I have really read a lot about this group of Huskers, who by the way, have the huge burden of reversing the 2007 season sitting on their shoulders. The more I read, the more I am sure this group of guys will NOT allow what happened last year to repeat itself. Guys have some confidence back along with the NU swagger that made those great teams from the 90′s so damn good. We have an O-line that is 10 deep, a good stable of QB’s, and three RB’s that can start for any team in the country. Our receivers are young but fast, athletic, and physical. Offensively, we should be able duplicate last years numbers, when NU averaged 33 points a game.
When looking at last year, NU went 5-7, but I think we could have been easily 8-4 with a little more defensive effort and game planning. Those 3 victories should have come at the expense of Texas A&M, Texas, and Colorado. Who knows what would have happened with the others. I think with a coach like Pelini and the rest of the staff, that defense would not have been what it was, PERIOD!
Taking a look at the 2003 season, NU finished 10-3. The criticism I really can’t stand is when people point out how Bo Pelini’s defense played in the Texas, Missouri, and K-State game. Let’s not forget that our offense had more 3 and outs in those games then they did the rest of the other 10. That defense had to play pretty much the entire games and just simply wore out. I don’t blame the defense for those losses, but pin it on an offense that really wasn’t that prolific. If we were able to put together things offensively in those 3 games, I believe the outcome would’ve been different.
That brings us to 2008 and where I think the Huskers will finish. I am just so AMPED about this season. I don’t care if every game was on PPV, I would gladly spend the money and wouldn’t care how much they charged! I will compare this team to the 2003 team because it’s the last NON-LOSERHAN team and the only Bo Pelini defensive team.
Offensively we are in way better shape. The defense from the 2003 team had a few break-out players….Demorrio Williams, Barret Ruud, the Bullocks brothers, and a young Adam Carriker, but that was it. Athletically this defense is quick and hungry to knock the taste out of every opponents mouth. We might be young and unproven in the back seven, but I’ll put my money on them being much better than the 2003 team. Our corners will see what it’s like to play for a coach who knows how to coach his players and Bo Pelini will know how to use his linebackers, just like he did in 2003. We are thinnest at the LB position, but there is plenty of speed and guys who KNOW how to tackle. Honesty I cannot see Coach Ekler not getting these guys to play their butts off every play. Bottom line…… This will be a top 25 defense when it’s all said and done. I really believe that. So, how does this translate into the number of wins for NU? I see it like this. In the first five games, I see NU only loosing one of those. Either VT or Mizzou, I am not sure which one. In the next five games I see 2 losses from either Texas Tech, Oklahoma, or Kansas. That leaves the last two games of the schedule, K-State and CU. I think NU will easily win both those games. That has NU sitting at 9-3 and heading to a January 1st bowl game.
Let me know what you guys think about NU’s chances this upcoming year and where they will finish.
I say 8-4. with that said I want to go hypothetical on ya. We should be 3-0 when the Hokies come to Lincoln. If the defense has bought in and has no psychological hangover from last year, and the offense doesn’t shell up against an inspired defense we are at 4-0 and on the cusp of the top 25 with an outside shot at 25 depending on where V tech is. they play Georgia tech at home which may be a tough game for them. If all goes as should they will be 4-0 and in the top 15 coming to our house. Missouri has to beat us in Lincoln, if we do get some bounces and protect our house we are at 5-0. We are going to have to play out of our gords but what if. I still say Lubbock and Norman will be Losses but what if the bounces and the inches are in our favor. my other two losses are toss ups.(maybe Mizzou or Vtech, could be a bad bounce in one of the other games.) It really all depends how much we improve overall defensively and in terms of ball control and consistency on offense. Also factoring in, Luck. What if the football gods are smilling on this team we will find out in the next 3-4 months. that is why i love this time of year all dreams are reachable and we are still undefeated.
If the football gods are smiling on us, I see Only Oklahoma that can stop that.
I wouldn’t worry about the Hokies to much, they have more question marks then Baylor. I think that game will be just as easy as the rest of the Non-Conference schedule.
Remember us handling Mizzou the last time they were in Lincoln??? I don’t think that Mizzou is as good as Mizzou really thinks they are.
VT is only returning 10 starters, nobody that really stands out and has to fill the shoes of (2) star linebackers, all of their receivers, and a running back.
Texas Tech and Kansas are overrated and that will come out once each of those teams start their conference schedule.
The BLACKSHIRTS are said to have more talen this year than in 2003 by Pelini himself and our offense obviously has way more talent. Let’s face it, that 2003 Husker offense sucked. As a team, there is way more talent and there’s no reason why we can’t finish regular season with 1-2 losses at most.
