seaofred92
All-American
Obviously we'll dive deeper into it as we get into the summer and closer to next season but here are my initial thoughts on 2021's schedule (2021 SP+ projected team ranking in parentheses):
8/28 @ Illinois (83) (Dublin): Game is currently scheduled to take place in Ireland but as we've figured out that is unlikely to take place. Most likely, this game will occur in Champagne. In the conference schedule release last week, this game was still listed as taking place on 8/28 and I believe the thought here is even if they move the game stateside it'll remain in week 0. This is a HUGE opportunity for NU as the other week 0 games are: UConn @ Fresno State, Hawaii @ UCLA, Southern Utah @ SJSU, and UTEP @ NMSU. NU's game should get a standalone window with PLENTY of eyeballs on it, and Illinois will be breaking in Brett Bielema as head coach. This is a flat out must win game for NU. A loss here could send things spiraling FAST. I fully expect us to be ready for this game and if we make a statement, roll that momentum into the coming weeks.
9/11 Buffalo (77): The Bulls had a very strong season last year, led by stud running back Jaret Patterson who thankfully will be going to the NFL. In the past three seasons, the Bulls have won 2 division titles, have three bowl appearances with two wins, and a top 25 ranking to finish the 2020 season. While on paper this team might take a step back next season, the Bulls have clearly established a winning culture under Coach Leipold and should be ready to play when they come to Lincoln this fall. This is a "how mature is NU" game and I actually think the off week between the Illinois game and this one could help NU. We saw how the team handled beating PSU this season with the Illinois major letdown the following week. NU needs to be ready to play this game as this Bulls team is a much better challenge for NU than most fans will realize.
9/18 @ Oklahoma (3): Lol. Sooners open up on the road in New Orleans at Yulman Stadium against Tulane and then come home to beat up on Western Carolina in week 2. This team is humming into the offseason after throttling Florida in their NY6 game and having their QB Rattler finally settle in during the second half of the season. When you think about NU's lack of pass rush combined with OU's major defensive improvement under Grinch last season, this game has potential to get very ugly. If NU stays within 14 points here I'd be ecstatic and that's more of a reflection of where OU is than where NU is. I think OU could be a playoff team in 2021.
9/25 @ Michigan State (59): Similar to Buffalo, this is another "how mature/tough mentally are we?" game. NU probably SHOULD win this game. But nothing over the last 3 years has given me confidence we will. Mel Tucker knows NU from his Colorado days and while the Spartans were up and down in his first year in East Lansing, they did beat both Michigan and Northwestern last season. Probably another swing game for the mood of the season, if NU wins it shows we are taking a step forward. If we come out sleepy here and get pumped, Frost's seat will legitimately get hot for the first time me thinks.
10/2 Northwestern (75): One of the standard bearers in the Big Ten West. NU fans know this team has been a thorn in the Huskers side since joining the league. They are the antithesis of Nebraska- under talented but incredibly well prepared, coached, and mentally tough. Never beat themselves. As a result, they win games vs teams like NU who are mentally weak and commit sloppy penalties and plays. The Wildcats have added another QB transfer for 2021 and have won the Big Ten West 2 of the last 3 seasons. I expect them to be great yet again this season and this would be a big time win for Frost despite the lack of "brand" name associated with the Wildcats program.
10/9 Michigan (23): I have no idea what to expect from Michigan in 2021. The OC Gattis has been a relative flop.. Harbaugh shifted his staff bringing in a new DC and sometimes you just need new blood and new voices to get guys motivated. The Wolverines need better QB play and everything else will seemingly fall into place, however I don't know if 2021 is the year they get it. Despite being anointed the savior last year in pre-season, I doubt they go with Joe Milton, who was benched by the end of this year in favor of Cade McNamara. It'll probably come down to McNamara vs the new kid on the block, 5* QB JJ McCarthy for the starting role. Again, nearly impossible to know what to expect from Michigan right now without knowing what the defense will look like or who will be the QB.
10/16 @ Minnesota (31): There honestly may not be a team I want to beat more in 2021 than Minnesota. This team should not be beating NU on a regular basis, they just shouldn't. They are currently ahead of NU program development wise but I sort of feel like they're at their ceiling right now as evidenced by Fleck putting his name in the rung for Tennessee. NU should've won this game in 2020 but blew it with poorly timed penalties and mistakes (shocker). The zone run scheme gives us fits every year, although last year with our MUCH improved LB play we did better. Minnesota is like a lesser version of Iowa- meh QB play usually a good to great Big Ten running back that runs behind a big OL and one perimeter playmaker. Can NU finally find the recipe to shut this team down?
