I am confused by WMU comments that abound here

[EbylHusker]

Man, I have to say, as much as I like KU football and think they will have a good season, even I'm getting f'ing tired of hearing about them.

[HuskerTrucker]

KU's schedule WAS weak. They lucked out by not drawing Oklahoma OR Texas, and that helped them out a bunch on their way to a nonetheless outstanding season.

 

But jayhawk's point is no less valid. There's been a lot of "WMU is good", "don't count out WMU", "we better watch out for WMU" on this board. Well, then either jayhawk's analysis of WMU is 180 degrees off base or we have no right to hope for a winning season if we're this worried about WMU. One of those two.

BAH!!!

We will destroy WMU. How dare they mock our Blackshirts by naming their defense the "goldshirts"!!! They will rue the day that they said we could be "dangerous" opponent not to be taken lightly!!!

 

But seriously...we will beat them. We may stumble a bit at the start, but by the second half I don't think it will be as close as some think.

Don't think we have much room to be overconfident until we actually see what we have on defense. And the offense we had last year may not get off to that kind of a start, who knows.

 

Any other year, this game shouldn't have even been scheduled. But thanks to Peterson and Callahan wanting an easy schedule to bolster the numbers they thought they could get, we got a break this year with the scheduling. Even if we were to win out, there would be an outcry from all the national media that we didn't play anyone therefore should not be Number oNe. In all fairness, KU should have heard that same outcry last year, but then they shocked everyone by winning at all.

 

I think even Bo is nervous about what we are going to be able to put on the field this year after reading comments on what his reaction to yesterdays practice was. But I also think that he won't just let the players slide, he will light a fire under their butts and make them put out at 110% - which may not be enough to even win the North if the talent is as shallow as the projected depth charts suggest.

 

It took 4 years to get to the point where our defense was ranked among the worst in the NCAA. We aren't going to totally fix that overnight. We can get a good start, but it is going to take some time and some good recruiting.

 

So, playing Western Michigan may be a challenge we may not want to overlook, otherwise we will be looking at 0-1 this year. Granted, their record last year wasn't that great, but they will be coming with the attitude that they have nothing to lose...so we better be ready to strap it on with them or be strapped.

[HuskerTrucker]

Bah...days of worrying about Kansas and their ultimate success against a bunch of push-overs last year are long past and I have no interest in rehashing the old "Our schedule wasn't weak!" nonsense any more. Your 2007 season is officially history. This is 2008 baby...time to do it on the field! I'm ready to see NU crush Western Michigan and I'm ready to see the Cyclones crush South Dakota State and I could care less about Kansas until they show up in Ames in five weeks and we bring down the mighty I-beam of destruction on the Jayhawks to mark the beginning of the end of your one-year joyride...

Just for shots and giggles, anyone know what the line is for the Iowa State-South Dakota game? I might want to make a bet with Cy on that game...

[wmsam04]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

[HuskerTrucker]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

I truly wish Western Michigan all the luck in the world this year...after the Nebraska game. If they do well, then it looks good for Nebraska. So after the Nebraska game, I will be kind of a WM fan myself sort of, kind of.

[Cy the Cyclone]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

I truly wish Western Michigan all the luck in the world this year...after the Nebraska game. If they do well, then it looks good for Nebraska. So after the Nebraska game, I will be kind of a WM fan myself sort of, kind of.

 

I like any team that beats Iowa...except when they play Nebraska...after which I may or may not like them again....but, frankly, after this weekend, I probably won't give them a second thought.

[Igetbored216]

Fact 1 - Central Michigan is a mediocre opponent - but easily better than Western Michigan, who is weak

 

90% of this board mock KU's schedule last fall, and one of our easiest games was MAC champion Central Michigan. They Beat Western Michigan, at Western Michigan, and barely lost to Purdue (by 3, 51-49) in the Motor City Bowl. They also beat Nebraska favorite Ball State by 20, at Ball State. Despite this, KU beat Central Michigan 52-7. Despite the MAC title, and the size of the victory, I have been told that our schedule was weak, and this is an example, because Centeral Michigan is no good despite the accomplishments they made. I just had to get that off my chest, as hypocrisy annoys me. Now on to the important Husker focused Parts....

