1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Good programs have a process: December 30, 12:00pm

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

What separates a good program from a great one. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the Ticketfm.com. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation. Here is your host, Derek Pearson. From Vegas. Gotta give it to a box. Got to give it to a box.

Got to give it to them. I appreciate all of our sponsors. Bach, I'll ask you to do two things here. First, kind, sir, if you would please, pay the bills. Pay the bills. All right, I might have hiccups popping up on me, but if I can make it through it, I can give it a shot here. The noon hour is upon us. That means it's lunchtime here at the ticket.

And lunchtime at the ticket is sponsored by our friends at Mulberry Barbecue. with two locations at 11th, the Cornhusker, and at 61st in Apples Way, right off of Highway 2 by Lowe's. Both locations are open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., try their burnt-in sandwich, a brisket burrito, barbecue nachos, a full slab of ribs, a half-smoked chicken, and much, much more, plus incredible sides. Get fueled for lunch today or make dinner plans at Mulberry Barbecue, located 11th and Cornhusker, and at 61st in Apples Way, just off of Highway 2 by Lowe. Thank you, kind, sir. We want to thank the folks who sponsored this

bowl coverage from Las Vegas, professional realty group, Vance Medical Imaging, Berkshire Hathaway, MWR Building and Fent, Amigos, Bock, you've got the full reads, if you would, please. Can you thank those

fine people who allow us to bring you coverage from Las Vegas? Yes, Amigos King's classic score big with Amigos fan favorites like Soft Tacos, crisp meat burritos and of course game changing ranch dressing amigos know has eight value meals and priced at five and six dollars to tackle your game day hunger with the bold fresh flavors of amigos we also like to thank advanced medical imaging aim a m i surgery center specializes

in cardiology vascular radiology orthopedics pain management and more call them today at 402 261 1085 or go to a m imaging dot com i also like to think ben bliker of p rg Berkshire-Hathaway ambassador real estate trust Ben's team of realtors who offer decades of experience, unbeatable customer service, and a promise to fully protect your interest through the transactions. Call 402-4196309 for your real estate needs. Also, MWR building and fence. MWO offers their own post-frame building packages and metal to anyone desiring a building, whether you're a contractor or a DIYer call MWR today at 402, 540 8966, or go to MWR Building and Fence.com. And one final shout out, and thanks to all those sponsors that help you get to Vegas today,

but I'll tell you what's not in Vegas is tipsy Tina's. Thanks to tipsy Tina's for bringing us lunch today. Buffalo chicken tacos, delicious. And I was just talking to them. They said, hey, you know what? What's great about 8 p.m. tips? You can make it to tipsy Tinas before and, you know, also McGinnies as well. So I would like to thank them for feeding us today.

Yeah, it's a big night at PBA. Shout out to Amy Williams and the Lady Huskers. That was actually, even on a loss, that was an impressive battleback performance by the husters. That's a gritty group put on a fight. Took their first loss of the season against USC yesterday. But impressive, nonetheless, it was what you take. take from it. They found out some things about themselves and they they have some some

opportunity to have to make a lasting impact on the Big Ten on the women side. Of course, the men remain undefeated and you're getting into the the real fight in the closet type of schedule coming up, Bach. So it's going to get interesting for men's basketball to find out exactly who they are and what this season will be. Back to the text line. And I, I, I, it's always funny, like to say, I, I can plot and plan for two hours and then, you know, the text line will take over. Textor says this. Are we even a top hat program in the Big Ten? If not, can we, can we even say we're a top 50 programs? So what are the goals and what are we, are we just wasting money on the football program? And there are a lot of, there's a lot to unpack there. But we talk about thirds that, that the top third of the Big Ten.

are some really good football teams. Really good football teams. And some would say that if you're in the top third, you're in the top third of the Big Ten, you're in the top 20. You're that good. Maybe top 25. But I think that's fair. Middle third, still not bad football teams.

