Oh glorious day! The sun is shining, football has started, Nebraska plays tomorrow!!! It's enough to make one break into song. For your sakes, I won't do that, I'll just offer up some opinions on what I saw last night.
#9 South Carolina 17 Vanderbilt 13:
Between a pregnant wife making me run to the store for crazy stuff, and a misunderstanding over this new time zone I'm still not used to, I missed most of the first quarter of this game. Which sucks, because I heard it was pretty neat. I'm sure I raised a few eyebrows when I picked Vandy to win, but who's laughing now? This isn't your father's woebegone Vanderbilt team. Heck, this isn't your older brother's woebegone Vanderbilt team. James Franklin has done a fantastic job in a short time in Nashville and the Dores seem to have bought in and dedicated themselves to getting out of the SEC's cellar.
The Commodores played fast, tough, and mean for 4 quarters and had South Carolina on the ropes much of the night. Some will argue that the missed pass interference on 4th down cost Vandy the game, but the real culprit was the three-aand-out after Andre Hal's 52 yard kick return. The return came immediately following Marcus Lattimore's 1 yard touchdown put South Carolina on top for the first time since the second quarter, but it appeared that Vandy would capitalize on a crazy momentum swing. All for naught. Three and out, and Vandy just couldn't overcome South Carolina's size and talent advantages in the end.
The Gamecocks will take a hit in the polls, but in the SEC, all that matters is the W, so we'll see Steve Spurrier's face contortion show on ESPN when South Carolina welcomes Missouri to town on Sep 22. Between now and then, the Gamecocks need to figure out how to keep Connor Shaw healthy, because Spurrier clearly doesn't trust Heisman candidate RB Marcus Lattimore to carry his team.
Last thought: I think it's time we stop acting all surprised that Spurrier's teams rely more on defense and a strong running game than any fancy passing game. Spurrier has been there for 7 years now, and not once has his offense resembled the old Fun N' Gun that made him famous. If I hear "Did you ever think we'd see a Steve Spurrier team that relied on defense more than offense?" one more time, I'm driving up to Bristol and kicking every ESPN talking head I can find right in the chin. Anderson Silva style.
UCLA 49 Rice 24:
I caught a little bit of this game while South Carolina and Vanderbilt were at halftime. I tuned in just in time to see Rice cut a 19-0 deficit to 19-17 in about 10 seconds, and then stop playing defense. UCLA pulled away before halftime and both teams apparently forgot to play in the third quarter. Rice wasn't out of the game until a touchdown and 2 pt conversion in the the early 4th quarter, and then UCLA put it in cruise control.
The atrocious defense being played by both sides, and the TV announcer who lost his voice in the first quarter, but inexplicably kept talking, made the game entirely unwatchable for me. From the little bit of the game I did watch, it seems like UCLA had trouble with the spread formations and hurry up tempo of Rice's offense. Tim Beck is gonna love that game tape. It's hard to judge UCLA's offense against such a poor Rice "defense" but 646 yards, including 343 on the ground, is pretty good no matter who you're playing, especially on the road in your first game with a first time starting QB. Methinks Bo Pelini and John Papuchis go right to work on Sunday morning, getting the Blackshirts ready to roll.
Last thought: Everything I've read about Jim Mora make me think he is colossal douche, but winning your first game on the road in such a dominant fashion is commendable. Blowing a 19 point first quarter lead is not going to fly against most of the teams UCLA plays this year, however and 3 blocked PATs is inexcusable against any team. We'll see what UCLA is really made of in about 10 days.
BYU 30 Washington State 6:
Before I actually talk about this game, let me just say that I am a huge Mike Leach fan. Not only is he one of the most interesting people in the world, but he's also one heck of an offensive wizard. How many other coaches have schooled Pelini so thoroughly two years in a row? If Mike Leach can ever get a defense to complement his offense (like he almost had at Texas Tech) he'll get the rings he deserves. That being said, he has a ways to go at Washington State.
