the economics department. The writings of Ayn Rand are an excellent defense of capitalism, although in my view they lack a necessary moral component.

The political left reviles the Koch Brothers, thinking anything they touch is evil.  As such, the interaction of the Koch brothers with the FSU Economics Department has stirred up plenty of controversy, with the progressive left labeling it a clandestine takeover of Florida State University.

Fact are always stubborn things, and never mind the Economics Department is still run by the many of the same folks, inclusive of the Dean of the College of Social Sciences Dr. David Rasmussen and Dr. James Gwartney, that were running things when I graduated from there in 1987. 

The department was always centered on free markets drawn upon from the Austrian economic models, and although Keynesian model coursework was engaged upon, social justice through economic policy was not deemed a logical and efficient mechanism of theory.

Not only has the debate centered upon the Economics Department, even FSU's Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science has come under fire, for the truth about climate change may derail many a progressive dream of citizen control. 

Liberal and progressive ideology is bankrolled by groups and individuals all across the nation in public universities, hiring faculty to teach these theories nationwide.  See Ward Churchill and Austan Goolsbee.

The relationship between the Koch Brothers and Florida State University recently came to a head in the form of additional attacks as the university engaged in a search for a new president with Eric Barron accepting the same position at Penn State.  Representatives from the left, inclusive of students and media outlets, lambasted FSU as John Thrasher, an alumni and republican in the state senate, became the leading candidate.  A lack of transparency, the fact he is a conservative and that he may have gotten political donations from the Koch brothers were among the reasons cited.  Facebook pages and websites, (with support from leftist organizations such as MoveOn.org), sought to force FSU to eliminate Thrasher from consideration.  At the conclusion of the rocky search, Thrasher was hired as the fifteenth president of the university.

In the background have been countless insinuations and accusations surrounding the football program, most of which was without merit. Some weeks back, four competing "sports" outlets, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, ESPN and The New York Times each released a detailed report citing transgressions on a Friday evening.  Since when do competing firms sync up for the release of a report to share eyeballs? They don't, unless there is orchestration.

It is worth noting, nothing of material significance was found to be of consequence within these reports.

With respect to Winston, few if anyone has actually read the report surrounding the sexual assault case.  Any reasonable assessment of the facts of the case will lead the reader to easily conclude that the accuser lacks credibility.

The reports of investigators continuing to investigate Winston is simply staggering.  Recent accusations, primarily from ESPN, told a tale of Winston getting paid to sign autographs, which would make him ineligible for collegiate competition.  However, after months of stories of this action blasted all over the sports media, it is now reported that the items he supposedly autographed are fake, not actually having his signature.

Winston signs thousands of autographs, as I have personally witnessed on many an occasion.  In fact, at a baseball game FSU played at Stetson University in Deland, FL, ESPN reporter Marty Smith stood two feet away from me watching Winston sign hundreds; for free.

Recently, The New York Times released a report indicating favoritism by the Tallahassee Police Department regarding a traffic citation issued to cornerback PJ Williams.  With seemingly no action to investigate as President Obama sadly runs roughshod over our Constitution, The New York Times appears well staffed in Tallahassee, fabricating targeted news unfit to print. Guilty until proven innocent is now en vogue with the media.  FSU responded quickly and with assertion, and the story seems to have gone away.

The New York Times is agenda driven to be sure.  In the aftermath of a tragic shooting at the Strozier Library on the Florida State campus, in describing the story, The Times made reference to the issues surrounding the football team (fabricated), which has zero relevance to the actions of a disturbed individual.

ESPN continues to blatantly target FSU as well. In a recent report of talented Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota receiving a traffic ticket, it was the picture of Winston that was presented, and no, he was not involved.  This was not an error, but rather an orchestrated opportunity to tarnish FSU.

Why are all these media outlets exhausting all efforts to take down Florida State. While one could envision Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and certainly ESPN performing investigative sports reporting, I find it offensive that The New York Times cannot find enough in Washington to keep them busy without the gray lady taking up hotel rooms in Tallahassee.  I wonder who is directing their investigative action, and why?

But then again, perhaps due to the relationship between Florida State and the evil Koch brothers, we can find a logical reason these competing interests are relentless in their investigative attacks on FSU.  It appears Florida State University may be getting attacked by the political left, who gleefully employ the tactics of their mentor Saul Alinsky; achieving goals by any means necessary to punish political enemies both financially and in the court of public opinion.

No worries. Florida State University remains The Unconquered!

A Crazy Diamond

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

Time-Pink Floyd

This truly excellent piece by Jim Quinn over at his top notch website The Burning Platform is not only well worth your time, but must be defined as required reading.  Mr. Quinn, who I would not know if he rang the front doorbell, has remarkable knowledge of the economic and social adversities plaguing our nation and presents well thought out and referenced material backing his eloquent opinions, the majority of which I find to be right on target.

On many occasion, you can find the stellar work of Mr. Quinn re-posted over on Zero Hedge, certainly among the top sites anyone interested in economics, finance and the intervention of government around the global economy.

Quinn has an additional gift in matching lyrics of time tested material by the finest in music, most notably Pink Floyd, to assist in his demonstration.  Each of these efforts have been tremendous, as is his latest tying the classic Floyd tune "Time" to the citizenry failing to recognize "No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun".

Intervention by government has placed the citizenry in a financial box by design. Seniors wealth is being eaten away and the difficulty of the young to obtain decent wealth levels has grown exponentially, strangled with a lack of quality available employment and extreme debt. 

In chasing the American dream, we are all "Shorter of breath and one day closer to death." 

Stealing wealth from the citizenry, eliminating employment opportunities through taxation and regulation places a stranglehold on those seeking prosperity through the freedom of the marketplace.  Some will achieve greatness in the face of this orchestrated adversity, but the greater majority will be beaten down by failure and succumb to the crowd whose monthly income is enhanced by government assistance.

It is important to note that those who are endowed enough to promise such benefits are equally able to take them away, unless you conform to their wished.  The electorate drowning in the sea of irrelevance described by Aldous Huxley become those "Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town, Waiting for someone or something to show you the way".  

Think about all those who complain about "The Man", then go out and vote for those who employ "The Man", the progressive big government officials the low information voters think is working ever so hard to help them. All part of the Cloward & Piven strategy.

