Now that it's August...

[real'97champs]

Now that fall practice is well under way, here is my realistic prediction of the season.... Give me some feedback.

 

Week One Nebraska 45 - Western Michigan 17

 

Why Nebraska will win: Two streaks survived the Callahan Era: The sellout streak, and the home

opener streak. The crowd will be too much for the Bronco's to handle. The first game of the Pelini

era will get out of hand early and the second stringers will get valuable experience.

 

X-Factor: Crowd Noise

 

Week Two Nebraska 42 – San Jose State 24

 

Why Nebraska will win: San Jose St. has been outscored 351-108 by teams from BCS conferences in the

last five years. This game will have similar results to the game in 2000.

 

X-Factor: Focus and Preperation.

 

Week Three Nebraska 27 – New Mexico State 13

 

Why Nebraska will win: Pelini will pressure Holbrook from every angle and force him to throw

interceptions. Lucky and Helu will wear down the Aggie defense and slowly pull away. This game

will be closer than many think.

 

X-Factor: The Offensive Line

 

Week Four Virginia Tech 17 - Nebraska 9

 

Why Virginia Tech will win: Defense and Special Teams. Frank Beamer will outcoach BO however this

game won't have the same chain reaction as the loss to USC last year. The fans will enjoy a good competitive game but the Huskers will come up just short.

 

X-Factor: Special Teams

 

Week Five Missouri 45 – Nebraska - 34

 

Why Missouri will win: The Tigers have a better, more experienced team than Nebraska but the

Game will be closer than most expect. However Missouri's offense outduels Nebraska's and the

Tigers win in Linocln for the first time since 1978.

 

X-Factor: Jeremy Maclin

 

Week Six Nebraska 31 - Texas Tech 17

 

Why Nebraska will win: Under Leach Texas Tech hit a ceiling. A one dementional offense will be

too easy for Bo to stop and Shawn Watson's offense will have a field day with the TTech Defense.

Nebraska will be a mediocre 3-2 heading into this game however will still be by far the toughest

team tech will have faced up to that point.

 

X-Factor: Turnovers

 

Week Seven Nebraska 20 - Iowa State 17

 

Why Nebraska will win: Nebraska takes this game purely on being better than Iowa St. The Cyclones

are on the rise but they just won't have the talent to square up with a Nebraska team fresh

off one of the toughest three game stretches in college football, however ISU stays in it until

the end because it's in Ames.

 

X-Factor: First game on a Grass Field.

 

Week Eight Nebraska 55 – Baylor 20

 

Why Nebraska will win: IT'S BAYLOR... Not to mention they have a new coaching staff who brings

a way different system to Baylor similar to New Mexico St. and Texas Tech's but will not have the

right players in place.

 

X-Factor: The Backup quarterback.

 

Week Nine Oklahoma 42 – Nebraska 10

 

Why Oklahoma will win: Top to bottom Oklahoma is better than Nebraska. Coaching is

better, quarterback is better, recievers are better, O-line is better, The entire Defense

is better. Horrible Mismatch for the Huskers.

 

X-Factor: Coaching

 

Week Ten Nebraska 38 – Kansas 28

 

Why Nebraska will win: Kansas 1968 record 9-2 1969 record 1-9; 1981 record 8-4

1982 record 2-7-2; 1995 record 10-2 1996 record 4-7. Three of the four best seasons

in the last 40 years for Kansas, the other 2007... not to mention the jayhawks

haven't won in Lincoln since 1968.

 

X-Factor: Memorial Stadium

 

Week Eleven Nebraska 24 – Kansas State 6

 

Why Nebraska will win: If Pelini adjusts his coaching style to be more like Cosgrove's Nebraska

will win this game handily. Call me crazy but Ron Prince takes advantage of overaggressive defenses with his use of trick plays. If the Huskers use a lot of Man-to-Man defenses instead of swarming to the

ball this one could get ugly.

 

X-Factor: follow assignments.

