This isn't true and I don't know why posters on this board seemingly ignore our close wins and focus on our close loses. They had decent QB play against Wisconsin and Iowa and still lost.
So you accuse others of ignoring close wins and focus on close losses. Then you focus on the close losses. Seems legit.
And you can only talk about things in relativistic terms that fit your narrative. You claim "decent" QB play in those games. By whose standards?
169 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT against Wisconsin isn't really a benchmark that most of anyone would conder to be good enough.
189 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT against Iowa is basically the same.
Those yards per game would be 100+ in the country in passing offense. I don't think that's really getting it done.
That TD:INT ratio would be at least in the 80s.
Strained definition of "decent".
Nebraska is no longer playing the 2023 schedule. The amount of improvement they need to win 7 or 8 games when they don't have the easiest schedule in modern Nebraska Football history is pretty substantial. Their best chance to win 8 games is next season in 2024, after that the team has to improve faster than the difficulty of the schedule increases. It's going to be a difficult path.
"Pretty substantial" when we play basically the same type of schedule next year. When 20 ppg this year would have gotten us 4-5 more wins. Just need a Top 100 scoring offense. But that's a lot to you.
There's a lot wrong with this. Because Nebraska is no longer going to be playing the 2023 schedule, your point is moot. If the 1995 Huskers played this schedule, they probably win by an average margin of 42 points per game. But the 1995 roster isn't going to be playing the 2023 schedule; the same is true for the 2024 team with better QB play going against the 2023 schedule. Nebraska had their chance to win 8-9 games against a bad schedule and squandered it. Hopefully we don't squander a favorable 2024 schedule.
First you say we aren't going to be playing the 2023 schedule. But the 2024 schedule is still "favorable". You simply change your statements whenever it's convenient for your argument.
Your 4th point ignores years of evidence that strongly correlates recruiting success and team strength. Winning 8 or 9 games in 2025 and beyond would involve Nebraska rising above rivals like Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan State - teams they don't beat consistently as it is - while also winning games against more talented teams like Michigan/USC/Penn St.
No, it really wouldn't. The 2025 schedule contains two teams we beat this year (Michigan State and Northwestern) and three teams we lost to by three points each (Iowa, Maryland and Minnesota, all 13-10). It also has two very winnable non-con games plus a Cincinnati team that was the doormat of the Big XII this year. The path to 8 wins isn't hard there either. You just keep insisting that it is because that's what you want to believe - for some unknown reason.