There’s a fair amount in today’s Flakes....

A potential solution to watching Nebraska football this season may be upon us!

Look at this bit of news from the university newspaper, the Daily Nebraska:

New smart bandage can dispense medication | News | dailynebraskan.com

Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a smart bandage that can simultaneously dispense medication.

Look at this explanation from a Nebraska news release that I missed from earlier in the month because I wasn’t paying attention:

A microcontroller no larger than a postage stamp, which could be triggered by a smartphone or other wireless device, sends small amounts of voltage through a chosen fiber. That voltage heats the fiber and its hydrogel, releasing whatever cargo it contains.

I realize that they are proposing that this so-called “hydrogel” contains a medication, but why couldn’t it just as easily contain a gin and tonic. Or a rum and coke. Or a seven and seven. Whatever floats your boat. Just attach that baby to your arm, activate it, and then feel the slow, methodical, calming release of what ever liquid-based sedative refreshment you desire.

If you read the releases, you’ll see that they’re proposing that this could help with all sorts of wounds and maladies. Is Nebraska football not sometimes wounding?

Though the researchers have patented their design, it will need to undergo further animal and then human testing before going to market. That could take several years, though the fact that most of the design’s components are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration should streamline the process, Tamayol said.

I suggest that these researchers change their approach and get this on the market as fast as possible by figuring out how to package fair amounts of alcohol into their hydrogel and get it into the hands of football fans as quickly as possible and start earning revenue on their invention.

Nebraska fans shouldn't care about Mike Riley's sideline demeanor, experts say

“Research has demonstrated that the rah-rah, super motivational head coach works in the short term — 1-to-2 seasons, then the athlete begins to get very tired of being ‘yelled’ at. Athletes know when a coach is true or fake. The authentic and genuine type coaches last longer.”

I thought that this was an interesting take by Land Of 10. I have noted on our websites comments and throughout social media – Husker fans stating that Mike Riley has “no fire”. I find it interesting that our most hallowed coach Tom Osborne was also accused so many times of having no emotion, especially when he was losing 230 bowl games in a row. An exaggeration? Sure, but Osborne did go through the same thing.

You should go read the article. It includes some insights from different psychologists that I believe make good points about the demeanor of what you’re looking for in a good head coach.

It’s funny to note that Riley is screwed no matter what his demeanor is right now. If he is happy and upbeat, he would be blamed for not caring that our football team has lost games in a horrible manner. If he is morose, and he is blamed for not having fire, as he is being blamed now.

I guess fans think that he should be yelling at the players?

As I said it doesn’t matter what he does or how he acts. It doesn’t. All that matters is winning.

Jason Peter joined Big Red Wrap Up the other night... you can see the show here. He’s Jason Peter, so he’s fairly blunt about things. I have to be honest, when I saw fans tweeting about it, I thought it was probably just Peter going off... and there’s some of that. He does get started and get somewhat animated, but he and Damon Benning make some pretty decent points, especially about players having accountability to each other.

My favorite line:

“They act like the athletic director position is like... splitting the atom.”

My own blunt opinion - I get tired of the “90s guys”, and tired of constantly bringing up the 90s because I believe that’s been part of the reason why our fan base is so impatient, fractured, and frankly, consists of many spoiled fans with unrealistic expectations. But again, Benning and Peter make some really good points.

THAT IS NOT THE SCOUT QB - Every Day Should Be Saturday

Scott Frost is a former option QB at Nebraska. He was made in a lab, and then sent to another lab after Tom Osborne judged the first lab’s work to be lacking, and then so on and so on until Frost became the starter by burning down the lab and eating everyone in it. (That’s how Nebraska knew he was ready.)

This is nice.

I don’t think we commented on this article from the Orlando Sentinel entitled “UCF fires preemptive financial strike at Nebraska to keep Scott Frost in Orlando”. I noticed that it became an article in both the Omaha and Lincoln newspapers, at least online. Perhaps we should be taking small news items like this and making articles out of them, but we are still trying to find our footing with Brian gone.

Note:

UCF issued a news release on Tuesday afternoon in which athletics director Danny White announced the school will aggressively try to raise more than $1.5 million a year from donors for the school’s “Football Excellence Fund.”

Actually, it should be called the “Keep Scott Frost in Orlando Fund” because much of the new money would presumably be used to pay Frost and his staff of highly respected assistant coaches.