 

Week Twelve Colorado 21 - Nebraska 20

 

Why Colorado will win: Coming into the game Nebraska will be 8-3 and 5-2 in conference while

Colorado will be 5-6 and 4-4 in conference. The game will mean more to the Buffaloes who will be fighting for a bowl betth will salvage their season with a win over the huskers sneaking them into the Independence Bowl

 

X-Factor: Desire

 

Alamo Bowl: Nebraska 35 Michigan St. 14

 

Why Nebraska will win: At 8-4 Pelini will go back to the Alamo Bowl and again it will be against a much

better Michigan St. team. However a much improved run defense shuts down javon ringer, thus shutting

down the MSU offense. Joe Ganz picks apart a mediocre Big 10 defense en route to victory. The victory

puts Nebraska at 4-0 this decade in the Alamo Bowl and 0-3 in all other bowls.

 

X-Factor: Nebraska in San Antonio.

[Back In Black]

good read i really like the predictions, but i think we can score more on OU, and i really think we beat CU

[Bleeding Husker Red]

I'm gonna call you out on the CU prediction. CU winning in Lincoln? Ain't gonna happen. By all right NU should have been able to win last year in boulder. The buffs will have to be a LOT better this year in Lincoln. They won't be THAT much better of a team than they were last year. And by the time the game rolls around Pelini will have the defense up to speed.

 

 

Nu 27 - CU 14.

[hosker]

I agree with mostly everything, except a few things........

 

we can't score on VaTech, but we can score on a Mizzou D that has 10 starters returning?

 

we can stop TTech's one dimensional O in Lubbock, but give up 17 to a VaTech O thats as thin a tissue paper........ in Lincoln?

 

I like the CU prediction, because they can beat us (that can be said of any opponent),but I don't think it'll happen. I just think Pelini will go out of his way to get our players ready for this rivalry game(0-3 against rivals in his first year? yeah, thats not going to happen).

 

 

 

Just my 2 cents worth......... Not that it has any value.

[dustinl15]

Good read, I really like the predictions but..............

 

I don't think we can hold Texas Tech to 17 points especially on there home field. I think that one could be really close......recall the A&M game a couple years back.

 

I can also see the colorado game being very close, with them looking to get into a bowl game but we get the W after last years game.

[papersun87]

Lose to CU? NEVER!!

[hack]

Week Five Missouri 45 – Nebraska - 34

 

 

wrong.

 

i don't care how much talent they got. it missouri in lincoln. it ain't happenin'.

[Husker_x]

Good predictions. I like that some research went into these.

 

Points of difference:

 

Virginia Tech: I think the VA Tech game is ripe for the picking. They are weakest on defense where we need them to be weakest, and as far as I can see they won't be fielding an offense next year. Kunalic and Dr. Titchner will deliver a crushing blow to their special teams units. We should do more than just hang with them this year. Add home field advantage and a key turnover or two in the first half, we could beat them soundly.

 

Texas Tech: While I admire the optimism, I'm just not THAT confident in our defense yet. Our own running game is the best shot we have to keep that one close.

 

Mizzery: While this is a likely loss, the 45 number may be a bit high. By this time the blackshirts will be in their groove on their own field.

 

Colorado: No, Colorado will not win. Period. No matter how many babies they drown in the river, or how many voodoo charm bracelets the hippies wear, in Lincoln, our last game of the regular season, with vengeance on the brain for that score-a-thon last season, CU will be crushed.

[real'97champs]

There is obviously nobody on this board who is going to agree with me 100%. I like the good mix of feedback keep it comin'.

[JGS30]

There is obviously nobody on this board who is going to agree with me 100%. I like the good mix of feedback keep it comin'.

 

I'm not going to agree with most of your predictions. KU, TTech and MU will smoke Nebraska. The more I research it, the more I'm convinced that Nebraska will be in some serious trouble in these games. KU is bigger, stronger, faster, more disciplined and more experienced than Nebraska. They won't, and haven't been intimidated by the lincoln crowd the last several trips. You won't beat Reesing and my Hawks. We hung 76 on you last year and our team is even better. Who is gonna tackle us? Bo?

 

No way you guys lose to V-Tech and beat KU and TTech. That's just stupid. Tech and KU would beat V-Tech this year hands down. You need to go back and do some research.

 

Oh, and is Bo planning to strap on shoulder pads and a helmet? I don't care who you are, or what you've done in the past, if you don't have YOUR players in YOUR system them it's going to be difficult to have success. Just look at records past of first year coaches. It's not pretty, especially in the big 12. Be happy if your squad goes 7-5. But no wins vs the top tier of the big 12, at least not this year for the huskers.

[captain obvious]

There is obviously nobody on this board who is going to agree with me 100%. I like the good mix of feedback keep it comin'.