If you bet, Vegas has the Huskers only winning 6 games this year. I think I’m going to try to make a quick “G” off this!!!!!
And most of those 10 are not glamour postitions. Here is a link to another nail in the VT coffin……
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8462800?forum_key=StoryComments&topic_key=8462800&page_no=2
@Inside Scoop would any coach say we are worse off then 03, when the major project is rebuilding the psyche of this team, defense especially, that would not be an end to a means. These guys at times quit, I know Coach Bo will not have anybody on the field who gives up, but I still want to see how they respond the first time they get punched in the mouth. I know we will be much better, yet football is game of breaks, bounces and inches. The Defense will have all the tools they need to bring back the Blackshirts. I hope you are right on and we are sitting at 11-1 or 10-2 and headed to the Big 12 Championship. What we will need is on the field leadership some breaks and a little magic. the 97 team was one foot and a great catch away from a loss and no National championship. I just want these guys to play hard every down. The rest will take care of itself.
I am not really sold on Texas Tech, Kansas, or Mizzou. Let’s not forget Tinkle Pinkel’s record before last year….and Mansized Mangino for that matter…both were considered close to losing their jobs. And as far as Leach goes, anyone that looks that much like Vince Gill will only be a one hit wonder.
Of course, I could be wrong too.
I think they go 7-5 8-4 realistically. I know it’s easy to get excited with the season comin up (believe me, I am) but 10-2 or 11-1 is a dream at this point. The defense is learning a new system and one bad showing could have their confidence right back where it was last year. The offense continuity but i want to see how they do when they dont pass for 400-500 yards a game (although i wish they would every game).
also i think too many people are underrating a lot of big 12 teams. Tech is a good team, and they swept us last time we played them in 04 and 05. they can put up points and if our defense is fragile, they can make it a long day. i dont want to say it but mizzou is a good football team and will cause problems. I wouldnt rule out colorado either, they have consistently improved under hawkins. we could easily beat kansas and lose to colorado.
i hope im wrong and nebraska wins 9+ games before the bowl, but realistically I dont see it this year (still excited for the season and I hope I’m wrong!)
I’m not worried about CU. Dan is a good coach, but his son is one of the worst two QB’s in the Big 12. Their hopes and dreams rely on a true freshman RB. I think they will already be falling apart by the time they hit Lincoln.
@ReedTillDead
You’re correct about getting caught up in the Bo hype; I was looking at the season as far as who are our losses going to be? Everyone is throwing out the 4-5 loss number, but to whom?
Offense: We’ve already seen Ganz emerge as a leader – he’s smart, mobile, and passes well enough to be really effective at QB. Lucky (even with the starting job on the line) is a leader as well pushing the younger players to excel and being very unselfish.
Defense: I see Phil Dillard, Larry Asante, Cody Glenn, and possibly Major Culbert emerging as team leaders for this defense – they’re all ready to take on this role (don’t forget about Suh).
Possible Losses: VT – Not this season (they’re very uncertain in too many areas to emerge as a powerhouse this year). MIZZOU – This has to be a game where the Huskers take advantage of the home field (Mizzou has always tended to struggle on the road). It would be hard to call this a lock for the Huskers, but when they played a good team (OU) they consistently showed that they cannot compete at that level. TX TECH – you live by the gun, you die by the gun. They don’t have a running game and with Pelini’s ability to coach D-backs and shut down a passing attack; you can fluster a QB and offense that relies heavily on the pass (Not a lock either, but I don’t see Tech as a team that can play to the end of a tough match-up as this one). OU – This will be the toughest game of the season. This one will come down to offense; OU showed some inconsistency on offense last year and lost a few match-ups; but they always come to play (but remember, they lost 3 games last year — they’re not invincible). KU, CU, K-State, Iowa St – None of these teams worry me (KU will show their true colors this year with a tougher schedule).
I am riding a lot of this on the fact that Bo will turn the “D” around. We do have the talent; and with a mediocre “D” last year, we would’ve won a few more games (we didn’t even need a good defense, just mediocre). Also, remember last season’s practices and weight training were a joke — no contact? Let’s just say, they WILL be more prepared to play this year. I understand that last season was very humbling for all of us (fans) and it is hard to think that we’ll see a 180 this year; but looking at how the talent of our opponents stack up, 1-2 losses (MAX) is highly possible scenerio.
…one important note that I would like to make that showed signs of promise for this defense…
I’m sure most of you were at the spring game this year (I’ll make that assumption). I saw something that I hadn’t seen in the last 4 spring games, or last 4 seasons; all of the D-backs and linebackers were in position to make plays and break up passes — that was last spring.