BYU is one of the better non-BCS teams of the last decade, and Wazzu is in the discussion as one of the worst BCS teams period, so this was a tough first game for Leach and the scoreboard shows it. I didn't watch much of the game, really only the first 2 drives, but it was apparent that Leach didn't completely lose his mojo with two years off. Wazzu marched straight down the field on their first drive, complete with a classic Mike Leach 4th and 5 conversion. An interception ended the drive deep in BYU territory but it was otherwise like watching a Texas Tech drive circa 2009.
30-6 seems like a blowout but Wazzu held BYU to 3 field goals in the game, so it could have been much worse. Provo isn't the easiest place to play and BYU is a tough opponent, but I'm a little surprised that a Mike Leach offense was held without a touchdown. This might be a dark year in Pullman, but if the players buy into Mike Leach's system, there will be plenty of sunshine ahead.
Last thought: On that 4th and 5 conversion, Leach's usually fast paced offense took their time getting lined up, confusing the heck out of BYU and coach Bronco Mendenhall, who was forced to take a timeout. Bronco Mendenhall: you just got Leached.
Kent State 41 Towson 21:
If you haven't seen Andre Parker trying his best Tyrann Matthieu impression, check it out. Poor guy was trying to make a memorable play, and succeeded in the worst way possible.
Utah 41 Northern Colorado 0:
By rights, Kyle Whittingham should be at a better job by now. He's 66-25, 7-1 in bowls (including the Sugar Bowl romp over Alabama in 2008) and he's taken Utah from BCS buster, into PAC-12 membership and his team looks poised to ride DT Star Lotuleilei and an experienced offense to a PAC-12 title game. Whittingham obviously loves Utah though, and his $2 million per year contract appears to be enough to keep him around for now. I've liked Utah and Whittingham ever since watching that 2008 Sugar Bowl, and I think they'll make some noise out West this fall.
In order to show that they belong in a BCS conference though, they need to dominate the teams they're supposed to dominate. Check. Look for Utah to jump into the polls with another dominant win over better-than-you-think Utah State next Friday, and keep an eye on the Utes as we get into the conference season. The Utes get USC at home, and every other PAC-12 South game is eminently winnable. With a few breaks, this team is entirely capable of a PAC-12 championship.
Minnesota 30 UNLV 27 3/OT:
Should Minnesota be grateful for the win, or discouraged over the fact that they barely escaped an embarrassing defeat to a bad team? Considering the Gophers only won 3 games in coach Jerry Kill's first season as head coach, I would be happy with the win on the road. That being said, there are many better teams for the Gophers to play, and considering Kill's history of sideline seizures, it might not be a great idea to keep playing close games like this. Minnesota's next 3 games are extremely winnable, so if the Gophers can eliminate the 11 penalties and 2 turnovers, it wouldn't be a stretch to see a 4-0 Minnesota team going into the B1G opener against Iowa. It also wouldn't be surprising to see the Gophers choke once or twice against Western Michigan or Syracuse. The jury's definitely still out on the Gophers, but anytime you can grab an exciting 3/OT win on the road, you take it.
Like those funky fried onion blossoms before a steak dinner, Thursday's games were exciting, but not nearly enough feed hungry college football fans who've spent 9 months fasting. Boise State at Michigan State should be a fantastic game tonight, and of course there's a full schedule on Saturday. There's even a few games on Sunday and Monday nights, making this a fantastic kickoff weekend. I'll be around to post my thoughts, feel free to share yours as well.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Mission brief: Southern Miss
Keeping true to my Army themes, we're doing a military style mission brief for opening day on Saturday. Don't be intimidated,it's pretty easy to understand. As we say in the Army: it's infantry proof.
Task:
Beat Southern Miss in a football game, nothing else really matters.
Subtasks:
There's lots of talk and lots of different scores being thrown out there for this game. Most people think Nebraska pulls it out, but the margin of victory ranges from 3-30 points. This guy is picking Southern Miss to pull off the upset. Fat chance. I think that Southern Miss comes across as a high-risk opponent to a lot of people based on what they did last season, but I don't see them sustaining that success with the sweeping changes from the offseason. I'm sticking to my 42-10 pick. Huskers in a blowout.