You cannot go out and discuss with the low information crowd the affects of price controls have on them, or how raising the minimum wage actually raises unemployment, makes life more difficult for those who receive the higher wage and limits choice of all of consumers.

Getting their attention can only be accomplished by an intervention in culture.  Glenn Beck is attempting this over at The Blaze, and Jim Quinn, through his utilization of Pink Floyd, often presents the compelling facts entangled with musical brilliance, which would shine like a crazy diamond for anyone who wishes to see.

 

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State, 11-0, 1
2.     Alabama, 10-1, 2
3.     Oregon, 10-1, 3
4.     Mississippi State, 10-1, 4
5.     Baylor, 9-1, 5
6.     Texas Christian, 9-1, 6
7.     Ohio State, 10-1, 7
8.     Georgia, 9-2, 9
9.     UCLA, 9-2, 10
10.   Michigan State, 9-2, 12
11.   Kansas State, 8-2, 11
12.   Arizona, 9-2, 14
13.   Wisconsin, 9-2, 13
14.   Auburn, 8-3, 15
15.   Georgia Tech, 9-2, 16
16.   Arizona State, 9-2, 17
17.   Missouri, 9-2, 21
18.   Louisville, 8-3, 20
19.   Oklahoma, 8-3,19
20.   Arkansas, 6-5, NR
21.   Ole Miss, 8-3, 8
22.   Minnesota, 8-3, 25
23.   Clemson, 8-3, NR
24.   Colorado State, 10-1, NR
25.   Marshall, 11-0, NR

OUT:  Nebraska (18), Utah (22), USC (23) and Duke (24).

VOTES:  Utah, LSU, Iowa, Nebraska, USC, Boise State, Texas A&M, Duke, West Virginia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Washington, Stanford, Boston College, Virginia, North Carolina and Miami.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Duke needed to beat North Carolina at home on Thursday to get the ACC Coastal, but the Tar Heel team many of us expected to see in 2015 showed up in Durham and blasted the Blue Devils, handing the Coastal to Georgia Tech and making the Heels bowl eligible....K State defeated West Virginia in a cold night in Morgantown....Florida dismantled Eastern Kentucky to give Coach Will Muschamp a final home victory before he coaches his last game as head Gator at FSU on Saturday.....Georgia and South Carolina bombed overmatched opponents....Northwestern has come together in recent weeks and whipped an improved but injured Purdue team....Sparty rolled, and after some early issues, so did Ohio State, who dumped Indiana....UCF bombed winless SMU, who should be inking Mack Brown as their new head coach....Arizona State faced some legit offense by Washington State, but overpowered the Cougars in the end....Illinois upset Penn State....Incredibly, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech played a scoreless game, which ended when the Deacons prevailed 6-3 in double overtime.  It is puzzling what has happened to Frank Beamer's Hokies, who soundly defeated Ohio State in Columbus only to become the doormat of the ACC; Wow!......The rushing record Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set last week running roughshod over Nebraska incredibly lasted only one week, as Oklahoma freshman running back Samaje Preine, unheard of until this day, ran for 427 yards against Kansas, who had been playing better in recent weeks...Utah had been having a good year, but it is seemingly unraveling as Arizona came to town and dominated the second half en route to a convincing win, and the Cats are playing quite well under Rich Rod....In the last several weeks, Arkansas has risen the level of their game, shutting out LSU last week. This week, Ole Miss came to town and the Hogs jumped on the Rebels early and continued the assault late in blanking eighth ranked Ole Miss 30-0, shutting out a ranked opponent two weeks in row, which has not happened in decades of moons if at all post WWII.  Nobody wants any part of the Hogs right now, unless starting quarterback Brandon Allen's injury is more serious than first thought...Melvin Gordon helped Wisconsin hold on to win at Iowa...Maryland won at Michigan, and the Wolverines, having had to kick off the  team their best defender, is a dumpster fire who at some point will begin a coaching search as soon as they shore up their sports administration.....Louisville won at Notre Dame while Clemson beat up on lowly Georgia State...Stanford shut down high powered Cal in The Big Game....BAMA staked their claim as the top ranked team bombing Western Carolina.... Oregon routed an improved Colorado team in Eugene with Marcus Mariota running wild...Mizzou won at Rocky Top, and has chance to win the SEC East....Miss. State routed Vandy and Baylor outlasted Okie State....UCLA flexed muscle and won the at home against Southern Cal, with three in a row now for the battle of Los Angeles....Washington got a sound victory over Oregon State.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

After the demoralizing debacle last week at Wisconsin, seemingly with jobs on the line, the Cornhuskers had an opportunity to show the home crowd, as they say goodbye to a senior class inclusive of record players Kenny Bell and Ameer Abdullah, that that game was not representative of their level and that the program is in a state of ascension.  A decent Minnesota team was in town, but this is a game that the Cornhuskers should win, particularly at home.  For once, the Big Red got decent play out of quarterback Tommy Armstrong, but they failed to win the game anyhow.  Offensively, the O-line was average at best, and while a injury riddled Abdullah performed admirably, he was not in position to carry the team on his back.  Sadly, Mark Pelini was lost for the game on the first play, although Ryne Reeves, the better player, filled in without hiccup.  Kenny Bell hauled in a huge gain off a broken play, but got knocked silly as his head hit the field turf, and sadly Bell was lost in his final home game due to concussion.  Demornay Pierson-El , Alonzo Moore and Jordan Westercamp tried to pick up the slack, but they could not produce enough. A healthy Cethan Carter at tight end was rarely targeted, if ever.  On defense, the line was ok, but did not seize and opportunity to dominate.  They defense adequately slowed David Cobb, the Gophers talented running back, but failed miserably to account for quarterback Mitch Leidner, who ran basic backside scrambles for over 100 yards total on the day.  That the staff could not adjust to stop that play all day is indicative of the lack of coaching acumen on the sideline.  Linebackers and the secondary again failed to make extra ordinary plays, displaying another dismal tackling effort.  Randy Gregory, who should come back as his play, although stellar in flashes, is not dominant, blocked a field goal attempt which Nate Gerry returned for a score giving the Big Red a 21-7 lead.  Nebraska was not playing a high powered offensive outfit, but still was unable to protect the lead; at home.  Sadly, this has become a pattern for Nebraska.  The Big Red are mentally weak, with penalties, a lack of execution and turnovers regular occurrences.  Horrible play calling offensively gives credence that an identity is lacking.  Defensively, the calling card of the staff, tackling is very poor, and the failure to make plays on the back end allows opponents to extend drives.  I wanted Bo Pelini to succeed, and the first post of this blog was complimenting his hire.  But, it is now reality that Nebraska is no longer in the company of championship teams, having not taken out a top ranked opponent in many a moon.  By any reasonable assessment, the program is slightly above average. If the fan base is comfortable with that, then we have lost our identity as Nebraskans.  I think Pelini is a good man, and he forgot more about football last week than I know, but from my perspective as a Cornhusker is that we should demand more out of our traditionally proud football program than the company we are currently keeping, such as toss up games with Minnesota and Iowa.  I refuse to accept the new normal. Nebraska used to be a toss up against Florida State. It is time to take the necessary steps to get back to that level.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

