BIG 12 NORTH PRESEASON FORECAST

[jayhawker]

 

I'm not trashing Bo here, I am one of the few outsiders of B12 fans that believes you guys got a great hire. He may not be the best HC in the B12 but he is exactly what Nub needed after the callahan debacle. I'm talking about your LB's and DB's. (i'm very worried about ours) If he does those little slants to meier or a longer slant to briscoe it could be a very long day for the blackshirts. Then you will have to drop Suh into coverage or put 3 on the L and that negates the whole reason you needed to do the quick slants, giving Reesing time to create something. Or what, Blitz the crap out of Reesing, please do. Granted it could go the other way and not work, but just on paper, i do not see how the blackshirts can stop it. And sharp is a good RB, if we can get you guys thinking pass every play Sharp will get some big runs, he did it against OU, I believe he avg 8.6 ypc that game. The problem that game was the OU O against the KU D, which has to improve, the season depends on it.

 

Sorry, jayhawker but your chickenhawks, just like last year, are going down!! In case you need a reminder, Here'swhat happened last year with a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Husker D.

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D. Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping. 76-39, now that's a stomping. Who was your biggest win last year? 8-5 KU, whom you state sucks, or 7-6 Clemson in a bowl game? That's you restoring the order? A 10 point win in Lincoln over a bad chickenhawk team?

 

PS. To the rest of the board, sorry, but that was just an uninspired post from socal.

[Igetbored216]

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D.

 

Why do you think they have improved?

 

Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping.

 

Potent only if your o-line can actually block. You keep avoiding this. All you said was there was two changes in the o-line. Okay, great. Assuming those changes turn out to be very good, what about the other three guys?

 

I just don't get it...

[SOCALHUSKER]

 

Sorry, jayhawker but your chickenhawks, just like last year, are going down!! In case you need a reminder, Here'swhat happened last year with a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Husker D.

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D. Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping. 76-39, now that's a stomping. Who was your biggest win last year? 8-5 KU, whom you state sucks, or 7-6 Clemson in a bowl game? That's you restoring the order? A 10 point win in Lincoln over a bad chickenhawk team?

 

PS. To the rest of the board, sorry, but that was just an uninspired post from socal.

 

You seem to be forgetting that we made the ultimate improvement after that debacle!! What improvements have you made since last year? That's all I'm asking for. Since you can't answer the question I can only assume you have none. Yes, 10 points isn't much, but guess what? It's still a W!!

 

You also admit that your team was bad last year, so if they haven't made any improvments, which is a question you refuse to answer, how do you figure they going to be better than last year?

 

PS - Was it uninspired because it happens to be the truth?

[jayhawker]

I agree that our D was average last year. But so was yours, look at scoring D if you do not believe me. And in the B12 you need good LB's and DB. Your biggest question mark on D. Do not forget that we lost our DC last year to Miami and also 2 all Americans off our D. So given the circumstances I think they played pretty well for about 10 of the 13 games. About the same as UNL's D. Don't get me wrong. I think the DL and the OL edge goes to Neb, but if you can't stop Reesing's passes your DL doesn't matter as KU uses quick reads to negate a heavy rushing D.

 

Yeah, Reesing won't be able to do quick passes all day long. I'm pretty sure Bo - one of the best defensive minds in college football - might catch onto that.

I'm not trashing Bo here, I am one of the few outsiders of B12 fans that believes you guys got a great hire. He may not be the best HC in the B12 but he is exactly what Nub needed after the callahan debacle. I'm talking about your LB's and DB's. (i'm very worried about ours) If he does those little slants to meier or a longer slant to briscoe it could be a very long day for the blackshirts. Then you will have to drop Suh into coverage or put 3 on the L and that negates the whole reason you needed to do the quick slants, giving Reesing time to create something. Or what, Blitz the crap out of Reesing, please do. Granted it could go the other way and not work, but just on paper, i do not see how the blackshirts can stop it. And sharp is a good RB, if we can get you guys thinking pass every play Sharp will get some big runs, he did it against OU, I believe he avg 8.6 ypc that game. The problem that game was the OU O against the KU D, which has to improve, the season depends on it.