Extra Duty:
There's been a lot of talk about freshman QB Tommy Armstrong passing Brion Carnes and Ron Kellogg III for the #2 QB job. Unless he's a far better option than two guys who've been in the program for 3 years, I would rather see him redshirt. I don't like the chances of Martinez getting drafted, so that means he still has another year as the presumptive starter in 2013, so if Armstrong uses his redshirt, Nebraska has a redshirt sophomore starting in 2014 instead of a junior (assuming all things remain equal throughout the next 2 years). That's my opinion.
Task:
Beat Southern Miss in a football game, nothing else really matters.
Subtasks:
- This being a non-BCS team, Nebraska should win handily, we're talking at least 17 points. The risk here is that Southern Miss is traditionally among the best non-BCS schools, and they were very, very successful last year, spoiling Houston's BCS run, and winning a C-USA championship. Having said that, coach Larry Fedora has been replaced by former South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, 4 year starter Austin Davis is gone at QB along with his top 2 receivers, and the defense loses 6 starters. That's too much turnover, especially in game 1. For Nebraska to win handily like they should, the Huskers need to come out, run up and down the field for 2 or 3 quick TDs and put the young Eagles on the ropes in the first quarter. Then Nebraska can take to the ground and pound out the rest of the game, and send Johnson back to Hattiesburg with a long weekend to chew on his unsuccessful head coaching debut.
- The defense needs to be dominant. The 2011 Blackshirts were not up to anyone's standards. By now, everyone has dissected the reasons for the decline so thoroughly that there's only tiny bits of gooey flesh left on the table. Suffice it to say that if there's not marked improvement all over the field this season, it's going to be a long three months for Bo Pelini's gum. I feel like Southern Miss is a good test for the not-yet-Blackshirts; there are good athletes there, but losing a 4 year starting QB and inserting a redshirt junior who has never thrown a pass is an instant advantage for the Huskers. That being said, 4 returning starters on the offensive line provides a stiff test against the run and requires A+ effort from Baker Steinkuhler and the d-line. All things considered, if we see a 300 yard, 10-17 point output from the Golden Eagle offense, we can consider it a win for the Blackshirts.
- The offense needs score early and often. Judging by last year's results, we should see Tim Beck's boys carrying the team this year. As long as the offensive line can "gel" (whatever that means to you), Beck's unit has too many weapons to be anything less than outstanding this year. Southern Miss was good on defense last year, Ellis Johnson already beat Tim Beck in the Capitol One bowl, and the 4-2-5 can be tricky, but I think overall the Huskers should hold a huge advantage here. The first 2 drives are critical. 2 quick TDs and the Huskers will roll all night. 2 FGs (which we've settled for too often in the past) and it might be a sign of a rough night. Anything less, and I think the Huskers are in for a dogfight, which is not what you want to see in game 1 of such an important season. There's no reason we can't put up 24-31 points at halftime en route to a blow out victory.
- Get the youngin's some time. If Nebraska wants to get back to dominating everyone every year, the backups need to play more. So far under Pelini's watch, it's been hard for the guys lower on the depth chart to get game time. I'd like to see Rex Burkhead, Taylor Martinez and the #1 offensive line collecting splinters in their butts by the middle of the third quarter. With the suddenly thin depth on the offensive line, it would be great to see Zach Sterup, Givens Price, and the rest of the redshirt freshmen and sophomores get some game time in case we need them later in the year. It's much easier to see your first action in a blowout on a warm evening in Lincoln, than a close game in the cold in Columbus.
- Cut out the mistakes. Penalties, turnovers, blown assignments. I understand that it's game 1, but with all of the talk about improved leadership and accountability in Fall Camp, we need to see it on the field. There's always enough to fix after the first live bullets fly, why add dumb penalties and turnovers to the list? It's been a recurring theme in the Pelini era, and we need to stop it this year.