"We're undefeated. We finish every game. Everybody else in the country has not finished at least one game. We've finished every one of them." -- Jimbo Fisher

Although the Florida State Seminoles jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead over a tough Boston College team, the Seminoles found a way, along with some spirited Eagle play, to find themselves fighting for the win at the games end.  With each team having missed field goals late, Jameis Winston led the Seminoles on a game winning drive, with Roberto Aguayo connecting on a 27 yards field goal with just three seconds left to give the 'Noles the win on a cold, rainy late afternoon.

Before the kickoff, a special event occurred as Burt Reynolds, the famed actor and former Florida State halfback, planted the spear received from Chief Osceola at midfield.  It was great to see Burt, whom I affectionately refer to as The Bandit.  Burt has always been a great ambassador for Florida State.

Burt Reynolds

While there are some outstanding seniors well worth recognizing, as FSU did prior to kickoff on Senior Day, perhaps the most notable was record breaking receiver Rashad Greene.  Greene has been stellar performer on the field since he arrived on campus, and will go down as one of the greatest players at FSU.

FSU Wide Receiver Rashad Greene

Like Miami a week earlier, Boston College brought a great game plan to Tallahassee, using a bruising running game with misdirection to eat clock and physically wear down the Seminoles. Behind their solid offensive line and some stout quarterback play, the Eagles forced the Seminoles to play their game.  The conditions did not help the Seminoles, as the final three quarters were played in a driving rain, with temps in the 50's.  I think I am still wet.  But, the Seminoles defense stepped up when necessary, and Winston and the offense drove the field as time was expiring to win the dadgum ball game.  We all know these types of heroics will eventually doom the Seminoles, but for now, FSU remains the unconquered.  Off a fierce road trip against the Miami Hurricanes and before a visit from the arch rival Florida Gators, FSU was in perfect position to get tripped up by a physical well coached team off a bye week in Boston College.  But FSU found a way, again, to win.  Florida is up and down, but they will be playing hard for fired head coach Will Muschamp, whom the players adore.  The Gator team that walloped Georgia will be the team that shows up at DOAK Saturday, so FSU should have notice served that they will have to be at their best to secure victory.  The last time UF showed up in Tally after firing their coach, the Gators won one for the Zooker. The Seminoles have yet to come close to fully reaching their potential by playing their best game.  Saturday against the Gators seems like the perfect time to break loose.  East bound and down, watch ole Bandit run!

Rightful Masters

Thwart The Tyrannical President

On election Tuesday a few weeks back, the policies of President Barack Obama, each and everyone of them, were on the ballot. President Obama himself said it, seemingly in a taunt to the GOP, an in reality, the voters he holds in such deep disdain.  The policies, Every single one of them!

The voters, who over the last decade have seemingly been acting out a conclusion drawn by Aldous Huxley in his novel Brave New World where he claims the electorate would be engulfed in a sea of irrelevance, appeared to have gained friction to hand President Obama a resounding defeat seen rarely in the last century.

There are those who thought this bitter defeat would force Obama to move toward the center and work with the GOP to achieve the desires of the electorate.  They do not know him, his goals, his narcissism and his deep rooted goal of transforming (his word), destroying (my word) this great nation.

Rush Limbaugh is rarely speechless, but the comments by Sen. Mitch McConnell in response to the defiance of President Obama gave him cottonmouth.  "The president continues to send signals that he has no intention of moving toward the middle", said McConnell.

If this is a harbinger of the complete lack of understanding by the GOP, presumably our only avenue of hope against our tyrannical leader, of the extremely serious state of Constitutional crisis our nation is in, we are in the deep depths of trouble.

Obama did not listen to the message the voters sent; he could care less. Obama said he heard those who did not vote, taken over by his narcissism, knowing that those non-voters were in support of him and his policies.

Until the Obama presidency is over, our nation is in great peril. Although presenting rhetoric to the contrary, Obama has always governed against the consent of the governed.  Obamacare, a historically significant piece of legislation, was passed after several deals were cut without one republican vote.  Although many knew at the time and sang from the mountain tops, we have come to learn the American people were deceived and lied to about the real aspects of the plan, and most notably, the costs.  You Lie!

Obama will now mash the gas pedal to implement his objectives by any means necessary, championing the mantra presented by one of his mentors, Saul Alinsky.  Obama does not care if the constitution is violated, laws are broken or the voters are deceived, as long as he gets what he thinks he needs to get done.

The main items Obama will attempt to push through will dramatically change our nation, and not for the better if you seek individual freedom and prosperity. In fact, they will usher in chaos, another Alinsky objective.

It began with a deal Obama recently struck on Climate Change with China.  We will seek to reduce dramatically our greenhouse gas output over the next decade while China, the worlds largest polluter, will attempt to begin efforts in this regard in 2025.  Are you kidding me?  This deal is so backwards, even you Democrats should be able to decipher this is not about the weather, pollution or our possibly changing climate patterns. It is about control over the citizenry, perhaps eventually under the governance of The United Nations.

Obama will seek to achieve Net Neutrality, which is nothing more than an avenue to regulate free speech and silence political opponents.  For evidence, seek to get familiar with Obama adviser Mark Lloyd, who greatly admires the effort of Venezuela in this regard.  Net Neutrality should be parked.

