** 2021 Opponent Previews : Ohio State (Game 9) **

Jason Sitoke said:
Sweet.  So how bad do we beat Iowa?  How do we match up against Penn St. in the CCG?  

I won't ask about which New Year's 6 bowl we're going to yet.  Don't want to get ahead of myself.
Click to expand...
If you would take the time to follow the conversation, you would understand my comment was only referring to the what if scenario asked previously.  I am in no way predicting that and neither did they.  

 
Hilltop said:
If you would take the time to follow the conversation, you would understand my comment was only referring to the what if scenario asked previously.  I am in no way predicting that and neither did they.  
Click to expand...
I'm guessing he is posting like that because some koolaid NU fans get way out in front of themselves often times with very rosy expectations or fantasies, only to be crushed when they don't play out. One game at a time. 

 
With 4 games left on the schedule, to me the Ohio State game is most crucial to the question of whether Frost will be back or let go. The primary reason some say he should be retained is that we are "close" and have lost many one score games.

In 2018 (Frosts first year) we did lose to OSU by one score, so if OSU somehow comes into Lincoln and wins comfortably that may be the final straw.  However, if Nebraska somehow wins the game or loses by less than a score, it will continue the claim of being "close."  

 
HuskerNation1 said:
With 4 games left on the schedule, to me the Ohio State game is most crucial to the question of whether Frost will be back or let go. The primary reason some say he should be retained is that we are "close" and have lost many one score games.

In 2018 (Frosts first year) we did lose to OSU by one score, so if OSU somehow comes into Lincoln and wins comfortably that may be the final straw.  However, if Nebraska somehow wins the game or loses by less than a score, it will continue the claim of being "close."  
Click to expand...
2018 Ohio State was not the same team we will be facing in a couple of weeks.  That 2018 Ohio State team got blown out by Purdue 49 to 20 the week prior to our game with them.  That was an unranked Purdue team that took them to the woodshed... Purdue finished 6-7 on the year.  The 2021 version doesn't appear to have the same issues so I personally believe we will do good to keep the game within 3 scores.  Hope they prove me wrong but I get the feeling a lot of Nebraska fans feel this way.  Our season hinges on Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  Win those and Ohio State doesn't matter.     

 
Hilltop said:
2018 Ohio State was not the same team we will be facing in a couple of weeks.  That 2018 Ohio State team got blown out by Purdue 49 to 20 the week prior to our game with them.  That was an unranked Purdue team that took them to the woodshed... Purdue finished 6-7 on the year.  The 2021 version doesn't appear to have the same issues so I personally believe we will do good to keep the game within 3 scores.  Hope they prove me wrong but I get the feeling a lot of Nebraska fans feel this way.  Our season hinges on Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  Win those and Ohio State doesn't matter.     
Click to expand...


The 2018 OSU team finished the year 13-1 and ranked #3 in the final polls. While they had one bad game against Purdue, they were still a good team.  This years OSU team is very good but I would not say tons better than the 2018 team.  Thus I still believe Nebraska needs to play them close to show progress has been made along with winning at least 2 of 3 vs Purdue, Iowa and Wisconsin.  A bad loss to OSU would not be a sign of great progress.

 
HuskerNation1 said:
The 2018 OSU team finished the year 13-1 and ranked #3 in the final polls. While they had one bad game against Purdue, they were still a good team.  This years OSU team is very good but I would not say tons better than the 2018 team.  Thus I still believe Nebraska needs to play them close to show progress has been made along with winning at least 2 of 3 vs Purdue, Iowa and Wisconsin.  A bad loss to OSU would not be a sign of great progress.
Click to expand...
They did finish #3 but they had a several game stretch where they were really trying to figure things out.  Their offense during that stretch put up 30 on Minnesota, 20 against Purdue, 36 against us, and 26 against Michigan State.  Then they squeaked by Maryland by one point.  They also missed the playoff and played an "ok" game against Washington in the rose bowl winning 28-23.  They were not typical Ohio State, period.

I don't think any fans are looking for "great progress" at this point.  That ship has sailed.  Fans are hoping they win a couple more games than past seasons to make a bowl game.

There is no need to place any additional measuring sticks on this team.  It is painfully obvious where we are at and who we are.  A 3 score loss to Ohio State would be completely forgotten by 90% of the fan base if we won 3 of our last 4 and were in a bowl game in December.          

 
Hilltop said:
They did finish #3 but they had a several game stretch where they were really trying to figure things out.  Their offense during that stretch put up 30 on Minnesota, 20 against Purdue, 36 against us, and 26 against Michigan State.  Then they squeaked by Maryland by one point.  They also missed the playoff and played an "ok" game against Washington in the rose bowl winning 28-23.  They were not typical Ohio State, period.

I don't think any fans are looking for "great progress" at this point.  That ship has sailed.  Fans are hoping they win a couple more games than past seasons to make a bowl game.

There is no need to place any additional measuring sticks on this team.  It is painfully obvious where we are at and who we are.  A 3 score loss to Ohio State would be completely forgotten by 90% of the fan base if we won 3 of our last 4 and were in a bowl game in December.          
Click to expand...


If we finish 6-6 and make a bowl game, I do agree that many fans will view that as a step forward from the past 5-7 seasons.  I guess I am not expecting us to beat Purdue, Iowa and Wisconsin thus putting us at 5-7 again (or worse). In that case, this is where I think the score differential vs OSU becomes important.  If we lose badly and look like we do not belong in that game in Year 4 of the Frost tenure, I think that will really take away from the "being close" narrative that some are pushing.  

 
Back
Top