Callahan has Nebraska in a conservative state

It could’ve been worse for Coach Bill Callahan. He could’ve woken up today and still been the coach of the Raiders.

OK, so not much worse. The great Nebraska football program is now in the business of trying to preserve moral victories, coming close enough Saturday in the Coliseum to keep everyone’s interest in Las Vegas to the very end of the game, before losing to USC by 18.

I guess that leaves planting corn as the next big event on the schedule for Husker fans, unless they consider a game with Troy next week a big game.

Nebraska had the ball on its own 15-yard line, trailing 14-3 with 2:52 remaining in the first half and sat on the ball. Callahan, known best for agitating the faithful with the introduction of the forward pass when he arrived, had the Huskers run the ball four straight times to kill the clock.

When I asked why he had his offense go into a shell, he disagreed, which goes to show you -- once a Raider, always a contrarian.

“We were continuing to run the football,” Callahan said, and even two out of every three Husker fans could have figured that out. So maybe one out of three.

I came back with the same question only phrased differently so that he might understand, and he said, “We were doing what we wanted to do to win the game,” and he might no longer coach the Raiders, but more and more he’s beginning to sound like the other guy who has lost it and still owns them.

“These are decisions we’re going to continue to make,” Callahan said, which is great news for USC, because the Trojans play at Nebraska next season.

*

MOST POPULAR Nebraska T-shirts seemed to be “Grateful Red,” and “Born Red -- Enough Said.”

Most popular USC chant directed toward Nebraska fans near the end of the game: “Start your tractors.”

Most popular Nebraska chant three hours before game time seemed to be, “We are drunk.”

*

USC TOOK land, used in the past by tailgaters who arrived early for games, and rented it to something called “Blue 32,” at an estimated $15,000 a game.

“That sounds about right,” said a USC spokesperson.

Blue 32 passed out slick fliers to passing fans advising them they could enter the fenced-off area for $100. In return they’d receive unlimited food and drink along with a look at scantily clad dancing go-go-girls. By the way, you can watch the go-go girls without charge from behind the fence. I’m paid to observe things like this.

I asked Tom Strauss, who joined eight other college kids for the trip from Nebraska to California, if he had ever seen anything like the Blue 32 go-go dancers, and he said, “Wow.”

When he caught his breath, he said, “No. This doesn’t happen in Lincoln.”

It apparently won’t happen again at the Coliseum -- at least as far as the go-go dancers go. A USC spokesperson said school officials shut down the go-go dancers, deeming the show too risque. I’ll check back, and if necessary, stake out the area next game to verify.

*

GOT A call from a Times reporter who was listening to sports talk on 710. He’ll remain anonymous so people don’t think less of him. He said someone on the D’Marco Farr and Gary Miller radio show was saying outrageous things about Reggie Bush and blasting the media because they insisted on reporting Bush received $100,000 in benefits.

I knew it couldn’t be Miller, because he never says anything of consequence, so it had to be Farr, the former Los Angeles/St.Louis Ram defensive lineman. I called Farr, he was talking crazy, and it’s amazing how long he can talk without taking a breath.

“I can’t stand people who want to make their names off athletes,” Farr said. “There are beat reporters who know stuff about players and don’t report it; not everyone is a reporter trying to make a name for himself. Not everybody is out there to break stories. Why would you bring someone’s parents into this? Why would you embarrass the Bush family? Who have they hurt? All they did was give birth to the kid. It’s pointless to report on the stuff like this. Why would you want to be the guy who brings down Bush? Why would you want to help the NCAA?”

Others might feel the same way, especially those with a keen interest in USC’s doing well, but I suspect rational people understand that things like this must play out.

“I don’t care if the guy took $100,000 -- $100,000 is a bit light for me for what he did for Southern California,” Farr said. “It didn’t shock me he was taking money. I just don’t get it. Who has Bush hurt? Last I checked all he’s done has helped USC. You got Kobe Bryant and criminal charges, OK, go at him.”

From what I could gather, Farr was suggesting reporters shouldn’t do their jobs, and while it’s an interesting argument whether players should be paid for what income they generate for a university, at issue right now is whether Bush and USC broke existing rules.

“If I was the guy who found out something sneaky about Bush, I don’t think I’d break that story,” said Farr, who is working for the radio station that broadcasts USC games. “Why bring the story out? What’s the point, it goes on every day at every major college.”

If that’s the case, Farr just broke a huge story.

I didn’t know it when we were chatting, but I can understand his point of view now after doing a Google search. I learned Farr had been suspended while playing at Washington after an NCAA investigation revealed some players had been accused of being paid for doing work they never did.

I wonder if that was the fault of reporters?