Obama will seek to allow amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants and their immediate families, who would be set to receive immediate access to welfare and other public benefits. Although this is portrayed to be an economic plus, the huge influx of low skilled workers diminishes skilled labor wages, the working families Obama and every democrat claim to get up every morning  to help. Obama knows this; however, he does not convey the truth to you, unless you read his book. In reality, it is about crashing the system, a dream of the disciples of The Cloward and Piven Strategy. While Obamacare can be chipped away, amnesty is irreversible.

It is time to man up!

This is not about an election, or republicans versus democrats. This is about our very system of governance. Obama stated it prior to being elected in 2008, when he spoke of viewing the Constitution as an imperfect charter of negative liberties, saying what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government can or should do on your behalf.  That is a far cry from the John F. Kennedy inaugural speech, where he asked not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

Radio talk show host Mark Levin, The Great One, brilliantly states the high stakes involved and our intolerance of feckless republicans who seem all to eager to join the democrats at the spigot of power, placing more value on their positions in the ruling class rather than defending the Constitution. Hear his epic rant, via The Right Scoop, HERE.

This fight is indeed about defending the republic.  Nothing should rate at a higher level of importance as Obama seeks to seize constitutional power from the United States Congress. Through any and every legally permissible action, this encroachment on our system of government by an imperial and tyrannical president must be thwarted.

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State 10-0, 1

2.     Alabama, 9-1, 3

3.     Oregon, 9-1, 4

4.     Mississippi State, 9-1, 2

5.     Baylor, 8-1, 6

6.     Texas Christian, 9-1, 5

7.     Ohio State, 9-1, 8

8.     Ole Miss, 8-2, 9

9.     Georgia, 8-2, 13

10.   UCLA, 8-2, 15

11.   Kansas State, 7-2 12

12.   Michigan State, 8-2, 14 

13.   Wisconsin, 8-2, 20

14.   Arizona, 8-2, 17

15.   Auburn, 7-3, 10

16.   Georgia Tech, 8-2, 25

17.   Arizona State, 8-2, 7

18.   Nebraska, 8-2, 11

19.   Oklahoma, 7-3, 22

20.   Louisville, 6-3, 23

21.   Missouri, 8-2, NR

22.   Utah, 7-3, NR

23.   Southern Cal, 7-3, NR

24.   Duke, 8-2, 24

25.   Minnesota, 7-3, NR

OUT:  Notre Dame (16), LSU (17), Clemson (19) and Miami (20).

VOTES:  Notre Dame, Marshall, Miami, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Colorado Sate, Boise State, Clemson, Washington, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

USC got a huge lead then hung on to win at the Coliseum against a much improved Cal team...I was pumped to see Marcus Luttrell, The Lone Survivor and a real American Hero, be the guest picker on ESPN's College Gameday......Florida was about to put South Carolina away, then failed to produce a first down that would have iced the game, forcing a punt which was blocked.  The Gamecocks then scored and took the game to overtime, where the Cocks and The Ole Ball Coach got the win.  For the Gators, another mind boggling home loss proved too much as Coach Will Muschamp has been fired after four regressing seasons in Gainesville...Clemson welcomed back freshman quarterback Desahun Watson from a thumb injury, only to have him injure his knee.  It did not matter much anyhow, as Georgia Tech was roughing up the Tigers en route to a resounding victory in Atlanta....Ohio State held off upstart Minnesota in a snow storm in Minneapolis....Va. Tech won at Duke, which may open door for Ga. Tech in the ACC Coastal...UNC outlasted Pitt after falling behind early...Iowa responded from pounding by Minnesota to thump lowly Illinois....TCU barely won at lowly Kansas....Arizona held off Washington in Tuscon....Kentucky is an improved team, but Tennessee is serving notice they are on their way back, perhaps in 2015...In South Bend, Northwestern upset the Irish, a bitter loss for Brian Kelly and Notre Dame...Utah won at Stanford, which is a big deal for the Utes...Georgia obliterated Auburn, but the Dawgs have lost brilliant runner Todd Gurley to a knee....OU outlasted Texas Tech after trailing at halftime....Texas is seeming to emerge, thumping an injury riddled Okie State in Stillwater....Missouri held on to beat Texas A&M in Aggieland....Michigan State pounded Maryland in a B1G road tilt....You knew Arkansas was fixing to beat someone, so they laid the wood hosting LSU, shutting out the Tigers....Oregon State upset Arizona State up the cold of Corvallis...

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

It does not seem you can turn over a program of national historical prominence such as Nebraska to a favorite son former quarterback who is currently in his second season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon.  After all, Scott Frost has said that Duck signal caller Marcus Mariota is the best player he has ever seen, and with that the Ducks might be 7-3 without him, which takes some shine off the coaching efforts.  Perhaps a better option would be Craig Bohl, a former Nebraska assistant who after directing 1-AA North Dakota State to three consecutive national titles is in his first season at Wyoming.  Or, maybe, Jim McElwain at Colorado State.  At any rate, after a ridiculous, most embarrassing debacle at Wisconsin yesterday, similar to the thrashing the Badgers smashed the Huskers with in Indy in 2012, major changes need to take place, and it sadly will need to include the man at the top.  After a strong start, Nebraska imploded, unable to stop Wiscy running back Melvin Gordon, running for an NCAA record 408 yards, who may still be running down I-80.  It was a complete breakdown, a defensive catastrophe under the leadership, or lack thereof, of a coach where defense is his calling card.  On defense, while the defensive line does have ability, the play lacked physicality and was poor.  Meanwhile, the linebacking core and secondary are very average.  Inept tackling was noted on the national television broadcast, and no matter the excuse, the action was and is unacceptable.   While Wisconsin was kicking our ass, one would have hoped that the defense might just spy and tackle Melvin Gordon and let the Badgers average quarterbacks try to beat us.  That adjustment did not happen, nor did any other notable adjustments.  Offensively, it is mind boggling that the staff remains married to Tommy Armstrong, who has regressed and has become a liability on the field.  Is Armstrong really our best option?  Johnny Stanton was an elite 11 recruit, and it would seem logical to give him a shot, because Armstrong is not an effective signal caller, perhaps better served at safety.  After Nebraska beat Georgia in the Gator Bowl, it seemed the 'Huskers were perhaps on the way.  But this game was not just a step backward, but rather falling off the mountain side.  Pelini is a good man, and he has won 9 games each of his seasons as head coach, matched in recent years only by Oregon  and Alabama.  But, the Big Red were not mentally engaged on Saturday, and seemed to actually give up, which cannot be tolerated.  It was far time for Nebraska to win a big B1G game, and the Big Red failed miserably on a national stage.  Again.  It is not and should not be acceptable.  Wisconsin out gained Nebraska 627-180, including 581 yards rushing!  Therefore, significant changes are necessary.

