This isn't really a prediction thread, although if you want to make a prediction, go ahead. I'm really just taking a look at a fascinating schedule. This is definitely the best home schedule in years. If Northern Illinois, Iowa, and Northwestern ever find their way into the rankings, Nebraska could actually play 5 ranked teams at home in 2017.
Arkansas State - This is a good program with an explosive offensive system. Considering Nebraska is breaking in a brand new defense, this would normally be a dicey proposition. But Arkansas State will be starting 5 new offensive linemen when they come to Lincoln. The Huskers will probably have their way with that unit and it may create a false sense of reality for fans.
Nebraska - 19
@ Oregon - If you're Willie Taggart, you face the challenge of installing a new offense into a group of players that have been deeply engrained in the same offensive philosophy for years. That can always be challenging. However, Taggart gets to do with Oregon's athletes and 9 returning offensive starters. Defensively, I think Oregon will again have growing pains. I'm not sure you can switch schemes that rapidly in a 2 year span without encountering more issues. This will still be a major challenge for the Huskers. Oregon has a bevvy of athletes, a very experienced roster, and Autzen can be a challenging place to play. I also bet this ends up being a late, late game on ESPN 2 or FS1 - like a 9:30 CT kick off.
Oregon - 3.5
Northern Illinois - This is a Bo Pelini scheduling nightmare special. When you look at the schedule around the Big Ten that day, this game will almost assuredly be an 11 am game. We all know those games suck. Well this one could really suck. If Nebraska is coming off a big win over Oregon, they could suffer a significant let down. If Nebraska is beaten in Oregon, they could also be emotionally beaten up after a rough week in Lincoln. The other part of the equation is Northern Illinois rarely has two bad years in a row. They are a really good program and return a really good nucleus of players centered around a talented QB and skill players. This is not an ideal date on the calendar to face NIU.
Nebraska - 17.5
Rutgers - This is a bad football team and for some odd reason, Nebraska will have played in 3 of their first 4 seasons of the Big Ten. Thanks Delaney. RU returns 11 starters from a terrible team. Chris Ash's days are likely numbered. One could argue, by week 4, Rutgers will be the worst team Nebraska has faced all season.
Nebraska - 16
@Illinois (Friday Night) - I don't care about playing road games on a Friday night vs. the bottom half of the league. However, its not really fair for the Big Ten to schedule one team as a Friday night home team after a bye, while the road team is coming off of 6 days rest. Nebraska will travel to this game on Thursday night. This means Nebraska will basically have Monday, Tues, and Wednesday to install their game plan for the week. That gives Illinois a significant preparation advantage. The good news here is Illinois's bad team from 2017 was actually really experienced. They're losing 8 offensive starters and 7 on defense, including 3 defensive guys to the NFL. They will be a bad team with a new QB. Hopefully their inexperience off sets the scheduling advantage.
Nebraska - 9.5
Wisconsin- If the Big Ten cares about fairness, they will make sure this game is in Primetime. I don't see how you can schedule Nebraska's last two trips to Madison under the lights, and then send the Badgers back to Lincoln for day games. I realize that's an ABC/ESPN decision, but scheduling on the calendar dictates those decisions. If the Big Ten is going to schedule all Nebraska's trips to Mad town late in the season so they can shoot for a Primetime window, then they need to push for showcasing Nebraska under the lights as well.
Sadly Nebraska missed their 2 year window where Wisconsin's offense kind of sucked. I don't think that will be the case in 2017. They return 8 offensive starters including 4 offensive linemen, a decent QB in Hornibrook, and one of the better TEs in college football, Troy Fumagalli. The Badgers still won't be overly explosive on the edge, but you can bet they will be more balanced that any time in the last 3 or 4 seasons. Replacing Vince Biegel and TJ Watt won't be easy. Both players will likely have nice NFL careers if they stay healthy. But that fron7 of their 3-4 returns almost completely in tact. One big question is whether or not new DC Jim Leonhard can carry on the defensive excellence they've displayed the last half decade. I don't think Paul Chryst is an idiot, but promoting Leonhard to that spot after one year of college coaching is odd IMO. Leonhard was on an NFL practice squad 2 years ago. In 3 seasons, they will have gone from Dave Aranda to Justin Wilcox to an NFL Special teamer with 1 year of coaching experience. The personnel is still pretty good, but I'm skeptical about whether that bold hire of Leonhard was a good choice. This would be like Nebraska hiring Larry Asante right now to coach DB's, and then naming him DC for 2018.