These are not bad football teams. They're just not elite football teams. And they could be the state. the program could be based on just that year, falling from, you know, top third to middle third. And your inability to get into the top third will identify a program and turn Nebraska into the conversation that the mission should be immediately showing progress is to get in the top third in the big game football conference and stay there and stay there. like we're not having the conversations of Ohio State and Oregon and Michigan being being in the top third no they live there they get their mail there the postman knows he can drop stop off there for them now Indiana has moved into the neighborhood and have set up job right that listen you know whatever deliveries are coming to the top third of the Big Ten make sure you you label it correctly it's Indiana Hoosiers then there's opportunity

and USC has battled into being that, right? They know, okay, this is who we are. Now, did we expect that Illinois would chip at us and go, geez, you know, now, wait a minute, Illinois gets inside the gate, like, their key car goes to the penthouse? I didn't, I didn't know Illinois was a Big Ten VIP, but until Nebraska gets into that top third, right? It's elevated card, quite frankly, there are conversations that go on in the Big Ten top third elite, you know, group chat that Nebraska is not entitled to. They just don't get the information. They don't get the mailers from the top recruits. They don't get the phone calls and they don't get, you know, they may get a visit.

Like, you'll go out and they're, you know, four and five stars that will go linger amongst the, the mids of the Big Ten. But quite frankly, that's not where they want to. a land right they want the glory of being able to say that they're in a in a top 20 program so that's who this is right that's definitely who this is and that's where you know black if if we said is is that a target like we want to be you want to be top third of the big 10 that that's not that i don't know why that is so difficult to say that, quite frankly, we will only deem it successful if we were in the top third of the Big Ten. I think ultimately, yeah, I mean, that's kind of top-level success, and that's what

you're looking for, and not just a peek in there, you know, week three or week four, but to be a consistent top program in the Big Ten, again, to Matt Rules credit, when he took over this program, it was a bottom third of the Big Ten program, so now you're kind of of in the middle there. It's just so interesting as we go into this Utah game, how much of this narrative could be rewritten with those last two games against Penn State and Iowa. They looked like they were on their path maybe.

You know, if you could even, you know, win one of those games. And Nebraska certainly at the time we felt could have won one, two. Now, they were maybe favored to do so, right? And so, you know, the doomsday scenario did play out. but you know they they were right there you know and so a lot of times it's just it's just a few different things that need to go right now what happened against penn state and iowa was not a few different things that was those are bludgeoning right so you feel like now you're a little bit

further back in that middle group even than you were um you know just just you know after after the UCLA game right when things seem to be heading on the right on the right track so i mean these these conversations can change quickly and that's what i I think it's so interesting about this whole, you know, discussion about Matt Rule and what do you have done this, if you had known, is that, again, everything was on track up until after UCLA. I mean, everything was, was right there potentially to argue, you know, split one of those games, win the bowl game, nine wins. Okay, that's the big year three jump. But we've arrived to the point whether you beat Utah or not somewhat unfortunately. Again, that can reroute our thoughts

and stuff going in the off season, but the year three jump did not happen. And there was a lot kind of put on that. And there was a lot put on Scott Frost when he said, year two, look out for it. But he's like, get us now. Year two, we're going to be really good. I mean, and it never happened.

And, you know, so I think there's more intriguing interest in that as well. And I don't, you know, this last past off season, it bothered a lot of people was, okay, this is happening. It's almost like speaking into his existence. And now that it didn't happen, you know, What's, is there a year four jump? Is there a hope that eventually maybe it just lags a little bit because now you're in the Big Ten?

You know, Matt Rule conveniently now after three years, brought up something he'd been told by, I think it was Belichick, that it takes three years to kind of find your coaching staff. I thought that was interesting. You brought that quote up now as opposed to three years ago. But, you know, so I'm just so interested that and really a lot of it, too, is I can go back to UCLA and say it was on track there. and it somewhat was, but even going back further, obviously, is the more interesting part.

