8-4 would be chalk.
+/- 2 wins best/worst case.
+/- 2 wins best/worst case.
Speaking only to the defensive losses. Stoltenberg was injured most of the year. When he was out we were really hurting. Without him we really got no push. We brought in Daniels and now Jakheem Green. Two top notch DTs . The elder Daniels certainly showed that he will make a difference in the spring. This allows us to use the big, athletic Davis Twins as DE. That is pretty much what you want as a 3/4 DL. Add in a Daishon Neal for pass downs and you do not need as much help from the LBs.We were 4-2 our last 6 games. The two losses were close and the OT loss before going 4-2 to NWU was close. If we had a better defense we should have won 2 of those losses [NWU, Iowa]. Out D played well in the Spring game but was it because they improved or because our O line is weaker? Hopefully both lines improved. We lost from last years team:
Freedom Akinmoladun DL 6-4 295 7 Sr. Grandview, Mo. (Grandview)
Cole Conrad OL 6-5 300 7 Sr. Fremont, Neb. (Archbishop Bergan)
Tanner Farmer OL 6-4 325 7 Sr. Highland, Ill. (Highland)
Jerald Foster OL 6-3 335 7 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)
Luke Gifford OLB 6-4 245 7 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast)
Mick Stoltenberg DL 6-5 315 7 Sr. Gretna, Neb. (Gretna)
http://www.huskers.com//attachments1/files/100/638703.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=100
Starts for both sets of SRs.:
NAME....Starts 2018...Career
Farmer.....10............ 29
Foster .....11............ 27
Conrad .....4............ 16
Akinmoladun...11.......40
Stoltenberg.....4...... 25
Gifford ........11.......18
So, we lost some experience from last year but we have Gaylord, Rairdon, and Wilson on the O Line with playing experience and a host of D line and LB playing experience coming back. Our Defense should be better. Defense wins games.
With that being said, as long as we don't turn the ball over [CU] and have too many penalties at key downs [or key injuries], we should go 8-4.
Speaking only to the defensive losses. Stoltenberg was injured most of the year. When he was out we were really hurting. Without him we really got no push. We brought in Daniels and now Jakheem Green. Two top notch DTs . The elder Daniels certainly showed that he will make a difference in the spring. This allows us to use the big, athletic Davis Twins as DE. That is pretty much what you want as a 3/4 DL. Add in a Daishon Neal for pass downs and you do not need as much help from the LBs.
Then you have a guy like JoJo that allows you to change from run to pass defense without needing to replace a player on the field. THAT IS HUGE!!! As it keeps you from having a LB who is to slow to cover a RB or Wing back getting you caught with your pants down.
Gifford may be harder to replace but the LBs looked good filling in the spring.
I actually feel that overall the defense front 7 will be so much better than last year that we may not eve recognize them. Not sure we will be 97 good. Maybe 2010 good though.
I feel pretty good about the defense in general. I mean the defense gave up 32 a game last year I think. Cut 10 off of that and we win a lot more games.
After watching the spring game I think the look we saw had more to do with the defense being that much better vs. the O-line being not as good. The defense has good depth on the line and the 1st string guys at the second and third level are good. They are a little thin at LB and CB but we will see someone will step up. I look for Joey Johnson and Paup to get some playing time at LB.
I think the O-line is at least as good as last year. I was never that impressed with Foster, he was a bad fit for the offense. He would have been a great guard 20 years ago. You also have to remember AM played like 3 series so we didn't see much from the offense. Yes if he goes down for an extended time we are in trouble, but how many teams aren't in trouble if the starting QB goes down.
I still think 8-4 is a no brainer for this team.
Best Case: Undefeated National Champions. Worst Case: 4-8 seems to be the floor.
Before August [or around that time], the Huskers have 20 more scholarship players joining the roster: four offensive linemen (Bryce Benhart, Michael Lynn, Matthew Anderson and Jimmy Fritzche), four defensive backs (Noa Pola-Gates, Myles Farmer, Quinton Newsome and Javin Wright), four defensive linemen (Ty Robinson, Jahkeem Green, Ethan Piper and Mosai Newsom), three running backs (Dedrick Mills, Rahmir Johnson and Ronald Thompkins), two inside linebackers (Garrett Snodgrass and Jackson Hannah), two receivers (Demariyon Houston and Darien Chase), and outside linebacker Jamin Graham.
Who will REDSHIRT, and who will vie for playing time or pressure the starters to be better players?
"Not very many?!?" You just listed 10 players who are coming into the program that you think could end up playing this year. I agree with who you said--maybe add the other WRs, too--but I think that that's a lot of new people contributing, right away.Not very many.
The thing that I love about the new redshirt rules is that they can now challenge for playing time AND redshirt this year. The only true freshman that I expect to start for us against South Alabama is WanDale, but I'm hoping that both Green and Mills will also be starting or very close to it by then. I agree with pretty much everything that @NUinID said as far as Johnson, Benhart, Pola-Gates, Nelson, and Hannah all pressing for playing time, but ideally we'd be able to redshirt them all while getting heavy minutes from them at the end of the season. Anybody else is likely either a bonus (the WRs and DBs) or a crisis (LBs).Who will REDSHIRT, and who will vie for playing time or pressure the starters to be better players?
"Not very many?!?" You just listed 10 players who are coming into the program that you think could end up playing this year. I agree with who you said--maybe add the other WRs, too--but I think that that's a lot of new people contributing, right away.
The thing that I love about the new redshirt rules is that they can now challenge for playing time AND redshirt this year. The only true freshman that I expect to start for us against South Alabama is WanDale, but I'm hoping that both Green and Mills will also be starting or very close to it by then. I agree with pretty much everything that @NUinID said as far as Johnson, Benhart, Pola-Gates, Nelson, and Hannah all pressing for playing time, but ideally we'd be able to redshirt them all while getting heavy minutes from them at the end of the season. Anybody else is likely either a bonus (the WRs and DBs) or a crisis (LBs).
0-12 would definitely be worst case.