Don't Get Ahead of Ourselves
6 comments so far
November 18, 2008 by
Many Husker fans are taking this bye week to look past Colorado to a bowl game, and even looking past a bowl game to next year. While it's a fun adventure, it's not a game Nebraska fans should be playing. The bowl season rumor mills are already starting, with the Gator Bowl leading the charge. A lot has to happen over the next couple of weeks to ensure a bowl of that caliber occurs. It has to start with the Huskers taking care of business against the Buffs. It has to end with Notre Dame being an awfully stupid pick. The case of the “next years� is also starting with a breakdown of who we've lost to this year that we can beat in 2009. Not yet. Let's wait for the bowl season to end first.
First the bowl thing: the guys in the funny-colored jackets who pick the bowl teams don't always say what they mean. ESPN has Notre Dame as a Gator Bowl pick playing against either Maryland or Miami. If Nebraska were to be picked for that against one of those teams, I don't think we'd be considered favorites to win. Those are tough, hanging with the Top 25 teams all season, type of opponents. More likely is the Insight or Sun Bowl against a team like Minnesota or California, which are teams we have a better chance of beating. It would be pretty cool to see Nebraska/Notre Dame match up, but the way it lines up for picks, that can't happen. It's an either/or situation.
But like I originally said, we can't look past Colorado to bowls for a couple of reasons. They always seem to show their best efforts of the year against the Huskers, no matter if they are bowl bound or not. The always manage to find a way to force opponents down to their level of game play. Other than Missouri, they've held all of their opponents to under 40, which is quite the feat in the Big 12 this year. Offensively, they just can't put up the numbers to be competitive in this type of conference, but they like to muddy up the game any way they can. Most of the Big 12 has a bye this week, which means plenty of rest as we near the end of a hard fought season.
And to my final point – 2009 chatter. The most common thing that I've heard from Husker fans concerning next year is the Missouri game. Just because Chase and Chase are leaving does not mean that Missouri is going to all of a sudden be back to their old selves. I might be inclined to think they will be worse off if Pinkel decides to leave, but I don't see that right now. Do Husker fans think we'll be worse off when Ganz and Swift and Peterson are gone? Absolutely not. Will next year's game be a little more competitive? Probably, but don't count any eggs yet. I don't see a record much different from this year as I look forward to our schedule. I think we're going to be entering into another period of 8-10 wins each year until we the stars just align for us, the age of Bo, if you will. But we've got many months of off-season to break that down.
The greatest Husker fan pastime is crystal ball gazing. When we're not living in a Championship type of season, we want to look to the future and imagine ourselves cheering at a Big 12 Championship game or BCS bowl. I'm all for leaving the past behind us, but every once in a while it's OK to look at the beating we just gave a team and take a moment to enjoy it.
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James Moore Nov 18 08
I am very, very, very happy with how the season has started to wind down and have to say that the overall health of Nebraska football is MUCH better. What's been the best part is to watch these guys mature before our eyes. We took some HUGE steps this year. NOW, we fight for every play. The guys fight for their teammates next to them, in front, and on the sidelines. You fight for every inch because it adds up to a whole lot in the end. The most important lesson that Coach Pelini taught these guys was to not ever quit. Play every down, every week, like it's your last. We all knew that the Pelini-era began in earnest in Lubbock. To get back up off the canvas and fight the week following the Missouri game was so important. The 2007 team would've folded. This bunch got up, went to Lubbock, and made impressive showings of themselves as men. It showed to us all that we were moving in a forward direction and that our guys were believing in what they were being told. The ghosts of the Callahan era have been effictively purged out of the consciousness of those who endured the 2007 season. . .
What has me optimistic was the emergence of some very good, young players, who got a LOT of valuable game experience. Paul, Holt, McNeil and Helu on offense. Allen, Suh & West on defense really showed some serious, week-to-week improvement to the point that we can think of them as potential conference awards cantidates down the road. Couple this with a deep pool of offensive lineman who also have game experience and the additional benefit of playing multiple positions we can see that we are two more recruiting classes from having a very formidable pool of athletes. . .
