Early 2017 Top 25

[Huskerfan55]

It would certainly appear that we are looking at some more years of limited success in Football. WI will continue to dominate the Big Ten West and NE will be outside looking in and wondering what the hell happened. Thanks you Steve Pederson.

I wish I could say Riley had a plan but it looks to me like he is grasping at straws and hoping he can find an answer.

I hope I am wrong but I don't believe so.

 

[Xmas32]

Yup, you're exactly right. Never in the history of college football has a team not listed in the initial top 25 amounted to anything.

Best we cancel the season so you can find your safe space and you won't be so triggered all the time.

 

[NUance]

First, the OP in this thread doesn't seem to have much to do with the thread title. If you're gonna start a thread about the early 2017 top 25, it might be a good idea to link to an article about an early Top 25 forecast.

Here's an early top 25 forecast: LINK

And here's #12 from that article:

12. Northwestern
This season: 7-6, beat Pitt in Pinstripe Bowl.
The skinny: A leap of faith, for sure, in the Wildcats. But they return TB Justin Jackson, the Big Ten’s leading rusher, and QB Clayton Thorson, who will be in his third year as a starter. And nine starters will be back on defense.

So Northwestern is #12, and Nebraska is not ranked? WTF?? Does anyone really think Northwestern will be better than us next year?

 

[Nebfanatic]

First, the OP in this thread doesn't seem to have much to do with the thread title. If you're gonna start a thread about the early 2017 top 25, it might be a good idea to link to an article about an early Top 25 forecast.

Here's an early top 25 forecast: LINK

And here's #12 from that article:

12. Northwestern

This season: 7-6, beat Pitt in Pinstripe Bowl.

The skinny: A leap of faith, for sure, in the Wildcats. But they return TB Justin Jackson, the Big Tens leading rusher, and QB Clayton Thorson, who will be in his third year as a starter. And nine starters will be back on defense.

So Northwestern is #12, and Nebraska is not ranked? WTF?? Does anyone really think Northwestern will be better than us next year?

No, and quite honestly if we can get some improved QB play along with the development of our o line, I think we will be better next year and win the West. Riley has a pretty clear plan to me. Get the best recruiters/coaches he can to Lincoln, something we haven't seen done possibly ever in this way

 

[FLHuskerGBR]

It would certainly appear that we are looking at some more years of limited success in Football. WI will continue to dominate the Big Ten West and NE will be outside looking in and wondering what the hell happened. Thanks you Steve Pederson.

I wish I could say Riley had a plan but it looks to me like he is grasping at straws and hoping he can find an answer.

I hope I am wrong but I don't believe so.

I'm not sure that hiring a proven DC is grasping at straws. The way I see it based on the style of our best QB and almost nothing behind him, the inexperience, youth, lack of depth on the OL and DL these first two years were going to be like treading water. Even going forward, people are hoping that a bunch of young and inexperienced WRs and RS Freshmen OL are going to be some panacea then I think they are going to be disappointed in 17. In 18, I believe the team will be much better but the schedule is brutal. I think people need to be patient as long as it appears that quality recruiting, development and roster management are taking place. If not, we can rinse and repeat after 18. Then maybe we can get a spread offensive staff and move back to the 4-3. People will be bitching about the team despite the obvious hurdles to that reset. We can just keep doing that forever. I hope that doesn't happen. I believe that Mike Riley is a very good coach and will get the job done. This program has to be built step by step back to the top. I'd suggest that we are patient because in another 10 years I don't believe the name Nebraska will mean much to kids anymore. I'm shocked that the kids today still hold it in high regard which is a credit to how great they have been but I think that clock is ticking.

 

[broganreynik]

Steve Pederson has been gone for nearly 10 years. He has nothing to do with this team's "grasping at straws".

I also believe firing the two most maligned coaches, who happen to be long-time friends, is not grasping at straws. It's doing what it takes to field a championship caliber team. Time will tell if it works.

 

[lo country]

I'm a huge homer fan. I wouldn't have us in the top 25......