Wiscy - 1.5
Ohio State- Unfortunately, if Nebraska gets a night game vs. Wisconsin, they may not earn one vs. Ohio State. (Or Vice Versa). Then again, the Big Ten may have wanted two straight night games at Nebraska all along. However, Playing the Bucks after Wisconsin is not ideal due to the Badgers physicality. That can take a toll. This is certainly an interesting scenario for Nebraska. I DON'T think Nebraska will be undefeated when the Buckeyes come to town. But if Nebraska is 6-0, I expect Gameday to make the trek to Lincoln. Ohio State should be easily undefeated when they stroll into town. Offensively, the Bucks should be a juggernaut. They lose a stud in Curtis Samuel, but JT Barrett will be starting career game number 39 at Nebraska. His supporting cast should be tremendous. The defense loses 5 starters to the NFL, but they will reload. Frankly, I think the only chance Nebraska has in this game revolves around Memorial Stadium night game magic. Honestly, I think Nerbaska's chances of an upset will be the same whether NU is 6-0 or 3-3.
Ohio State - 11.5
@ Purdue - I actually would prefer this game being the Friday night contest on the road. After two Emotional Home Games, Nebraska may be in line for a massive let down. And Purdue's schedule is effing BRUTAL. If they don't beat Frank Solich's Ohio U team, they seriously might 0-7 when the Huskers come to town. That Stadium will feature some RED in the stands, and the Purdue Band. It will be cold, miserable, and the Environment will be terrible. Playing under the lights would actually be preferable. Nebraska should win this game easily, but if you ever wanted to skip a game, this would be ideal. It honestly could be lowest attended game in Husker history. Purdue's David Blough is a good QB, but with a brand new offensive line and games vs Louisiville, Mizzou, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, you have to wonder if the kid will even be alive by week 8 vs. Nebraska. The Huskers do have a bye leading up to the game. Hopefully a week off will lead to some major focus. Coach Brohm is a good coach, but I doubt he took the Purdue job before seeing this 2017 schedule. Ouch.
Nebraska - 13.5
Northwestern - Can the Huskers just play the Wildcats in Evanston? Sheesh. This is a very losable game. NW could be 6-2 when they come to Lincoln. The Cats might have the most experienced team in the West with 17 returning starters. It will be interesting to see how their passing game progresses without Austin Carr. Thorson will be making start # 34 in Lincoln, assuming he stays health. Hopefully 4 games vs. Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa, and Sparty will take its toll on NW's depth leading up to the game. This game will also show the growth of Nebraska or lack thereof. This will mark the 10th week of the season. Any kinks in the offense and defnse should be worked out by this point.
Nebraska - 3.5
@at Minnesota - Playing in the Twin Cities in mid November could be a painful experience. It could be pleasant and 50 degrees or a blizzard. No team lost as much defensive talent as the Gophers, but by week 11, it may not matter. The biggest question for the Gophers is how well Coach Row the Boat can coach up his offense. The running game should be good with Rodney Smith, but the new QB and the passing game could be a work in progress. I think Minnesota could be pretty one dimensional. Game should be winnable, but those games have mostly been competitive. The Gophers also play back to back road games at Iowa and at Michigan before the Huskers come to town. That likely means a 2 game losing streak.
Nebraska - 3
@ Penn State- I actually like where this game sits on the schedule. PSU's offense should be the most potent in the Big Ten. They lose Godwin to the NFL, but the rest of the nucleus returns in tact. BTW, this will be Nebraska's 3rd trip to Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions have only had to visit Lincoln once. That's like Michigan as well. This game will be very tough. Penn State should be 9-1 and very much in the league and Playoff discussion. You also have to wonder if the Big Ten slated this game for a late kick under the lights. Hell, even its a 3:30 EST kick, it will be dark by the 2nd quarter in Central PA. I think Nebraska's offense will be capable of hitting on all cylinders by that time in the season. Injuries could derail everything, but for the most part, the future of Nebraska football under Langs and Riley should be defined in week 11. The weather could be miserable, and the idea of a shootout might be irrelevant. But that might be Nebraska's only chance IMO.
Penn State - 7.5
Iowa - I hope they go to hell. In all seriousness, I think the Hawks will be 6-5 when they come to Lincoln. If Nebraska can't beat this Iowa team, they should give up football. Iowa's front 7 on defense should be pretty stout again, but they lose multiple season production virtually everywhere else.