We did have a discussion about this in our Slack room. I stated that because of this article that Frost does not sound like a guy who wants to leave Orlando. I say that because that is clearly the way the article is framed. Mike replied that he felt that Frost was investing in his future, and he is. We may both be right in that perspective.

Fact is, if someone decides to throw a bunch of money at Scott Frost it won’t matter how much money Central Florida raises. Frost will have a decision to make. I want you to put yourself in his position and consider the following:

Let’s say that Nebraska offers him $5 million per year, which if they are serious, they will have to do. Let’s say that Scott Frost is not successful in Nebraska and he is fired after five years. That would give him $25 million along with a buyout of around $10 million - $35 million for five years work.

But his career is basically over at age 49. I say that because most people don’t take a higher end Power Five job, fail, get fired, then get another shot at a high end job, at least note without falling way back down the ladder and having to work themselves back up. (Note I am considering Nebraska a “high end job”.)

If this were you or me, we probably wouldn’t give a damn because we’d have $35 million. We would go off, buy a nice fishing boat and spend our lives looking for lunker largemouth bass.

Scott Frost is not you or me - he is a much much more competitive person. He’s not going to want his career finished at age 49. In fact, he’s probably going to want to keep moving up the ladder at age 49. That guy you work with right now who knows he’s one day going to be the vice president of the corporation you work for and YOU KNOW he’s going to be the vice president? That’s Scott Frost.

Now ask yourself, which do you think is more important to Scott Frost or any other coach in his position? A place where you can be successful long-term? Or a bunch of money?

[Update: I don’t think I made myself clear on this, so I am adding in the following.]

Scott Frost’s choice is between Nebraska and several other places... not just jobs that will come open this year, because he’s already got a job at UCF. So again, put yourself IN HIS POSITION. Is Nebraska a place where he has a greater probability of long term success than Tennessee? UCLA? Florida?

Honestly, I think if you’re choosing Nebraska over a lot of other schools you’re afflicted with bias. I say that in a somewhat joking manner.

News

College football hot seat coaches: How safe are these 16? - SBNation.com
If these teams continue as projected, how many will be in the market for new coaches?

Mike Riley, Butch Jones and other midseason hot seats | SI.com
In this week's Punt, Pass & Pork, we compare the unique situations of every Power 5 coach under fire, envision an SEC-controlled playoff and eat tikka masala poutine fries in Palo Alto.

University of Louisville fires athletics director Tom Jurich - WDRB 41 Louisville News
The University of Louisville board of trustees voted Wednesday to fire athletics director Tom Jurich, ending a two-decade career in which the school's athletics program made giant leaps forward, but also became mired in back-to-back scandals involving the men's basketball program.

The decision, on a 10-3 vote, came after trustees deliberated for roughly three hours behind closed doors, including about 10 minutes during which Jurich's high-powered legal team was allowed in the room.

Jerry Sandusky: Ex-Penn State assistant denied new trial | SI.com
A Pennsylvania judge rejected former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's request for a new trial and dismissal of sexual abuse charges.

Purdue at Rutgers Preview - Hammer and Rails
Purdue heads to New Jersey for the first time.

Ending the “Purdue Mentality” - Hammer and Rails
Can Brohm accomplish this Herculean task?

Wisconsin football: Badgers vs. Maryland preview - Bucky's 5th Quarter
Up next for the Badgers: The Terps.

Key Matchups: Illinois at Minnesota - The Champaign Room
The Illini are looking for their first Big Ten win when they travel up north.

No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 19 Michigan: Game Preview - Black Shoe Diaries
Following the bye week, Penn State faces its first ranked opponent of the season.

Mike Gundy, T. Boone Pickens and building Oklahoma State football - SBNation.com
They have found this level of success under an unrepentant Okie. And the sneaky brilliance of Gundy the Okie, along with Oklahoma State’s cultivation of another famous alum — the billionaire T. Boone Pickens — is at the heart of how the coach has led the program to new heights.

Then There’s This

My Hometown...

Olympic Gymnast McKayla Maroney Says She Was Molested For Years By Team Doctor

McKayla Maroney, a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, says she was abused for years by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

This has been around for a bit.. charges against Nassar, as well as many, many accusations. I’m surprised that it’s never become a bigger story than it is. Maybe we just don’t care about gymnastics? What’s the deal?