Huskers end season unranked in AP, coaches polls

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Good motivator.

[junior4949]

I'da thought Utah would place higher in the coaches poll...strength of schedule strikes again I guess. As far as NU...meh...not too surprising, I doubt Bo is too distraught over it. We'll get there.

 

You don't think beating the final ranked #6 team (Alabama) and the #7 team (TCU) is good enough? Texas ended #3 and only beat one top 10 team. Florida that ended up #1 by beating the #5 (OU) and #10 (Georgia) with a cumulative average a full point in ranking behind Utah, and they lost a game at home. Utah got the biggest shaft ever in D1 because they were the only team to go undefeated and beat the powerhouse teams only to take one straight up the tailpipe from the BCS. It's not like they ended up #2 being on a level playing field because Florida was a 1 loss team which makes Utah superior to them. It's not like they beat Alabama on a fluke play or anything. They dominated the OL and DL of scrimmage. They beat Alabama worse than Florida beat them. Totally a shame if you ask me what happened to Utah. They did everything exactly how you're supposed to in order to win a NC, and they get passed over by a one loss team. At the very least, they should have been co-NC.

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Of Iowas losses, 1 was in the final top 25. This is the only beef I have. That, and LSU getting more votes than us.

 

agreed like i say last night. LSU getting more votes than us was like... uhh '

 

 

 

 

 

One of the only reasons I can see Iowa at #20 is because they upset Penn State.

 

no doubt a big win, but they struggled badly the first of the year.

 

uh...

 

wrong.

 

first of the year? Iowa beat three creampuffs to a pulp to go 3-0.

 

week four they lost to a ranked Pitt team by one point.

 

Losing four games all season by a total of 12 points isn't struggling. More like crappy luck.

 

QB turnovers were the bulk of the problem, 3 each vs Pitt, Illinois and Mich ST., 5 vs NW, but as Stanzi started getting his shiite together, the hawks started rolling.

 

#33 in scoring offense 30.3 ppg.

 

the defense was SOLID all season.

 

Nationally, #5 in scoring defense and #12 in total defense.

 

 

 

 

Or inability to finish games and have a killer instinct.

[SkullandBones]

I'da thought Utah would place higher in the coaches poll...strength of schedule strikes again I guess. As far as NU...meh...not too surprising, I doubt Bo is too distraught over it. We'll get there.

 

You don't think beating the final ranked #6 team (Alabama) and the #7 team (TCU) is good enough? Texas ended #3 and only beat one top 10 team. Florida that ended up #1 by beating the #5 (OU) and #10 (Georgia) with a cumulative average a full point in ranking behind Utah, and they lost a game at home. Utah got the biggest shaft ever in D1 because they were the only team to go undefeated and beat the powerhouse teams only to take one straight up the tailpipe from the BCS. It's not like they ended up #2 being on a level playing field because Florida was a 1 loss team which makes Utah superior to them. It's not like they beat Alabama on a fluke play or anything. They dominated the OL and DL of scrimmage. They beat Alabama worse than Florida beat them. Totally a shame if you ask me what happened to Utah. They did everything exactly how you're supposed to in order to win a NC, and they get passed over by a one loss team. At the very least, they should have been co-NC.

 

I agree a hundred percent.

[Ohio Pete]

I'da thought Utah would place higher in the coaches poll...strength of schedule strikes again I guess. As far as NU...meh...not too surprising, I doubt Bo is too distraught over it. We'll get there.

 

You don't think beating the final ranked #6 team (Alabama) and the #7 team (TCU) is good enough? Texas ended #3 and only beat one top 10 team. Florida that ended up #1 by beating the #5 (OU) and #10 (Georgia) with a cumulative average a full point in ranking behind Utah, and they lost a game at home. Utah got the biggest shaft ever in D1 because they were the only team to go undefeated and beat the powerhouse teams only to take one straight up the tailpipe from the BCS. It's not like they ended up #2 being on a level playing field because Florida was a 1 loss team which makes Utah superior to them. It's not like they beat Alabama on a fluke play or anything. They dominated the OL and DL of scrimmage. They beat Alabama worse than Florida beat them. Totally a shame if you ask me what happened to Utah. They did everything exactly how you're supposed to in order to win a NC, and they get passed over by a one loss team. At the very least, they should have been co-NC.

