Husker Doc Talk

It's gut check time on the Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy. Losing is one thing, getting your ass kicked on prime time television is another. Listen, it's not the end of the world even though it might feel like it. Yes, losing 62-3 to Ohio State was not pretty, but we don't think it's an accurate representation of this year's Husker football team. If the Buckeye's and Huskers played ten times, we are willing to be the games would be a lot closer.

With a little, okay a lot of luck, Nebraska could play Ohio State again in the Big 10 Championship game. Now it's going to take another Wisconsin loss, and the Huskers are going to have to win out. It's possible, but we wouldn't count on it.

Up next is Minnesota. The Golden Gophers control their destiny to Indianapolis, but again they would have to win out. Minnesota has won four straight games since losing its first two Big 10 games to Penn State and Iowa. However, those four wins are against Maryland, Rutgers, Maryland, and Purdue. Not what we would call world beaters. If (we don't know at the time of this recording) Tommy Armstrong plays the Nebraska has an excellent shot at winning. If Tommy doesn't play then, the game plan changes a little. Find out what Dr. Rob Zatechka has to say about the backup quarterback situation in this week's podcast.

Feel free to leave your comments in the section below and take the time to like this podcast on Podbean and give it a review on iTunes. You can follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports.

Thanks to HuskerMax.com for distributing this podcast and when you are looking for the best Husker gear for the Holidays, shop at Husker Hounds! Now with three locations in the Omaha area, including the new store at 149th and Maple.

 

Despite losing for the first time this season, Nebraska can still win the West Division and still win the Big 10 Championship game.  The Huskers are ranked tenth in the first College Football Playoff Poll, with one loss this means they still have a chance at the College Football Playoff.

In this week's Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Travis Justice, and Rob Zatechka talk about the classic showdown with the Buckeyes.  They look back on the loss at Wisconsin and how it just might set Nebraska up for victory in Columbus.

Jordan Westercamp is back and looked good against Wisconsin. Cethan Carter might be back in the lineup this week which will be a huge weapon for Nebraska's offense. The key to their success is Tommy Armstong.  From what we have seen the last couple of weeks, is Tommie getting better or taking a couple of steps backward in his development? Travis and Rob both agree, for Nebraska to be successful Tommy has to play to his strengths if he tries to do too much that is when bad things tend to happen.

This week's beer is very "red" and comes fromCrane Brewing out of Raytown, Missouri. 

The guest speaker for the Rimington Trophy Dinner has been announced. If you are Kansas City Chiefs fan, you will be excited!

Follow Doctor Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports.  Also, please leave your comments about this podcast in the comment section and take the time to review us on Podbean and iTunes.

Thanks to Husker Hounds! Get your holiday Husker gear at one of their three Omaha locations.

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It's about to get real for the Huskers. Nebraska's perfect record (7-0) will get its first big test of the season on Saturday at Wisconsin.

In this week's Husker DocTalk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka, and Travis Justice talks about the implications of this game. 

The winner they both agree has the inside track to the Big 10 West Division title. Let's be honest; this game hasn't exactly been favorable for the Huskers. Nebraska has lost three straight in the series, and the Huskers seemed to get waxed every time they visit Madison. But as we have learned, this is not a typical year for Nebraska, besides being good, it has also had some luck on its side. 

To beat the Badgers Nebraska might have to turn to an alternative offensive game plan. Hear what Dr. Rob thinks Nebraska should do in this episode. Wisconsin is the BEST defense Nebraska will have faced this year and maybe for the rest of the season.

Expect a defensive battle for sure. The Badgers' offense isn't exactly a juggernaut, but they do a good job of pounding the rock and controlling the clock. This game very well could come down to special teams, penalties, and turnovers.

Besides the match-up with Wisconsin, Travis and Rob also discuss the Josh Brown situation. The former Husker kicker was released by the New York Giants for his alleged domestic abuse.  Brown may never play in the NFL again.

If you are easily offended, this podcast may not be for you. If you can laugh at some sophomoric humor, enjoy! 

Don't forget to get your Husker gear at Husker Hounds! Now with three locations in the Omaha area, Husker Hounds is the ONLY place you would be buying your red!

Thanks to HuskerMax for distributing this podcast.  HuskerMax gives you the best Husker news from everywhere around the country in one easy to find place, HuskerMax.com.