There's lots of talk and lots of different scores being thrown out there for this game. Most people think Nebraska pulls it out, but the margin of victory ranges from 3-30 points. This guy is picking Southern Miss to pull off the upset. Fat chance. I think that Southern Miss comes across as a high-risk opponent to a lot of people based on what they did last season, but I don't see them sustaining that success with the sweeping changes from the offseason. I'm sticking to my 42-10 pick. Huskers in a blowout.
Extra Duty:
There's been a lot of talk about freshman QB Tommy Armstrong passing Brion Carnes and Ron Kellogg III for the #2 QB job. Unless he's a far better option than two guys who've been in the program for 3 years, I would rather see him redshirt. I don't like the chances of Martinez getting drafted, so that means he still has another year as the presumptive starter in 2013, so if Armstrong uses his redshirt, Nebraska has a redshirt sophomore starting in 2014 instead of a junior (assuming all things remain equal throughout the next 2 years). That's my opinion.
Monday, August 27, 2012
College Football Week 1
My goal is to do a weekly preview every Monday, but I have a pregnant wife and an 11 month old son, and a more-than-full-time job in the Army, so if it gets to be Tuesday or Wednesday, don't hate. Every week should follow the same-ish format a la "The Forde Yard Dash" by my favorite college football writer, Pat Forde. So here goes...
(all rankings AP)
Nebraska
Nebraska starts the season at #17. Some polls have us lower, some have us higher. I think this is about right. I mentioned in my last post that I think Nebraska is capable of at least 10-2 and a Big 10 championship game appearance, but I completely understand why we are outside of the top 15 at this point. There's little for Nebraska to hang its hat on from the 2011 season, and that is the biggest factor in preseason rankings. Nebraska gets a chance to make a statement early with a matchup against returning Conference USA champ Southern Miss. With a new QB and a rebuilt defense, Southern Miss would have had a rough start to the year regardless, but add to the mix a first year head coach and the ridiculous plan to play 3 different QBs and it could be a rough season in Hattiesburg. Nebraska is lucky to have the first shot at the Golden Eagles, while they still have some national buzz and name recognition form last year's success. If this game were played in October, with the Eagle already holding 3 or 4 losses, it would not be as big a deal to beat the former CUSA champs, but in a week one lacking big games, Nebraska should raise a few eyebrows when they send Southern Miss home on the wrong side of a 42-10 beatdown. Over/under: 7 points
Big Ten
Thursday night:
Minnesota @ UNLV: I think the Gophers are better this year. Good enough to beat a middle f the road Mountain West team on the road by 10 or so.
Friday night:
#24 Boise State @ #13 Michigan State: Boise has made a habit of scheduling big games in week one and knocking off a good team on the road on National TV. That being said, I don't think the Broncos have enough to beat an underrated Michigan State team. It should be within a TD though, both teams are starting new QBs on a nationally televised Friday night game. Might be an ugly night.
Saturday:
*denotes neutral site game
Northwestern @ Syracuse: I don't think the Wildcats have what it takes to beat an improving Syracuse team on the road. Close game though.
Ohio @ Penn State: I'll always cheer for Frank Solich, and I just don't see Penn State maintaining the necessary focus to beat one of the best non-BCS teams this season.
Western Michigan @ Illinois: A good start to the Tim Beckman era. Nothing overly impressive, but a solid debut.
Miami(OH) @ #18 Ohio State: Ohio State blows out a MAC team and it begins a month of Urban Meyer worship on ESPN leading up to what should be a humbling experience at the end of September when the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing.
Northern Illinois vs Iowa*: A Big Ten team schedules a MAC team in week one? Yawn. Next.
Eastern Kentucky @ Purdue: Many see Purdue as a dark horse in the Leaders division, with Ohio State and Penn State ineligible for the postseason. It starts with stomping a weaker team at home. Accomplish this, and let the chips fall.