JUST as important as the tremendous job the coaching staff has done was finding our identity is on offense. One-back, with a lot of spread principles. Helu is the first playmaker of the Pelini-era, and a very dangerous one at that. When our guys were a bit bewildered (to say the least) in Norman, he put his helmet on, went out and fearlessly made plays to the tune of 154 yards. He will be the on-field leader for the offense next year. His teammates now know that he can make plays, on ANYONE. He will make the offense potentialy VERY formidable next year. McNeil, with an additionally seasoned Paul and Holt will give us a very big, physical Receiving Corps and a decisive advantage on perimeter/downfield run blocking. Overall Coach Watson has done a fairly good job this year. But gosh I would love to see the occasional zone down/trap back & some inside zone. Helu would be devastating in both plays. And I mentioned it before, and I'll say it again. We should really think about running an Oklahoma-type no huddle. It would be PERFECT for us. . .
In short let's look objectively at what Coach Pelini is building on. The front seven looks solid. Turner, Suh, Baker Steinkuhler, Crick, Allen, Meredith & Josh Williams is a good bunch of players to add on in the next two years. This could be one of the better defensive lines in the Big 12 next year. It is reasonable to expect that they will be able to get some push on their own next year, WITHOUT having to send anyone. Washington, Lawrence, Dillard, Koehler, Compton, Fisher & Chris Williams is a nice nucleus at LB. The secondary will be the lagging indicator for The Blackshirts. It is here that the final additions of speed & playmaking abilities will need to be addressed. . .
I'd like that signature win as much as anyone else BUT what we need to see first is, well let me pull up one of my favorite quotes: "It was the first time I saw a snowball form in 70 degree weather." Texas Tech and Virginia Tech aside, we've got to start making a better showing of ourselves in these big intersectional matchups or conference games. Continued repeats of 2007 USC, Missouri, Oklahoma State or Kansas have to start becoming things of the past. When we start handling these matchups better, then we will have a short bit more to go. Honestly only us and possibly Missouri in the North have the means to compete with the South powerhouses for the long term. . .
What we are dealing with is a potential final mark of 8-4, and 5-3 in the conference with a bowl appearance. A bowl win would bump that total to 9-4. This is an excellent start for year one!!! We have every reason to be confident and very reassured with the positive direction that we are moving in. . .
The Count Nov 18 08
Baring a 66-0 route at the Hands of USC ( and even that might not matter) or a loss to God Awful Syracuse my sense is Nebraska is El Paso bound and that's even if they should lose to CU. The Sun Bowl folks want us pretty bad.
While I agree with much of your article i take issue with one point. Nebraska would beat Maryland. And would be favored to do so I believe.
Bill in Iowa Nov 19 08
We might not be favored to beat Maryland or Miami, but I find it interesting both teams played Virginia Tech in Novemeber. Maryland lost 23-13 and Miami won 16-14. That tells me we would match up pretty well with either teams. But, how cool would it be to see a Miami program on the rise, play a Nebraska program on the rise? Just like old times!
David J. Christenson Nov 19 08
I think to be in the position again to talk about a bowl game let alone on that which matches Nebraska against the likes of Miami, ND is a huge step in the right direction. Any one out there has soom inside scoops such as recruiting,Cody Glenn, please let me know.I just hope the Huskers look crisp and clean against the butts, mispelled sorry, Buffs. Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving everyone.
David J. Christenson Nov 19 08
I think to be in the position again to talk about a bowl game let alone on that which matches Nebraska against the likes of Miami, ND is a huge step in the right direction. Any one out there has soom inside scoops such as recruiting,Cody Glenn, please let me know.I just hope the Huskers look crisp and clean against the butts, mispelled sorry, Buffs. Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving everyone.
WyoHuskerFan Nov 20 08
Huskers take care of business against the Buffs, 1) because they are a better team, 2) to rinse the nasty taste from last year, and 3) so the seniors leave Lincoln as winners. I agree with the Count, NU would beat Maryland by neutralizing their run game and making them one dimensional. Miami would represent the best defense we might see all year, and be a match up of teams on the rise (top 10 O against top 10 D). I would rather play any team who would be favored over us and prove the prognosticators wrong on the field, whomever, and wherever that might be.