BTN 2016 football schedule analysis: Nebraska Cornhuskers

[Redux]

I see 5 loses as a good possibility. We may be favored in all but 2, but we were favored in most of the games we lost last year. 9-3 would be a good start to Riley's rebuilding the team. 2018, should show what he has built. jmo

GBR!!!

Guessing you mean we lose to Oregon, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Iowa?

My gut tells me we will go 3-2 in those games if not better.

Oregon will be the litmus test. If we can win that one, then we will have a ton of momentum going into the conference schedule. Depending on injuries and stuff like that, I think we will win the NW, Wisky, and definitely the Iowa game. tOSU on the road will be tough as hell to win on the road no matter how much talent they just lost to the NFL draft.
This is also assuming that TA doesn't try to play hero ball all year and make silly turnovers and blow games that we shouldn't for the second year in a row. I don't think that is too much to ask for a Sr QB, but we will see.

I think Tommy has to grasp the seriousness that this is his swan song. Whether he uses that to make it the best he possibly can remains to be seen.

 

[ADS]

Oregon is a good test and we should be glad there are two easier opponents before we play them. I'm scared of there speed on offense but Nebraska should be able to score and move the ball just fine. If memory serves me Oregon had one of the worst defenses in the country last year in almost every category. Plus they lost their best player along the defensive line in Buckner.

Will probably end up being a shoot out.

 

[Redux]

Oregon is a good test and we should be glad there are two easier opponents before we play them. I'm scared of there speed on offense but Nebraska should be able to score and move the ball just fine. If memory serves me Oregon had one of the worst defenses in the country last year in almost every category. Plus they lost their best player along the defensive line in Buckner.

Will probably end up being a shoot out.

Gotta copy the Stanford blueprint, don't wanna get into a shootout.

 

[AFhusker]

Oregon is a good test and we should be glad there are two easier opponents before we play them. I'm scared of there speed on offense but Nebraska should be able to score and move the ball just fine. If memory serves me Oregon had one of the worst defenses in the country last year in almost every category. Plus they lost their best player along the defensive line in Buckner.

Will probably end up being a shoot out.

Gotta copy the Stanford blueprint, don't wanna get into a shootout.

Agree, we are not likely to win a shootout with them. Our best chance is to take an early lead and play keep away while not sacrificing points trying to accomplish do it.

 

[JJ Husker]

I don't feel like I can make an objective guess as to how we might do this year. My gut is saying probably 9-3 but I find myself arriving at that record in a very strange way. I think we win 1 of our 2 toughest games, Oregon or tOSU, but I also think we drop at least 1 we shouldn't. The optimist in me says we could go 10-2, the realist says 9-3 or 8-4, and the pessimist says we keep inventing ways to lose and it's once again 7-5 or worse. I've never been more disconnected from being confident in any feeling about how the Huskers might fare. Guess I'll just hope for the best and try to enjoy it.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

I just can't see how they would only win 7 games. The schedule is very nice. I just can't see a 7-5 season. But I couldn't imagine a 5-7 season last year.

 

[JJ Husker]

I just can't see how they would only win 7 games. The schedule is very nice. I just can't see a 7-5 season. But I couldn't imagine a 5-7 season last year.

Exactly, I couldn't see it last year and I can't see it this year. But, since it happened, logic indicates it could, and maybe even likely would, happen again.
I'd feel better about our chances if the top 3 or 5 priorities weren't such a question mark.

1-QB play. Which Tommy will we see?

2-Defense. Have lost some key personnel and will Banker make some adjustments?

3- Line play. I think there are legitimate questions if our OL and DL's will be up to the task. If we don't control the LOS better, 7 wins may be the ceiling.

4- Establishing a run game and offensive play calling. Langs and Riley are saying the right things but I need to see them not constantly revert to being air happy, especially if it's the same old TA.

5- Clock management and logic defying bad luck. If they can address the 4 prior issues then this concern gets greatly mitigated.

I hate to sound so pessimistic but it is reality until they prove otherwise on the field. However, I am very hopeful at least 2 of these issue see vast improvement and that may be all it takes to put a few more in the win column this year.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

I just can't see how they would only win 7 games. The schedule is very nice. I just can't see a 7-5 season. But I couldn't imagine a 5-7 season last year.

