Fyi
Big Ten preseason poll tabs Huskers fourth in West, Ohio State as league champion
Nebraska was seen as a co-favorite in the Big Ten West last season. League reporters weren't so kind in 2020.
omaha.com
Finally, a reasonable pick.
We are what we are, until we're something different.
At this point in time 4th is fair and I totally understand it.Nebraska is actually closer to Purdue at 5th than Iowa at 3rd.
At this point in time 4th is fair and I totally understand it.
That said, the only West team with whom I see a big gap is Wisconsin. Iowa lost a number of key players, including a multi-year starter at QB and an All-American Defensive Lineman, from a team that beat us on a last-second field goal last year (and the year before). Minnesota caught lightning in a bottle last year, but they lose one of their top two WRs, two of their top three RBs, and virtually all of their front seven on defense. If - and this is always a big if with NU - the team can get its act together, we are very capable of beating both of those teams. The problem is we have also demonstrated that we are very capable of losing to Purdue and Northwestern.
In theory, every part of our offense should be better and deeper this year... QB, RB, WR, TE, and O-Line. Defense is where it gets tricky. DB play should be comparable to last season, but it's hard to say we will be better without Lamar Jackson. At LB, the temptation is to say that it can't be much worse than it was last year. If we can get even average (for the Big 10) play at LB, that would be a huge improvement. D-Line is the one position on the team that is probably trending down right now after the loss of three starters who are all in NFL camps. Special teams has to be better, right? We were brutal last year on kickoff coverage, kickoff returns, punt returns, and place kicking.
What stuck out to me more than anything is how the West seems to have closed the gap on the East. Outside of Ohio State, I don't see the East being more formidable than the West.
Last year in pre-season poll, Huskers received #24. Final poll, not a single vote. Bummer. Husker hope once again dashed :Cry:.I agree with all of the above statements. Because one thing we have learned from the past is "Pre-season polls mean NOTHING".
What stuck out to me more than anything is how the West seems to have closed the gap on the East. Outside of Ohio State, I don't see the East being more formidable than the West.