Broadcasting legend Tim Brando joins the Common Fans to discuss the upcoming season, the outlook for Nebraska, his favorite to win the Big Ten, his old friend Lee Corso, plus much more!

Brando sees the Huskers taking another step forward in 2025:

• Last year, Brando came on the Common Fan Podcast and correctly predicted Nebraska would make a bowl game and have a winning season in 2024.
• He believes Dana Holgorsen will have a significant impact on the offense and the team overall this season.
• He also sees Dylan Raiola taking a big step forward in year 2 under center.
• The Huskers will need to get past a good Cincinnati team in the opener, and beat Michigan at home in their first conference game of the season, but Brando sees the schedule as lining up well for the Big Red…and even floated the idea that they might start 6-0.
• He thinks the Huskers could get as high as 10 wins in 2025!

Thoughts on Lee Corso, who will be honored later this month in a one hour special tribute on ESPN:

• Corso will be retiring at age 90.
• Brando, who was the first ever host of College Gameday, actually interviewed Corso for his spot on Gameday.
• According to Brando, Corso is the best ever coach to move into broadcasting.
• His combination of charisma plus knowledge of the game is unrivaled.
• Poking fun at Beano Cook…you don’t want to miss Tim’s impression of the famous Beano!

Looking at the big picture in the Big Ten:

• Brando predicts Ohio State to win the conference.
• He’s very high on Illinois and Indiana.
• Watch out for Rutgers to play spoiler.
• Sees the quality and depth of the conference improving from top to bottom.

Plus, the Common Fans even get into a little Husker hoops:

• Brando celebrated his 40th anniversary in broadcasting by calling the Nebraska-UCLA game in January (which, of course, was a solid Nebraska W).
• Brando likes what Fred Hoiberg is building and was happy to see the Huskers win The Crown, even though they fell short of the NCAA tournament.

Finally, on whether or not Nebraska football should be considered a blue blood:

• Yes, yes and yes!

With less than three weeks before kickoff, the Common Fans help you start getting ready for Husker football! GBR for LIFE!

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The Common Fans discuss the impact offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler will have for Nebraska football in 2025.

• In order to take the patented Year 3 leap under Matt Rhule, the Huskers will almost certainly need to win close games.
• What can turn close losses into wins? Improvement on offense and special teams.
• Holgorsen brings swagger and a simplified playbook that should work to Dylan Raiola’s benefit.
• Ekeler brings boundless energy that is infectious to the entire team.
• Big steps forward by the offense and special teams should be good for 2-4 more wins in 2025.
• Plus, thoughts on the Big Red Preview practice, beer in Memorial Stadium, and so much more!

With little more than three weeks before kickoff, the Common Fans help you start getting ready for Husker football! GBR for LIFE!

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

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Tom Osborne biographer Henry Cordes of the Omaha World Herald and Brandon Vogel of the Counter Read Newsletter join the Common Fans for the final episode of the Tom Osborne series.

• Simply put, TO is the best coach in Nebraska football history, and one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.
• Beloved by his players to this day.
• Deep and lasting connection to his players, built on a concern for them first as people and second as football players.
• The Lawrence Phillips question.
• What if TO had kept coaching?
• Can TO’s development-focused approach still work in today’s era of NIL and the transfer portal?
• How has the standard of excellence established by Osborne and Devaney affected every Nebraska coach who came after him?
• And so much more!

Thanks to Henry Cordes and Brandon Vogel for joining us for this fantastic conversation. GBR for LIFE!

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College Football Hall of Famer Grant Wistrom and Omaha World Herald legend Tom Shatel join the Common Fans for the fifth episode of the Tom Osborne series. This episode focuses on the 1995-1997 seasons.

• The dominance of the 1995 team.
• Averaged over 53 points per game; gave up just 14 and a half.
• They averaged more than 556 rushing yards per game.
• No team came within 14 points of them on the final scoreboard.
• Of the three Top 10 teams they played during the regular season, they won 49-25, 44-21, and 41-3.
• Completely dismantled #2 Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.
• The Lawrence Phillips event.
• Was TO’s handling of the situation fair/appropriate?
• National backlash.
• Impact on the team.
• Losing Brook Berringer.
• Step back in 1996.
• TO’s steadiness.
• Wistrom and Jason Peter’s decision to return in 1997.
• Osborne’s decision to retire.
• Miracle at Missouri.
• The question is not if Nebraska would have beat Michigan in 1997. The only question is how many touchdowns the Huskers would have won by.
• Plus so much more!

