Your Predictions For The West

Guy Chamberlin said:
I'm on record as saying I'd be willing to judge Frost on more than W/L in his first few seasons. 

That came to pass last year when the team played top competition down to the wire, and never suffered a single blowout. 

But my ceiling for "a few seasons" was capped at 4.  It's Season Five. I gotta start judging progress with actual wins. 

Scott lowered the bar to 3 wins, but I'd like to reinstate a 7 win minimum. 
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Totally agree on that last sentence. Even though we've fallen so far, even though we're completely irrelevant in the greater college football landscape, and even though we're basically the bottom of the barrel of the B1G I still think that a regular season record of less than 8-4 for Husker football is a failure.

He has got to win at least 7 games this season though to be worthy of keeping his job with all of the upgrades all over the board, and if that happens I'll be back to expecting 8 wins starting with 2023 on out.

I agree with you about how he seemed to have gotten the team more mentally tough last year to not buckle when games were close in the second half. There was big improvement there. But I just can't really get over how it took him so long to figure out how important special teams would be.

Better late than never in bringing Busch in and these kickers though. I think if we play well this year, special teams improvement will be a huge part of it. It has to be.

 
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Undone said:
But I just can't really get over how it took him so long to figure out how important special teams would be.
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I'll believe that they are taking STs seriously after 1) I see how many starters are on each unit and b) if they have any scheme around returns besides "fair catch everything". 

In the past we've heard lip service that starters are going to see time on STs, but when you look at each unit it has 1, maybe 2, starters and the rest are walkons and 2nd/3rd teamers.

 
Red Five said:
I'll believe that they are taking STs seriously after 1) I see how many starters are on each unit and b) if they have any scheme around returns besides "fair catch everything". 

In the past we've heard lip service that starters are going to see time on STs, but when you look at each unit it has 1, maybe 2, starters and the rest are walkons and 2nd/3rd teamers.
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Absolutely.

It's hard to measure relative average starting field position but in these more low-scoring games that get played in the Big 10, it's huge.

When we finally had Toure back there to just catch the damn ball it was at least a step in the right direction because we stopped fumbling punt returns. But you gotta at least occasionally get upfield 10 yards or so, it's huge.

 
Red Five said:
I'll believe that they are taking STs seriously after - b) if they have any scheme around returns besides "fair catch everything".
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Prominent coaches (like Urban Meyer) were/are outwardly in favor of the fair catch (25 yard line) on kick offs and some (Nick Saben) want the punt return fair catch to become more prominent by advancing the ball by 10 yards at point of catch as a safety issue for players. The game is changing. Player safety, concussion protocols/head injury concerns are all more prominent today. We've all seen some serious injuries to punt returners. They've curtailed most of the violence but injury still exists.

 
Loebarth said:
Prominent coaches (like Urban Meyer) were/are outwardly in favor of the fair catch (25 yard line) on kick offs and some (Nick Saben) want the punt return fair catch to become more prominent by advancing the ball by 10 yards at point of catch as a safety issue for players. The game is changing. Player safety, concussion protocols/head injury concerns are all more prominent today. We've all seen some serious injuries to punt returners. They've curtailed most of the violence but injury still exists.
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A free ten yards for a fair catch is unfair.  Favors the elites vs the rest as the top teams receive more punts - period.  I’d say - if a fair catch is called on punt or kickoff - move the spot back 5 yards not fwd.  Move back to the 20 from 25 would help the game - reduce scoring some hopefully by all teams a tad.  If you want to make punts safer - prohibit blocked punts.  If you don’t like kickoff returns, eliminate them and start out at the 20.  Save time and risk for all.  
i love the kicking game - it’s an exciting part of the game but nonsensical rule changes are not the answer.  