Nebraska - 3
Arkansas State - This is a good program with an explosive offensive system. Considering Nebraska is breaking in a brand new defense, this would normally be a dicey proposition. But Arkansas State will be starting 5 new offensive linemen when they come to Lincoln. The Huskers will probably have their way with that unit and it may create a false sense of reality for fans.
Nebraska - 19
@ Oregon - If you're Willie Taggart, you face the challenge of installing a new offense into a group of players that have been deeply engrained in the same offensive philosophy for years. That can always be challenging. However, Taggart gets to do with Oregon's athletes and 9 returning offensive starters. Defensively, I think Oregon will again have growing pains. I'm not sure you can switch schemes that rapidly in a 2 year span without encountering more issues. This will still be a major challenge for the Huskers. Oregon has a bevvy of athletes, a very experienced roster, and Autzen can be a challenging place to play. I also bet this ends up being a late, late game on ESPN 2 or FS1 - like a 9:30 CT kick off.
Oregon - 3.5
Northern Illinois - This is a Bo Pelini scheduling nightmare special. When you look at the schedule around the Big Ten that day, this game will almost assuredly be an 11 am game. We all know those games suck. Well this one could really suck. If Nebraska is coming off a big win over Oregon, they could suffer a significant let down. If Nebraska is beaten in Oregon, they could also be emotionally beaten up after a rough week in Lincoln. The other part of the equation is Northern Illinois rarely has two bad years in a row. They are a really good program and return a really good nucleus of players centered around a talented QB and skill players. This is not an ideal date on the calendar to face NIU.
Nebraska - 17.5
Rutgers - This is a bad football team and for some odd reason, Nebraska will have played in 3 of their first 4 seasons of the Big Ten. Thanks Delaney. RU returns 11 starters from a terrible team. Chris Ash's days are likely numbered. One could argue, by week 4, Rutgers will be the worst team Nebraska has faced all season.
Nebraska - 16
@Illinois (Friday Night) - I don't care about playing road games on a Friday night vs. the bottom half of the league. However, its not really fair for the Big Ten to schedule one team as a Friday night home team after a bye, while the road team is coming off of 6 days rest. Nebraska will travel to this game on Thursday night. This means Nebraska will basically have Monday, Tues, and Wednesday to install their game plan for the week. That gives Illinois a significant preparation advantage. The good news here is Illinois's bad team from 2017 was actually really experienced. They're losing 8 offensive starters and 7 on defense, including 3 defensive guys to the NFL. They will be a bad team with a new QB. Hopefully their inexperience off sets the scheduling advantage.
Nebraska - 9.5
Wisconsin- If the Big Ten cares about fairness, they will make sure this game is in Primetime. I don't see how you can schedule Nebraska's last two trips to Madison under the lights, and then send the Badgers back to Lincoln for day games. I realize that's an ABC/ESPN decision, but scheduling on the calendar dictates those decisions. If the Big Ten is going to schedule all Nebraska's trips to Mad town late in the season so they can shoot for a Primetime window, then they need to push for showcasing Nebraska under the lights as well.
Sadly Nebraska missed their 2 year window where Wisconsin's offense kind of sucked. I don't think that will be the case in 2017. They return 8 offensive starters including 4 offensive linemen, a decent QB in Hornibrook, and one of the better TEs in college football, Troy Fumagalli. The Badgers still won't be overly explosive on the edge, but you can bet they will be more balanced that any time in the last 3 or 4 seasons. Replacing Vince Biegel and TJ Watt won't be easy. Both players will likely have nice NFL careers if they stay healthy. But that fron7 of their 3-4 returns almost completely in tact. One big question is whether or not new DC Jim Leonhard can carry on the defensive excellence they've displayed the last half decade. I don't think Paul Chryst is an idiot, but promoting Leonhard to that spot after one year of college coaching is odd IMO. Leonhard was on an NFL practice squad 2 years ago. In 3 seasons, they will have gone from Dave Aranda to Justin Wilcox to an NFL Special teamer with 1 year of coaching experience. The personnel is still pretty good, but I'm skeptical about whether that bold hire of Leonhard was a good choice. This would be like Nebraska hiring Larry Asante right now to coach DB's, and then naming him DC for 2018.