Is it too good to be true? Nebraska is now 6-0 on the season and moving up in the top ten of the college football polls.  It feels like the glory days have returned to Husker Nation as the Big Red has reclaimed its place among the college football elite. 

In this week's Husker Doc Talk podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka, and Travis Justice discuss where the Huskers are after their win over Indiana.

Also, it's nice to have a Doctor on staff here so Dr. Rob gives his medical opinion about the injuries to Jordan Westercamp and Cethan Carter and how will these injuries affect Nebraska for the rest of the season.  This week should be rather easy. Purdue is at the bottom of the barrel and fired its coach after losing to Iowa last week. 

Cliche's are big in sports, but they are also important.  One game at a time is something the Huskers have perfected this season. It's easy to say it; it's a lot harder to execute it.  

Make sure to follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @doctalksports.  Also, please leave your comments about this podcast in the comment section below.  If you have time, please review this podcast on iTunes and Podbean. Your feedback, both positive and negative is helpful.

Thanks to HuskerMax for distributing the Husker DocTalk Podcast andHusker Hounds for its support and sponsorship. 

Everyone in Husker Nation is pumped up because Nebraska is unbeaten and back in the top 10 for the first time since 2011. Have the glory days returned? It's too early to tell, but the ride so far has been a lot of fun.

In this week's Husker DocTalk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka, and Travis Justice both agree Nebraska deserves to be ranked as high as it is. The conversation early in the podcast focuses on the Huskers ranking and the parity in college football, or that lack thereof it. Don't get us wrong; there is a parody but just not at the top and this isn't anything that new.

From here on out, the road gets tougher and the competition stiffer, starting Saturday at Indiana. Yes, the Hoosiers aren't a powerhouse but they can put up points, and their defense is improved. Notice we said improved, not great. As we discuss in depth in this podcast, the line between winning and losing for Nebraska can be very thin. For proof look at Exhibit A which is the 2015 season.

We would like to hear what you thing about this podcast, please leave your comments below. If you have time, please follow us on Podbean and leave a review on iTunes. 

Follow Dr. Rob on Twitter; his handle is @DocTalkSports. 

Make sure to get all your Husker gear atHusker Hounds, now with three locations in the Omaha area. And for up-to-date Husker news, get it atHuskerMax.com.

The Huskers are limping into the off week. The time off will give the players a little time to heal before the head to Indiana next week. God! Who would have ever thought that Nebraska at Indiana might be a good game? We didn't and we'll talk more about that next week.

In this edition of the Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy.  Dr. Rob Zatechka and Travis Justice talk about the 5-0 start Nebraska is off to and are the Huskers as good as their record says? 

Dr. Rob will tell you what he likes and does not like about Nebraska at this point in the season. Plus general football talk with some beer mixed in!

Make sure to follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports and feel free to leave your comments in the section below. If you would be so kind, rate and review this podcast on iTunes as well as Podbean.  We think it's good, but it would be nice know others do as well.

ThisRimington Trophy Doc  Talk podcast goes in a lot of directions so be prepared for the roller coaster.  About halfway through, Dr. Rob got the news that his position coach, Milt Tenopir passed away.  You can't hear in his voice, but Rob is visibly shaken when talking about Milt. It's easy to listen to Dr. Rob (as with many others) and get a feel for how much Milt meant to him, the football program, and the state of Nebraska. At first, Dr. Rob didn't want to talk about Milt's death; I'm so glad he decided to, and I know you will be as well.

We start off the podcast talking about social justice, or injustice depends on how you feel about people and in this case three Huskers not standing for the national anthem.  Now you are probably thinking, what can and two middle-aged white guys offer to the conversation?  Think we go pretty deep into the subject, and we don't' pussyfoot around Michael Rose-Ivey's statement from Monday. We would love to hear your thoughts, (good and bad) however no racists comments will be allowed.

We finally get around to talking about this week's game with Illinois.  Where does Nebraska stack up in the Big 10 West? Are the Huskers in the driver's seat? We try and answer these questions over the course of the hour.

Going to the game on Saturday? Before you head to Lincoln, be sure to buy the best Big Red gear at Husker Hounds. When you are looking for the most up-to-date Husker news 24-hours a day, visit our favorite website,HuskerMax.com.

Nebraska is coming off what could be the biggest win of the Mike Riley era. The Huskers are ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2014. The fan base is excited; the team has confidence. So it's natural to look at this week's game against Northwestern as a trap!