10/30 Purdue (40): After an idle week- NU hosts the Boilermakers for the first time since Frost's first year at NU. No idea what has happened to Jeff Brohm's club (lack of QB play most likely) but they are going to be on their third DC in 3 seasons and have QB issues of their own. NU pretty much dominated this game in 2020 and almost blew it at the end- I think Purdue may be the second worst team in the Big Ten in 2021. NU has to and should win this game at home.
11/6 Ohio State (4): Similar to the OU commentary above, NU isn't winning this game. Keeping the final score within 2 touchdowns would be great. OSU is somehow getting MORE talented and while they have to break in a new QB does anyone have any doubt they'll successfully find another stud at that position? Their skill positions are better than NU's defenders across the board and while we made some plays on the lines last year, they have better linemen across the board than NU does too. Overall you just want to see what NU did in this year's game, play hard and make some plays when they present themselves. Who knows where the chips fall from there.
11/13 Southeastern Louisiana (NR): One of the best scheduling moves NU has made in years, the Lions come to Lincoln late in the year to break up the Big Ten grind. Nebraska needs to do what it did to Bethune Cookman and get up big and pull their starters at halftime at the latest.
11/20 @ Wisconsin (9): Badgers were VERY inconsistent in 2020.. possibly regressing a little? Mertz was good then.. not so good. Obviously he was young and you'd expect him to make a jump this year but I'm very curious where the Badgers lie in 2021. They could be coming into this game as a serious playoff contender with a neutral site win over ND.. or they could have 4 losses. Neither would surprise me but one thing I think I know about this game- NU feels as though Wisconsin ducked us this year and will be ready to play this game. I actually think we finally get the Wisconsin monkey off our back and win this game.
11/27 Iowa (16): So happy this game is back on Black Friday. Eichorst should be a curse word in the state of Nebraska. What an idiot. That being said- if we do beat Wisconsin like I have highlighted above, I don't know that we have the consistency to piece it together and beat Iowa the following week. NU has been extremely close against Iowa all 3 years Frost has been here. I want to win this game BADLY. But I'll believe it when I see it that we actually get the W. The Hawkeyes return Spencer Petras who NU was able to harass fairly successfully in this year's game. We know what the Hawkeyes will bring to this game- they're a better version of Minnesota. Big OL, one perimeter skill guy with a good to great RB. Likely a fringe top 25 team, Iowa will be ready for this game (they always are). The question is can NU finally fight back and beat these guys?
Overall Thoughts: It's a very challenging schedule for a variety of reasons. Lots of mental "gut-check" moments early in the season that will determine how the second half plays out. I think playing week 0 and getting the "extra" off week could be a sneaky advantage for this team, so long as we get the W over the Illini in that game. NU really needs to win a game it isn't supposed to this year in order to make that "jump", the closest thing to a "big" win we have in Frosts tenure is... Michigan State 2018 in the snow? But even then that MSU team wasn't great. How we respond to what will likely be big loses to OU and OSU will show me a lot about this team. The last 5 games of the year after the idle week NU NEEDS to go at least 3-2. SELA is an automatic win- meaning they'd split games v Purdue, OSU, Wisconsin, and Iowa. That would be a major jump forward for this team and likely put us into a bowl game, which is quite frankly a must in 2021 if Frost is going to continue this slow build with everyone on board. I'm not making win/loss predictions in this thread but right now I'd mark 9 of the 12 games on this as "toss ups" and 2 "sure losses" against OSU/OU and 1 "sure win". That means its likely going to come down to our mental toughness and ability to win close games, which if you follow NU football you know likely means bad things for NU. Hopefully this year's team is finally the team that gets over the hump and starts winning these close games and turning the tide.