FLORIDA STATE ANALSYS

Once again, the Seminoles fell behind right out of the gate, finding themselves behind 16-0 on the road to arch rival Miami, who has been surging in recent weeks.  Miami came out with an excellent game plan, and the Seminoles were searching for answers.  But, as has become customary in recent weeks, the Seminoles gained stability of the game, found some avenues offensively and stormed back to put dagger in the heart of the Canes, who normally have about 15,000 fans but turn up about 80,000 for the biannual tilt in South Florida.  Dalvin Cook has really emerged as a potentially special player at running back, and he did find some holes behind an adjusted line which moved Cameron Irving from tackle to center.  Roderick Johnson played very well at the tackle spot vacated by Irving, and this is most encouraging moving forward.  Cane quarterback Brad Kaaya played well early, but the Nole defense stood strong, led by the play of JalenRamsey, and shut down the Canes most of the second half.  While it was once again not a thing of beauty, as Coach Fisher says, this team at 60 minutes can play with anyone, anytime.  Florida State got help from Roberto Aguayo, who came through as usual with some strong field goals. Once again, the Seminole defense parlayed in game adjustments to shut down the opponent in the second half while the offense gains production allowing the Noles to win, which they have done now 26 times in a row.  Boston College, who has in the past presented issues for FSU, is in DOAK on Saturday, where The Bandit, Burt Reynolds, will plant the spear.

News Unfit To Print

With seemingly no action to investigate as President Obama sadly runs roughshod over our Constitution, The New York Times appears well staffed in Tallahassee, fabricating targeted news unfit to print. Guilty until proven innocent is now en vogue with the media. Oh well; Go Seminoles!

PJ Williams, Florida State

No doubt, if Mr. Williams is found guilty in a court of law for actions he undertook, he will be held accountable and will face the consequences of his actions.  However, it would be my assertion that the self described newspaper of record, with the most corrupt and secretive presidency in modern history, governing outside the law against the will of the American people, would have more meaningful avenues of pursuit than examining traffic citations in Tallahassee, Florida.

Park Net Neutrality

In the aftermath of the wave election last Tuesday, in which the Obama policies, each and every one of them, were soundly rejected, we enter a very dangerous time over the next two years as Obama finishes out his term, and possibly America as we know it.

However, the period prior to the GOP taking over the Senate in January is of particular concern as Obama will aim to get through all his progressive policies while he can, either through legislation, appointment or executive action.

President Obama will not waste any time, as evidenced by his endorsement of legislation of the Internet, often referred to as Net Neutrality.  Obama said "an open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life."

USA Today reports In a written statement, Obama asked the Federal Communications Commission to "create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality," and to ensure that phone and cable companies will not be able "to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online."

The Internet is now perhaps the most significant avenue for freedom of speech the world has ever seen, and free from intervention of those who carry an agenda.

Obama wants to make the Internet a sort of utility, that is government regulated and taxed, similar to your phone or power service.  I am a big fan of those taxes on my phone, aren't you?

But as with the left, the issue is never the issue.

And the issue behind Net Neutrality is to control speech it deems unworthy, or those of political opponents. If you think that cannot happen, please get to know Obama's Diversity Czar, who has some thoughts on communication and democracy in America.  Here are some highlights from one or our previous posts:

Mark Lloyd

We need to take a moment to learn more about an early appointee by President Obama, Diversity Czar, Mark Lloyd.  Investors Business Daily, in an editorial in August of 2009, accurately depicted Lloyd as a disciple of Saul Alinsky and a great admirer of Hugo Chavez, who silenced freedom of speech as a dictator in Venezuela.  SOS Venezuela!

IBD references Glenn Beck, who points out Lloyd, in his 2006 book, "Prologue to a Farce: Communication and Democracy in America," wrote: "It should be clear by now that my focus here is not freedom of speech or the press. ... This freedom is all too often an exaggeration. ... At the very least, blind references to freedom of speech or the press serve as a distraction from the critical examination of other communications policies."

Alarmed yet? With Lloyd unleashed to implement his ideas, we would have the Fairness Doctrine on steroids.

David Horowitz, over at his Discover the Networks website, noted the following regarding Lloyd:
 

*Seeks to use "diversity" and "localism" as pretexts for shifting the political balance of talk-radio programming leftward.
*Suggests that private broadcasters should pay an annual licensing fee in an amount equivalent to their total yearly operating costs; that money, in turn, should be redistributed to public broadcasting stations.
*Opposes virtually any private ownership of media.
*Disciple of Saul Alinsky's tactics for revolutionary social change.
*Greatly admires Venezuela's Marxist President, Hugo Chavez.

So, we can conclude that, with respect to media operations, Lloyd much prefers governmental control of media outlets, vehemently opposing media outlets operating in the private sector. And much like his mentor Hugo Chavez, Lloyd thinks the government should determine what can be voiced or written on the said media outlets.

Lloyd is no longer with the Obama administration, but his influence, associations and philosophical doctrines remain, poised for implementation.  As Sen. Ted Cruz (R:TX) appropriately notes, Net Neutrality is "Obamacare for the Internet".

As The Blaze and many other outlets reported today, the Obama administration hid from the stupid public the real aspects of Obamacare to get it passed, and they are doing the same thing with Net Neutrality.

It is time for the stupid public to get smart; quickly.  Be advised that if Net Neutrality is implemented, you will not only potentially lose your voice and the opportunity to hear other voices, but a large amount of your freedom of speech, something once upon a time we fought to the death to preserve.