Northern Iowa @ #12 Wisconsin: I am in the minority who think that Wisconsin takes a step back this year. They lost too much on the coaching staff, and to the NFL not to be at least 3 games worse than last season. Montee Ball is good, but running backs need help, and I don't think Wisky has it. But we won't know this from week one; the Badgers should crush their FBS counterparts.
Indiana State @ Indiana: If Kevin Wilson wants to turn the hapless Hoosiers around, he can start by not embarrassing himself and his league in what should be a gimme game.
#8 Michigan vs #2 Alabama*: Far and away the game of the week. Michigan surprised every one last year, but I see a step back this year. I don't think Denard Robinson can be as magical against a Nick Saban defense. I don't think Michigan's defensive line can handle the Tide's maulers. And I don't think that Alabama will be stopped this year. But Brady Hoke and the Wolverines surprised us once already, so nothing's impossible. I'll still take the Tide by 10 or so.
Top 25 rundown:
Bold print denotes winner
#1 USC vs Hawaii
#2 Alabama vs #8 Michigan*
#3 LSU vs North Texas
#4 Oklahoma @ UTEP
#5 Oregon vs Arkansas State
#6 Georgia vs Buffalo
#7 Florida State vs Murray State
#9 South Carolina @ Vanderbilt
#10 Arkansas vs Jacksonville State
#11 West Virginia vs Marshall
#12 Wisconsin vs Northern Iowa
#13 Michigan State vs #24 Boise State
#14 Clemson vs Auburn
#15 Texas vs Wyoming
#16 Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech
#17 Nebraska vs Southern Miss
#18 Ohio State vs Miami (OH)
#19 Oklahoma State vs Savannah State
#20 TCU off
#21 Stanford vs San Jose State
#22 Kansas State vs Missouri State
#23 Florida vs Bowling Green
#25 Louisville vs Kentucky
3 Things you'll hear too much about:
* Coaching changes at Ohio State, Penn State and Arkansas
* The impact of Tyrann Mathieu's dismissal
* Matt Barkley
3 Things you won't hear enough about:
* Coaching changes at Washington State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin
* The impact of Erin Andrew's move to Fox (I'm seriously gonna miss her)
* Rex Burkhead
My Heisman top 5:
1. Matt Barkley: He'll make the trip to New York on preseason hype alone
2. Montee Ball: He'll fade pretty quick if the Badgers struggle like I think they will
3. Aaron Murray: He's been given the most glorious schedule an SEC QB could ask for
4. Denard Robinson: The Bama game is either a banana peel or a launch pad
5. Geno Smith: We'll see if the Mountaineer's can hang in the Big 12; as they go, Smith goes
More to Prove: Landry Jones, Tyler Wilson, Marcus Latttimore, Sammy Watkins
Darkhorses: Rex Burkhead, De'Anthony Thomas, Eddie Lacy, EJ Manuel
That's enough for now. It's 3 days until kickoff and I and millions of other fans simply cannot wait. I'll be back Sunday to do an After Action Review.
(all rankings AP)
Nebraska
Nebraska starts the season at #17. Some polls have us lower, some have us higher. I think this is about right. I mentioned in my last post that I think Nebraska is capable of at least 10-2 and a Big 10 championship game appearance, but I completely understand why we are outside of the top 15 at this point. There's little for Nebraska to hang its hat on from the 2011 season, and that is the biggest factor in preseason rankings. Nebraska gets a chance to make a statement early with a matchup against returning Conference USA champ Southern Miss. With a new QB and a rebuilt defense, Southern Miss would have had a rough start to the year regardless, but add to the mix a first year head coach and the ridiculous plan to play 3 different QBs and it could be a rough season in Hattiesburg. Nebraska is lucky to have the first shot at the Golden Eagles, while they still have some national buzz and name recognition form last year's success. If this game were played in October, with the Eagle already holding 3 or 4 losses, it would not be as big a deal to beat the former CUSA champs, but in a week one lacking big games, Nebraska should raise a few eyebrows when they send Southern Miss home on the wrong side of a 42-10 beatdown. Over/under: 7 points
Big Ten
Thursday night:
Minnesota @ UNLV: I think the Gophers are better this year. Good enough to beat a middle f the road Mountain West team on the road by 10 or so.
