I think I'm going to be very tired of the Crick is going to be the next Suh talk. Honestly, it sounds ridiculous. I think Crick will be a very good player. Suh was great/elite.
It reminds me of the "Zac Lee will make everyone forget about Joe Ganz" talk that I fought all last year . . . except this one is even more implausible.
The reality of the situation is that we will almost certainly take a step back on the DL next year.
Well... I'd expect that Pierre Allen will be improved next year over where he was this year. Also, Crick will be improved. That is two of the four positions improved... with certainty. Meredith will replace Turner and honestly,
I'd expect that to be a modest step up over last year --- or, at the very least, equal with last year. The overall depth will be improved with Ankrah coming in and the other younger players. the only position taking a step backwards is the position vacated by Suh and taken by Steinkuhler. And Steinkuhler will still be very, very good. So.... as Pelini has said himself --- and I will parrot and agree with --- our DL stands to be somewhat improved next year --- 3 of the 4 positions will improve and depth will improve --- and Steinkuhler is really good.
Really?
We sound like Missouri fans when they expected to have a more productive offense after losing Chase Daniel, Maclin, and Coffman to the NFL.
I'm all for optimism . . . but to believe that our DL will IMPROVE after losing one of the greatest defensive tackles in college football history AND a starting defensive end is completely irrational. Bookmark this post. Our defensive line will take a step backwards next year (but will still be solid.) At the end of the season we will review the statistics (Tackles, Tackles for loss, hurries, sacks, passes broken up) and they will be worse than this year.
Irrational, certainly not.
Unless, of course, you think that Bo Pelini is irrational as well --- for he has been quoted as saying he thinks, overall, that not only will the defense in general be better next year but also that even the DL will be better. Maybe he is into hyperbloe --- maybe. (By the way, I am at work so don't bother asking me to find his quote somewhere, but I have read his quote several time --- and there is no doubt that Bo thinks the DL will improve).
Certainly Crick and Allen improve, Meredith will equal or better Turner, and Ankrah and Moore bring some real quality depth. Losing Suh hurts, certainly --- but every position other than his will improve. And his replacement will be (we think) really, really good. Steinkuhler is, I suppose, a key here. if he is the load he is expected to be, then Crick will likely not face as many double teams as many predict --- or, if he does, then Steinkuhler shines one-on-one.
To say that such a prediction is irrational.... is, well... certainly indefensible. To say that it is perhaps more likely that the DL will be different than, but comparable, to last years is certainly reasonable an alternative. Even to say that a slight drop-off is more likely is as well is a reasonable alternative. All three possibilities are fairly likely. None of the three scenarios are unlikely. The only unlikely alternatives are massive improvement or a massive drop-off --- such would be, indeed, irrational.
Still... I go with Bo and predict modest improvement of the unit (and the defense in general).