Wiscy - 1.5
Ohio State- Unfortunately, if Nebraska gets a night game vs. Wisconsin, they may not earn one vs. Ohio State. (Or Vice Versa). Then again, the Big Ten may have wanted two straight night games at Nebraska all along. However, Playing the Bucks after Wisconsin is not ideal due to the Badgers physicality. That can take a toll. This is certainly an interesting scenario for Nebraska. I DON'T think Nebraska will be undefeated when the Buckeyes come to town. But if Nebraska is 6-0, I expect Gameday to make the trek to Lincoln. Ohio State should be easily undefeated when they stroll into town. Offensively, the Bucks should be a juggernaut. They lose a stud in Curtis Samuel, but JT Barrett will be starting career game number 39 at Nebraska. His supporting cast should be tremendous. The defense loses 5 starters to the NFL, but they will reload. Frankly, I think the only chance Nebraska has in this game revolves around Memorial Stadium night game magic. Honestly, I think Nerbaska's chances of an upset will be the same whether NU is 6-0 or 3-3.
Ohio State - 11.5
@ Purdue - I actually would prefer this game being the Friday night contest on the road. After two Emotional Home Games, Nebraska may be in line for a massive let down. And Purdue's schedule is effing BRUTAL. If they don't beat Frank Solich's Ohio U team, they seriously might 0-7 when the Huskers come to town. That Stadium will feature some RED in the stands, and the Purdue Band. It will be cold, miserable, and the Environment will be terrible. Playing under the lights would actually be preferable. Nebraska should win this game easily, but if you ever wanted to skip a game, this would be ideal. It honestly could be lowest attended game in Husker history. Purdue's David Blough is a good QB, but with a brand new offensive line and games vs Louisiville, Mizzou, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, you have to wonder if the kid will even be alive by week 8 vs. Nebraska. The Huskers do have a bye leading up to the game. Hopefully a week off will lead to some major focus. Coach Brohm is a good coach, but I doubt he took the Purdue job before seeing this 2017 schedule. Ouch.
Nebraska - 13.5
Northwestern - Can the Huskers just play the Wildcats in Evanston? Sheesh. This is a very losable game. NW could be 6-2 when they come to Lincoln. The Cats might have the most experienced team in the West with 17 returning starters. It will be interesting to see how their passing game progresses without Austin Carr. Thorson will be making start # 34 in Lincoln, assuming he stays health. Hopefully 4 games vs. Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa, and Sparty will take its toll on NW's depth leading up to the game. This game will also show the growth of Nebraska or lack thereof. This will mark the 10th week of the season. Any kinks in the offense and defnse should be worked out by this point.
Nebraska - 3.5
@at Minnesota - Playing in the Twin Cities in mid November could be a painful experience. It could be pleasant and 50 degrees or a blizzard. No team lost as much defensive talent as the Gophers, but by week 11, it may not matter. The biggest question for the Gophers is how well Coach Row the Boat can coach up his offense. The running game should be good with Rodney Smith, but the new QB and the passing game could be a work in progress. I think Minnesota could be pretty one dimensional. Game should be winnable, but those games have mostly been competitive. The Gophers also play back to back road games at Iowa and at Michigan before the Huskers come to town. That likely means a 2 game losing streak.
Nebraska - 3
@ Penn State- I actually like where this game sits on the schedule. PSU's offense should be the most potent in the Big Ten. They lose Godwin to the NFL, but the rest of the nucleus returns in tact. BTW, this will be Nebraska's 3rd trip to Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions have only had to visit Lincoln once. That's like Michigan as well. This game will be very tough. Penn State should be 9-1 and very much in the league and Playoff discussion. You also have to wonder if the Big Ten slated this game for a late kick under the lights. Hell, even its a 3:30 EST kick, it will be dark by the 2nd quarter in Central PA. I think Nebraska's offense will be capable of hitting on all cylinders by that time in the season. Injuries could derail everything, but for the most part, the future of Nebraska football under Langs and Riley should be defined in week 11. The weather could be miserable, and the idea of a shootout might be irrelevant. But that might be Nebraska's only chance IMO.
Penn State - 7.5
Iowa - I hope they go to hell. In all seriousness, I think the Hawks will be 6-5 when they come to Lincoln. If Nebraska can't beat this Iowa team, they should give up football. Iowa's front 7 on defense should be pretty stout again, but they lose multiple season production virtually everywhere else.
Nebraska - 3
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