Corn Nation: for Nebraska Cornhuskers fans

Five Heart Podcast 287: What Will Mark Whipple’s Offense Look Like?

Greg is out this week, but Hoss joins Todd and I for this episode of the Five Heart Podcast!Hoss is a master at understanding offenses, so this episode is (mostly) about what Mark Whipple’s new offense will look like at Nebraska.Hoss brings up a comment Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi made about Mark Whipple, a comment that will not make “RUN THE BALL” guy very happy:Hoss gives us insight on Whipple’s passing offense and how that differs from what we’ve seen in the past.Questions arise:What will Frost’s influence bring to Whipple’s passing schemes?Run plays - I ask Hoss, “Can our guards and tackles pull successfully?” (Don’t take it for granted that we can.)Todd asks about weakness, specially, “What could bog down this offense?”It’s a pretty decent discussion of all things football, especially on offense.I ask the guys - “What do we think of media’s access being restricted to head coach and coordinators? Is this a way for Alberts to push Frost into being more of a CEO? Is this a way of restricting Mickey Joseph because of his rising popularity?   More questions - “How will the Big Ten defend against Nebraska’s new offense?”What about draws and quarterback runs?And then I spring on final question on both Hoss and Todd:“What do you think of Trev Alberts first year on the job?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 286: Summer Conversations with Hoss - Pt. 1

This week on the Five Heart Podcast, Hoss Reuter, recent Masters graduate from UNL, rejoins the podcast. It’s the first of a series of indefinite episodes we’re calling “Summer Conversations with Hoss.”On this first installment, we discuss the difference between incremental improvement and the new standard, marked improvement.Hoss shares some insight into schemes from the past, from our opponents, and the most frustrating loss(es) of the 2021 season.It’s good to have him back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 285: Big Ten Whacked Jimmy

Think about the past year for a minute.A short time ago, the Big Ten, Pac-12, and ACC formed “THE ALLIANCE” for the purpose of joining together and thwarting the attempt to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams. They didn’t want the SEC and ESPN controlling the negotiations, the format, anything without them having a bigger say.The three commissioners of THE ALLIANCE did appearances together. They were asked if their agreement was in writing. “No”, they responded, “A handshake is a handshake.”Last night the news broke that USC and UCLA are joining the Big Ten.How ruthless is that?It’s like the scene in Goodfellas where Tommy gets whacked. He thinks he’s going to be a “made man” and instead he’s unceremoniously shot in the back of the head. (In the podcast, I got my characters mixed up, and said it was Jimmy that got whacked, but you get the idea.)IT’S RUTHLESS WHAT HAPPENED.At least Tommy knew what was happening at the last minute when he stepped into a empty room. THE PAC 12 NEVER KNEW IT WAS COMING.Todd, Greg, and Jon discuss the latest news about the Big Ten.We wonder if this ultimately will be bad for college football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 284: Big Ten Media Rights - The First To A Billion?

Greg is out!Todd is out!Jon takes control of the show and invites Husker Mike!We talk about Big Ten media rights, because Mike knows that stuff better than anyone else I know that isn’t fully employed in the media.So.... the Big Ten is going to negotiate new media rights. The players - ESPN, Fox, CBS, and NBC.We discuss (well, mostly Mike answers my questions) how the TV rights of Big Ten sports might be split up between the networks.Mike proposes that the following mix might happen with Big Ten football:Fox - Big Noon Saturday  - Big Ten game of the weekCBS -2:30   - Another high profile Big Ten gameNBC - Primetime - Yet another high profile Big Ten gameBTN - everyone else that weekThis would give the Big Ten three games on broadcast TV, meaning people could pick those games up with just an antenna. This is an important distinction and worth a lot of money to the networks AND the Big Ten.$1B per year will translate to around $71M per year per Big Ten school. That’s around double what they get now... so this round of media right discussions is crucial.That’s what Mike and I talk about this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 283: The Half-Assed Half-Hour

It’s the middle of June. We’re a little hard up for content. So....We still have an episode to offer.In this episode:Cayden Brumbaugh - Nebraska baseball picks up an outfielder transfer from Oklahoma State
Riley Van Poppel - Nebraska football gets a decent looking defensive lineman recruit from Texas
Jon wonders “How is it we were 3-9 last season and still getting good recruits?”
Texas and their damned attitude - did you hear about them at Eastern Carolina?
There’s probably other hijinks as well. OH YEAH.I posted this gem to my Facebook account. Greg brought it up, so here it is for your enjoyment:I guess I’ve been a problem most of my life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 282: Old Farts And Football

Greg didn’t show up on time because of, oh, I don’t know... work or making a living or something like that.So Todd and I started the old podcast. I turned 60 this past week and when a guy turns 60, people expect him to say something about it, so I do. Then I give advice to young people about keeping their bodies in shape, which is rather ironic coming from a guy who stayed active most of his life and still died of a heart attack at 54.There’s the new lineman who recently committed to Nebraska.Koty Frank transferred and Todd he wishes he was coming back to Nebraska. So do I. But he’s not. Cam Chick entered the transfer portal rather than end his baseball career.Adrian Martinez has been making statements that have riled Nebraska fans. He’s said his Kansas State team is more talented than those he had at Nebraska. He’s said the statement below.Todd and I point out how thin-skinned Nebraska fans are reacting to Martinez’ statements. There’s a ranty bit maybe.Greg FINALLY JOINS US, and he’s caught in the trap of old farts. Being old farts requires us to talk about things we miss from the past.We came up with three things about college football we miss from when we were young. You’ll have to listen to find out what they are because I’m not telling you here.SO THERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 281: Dents In the Head And High School Officiating

