I think so too, but I learned awhile ago to never count out Northwestern at the start of the season. That melonfarmer has a knack for pulling out a miraculous season every other year.
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Northwestern
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This maybe the worst team Fitz has had
His biggest issue is the defense and a coordinator who has has a spotty career
The retirement of his HOF coordinator saw them go from holding opponents to 14 pints a game in 2020 to 29 in 2021
Which will not cut it with his some what anemic offense who averaged 16 points a game last year and 22 the year before.
I love Fitz but I think all the predictions about NW this year are pretty spot on
Opening games are always a crap shoot as we both know so anything could happen but if I were a betting man I think the Huskers cover on the 12.5 points they are favored by
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No doubt, but Fitz has proven, far more than Frost has, that he's capable of fielding winning teams. Fitz is also a defensive minded coach and if a change needs to be made there he will. They're a young team for sure, but he knows how to unlock the potential in his players. It's uncanny how he identifies talent and maximizes their potential. Jerkface Ferentz does the same thing.
Yep,50- 50 head to head
I looked it up.
Its actually a game played where better talent can show up.
Doesnt mean it will as you point out
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When Frost wins the west twice in three years we can talk.
50-50
Frost wins this year he has a winning record against Fitz
Just like Fitz gets his guys to play very well, SF also gets his guys to play very well against NW.
Iowa has a losing record, Ferentz does the last 14 years for example.
The team has to earn it, no two win in a rows since Bo for us.
I actually think you're correct.
Northwestern may be marginally improved, but they will not have another one of their recent one-year swings to division champs. They are still in a rebuild mode this season. If they manage a nailbiter against Nebraska, I'll be increasingly concerned about our own team.
Pretty much were I’m at though I have real concerns about the O Line. My optimistic side would claim poor results were due to poor coaching. The realist in me says you are going to struggle when you lose your top player to graduation, an expected starter is lost to suspension, and your two best talents are coming off injury. Couple that with a supposedly more pocket type passer, unproven running backs, and I find myself predicting 6-6 on the season forecast thread.I do think there's enough talent there to be more effective at run and especially pass blocking than we saw last season.
But the one unit where experience and maturity matters most is the offensive line. That includes playing together as a unit -- as they function as a unit more than any other. It's actually my favorite unit, as offensive linemen tend to be great people -- smart and well-spoken -- and sometimes very quirky (entertainingly, imo). If you were to ask me which former Huskers I admire most -- Dave Rimington and Will Shields are both top 5. And Cam Jergens grew on me big time. I love where he came from (including being from Beatrice -- both of my parents' hometown) and where he is now. A high draft pick with the opportunity to take over for a center who could very well be in the Hall of Fame.
I'm actually more excited about the Northwestern game than I have been about an opening game in years. Because there's so many unknowns on this team -- yet so much potential. I don't know what will happen with the offensive line and most of the team for that matter, but I'm very intrigued to watch.
Last season NW lost 9 games by an average difference of 24.4 points while the Huskers lost 9 games by an average of 5.8 per game! Does that mean anything this season except NW was miserable on defense last season? I think NW will be improved on D (could hardly be worse) but are a long way from being solid.
Anything can happen opening game but I really like our chances against this NW team. I predict a Husker win by at least 20 points.
Anything can happen opening game but I really like our chances against this NW team. I predict a Husker win by at least 20 points.
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If you look at how NW usually starts seasons, even on really good years they have often started slowly losing a game or even 2 early.
I am certain we will be much more improved that NW in ST play, big plus right there.
We will be improved at WR in depth,talent, speed and technique.
At RB we will be improved in depth talent and speed.
O line is the question mark as is TE depth until Fidone suits up.
NW will be much more experienced from last year, likely better at WR where they sucked, question mark at QB, RB good, TE good and O line more experience.
Their D was pushed around in the ground game, more experience and more comfortable/better fit in scheme.
LB same, DB same.
While NW has much to gain through experience team wise overall, like us at QB they need to improve in game management but unlike us just talent at QB is vital which they need to improve.
Of course this is huge, will their QB show up/step up?
Will experience mean huge strides for their D without Hankwitz steady hand?
NW has unfamiliar questions to answer on D where that steady hand of Hankwitz had them in position, trusting their eyes and playing not thinking.
They havent been this questionable at QB in a long time.
I see huge advantages for us, as NW D has to be able to grow from that experience, and game one and putting up an unknown offense against that D is ideal.
If you're asking me if I think NU should win this game easily, at an intellectual level I say yes, easily. I can't unsee the last few years of futility nor can I forget Fitzgerald's penchant for beating us every other year and getting his teams to overachieve. I agree with you that on paper we should win this game by 20.
Twenty pages and haven’t seen much discussion on my biggest concern. I’m afraid NW will run on us at will. Everyone seems to be focused on our offense…..almost assuming our defense is fixed. We forget our defense was rated overall worse than our offense in yardage given up. Yes we were a bend but not break defense but that’s a poor defensive game plan.
Add to this a questionable defensive line due to departures and most likely a chance of improved play by Northwestern and a returning 1000 yard rusher. I could be wrong with my concerns since nobody else seems to be.
Add to this a questionable defensive line due to departures and most likely a chance of improved play by Northwestern and a returning 1000 yard rusher. I could be wrong with my concerns since nobody else seems to be.
I was commenting on your statement about not counting out NW and Fitz at the beginning of the year. His teams tend to start slowly and get better as the year goes on. His 2018 team that won the west started out the season 1-3. I really haven't said anything about how Nebraska should win this game on paper. I will do that now.
Northwestern is a rebuild type of school. I think the covid year has disrupted his rebuilding. He usually has some really good players in the system. Right now he is pretty short on them. His talent is pretty down. I also think Hankowitz played a much bigger role in the success of NW than he gets credit for. DC of his caliber and experience are hard to replace. I don't like playing NW in Ireland right out of the gate. But, they are a known quantity. My biggest worry with about the game is Nebraska taking them too lightly because of the way the game went last year. If they are playing the game on paper it really should be something like 35-14 Nebraska and I would be very happy with that result. I think it will be closer, but still around a 10 point win.
Pat Fitzgerald is a great coach I totally agree about this. He also has a very unique situation at NW that I think makes it easier for him to coach there. There are absolutely no expectations on him to consistently win. PF could go 3-9 four years in a row and still keep his job. They aren't going to fire him so he doesn't have that huge amount of pressure. The NW faithful are very happy with the job he has done. His overall record is a bit over .500 and that is really good at NW.
