• You do not need to register if you are not going to pay the yearly fee to post. If you register please click here or log in go to "settings" then "my account" then "User Upgrades" and you can renew.

HuskerMax readers can save 50% on  Omaha Steaks .

Are we better?

On paper, we should be much better. I can't think of a single position group where I think we've taken a step back (with the possible exception of nickel where Domann was a force unto himself). However, my enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that I had similar optimism last year (and in many years before that) and turned out to be wrong. One of the other Big Ten coaches was quoted by Athlon as saying the following about Nebraska:

"In their division, Nebraska still has the best-looking roster. We call it the all-bus team because they look better than anyone else in the West in pregame. Long, tall dudes, really athletic, and then after a quarter or so, you stop worrying because they're usually hurting themselves. They struggle with turnovers, they struggle with technique."

We are as talented as anyone else in the B1G West. The question is whether this will be the year when we can finally turn that talent into results. Clearly, the coaching needed to improve. Perhaps the new coaches on offense will make the difference? We'll start finding out in ten days.
 

2nd in the West because we choke a game we should not... (I think it will be Minnesota again). 8-4 or 7-5 with a decent bowl game...

Are we are better team? I think from PPG we are because we won't shoot ourselves in the foot as much. I think the OL will be very average unless we get a nastier streak at the point of attack and our new OC does not get overly pass happy in late October and November... I think defense will be decent.. not great.

I do think we start 3-0 .... but only go 4-5 or 5-4 the rest of the way. I do think we beat either Wisconsin or Iowa this year though.. which is step in the right direction.

HCSF keeps his job...
 
Last edited:
wcbsas said:
Minimum of 3 game difference - MSU (punt return), Wisconsin (KO return), Iowa (blocked kicks). Poor special teams affected tOSU and OU games as well.
Click to expand...
I think the kicking FGs alone will be a huge difference. Bleekrode does not have a monster leg but he is not likely to miss inside of 40 yards often.
 



Hotlanta Husker said:
I think the kicking FGs alone will be a huge difference. Bleekrode does not have a monster leg but he is not likely to miss inside of 40 yards often.
Click to expand...
Improved FG kicking is important ... a reliable FG kicker affects play calling ... if the OC is comfortable knowing we can get points when in the red zone then he may call different plays.

But to me just an improvement in coverage teams would mean a world of difference. Too much lost yardage and points!
 
I feel this is a line discussion. Is our OL and DL better? I have a hard time believing the DL will be better despite the addition of edge rushers. We are replacing a lot of folks. Will be watching the first game with some trepidation. First time an RB from the opponent rips off 10 yds + when they should have been smoked in the backfield, our QB getting smashed cuz they don't see the open receivers.... No way of knowing til they give it a crack.

I remember on of Callahans teams....he had a 4 star RB from Juco I think. Kenny something I thought. News out of camp was he was the best ever. Turned out the D was garbage.

Northwestern should be a good indication. If we don't come out and light them up........don't even want to think about it. They should be better...but so should we.
 
Patrick McLaughlin said:
I feel this is a line discussion. Is our OL and DL better? I have a hard time believing the DL will be better despite the addition of edge rushers. We are replacing a lot of folks. Will be watching the first game with some trepidation. First time an RB from the opponent rips off 10 yds + when they should have been smoked in the backfield, our QB getting smashed cuz they don't see the open receivers.... No way of knowing til they give it a crack.

I remember on of Callahans teams....he had a 4 star RB from Juco I think. Kenny something I thought. News out of camp was he was the best ever. Turned out the D was garbage.

Northwestern should be a good indication. If we don't come out and light them up........don't even want to think about it. They should be better...but so should we.
Click to expand...
That minny game their qb was hot. If we'd gotten to him, even forced him, two perfectly long throw TDs wouldnt have happened.

Some plays we blitzed last year that were picked up resulting in first downs instead of long fourth downs.

I think just having the ability to have a pass rush package or not just getting more pressure in your vanilla set instead of blitzing makes us better,and when we do blitz, that even better as well
 
wcbsas said:
Minimum of 3 game difference - MSU (punt return), Wisconsin (KO return), Iowa (blocked kicks). Poor special teams affected tOSU and OU games as well.
Click to expand...
That falls into the should have could have would have category
 
Last edited:




Last year at this time we were supposedly better at pretty much every position group except D-line, then the Illinois disaster happened that turned out to be the canary in the coal mine.

