Dallas Morning News looks at Brandon Jackson, who has rushed for 951 yards this season, averaging 5.3 yards a carry, after starting the season on the fourth string.

He has a soft cast and splint that comes off after practice. His priority is getting strength back in the hand. Jackson knows about rehabilitating injuries.

He hurt his shoulder twice at Nebraska, limiting his progress.

“All I’m thinking about is, ‘Hey, it’s not a shoulder. Just a couple broken bones,’ ” Jackson said when asked about the injury he suffered against Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game.

Omaha World-Herald reports that Nebraska coaches are feeling good about a well-run recruiting season.

“People don’t want to hear it nationally, but I think this is going to be Bill Callahan’s best recruiting class ever,” said analyst Jeremy Crabtree of rivals.com. “In 2005, you had the five-star guys and all the big names. But when it’s all said and done, this is better.”

Rivals.com ranks Nebraska’s group of 27 pledges at No. 8 nationally after the December to remember. Six of them – including four potential quick-impact junior college transfers – are set to begin school in Lincoln Jan. 8.

Nebraska must protect its oral commitments until the Feb. 7 signing date.

Atlanta Constitution-Journal staff writer Bill Sanders spoke to Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville about his team’s upcoming Cotton Bowl game.

Q: Nebraska. Just the name gets you ready for football, doesn’t it?

A: Yeah, it really does. They’ve got a lot of tradition. They love football there. I coached against them three times when I was at Miami and was always impressed with the passion they had.

Q: But does this generation of Auburn players realize just how special Nebraska once was?

A: There’s been a little drop-off while they were looking for a new identity, a new philosophy. And no, our players are not as up to date on them as we coaches and older fans are. But our players are pretty intent on focusing on playing different universities and schools, and Nebraska is one of top ones over the last 25 years.

Nebraska won the first of its five national championships in 1970—36 years ago. And the program has been winning BIG since coach Bob Devaney’s arrival in 1962—44 years ago. But who’s counting?

Charlotte-based Sports Media Challenge recently announced their new “Sports Blog Index,” a ranking of sports blogs. They rank Gawker Media’s Deadspin number one, followed by Every Day Should be Saturday. Which is fine, but what about Husker blogs? Lately, several new ones have emerged and taken as a group, it’s safe to say Husker Nation has some of the best fan-run media properties in the nation.

Corn Nation is the SB Nation entry. SB Nation is the creation of political blog superstar, Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos. Moulitsas was quick to see the link between political blogs and sports blogs—namely an audience defined by their passion for the subject and a tendency to form community around the topic.

Other well-rendered Husker blogs include:

Double Extra Point
Big Red Network
and Husker Mike

Then there’s Husker Pedia. It’s not a blog, but it is a fantastic resource for links to Husker-related news.

[UPDATE 9.15.07] Some new/other Husker blogs worth noting: Hi-Plains Drifter, Fire Bill Callahan, Midwest Coast Bias and Husker Guy. For a contrary point of view, there’s Behind Enemy Lines — A Huskerh8er’s view of the world.

Nebraska defeated Stanford 3-1 to win the 2006 National Championship. After dropping the first set 27-30, the Huskers rallied to take the next three, 30-26, 30-28, 30-27.

Congratulations!

According to Mobile Press-Register, Auburn is having a difficult time selling it’s allotment of 12,500 tickets to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

“We’re going to have to sell some,” said Auburn tickets director Stephen Naughton. “We’re hoping to sell out. We haven’t given up yet.”

Naughton did not disclose exactly how many tickets had been sold.

“We’re hoping in the next few days to get a strong push,” he said.

Auburn must sell its remaining tickets or absorb the cost.

“We’ve got a senior class that has won more football games than any other class in the history of Auburn,” said Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs. “In 1982, when I played against Nebraska, Auburn ended up on the low side of that. So I certainly hope that we can blanket that stadium in orange and have a good run at the Cornhuskers.”

