There seems to be a lot of optimism and confidence about our chances against Sparty, which is great. I hope it comes to fruition on Saturday night.
Some of the reasons I remain a bit more skeptical are:
- When was the last time NU beat a ranked team? (Without looking it up, I'm guessing our 2015 upset against Sparty or 2016 against an Oregon team that finished 4-8).
- When was the last time NU beat a ranked team on the road?
- When was the last time that NU put together consecutive strong performances against Power 5 teams?
- Frost's road record, and his overall record, at NU are what they are.
- Our problems with the running game, special teams, and penalties remain and have not been fixed.
- This is not the type of game that we have found a way to win in the last 6+ years.
Maybe things are changing for the better that I am not noticing. I'm just not sure how much stock to put on one solid performance against OU. Was that an exception, or is it our new normal?