Friday night:
#24 Boise State @ #13 Michigan State: Boise has made a habit of scheduling big games in week one and knocking off a good team on the road on National TV. That being said, I don't think the Broncos have enough to beat an underrated Michigan State team. It should be within a TD though, both teams are starting new QBs on a nationally televised Friday night game. Might be an ugly night.
Saturday:
*denotes neutral site game
Northwestern @ Syracuse: I don't think the Wildcats have what it takes to beat an improving Syracuse team on the road. Close game though.
Ohio @ Penn State: I'll always cheer for Frank Solich, and I just don't see Penn State maintaining the necessary focus to beat one of the best non-BCS teams this season.
Western Michigan @ Illinois: A good start to the Tim Beckman era. Nothing overly impressive, but a solid debut.
Miami(OH) @ #18 Ohio State: Ohio State blows out a MAC team and it begins a month of Urban Meyer worship on ESPN leading up to what should be a humbling experience at the end of September when the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing.
Northern Illinois vs Iowa*: A Big Ten team schedules a MAC team in week one? Yawn. Next.
Eastern Kentucky @ Purdue: Many see Purdue as a dark horse in the Leaders division, with Ohio State and Penn State ineligible for the postseason. It starts with stomping a weaker team at home. Accomplish this, and let the chips fall.
Northern Iowa @ #12 Wisconsin: I am in the minority who think that Wisconsin takes a step back this year. They lost too much on the coaching staff, and to the NFL not to be at least 3 games worse than last season. Montee Ball is good, but running backs need help, and I don't think Wisky has it. But we won't know this from week one; the Badgers should crush their FBS counterparts.
Indiana State @ Indiana: If Kevin Wilson wants to turn the hapless Hoosiers around, he can start by not embarrassing himself and his league in what should be a gimme game.
#8 Michigan vs #2 Alabama*: Far and away the game of the week. Michigan surprised every one last year, but I see a step back this year. I don't think Denard Robinson can be as magical against a Nick Saban defense. I don't think Michigan's defensive line can handle the Tide's maulers. And I don't think that Alabama will be stopped this year. But Brady Hoke and the Wolverines surprised us once already, so nothing's impossible. I'll still take the Tide by 10 or so.
Top 25 rundown:
Bold print denotes winner
#1 USC vs Hawaii
#2 Alabama vs #8 Michigan*
#3 LSU vs North Texas
#4 Oklahoma @ UTEP
#5 Oregon vs Arkansas State
#6 Georgia vs Buffalo
#7 Florida State vs Murray State
#9 South Carolina @ Vanderbilt
#10 Arkansas vs Jacksonville State
#11 West Virginia vs Marshall
#12 Wisconsin vs Northern Iowa
#13 Michigan State vs #24 Boise State
#14 Clemson vs Auburn
#15 Texas vs Wyoming
#16 Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech
#17 Nebraska vs Southern Miss
#18 Ohio State vs Miami (OH)
#19 Oklahoma State vs Savannah State
#20 TCU off
#21 Stanford vs San Jose State
#22 Kansas State vs Missouri State
#23 Florida vs Bowling Green
#25 Louisville vs Kentucky
3 Things you'll hear too much about:
* Coaching changes at Ohio State, Penn State and Arkansas
* The impact of Tyrann Mathieu's dismissal
* Matt Barkley
3 Things you won't hear enough about:
* Coaching changes at Washington State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin
* The impact of Erin Andrew's move to Fox (I'm seriously gonna miss her)
* Rex Burkhead
My Heisman top 5:
1. Matt Barkley: He'll make the trip to New York on preseason hype alone
2. Montee Ball: He'll fade pretty quick if the Badgers struggle like I think they will
3. Aaron Murray: He's been given the most glorious schedule an SEC QB could ask for
4. Denard Robinson: The Bama game is either a banana peel or a launch pad
5. Geno Smith: We'll see if the Mountaineer's can hang in the Big 12; as they go, Smith goes
More to Prove: Landry Jones, Tyler Wilson, Marcus Latttimore, Sammy Watkins
Darkhorses: Rex Burkhead, De'Anthony Thomas, Eddie Lacy, EJ Manuel
That's enough for now. It's 3 days until kickoff and I and millions of other fans simply cannot wait. I'll be back Sunday to do an After Action Review.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Soldier's 2012 Nebraska Football Outlook
Sooooooo close. 9 months of seeing a pedophile on ESPN, dismissals of players and coaches, and all of the BCS drama is almost over. When South Carolina and Vanderbilt kick off Thursday evening, one of the worst offseasons in the history of college football is finally over and there's finally something more interesting on TV than two presidential candidates squabbling over their disturbingly few differences. Two days later, Nebraska opens the 2012 season against Southern Mississippi, and this soldier cannot wait. It's been 2 years of being overseas during football season. Two years of staying up until the wee hours of the morning to catch the important games on Armed Forces Network, and the rest of the games from Froggy 98 online. First world problems.