The Minnesota game, you sign the extension. That's why they signed the extension was they thought it was on the right track. And then, of course, since then you've lost four of six games, three by blowout fashion, you know, and things have kind of regressed to that middle of the Big Ten discussion. Well, the middle third teams, so the bottom third teams, if we said is the state of Nebraska football

as a program and as a team are they better than Purdue Michigan State Maryland Wisconsin-Royker's UCLA the answer is yes that's why those six teams are the bottom six teams the bottom third of the big 10 because in a time of friction and challenge we expect

we fully expect and Nebraska football we'll figure out a way to beat those teams in those programs year in year out that should be the expectation. Now, Wisconsin just entered the chat when it comes to that and you could slide them in Northwestern back in whatever slots you want back and forth in the lower half of the middle third. But it's there. We didn't expect that Penn State would be forwarding their middle to the middle third. Like they had to move out of the penthouse, right? They had they had the big room. Right. Now they're there, they're they're down in the middles. Like, you know, what are you doing here? What do you do down here with us? with us folks. Like, why are you here? But if to define Nebraska as a program in a season, the middle third folks, Minnesota, Washington, northwestern Penn State, those, if you're looking at that group, that's where Nebraska currently belongs. And the difference is two of those programs

actually dominated Nebraska. In the middle, in the middle. In the middle. of the Big Ten, right? And so as you look at Utah on this weekend, we would say, I don't think anybody would look at Utah and say, yeah, I could see them in the middle third of the Big Ten. No, no, I wouldn't. Because if they're in the middle third of the Big Ten, my goodness gracious, you got some work to do.

It's the work to do from the physicality. But we also know that the current state of affairs, that Nebraska would not be favored, this year or last year against Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, USC, or Iowa. That's the state of affairs. That's the standard you have to meet and bet. Quite frankly, you have to get better than yourself, right? And the simulars, right? You're in a neighborhood, quite frankly, your house has to be as good as Minnesota's or better every year. You can't continually have your house be undervalued against Minnesota. You can't have your house

undervalued against Penn State. My goodness gracious, what are we doing? Right? But you don't want to be in the same conversation. I understand you want to be in the same conversation with Washington, but I don't want to be in the same conversation with Northwestern. I just don't want that. I just don't want that. So that's the state of affairs, that the middle third, I guess I'm curious of how many Husker fans see Nebraska bypassing Indiana, Ohio, State, Oregon, Michigan, USC, or Iowa next year.

Rock? Well, as you stated, I mean, I think those are, I mean, would be great. But again, it's just, it's so long since Nebraska's beaten a team like that, risen to the moment, risen to the occasion that it's almost like you have to see it to believe it at this point. And to your point, too,

as well, you know, it's, it's nice. It feels, you know, it's not what we want to be, but it feels at least like kind of fluffy to be in the middle third. But as you pointed out, the middle third, if you include Washington and Illinois and Minnesota and Penn State, a lot of those teams that, you know, you haven't played Washington. Those other teams have beat you the last time out.

You beat Northwestern. That's another team that's kind of hanging near the bottom of the middle third. But Nebraska, as it tries to make its way up there, let's be clear, they're the bottom of the middle third. Right, right. They've got some work to do against the Minnesotas. And we've been saying it's frustrating and it doesn't,

you don't want it to be your end goal is to be better than Minnesota and Iowa because where does that put you generally kind of in the, maybe the top of the middle third and you want to aim for more than that. But you've just lost 10 out of 11 to Iowa. If you lost what, five in a row to Minnesota? I mean, these are not, it's not, it's not chance it's not random it's not it's pretty solidified right now you know i think that there's maybe more hope for nebraska of course next year to maybe surpass that bar and that would

be forward um but again similar to what i say about utah it's not that it can't happen it's not that i it's not that i don't see any path for it to get there they're just going to have to surprise the college football world to do it because it's going to be tough to find many people that aren't wearing Husker clothes or garb or all that to at this point bet on Nebraska to be the team to do it just because everybody's been burnt in the past trying to believe that this would be the year thinking that this is the game for it to finally happen so you know you can only you can only show me so many times before I start to believe you are right and then and then you're going to have to take the the next change it can't be you

