HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
O V E R R A T E D!!!! 
Athlon Countdown: #7 Nebraska
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
IATrainMaster101
Well-Known Member
To me Nebraska has a top 5 Defense and a top 50 Offense. They will be good but will likely slip at least once or twice.
Iowa has a top 5 Defense and a top 30 offense, still likely to slip once or twice.
Both will be tested early with road games vs pretty good PAC 10 teams out west.
I don't have a problem in the world with these two rankings. Both teams should be competing for a BCS game but neither is likely to be in th final discussions for a NC. It's plausable for either just not likely.
With that said, how cool would an Iowa Neb NC game be for the people around here?
Iowa has a top 5 Defense and a top 30 offense, still likely to slip once or twice.
Both will be tested early with road games vs pretty good PAC 10 teams out west.
I don't have a problem in the world with these two rankings. Both teams should be competing for a BCS game but neither is likely to be in th final discussions for a NC. It's plausable for either just not likely.
With that said, how cool would an Iowa Neb NC game be for the people around here?
whammer33024
Well-Known Member
oh man, i see lots of red...and i don't mean nebraskas colors...i see bloodshed
Herkeynerd
Well-Known Member
Show the slightest bit of returning to power and the preseason writers jump on the bandwagon. Wait, didn't they turn the ball over 8 times in one game last year and lose to the clones? Yes they ended the year well, but Suh is gone. And their quarterback is severely inconsistent.
whammer33024
Well-Known Member
pretty sure outsiders say the same thing about a certain iowa qb...
BigRedPowrWagon
Well-Known Member
Being in iowa i followed alot of hawkeye football last year. Sometimes you guys kicked ***, some times you guys won buy the scruff of your neck. Same thing happened with nebraska last year but we didnt have so many wins in that catagory. That being said i do believe this ranking is much higher then it needs to be. I dont know if you watched the nebraska games last year but our offence was inept and our defence kept us in the game. Suh being gone will be an impact but Suh was also on the team in 07 when we blew goats. The Pelinis know defence which is why they were hired. Im not saying were BCS bound or NC bound but the team is going in a good direction. I dont know also if you noticed but nebraska doesnt change head coaches very often. So thats why Solich was fired and replaced with Callahan who was fired. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out a good system.
That being said, Iowa has a good team this year with alot of returning players. Ive said it before and ill say it again. Unless Stanzi can wake up and not throw pick 6s and play a full 4quarters of FB then you guys are going to have the same close calls as you did last year. As far as Nebraska well i think our lack of offence speaks for itself. But its spring and we just wont know what will happen until August.
I assume that this ranking they received is a surprise to you, albeit a good one for you?
BigRedPowrWagon
Well-Known Member
Yea, and honestly i think the only reason anyone is giving nebraska any credit was because the close one we lost to VaTech who finished in the top 10, the close one we lost to Texas in the Confrence Champ who then went to the NC. And the throttling we gave to Arizona in the Bowl Game. Especially the last 2 because how soon we forget recent recent history. That is why they are giving them respect. We might of played like crap most of the season to less then stellar teams but those last 2 were enough. Sometimes thats all you need.
But dont worry we will either earn or be laughed at for those rankings.
JAByrd2000
Active Member
This is just terrible logic...
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
BigRedPowrWagon -
The Nebraska D was very good in '06 but predictably slipped in '07 because they lost so much talent from the DL. While I'm not necessarily a huge fan of Cosgrove, I think that he unduly took too much of the blame from Husker fans.
Also, Suh was still a pretty inexperienced guy before the Pelini's hit Lincoln. They implemented a system where they allowed him to disrupt gaps more than "control" them ... and that really helped him to take off too.
I agree that the Huskers are "back" due to the strength of their D (and the attention they give to ensure the strength of the D). However, I'm not necessarily sold on the O.
I also think that the Cally regime would have had better success had he not leaned quite so much on Juco's to help the program with the transition. However, I could be wrong, maybe he just wasn't very good at developing talent on the collegiate level ... I don't know.
BigRedPowrWagon
Well-Known Member
What i think it came down to was leadership. He just couldnt lead a team. Sure cally had one of the most outstanding recruting class one year but if you cant develop that talent theres no point in even getting it. You can have one of the fastest wr in the country but if you cant teach him to read alittle about what the d is doing on the play as well theres no point he'll get stuffed every time.