I'm going to say it: this is the most important season of Nebraska football in a long time. Funny, I remember hearing something similar last August. And the one before.
But it's for real this time. It's not the first or the last year in a conference, there's no national sports writers expecting a conference or national title, and there's little if any of the fresh hope that defined Bo Pelini's first 2 years. This year is all about Nebraska's national perception under Bo Pelini. Is Nebraska back in the national elite, or are we stuck as also-rans? Are we closer to Alabama or West Virginia? 2012 will define the status and direction of the Nebraska football program for the next 5-10 years.
I was talking to a young soldier from Oklahoma about college football and when I was telling him about the challenges of watching Nebraska games overseas at 2 AM, he seemed surprised that Nebraska was on TV at all. He couldn't recall seeing Nebraska on TV in the last 5 years. Ouch.
Obviously, this guy just hadn't been paying attention, but Nebraska has definitely lost some of the national prestige that should come with being a top 5 all-time program. Nebraska should be inescapable. Nebraska should be in the the top 10 every year. Nebraska should be at most, one win away from the National title game, and that game should have been lost in heartbreaking fashion. This is what Nebraska fans expect after the Nebraska teams of the 80's and 90's owned college football, but that has not been the reality since the 2001 massacre in Boulder. Since then, Nebraska has fallen from the elite, and despite Bo Pelini's success in the last 4 years, the national perception hasn't fully recovered.
Another illustration of this is EA Sports' NCAA 2013 football game. Nebraska is given 5 prestige stars out of 6. Just like Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Arkansas, Stanford and TCU. Since when do those programs belong in the same category as Nebraska? Sure it's just a video game, but millions of teenagers and young adults buy the "NCAA" games every year (I'm one of those young adults), and they're being bombarded with the message that Miami, with 6 prestige stars and pending NCAA sanctions, is a better program than Nebraska.
Nebraska's national perception is without question, weaker than it was 10 years ago, but there is plenty of reason for optimism. Taylor Martinez is going to be a 3 year starter with plenty of help at the skill positions, the defense returns plenty of talent, and the kicking game is as good as anyone's.
Then there are reasons for worry. Taylor Martinez is inconsistent, the offensive line is shaky, and the defensive talent is largely unproven.
The good thing about national perception is that it can change so quickly. Where was Alabama in 2000? Remember when Tennesee was a perennial top 10? Don't look now but Kansas State is making noise again...
All things considered, it's probably a good thing that the national attention is elsewhere this year. Most of the college football news this offseason has been bad. A lot of the news has been sickening. Name one national feel good story. The lack of attention means that Nebraska can surprise people. A 10-2 or even 11-1 season is not nearly as impossible as some writers would have you think, but the Huskers have to maintain focus and everything has to click. Every game is winnable, but outside of Idaho State, Arkansas State, and Minnesota, there aren't any real gimmes. Nebraska needs to dominate the weaklings, beat the middling teams by at least 14 or 17 points, and show up ready to fight the big dogs for 4 quarters. A good first half doesn't win games as we saw against Michigan and South Carolina.