Protecting Our Freedom

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State,  9-0, 1
2.     Mississippi State, 9-0, 2
3.     Alabama, 8-1, 3
4.     Oregon, 9-1, 4
5.     Texas Christian, 8-1, 8
6.     Baylor, 8-1, 10
7.     Arizona State, 8-1, 12
8.     Ohio State, 8-1, 14
9.     Ole Miss, 8-2, 11
10.   Auburn, 7-2, 5
11.   Nebraska, 8-1, 15
12.   Kansas State, 7-2 7
13.   Georgia, 7-2, 16
14.   Michigan State, 7-2, 6
15.   UCLA, 8-2, 18
16.   Notre Dame, 7-2, 9
17.   Louisiana State, 7-3, 13
18.   Arizona, 7-2, 19
19.   Clemson, 7-2, 20
20.   Wisconsin, 7-2, 23
21.   Miami, 6-3, 24
22.   Oklahoma, 6-3, 17
23.   Louisville, 7-3, 25
24.   Duke, 8-1, NR
25.   Georgia Tech, 8-2, NR

OUT:  West Virginia (21) and Utah (22)

VOTES:  Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia, Southern Cal, Missouri, Florida, Stanford, Texas A&M, Marshall, Washington, Stanford and Colorado State.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS:

For now, Florida State remains top ranked as they are the defending National Champions, remain undefeated and a riding a rare 25 game winning streak.  See winning streak table post 1950:

1.   Oklahoma, 47, 1953-57 (Notre Dame)
2.   Miami, 34, 2000-03, (Ohio State)
3.   Texas, 30, 1968-70, (Notre Dame)
4.   Miami, 29, 1990-93, (Alabama)
5.   Michigan State, 28, 1950-53, (Purdue)
6.   Alabama, 28, 1978-80, (Mississippi State)
7.   Oklahoma, 28, 1973-75, (Kansas)
8.   Nebraska, 26, 1994-96, (Arizona State)
9.   Florida State, 25, 2012-
9.   Brigham Young, 25, 1983-85, (UCLA)
9.   San Diego State, 25, 1965-67, Utah State)

However, if FSU does not step up their game significantly, a loss is looming quickly.....Clemson awoke at Wake with two 4th quarter scores to dump the Deacons......Oklahoma, wearing awful looking uniforms, got bombed by Baylor, who had not beaten a ranked opponent on the road in their last 37 attempts.  Looks like we all got fooled by the Sooners Sugar Bowl performance, as they now sit 6-3 with two home losses...Iowa opened some eyes last week by bombing Northwestern, but the Hawkeyes went on the road to face Minnesota on Saturday and got crushed 51-14, and it was not that close.  The Hawkeyes continue to annually disappoint....Speaking of Northwestern, they went for two at home late against Michigan and failed, losing 10-9.....Melvin Gordon helped Wiscy dump an improved Purdue...Georgia bombed Kentucky, and the Dawgs are special; on occasion....Notre Dame had a series of turnovers which helped Arizona State open an eye pooping 34-3 lead, and after Notre Dame stormed back to get it 34-31, the Sun Devils opened up another can and won going away 55-31....Texas played their best game of the year, beating a battered West Virginia....Kansas got a rare win, beating Iowa State at home, and while Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads is a fan favorite, the win total is not ascending....Miss. State rolled UT-Martin, and now take to the road to face BAMA....Texas A&M got some offense going and held off Auburn thanks to two late fumbles to win on the plain, knocking the Tigers from playoff contention.....UCLA flexed some muscle and won at Seattle against a decent Washington team.....Boise State rebounded from a deep first quarter deficit to win against New Mexico....Louisville got a tough road victory at Boston College....Texas Christian ran wild, gaining 553 yards against a tough K-State defense, and it looks like Phil Steele will have a huge leg up on the rest of us pre-season prognosticators as he had the Horned Frogs at 14...Florida won easily at Vanderbilt...Arizona was able to hold off a much improved Colorado team....Alabama was almost beat, but used an out of bounds kickoff to get the game to overtime, then took it over physically and mentally and won at Death Valley against an ever improving LSU team, that if had an elite quarterback, would be top five...Ohio State has some early turnover issues, but stayed with it and walloped a highly thought of Michigan State team, putting up 49 points on the Spartans top ranked defensive unit.  Perhaps some arrogance got to the Spartans....Utah receiver Kaelin Clay broke lose on an apparent 79 touchdown pass which would have put the Utes up 14-0 on Oregon, but he dropped the ball in celebration before paydirt, and Oregon returned it 99 yards for a score.  The 14 point swing, along with Oregon, was much more than the Utes could overcome, but the video has gone viral.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

It was the same old story for the Seminoles on Homecoming weekend in Tallahassee.  For much of the game, Florida State looked pedestrian, with inefficient plays and turnovers.  At other times, the Seminoles looked brilliant, representative of an undefeated team riding a 25 game winning streak.  Jameis Winston was not sharp, and tossed two interceptions.  The FSU running game was fair, but Dalvin Cook was injured and fumbled the ball away deep in FSU territory, Virginia only had 257 yards, but did have three touchdown passes.  On each occasion, an FSU defender, or two, was right there in position to make the play but failed to do so.  Few FSU defenders payed well, but Terrance Shannon got a big interception and Mario Edwards Jr perhaps had his best game with about ten tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble which Derrick Mitchell gathered.  Eddie Goldman also had a good game.  Rashaad Greene has 13 catches, and is playing at an All American level.  Time is up for FSU to not be playing at top level.  The Seminoles are playing with fire and could well get burned, and with a trip to a Miami team that has laid waste to their last two quality opponents, it could be Saturday night.  On the other hand, the Seminoles can make opponents look real bad in a flurry of devastation.  The top players on this team must step up.  Perhaps Mario Edwards Jr, is leading the way with his performance against Virginia.  FSU may not be able to negotiate through a 20 point deficit at Miami, so it must be a complete game free from failed execution, penalties and turnovers. FSU will not make the playoff with a loss, so there is no tomorrow.  It is time.  Is it our time?  We are fixin to find out, in Sun Life Stadium, which will be packed for once, as FSU visits Miami Saturday night at 8PM on ABC.  Go 'Noles!

PS:  Happy Birthday to Coach Bobby Bowden who turned 85 on Saturday!

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

The Cornhuskers were idle on Saturday, which has hopefully given tailback Ameer Abdullah time to heel.  The Big Red will need Abdullah, and top performances from quarterback to Tommy Armstrong and the offensive line to get the win at Wisconsin.  The winner is in the drivers seat for the B1G West division. Nebraska can, and should win, but too often than not, they do not play their best game on these occasions. Will this time be different? We will find out on ABC at 3:30PM. Go Big Red!!