Exactly, I couldn't see it last year and I can't see it this year. But, since it happened, logic indicates it could, and maybe even likely would, happen again.
I'd feel better about our chances if the top 3 or 5 priorities weren't such a question mark.

1-QB play. Which Tommy will we see?

2-Defense. Have lost some key personnel and will Banker make some adjustments?

3- Line play. I think there are legitimate questions if our OL and DL's will be up to the task. If we don't control the LOS better, 7 wins may be the ceiling.

4- Establishing a run game and offensive play calling. Langs and Riley are saying the right things but I need to see them not constantly revert to being air happy, especially if it's the same old TA.

5- Clock management and logic defying bad luck. If they can address the 4 prior issues then this concern gets greatly mitigated.

I hate to sound so pessimistic but it is reality until they prove otherwise on the field. However, I am very hopeful at least 2 of these issue see vast improvement and that may be all it takes to put a few more in the win column this year.

I think that pretty much sums it up and I am happy you don't have anything about toxic culture and buy in...

The games they "should win" they better win this year...Fresno, Wyoming, Purdue, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Minny and Northwestern. Lose any of those and I will start losing faith.

 

[Husker John]

We will go 10-2..........and keep bringing me the Kool Aide after the 5-7 season.......

 

[JJ Husker]

I think that toxic culture and buy in have been greatly over blown. It may have been of limited concern last year with a very small handful of players but I think any of those types of concerns are pretty much behind this staff now. If any players are still harboring any conflicting feelings, I'm sure it will affect their play time and/or retention on the team. Not so sure that isn't what caused a few of our recent seemingly premature departures. If some fans think they can see it from the outside, if it is a real thing, think how obvious it would be to the the coaches and fellow players who are much more intimate with the situation. That issue doesn't concern me.

 

[Waldo]

Does anyone else hate that we (not all of us) look at this schedule and think "Wow, it will be tough" when we know the Huskers will be favored in all but 2 games?

Lol we were 5-7 last year. You don't KNOW that the Huksers will be favored in all of two games. Stop drinking so early.

As of right now they are favored in all but two.
Ohio State and Wisconsin are the two.

We know they will be favored vs: Fresno, Wyoming, Oregon (NU is favored right now -2), Minny, Purdue and Illini, Maryland and Indiana. Iowa could be a pickem

And as of right now, we haven't lost a game in the 2016 season. Maybe I should more optimistic, but I'll believe it when I see it. Don't forget who our QB is.

 

[drfish]

My gut tells me I eat too much and don't get enough exercise.

As far as toxic culture. Agree that is overblown. If the culture was so toxic, how did HCMR get a team that he likes so much that didn't pack it in when things went poorly last year..

As far as buy in, I stand behind my previous comments http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/79245-one-example-of-why-not-buying-in-is-completely-overblown/ There were significant adjustments for the players to make and that continued to occur thoughout the season.

And as far has schedule analysis, I think the home BIG schedule is not inspiring in terms of "must see" games.

 

[White Flash]

I see 5 loses as a good possibility. We may be favored in all but 2, but we were favored in most of the games we lost last year. 9-3 would be a good start to Riley's rebuilding the team. 2018, should show what he has built. jmo

GBR!!!

Guessing you mean we lose to Oregon, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Iowa?

My gut tells me we will go 3-2 in those games if not better.

9 wins with + or - 1 seems about right.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

Funny part is that any win total over 6 will be seen a meteoric rise by the national media. I hope none of us who actually watched the games will be overly impressed by a 7 or 8 win regular season.

I'm thinking 9 regular season wins + or - also sounds about right. I would be very happy with 10+

 

[GSG]

I posted my "predictions" in a different thread in December, but I'm making some changes:

Fresno State [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win

Wyoming [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win
Oregon [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] loss toss up
Northwestern [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] toss up
Illinois [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win
Indiana [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] toss up
Purdue [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win
Wisconsin [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] toss up
Ohio State [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] loss
Minnesota [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win
Maryland [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] win
Iowa [SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE] toss up

6 wins, 4 toss ups, 2 losses 6 wins, 5 toss ups, 1 loss

So it could be 6-6 up to 10-2, but I think it's more like 7-5 or 8-4 So it could be 6-6 up to 11-1, but I think now that it's more likely 8-4 or 9-3