Thanks to Grant Wistrom and Tom Shatel for joining us for this outstanding discussion. GBR for LIFE!

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

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For Episode 4 of the Tom Osborne series, the Common Fans are joined by All Big 8 wingback Abdul Muhammad and longtime Nebraska sports writer Mitch Sherman. This episode focuses on the period from 1990-1994.

• Toward the end of the 1990 season, the Huskers were #2 in the country.
• Then they blew a 12-0 lead against Colorado, and suffered back-to-back blowouts against Oklahoma and vs. Georgia Tech in the bowl game.
• They would finish the season ranked 24th, the team’s lowest final ranking since 1968. They finished outside the top 10 for the fourth consecutive season.
• TO gathers his staff for a meeting in South Stadium. Ultimately, there were several things that resulted from this meeting. But perhaps none was more important than a decision to get faster on defense.
• Defensive backs would be turned into linebackers. Linebackers would become defensive ends. Eventually, the 5-2 would give way to the 4-3. Nebraska had to catch up to the speedier Southern schools they were losing to in bowl games.

Plus, insights from Abdul and Mitch about those early ‘90s teams:

• Tommie Frazier = the x-factor.
• The 1991 no-nonsense recruiting class–Abdul Muhammad, Dwayne Harris, Barron Miles, Christian Peter, and others.
• “The war was in practice.”
• The “refuse to lose” bunch in 1993.
• The 1994 season–Frazier’s blood clot, Brook Berringer, the Matt Turman game, the Colorado game, the Orange Bowl against Miami.
• Finally, TO reaches the mountaintop.
• This and much more!

Thanks to Abdul Muhammad and Mitch Sherman for joining us for this conversation. GBR for LIFE!

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The Common Fans interrupt their summer series on Tom Osborne to discuss the latest comments from Scott Frost.

• In case you hadn’t noticed, Scott Frost is in the news again.
• When asked what he learned from his time at Nebraska, Frost said, “Don't take the wrong job.”
• He went on to say, “I got tugged in a direction to try to help my alma mater and didn't really want to do it. It wasn't a good move. I'm lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier.”
• The reaction on social media has been fierce.
• The Common Fans are irked by the latest comments, but also offer a thoughtful discussion considering multiple viewpoints.
• Ultimately, if Frost is going to answer questions about his time at Nebraska, he needs to find a way to own the results and put it behind him.

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast!

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In the third episode of their deep dive into Tom Osborne’s career, the Common Fans talk to Husker legend Steve Taylor and former Lincoln Journal Star sportswriter Ken Hambleton about TO’s teams of the 1980s.

• TO takes things to another level.
• With five conference titles from 1980 to 1989, Nebraska had more wins than any other college football team in the decade.
• Huskers come agonizingly close to two national championships.
• Starting to beat Oklahoma.
• The crew discusses the famous 1984 Orange Bowl and Osborne’s decision to go for two, the infamous 1982 Penn State game, and much more.

Plus, Steve shares some illuminating insights into his time as a recruit and a player:

• A hilarious recruiting trip to Minnesota involving Lou Holtz and Dave Winfield.
• Other recruiting shenanigans.
• TO’s standards.
• Steve’s outstanding playing career.
• The challenging non-conference schedules in those days.
• Falling behind the speedy Florida schools.
• Lessons from Coach Osborne.
• Plus much more!



Thanks to Steve Taylor and Ken Hambleton for joining us for this conversation. GBR for LIFE!

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

In the second episode of the Common Fans’ deep dive into Tom Osborne’s career, the boys look at TO’s early days as Nebraska’s head coach in the 1970s.

• Husker legend Tom Ruud discusses his days playing for both Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne.
• Long time sportswriters Mike Babcock and Brandon Vogel also join the conversation.
• Changing of the guard from Devaney to Osborne.
• Early struggles to beat Oklahoma.
• Storyline that TO “can’t win the big one” begins to emerge.
• After the pressure cooker of his first several years, Osborne actually interviews for the head coaching job at Colorado.
• By the end of the decade, TO is firmly in place in Lincoln, and has established himself as an excellent head coach with a program on the rise heading into the 1980s.

Thanks to Tom Ruud, Mike Babcock and Brandon Vogel for joining us for this conversation. GBR for LIFE!

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

Our Partners:

You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/