 
Loebarth said:
Prominent coaches (like Urban Meyer) were/are outwardly in favor of the fair catch (25 yard line) on kick offs and some (Nick Saben) want the punt return fair catch to become more prominent by advancing the ball by 10 yards at point of catch as a safety issue for players. The game is changing. Player safety, concussion protocols/head injury concerns are all more prominent today. We've all seen some serious injuries to punt returners. They've curtailed most of the violence but injury still exists.
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lol, when did saban ever say this?  He was against the kick off fair catch rule when it was changed a few years ago

 
big_red_husker_01 said:
Lost 9 games, 9 points at most, the rest much less.. no blowouts.. toughened mentally. With that many losses that were all so close, with a slight improvement on O & D & ST, huskers should see big improvement this year, we will swap 3-9 with 9-3 giving SF the best B1G CotY
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Would you be okay with this AND think it was a good year?

A.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Mich, Wisc, Iowa?  Be 6-3 in West.  
B.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Purdue, Mich, Wisc?  Same 6-3 West.

It's like You beat North Dakota, Rutgers and Illinois several times.

Overall it's ok on paper, I suppose.....  But I am not so sure this would epitomize a Top 25 football product.

Thoughts?

 
admo said:
Would you be okay with this AND think it was a good year?

A.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Mich, Wisc, Iowa?  Be 6-3 in West.  
B.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Purdue, Mich, Wisc?  Same 6-3 West.

It's like You beat North Dakota, Rutgers and Illinois several times.

Overall it's ok on paper, I suppose.....  But I am not so sure this would epitomize a Top 25 football product.

Thoughts?
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If we get 8 wins then we'll have more wins in a single season than the last two combined. Yes that would be a good season.

 
admo said:
Would you be okay with this AND think it was a good year?

A.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Mich, Wisc, Iowa?  Be 6-3 in West.  
B.)  8-4 with loss to OU, Purdue, Mich, Wisc?  Same 6-3 West.

It's like You beat North Dakota, Rutgers and Illinois several times.

Overall it's ok on paper, I suppose.....  But I am not so sure this would epitomize a Top 25 football product.

Thoughts?
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I'd be thrilled with 8-4 regardless. And being in the top 25 would be a cherry on top but far from being necessary. But I'd be happy with 6-6 and going to bowl too.

 
Dogs In A Pile said:
I'd be thrilled with 8-4 regardless. And being in the top 25 would be a cherry on top but far from being necessary. But I'd be happy with 6-6 and going to bowl too.
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Athlon Sports ranks #53.  Long way to reach Top25.

Bowl..... what's that ?  ;)

Athlon Sports .... Top 131 team ranking

53. Nebraska
The 2022 season is a make-or-break year for coach Scott Frost in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are 15-29 and have yet to earn a winning season or reach a bowl under his watch. Last year’s 3-9 record sparked major changes in hopes of a turnaround in ‘22, including the arrival of a new play-caller (Mark Whipple) on offense. Whipple is highly-regarded for his work in developing signal-callers, and that acumen will be tested right away with Texas transfer Casey Thompson (24 TDs last year) exiting spring as the frontrunner to replace Adrian Martinez under center. Omar Manning and Trey Palmer headline the weapons for Thompson in the receiving corps, while a backfield-by-committee approach is likely with Rahmir Johnson, Anthony Grant and Jaquez Yant in place. However, improvement on offense is unlikely without better play up front and fewer turnovers lost (18 last year). The defense has been a strength in each of the last two seasons and returns a strong linebacker unit anchored by Garrett Nelson and Luke Reimer. The rebuilding process up front was expedited by the transfer arrivals of Ochaun Mathis (TCU), Devin Drew (Texas Tech) and Stephon Wynn (Alabama). Coordinator Erik Chinander also has to rebuild a secondary that lost three starters, including All-Big Ten cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Special teams have also been a major issue in recent years, but the arrival of transfers Timmy Bleekrode (Furman) and Brian Buschini (Montana) could provide instant help.

#2 -- Ohio State

#6 -- Michigan

#14 -- Michigan State

#19 -- Wisconsin

#25 -- Penn St

#31 -- Purdue

#32 -- Iowa

#38 -- Minnesota

I know fantasy preseason ratings but West division prediction: 1)Badgers, 2)Boilers, 3)Hawks, 4)Gophers, 5)Huskers, 6)Illini, 7)NW

Well at least dead last in 2021 West.

 
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