Bleacher Report - Articles by Matthew Svoboda

Nebraska Football: Back on the Road to Glory

Matthew Svoboda — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:29:34 -0400

There is no denying that the Nebraska Cornhuskers are on the road that leads back to glory. They got on this road as soon as Peterson and Callahan got booted. The road became an interstate when Tom Osborne decided to become the Athletic Director, leading to the hiring of Defensive guru Bo Pelini. I still want a "BO UP" t-shirt.

Pelini closed out his first season with an impressive 26-21 win over Clemson to finish the season at 9-4. It felt as if the weight of the world was finally off the back of Huskers fans.

Coming off of last season there is one thing the Huskers must have this season. At least, they must have it if they want to be taken seriously again. So, what is it that they must have in order to stay on the road that leads back to glory? The Big Win.

Although they did have a great season in 2008, it was missing "The Big Win." They got very close against Virginia Tech and Texas Tech, but they fell short both games. If Nebraska wants to be taken seriously again, they must pull off an upset at least once. Looking at the 2009 schedule, Nebraska will have two opportunities—at Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. Both of these games are uphill battles.

Can it be done? I believe it can. Why? Defense wins. Bo Pelini is a defensive man. Suh is the most talked about defensive player coming into the 2009 season. I believe that this season we will see a true resurgence of the Blackshirt defense. With experience at the defensive line, experience in the secondary, and a group of young talented linebackers, the defense is poised for success.

The Huskers are going to have to lean on their defense to win every game this season. With Joe Ganz, Nate Swift, Lydon Murtha, Matt Slauson, and Todd Peterson out of the mix, the offense is rebuilding. Although, it should be noted that they are rebuilding with exactly what they need to compliment a dominate defense. With Helu, Castille, and a swift-footed Lee running the show, the running game should be fun to watch. Shawn Watson is a mastermind when it comes to working an offense around whatever quarterback he has and at managing the clock.

With the stout defense of Pelini and Suh, Watson will prove himself worthy of a head coaching position. It will shake the world whenever the Nebraska Cornhuskers upset Virginia Tech or Oklahoma in the 2009 season, along with a 10-3 finish. It is possible for them to reach 11-2, but I think that might be a stretch.

The Huskers will get the one thing they must have, the big win, this season. They will thrust themselves back into the spotlight in the 2009 season, setting the stage for a BCS appearance in the 2010-2011 season. Helu, Lee, Castille, McNeill, and a solid group of young receivers will all be seniors in the 2010-2011 season. You can also trust that by that time, Pelini will have exactly what he wants in his defense. With these factors and a very favorable schedule, watch for "The Big Win" in the 2009 season and a BCS appearance in the 2010 season.

Sooners-Cowboys: 40 Minutes Of Buffalo Wild Wings

Matthew Svoboda — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:55:31 -0500

There are 21 seconds on the clock as I watch Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State.

This has been the most maddening game I have ever watched. It truly feels like a 40-minute long Buffalo Wild Wings commercial.

You know, the ones where the referees do ridiculous things during the game? They make up terrible calls and seem to only care about making the fans happy? In this case, the fans in Norman, cheering for their Sooners.

If this game was called halfway decently, the Cowboys would have won by 10.

It is funny to me that the biggest guy on the court, Blake Griffin, is on the floor the most, crying to the referees that the Cowboys breathed too hard on him.

I am a Big 12 man. I always want to see the Big 12 do well, it is a rule of mine.

With that being said, I would love to see Blake Griffin get humbled. I have never seen a player whine as much as Blake Griffin has this game. Yet, with all that whining, he is still the cockiest player on the court.

Oklahoma is certainly a one-man team. People try to argue that they aren't, but let me ask you one question, what is their record without him?

This game against Oklahoma State also shows that it is a one-man show. It is always bad to be a one-man show. Look at Oklahoma's season with Blake Griffin. Arguably one of the best teams in the nation.

But please, Blake Griffin, do not be a showboater and a whiner. Choose one. It just looks pathetic, otherwise.

Well, the Buffalo Wild Wings show is over. Thank you referees, for ruining another game that would have been great.

What the Nebraska Huskers Can Do to Pull Off a Miracle

Matthew Svoboda — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:29:53 -0500

It was only a week ago that Nebraska was on the bubble to make the tournament. Three losses later they find themselves in desperate need to win their conference tournament. They are certainly not picked to win, but I propose that if a couple of things happen in their favor it could be more than just a dream.

Nebraska's incredible defense has made them competitive in every game they have played. Their defense has been ranked 11th in the nation for most of the season. Which is an incredible statistic when yo realize they also have one of the smallest teams in the nation.

Nebraska also takes care of the ball better than most. With a great defense and an offense that doesn't throw away the ball you have a foundation for success.

