walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
See, another gentlemen, strengthening my point. We won't lose to Iowa because the D got it's a$$ handed to them. It will be due to other factors, beyond our control.
Iowa game
- Thread starter bsbch
- Start date
jsneb83
All-American
Can we just play this game tomorrow. :LOLtartar
I would like to believe that we will kill Iowa but I have a feeling that our offense will decline as the season goes along, like it has the last few years; hopefully not as much as it did last year or the Scoring Implosion of 2009.
jsneb83
All-American
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bshirt
Banned
Agree with many that Big10 fans have NO IDEA how good our defense is. Otoh, they also have NO IDEA how horrible our offense can be. We can beat anybody due to our defense and lose to anybody due to our offense. They'll start figuring that out this year unless Beck & co are real.
They just better hope our new OC, WR & QB coaches aren't big improvements over what we had (although it's probably impossible to be worse). If they're significantly better, they may rue the day they invited us (except bowl & OOC games).
They just better hope our new OC, WR & QB coaches aren't big improvements over what we had (although it's probably impossible to be worse). If they're significantly better, they may rue the day they invited us (except bowl & OOC games).
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
So lemme get this straight. Iowa is going to have a "Wiscy-like" offense this year? All because their QB has another season under his belt?
Last year's Offensive Ranks:
Wiscy
Rushing O - 12th
Passing O - 75th
Scoring O - 5th
Total O - 21st
Iowa
Rushing O - 70th
Passing O - 49th
Scoring O - 50th
Total O - 57th
So Iowa is going to improve 58 spots in Rushing, stay the same/improve in passing, while improving 45 spots in Scoring and 36 spots in Total Offense from 2010 to 2011?
And they're going to do this because.... why?
I'm digging your homer-ism, bigg10, but that's not even remotely realistic.
Last year's Offensive Ranks:
Wiscy
Rushing O - 12th
Passing O - 75th
Scoring O - 5th
Total O - 21st
Iowa
Rushing O - 70th
Passing O - 49th
Scoring O - 50th
Total O - 57th
So Iowa is going to improve 58 spots in Rushing, stay the same/improve in passing, while improving 45 spots in Scoring and 36 spots in Total Offense from 2010 to 2011?
And they're going to do this because.... why?
I'm digging your homer-ism, bigg10, but that's not even remotely realistic.
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Maybe not exactly like Wiskey, but really close. You dont think Iowa can slide a little in passing? You dont think after the decimation at RB last year, they have restocked and the running game will vastly improve? I mean 70th, really, another number Iowa fans can hold their heads low about. Iowa seems to have issues at RB, but I think the gods have been happy lately and we are about due for another record breaker. You dont think being able to run opens up the door for the play action, making it easier to get into the endzone? Thats what those numbers say! Besides, I have watched teams in the B10 for along time, this years Iowa team has the right amount of this and that, now I am just curious what KF does with it.
walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
Yep. Next in is a JR, who will be pretty much graduated this year, but is still going to play ball next year, just with a really light class schedual (more time to focus on ball). He is good, very good. Nobodys taking Stanzi's stuff down just yet, but his arm is way stronger than Stanzi's, his release is qwicker, his accuracy is better, he is physically built better for a qb and he got to sit back and learn from Stanzi.
walksalone
Heisman Trophy Winner
See, I guess I have a tough time buying into the fact that Iowa's Offense will be that much drastically improved, when our defense is returning what, 7 or 8 guys? (sorry, it's late and I should have gone to bed)
Is whoever the Phantom Jesus Iowa QB really going to make that big of a difference? Is his offensive line going to give him enough time so he's not running for his life? Are they going to be able to run the ball with power and alacrity?
If the secondary makes the pass game that difficult to execute, they'll have to run the ball, into maybe one of the better front seven's in the nation. I could see the Huskers winning this thing 9-7.
Is whoever the Phantom Jesus Iowa QB really going to make that big of a difference? Is his offensive line going to give him enough time so he's not running for his life? Are they going to be able to run the ball with power and alacrity?
If the secondary makes the pass game that difficult to execute, they'll have to run the ball, into maybe one of the better front seven's in the nation. I could see the Huskers winning this thing 9-7.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Of course all of those things are possible. It's possible Iowa could have a brilliant season and jump to the top ten in every offensive category. But it's not likely, and that's where I'm questioning these bold predictions you're making.
Similarly, Nebraska has some awesome players at key positions. We have a QB who can be the fastest guy on the field in most every game we play, and who has the skills to be a top passer as well. We have a RB who has already dominated games. We have a TE that can both block and out-run most anyone, LB or DB, who covers him. We have another TE who has already proven to be a devastating, game-changing blocker. We have a WR who has already proven to be a clutch receiver, who has a big body and who has all kinds of talent. We have a host of other WRs who boast blazing speed and gaudy recruiting stars.
Each of the guys I'm talking about was on our team last year. The same team that bumbled its way through half the season, barely scoring against A&M, Washington (the bowl game), 5-7 Texas and SDSU. Most of these guys were responsible for these numbers:
Nebraska
Rushing O - 9th (led both the Big XII and the B1G)
Passing O - 113th (last in both the Big XII and the B1G)
Scoring O - 44th
Total O - 39th
Now, it is definitely possible that Nebraska will improve on those numbers, and I hope we do, but I'm never going to tell you that it's definitely going to happen. I'll walk you down the evidence of why I think it'll happen, but at this point I don't have any. Maybe by the time we play I'll have something, but by that time you'll likely be able to see it for yourself.