New QB

Lose leading receiver/TE/RB

No TE depth

RB-Tre hurt, Wilbon in dog house, OZ who knows

Receiver-Limited Experience

OL-weak last year, no depth, limited experience

DL-3-4? Should be interesting

LB-lose Bando and MRI. Band will hurt more IMO.

DB's-probably least effected position IMO. Nate will be missed.

Coaching staff-Improvement on paper with Williams and Bobby D on D

Offensive staff-Cav and possibly Langs coaching for their jobs this season.

ST- who knows who is coaching. Cant be worse than last two years

Interesting note-Riley exploring a designing packages of plays for Darlington next year to run some zone read per Sam on Twitter

Overall, next year is a crap shoot IMO. Tougher than last year, but we do get Iowa and OSU at home. We could go 6-6 or slightly better IMO (based upon our performance last year vs our opponents) I think Riley has made changes to win and be competitive. I think the UT games was a kick in the nuts. Especially saying that throughout the season we made the same mistakes/miscues/issues that were addressed last year. He hired two big names in Williams and Diaco, he fired 2 good friends.... The final 2 weeks of recruiting will be telling. Need to pull a Stoops and only recruit kids who can play from day 1....

 

[funhusker]

I'm a huge homer fan. I wouldn't have us in the top 25......

New QB

Lose leading receiver/TE/RB

No TE depth

RB-Tre hurt, Wilbon in dog house, OZ who knows

Receiver-Limited Experience

OL-weak last year, no depth, limited experience

DL-3-4? Should be interesting

LB-lose Bando and MRI. Band will hurt more IMO.

DB's-probably least effected position IMO. Nate will be missed.

Coaching staff-Improvement on paper with Williams and Bobby D on D

Offensive staff-Cav and possibly Langs coaching for their jobs this season.

ST- who knows who is coaching. Cant be worse than last two years

Interesting note-Riley exploring a designing packages of plays for Darlington next year to run some zone read per Sam on Twitter

Overall, next year is a crap shoot IMO. Tougher than last year, but we do get Iowa and OSU at home. We could go 6-6 or slightly better IMO (based upon our performance last year vs our opponents) I think Riley has made changes to win and be competitive. I think the UT games was a kick in the nuts. Especially saying that throughout the season we made the same mistakes/miscues/issues that were addressed last year. He hired two big names in Williams and Diaco, he fired 2 good friends.... The final 2 weeks of recruiting will be telling. Need to pull a Stoops and only recruit kids who can play from day 1....

Could be fun.

 

[Xmas32]

We all agree that the Darlington package should be called 'Zack Attack' right? I mean, I'm not even open to hearing other suggestions.

 

[The Big Nebrowski]

I think we, at best, looking at 8 wins next year and that won't give us any end season ranking. WI, OSU, @ PSU, and IA are the most likely losses and if I were a betting man I would take OR, NW, and possibly MN over 2017 NE as well. Really, there are no gimmes for us next year other than possibly Rutgers and NIU.

Main reason: QB position. One hopes we have big upside in the likes of POB, Gebbia, and maybe Lee, but whoever starts will essentlially be a rookie with the expected rookie mistakes. I'm also a bit concerned that even as a true frosh, POB wasn't able to beat out Fyfe for the b/u role...hmmmmm....

Nebraska has ZERO PROVEN primetime difference makers on the current roster, nor have we had any this entire century, with the exception of one Ndamukong Suh. If somebody wants to include Ameer in that category I wouldn't argue much about it.

And therein lies the problem w NE football folks: we just don't get the big time players anymore, which is not to say there hasn't been a lot of quality talent, there has, and is, but we just don't get guys, on either side of the ball, that scare anybody, any of the important teams we would like to beat anyway.

It looks like we're getting loaded @ WR and that's great for a couple yrs down the road, but it's going to take a lot more than that, folks. Riley, to date, has done no better than his 2 predecessors in recruiting and I don't see any special "magic touch" in terms of coaching up 3* talent. Until we get top heavy in 4* recruits and some 5* here and there, expect more of the same year in and year out for NE.