With that being said there are a few things that have to happen in order for the Huskers to pull off a miracle:

1) Down the stretch of this season Ade Dagunduro has shown himself to be the team leader. No one questions who the ball goes to in a must score situation. In their last game Kansas State had no answer for him, but Dagunduro gave them their answer, he fouled.

He only played nine minutes in the first half of their game because of foul trouble. In those nine minutes he put up nice statistics including nine points. The second half was more of the same.

Dagunduro has to establish himself as a scorer early and stay out of foul trouble in order for Nebraska to win their conference tournament. He is the key man on the court and he has to know that it is up to him to lead the Huskers to victory.

Nebraska is very team oriented and they have never been a one man show, but in order to pull off a miracle they need Dagunduro to be a little more selfish. He is their best shooter, play maker, and on the court leader.

2) Nebraska also needs a lot of help from their bench. Ryan Anderson was just under 20 points last game. They will need more big games from him when they face teams like Kansas, Mizzou, and Oklahoma. Toney McCray is another player that needs to put up some numbers off the bench.

Fresh legs always help a defensive team stay fresh and in the face of their opponents. Doc Sadler has done well this year with the amount of substitutions he has used. Now we just need that bench to step up and put some points on the board.

3) Paul Velander is undoubtedly the best three point shooter on the team. He needs to be more consistent for the Huskers to win. He tends to only shoot whenever it is a must have three point situation or he is wide open.

Velander needs to be able to roll off a screen and drill it. He cannot wait for the wide open shot that rarely comes and he cannot wait for the situation that calls for a three because that is the only time he is double teamed.

4) Lastly, I would like to see a little change in Doc Sadler's game plan. That is hard for me to say because I greatly respect him and think he is an amazing coach that will make the Huskers a championship winning team.

With that being said I think he must five Chris Balham and Alonzo Edwards more minutes. I know Balham is not the most talented and Edwards is only a freshman, but the fact is if they don't get more height on the court they cannot win the conference tournament.

Blake Griffin from Oklahoma, Darren Kent from Kansas State, and Cole Aldrich from Kansas will all single handily dominate the Huskers if Sadler does not put some height against them.

If those four things happen the Nebraska Cornhuskers can pull off the miracle and win the Big 12 tournament.

Looking Ahead To The Big 12 Tournament

Matthew Svoboda — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:36:51 -0500

The beginning of the conference tournaments kick off the most exciting time of the year in sports. It is now that the surprises start. Teams who probably won't get into March Madness on there own now have a chance to win their conference and get an automatic bid. Teams such as Oklahoma, UConn, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh only have pride and momentum to play for.

Other teams such as Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State have everything to play for. Every game is a must win. The seniors realize that for most of them if they do not when this conference tournament their basketball careers are over. The NIT is the only thing waiting on them.

So it begins. Teams that have everything to lose do whatever it takes to win. Looking specifically at the Big 12 there are 3 teams on the bubble. Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas are already where they need to be, into March Madness. Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Nebraska need a miracle. Some people think that Oklahoma State and Kansas State might be able to get in without winning the conference tournament, but they don't want to take that chance, they need to win. Nebraska's only shot to make it into March Madness is by miraculously winning the conference tournament. It was not this way until they dropped there last three games to Kansas, Texas A&M, and Kansas State.

Each team needs to know what must be done. The teams that are already set in making March Madness realize that they need to be doing everything they can to prepare for the big show. Slacking off in the conference tournament can mean losing momentum going into March Madness and risk not playing your best basketball at the beginning of the tournament. It only takes one year for a person to realize every game is a toss up when it comes to March Madness. Every team must be playing at the top of its game in order to win, ask Kansas who won it all last year.

The stage is set. Most teams in the Big 12 have two games left. Two games in order to fix the final kinks and get the momentum going.

So what can we expect out of the Big 12 tournament?

1) Upsets. The Big 12 tournament is not going to be shy of upsets. All season long upsets have been taking place and it is going to continue.

2) Expect the best player in the Big 12 to prove it in this tournament. Blake Griffin? Nope... Sherron Collins. I am not going to predict who I think will win the tourney here, but I will say look out for Collins. He has already been a part of a team that won March Madness last year. He is the undoubted leader of a team that was supposed to be rebuilding, but is going to end up winning the Big 12 regular season. Blake Griffin is a great talent, but he has not been tested. Collins is the most clutch player in the nation. If you do not believe me go back and watch how he single handily beat Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Missouri. His stats are not the most eye popping, but he in the last five minutes of any game I will take Collins before anyone.

3) Watch the quiet leaders start to shine. Nebraska's Nagundara, Mizzou's Carroll, Kansas State's Clemente, OSU's Anderson, and Texas A&M's Carter will all do everything they can to make their teams successful. These players will be the key if their teams are going to be key if their teams are going to make a run and all of these players have the ability to make it happen.