I "think" we're better and do believe the off-season changes were all for the better, but I need to "see" we're better. I think we're better than 3-9, which is a very low bar.
 
Patrick McLaughlin said:
I feel this is a line discussion. Is our OL and DL better? I have a hard time believing the DL will be better despite the addition of edge rushers. We are replacing a lot of folks. Will be watching the first game with some trepidation. First time an RB from the opponent rips off 10 yds + when they should have been smoked in the backfield, our QB getting smashed cuz they don't see the open receivers.... No way of knowing til they give it a crack.

I remember on of Callahans teams....he had a 4 star RB from Juco I think. Kenny something I thought. News out of camp was he was the best ever. Turned out the D was garbage.

Northwestern should be a good indication. If we don't come out and light them up........don't even want to think about it. They should be better...but so should we.
Click to expand...
Last year DD was a solid DT but I think that we easily got better in the middle. As far as on the rest of the DL, it is the same players with more experience. That and we add an edge rusher in Mathis and continued progress from Nelson. (yes I know technically an OLB). As long as we rotate players I think our line is better. How much better? Well it was pretty good last year so I would say a bit better. At LB we are a year more experienced. Sure we lose JoJo but in the Iowa game we didn't seem to miss him. Our DBs have started slow in the past 4 years. I expect that by the end of the season they will be hard to throw on. I am hoping that early in the season they show up too. I would say that my hope is our defense went form an 8 to an 8.5. If our offense learns to control the ball longer and we rotate talent more then we will certainly see the defensive performance improve.
 
Do we have play makers?

LaVonte David, Suh, Alberts on defense that can turn a came with a big sack or TO.

Can someone on offense be Rozier, Fryer, Johnny Mitchel, be someone who can break the other team with a timely "take it to the house" play.

Other than AM and Washington, the little he played, opponents knew that DONU was not a threat to strike deep except by the rare completed AM pass, so the could pressure us, keep a lot of people in the box and make us take multiple plays to score.

More plays to score, more chances for DONU to make a mistake (penalty, TO, etc) and boy have we been good at making mistakes in the Frost era, so our stats show lots of yards and few points per yards.

To be winners, we need:
-more possession (playmakers on defense)
-more short drives(playmakers on offense)
-short field(better ST and TO's by playmakers on defense)

Do we have these playmakers and can they perform game in and out:
Yes:9-3
No:3-9

GBR

PS: This post under the influence of oxycodone as I had a heart attack and then 4 vessel bypass surgery 8 days ago: "good times :(".

Several of my posts have questioned whether I would "live to see DONU be w inner again", but this is NOT what I meant!!!
 
Last edited:
wcbsas said:
Minimum of 3 game difference - MSU (punt return), Wisconsin (KO return), Iowa (blocked kicks). Poor special teams affected tOSU and OU games as well.
Click to expand...

I hear you but I’d still only give it one win with our propensity to find any and all ways to lose. I think we still would’ve lost to Wiscy and Iowa without special teams blunders. MSU was a certain win though.
 



HuskerSuperGenius said:
Do we have play makers?

LaVonte David, Suh, Alberts on defense that can turn a came with a big sack or TO.

Can someone on offense be Rozier, Fryer, Johnny Mitchel, be someone who can break the other team with a timely "take it to the house" play.

Other than AM and Washington, the little he played, opponents knew that DONU was not a threat to strike deep except by the rare completed AM pass, so the could pressure us, keep a lot of people in the box and make us take multiple plays to score.

More plays to score, more chances for DONU to make a mistake (penalty, TO, etc) and boy have we been good at making mistakes in the Frost era, so our stats show lots of yards and few points per yards.

To be winners, we need:
-more possession (playmakers on defense)
-more short drives(playmakers on offense)
-short field(better ST and TO's by playmakers on defense)

Do we have these playmakers and can they perform game in and out:
Yes:9-3
No:3-9

GBR

PS: This post under the influence of oxycodone as I had a heart attack and then 4 vessel bypass surgery 8 days ago: "good times :(".

Several of my posts have questioned whether I would "live to see DONU be w inner again", but this is NOT what I meant!!!
Click to expand...
Prayers out to you
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

GET TICKETS


Get 50% off on Omaha Steaks

Back
Top