 

I'm not going to agree with most of your predictions. KU, TTech and MU will smoke Nebraska. The more I research it, the more I'm convinced that Nebraska will be in some serious trouble in these games. KU is bigger, stronger, faster, more disciplined and more experienced than Nebraska. They won't, and haven't been intimidated by the lincoln crowd the last several trips. You won't beat Reesing and my Hawks. We hung 76 on you last year and our team is even better. Who is gonna tackle us? Bo?

 

No way you guys lose to V-Tech and beat KU and TTech. That's just stupid. Tech and KU would beat V-Tech this year hands down. You need to go back and do some research.

 

Oh, and is Bo planning to strap on shoulder pads and a helmet? I don't care who you are, or what you've done in the past, if you don't have YOUR players in YOUR system them it's going to be difficult to have success. Just look at records past of first year coaches. It's not pretty, especially in the big 12. Be happy if your squad goes 7-5. But no wins vs the top tier of the big 12, at least not this year for the huskers.

 

Dude, do you think you could, um, like, tone down the whole BEING A DICK thing? Just a little bit? I know you're a Jayhawk with team pride and all that stuff. Disagreeing is understandable. Just stop talking down to people.

 

Thnx.

[HuskerExpat]

Not going to argue with the logic, because I think it is sound and can be reasonably supported. I'm hoping for a better year, and I think it can happen, but will not definitely happen. Of course, that's why they play the games....

[Husker_x]

 

KU is bigger, stronger, faster, more disciplined and more experienced than Nebraska. They won't, and haven't been intimidated by the lincoln crowd the last several trips. You won't beat Reesing and my Hawks. We hung 76 on you last year and our team is even better. Who is gonna tackle us? Bo?

 

 

JayHawk Syndrome (n.): A pervasive self-serving delusion of grandeur stemming from an overrated seasonal burst shortly after the turn of the 21st century. Symptoms include sharp spike in self confidence, an inability to judge schedule strengths, and a general disregard for rational expectations.

[real'97champs]

There is obviously nobody on this board who is going to agree with me 100%. I like the good mix of feedback keep it comin'.

KU is bigger, stronger, faster, more disciplined and more experienced than Nebraska. They won't, and haven't been intimidated by the lincoln crowd the last several trips. You won't beat Reesing and my Hawks. We hung 76 on you last year and our team is even better. Who is gonna tackle us? Bo?

 

Oh, and is Bo planning to strap on shoulder pads and a helmet? I don't care who you are, or what you've done in the past, if you don't have YOUR players in YOUR system them it's going to be difficult to have success. Just look at records past of first year coaches. It's not pretty, especially in the big 12. Be happy if your squad goes 7-5. But no wins vs the top tier of the big 12, at least not this year for the huskers.

 

Bigger, Stronger, faster? BETTER THAN LAST YEAR???????? You want some research? Kansas lost its starting running back, their best offensive lineman, their best defender and pulled in a stellar #58 recruiting class. Not to mention they have Oklahoma, Texas, TTech and So. Florida. Since I'm in a prediction kind of mood, Kansas won't win a game after Oct. 11 and will finish the year 5-7.

[Husker_x]

There is obviously nobody on this board who is going to agree with me 100%. I like the good mix of feedback keep it comin'.

KU is bigger, stronger, faster, more disciplined and more experienced than Nebraska. They won't, and haven't been intimidated by the lincoln crowd the last several trips. You won't beat Reesing and my Hawks. We hung 76 on you last year and our team is even better. Who is gonna tackle us? Bo?

 

Oh, and is Bo planning to strap on shoulder pads and a helmet? I don't care who you are, or what you've done in the past, if you don't have YOUR players in YOUR system them it's going to be difficult to have success. Just look at records past of first year coaches. It's not pretty, especially in the big 12. Be happy if your squad goes 7-5. But no wins vs the top tier of the big 12, at least not this year for the huskers.

 

Bigger, Stronger, faster? BETTER THAN LAST YEAR???????? You want some research? Kansas lost its starting running back, their best offensive lineman, their best defender and pulled in a stellar #58 recruiting class. Not to mention they have Oklahoma, Texas, TTech and So. Florida. Since I'm in a prediction kind of mood, Kansas won't win a game after Oct. 11 and will finish the year 5-7.