The Husker Volleball team beat the UCLA Bruins tonight at the Qwest Center in Omaha to advance to the National Championship game. After dropping the first set 23-30, Nebraska rebounded to win the next three 30-28, 30-23. 30-28.

Nebraska will face the winner between Stanford and Washington; in progress at the time of publication.

The National Championship game is slated for 8:00 pm Central Saturday at the Qwest Center.

Update
The Huskers will face Stanford who defeated Washington 3-0.

Lincoln Journal Star commends our senior front four on defense, a unit we’ll be counting on in Dallas.

In an up-and-down season for the Nebraska defense, the Huskers’ four starting linemen arguably have provided the most stability. To be sure, they played superbly as a group in the Huskers’ latest game, a 21-7 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 2.

Although Oklahoma found success through the air, Nebraska held the Sooners’ vaunted rushing attack to 42 yards on 28 carries, with the defensive line playing a major role.

Ola Dagunduro, Adam Carriker, Jay Moore and Barry Cryer are all expected to line up on Sundays next season.

The Husker volleyball team outlasted Minnesota to advance to the Final Four to take place in Omaha at the Qwest Center beginning Thursday.

On a side note, we don’t have the resources to cover the upcoming event but if any Husker volleyball fans want to help us out, drop us a line at huskers@huskerzone.com.

Being in the stands for the Big 12 Championship was a cold affair, but with 22-month old and a newborn at home, this was the only game I’ve been able to make it to in person this season. I saw a lot of things on the field that I’ve thought have been happening but was obscured from the zoom view of the TV cameras.

1. Cosgrove is still a tool, but in-play actions by the secondary overshadow most of the good things he has going with the defensive line. Despite what others have said about the athletic ability/size of our corners and safteys, the problem lies in positioning and decision making. I think we may have the only Corners in college football who can give a 12 yard cushion at the snap and still be beat on a standard route. The defensive line played above average ball, but our catch-up corners (that would be the opposite of shut-down corners) let the game get away from the defense.

2. The ill-fated reverse on the opening kick-off didn’t bother me so much. Folks forget that Dr. Tom ran this often in the 90′s when the kick-off reverse was in vogue. Sure it failed in its objective but we only lost a couple yards based on where the defense was positioned at the time of the reverse. We were probably looking at First at 10 from the 11 or 12 instead of the 9 if he’d held on to it.

3. Callahan took the blame for the loss which marks the first time in my recollection that he has done so. Where was this many games ago? Zac Taylor had his worst game as a Husker and the rest of the offense lacked execution. If Callahan can take any heat for loss, I’ll give it to him on the play calling. Abandoning the run when it was having some success was not the wisest coaching move but it the heat of the moment, it could have had the opposite affect and thrown the Sooners for a loop.

4. Despite the score, take away two plays and Nebraska was in this game to the end. The fact that the Huskers didn’t quit when they were down was a refreshing change to where the Huskers have been in previous losses under Callahan.

5. We receive a bunch of traffic to this site from people searching for “Fire Bill Callahan” likely based on previous rants we’ve published. I’m still not sold on Callahan, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel either. I don’t think Nebraska should have sunk as far as they have in the last 3-5 years, but I’m encouraged that they seem to be back on the climb. Callahan realizing that he has to make some “changes” in the off season might be the best thing that has ever happened to him or Nebraska. Talent-wise, I’ve said before that talent isn’t the issue for this team, it is coaching – perhaps Callahan has realized this as well.

The funniest thing I heard at the game, immediately following the first play from scrimmage fumble, “If we leave now we can home by midnight;” by a group of eight or so (from Omaha) sitting in front me who ended up staying the entire game – or at least until I did the walk of shame with 3 minutes to go in the game (it was damn cold, no apologies what may have appeared to be a “fair weather fan” )

The best sign I saw:
Any
Body
Cold

The worst things I saw. 1) a fight between two punks in the bathroom before kickoff (one in Husker gear, the other in Sooner gear). 2) The visibly drunk guy puking beside a stadium support column at the end of the game holding the hand of his shivering kid who couldn’t have been more than 5/6 years old.