ESPN B1G pre-season rankings

it is interesting that most folks are predicting Iowa to be slightly down from last year, when Iowa is not losing much. But maybe that is a sign they expect other teams to get better while Iowa does not. Or maybe it is a sign that Iowa will have a harder schedule with OSU and Mich on the schedule.

but to be honest, it's a sign that Iowa did not have a strong finish. After starting 6-0 with big wins over Ind, ISU, MD, PSU. Iowa went 4-4 in its last 8 games, and it's offense just collapsed. They simply did not look that great in the 2nd half of last season.
 
If iowa finishes that low it tells me the offense did not progress, they turned the ball over and or special teams just sh--t the bed
 
I am not as down on the start of the 2022 season on Iowa as the media is. Iowa lost two drafted players at Center and Nickleback. Those are both positions that the Iowa program spews out each and every year. How much worse could the offense really be than last year, and that was a 10 win team? I kind of view the Michigan game at Kinnick is tough like the PSU game in 2021 was a tough matchup. Iowa gets (a rebuilding) Iowa St, Wisconsin, and Nebraska all at home. So, yes, there is a road game to Ohio St. on the docket, but Kirk plays tOSU as tough as anyone. In the last 20 years (8 games) the score is Ohio St. 200, Iowa 186. So Vegas has Iowa at a win total of 7.5 for 2022, despite some games Iowa will be heavily favored in (SDSU, Nevada, Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern) and coming off a season where they won the division. I really feel people are forgetting just how good the defense was over the last two years in Iowa City, and the 2022 team has a lot of familiar faces with another season of growth.

I'm not so optimistic about 2023 and 2024 though.
 
And here we go again with Nebby always projected higher than they will prob end up. Don't understand the love affair the media and analysts have for them. They haven't done crap for years and shit the bed on a yearly basis.
 
If they get above Average Online play with good new center I think our run game can be solidly better by averaging almost a yard more per rush because of power downhill runners . That means better chances of moving chains and pounding the snot out of other teams. A lot has to do with the bounces if the ball and the key 6 to 8 plays a game
 
MelroseHawkins said:
And here we go again with Nebby always projected higher than they will prob end up. Don't understand the love affair the media and analysts have for them. They haven't done crap for years and shit the bed on a yearly basis.
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Like the constant bear economic collapse gurus. Eventually, they were right.

On BB, I don't know who Nebby returns, but if it is a similar team with improvements, they could be a legit contender.
 
I'm looking forward to this Nebraska season. It's the kind of thing built for heartbreak. They play a week Zero game against Northwestern in Ireland, but the AD forgot to schedule a bye week the next week, so they have to play North Dakota following an international flight. Georgia Southern is a dangerous group of five team, and then they get Oklahoma. Four easier B1G games next with Indiana, @Rutgers, @Purdue, Illinois. So they could be riding high in October. But November's schedule: Minnesota (PJ has built the Gophers on beating Nebraska), @ Michigan, Wisconsin, @ Iowa (short week). I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 0-4.
 
Nebraska took two action steps with Special Teams this year that will likely pay dividends: first, Frost hired a special teams coach for the first time; AND they brought in the best punter from the FCS who's used to kicking in shitty weather. Those two things alone will likely be worth an additional W or 2 in the BTen West. Add an actual Off. Coordinator who knows what he's doing, probably another win. AND an easy BTen schedule year. AND some good transfers that really helped them plug some gaps. PLUS a QB who's not likely to throw an INT or fumble the ball whenever victory is within reach. All that said, I wouldn't bet one dollar on a Frost-coached team at this point either way.
 
The Gophers have some skill position talent, but I think they have to replace all 5 of their offensive line starters, which ain't gonna be easy for a team that relies heavily on the run and has a QB that is very average. The BTen West may be as balanced and even as it ever has been. Enjoy the competition & drama while it lasts, because BTen Divisions are toast after this season.
 
This program doesn’t deserve any of you. Your loyalty is uncompromising.

it’s been since 2004. Inexcusable. Eighteen years. Hats off to all of you.

If I wanted to go negative here I could suggest we all need to be put in straight jackets and committees somewhere. Lol

My God, think about………… 18 years. That’s insane. Yet here we are.
 
PlatypusMessiah said:
I'm looking forward to this Nebraska season. It's the kind of thing built for heartbreak. They play a week Zero game against Northwestern in Ireland, but the AD forgot to schedule a bye week the next week, so they have to play North Dakota following an international flight. Georgia Southern is a dangerous group of five team, and then they get Oklahoma. Four easier B1G games next with Indiana, @Rutgers, @Purdue, Illinois. So they could be riding high in October. But November's schedule: Minnesota (PJ has built the Gophers on beating Nebraska), @ Michigan, Wisconsin, @ Iowa (short week). I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 0-4.
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If you break that schedule down by quadrants and you want to be realistically optimistic Husker fan in light of all the factors, you gotta hope:

3-1
3-1
1-3

7-5 is a realistic prediction. Anything 6-6 or better gets Frost another season.

You can see a path to a great season with that schedule. They have brought in a ton of talent through the portal and the coaching literally cannot get any worse than it was last year. The Huskers should be favored or a push in the first 8 games. Oklahoma is breaking in a new coach and players. Could they come into the home stretch 7-1 and split? Sure could.

But, you could just as easily predict that they shit the bed in Ireland, scrape by the two cupcakes, get killed by Okie, split the mediocre middle and get creamed by the crop in the last 4? Yep. New OC, new offensive system, new QB, a lot of questions on OL, no star skill players and a lot to replace on D.
 
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