Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts said Wednesday the Huskers are making progress in the head coach search. But he hasn’t talked to interim head coach Mickey Joseph about the permanent position.

Alberts said the Huskers’ top priority is a good fit between the coach and university, and Nebraska isn’t just looking for the cheapest coach available. 

“We’re where we’d hoped to be and confident as we move forward,” Alberts told the Lincoln Journal Star. “… Really pleased with the process, really pleased with the amount of data and the amount of work we’ve been able to do. Looking forward to the day when we can [announce a coach.] I understand it’s hard sometimes to say — just be a little bit patient.”

Joseph became Nebraska’s first Black head coach in any sport when he took over for Scott Frost, who was fired following Nebraska’s Week 3 loss to Georgia Southern — an FCS program.

While Joseph hasn’t had any conversations with Alberts about the permanent position as of Wednesday, he said he’d love to stay on staff as an assistant.

“I would sit down and talk with the family, talk to Trev, and talk to the head coach and find out what my role would be,” Joseph told to the Omaha World-Herald. “But I would love to stay.”

The Huskers are 2-5 since Joseph took over as interim head coach. Nebraska’s current overall record is 3-7.

Ohio State AD open to on-campus playoff games

When the College Football Playoff first unveiled its proposal of a 12-team playoff with on-campus first-round games, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith was opposed to the idea. He thought the weather at Ohio Stadium in mid-December would impact player safety.

The College Football Playoff Committee also said host teams could choose to play at a neutral site. At the time, Smith suggested domed Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis — the current home of the Indianapolis Colts and the annual Big Ten Football Championship.

Now, Smith has warmed up to the idea of a mid-December playoff game at Ohio Stadium.

“When you look back at the [mid-December] weather over the last 10 years, it’s not that bad,” Smith told The Columbus Dispatch.

Smith asserted that the playoff game would have to take place on the weekend, however, because school will still be in session for students. Parking and other logistics for a weekday playoff game during the school session, Smith said, would be a nightmare. 

“We’ve got a lot of people who have to work the next day,” Smith said. “I just think that’s hard. I think we could pull off a Friday, and if push came to shove, we could probably pull off a Thursday. But that would be really hard on our campus. Students go to class. There are night classes.”

McNamara officially out for the season

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who started all 14 games for the Wolverines in 2021, is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery.

McNamara injured his knee in Michigan’s Week 3 game against UConn and hasn’t dressed or traveled with the team since. 

“He underwent the surgery and seems that it was successful,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday, according to 24/7 Sports. “We’re supporting him in all rehab from here. But very happy there was a successful surgery.”

Although McNamara led the Wolverines to a playoff berth in 2021, he lost his starting position to sophomore J.J. McCarthy before he hurt his knee.

McNamara, who would’ve exhausted his third season of eligibility in 2022, is eligible for a medical redshirt because he played in less than 30 percent of Michigan’s games this season. In a November Instagram post, McNamara wrote that he had been dealing with knee issues since 2021.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team doctor for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Dodgers, performed McNamara’s surgery.

“After suffering another serious knee injury this season, my goal was to get back on the field as soon as possible,” McNamara said in his Instagram post. “Sadly I was unable to heal properly, but thanks to Dr. ElAttrache he was able to help me determine exactly what I needed to do to come back the best version of myself. What lies ahead is a lot of work and rehab, but I will come back better than ever.”