 

Fact 2 - Western Michigan is NOT good, see write up/

 

See fact 1, but Western Michigan was by no measure as good as Central Michigan. They lost to them at home, they did not beat a single team in he MAC that CM did not also beat, and they won TWO games last year in the MAC. TWO. While I know it is the first game under a new regime, and that is fraught with danger, these guys have not done ANYTHING save for beating Iowa last year. Not that this was not a good win, but it is about the only thing that went right for them by a LONG, LONG, way. Did I mention Iowa was not good last year? DId I mention that everyone thinks Central Michigan was a joke for KU, and is a lot better than Western Michigan (just checking that I hit those points)

 

Fact 3 - If NU is going to be good, which most of you take as a fact they will be at least better than last year by a few wins, they can't lose this game

 

I keep hearing how a lot of Husker fans are declaring our (KU's) imminent demise in Lincoln. Now I will have to be careful, as this fact only applies to a portion of you, and I recognize that. You do not all predict 9-3 or 10-2, but if you have ANY strong hope of a winning season, you would need to win a game like this. How can you all be so confident that Bo is great, that he prgram acan return to a winnning season, and worry about Western Michigan. I know the team should respect them, so they are ready to go, but as fans our fear of them does not help the team get ready. I think this is overblown hubbub.

 

Huskers by 14 is what i predicted over a month ago, and shockingly the spread came out.... 14

 

I am tooting my own horn, but you will win by about that, give or take, and it should be a decent start to the Bo era.

 

Have some freakin faith, it is not Michigan, it's not Michigan State, it's not even Central Michigan or Eastern Michigan (even Eastern Michigan beat Western Michgan, and won 3 MAC games).... They are the FIFTH best team in freaking Michigan. You all seriously need to get some swagger back, it's Nebraska! Remember, Go Big Red? Kicking KU in the teeth by 50? Playing in, and winning, National Title Games? Tommie Frazier running down the field laughing at Florida as he shed tacklers like the were 8 year old girls? You do still have some pretty good players, I read about them a lot on the board and have seen them play. Lucky is half way decent, we might even let him play if he came to KU, I think he is not bad for instance....

 

WESTERN MICHIGAN IS NOT GOOD. PLEASE STOP WORRYING AND FRETTING LIKE OLD WOMEN....

 

Thanks,

 

That's all.

 

I am Jayhawk and I approve this message

 

Oh man. The 2008 season needs to start to quiet the KU fans. But I think I'm done debating the fact that KU had a weak schedule last season. It's no use. We will just have to wait until KU loses a bunch of games for them to come off their cloud, or for them to prove me (and others) wrong. Don't see the latter happening, but hey, anything can happen in college football...even KU having two really good seasons in a row!

[wmsam04]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

I truly wish Western Michigan all the luck in the world this year...after the Nebraska game. If they do well, then it looks good for Nebraska. So after the Nebraska game, I will be kind of a WM fan myself sort of, kind of.

 

I like any team that beats Iowa...except when they play Nebraska...after which I may or may not like them again....but, frankly, after this weekend, I probably won't give them a second thought.

 

You'll probably think more about Western Michigan than I will about Iowa State

[junior4949]

It's quite simple if you ask me. WMU is the first game of the season. Anytime you play the first game of the season, you should be concerned. Look what happened to Michigan last year, and they ended up having a much better season than we did. Look what happened to VT. They got completely manhandled by LSU. The first game of the season shows who's ready and who's not ready. The reason I'm concerned about being ready or not stems from a complete overhaul of coaches, defense, and mentality. I think any fan is foolish if they are not concerned about the first game of the season. CU would have played Miami for the NC in 2001 had it not been for a couple of early losses. It took Bowden forever to get to the NC game because year in and year out he made a living off of laying an egg in his first 3 games nearly every season.

[robsker]

Fact 1 - Central Michigan is a mediocre opponent - but easily better than Western Michigan, who is weak

 

90% of this board mock KU's schedule last fall, and one of our easiest games was MAC champion Central Michigan. They Beat Western Michigan, at Western Michigan, and barely lost to Purdue (by 3, 51-49) in the Motor City Bowl. They also beat Nebraska favorite Ball State by 20, at Ball State. Despite this, KU beat Central Michigan 52-7. Despite the MAC title, and the size of the victory, I have been told that our schedule was weak, and this is an example, because Centeral Michigan is no good despite the accomplishments they made. I just had to get that off my chest, as hypocrisy annoys me. Now on to the important Husker focused Parts....