Difficulty of schedule by SP+ projected rating:
9/18 @ Oklahoma (3)
11/6 Ohio State (4)
11/20 @ Wisconsin (9)
11/27 Iowa (16)
11/6 Michigan (23)
10/16 @ Minnesota (31)
10/30 Purdue (40)
9/25 @ Michigan State (59)
10/2 Northwestern (75)
9/11 Buffalo (77)
8/28 @ Illinois (83) (Dublin)
11/13 SELA (NR)
8/28 @ Illinois (83) (Dublin): Game is currently scheduled to take place in Ireland but as we've figured out that is unlikely to take place. Most likely, this game will occur in Champagne. In the conference schedule release last week, this game was still listed as taking place on 8/28 and I believe the thought here is even if they move the game stateside it'll remain in week 0. This is a HUGE opportunity for NU as the other week 0 games are: UConn @ Fresno State, Hawaii @ UCLA, Southern Utah @ SJSU, and UTEP @ NMSU. NU's game should get a standalone window with PLENTY of eyeballs on it, and Illinois will be breaking in Brett Bielema as head coach. This is a flat out must win game for NU. A loss here could send things spiraling FAST. I fully expect us to be ready for this game and if we make a statement, roll that momentum into the coming weeks.
9/11 Buffalo (77): The Bulls had a very strong season last year, led by stud running back Jaret Patterson who thankfully will be going to the NFL. In the past three seasons, the Bulls have won 2 division titles, have three bowl appearances with two wins, and a top 25 ranking to finish the 2020 season. While on paper this team might take a step back next season, the Bulls have clearly established a winning culture under Coach Leipold and should be ready to play when they come to Lincoln this fall. This is a "how mature is NU" game and I actually think the off week between the Illinois game and this one could help NU. We saw how the team handled beating PSU this season with the Illinois major letdown the following week. NU needs to be ready to play this game as this Bulls team is a much better challenge for NU than most fans will realize.
9/18 @ Oklahoma (3): Lol. Sooners open up on the road in New Orleans at Yulman Stadium against Tulane and then come home to beat up on Western Carolina in week 2. This team is humming into the offseason after throttling Florida in their NY6 game and having their QB Rattler finally settle in during the second half of the season. When you think about NU's lack of pass rush combined with OU's major defensive improvement under Grinch last season, this game has potential to get very ugly. If NU stays within 14 points here I'd be ecstatic and that's more of a reflection of where OU is than where NU is. I think OU could be a playoff team in 2021.
9/25 @ Michigan State (59): Similar to Buffalo, this is another "how mature/tough mentally are we?" game. NU probably SHOULD win this game. But nothing over the last 3 years has given me confidence we will. Mel Tucker knows NU from his Colorado days and while the Spartans were up and down in his first year in East Lansing, they did beat both Michigan and Northwestern last season. Probably another swing game for the mood of the season, if NU wins it shows we are taking a step forward. If we come out sleepy here and get pumped, Frost's seat will legitimately get hot for the first time me thinks.
10/2 Northwestern (75): One of the standard bearers in the Big Ten West. NU fans know this team has been a thorn in the Huskers side since joining the league. They are the antithesis of Nebraska- under talented but incredibly well prepared, coached, and mentally tough. Never beat themselves. As a result, they win games vs teams like NU who are mentally weak and commit sloppy penalties and plays. The Wildcats have added another QB transfer for 2021 and have won the Big Ten West 2 of the last 3 seasons. I expect them to be great yet again this season and this would be a big time win for Frost despite the lack of "brand" name associated with the Wildcats program.
10/9 Michigan (23): I have no idea what to expect from Michigan in 2021. The OC Gattis has been a relative flop.. Harbaugh shifted his staff bringing in a new DC and sometimes you just need new blood and new voices to get guys motivated. The Wolverines need better QB play and everything else will seemingly fall into place, however I don't know if 2021 is the year they get it. Despite being anointed the savior last year in pre-season, I doubt they go with Joe Milton, who was benched by the end of this year in favor of Cade McNamara. It'll probably come down to McNamara vs the new kid on the block, 5* QB JJ McCarthy for the starting role. Again, nearly impossible to know what to expect from Michigan right now without knowing what the defense will look like or who will be the QB.
10/16 @ Minnesota (31): There honestly may not be a team I want to beat more in 2021 than Minnesota. This team should not be beating NU on a regular basis, they just shouldn't. They are currently ahead of NU program development wise but I sort of feel like they're at their ceiling right now as evidenced by Fleck putting his name in the rung for Tennessee. NU should've won this game in 2020 but blew it with poorly timed penalties and mistakes (shocker). The zone run scheme gives us fits every year, although last year with our MUCH improved LB play we did better. Minnesota is like a lesser version of Iowa- meh QB play usually a good to great Big Ten running back that runs behind a big OL and one perimeter playmaker. Can NU finally find the recipe to shut this team down?
10/30 Purdue (40): After an idle week- NU hosts the Boilermakers for the first time since Frost's first year at NU. No idea what has happened to Jeff Brohm's club (lack of QB play most likely) but they are going to be on their third DC in 3 seasons and have QB issues of their own. NU pretty much dominated this game in 2020 and almost blew it at the end- I think Purdue may be the second worst team in the Big Ten in 2021. NU has to and should win this game at home.
11/6 Ohio State (4): Similar to the OU commentary above, NU isn't winning this game. Keeping the final score within 2 touchdowns would be great. OSU is somehow getting MORE talented and while they have to break in a new QB does anyone have any doubt they'll successfully find another stud at that position? Their skill positions are better than NU's defenders across the board and while we made some plays on the lines last year, they have better linemen across the board than NU does too. Overall you just want to see what NU did in this year's game, play hard and make some plays when they present themselves. Who knows where the chips fall from there.
11/13 Southeastern Louisiana (NR): One of the best scheduling moves NU has made in years, the Lions come to Lincoln late in the year to break up the Big Ten grind. Nebraska needs to do what it did to Bethune Cookman and get up big and pull their starters at halftime at the latest.
11/20 @ Wisconsin (9): Badgers were VERY inconsistent in 2020.. possibly regressing a little? Mertz was good then.. not so good. Obviously he was young and you'd expect him to make a jump this year but I'm very curious where the Badgers lie in 2021. They could be coming into this game as a serious playoff contender with a neutral site win over ND.. or they could have 4 losses. Neither would surprise me but one thing I think I know about this game- NU feels as though Wisconsin ducked us this year and will be ready to play this game. I actually think we finally get the Wisconsin monkey off our back and win this game.
11/27 Iowa (16): So happy this game is back on Black Friday. Eichorst should be a curse word in the state of Nebraska. What an idiot. That being said- if we do beat Wisconsin like I have highlighted above, I don't know that we have the consistency to piece it together and beat Iowa the following week. NU has been extremely close against Iowa all 3 years Frost has been here. I want to win this game BADLY. But I'll believe it when I see it that we actually get the W. The Hawkeyes return Spencer Petras who NU was able to harass fairly successfully in this year's game. We know what the Hawkeyes will bring to this game- they're a better version of Minnesota. Big OL, one perimeter skill guy with a good to great RB. Likely a fringe top 25 team, Iowa will be ready for this game (they always are). The question is can NU finally fight back and beat these guys?
Overall Thoughts: It's a very challenging schedule for a variety of reasons. Lots of mental "gut-check" moments early in the season that will determine how the second half plays out. I think playing week 0 and getting the "extra" off week could be a sneaky advantage for this team, so long as we get the W over the Illini in that game. NU really needs to win a game it isn't supposed to this year in order to make that "jump", the closest thing to a "big" win we have in Frosts tenure is... Michigan State 2018 in the snow? But even then that MSU team wasn't great. How we respond to what will likely be big loses to OU and OSU will show me a lot about this team. The last 5 games of the year after the idle week NU NEEDS to go at least 3-2. SELA is an automatic win- meaning they'd split games v Purdue, OSU, Wisconsin, and Iowa. That would be a major jump forward for this team and likely put us into a bowl game, which is quite frankly a must in 2021 if Frost is going to continue this slow build with everyone on board. I'm not making win/loss predictions in this thread but right now I'd mark 9 of the 12 games on this as "toss ups" and 2 "sure losses" against OSU/OU and 1 "sure win". That means its likely going to come down to our mental toughness and ability to win close games, which if you follow NU football you know likely means bad things for NU. Hopefully this year's team is finally the team that gets over the hump and starts winning these close games and turning the tide.
Difficulty of schedule by SP+ projected rating:
9/18 @ Oklahoma (3)
11/6 Ohio State (4)
11/20 @ Wisconsin (9)
11/27 Iowa (16)
11/6 Michigan (23)
10/16 @ Minnesota (31)
10/30 Purdue (40)
9/25 @ Michigan State (59)
10/2 Northwestern (75)
9/11 Buffalo (77)
8/28 @ Illinois (83) (Dublin)
11/13 SELA (NR)
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