HEyoooooooooooo! Greg is gone! Todd is gone! It’s just me, Jon Johnston, joined by Nate McHugh, some guy that writes for this site! All these exclamation points, you know something good is happening. It’s another episode of the Five Heart Podcast! WooooOo!Nate is coaching youth baseball. He’s coached a lot of youth sports. We start by having a discussion about officiating in kids’ sports because Nate has spent a lot of time there and has some thoughts on the state of youth officiating. Nate points out that parents yelling at officials aren’t helping their teams. It’s worth a listen. He recommends paying attention to what Frank Martin is saying in this video. I talk about some of my experience in coaching youth soccer for decade, then I bring up an entirely different subject. How much force does it take to dent a human skull? This is what I’ve been spending my past few nights trying to figure out. It’s a subject of my next book. Nate brings up the NIL discussion that occurred on the Doc Talk podcast with Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich, along with ABM guy Gerrod Lambrecht. There’s a bunch of big recruiting happening this month at Nebraska camps. We’d cover that, but CornNation really needs recruiting writers. So, send an email to cornnation@gmail.com along with why you’d like to do this for us if interested. Send any experience. And like Nate says in the podcast... don’t worry if you don’t hear anything for a while. It took me months to respond to him! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 280: Traditions

Greg, Todd and myself get together for another episode of the Five Heart Podcast. The longest podcast episode EVER. This is my fault for bringing up Thor Heyerdahl and Kontiki.In this episode we cover:The latest transfers in football - Stephon Wynn Jr. and Marcus Washington and how they fit into Nebraska’s football team.Baseball transfers - five players have already entered the transfer portal.Lat Mayen not returning to Nebraska basketball.Then there’s Husker traditions. Greg has a list of Husker traditions; we discuss whether we’d keep them or not and what adjustments we’d make.Did you know that years ago Husker fans threw oranges on the field? No? Well, they did. They threw oranges in the end zones every time we scored to symbolize our desire to get to the Orange Bowl, the most prized season-end destination for years.Then one day that tradition ended. ENDED.The 1982 Nebraska - Oklahoma game was very cold. The oranges people had became frozen. Someone threw a frozen orange that struck an official in the back of the head, permanently disabling him. That tradition ended right there.No onethemselves about it.Why?Because it was a pretty stupid tradition.The Tunnel Walk tradition began in 1994. It just started. Husker fans accepted it rather quickly and it became a great way to recognize that the team was coming on the field so you’d better get your in your seat to see the opening kickoff.No onethemselves about it.Do you know why?Because nobody can remember what we did before the Tunnel Walk to recognize the team coming onto the field. It was a good idea.Now we have the balloon tradition going away. Many people are shitting themselves.Do you know why?I don’t either.Apparently they’d like to keep a tradition where we pumptons of litter into the air and don’t give a about where it ends up.Anyway, give it a listen. IF YOU DARE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 279: Talking Pods on the Pod

This week on the Five Heart Podcast, NO JON! Jon is at a family reunion of sorts, and while we tried to convince him to break away from the family gathering to join is, our Founder and Fearless Leader made a call to the bullpen and had Nate McHugh take his place.Nate, Todd, and I talk about the Big Ten Champion Softball Team as it prepares for regional action in Stillwater, OK. Admittedly, there’s not a lot of baseball to discuss as they need to win out to have a chance to make the Big Ten Tourney.Nebraska basketball acquired two guards from the transfer portal this week, however one didn’t decide until after we recorded. Can one of them run the point and be the on-court general? That remains to be seen.The football team acquired a safety from the NCAAF transfer portal, a former 4-star DB from the Alabama Crimsontide.And then...the discussion around college football has been the dissolution of divisions. The Pac-12 says divisions will still exist but won’t factor into the CCG. Pods. No longer divisions. Your thoughts? Protected opponents or not. Preference of shifting or no?It’s what they’re talking about in Chicago.It’s what we’re talking about on this show this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Heart Podcast 278: Baseball Struggles While Softball Soars

This week, Greg, Todd, and Jon discuss Jon’s recent neck procedure (he’s probably fine) and sounds that sound a lot like a dog throwing up on the kitchen floor (she didn’t).The Husker baseball team did not take care of business this past weekend at Minnesota, and it was the Gophers’ first conference series win in three years. So now Nebraska needs to exceed expectations in its final two weekends of baseball for the best chance to make the Big Ten Tournament.And speaking of Big Ten Tournaments, the Husker Softball team beat Penn State to advance in the bracket. They will face Ohio State later today. Make sure you keep track of the recaps and rundowns from our correspondent Andy.We talked about Bryce McGowens earning an invitation to the NBA Combine and Todd has a plan to do away with the one-and-done college basketball player.Finally, we answered some of your NIL questions from the YouTube comments on Jon’s latest video.Enjoy, Go Big Red, and congrats to Hoss Reuter and all the other graduates walking across the stage today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices