trap game?

I must really be missing something with this game. Just saw the Upset of the Week on ESPN is this game.

Look, UCLA just beat a team (Rice) that has had one of the 20 worst defenses in college football the last five years. Rice gained more than 350 yards and scored more than 20 points with an offense that returned only five-to-six starters and ranked 87th and 89th in points per game and total offense last year, respectively. This is also a first year head coach opponent.

And what's this about Nebraska being "dinged up", some people saying that we're even badly dinged up? We have two guys out one of which has only, if I'm not mistaken, one career TD catch. Burkhead is a hefty blow but outside of him and Marlowe every single starter should be ready to go Saturday.

I'm not saying this a for sure win or that Nebraska won't have it's work cut out for them, but I just don't see the hype behind this one.

 
Totally agree with your point Enhance. The banged up thing is total bs, imo.

Only thing is the rest of your post could be said about us. We beat a Southern Miss team that was great last year but basically lost every important piece that made them so great. 4 year starter at QB, majority of their secondary, and half the DL/OL (I believe). Southern Miss was still a higher quality opponent but it's not like we played a conference team and whipped their ace.

I think one of the biggest reasons there is hype is the unknown. Same came with Southern Miss. New coach, new starting QB who can run. What do we prepare for, etc? I think we win, I also think there is a chance it will be closer than originally expected.

 
Enhance89 said:
I must really be missing something with this game. Just saw the Upset of the Week on ESPN is this game.

Look, UCLA just beat a team (Rice) that has had one of the 20 worst defenses in college football the last five years. Rice gained more than 350 yards and scored more than 20 points with an offense that returned only five-to-six starters and ranked 87th and 89th in points per game and total offense last year, respectively. This is also a first year head coach opponent.

And what's this about Nebraska being "dinged up", some people saying that we're even badly dinged up? We have two guys out one of which has only, if I'm not mistaken, one career TD catch. Burkhead is a hefty blow but outside of him and Marlowe every single starter should be ready to go Saturday.

I'm not saying this a for sure win or that Nebraska won't have it's work cut out for them, but I just don't see the hype behind this one.
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This is typical of a somewhat weak slate of games! Gotta build interest in something. Throw something at the wall and see what sticks.
 
I think a lot of these upset predictions have as much to do with our propensity to lay at least one egg per year as anything. UCLA has athletes, and while we do too, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we could get beat, or beat ourselves. We have a history of that, after all.

 
Enhance89 said:
I must really be missing something with this game. Just saw the Upset of the Week on ESPN is this game.

Look, UCLA just beat a team (Rice) that has had one of the 20 worst defenses in college football the last five years. Rice gained more than 350 yards and scored more than 20 points with an offense that returned only five-to-six starters and ranked 87th and 89th in points per game and total offense last year, respectively. This is also a first year head coach opponent.

And what's this about Nebraska being "dinged up", some people saying that we're even badly dinged up? We have two guys out one of which has only, if I'm not mistaken, one career TD catch. Burkhead is a hefty blow but outside of him and Marlowe every single starter should be ready to go Saturday.

I'm not saying this a for sure win or that Nebraska won't have it's work cut out for them, but I just don't see the hype behind this one.
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Last year Burkhead carried the team most of the time. I can understand, from the outside looking in, how people would think losing him would spell disaster for this football team.

They obviously don't realize we now have a 4 deep at the position, and we can do so many things on offense we just weren't ready to do last season.

 
I think the reason ESPN is picking this as the upset is simply the fact that UCLA is located in a HUGE market, and things like this will get people to tune in which in turns bumps up ESPN's ratings. ESPN is turning into a bigger joke all the time! :espnsucks:

 
SkerChicago said:
Totally agree with your point Enhance. The banged up thing is total bs, imo.

Only thing is the rest of your post could be said about us. We beat a Southern Miss team that was great last year but basically lost every important piece that made them so great. 4 year starter at QB, majority of their secondary, and half the DL/OL (I believe). Southern Miss was still a higher quality opponent but it's not like we played a conference team and whipped their ace.

I think one of the biggest reasons there is hype is the unknown. Same came with Southern Miss. New coach, new starting QB who can run. What do we prepare for, etc? I think we win, I also think there is a chance it will be closer than originally expected.
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I agree with you, and the bolded is part is interesting to me. I try to look at our games objectively and I feel the objective stand point is we win. If you're picking an upset there has to be some evidence to support the upset, and I don't see it, other than UCLA has "athletes." Everyone has athletes - that doesn't matter near as much as what you do with them.

I'm all for upset bids but I haven't seen enough evidence to support this one.

 
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knapplc said:
I think a lot of these upset predictions have as much to do with our propensity to lay at least one egg per year as anything. UCLA has athletes, and while we do too, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we could get beat, or beat ourselves. We have a history of that, after all.
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I agree, and I don't think Nebraska has the right to overlook a single opponent on their schedule. They just don't. But like I said in response to SkerChicago, I try to look at our games objectively, and I don't see how an objective person can choose UCLA to win. Keep the game close, maybe. But win? Doesn't make sense.

 
Husker from Kansas said:
I think the reason ESPN is picking this as the upset is simply the fact that UCLA is located in a HUGE market, and things like this will get people to tune in which in turns bumps up ESPN's ratings. ESPN is turning into a bigger joke all the time! :espnsucks:
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Except that the game is on a competing network. That just helps out Fox.

 
Enhance89 said:
knapplc said:
I think a lot of these upset predictions have as much to do with our propensity to lay at least one egg per year as anything. UCLA has athletes, and while we do too, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we could get beat, or beat ourselves. We have a history of that, after all.
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I agree, and I don't think Nebraska has the right to overlook a single opponent on their schedule. They just don't. But like I said in response to SkerChicago, I try to look at our games objectively, and I don't see how an objective person can choose UCLA to win. Keep the game close, maybe. But win? Doesn't make sense.
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I hope you're right. I'm not in a place where I feel confident about this team yet. Or, at least, I don't feel like I know what I'm going to see when they take the field.

 
walksalone said:
Ok bro, take a deep breath...

It's gonna be closer than it needs to be for two and a half, maybe 3 quarters. Their line will wear down, and we'll win going away...
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Our defensive line? The strongest position on the team? Good players 3 deep @ each position that rotate out every four or five plays?

Those guys?

 
benedictbruin said:
walksalone said:
Ok bro, take a deep breath...

It's gonna be closer than it needs to be for two and a half, maybe 3 quarters. Their line will wear down, and we'll win going away...
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Our defensive line? The strongest position on the team? Good players 3 deep @ each position that rotate out every four or five plays?

Those guys?
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So you're saying you have 12 linemen that are all D-1 starter quality? That seems highly unlikely. The starters may be strong but, once you sub, you sacrifice some skill. If you sub to a third group, chances are our OL will push them around. 3 deep rotations sound good in theory, but in 2012 college football, they really don't work well.

 
I really don't understand why people are thinking we are on upset alert. It wont happen! I really think we win by at least two touchdowns. 4.5 points is a joke. ESPN's own PAC-12 blogger picked Nebraska over UCLA. 45-27 final.

 
Would it be possible that Vegas can push ESPN to get more money placed on the UCLA side?

My tinfoil hat protects me... And it has a red N on it.

 
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