1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - B1G Media Poll Released - Nebraska Picked 11th - July 27th, 2026 - 11:00am

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

B1G Media Poll ReleasedAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation on 93-7 the ticket. On Monday on one-on-one, which means we need for D.P. Along with Harris and ours, H-Bomb, you can do the boom. Boom. Is that what D.P. does normally? I can't. Yeah.

Something like that. Maybe a little less loud. Some days, but some days he's really into it. So that pretty much is what D.P. does. So that's perfect. once again, I'm Jake Bockovan in here with Harrison Arns. We've got you for the next two hours here. In fact, it's a big day between myself and you, Harrison.

We've also got plans for old school here a little bit later. I know Rudy and Jake Sorensen will be out there too. So we're going to have a whole lot going on. And that's what I want to start with just to let people know what's happened. Of course, Big Ten Media Days start tomorrow. We've got coverage out there for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Thursday will be the day the Huskers go live, if you will.

or one of the one of the focal teams of course there's 18 teams six teams per day so we'd like to thank our covers our sponsors there sandhills global gary michael's clotheers and ben bliker of professional realty group of berkshire hathaway home services ambassador real estate as well as war horse casino and i bring them up because we're going to be out close to war horse casino actually at you stop today out there from three to six at 200 west araman lane uh from three to six today. Nebraska football's Luke Lindenmeyer is also going to be there at Jeannie's Cafe Cafe, excuse me, signing autographs and taking pictures from 3 to 430. So go ahead and get your kids and failing together. Go out there and meet one of the Huskers. Luke Lindemeyer

very one of the best ones I think for this upcoming year. We'll talk a little bit about that here in a little bit as well. Free hot dogs and Dr. Pepper from three to five by the Budweiser Grill. That's all you have to tell me is free Dr. Pepper and I'll be there. So that that, that, that, will be fun later today. Like I said, we just, we got a lot of planned for the next couple of days here at the ticket. And because, um, you know, we're sending Austin and DP and, and Foreman and Jake Sorenson out, sorenson again will be, uh, I believe we'll be at the remote later, um, but I stuck around a little bit to help out. But that means we're going to have a big day of myself and Harrison, right? That's the plan. Yeah. If you're sick of me already,

I'm sorry. It's just going to get worse. No, I'm just kidding. We got plenty of things to talk about. And it will be fun out there. Again, we'll be out there at the use stop. There is a the canopy. I know it's hot out. Oh, yeah. We will be in the shade. And I know we're Linden Myers at. He's signing inside in the agency. So you're not going to have to be out there just sweat and gowns. You're going to have an opportunity in those buildings. It's all connected.

So, you know, you can sit in the shade, have a Dr. Pepper, have a hot dog, step inside, get a signed autograph. And we'll be out there just enjoying it from 3 to 6 p.m. And then, of course, as you mentioned, we'll probably have a mix of guys out there. I know Jake, excuse me, can't be out there the entire time, but Jake Sorenson's It sounds like he'll make an appearance as well. Yeah, yeah, could it be fun. So we'll have some taking personalities out there as well as Luke Lindemeyer. We can't lie.

Linne Meyer is the draw. But we'll be out there as well. I mean, obviously, I always listen to great sports radio, which we plan to bring you today. Speaking of Lindemey, I think he could be in this question. I titled the show today is Giacori Barney Jr., Nebraska's biggest threat on offense. I did that because USA Today released their all Big Ten team. And while he is not listed as a wide receiver, he is listed in the all-purpose category. So we will get to that, excuse me, as a returner actually from USA today.

I have seen him in the all-purpose category as well. So that is something to kind of consider. But we will get to that specifically. I did want to start with, as we are getting into Big Ten Media Days, the media poll via Cleveland.com came out this morning. Happens every year. Big Ten doesn't do one official. Cleveland.com has been the unofficial.

official Big Ten Media poll for years. And here we are again. We can go through the teams in the order. I'll give you the top three because I know that's what people are pretty interested in Ohio State actually getting the nod this time. Oregon number two. You've seen Oregon number one in a lot of these publications. So maybe a little bit of a surprise there.