 

I agree a hundred percent.

Looked awesome against New Mexico.

[DCHusker]

I'd like to see who some of the other 4-loss teams played.

 

All of our losses were against teams rated in the final top 20. I doubt some of the other teams there did it that hard.

 

 

And none of our wins were against the Top 25.

 

That said, I'm surprised to see BYU, Mich St, Cal, and Pitt ahead of us. Thought we might be ahead of GT too. I knew all those teams were sort of in the same zone, but expected us to fall somewhere in the middle of them instead of at the bottom of the pile....

 

LSU is just inexplicable....

[Ohio Pete]

And none of our wins were against the Top 25.

 

That said, I'm surprised to see BYU, Mich St, Cal, and Pitt ahead of us. Thought we might be ahead of GT too. I knew all those teams were sort of in the same zone, but expected us to fall somewhere in the middle of them instead of at the bottom of the pile....

 

LSU is just inexplicable....

No one involved in that mess of a bowl game between Pitt and Oregon State deserves to be ranked. Whoever put them on a ballot must be heavily sedated.

 

FYI Pitt lost to Bowling Green, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and Oregon State. They beat Iowa, South Florida, and West Virginia among others.

[Hunter94]

Huskers end season unranked in AP, coaches polls

 

By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Jan 09, 2009 - 02:09:24 am CST

 

Nebraska fell short of the national rankings when the final football polls were released around the midnight hour.

 

The Huskers received 64 points in The Associated Press poll (the equivalent of a ranking of 29th) and 62 points in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (a ranking of 30th).

 

After a 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson, it was wondered if the Huskers (9-4) might find their way into the rankings for the first time since the first week of October last year.

 

Nebraska hasn’t finished a year ranked since after the 2005 season when an Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan vaulted NU to 24th in both polls.

 

The AP rankings:

 

1. Florida (48) 13-1 1,606 points

 

2. Utah (16) 13-0 1,519

 

3. USC (1) 12-1 1,481

 

4. Texas 12-1 1,478

 

5. Oklahoma 12-2 1,391

 

6. Alabama 12-2 1,264

 

7. TCU 11-2 1,193

 

8. Penn State 11-2 1,153

 

9. Ohio State 10-3 1,013

 

10. Oregon 10-3 997

 

11. Boise State 12-1 938

 

12. Texas Tech 11-2 916

 

13. Georgia 10-3 903

 

14. Mississippi 9-4 857

 

15. Virginia Tech 10-4 713

 

16. Oklahoma State 9-4 534

 

17. Cincinnati 11-3 506

 

18. Oregon State 9-4 467

 

19. Missouri 10-4 435

 

20. Iowa 9-4 317

 

21. Florida State 9-4 246

 

22. Georgia Tech 9-4 223

 

23. West Virginia 9-4 144

 

24. Michigan State 9-4 138

 

25. Brigham Young 10-3 137

 

Others receiving votes:

 

California 128, Pittsburgh 106, LSU 95, Nebraska 64, Tulsa 61, Northwestern 53, Ball State 13, Boston College 11, Rutgers 11, Rice 8, Arizona 4, Kansas 2.

 

The USA Today coaches' poll:

 

1. Florida (60) 13-1 1,524

 

2. Southern California 12-1 1,393

 

3. Texas 12-1 1,389

 

4. Utah (1) 13-0 1,375

 

5. Oklahoma 12-2 1,333

 

6. Alabama 12-2 1,157

 

7. TCU 11-2 1,114

 

8. Penn State 11-2 1,091

 

9. Oregon 10-3 1,011

 

10. Georgia 10-3 904

 

11. Ohio State 10-3 874

 

12. Texas Tech 11-2 867

 

13. Boise State 12-1 809

 

14. Virginia Tech 10-4 740

 

15. Mississippi 9-4 620

 

16. Missouri 10-4 549

 

17. Cincinnati 11-3 493

 

18. Oklahoma State 9-4 480

 

19. Oregon State 9-4 407

 

20. Iowa 9-4 250

 

21. Brigham Young 10-3 248

 

22. Georgia Tech 9-4 219

 

23. Florida State 9-4 217

 

24. Michigan State 9-4 179

 

25. California 9-4 116

 

Others receiving votes:

 

West Virginia 101, Tulsa 68, LSU 65, Northwestern 63, Nebraska 62, Pittsburgh 38, Arizona 21, Ball State 14, Rice 14, Boston College 6, Rutgers 5, Kansas 3, Kentucky 3, Connecticut 2, Houston 1.