NE will finish unranked and with a worse record in 2017. Look to '18/'19 for Big Red to perhaps make some noise again.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

I think we, at best, looking at 8 wins next year and that won't give us any end season ranking. WI, OSU, @ PSU, and IA are the most likely losses and if I were a betting man I would take OR, NW, and possibly MN over 2017 NE as well. Really, there are no gimmes for us next year other than possibly Rutgers and NIU.

Main reason: QB position. One hopes we have big upside in the likes of POB, Gebbia, and maybe Lee, but whoever starts will essentlially be a rookie with the expected rookie mistakes. I'm also a bit concerned that even as a true frosh, POB wasn't able to beat out Fyfe for the b/u role...hmmmmm....

Nebraska has ZERO PROVEN primetime difference makers on the current roster, nor have we had any this entire century, with the exception of one Ndamukong Suh. If somebody wants to include Ameer in that category I wouldn't argue much about it.

And therein lies the problem w NE football folks: we just don't get the big time players anymore, which is not to say there hasn't been a lot of quality talent, there has, and is, but we just don't get guys, on either side of the ball, that scare anybody, any of the important teams we would like to beat anyway.

It looks like we're getting loaded @ WR and that's great for a couple yrs down the road, but it's going to take a lot more than that, folks. Riley, to date, has done no better than his 2 predecessors in recruiting and I don't see any special "magic touch" in terms of coaching up 3* talent. Until we get top heavy in 4* recruits and some 5* here and there, expect more of the same year in and year out for NE.

NE will finish unranked and with a worse record in 2017. Look to '18/'19 for Big Red to perhaps make some noise again.

My aren't you a ray of sunshine...

 

[Making Chimichangas]

It would certainly appear that we are looking at some more years of limited success in Football. WI will continue to dominate the Big Ten West and NE will be outside looking in and wondering what the hell happened. Thanks you Steve Pederson.

I wish I could say Riley had a plan but it looks to me like he is grasping at straws and hoping he can find an answer.

I hope I am wrong but I don't believe so.

Nebraska might play their way into a terrific season. Look at last year, my goodness Nebraska reached 8th nationally in the polls and got to 7-0. Now granted after that the team tanked, and that was with 3-4 walk-ons starting along the OL, no viable #2 QB, our TE and top 2-3 WRs hurt and unable to play and then Tommy being injured. Not to mention a defense that clearly gave up after the loss to Wisconsin.

Point is, with all that, Nebraska somehow found a way to win 9.

In 2017 we have Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, and Northwestern, all at home. The way I see it, the three biggest games, read potential for a loss, are at Oregon, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. We should literally be favored in every other game.

 

[The Big Nebrowski]

@ Mr. "In the Deed..."

tOSU beat us 62-3, and we were supposedly "good" at the time(though everyone and their dog knew we were overrated at the time). tOSU SHUTOUT 31-0 in playoff and they shouldn't even have been there over conf. Champ PSU, IMHO.

With a rookie QB, so so running game, and sketchy D, what reason should we have to think '17 will NOT be a "rebuilding" year for NE?

I rest my case.

 

[Making Chimichangas]

@ Mr. "In the Deed..."

tOSU beat us 62-3, and we were supposedly "good" at the time(though everyone and their dog knew we were overrated at the time). tOSU SHUTOUT 31-0 in playoff and they shouldn't even have been there over conf. Champ PSU, IMHO.

With a rookie QB, so so running game, and sketchy D, what reason should we have to think '17 will NOT be a "rebuilding" year for NE?

I rest my case.

Your case is weak and there's way too much circumstantial evidence.

There is only 1 game that is, in my mind, a probable loss and that is against Ohio State.

Three other games: @Oregon, Wisconsin, and @Penn State are 50/50 toss-ups. And remember, Oregon has a new coaching staff as well.

All our other opponents, we should be favored. Throw in that we have Ohio State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Iowa all in Lincoln--and yeah buddy, I like our chances.

Plus, every season in college football is a new season. This team could come together and play really well as the season goes on.

The ink isn't even dry on the LOI's, the least you could do is save the pessimistic, we suck, we're going to lose 9 games next year, whining till at least mid-October.