4) Rabid fans. The Big 12 fans are the greatest in the nation and they will show it again this tournament. Watching some of the regular season games such as OU-Kansas, Mizzou-Kansas, Texas-OU, Texas A&M- Nebraska, and OSU- Texas made chills go down my spine as I watched these fans jump up and down as they screamed for their teams. They felt the highs and the lows. They will continue to fight and bleed with their teams in this tournament.

If you are not excited for the Big 12 tournament you don't know what you are missing.

Anything could happen.

There are 5 teams that have a legitimate shot at winning it all and two others that are not far behind. It has been a long time since the Big 12 has been this competitive top down and it is going to make for one amazing tournament!

The Huskers' Doc Always Makes Things Better

Matthew Svoboda — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:03:25 -0500

It was not long ago that teams in the Big 12 were excited to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Teams would roll into Lincoln expecting an easy win.

I won't pretend that everything miraculously changed the moment Doc Sadler was hired as the Huskers head coach before the 2006-2007 season.

Nevertheless, he has certainly made things better.

I have a feeling that in 20 years, people will come to know Nebraska basketball in two periods: before and after the Doc arrived. Doc Sadler is in his third year as Nebraska's Head Coach. He had a good first two seasons, but it is this year that signifies the turnaround of this program.

One should realize that Doc Sadler puts one of the smallest teams in the country on the court every game. Yet, even with that small group, the Huskers have the No. 11 ranked defense in the nation.

I would go as far as to say that no one has done more with less than Doc Sadler. Nebraska does not have a pure shooter, play-maker, or even a post man. Yet, without any of that, the Doc has led Nebraska to victories over Creighton, Kansas State, Texas, and Missouri.

Texas was especially emotional for Doc Sadler as he shared tears with reporters after the game. By and large, it was a turnaround game for the Huskers.

Now, when coaches prepare for the Huskers, they make sure their teams take Nebraska seriously. The Huskers play the most disciplined basketball in the Big 12. If a team steps on the court with the Huskers and play sloppy basketball, they are bound to lose.

However, in an attempt to not overplay the Huskers success, we should also look at the lows of the season.

Nebraska has suffered heartbreak losses to Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Kansas. In all of their close losses, the Huskers were only a few plays away from a win.

What is the difference between this season and the last decade for the Huskers?

The Doc has instilled confidence and character. I have never watched the Huskers play with confidence like I have this year. Although they are always smaller and less talented, the Huskers have an edge which says, "we're here to win."

Previously, whenever Nebraska faced obstacles in games, the team would simply fold. But now that Doc has instilled character into the team, they fight to the end, whether it ends up bitter, or sweet.

There is a reason that I have not mentioned one single player by name. If it weren't for Doc Sadler, these players would be having the same season the last decade of Nebraska players had.

Hiring the Doc is the best thing that has happened to Nebraska basketball, and it will be the Doc that will continue to transform the Huskers from the laughing stock of the Big 12, to Big 12 champions and beyond.

Who Will Win Their Conference Tournament?

Matthew Svoboda — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:52:35 -0500

I am not going to predict every conference. Only major conferences and a few other small conferences that I choose:

Atlantic 10- Xavier

ACC- North Carolina

Big 12- Kansas- Mark it down.

Big East- UConn. Watch out for Louisville.

Big 10- Michigan State

C-USA- Memphis

Horizon- Butler

Missouri Valley- Creighton

Mountain West- Utah

Pac 10- Washington

SEC- Kentucky

A few of my predictions are predictable and others seem like long shots. Nonetheless, these are my conference tournament predictions. This is the most exciting time in college basketball; March Madness might be the most exciting month in all of sports.

March Madness Is Around The Corner!

Matthew Svoboda — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:18:52 -0500

I am just going to give a few of tips for filling out brackets in this year's March Madness. I will give a more detailed explanation when the brackets are actually out.

For now:

1) Don't pick any team from the SEC to make it to the Elite Eight. Kentucky might be able to sneak to the Sweet 16, but that is as far as any SEC team will make it this year. LSU will lose in the second round.

2) Don't pick a team in the Big 10 to make it to the Sweet 16 if they can't even get out of the first round!

3) Okalahoma is the only team in the Big 12 that has a Final Four chance, but depending on the bracket, I will probably pick them to lose in the Elite Eight. Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and possibly Oklahoma State are all good enough to make it to the Sweet 16, but I am guessing only two Big 12 teams make it that far.

4) Pick the ACC to do very well in the tournament.

5) Pick the Big East to DOMINATE the tournament. They have 10 teams that are good enough to make it to the Sweet 16... Too bad they might only get nine teams into the tournament.

6) Watch the Big East conference tournament or your bracket could easily be ruined.