I agree with that. I am not saying Nebraska's not showing up this year. What I was saying is first I will be surprised if Iowa ranks worse than low 20's in O AND D this year. Thats a pretty good team, anyway you slice it.
My biggest concern for Nebraska is #1 they got almost all those rushing yards in the B12, where it's spread heavy. #2 alot of those yards came by T-mart (see Mich's season last year in the B10). #3 T-mart is not a very good passer. #4 It has been shown that when ran at with a remotely decent running game, Nebraska had a hard time with it. Then ofcourse you can throw in coaching changes, statagey changes and moving into all new teams to prepare for.
If it wasnt for those things, I could see Nebraska taking the division.
Bo does really well at D, so I have to think he will be able to slow the run better than he did last year, knowing full well he is now in a run dominate conference, but there is no proof of that and really no sign of any of the other issues being sorted out this year. Which to be honest can be expected. Give him a few years. He has alot on his plate.
This is in no way, trying to take away from Nebraska, but when you start looking at what if's and I hopes, for the B10 teams, Nebraska has more than a few. Iowa has them to, but they are little ones, Iowas biggest concern if you ask me is RB's RB's RB's, their record is horrible when it comes to keeping RB's in the game (for whatever reason). #2 TE's yes they have some talent there, but compared to years past I would say that position has slide a bit. Again, maybe not alot, but still I think it slide a little.
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knapplc
International Man of Mystery
I won't disagree with your assessment of Nebraska's problems, and I'd even go so far as to say you've undersold them. We have a lot of potential problems. If we get them all fixed, that'll warrant Coach of the Year consideration for Pelini, IMVHO.
The issue at Iowa isn't just RB, it's QB, too. Who's your signal-caller going to be, Vandenberg? The guy is a sub-.500 passer with three career TDs and five INTs. I'm not seeing reasons for the optimism you're displaying here.
Specifically against Nebraska, this guy is a pocket passer. If he stays in the pocket, I don't care how good that O Line is at Iowa, we'll eat this guy for lunch. Immobile QBs are fresh meat for the Blackshirts. That's probably the single biggest thing the Big Ten needs to learn about Nebraska – there is NO ROOM for immobility at QB against this defense. None.
I spent a lot of time trying to explain this to Washington Husky fans last September before we played "Heisman Trophy Candidate" Jake Locker in Seattle. They would have none of it, no matter how specifically I broke it down (as in, Locker MUST release the ball in under three seconds every play or get plastered). They remained confident they had this game in the bag…and we nearly killed Locker. Same thing with the Vandals fans and Nate Enderle.
This is why Husker fans are telling you we'll be surprised if Iowa scores 20 points against the Blackshirts. Frankly, if Vandenberg isn't able to muster any kind of passing game and we can load up on the run, I don't like Iowa's chances at all.
bigg10, Nebraska's defense last year only appeared to struggle defending the run. Like you said, the Big 12 is spread happy and pass happy. That resulted in the Pelini brothers creating an entirely new defensive scheme, one that was uniquely Nebraska's, in order to stop those offenses. That scheme was built on the concept of minimizing big plays and taking away the bread and butter of those offenses.
When you take away big plays, and the short passes (which is what many of those offenses thrived with), you're left somewhat vulnerable to the running game. So even though we appeared to struggle defending the run at different times throughout the season, the reality was that we were allowing the offense to run the ball knowing that they probably couldn't maintain a 12-play drive all the way down the field with that style of offense. That defense worked brilliantly against every offense we played over the past 2 seasons except for Oklahoma State. That offense was the best in the country in 2010, and it had way more firepower, balance, and better coaching than any offense we're going to see in the Big 10.
However, in the Big 10, as you've pointed out, there isn't such a tendency towards spread passing attacks as there is in the Big 12. The Pelini brothers will revise their defensive scheme the same way as they did in the Big 12 - they will take away what offenses like to do the most. You won't see the same Nebraska scheme that you've seen the past 2 years, it'll look a lot different due to the types of offenses we'll be facing.
When you take away big plays, and the short passes (which is what many of those offenses thrived with), you're left somewhat vulnerable to the running game. So even though we appeared to struggle defending the run at different times throughout the season, the reality was that we were allowing the offense to run the ball knowing that they probably couldn't maintain a 12-play drive all the way down the field with that style of offense. That defense worked brilliantly against every offense we played over the past 2 seasons except for Oklahoma State. That offense was the best in the country in 2010, and it had way more firepower, balance, and better coaching than any offense we're going to see in the Big 10.
However, in the Big 10, as you've pointed out, there isn't such a tendency towards spread passing attacks as there is in the Big 12. The Pelini brothers will revise their defensive scheme the same way as they did in the Big 12 - they will take away what offenses like to do the most. You won't see the same Nebraska scheme that you've seen the past 2 years, it'll look a lot different due to the types of offenses we'll be facing.