The whole nebraska is back thing really bothers me. Some people think back means winning NC. Others think back means putting out a qualty product every year. For me its just going out and playing with passion. In 07 i never would of thought that would go down like that. They gave up, hardly worked out as a team and that is why Cally was fired. He wasnt a leader.
The whole nebraska is back thing really bothers me. Some people think back means winning NC. Others think back means putting out a qualty product every year. For me its just going out and playing with passion. In 07 i never would of thought that would go down like that. They gave up, hardly worked out as a team and that is why Cally was fired. He wasnt a leader.
hawktransplant
Well-Known Member
you nailed it
Caven
Well-Known Member
This.
NorfolkNeb
Active Member
If you think Huskers win their Sept. national TV game at Wash. & can beat Texas, in Lincoln, Oct.31, you've got to put them in top 10. Schedule breaks down perfectly. 8-game conf. sched. has no back-to-back road games; AND they play the number 1, 2, 3 & 6 toughest league opponents at home (meaning that 4, 5, 7 & 8 are on the road). Off. Coord. Sean Watson spent major time during the spring putting in the 'wild-cat'. Mostly for Burkhead and Calif. R.S. Matrinez. Pellini's are also best D coaches in Big-12. I am a dyed in the wool Hawkeye fan, but if NU beats Wash & Texas, the WILL be top-10.
ShadasRevenge
Well-Known Member
Not sure if you're a regular listener to the Miller and Deace podcast, but Deace laid it out pretty well this morning.
Take a look at what Iowa accomplished last year, and what they have coming back. Do the same for Nebraska.
There really isn't a rational argument for putting Nebraska ahead of Iowa in any preseason poll, even if it is meaningless.
EastLosRandy
Well-Known Member
I remember seeing some lofty predictions for the Cornhuskers a couple of months ago based on speculation that their defense could be even better than last year. Don't know where that came from, though it seems clear that Bo knows defense, and they seem to have re-established a solid defensive system there, much like Norm has here. If it's reasonable to predict a better defense, then a top ten finish for NU seems like a decent prediction.
What gets me is the lack of logic in Athlon's "analysis" here. They basically shrug their shoulders and say that the defense could be not as strong -- which is certainly what seems likely to most casual observers with Suh in the pros -- but still predict a high ranking because they have a lot of guys coming back on offense. Did these guys watch Nebraska's offense last year? To me, that combination just does not indicate a significantly higher finish than last year.
I do think that Iowa ought to be ranked higher, but like busabus said, there's no point in blowing a gasket. This is just something to talk about while we wait for September.
By the way, as a likely future Big Ten* member, I'll be rooting for Nebraska to do well this year. Especially against Texa$$.
What gets me is the lack of logic in Athlon's "analysis" here. They basically shrug their shoulders and say that the defense could be not as strong -- which is certainly what seems likely to most casual observers with Suh in the pros -- but still predict a high ranking because they have a lot of guys coming back on offense. Did these guys watch Nebraska's offense last year? To me, that combination just does not indicate a significantly higher finish than last year.
I do think that Iowa ought to be ranked higher, but like busabus said, there's no point in blowing a gasket. This is just something to talk about while we wait for September.
By the way, as a likely future Big Ten* member, I'll be rooting for Nebraska to do well this year. Especially against Texa$$.
KnightHawk9
Well-Known Member
Deace kind of touched on it this morning: the story is "Nebraska is back". There would be no interest in the story: "Nebraska will win 9 games and finish about 20-25". So no one's writing it. Doesn't mean it isn't true.
ShadasRevenge
Well-Known Member
I remember reading a post from a Nebraska fan on CF as to why the 'sker d might be better. The rationale is that the offense can't possibly be any worse, and will thus be able to give the defense longer periods of rest than they had last year. They might not be better statiscally, but they might not have to be.
jameskalina
Well-Known Member
Depends on a number of factors. To name a few, strength of schedule, how well a team is doing in November (close wins vs. decisive wins), Key wins and perception by the national media that all help to determine a final BCS rating. It is the final BCS poll that determines who plays for the NC.