 

Fact 2 - Western Michigan is NOT good, see write up/

 

See fact 1, but Western Michigan was by no measure as good as Central Michigan. They lost to them at home, they did not beat a single team in he MAC that CM did not also beat, and they won TWO games last year in the MAC. TWO. While I know it is the first game under a new regime, and that is fraught with danger, these guys have not done ANYTHING save for beating Iowa last year. Not that this was not a good win, but it is about the only thing that went right for them by a LONG, LONG, way. Did I mention Iowa was not good last year? DId I mention that everyone thinks Central Michigan was a joke for KU, and is a lot better than Western Michigan (just checking that I hit those points)

 

Fact 3 - If NU is going to be good, which most of you take as a fact they will be at least better than last year by a few wins, they can't lose this game

 

I keep hearing how a lot of Husker fans are declaring our (KU's) imminent demise in Lincoln. Now I will have to be careful, as this fact only applies to a portion of you, and I recognize that. You do not all predict 9-3 or 10-2, but if you have ANY strong hope of a winning season, you would need to win a game like this. How can you all be so confident that Bo is great, that he prgram acan return to a winnning season, and worry about Western Michigan. I know the team should respect them, so they are ready to go, but as fans our fear of them does not help the team get ready. I think this is overblown hubbub.

 

Huskers by 14 is what i predicted over a month ago, and shockingly the spread came out.... 14

 

I am tooting my own horn, but you will win by about that, give or take, and it should be a decent start to the Bo era.

 

Have some freakin faith, it is not Michigan, it's not Michigan State, it's not even Central Michigan or Eastern Michigan (even Eastern Michigan beat Western Michgan, and won 3 MAC games).... They are the FIFTH best team in freaking Michigan. You all seriously need to get some swagger back, it's Nebraska! Remember, Go Big Red? Kicking KU in the teeth by 50? Playing in, and winning, National Title Games? Tommie Frazier running down the field laughing at Florida as he shed tacklers like the were 8 year old girls? You do still have some pretty good players, I read about them a lot on the board and have seen them play. Lucky is half way decent, we might even let him play if he came to KU, I think he is not bad for instance....

 

WESTERN MICHIGAN IS NOT GOOD. PLEASE STOP WORRYING AND FRETTING LIKE OLD WOMEN....

 

Thanks,

 

That's all.

 

I am Jayhawk and I approve this message

 

Oh man. The 2008 season needs to start to quiet the KU fans. But I think I'm done debating the fact that KU had a weak schedule last season. It's no use. We will just have to wait until KU loses a bunch of games for them to come off their cloud, or for them to prove me (and others) wrong. Don't see the latter happening, but hey, anything can happen in college football...even KU having two really good seasons in a row!

 

 

OK. Speaking as a Husker fan of 20+ years I must say that I do not agree with the mindset that says we will not tolerate our neighbors having some success. For many, many years we Husker fans had much to celebrate and our neighbors at MU, KSU, and Kansas had little to revel in. Now, when we are down and KU and MU have had some success many NU fans begrudge them their time in the sun. It seems petty and wrong. That KU had a great season last year is great --- may the KU fans revel in it and may we not endeavor to begrudge them their right to celebrate their team's success. Same for MU. Are we so small minded and insecure that we cannot tolerate the sucess of others?

 

Just root for NU against everyone, root for the B12 North against the south, root for the B12 against non-conference foes and go from there. that seems the fair-minded thing to do. We're down now. We'll be back. Our neighbors are up now and so let them enjoy.

[RedDenver]

It's quite simple if you ask me. WMU is the first game of the season. Anytime you play the first game of the season, you should be concerned. Look what happened to Michigan last year, and they ended up having a much better season than we did. Look what happened to VT. They got completely manhandled by LSU. The first game of the season shows who's ready and who's not ready. The reason I'm concerned about being ready or not stems from a complete overhaul of coaches, defense, and mentality. I think any fan is foolish if they are not concerned about the first game of the season. CU would have played Miami for the NC in 2001 had it not been for a couple of early losses. It took Bowden forever to get to the NC game because year in and year out he made a living off of laying an egg in his first 3 games nearly every season.

Ding ding ding!

 

I think the entire basis of jayhawk's argument points to the fact that KU and Mizzou fans don't know what life is like once you're on top. EVERY team can be dangerous. In 1992, after absolutely destroying 2 top ten teams (KU and CU) in back-to-back weeks, the Huskers lost to lowly ISU. A 3-9 team can make their entire season by knocking off a top team - and they will put out more effort than anyone suspects. WMU could finish 5-7 or worse, but everyone will remember if they knock off the Huskers. The same thing is going to happen to KU and MU this year. Can they ignore the hype and produce week after week? I doubt it. But that's why we play the games.

