Husker Doc Talk

There is a fine line in college football these days when it comes to being considered a great team and a bad team. Right now, Nebraska is on the wrong side of that line. Halfway through the season the Huskers are 2-4 and dreams of a bowl trip are fading fast. 
Some of it is just plain bad luck.  Some of it is a lack of good talent.  Some of it is bad coaching. Add it all up and you can see why a lot of fans are in a panic. The reaction on social media, local radio and local print is all over the board. Some people are furious and see the Bill Callahan days returning. Some people have blinders on and are preaching patience and worrying that all the negative talk will hurt recruiting. 
In this edition of the Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob talks about the Husker offense and what he sees as the problem.  When listening to this, imagine Dr. Rob sitting down with Mike Riley and Danny Langsdorf and giving him the diagnosis they need to hear. Dr. Rob might not have the cure, but the medicine he's offering might ease some of the pain. Here's a hint, it's going old school!
We don't focus a lot on the x's and o's in this podcast, more about the mindset and philosophy and moving forward after a terrible start.  
We would like to hear your thoughts, leave your comments below. Also, make sure to follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports.

Five games into his first season at Nebraska and the honeymoon is officially over for head coach Mike Riley. Starting the season 2-3 is bad, but it got worse when the Huskers lost to what could be considered the worst team in the Big 10 Conference, Illinois.
In this weeks, Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, former Husker All-American Dr. Rob Zatechka takes a good hard look at the Nebraska's problems. Everyone wants to look at the pass that should have been a run by quarterback Tommie Armstrong; Dr. Rob says it's more than one play, and it's what he sees as the problem has been going on since the first game of the season.
Losing to Illinois was a serious blow to Nebraska's shot at winning the Big 10 West Division.  However,  the bigger question for this team now is this.  Is the season going to get worse for the Huskers before it gets better?  Nebraska is at home Saturday to play Wisconsin. The Badgers also lost last weekend which means there will be two teams on the field in Lincoln with something to prove. The loser will be pretty much eliminated from having a chance of winning the division. 
Want to hear more from Dr. Rob? Follow him on Twitter @DocTalkSports.  We also want to know what you think of this podcast, feel free to leave your comments below.

The numbers are really hard to look at.  Nebraska is ranked 102nd nationally in total defense; its is giving up well over 6-yards a play. The Huskers scoring defense is ranked 76th nationally giving almost 27 points per game.  These numbers are a good reason Nebraska is just 2-2 heading into Big 10 Play.  
In this weeks Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Takes a harder look at the defense and breaks down the woes we see today and if they are here to last all season.
Now, despite the problems the Huskers are having on defense, their Big 10 opener at Illinois the place to build some confidence.  The biggest question heading into this game is will any Illini fans even show up. Despite being 3-1, the fan base has all but abandoned the Illini. And don't let that 3-1 record fool you, Illinois has beaten nobody of significance. 
As the Big 10 season gets started, just where does Dr. Rob see the Huskers in the wild west division? Here's a hint, it's not at the top.
We like to hear from you so please feel free to leave your comments below and make sure to follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports.

In this edition of the Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by The Rimington Trophy, Travis and Rob are sitting down on the patio at the Benson Brewery.  A live, on location recording in the heart of Benson and a proud supporter of our podcasting efforts.
Coming off a loss at Miami, the reactions of the Big Red faithful were mixed.  Some people like the fight the Husker showed in the 4th quarter, fighting back to force overtime. Others pointed out the negative including a first quarter that was about as bad as it gets.  
United we stand, divided we fall. It's a cliche', but it's also true. Not just from the fan base but the players as well.  What does Alex Lewis' stupid tweet do to this team? Also, should there be better social media policy place to prevent what Alex did from happening again?
Oh, and there's a game this week, taking on Souther Mississippi.  Enjoy our on location podcast (new intro and outro music) and let us know what you think by leaving your comments below. Also, follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports.

It's time to for the Huskers to hit the road. Nebraska visits Miami on Saturday, a match-up of two longtime rivals that have battled for National Championships in the past; now it seems like both are just trying to get back to national relevance. 
In this edition of the Husker Doc Talk podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, former Husker Dr. Rob Zatechka talks about going on the road for the first time and how it's really not as pressure filled as it might seem. There are some differences but sometimes a lot of players feed off the energy of a visiting crowd. 
Dr. Rob likes what he saw in Nebraska's running game last week. It's that kind of effort that will be needed against the 'Canes.  What about the Blackshirts? Well the doctor likes what he sees in the secondary but he knows Miami is going to start picking on Daniel Davie.
Follow Doctor Rob on Twitter: @DocTalkSports and we want to hear from you so leave your comments below.

It was interesting to see all the reaction from Nebraska's loss to BYU; they were all over the board and that's to be expected when the Huskers lose. It was that way under Frank Solich, Bill Callahan, Bo Pelini, and Mike Riley can expect the same reactions. It wasn't the fact that the Huskers lost but it was the way they lost. Not being able to convert on 3rd and short late in the game. Virtually no pass rush on the last play of the game; that gave the BYU quarterback all the time in the world to throw a perfect Hail Mary pass. So the Mike Riley era starts with a loss, ending a long streak of home opening wins. But a loss does not define the future.  In this episode of the Husker Doc Talk podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka talks about where the Huskers go from here.  There was a lot more good plays than bad says the Doctor on this weekly house call. But there are some things to be concerned about moving forward.Listen to Travis Justice and Doctor Rob to get the latest opinion and analysis on the Huskers. They would love to hear your feedback as well, leave your comments below.

It's game week! Let's be totally honest, it has not started the way the Univeristy of Nebraska or Head Coach Mike Riley would have wanted it to.In this edition of the Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Travis and Rob discuss these distractions and if they are really distractions or just something that is really annoying.Starting with the hiring and then firing of Jon Schuetz as the PA announcer at Memorial Stadium. A Facebook post comes back to bite him in the ass. Those of you who have followed Travis and Rob over the years, I think it's safe to say that neither one of us will be hired by the Athletic Department anytime soon.Another distraction, Head Coach Mike Riley is named in a civil lawsuit along with his former employer, Oregon State. The case has to do with a rape that allegedly happened in 1999. Riley has acknowledged the lawsuit and OSU has denied wrongdoing. Going to the game on Saturday? Make sure to stop by the Chicago Dawg House weenie wagon on 9th and P before or after the game or an original Chicago-style hot dog.Oh, and then there's the game. The Husker will battle BYU in the season opener, a game that leaves the good Doctor just scratching his head. His prediction... A shootout!  Find out more of his thoughts by listening to the podcast.  We also what to hear from you, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Good, bad, or ugly we can take it. Also, follow Doctor Rob on Twitter, @doctalksports. 

We hear a lot about limited contact in practice; call it an NFL mentality. Does beating the crap out of one another in practice leading up to the first game really make that big of a difference?In this Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the  Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob and Travis discuss this very topic. Guess what, contact isn't all bad but as Dr. Rob tells us coaching proper technique and fundamentals is more important.Also, we talk about the Big 10. Is the good Doctor falling in line with the rest of the pundits and picking Ohio State to win it all? What about the wild West Division? Where does Dr. Rob have Nebraska finishing? Find out in this 30 minutes of fun football talk.We would like to hear what you have to thing, please leave your comments below, we like to hear what you think.  Also, follow Dr. Rob on Twittter; @doctalksports.