But Ohio State certainly commands a lot of respect. And how about the defending national champions, Indiana sitting in there at three? Of course, they've got a replacement. Mendoza got some things to do there. Interestingly, though, Nebraska comes in at number 11. Probably around the same area we've been talking about, again, with a lot of these polls. But this time, you know, I've seen a few of them where they're ahead of Minnesota. This one decided not to.

So Nebraska at 11. And I think that's fair, given what Minnesota's done over the last several years, especially particularly against Nebraska. Remember, there will be no $5 bits of broken chair trophy on the line. this year. Minnesota and Nebraska will not play. But Harrison, what's your initial reaction here as we sit going in the season when Nebraska picked 11? You said it. I think that's right. If you want to tell me they're higher than 11, I'd love to hear the argument why. We just haven't proven it yet. That's kind of where Nebraska football has fallen is. We're a school that does

okay against the Rutgers, the Northwesterns, the Michigan states. But we have Michigan pull up to our field. We typically know how the end result's going to look. If we're playing in any of those top tier opponents. This year will be a lot. See how we fare against Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana. And I think we have Washington on that schedule too, I have. But it's one of those things for Nebraska football where we have to prove something. Like we're not, we're not going to get the favoritism for people to rank us up into that top 10 category until we go win more than six games in the regular season.

The Bull game versus Utah didn't give people a ton of confidence. The Penn State, the Iowa game didn't give people a ton of confidence. So as much as Colandra, if you're high on him and his abilities, he still has to gel. Me and AD, we're talking about the offensive line. Even if you like that transfer group, they're going to have to gel. We gave up. I looked at at 33 sacks last year was the total. Our defense got 22.

I actually thought it was more. But in those games like Minnesota, we were giving up double digit sacks. Hard to win those ball games. So for Nebraska, we're at a point where no one's going to buy into us until we start giving some tangible evidence out there. And right now we just, we have it. Our last ranked win is all the way back in 2016 versus Oregon. And that wasn't a very good Oregon team.

That was a 48 Oregon team. That was a 48 Oregon team. It was early non-con game. That's how we got it. So yeah, I mean, it's unfortunate, but that's exactly where they should be. I will ask you, where's Iowa? Iowa is at eight. Yeah.

All right. I mean, they're losing Gradosky, but for what the biggest problem, the biggest asset is they don't have parents at OC anymore. So I can actually buy into that. What about Michigan with Winningham? I am curious how people are seeing Michigan. So they've got Michigan in the top five at five. They've got, so I already did the top three.

So Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, which have a lot of, I want to say hot seat discussion, but like heating seat discussion. So it's kind of interesting because they just haven't taken that next step, right? And fourth in the big 10. That seems really high. That seems kind of high. They're like, you can correct me if you think I'm wrong on this. It's like the inverse Iowa, two,

agree all offense and no defense. Yeah. And like that's been Lincoln Riley's biggest problem down there at USC. And I don't know what he gets paid, but I know it's an awfully lot. Yeah, yeah. Down there. Like he's getting paid big time money for them to be that high. I don't know what he's proven unless they love the, the athletes that they have in the room right now. Do you think he's on the hot seat at all if this year goes south? I mean, I think if this year goes south because it does I want to say south like you described south for me as well. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I, I, I wouldn't say, you know, I think if you win seven or something like that, there will be. he will enter next year on the hot seat, but I don't think he would be fired.

If you get, if you obviously have a losing record, I think he's gone. I mean, he's long enough into the tenure that I think that that would be the case. And I mean, part of this is the expectations right going in. I mean, you do have Jaden Mayava should be able to lead your offense, lose, you know, lemon. I mean, I lost a couple wide receivers out there. He's a top five quarterback though in the Big Ten. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, definitely say maybe top three. Yeah, led the, led the league in passing yards last year. Of course, part of that again is part of that Lincoln Riley offense. But the other thing is, I say their schedule is, I mean, it's got some, some interesting wrinkles to it. But they should start four and O. So they got San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, and at Rutgers. Then Oregon at home, Washington at home, at Penn State, at Wisconsin, Ohio State at Indiana. It's a bit of a run there.

It picks up pretty early. Yeah, yeah. Once big, after Rutgers, Big Ten play gives you about a five or six weeks stretch there where it's kind of tough. And then you've got Maryland and UCLA. Always look out for that UCLA game because they've made decisions based off that game before. Our UCLA has, I suppose, in reverse with Chip Kelly. So remember that. USC was like, all right, we're going to fire Chip Kelly.