 

 

I don't mind this...we can go into next season flying under the radar, and it will motivate some of our players and coaches.

 

 

true, but we have a lot of holes to fill in 2009......as well as we played and as much progress as we made, we are rebuilding with new players, thankfully we have a system in place and the young guys have been in it for a year......so yeah, we really are just getting started in a new system.....

[hack]

rank will come when nebraska deserves it.

 

nebraska starts beating ranked teams, that will all change.

[junior4949]

I'da thought Utah would place higher in the coaches poll...strength of schedule strikes again I guess. As far as NU...meh...not too surprising, I doubt Bo is too distraught over it. We'll get there.

 

You don't think beating the final ranked #6 team (Alabama) and the #7 team (TCU) is good enough? Texas ended #3 and only beat one top 10 team. Florida that ended up #1 by beating the #5 (OU) and #10 (Georgia) with a cumulative average a full point in ranking behind Utah, and they lost a game at home. Utah got the biggest shaft ever in D1 because they were the only team to go undefeated and beat the powerhouse teams only to take one straight up the tailpipe from the BCS. It's not like they ended up #2 being on a level playing field because Florida was a 1 loss team which makes Utah superior to them. It's not like they beat Alabama on a fluke play or anything. They dominated the OL and DL of scrimmage. They beat Alabama worse than Florida beat them. Totally a shame if you ask me what happened to Utah. They did everything exactly how you're supposed to in order to win a NC, and they get passed over by a one loss team. At the very least, they should have been co-NC.

 

I agree a hundred percent.

Looked awesome against New Mexico.

 

They looked a hell of a lot better than Florida did playing in their own backyard against Ole Miss!

[junior4949]

Btw, people need to back off the argument of how teams looked against other teams even though finishing undefeated because I specifically remember how crappy we looked during the 97' season against Mizzou. Undefeated is still undefeated no matter how you slice it.

[clone]

Iowa unranked one week and breaking the polls at 20 after a win against a sub-par opponent is a joke...

 

uh..

 

pay attention much?

 

nearly a month ago... Iowa was unranked (they were on the edge of cracking the poll) going into the bowls, they didn't update the polls until AFTER the bowls.

 

wasn't one week to the next, it was from the last week of regular season games until the smoke cleared from the bowl games.

 

I was nice to see them ranked at #20.

 

BTW- I too wanted a hawk/husker matchup!!

 

Oh sorry - I should have said "Iowa was NEVER ranked this year (preseason and regular season), and with a win against a sub-par opponent, they jump to #20". Happy?

 

I'm very happy with the #20 ranking, but it sounds like you have a bone to pick with the voters in both polls.

 

good luck with that.

[holvy83]

Iowa unranked one week and breaking the polls at 20 after a win against a sub-par opponent is a joke...

 

uh..

 

pay attention much?

 

nearly a month ago... Iowa was unranked (they were on the edge of cracking the poll) going into the bowls, they didn't update the polls until AFTER the bowls.

 

wasn't one week to the next, it was from the last week of regular season games until the smoke cleared from the bowl games.

 

I was nice to see them ranked at #20.

 

BTW- I too wanted a hawk/husker matchup!!

 

Oh sorry - I should have said "Iowa was NEVER ranked this year (preseason and regular season), and with a win against a sub-par opponent, they jump to #20". Happy?

 

I'm very happy with the #20 ranking, but it sounds like you have a bone to pick with the voters in both polls.

 

good luck with that.

Clone, with a name like that i pegged you for an ISU guy! Don't you know Iowa is the Cyclone State! Just messin i have no love for the hawks, but can't deny they had a good season. just hated seeing them do so well when NU was going in the other direction. It would have been cool if they met in a bowl to see who gets ranked in the battle of 8-4's.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I don't agree with the polls, but what I think doesn't really matter. I thought for sure we would be #23 or #24, but here's to Bo getting the guys fired up next season and killing some teams.

[holvy83]

I don't agree with the polls, but what I think doesn't really matter. I thought for sure we would be #23 or #24, but here's to Bo getting the guys fired up next season and killing some teams.