So damned excited for this season.

[nebcountry]

It is a mixed blessing, but our schedule is back loaded. TLee already has 2 seasons under his belt + one year of sitting. Our defense and TLee will get 5 warm up games leading to Wiscy to work out bugs. Oregon (@Oregon) will be the second game, but they're a noncon game, whether we win or lose.

I have no idea how we'll do this year. Some other teams will be better, some other teams will be worse. We're gonna have some growing pains. How quickly and effectively we can move past the "new" will factor in to how good our season is.

 

[SnohomishRed]

Every year we talk about the offense and while that is important it is defense that will determine our season. If we want to win a conference championship we need to have a championship defense coupled with a decent offense that does not make mistakes. Consider this:

Since and including 2001 we have only been ranked 4 times in the top twenty in scoring defense- thats 12 years of subpar defense not worthy of the blackshirt tradition. Those years that were are as follows

2001 - ranked #6 in scoring and #7 in scoring offense - played for national championship
2003 - Ranked # 2 in scoring defense and a horrible #74 scoring offense
2009 - ranked #1 in scoring defense and #75 in scoring offense and still almost won the Big12 just an average offense and we do win it.
2010 - Ranked #9 in scoring defense and #39 in scoring offense and yet still probably should have won the Big12

I really do not care how Lee does as long as he is serviceable - this season will be determined on how well our defense plays and no Diaco gets no mulligan year

 

[blackhusker]

Huskers gonna be damn good this year. I can feel it. We are under the radar and are going to surprise some people.

Bring on the season!

Why?

 

[Husker.Wed.]

When HCMR showed up he mentioned he wanted the team to execute something that "looked like football". I don't know what that means really, but to me it means all involved are on the same page. I think for the first time in many years we will see something that looks like football. I'm excited.

 

[timnsun]

Why?

Don't be that guy... read the thread... he tells you why.

For your benefit, I have posted his answer to "why".

I see a better QB, a better DC, and a more athletic offensive line.

 

[HBK4life]

Why?

Must suck to be you.

 

[bigbadjim990]

Huskers gonna be damn good this year. I can feel it. We are under the radar and are going to surprise some people.

Bring on the season!

6 wins on low side and 9 on the high side.

 

[blackhusker]

Must suck to be you.

look me up after the first 6 games. Some people like to lie to themselves

 

[Pennsyhusker]

look me up after the first 6 games. Some people like to lie to themselves

I ain't no sunshine pumper on this board. Heck, at times I have been accused of being too negative.
Think what you want. If it is your honest opinion that we are in for another mediocre season, or at least you think it probable, that is fine. I respect that. Many on here share that view.
You can accuse me, and the other optimists on here, of not being honest with ourselves. But you are wrong. It is my honest opinion that we are going to have, barring major injuries to key players, a great season. I ask that you respect that opinion as I do yours.

 

[HBK4life]

look me up after the first 6 games. Some people like to lie to themselves

And some people are just whiny miserable bitches who piss and moan non stop. Which are you? Your posting history doesn't lie.

 

[bigboxes]

And some people are just whiny miserable bitches who piss and moan non stop. Which are you? Your posting history doesn't lie.

RUN THE BALL!

 

[koolhusker]

look me up after the first 6 games. Some people like to lie to themselves

If the season is going well after 6 games, we won't be able to "look you up" because you won't come around to crap on every positive thread if we're 5-1 or 6-0.

 

[timnsun]

look me up after the first 6 games. Some people like to lie to themselves

I'm curious... what do you think our record will be after 6 games?

 

[tone1017]

I'm always excited and optimistic for the season in August. I wait all year for it, I try to enjoy it as much as possible. I've never understood why anyone would prefer to be pessimistic and assume we'll suck and then hopefully be proven wrong but to each their own. I try to be a realist, I understand we're not competing for a national championship this year, but why not have high expectations?

 

[SpartanJD]

Yes, PSU had a few good breaks last year. If they don't block that FG against OSU then they would not have won the B1G. They also lost to Pitt and got buttwiped by Michigan. So they are beatable.
That said... the fact is they played solid enough defense against OSU to be in a position to win. And they finished by beating a solid Wisky team. Franklin has recruited at an elite talent level. They have some serious athletes on that team. And Beaver Stadium is a very intimidating venue.
Can we beat them? I mean realistically and not just in the "on any given Saturday" sense? Yes. But we will have to play on a very high level to do so.

The thing is, a lot of teams played 'solid defense' against OSU last year. MSU had its worst sack total in like school history last year, yet we sacked OSU 3 or 4 times and held them to 17 points with a terrible defense. Then PSU shut them down. Then Michigan shut them down. (remember, UMs offense gifted OSU two TDs). Then OSU got shutout vs Clemson...

So I guess my point is, having a solid defensive game vs OSU didn't mean a whole lot last year. OSU imo should have been a 9-3 teams last regular season and it was a joke they made the playoffs over PSU.

 

[SpartanJD]

And I dont think anyone is saying Penn State isnt good. The run was charmed, however. They are not world beaters is all. Not on the level of OSU.

We will see. PSU is absolutely loaded on offense, I mean loaded, and Barkley is a once in a decade type running back. PSUs OL improved a lot as the year went on, and Franklin said they are a very good unit now. If they are, PSUs offense could be one of the top offenses in the country.

We'll see if they can live up to the hype, it's different being the top dog.

 

[blackhusker]

I'm curious... what do you think our record will be after 6 games?

Best case

I'm curious... what do you think our record will be after 6 games?

4-2 best case

 

[cp4psu]

PSU is a fraud. They got crazy breaks in that OSU game and only had 270 yards of total offense. They then got trounced by Michigan. Pitt was merely average and showed us what PSU is really like.

You mean the same pitt team who went into Death Valley and beat the national champs????


Ok

 

[timnsun]

You mean the same pitt team who went into Death Valley and beat the national champs????


Ok

Huh? Some late night boozin' going on in this post... 8-5 is still pretty meh.

But good win over Clemson. Give Credit where credit is due...

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Penn State got better and better as the year went on. They started slowly but really started to build momentum after the OSU win. So the fact that they lost to Pitt means little.

I live in PSU country and I really dislike their fan base and everything associated with PSU. So I would love to say that they were a fraud last year. But I can't. I wish we had been as "fraudulent" as they were last year.

They have loads of offensive talent. Their running back, Barckley (sp?), is a total beast. One of the best running backs I have seen in a long time. Our defense will have their hands full

 

[SpartanJD]

Look it's simple. Once you find a QB and your line play becomes borderline elite you'll be championship caliber. I'm not sure when that will be with you guys. MSU always had good skill but would lose in the trenches. Dantonio fixed that. Riley needs to get NU mean up front on both sides.