Ahh. Minny will be a decent team this year, IMO.
So as a side note, I had my first semi negative conversation about Nebraska since Frost was hired with a Co-worker who is a Purdue grad. He basically said Frost will get Nebraska back to the dreaded '9 win plateau' and nothing more, because the 'brand' is no longer relevant to the kind of kids who'll take the team to the 10+ win level and the playoff level. His stance is Nebraska is now basically Purdue. While I agree recent struggles and lack of high level success makes the coaches jobs recruiting that much more difficult that Nebraska's last conference title was....gulp....twenty years ago, its not impossible. Win 8 (or more) this year and you can sell 'return to greatness'. Improve again in 2020 and it's an even easier sell.
I'll gloat quietly.
Interesting take by your Purdue grad Co-worker. Nebraska is basically Purdue? Purdue would kill to consistently win 9 games a year. I don't know if Nebraska stays at a 9 win plateau, but I like Nebraska's chances to consistently be at the top of the B1G West. You have to win the west first or you don't have a shot at winning the conference and if you don't win the conference your chances of making the playoffs are pretty low.
It is more difficult for Nebraska to be really good now. He is right about that, but it is not impossible. It just takes the right coach, which I think we have, and getting things going in the right direction.
Brohm is the one that will Plateau. He will never get the top end recruits to really get things turned around. He has went 6-6 2 years in a row, is he going to get to 8-9 wins or is he going to be the guy that wins 7 games a year and knocks off a really good team each year. He is a good coach, but is Purdue really committed to being elite? Nebraska is committed to being elite. I don't know if they get there but they are trying. Right now there are only about 3-4 truely elite teams, and you know who they are.
As far as the original OP is concerned I think they go 8-4 and I think with a good shot at winning a decent bowl game. I would be ecstatic with that outcome. I say 8-4 because it is a reasonable expectation. They will stumble somewhere. I just don't know where. I look at the schedule and can truly say that I don't see a sure loss. They could win more, but I don't think they lose more than 4 games.
Was watching the PSU/Wisconsin B1G Championship game from 2016 yesterday on the 60 minute loop on BTN. PSU had an average defense that could generate a few sacks a game. They had an average offensive line. McSorley was running for his life all the time in that game. But they had a great RB, a great college QB and a couple of pretty good receivers. They also really believed in themselves and really had a will to win.
They were dead in the water at 4-2 earlier in the year. They had a beat down to Michigan that looked similar to Nebraska's last year. They were a couple of lucky breaks from losing to Minnesota and being 3-3. Then they beat OSU and the whole season changes. Not saying that will happen with Nebraska, but it does give me a lot of hope.
