Our first toughest game will be against Washington, especially considering the fact that Locker is probably returning for his senior season. I heard somewhere that he was coming back, and then I heard he hadn't made a choice yet, so idk. Either way, they have good athletes, but I still don't think they have enough offensively to compete with us defensively.
Every game next year is 'winnable', just as every game this year was 'winnable'. I never count a team out of winning a game until the clock reads zero and the other opponent has more points.
OSU and Texas both lose their record setting QB's. The North, albeit slightly better with Gabbert being back, is still going to be a toss up as to who wins it imho. We can't count on anything these days....
Anyways, next years schedule looks good for us. Texas A&M is the game that has me worried above others, but I'm confident that we can hold them 3 scores or less. I know Texas and Texas A&M are rivals, but if we could shut down the Texas offense, I don't see a whole lot stopping us next year even with Suh being gone.
People said the same thing about Daniels in 2008.. The way our offense finished this year doesn't exactly answer any questions about next year, if anything it'll be as big of a ? mark in fall camp. Mizzou has some decent offensive play makers returning and that will be competing for playing time next year. We showed this year that we can't put up the numbers against even the bad defenses in the Big 12. Mizzou won't have the greatest defense next year, but they will have a formidable offense.
I see us losing a close game to Mizzou, but I think that ultimately we win the North
Blaine Gabbert is not coming into Lincoln and beating us.
The Gabbert ragging is stupid. The kid was a 5 star recruit under BC who defected when the program imploded. He wasn't he only recruit that jumped ship, and I don't blame him for decommiting- who wouldn't? But Gabbert was ranked 3rd in the nation for plays over 30 yards this year, 26 being beaten out by only Case Keenum and Ryan Mallett. Mizzou's offense will be solid next year after returning a lot of starters.
Their defense will still be questionable, but our offense has done nothing to make the game appear to be a cake walk. If nothing else, I would say Mizzou will have quite an edge offensively and we will have one defensively. If the game goes to a shootout, I see Mizzou winning it.
I must offer a different opinion on the bolded part.
It's not like we're playing Missouri this year. This game 9 months away, which gives us plenty of time to sort out what type of offense we are going to run and try to develop guys to do it. I'm not saying we are going to be a whole lot better offensively next year, but we must not talk as if this years offense is going to carry over into next year.
Also, Mizzou's offense will be solid, yes. However, they still have not figured out a way to consistently run the football under Pinkel. Alexander is also leaving their team, who was their biggest playmaking threat. Each year, they find a new guy to step in, but even Alexander didn't live up to Maclin's abilities, and you saw their offense struggle because of it.
I can't make good predictions for the game yet because It's way too early. Last year, everybody said a shootout would end in a Nebraska defeat. Well, we held MU to 12 points. I see no reason to believe that at home, with a more collectively solid defensive unit, we can't hold them to two scores or less.