know, you can't blame me for not believing in you. You need to show me why there's belief, the belief needs to get there. And again, that's why I think this Utah game is so interesting, is that if Nebraska can, again, not even necessarily have to win it, but compete in it and look like it's ready to step up against, you know, one of the top programs in the nation, be it that they have their own distractions and all that as well, you know, it completely changes the narrative from this past season, which was that Nebraska still couldn't kind of get it done in the big games. again I want to give credit where it is due

they won some close games you're winning you know that that kind of been sitting around for Nebraska for a long time the one possession games all that sort of stuff so it's not that they're not taking some steps forward but as we all know I mean you just can't have November's like that and expect for

your program to be trending in the right direction yeah it is eye opening just in how you portray that you see that Utah is was twice one win away from being in the playoff.

And they have their issues. They have their issues. This is not a perfect program or a perfect team. But it's a pretty good team. And if we said we're going to equate what happened to the Big 12 to what happened to the Big 10,

there are four or five programs in the Big 12 that would be in the conversation, right? If you put them all in the same space, they're in that top space. But Utah is more likely to be put Penn State and Minnesota. Like I don't I don't think anybody can can rub against if I said Utah program in style of play identifies as Penn State West. They do.

If we said that coaching mantras and styles of scheme, Minnesota. So Iowa, except for more athletes. USC and maybe a little bit more cerebral in how they approach schematically. But certainly we saw them against Ohio State and Michigan, so we know what Utah looks like in bowl games against the top third of the Big Ten. One of those competitive games,

and they were dominating in Ohio State. Ohio State figured it out and twisted it around and got to win in an impressive role. But that's kind of what we get used to seeing. And I just think, as you have the discussion, of where the program is and what it's done. Now, I always believe that there is a path to improvement. There's a path to getting better.

You just have to be really profound at being honest about who you are. But you can't get better if you think you're good enough right now. That's the part that as a coach and as a player, if the moment you tell me you're good enough right now, like, I don't want people to think we're not good. no you're not good enough you're not good enough and you get a chance

tomorrow to make a statement that yeah we're better than we thought we were we're as good as we thought we were and that's what these things happen but as you said Bach that's the point with those situations you walked into those parties you've walked into those

octagon cages several times against top 25 teams and not had success so until you do you have to understand that And people don't want to doubt you, but when the fact in the history tells you that you have to at least consider that this is not the situation for you. You fighting in the top 25 teams is not your forte. And it's that way until it's not that way anymore.

You have to prove all the time. And listen, for the amount of money these coaches are being paid, hey, bro, you're paid to get judged. you can pay a lot of money. I listened to a conversation as a part of a panel and they said that in the big four conferences that coaches are paid a million dollars for wins within the conference

and a half million dollars for wins non-com right and that should be the space that you work in, right? That's the value of winning in the Big Ten in the SEC and the in the ACC and the Big 12.

That if you win a conference game, that's your value. That's your value. And then if you tell me that I'm going to take two wins or three wins against non-cons, and I'm going to, that's a big part of my identity is those three wins outside a conference will determine whether I have a successful season or not. Oh, boy, Bach, what have you just said? What have you just said that you can't win half of your million-dollar battles? right because if you're if you're getting big millions in those big conferences and can't deliver

half of your wins in the million dollar battles exactly what are you being paid for you're paying pay for image marketing right because then you're answering a different question then you're answering a different question oh that's not what you're being paid for but as a coach and as a player, you want to be paid for wins. You want to be paid for wins, meaningful wins. I don't want to be paid just for Koston. I want to be paid for meaningful wins. But look at the records of all the teams in the Big Ten.

And if you tell me that those coaches can be identified by the million-dollar wins in the conference, it makes everything make sense. The math, maths. And if people are questioning how much you get paid, It's because the math doesn't math. If you wanted to get right, win, win, there's nothing wrong with the math that you can't fix with wins. Big opportunity tomorrow. Mark will go to break more one-on-one when we come back.