In this Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by The Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka, and Travis Justice talk about the trap game which is even worse for Dr. Rob because the Huskers are wearing the "alternative" all-white uniforms. Speaking of the alternative uniform's, make sure to get your gear at Husker Hounds! Now with three locations in Omaha, Husker Hounds is the best place to get your classic and alternative Husker gear.

Historically Nebraska and Northwestern have played very close games. Four of the last five games have been decided by three points or less since Nebraska joined the Big 10 Conference. The Huskers have NEVER lost in Evanston as a member of the Big 10.

If you are wondering how you should bet on the game, we get our information from Nebraska native and now longtime Vegas handicapperScott Spreitzer who gives us the following nuggets to chew on:

Nebraska 11-3 ATS in last 14 road games.

Mike Riley coached teams:  13-3 ATS against teams that allow opponents to complete at least 62% of their passes.  Northwestern has allowed 83 of 126, 66% completion rate thus far.

Mike Riley coached teams are 9-1 ATS on the road against teams that average no more than 3.25 yards per carry.  Northwestern fits the bill there, also.  Riley's teams outscored the ten opponents by an average of 32-16.

Northwestern 7-16 ATS last 23 home.  In fact, NW is 4-13 ATS at home against teams that outscore their opp's by at least 10 ppg on average.  Nebraska's average margin of victory is 24 ppg.

Trap game? Depends on how you look at it. As the conference season gets started, it's safe to say that the Huskers appear to be in the driver's seat for the Big 10 West Division.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and make sure to follow us on Twitter, @doctalksports.

The big question facing the Huskers this week, how to beat Oregon? For this kind of knowledge, it takes a Doctor to figure it out (okay maybe not), and that's why you are listening to this week's Husker DocTalk Podcast presented by theRimington Trophy.

This week, Dr. Rob Zatechka goes deep into this showdown against the Ducks by stating the obvious. Yes, the obvious!  Sometimes we get caught up in over-analyzing  X's and O's, schemes, personnel, and we forget to look at the basic stuff that wins football games.  The ability to run the football.  Not turning the ball over on offense and creating turnovers on defense.  

Yes, Oregon has speed. Yes, Oregon has athletes.  Yes, Oregon has cool Nike uniforms.  Yes, Oregon will score fast and a lot.  But the Quack attack as flaws and they haven't been tested to this point at this stage in the season. It will be interesting to see how graduate transfer quarterback playing on a HUGE stage in a hostile environment will handle the pressure. 

We know, or at least we think we know that the Huskers will put up points on offense.  The question is, what is the total the Blackshirts have to the Ducks at to get a win?  Dr. Rob tells you what he thinks that point total is.

Also, in this podcast we talk about a great beer we are drinking this week!  Listen to find out and then go out and try it!

Don't forget to pick up you Husker gear at one of three Husker Hounds locations in the Omaha area.  Live out of town? Order online at HuskerHounds.com.

Please follow Dr. Rob on Twitter, @DocTalkSports and remembers to leave comments about this below.

Thanks for listening and we will talk to you next week! 

It's turning into a football cliche'; the most improvement for a team is made between the first game and the second game.

After beating Fresno State 43-10 in the season opener, it may not seem like the Huskers need a lot of improvement. In this week's Husker Doc Talk Podcast presented by the Rimington Trophy, Dr. Rob Zatechka talks about the fine-tuning the Huskers can make as they get ready for Wyoming. 

Speaking of Wyoming, Saturday marks the return to Lincoln for Cowboys Head Coach Craig Bohl.  Bohl is a Lincoln native and a former Nebraska coach; he was fired after the 2002 season.  Bohl is in his third season at Wyoming and has a 7-18 record. The Huskers have never lost to Wyoming in seven previous match-ups. 

This week's Rimington Trophy spotlight shines on Husker center Dylan Utter; the senior captain is anchoring the offensive line. Not bad for a kid who started his career as a walk-on.  

We like to drink beer when we record this podcast. This week we drink a "Big Red" can of brew.  It's the Flanders Red from Destihl Brewing. This craft brew is part of their Wild Sour Series and packs a punch that will leave a mark!

Need Husker gear for the game? Need Husker gear for a gift? Look no further than Husker Hounds, now with three locations in the Omaha area including the new store at 149th and Maple.

Make sure visit HuskerMax.com on a daily basis when you need up-to-date information on the Big Red. 

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Please leave your comments in the section below, we like to hear what you think about this podcast and the state of the Nebraska program.