This is going to be the most important season for Nebraska football since Bill Callahan's flop in 2007. Remember when the team was a considered national title dark horse before the USC beat down?
Nebraska and Bo Pelini need to take a real, solid, palpable step forward this season. That looks like at least 10-2 and an appearance in the Big 10 championship game. Anything less is going to be a disappointment and make it a long 9 months until September 2013.
I'm going to say it: this is the most important season of Nebraska football in a long time. Funny, I remember hearing something similar last August. And the one before.
But it's for real this time. It's not the first or the last year in a conference, there's no national sports writers expecting a conference or national title, and there's little if any of the fresh hope that defined Bo Pelini's first 2 years. This year is all about Nebraska's national perception under Bo Pelini. Is Nebraska back in the national elite, or are we stuck as also-rans? Are we closer to Alabama or West Virginia? 2012 will define the status and direction of the Nebraska football program for the next 5-10 years.
I was talking to a young soldier from Oklahoma about college football and when I was telling him about the challenges of watching Nebraska games overseas at 2 AM, he seemed surprised that Nebraska was on TV at all. He couldn't recall seeing Nebraska on TV in the last 5 years. Ouch.
Obviously, this guy just hadn't been paying attention, but Nebraska has definitely lost some of the national prestige that should come with being a top 5 all-time program. Nebraska should be inescapable. Nebraska should be in the the top 10 every year. Nebraska should be at most, one win away from the National title game, and that game should have been lost in heartbreaking fashion. This is what Nebraska fans expect after the Nebraska teams of the 80's and 90's owned college football, but that has not been the reality since the 2001 massacre in Boulder. Since then, Nebraska has fallen from the elite, and despite Bo Pelini's success in the last 4 years, the national perception hasn't fully recovered.
Another illustration of this is EA Sports' NCAA 2013 football game. Nebraska is given 5 prestige stars out of 6. Just like Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Arkansas, Stanford and TCU. Since when do those programs belong in the same category as Nebraska? Sure it's just a video game, but millions of teenagers and young adults buy the "NCAA" games every year (I'm one of those young adults), and they're being bombarded with the message that Miami, with 6 prestige stars and pending NCAA sanctions, is a better program than Nebraska.
Nebraska's national perception is without question, weaker than it was 10 years ago, but there is plenty of reason for optimism. Taylor Martinez is going to be a 3 year starter with plenty of help at the skill positions, the defense returns plenty of talent, and the kicking game is as good as anyone's.
Then there are reasons for worry. Taylor Martinez is inconsistent, the offensive line is shaky, and the defensive talent is largely unproven.
The good thing about national perception is that it can change so quickly. Where was Alabama in 2000? Remember when Tennesee was a perennial top 10? Don't look now but Kansas State is making noise again...
All things considered, it's probably a good thing that the national attention is elsewhere this year. Most of the college football news this offseason has been bad. A lot of the news has been sickening. Name one national feel good story. The lack of attention means that Nebraska can surprise people. A 10-2 or even 11-1 season is not nearly as impossible as some writers would have you think, but the Huskers have to maintain focus and everything has to click. Every game is winnable, but outside of Idaho State, Arkansas State, and Minnesota, there aren't any real gimmes. Nebraska needs to dominate the weaklings, beat the middling teams by at least 14 or 17 points, and show up ready to fight the big dogs for 4 quarters. A good first half doesn't win games as we saw against Michigan and South Carolina.
This is going to be the most important season for Nebraska football since Bill Callahan's flop in 2007. Remember when the team was a considered national title dark horse before the USC beat down?
Nebraska and Bo Pelini need to take a real, solid, palpable step forward this season. That looks like at least 10-2 and an appearance in the Big 10 championship game. Anything less is going to be a disappointment and make it a long 9 months until September 2013.
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