And then unless he somehow beats USC, which isn't going to happen. They beat USC. And then they just got his awkward thing. And he leaves because he's about to be fired. So that was interesting. So that's always something, especially with Bob Chesney's first year at UCLA. that would not be a pretty loss. So, well, I mean, we'll see what they have in store.

But yeah, so Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, and Michigan are your top five. What do you feel about Michigan being in there? Kyle Whittingham obviously kind of brings over years of kind of doing more with less, I suppose, and, you know, is able to recruit pretty well out there for Utah's sake, but you think you're, figure, you know, stepping up to Michigan. we didn't get to see Kyle Whittingham coach against Nebraska last season

but it was pretty wild in fact with you know that that was one of the games and we'll get to it later when Nebraska gave up four rushing touchdowns which was not pretty for the Huskers but I still go back to that Michigan game last year and somehow it had

we didn't know it at the time but it had so much Kyle Whittingham references to it so it's very interesting but I I think that he's perfect. And I've been wanting, I always say this with those type of guys. And I put him maybe not quite as a Bruce Snyder or Frank Beamer,

but maybe a step below of like, you know, because, I mean, took over a pretty good Utah team. You didn't take it, you know, they have to build it up.

But kind of that winning more with less. And, and, you know, his, the way that he's gotten it done there. I think it's a perfect fit for Michigan. I can't wait to see what they do there.

Now, some people aren't big Michigan. And so I get that. But just from like the, you know, inquisitive mind type of, type of viewpoint. I think that's going to work. Yeah, I hate it for us. Yeah. I love it for Michigan. Like if you're a Michigan fan, I'm pretty considering all the scandals that have come through. Oh, yeah. Having winning him and there feels like a balancing point at the very least, the guy that's buttoned up. And he fits exactly. You go again, you go watch like how he was coaching

down there in Utah. And I know we didn't see them in the bowl game, but they don't look any different than they did during the regular season. That's like his bread and butter up there at Michigan. I'd imagine he's just going to be able to do even more than when he was doing at Utah. Yeah. I don't think it's going to take a ton of time either to get the trust out of that place. I think he's kind of a much needed hero right now in terms of like his, his PR on what he looks like for the university. So I think Michigan will take off. I don't think it's going to be like a year three, year two, watch out for winning him.

I think like this year watch out for winning him. I don't think it's going to take a ton of time for him to get that program humming. Well, and you just wonder, too, because again, I think we understand that Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana likely are going to be in the college playoff discussion. And being the big 10, you would think, okay, what are the kind of the fourth and fifth options? Remember last year, USC and Iowa were kind of hanging around there, but not quite high enough, you know, to be the teams that are left out and offended like Vanderbilt and some of those SEC teams. We didn't lose to Iowa right in the bowl game.

But there's going to be a fourth and fifth team, right? It's just hard to figure out. And so maybe USC gets in this poll gets the benefit of the debt because they have a returning coach. But at five and six is Michigan and Penn State. And Penn State, of course, took all Iowa State's players and their coach, obviously. Matt Campbell there. And they were obviously under Terry Smith, who was the interim coach, did well enough against Nebraska. Yeah.

And did well enough in general that you don't think that they're completely resetting either. And I know there's been a lot of worry about, okay, you can't fire James Franklin. and you can't, you know, you're going to, you're going to fall into the umbrella Nebraska did for, you know, firing nine win coaches and all that. Um, but between the two of them and it shows in this poll and I, I would agree, I think they could pick up where those, where those programs were, not necessarily fall back to four and eight and rebuild and reset it the way that they need, that they, you know, know, know how. And again, part of that is with both of them. Matt Campbell's the same at Iowa State is doing more with less.

I, the Penn State one's weird with Campbell. I don't, because I don't, you got rid of James Franklin because he couldn't win the big, big games. And this year you fired him because of UCLA. I mean, that's pretty, I think it was that UCLA game after they lost that. They went ahead and fired Franklin. But up until that point, the only reason you were upset never considering it is because he couldn't beat, you know, whatever big time opponent they had down the stretch to put them firmly in that college football playoff.