I hope they all have a chip on their shoulder and can use last season’s performances and embarassments as fodder to go kick some a@@!!
@Inside Scoop
First of all let me say that I hope I’m wrong, but, getting through our schedule with only one (or two for that matter) losses is a stretch. Again, I hope I have to eat my words but to me it just seems like way to much to hope for. I have read alot of comments from fans on other sites who say all they are looking for is improvement. In all honesty we can’t help but to improve from last year, so my expectations are higher than simply ‘an improvement’, but at the same time Rome wasn’t built in a day. We start by building a solid foundation – eight, maybe nine wins, and a strong bowl showing would be a good foundation to build on.
I’ve said this before, one of the biggest keys to shutting down those high flying offenses we have to face will be how long our offense can keep them off the field. If we can win the time of possesion game against those teams, we’ve got half the battle won. It’s a really oddly shaped ball that takes some funny bounces so, who knows? Maybe we do win ten or eleven…have to wait and see I guess.
@RD
We’ll be wearing red yelling loud together in Lincoln anyway
@Inside Scoop, it was supposed to be redtilldead, but my typing skils are far from anything good.
I hope we are the cindarella story of the football world and I am estatic eating crow.
@Inside Scoop, it was supposed to be redtilldead, but my typing skils are far from anything good.
I hope we are the cindarella story of the football world and I am estatically eating crow.
@Huskerbrad You got a problem with Vince Gill bud.
That we will, Scoop.
Who’s Vince Gill? Sounds like somebody from the Rainbow Coalition.
Hey Red……I still believe in YOU!
@DizzturbedNUfan
no he was supposed to be one of the new members, but your vote to oppose entry kind of put the kabosh on that. Hey HuskerBrad at least you wanted to let him in.
But seriously Dizz aren’t your days of phsycosis done. With the programs new found stability isn’t it time to bring back that old handle what was it again
I think that ego has to stay dead! Every time it got brought up in conversation HB would make up words and sing like a boy band about it!
@ inside
I’d love to believe you but right now I think your assessment is too optimistic. I hope your right and I’m wrong though.
The VA Tech game isn’t an automatic win, remember it wont take a powerhouse to beat this team. Tech beat OU last year and all their losses were against teams that went to a bowl. Realistic losses are VA Tech, Mizzou, Tech , OU, possibly KU or CU. thats 5 losses. We could upset VT, Mizzou or OU and lose KU or CU by surprise. I really hope im wrong and youre right (really i do, i hate losing) but i dont think 10 or 11 wins is probable this year, maybe 9-3 if we get some breaks. again im really hope im wrong and lose all credibility (if im going to lose credibility, the team might as well win more!)
i apologize to anyone who thinks i may be too pessimistic, but im trying to keep an even head and not give my hopes up. at this time last year I thought NU was going to be a contender and that didnt happen. so this year if they get 7 or 8 wins, great, anything more than that is icing on the cake.
@my optimism….
The reason for my optimistic views on this season are talent, depth, and coaching; versus our opponents. I understand that if teams like TX Tech, MU, and KU are having a HOT hand in the passing game, it could be tough for any team to stop.
This is going to be a brutal season for every single team in the Big 12 — to endure that type of season, you need deep talent. I feel that the Big Red stacks up as one of the top teams in the Big 12 with deep talent (just behind OU and Texas), with Mizzou close behind — outside that, the rest of the Big 12 is lacking deep talent on both sides of the ball. We WILL have great success late in this brutal season because of that.
I’ll see you all next week at the game screaming your heads off — and tell the old people next to you to stand up and cheer! If they want to sit, tell them to stay home.
Go Huskers!
@ Inside Scoop
HEY, I’m an old people.
I didn’t sing like a boy band, I just thought it sounded better when sung to the tune of 80′s hairband…..so here’s to you ForeverRED….Your red and it’s f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It’s hard to sing over the computer, but I bet you 50 bucks your singing it in your head right now!
Ha Ha! I won’t bet ya 50 bucks but guess who has tickets for New Mexico State in his possesion?
You and I?
I need NM State tickets…
Update: Herbstreit is predicting a possible 9 win season for the Big Red.
Who would have thought kansas of all teams would be a bcs bowl caliber team? no one. And it will show this year, kansas will go at best 7-5. now why am i calling out kansas on a husker prediction? Mizzou, aint happending, chase daniels will get hurt in the husker game, a lot of bad taste in the defense mouth from last years 41-6 beat down, which was a result of a lot of trick plays, With the new resurgence of the Blackshirts, an SEC style of defense which every team struggles against, there is nothing saying this team wont come out and win every game, let alone we are in every game this year. like the old addage says, thats why they play the games. Nebraska has at least 10 wins this year