Welcome Home!

Late last Friday evening, word got out the Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, the US Marine being held in Mexico for taking a wrong turn at the border, had been released.  And indeed he has.

Welcome Home Sgt. Tahmooressi!

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi

While we are certainly thrilled to have Sgt. Tahmooressi back home, we can only imagine what pain and suffering our beloved US Marine was exposed to during what I consider to be a kidnapping.  There is no doubt Sgt. Tahmooressi will face hurdles as he tries to move forward in his life, and we offer our full support and best wishes in his endeavor.

The citizenry of our nation should be appalled that this whole ordeal ever happened in the first place.  For a citizen, much less a Marine, to be held in Mexico in the fashion he was by our supposed friend and neighbor Mexico is very troubling.

Of much more concern is that apparent lack of attention paid to this matter by our Commander in Chief, who seems to have done next to nothing to persuade the Mexican authorities to release the innocent Marine.  One might surmise, that with all the help we give Mexico on an annual basis, President Obama would have a great negotiating position to fight for his release.  By all accounts, and I will stand corrected should information come out to the contrary, Obama was not willing to engage Mexico regarding the release of Sgt. Tahmooressi.

Florida Senator Bill Nelson did not appear to be concerned about the plight of Sgt. Tahmooressi either, troubling since Sgt. Tahmooressi is from Weston down on the west coast of Florida. How sad.

Perhaps the strongest advocate for the release of Sgt. Tahmooressi was FOX News Greta Van Susteren, who continued to present his story on FOX News Channel while most media outlets buried the story. Others of note who I know helped keep the story alive were Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Oliver North, Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin.

Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Duncan Hunter (R:CA) worked hard to get Sgt. Tahmooressi released. Those who were present and most helpful in his release were Sgt. Robert Buchanan, Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ.), former governor Bill Richardson (D:NM), Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and former Marine and talk show host Montel Williams, who is among the most vocal advocate for the veterans of this nation.

It is worth noting that Sgt. Tahmooressi's mother, Jill Tahmooressi, worked tirelessly for the release of her son.  Tonight, they are together enjoying a beautiful evening here in The Sunshine State.  God Bless them both!

Smoke Out Charlatan Crist

"It seems many good men lose their soul when they become a high powered politician. Seemingly consumed with power, a sadly large contingency of these individuals relegate any previously subscribed to principles to the recycle bin".

That is how a recent post, titled Sorry Charlie, about Charlie Crist, the former GOP Florida governor, who without a significant pivot point, changed course to become the best friend of Barack Obama and Joe Biden and is now running again for governor of Florida as a Democrat, began.

Crist, a charlatan to be sure, is in a battle with current republican governor Rick Scott, who although a mediocre candidate at best, has actually done a pretty fair job in his first term.

This is not lost on Crist, so he has attached himself to a vehicle to help him slip past Scott, a Florida Constitutional Amendment (2) to allow the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases. Pull on the heart strings, but behind the scenes, there is much more than meets the eye.

With Crist removed from public office by having been defeated for the US Senate in Florida by Marco Rubio, Crist went to work for high powered Orlando based attorney John Morgan, a progressive Democrat who has hosted fundraisers at his Winter Park home for Democrats, inclusive of President Obama.

Morgan, whose law firm slogan is For The People, is the leading statewide advocate for the passage of Amendment 2. Morgan was down in Polk County recently and spoke to a crowd of Amendment 2 supporters, where he addressed the crowd.  Take a listen:

 

Marijuana can indeed help individuals with debilitating diseases, and the avenue for those folks to get the necessary legal drugs to help them should be placed on the fast track.  But, if you take the temperature of the crowd Morgan is addressing, you quickly recognize those folks are not in attendance. These are low information useful idiots, and people I would decline to be associated with.

Those who are in attendance are those who want pot legalized so they can smoke it till their hearts content, seemingly oblivious to the pain and suffering the bill is advertised to be attempting to help.

Reports have Morgan having bought up tracts of land in Florida to have a hand in growing marijuana should the amendment pass.  Although, given his high level advocacy, Morgan should disclose this if true. but otherwise, this is America.  Hope he has connections at the local permitting offices.

Crist is all in with Morgan, who is among the strongest financial backers of the Crist campaign.

Crist tells us Floridians he will wake up every day thinking how he can help the working families of the state.
We don't need or want his help.  We want government out of the way, with their interaction with the public limited.  Crist does not find the citizenry capable of functioning efficiently without him.

Crist once claimed to be a Reagan republican, a champion of limited government.  Now he is a Democrat, where he champions government having a visible and invisible hand in the commerce of the people.

If Crist is in fact a Democrat, and not an opportunist candidate without principle available to the highest bidder, he should look to John F. Kennedy, who asked the citizenry to not seek what the government can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

For me, that is to encourage individual freedom and liberty, something Crist thinks is better dealt out by elected official rather than earned by hard working Americans.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”- “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

Should we continue to elect politicians without principle, like Charlie Crist, we will bring about what Jefferson feared; a democracy which will cease to exist.

RICK SCOTT for Governor of Florida! Lets Keep Working!

The Color & Pageantry Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1.     Florida State, 8-0, 1
2.     Mississippi State, 8-0, 2
3.     Alabama, 7-1, 3
4.     Oregon, 8-1, 4
5.     Auburn, 7-1, 8
6.     Michigan State, 7-1, 5
7.     Kansas State, 7-1, 11
8.     Texas Christian, 7-1, 10
9.     Notre Dame, 7-1, 6
10.   Baylor, 7-1, 14
11.   Ole Miss, 7-2, 9
12.   Arizona State, 7-1, 12
13.   Louisiana State, 7-2, 15
14.   Ohio State, 7-1, 16
15.   Nebraska, 8-1, 13
16.   Georgia, 6-2, 7
17.   Oklahoma, 6-2, 19
18.   UCLA, 7-2, 24
19.   Arizona, 6-2, 16
20.   Clemson, 6-2, 20
21.   West Virginia, 6-3, 20
22.   Utah, 6-2, 18
23.   Wisconsin, 6-2, NR
24.   Miami, 6-3, NR
25.   Louisville, 6-3, 23

OUT:  Duke (22) East Carolina (25)

VOTES: Duke, Southern Cal, Iowa, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Florida, Stanford, Texas A&M, Marshall and Colorado State.