Like, is that the expectation on Campbell? Are they okay with just kind of maintaining what they were with Franklin? like that's the tough part about the Penn State firing is, you know, it's a little bit Bo Polini ask in the terms of what are you hoping for? Like is this purely a move because you think Campbell's the guy that's going to go win you national championships or get you into the college football playoff every single year because James Franklin was right around that door every single time. Now he's got a bunch of his Iowa state guys. I think they'll adapt well, but I would not take a ton of stock on Penn State. Like I think he was a good coach, but I think there'll be a good team, right?

I don't think it's just going to fall through the bottom of the barrel or anything. But I, you know, I think James Franklin type of seasons is probably the ceiling down there. And I love Campbell. I think he does a great job. But like, again, he was just losing to Ohio state. He was maybe losing to Michigan. He was beaten everybody else pretty firmly every time. So that's where the Penn State one gets weird. It's a, it's a unique type of pressure down there. I don't know what their expectations are for year one if they're going to be upset if they take a step backwards

but again when you go of a guy like James Franklin who I don't think he's too upset he seems to really be enjoying himself up there in Virginia Tech saying he won the offseason but I think you'll let go of a really good head coach there and it's nothing against Campbell but that's the risk of when you go through these things and that again we can use the Nebraska example

with Bo Polini it doesn't always just relay to the next coach like sometimes things fall through and Campbell he could be a great coach at Iowa State if it doesn't work at Penn State, how long does that go before you truly feel like, okay, we've lost a couple seasons there. So I'm not expecting them to rapidly

fall off, but where do they have them on that list? Penn State, they've gotten six. Yeah, that's, yeah, outside the top five. I'll say outside the top five for sure. I don't think they're, you know, one of my favorite teams you don't want to be just on the outside look at any more or one of those last teams into the college football playoffs, I think.

Until they show it, I've hated that move to Fire Franklin and I'm still not. Yeah, I mean, I'm not a fan of it either. And I don't know if Matt Campbell was the idea when they, when they did it, right? I mean, I thought they kind of figured they were going to get the top name. Campbell's been a good name kind of in a lot of circles, right? Interestingly enough, when Nebraska was going to hire their next coach to hire Matt

rule, right? It was when he had at the beginning of the year, he was part of the discussion. And then he had his worst season on state other than year one. ended up going four and eight, one and eight in Big Ten playing kind of just lost his way out of any discussion for the Nebraska job. I don't know how interesting he would have been to begin with or anything. I forgot about how long Penn State was searching for a coach. Yeah. Like they were supposed to be, you thought they'd be able to turn over because they, when you fired James Franklin, you think we got a guy.

That was a bold move. Yeah. To necessarily fire a coach. And then I don't know if they thought they absolutely had the guy, but like, I totally forgot to your point. like that dragged on and all these other universities start getting their head coaches and Penn State's dragging and dragging and dragging. And eventually they get Campbell,

but that's not a good situation to be put into when you're, it doesn't feel like you were the first choice or the second. And I'll tell you this too. I mean, I don't, like Matt Campbell, I don't think Penn State is as scary with Matt Campbell under James Franklin. No. And I say that too with like,

Matt Campbell, and again, you're going to have better resources, all that at Penn State. but he was, I think he was three and six against Kirk Farrants at Iowa. So at least as I was looking on, they're probably going, yeah, I mean, that's perfect for us. I mean, we know we can go with Matt Campbell. And I don't play year in and year out. But I, you know, that's, that's very interesting that they landed there.

And it also makes you wonder, because I think a lot of us probably were kind of getting to the point. And then, of course, after the Minnesota game, it's like, well, Matt, can't really be seriously too much in the discussion. But especially with the fact that they had to drag their feet. and maybe it wouldn't have been their number one choice, but had Nebraska had a bit of a better middle of the season last year, that might have ended up being their choice.

Because if you put Matt Rule and Matt Campbell, I don't want to say the same, I do respect it's tough. I mean, Matt Campbell's just been at Iowa State for long. Like he sat down and stayed somewhere. So it's tough to like compare the resumes necessarily. But he has had, you know, well, they've been to championship games. I don't think they've won them at Iowa State. But, you know, went to the Fiesta Bull.