[dspanther05]

OK. Speaking as a Husker fan of 20+ years I must say that I do not agree with the mindset that says we will not tolerate our neighbors having some success. For many, many years we Husker fans had much to celebrate and our neighbors at MU, KSU, and Kansas had little to revel in. Now, when we are down and KU and MU have had some success many NU fans begrudge them their time in the sun. It seems petty and wrong. That KU had a great season last year is great --- may the KU fans revel in it and may we not endeavor to begrudge them their right to celebrate their team's success. Same for MU. Are we so small minded and insecure that we cannot tolerate the sucess of others?

 

Just root for NU against everyone, root for the B12 North against the south, root for the B12 against non-conference foes and go from there. that seems the fair-minded thing to do. We're down now. We'll be back. Our neighbors are up now and so let them enjoy.

 

Absolutely not. Try living in Kansas City where you have to listen to both Mizzou // Jayhawk fans. The sooner these programs crawl back under the rocks they came from, the happier I'll be. Those who don't have to experience the arrogance of MU // KU fans, know not what they speak of.

[Cy the Cyclone]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

I truly wish Western Michigan all the luck in the world this year...after the Nebraska game. If they do well, then it looks good for Nebraska. So after the Nebraska game, I will be kind of a WM fan myself sort of, kind of.

 

I like any team that beats Iowa...except when they play Nebraska...after which I may or may not like them again....but, frankly, after this weekend, I probably won't give them a second thought.

 

You'll probably think more about Western Michigan than I will about Iowa State

 

Ouch! Smack talk from the U.P.....

[robsker]

OK. Speaking as a Husker fan of 20+ years I must say that I do not agree with the mindset that says we will not tolerate our neighbors having some success. For many, many years we Husker fans had much to celebrate and our neighbors at MU, KSU, and Kansas had little to revel in. Now, when we are down and KU and MU have had some success many NU fans begrudge them their time in the sun. It seems petty and wrong. That KU had a great season last year is great --- may the KU fans revel in it and may we not endeavor to begrudge them their right to celebrate their team's success. Same for MU. Are we so small minded and insecure that we cannot tolerate the sucess of others?

 

Just root for NU against everyone, root for the B12 North against the south, root for the B12 against non-conference foes and go from there. that seems the fair-minded thing to do. We're down now. We'll be back. Our neighbors are up now and so let them enjoy.

 

Absolutely not. Try living in Kansas City where you have to listen to both Mizzou // Jayhawk fans. The sooner these programs crawl back under the rocks they came from, the happier I'll be. Those who don't have to experience the arrogance of MU // KU fans, know not what they speak of.

 

And the arrogance of NU fans? Nonexistent, right?

[Apathy]

This Kansas fan is making a comparison based on having a very narrow understanding of what he is talking about.

 

Central Michigan beat Western Michigan last year on a controversial call with 14 seconds left. It was a tough game for us to deal with and still hard to admit they were/are better. So let me tear their 07 team down a little bit. CMU lost 6 games. They lost at home by 30 points to a FCS North Dakota State team. Clemson scored 70 points on them...70, and the didn't even beat a decent team in the MACC. They beat a 6-7 team.

 

WMU won 3 games in the MAC last year not 2, and 3 games were lost on the last drive 2 on the last play. Tell me if you have ever seen anything like this before:

We ended up with a 5-7 team that failed to meat its expectations as pre season MAC favorites coming off of a season in which we went to a bowl game. CMU ended up wining a MAC title with an 8-6 record making them one of the most suspect champions in recent memory.

 

Now I'm not saying that WMU is going to win the MAC this year, but I would be willing to bet with all the experienced players returning, and a far more manigible schedule that WMU is going to be a tougher opponent or at least equivalent to CMU in 07. So while Kansas can say they beat the 2007 MAC Champion to defend their pathetic OOC schedule it should be noted that there were no good MAC wins last year. It was a down year for the conference. This year the conference should be much stronger and WMU should rebound from last years 5-7 record and make a bowl game. Nebraska won't have to be embarassed to have played WMU in the final analysis.

 

WOW nicely written and well put. Welcome to the Board and good luck to your season after the Nebraska game.