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

UCF arrived in a cold and wet Stores, CT to take on lowly UCONN, and proceeded to sleepwalk through the entire game, throwing interceptions seemingly every other drive and giving a much needed win away, going away, a most pitiful performance.....OU bombed Iowa State in Ames.....Iowa absolutely throttled Northwestern, an outcome few anticipated, perhaps signalling the Hawks are becoming what we thought they might be this season....Wisconsin smothered Rutgers....Miami looks like they are reaching their peak at just the right time, running wild behind Duke Johnson to swarm North Carolina in front of a sparse crowd in Sun Life....Duke outlasted Pitt 51-48 in a pair of overtimes, with offensive fireworks just like the 58-55 game last season....Boston College held on to beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and after the decisive win at Ohio State in early September, the wheels appear to have fallen off. The Texas Aggies got by La. Monroe, and are nothing near what they seemed after bombing So. Carolina to start the year.....Washington struggled to beat Colorado, who is showing some signs of improvement.....TCU took the lead for the first time on a last second FG to beat West Virginia in Morgantown, and we fear for several couches in the immediate proximity...Ga. Tech defeated Virginia soundly, and the Jackets hope to find a way to win the ACC Coastal over Duke....Michigan, after the appropriate resignation of their AD, used a more festive home atmosphere to beat Indiana.....Missouri beat Kentucky, and now looks in control in the SEC East, because the Florida Gators, with coach Will Muschamp all but fired, used a devastating rushing attack to throttle Georgia at The World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville.  It was a stunning outcome, as Georgia thought it was only a formality; however, the Gators have five star talent all over the field...Maryland upended Penn State at State College, but their players refused to shake hands with the Lions, yet another reason to cheer against the Terps...Baylor and Southern Cal got needed conference wins...Tennessee is getting better, and you knew they would beat someone soon, and the win came at South Carolina, who is reeling...Miss State held on against Arkansas, another vastly improving team who is ready to score a big win....Ohio State crushed Illinois...K-State wiped out Okie State, still struggling after losing their starting QB a few weeks back...Notre Dame escaped Navy.....Oregon controlled a Stanford team not as good in '14 as in recent seasons....Cal is another improved team, and won at Oregon State...They say adversity can make you stronger, but the devastating loss by Ole Miss on Saturday night, inclusive of a grotesque injury to star wideout Laquon Treadwell, will be awfully tough to overcome.  Tackled from behind reaching for paydirt, Treadwell appears to have suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle, fumbling the ball before crossing the goal line in the final moments of the game, enabling Auburn to escape The Grove with the win.  UCLA, in awful looking uniforms, got a much needed win, grounding Arizona in Westwood....Arizona State beat surging Utah in Tempe in overtime, and Arizona State is 7-1 and in some control in the PAC 12.

FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS

Many of the experts, from Mark May of ESPN to Randy Cross of CBS Sports, thought Louisville would upset Florida State at The Ville on Thursday night.  Coach Jimbo Fisher thought it would be a tremendous challenge for the undefeated Seminoles.  Louisville, after all, had the number #1 ranked defense and a wide receiver widely considered a top pick for the NFL draft.  On the first play, Louisville hit a 7 yard bomb down to the FSU 5.  The Noles held, but before you knew it, it was 21-0 Louisville and social media was a buzz.  The Seminoles closed to 24-7, but then proceeded to throw up almost 600 yards of offense en route to winning 42-31.  A late score by FSU made the final score a bit deceiving, as the Cards gave FSU all they wanted.  Many of the issues plaguing the Seminoles were, as usual, self inflicted. Much of the night, Jameis Winston was not sharp, tossing three interceptions.  But, when he was on, he was brilliant.  Running back Dalvin Cook has emerged, and he had 37 and 40 yard touchdown runs, which helped immensely.  FSU was intermittent on the stop side, but got plays when it counted.  Louisville is a good football team, and that is an impressive environment they have, so Florida State should feel fortunate to win given the 24-7 deficit they faced.  At times, FSU looks very average.  At times, the Seminoles make teams look silly.  The bad news is that the 'Noles cannot continue to dig big holes and come storming back, as one afternoon that won't work.   The good news for FSU is they have not dreamed of playing their best game.  With game at Miami, and arch rival Florida, who just slapped UGA around, upcoming, that game may be needed to close the regular season undefeated.   Right now, 24 wins in a row and unconquered.

NEBRASKA ANALYSIS

A home game against Purdue, an improving team who is not in the class of the Big Red, is just what was needed as the Huskers prepare for a stretch of games which will decide the winner of the B1G West. Instead of fine tuning en route to easy win, Nebraska showcased seemingly each and every weakness they have, and although the Big Red won 35-14, the game made every Husker fan very uneasy moving forward. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong, for whatever reason, continues to make poor decisions, turn the ball over and make poor throws, as evidenced by his unacceptable completion percentage.  Then, there is the inexplicable issue of receiving the snap.  With Nebraska about to go up 14-0, Armstrong fumbled the snap, which Ameer Abdullah scrambled to retrieve attempting to dart into paydirt.  Instead, Abdullah's knee got twisted and he was lost for the game, and Purdue took over on downs.  Whether Abdullah will be back at 100% in two weeks for the critical game at Wisconsin is not known, but this whole turn of events did not need to take place.  The fumbling of snaps continued, no matter who was at center.  Interceptions, blamed on poor route running, were idiocy.  Backing up Abdullah, Imani Cross could not seem to break a tackle, while Newby had some moments. The big uglies were fair to midland, but the lack of offensive cohesion and poor yards per play were glaring.  Defensively, the line play was decent, and the backers made some plays, but this was not a dominating an effort as you might expect at this juncture of the year.  I have noted the absence of Johsua Kalu, who played so well as a true freshman early in the year, and I am not sure why. What we have learned it that the glaring weaknesses underscore a simple truth; Nebraska has no chance of winning the B1G West if they play as they have the past two weeks.  It is not the time to switch signal callers.  But over the bye week, the coaching staff should be hard at work, allowing Armstrong to play games moving forward which accentuate his strengths, and there are many.  Obviously, if Abdullah is out, this becomes even more critical. 11-1 or 8-4 will depend on the work of the coaches over the bye week before heading first to Wisconsin.