They've had some successful years there. My point is I wouldn't be shocked if Penn State would have picked Matt Rule over Matt Campbell if Nebraska didn't look particularly rough once the Penn State job game open. Well, this is, this weather gets tough because we gave him the extension before the USC game. And that was kind of the game to say, hey, are we truly the team we think we are right now? Yeah. because I don't know if we had a loss before that USC game. Well, he's so remembering it wrong.

Remember the, it was so Matt Rule was like the name and in Penn State circles. That was after Minnesota. But that was before the Minnesota. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. After the Minnesota 24.

26 loss. All of a sudden there seemed to be less interest in automatically going with him. And then you're right. He signed the extension before the USC game. Dylan got hurt. The season went to crap. And so. you know, it just, it played out, I suppose, in a way that Nebraska keeps that rule and maybe in the long run, that's going to be helpful.

But yeah, I do still back and kind of wonder, you know, because that job sat open so long, you know, would if they would have beat Minnesota, would he have been, you know, would there have been more pressure? And maybe, I mean, he's signed with USC when the job was still, or signed with Nebraska when the job was still open. But if he was more of the odds on favorite to win, it would have been hard to get that job. I would have been different. And that's something we'll never know. Well, and I wonder too if it dragged on too, because again, a university like that, like the other coach has got to go in there

and just go start winning playoffs and make themselves a national championship appearance at some point. A lot of pressure. Yeah, like the pressure is there immediately. You just fired James Franklin. Like that's not a place where, okay, I go here, they'll give me like three years to kind of get my, no, like once you get down there,

you're going to have to go play good football right away. otherwise that fan base is not going to be behind you. So again, the whole timing of that thing in my mind was just not even tough luck. I think just bad execution by Penn State. One thing that Penn State does kind of have in their favor is this schedule is not among the toughest in the Big Ten. So Matt Campbell can kind of navigate that.

Remember bringing Rocco Beck and some of those other players over. I mean, they've got a solid roster. Marshall at Temple, Buffalo, Wisconsin, at Northwestern. Could get five there. USC at Michigan Purdue at Washington Minnesota Rutgers Maryland if Michigan and USC

don't live up to the billing that's a pretty pretty favorable schedule until next year because there's 18 teams in the big 10 and next year you turn the page I'll say this much going to big 10 schedules it's rare that you've got a schedule that lays out that nicely anymore like when you go to the big 10 and especially with the coaches that are in the big 10 now

you're two you're not you're not most likely that favorable year three, you definitely won't. Once those big 10 teams flip and we kind of flip over the schedule and change those around. But yeah, even if this year goes all right, it's not going to sell me. Yeah. Like even if he, there's a favorable schedule, he's going to, again, this doesn't, even if the schedule is tough, Franklin was winning nine, you know, and that's the hard part. Yeah.

Yeah. And we'll see too. And I think part of it too is going to be, okay, you're going to be able to win with your, with a week schedule and your Iowa state players. but once we move on past that tougher schedule, now you know, recruiting your own players. And I think that will be,

that will be, you know, a test as well. But I just think that worth noting with Penn State at six here, because, you know, grouping them in with Michigan, I like you,

have a lot more confidence in Kyle Whittingham and the fit at Michigan than Matt Campbell at Penn State, but maybe that gives more of, of an explanation why they're kind of grouped together here. Real quick, because Sanderson asked for it. I'll give out the rest of the top 10. Yeah,

and we'll get through the bottom of it. I'm going to take a swing on Purdue, but you go ahead and read it. the list. Yeah. So I already started. So we'll read this out again. Big 10 Media Day, media, excuse me, media poll via Cleveland.com. Ohio State number one, Oregon, two, Indiana three, USC four, Michigan five, Penn State six. That's what we've got to so far. Washington at seven. Iowa at eight, which we mentioned. Illinois at nine, Minnesota at 10. Then Nebraska comes in at 11, Wisconsin 12, UCLA 13 with their new coach Bob Chesney, Northwestern at

14 new stadium new uh new offensive coordinator in chip kelly uh and aden charles is there don't forget that number 15 maryland uh september maryland might be ranked higher but uh for this entire season uh that that's not the case 16 michigan state 17 rutkers and 18 produce got to fight themselves out of the cellar we'll talk more about that and some of the text that you guys have in response big day of big 10 football here on one on one we'll continue this discussion next year on 93 7 the ticket Download our app by searching 93.7 a ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP on 937 the Ticket in the Ticketfm.com.