Ah, welcome newb Jayhawk.

 

Drop Suh into coverage to cover the slant? I hope you were trying to be funny. Now lets talk "on paper" for a minute. Don't get me wrong, Reesing, Meier, and Brisco are a formidable combination, but it all starts up front. On paper Nebraska clearly has the advantage. Last year, Nebraska clearly dominated this battle, as Reesing was sacked 5 times. Keep in mind, Nebraska returns Suh (2.5 sacks against KU last year), Pierre Allen (1 sack against KU last year), and Barry Turner next year and they will be facing a very green KU O-line. I am not saying that we are going to run away with it, but if we can dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage, which on paper, seems likely, then we should win this game.

 

Agree, but with those 5 sacks unl still only won by 10 in Lincoln. Our biggest changes will be LT and C. Which is where we really needed help last year. I thought Suh could play every position on D. There is no question, KU has to play better on the OL, no question. I just do not see UNL scoring more points in Lawrence than what KU puts up. You will have a very inexperience O this next year. Are you going to run the ball and control the clock? The trio can score very fast and you will end up hurting yourselves by running out of time. KU needs to get up early and make UNL throw the ball.

[Igetbored216]

Agree, but with those 5 sacks unl still only won by 10 in Lincoln. Our biggest changes will be LT and C. Which is where we really needed help last year. I thought Suh could play every position on D. There is no question, KU has to play better on the OL, no question. I just do not see UNL scoring more points in Lawrence than what KU puts up. You will have a very inexperience O this next year. Are you going to run the ball and control the clock? The trio can score very fast and you will end up hurting yourselves by running out of time. KU needs to get up early and make UNL throw the ball.

 

If this is the only argument you can come up with about how KU has improved, then I already feel better about the game in Lawrence.

[jayhawker]

 

Sorry, jayhawker but your chickenhawks, just like last year, are going down!! In case you need a reminder, Here'swhat happened last year with a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Husker D.

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D. Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping. 76-39, now that's a stomping. Who was your biggest win last year? 8-5 KU, whom you state sucks, or 7-6 Clemson in a bowl game? That's you restoring the order? A 10 point win in Lincoln over a bad chickenhawk team?

 

PS. To the rest of the board, sorry, but that was just an uninspired post from socal.

 

You seem to be forgetting that we made the ultimate improvement after that debacle!! What improvements have you made since last year? That's all I'm asking for. Since you can't answer the question I can only assume you have none. Yes, 10 points isn't much, but guess what? It's still a W!!

 

You also admit that your team was bad last year, so if they haven't made any improvments, which you refuse to answer, how do you figure they going to be better than last year?

I did not say our team was bad last year. You did. I was just stating that your biggest win last year was against a team you say sucks.

What is this ultimate improvement you speak of? you barely beat CU in Lincoln the next game and then had problems beating Clemson in the bowl. KU returns 7 starters, probably the best B12 S in Stuckey. We got what on paper looks to be some upgrades on the DL through recruiting and the same on the OL. I do not put to much stock into the recruits until they do something, Mangino stated that the play of the OL was very improved this spring compared to last year.

[huKSer]

how come your newcomers can improve your team, but ridiculous that our will help us?

 

Here is how our average D line compared stat wise to your "best in the big12 d line"

 

Rushing D

#21 Nebraska 3.62 ypc

#28 KU 3.94 ypc

 

Tackles for Loss

#40 Nebraska 6.31 p/g

#40 KU 6.31 p/g

 

Sacks

#14 Nebraska 35 total

#40 KU 29 total

 

Wow, guess your D Line was pretty average last year. Hopefully you guys can improve that.

 

Maybe this is why we are optimistic:

 

points/game . . . . . .2007 . . . . . . . . . .2008

NU . . . . . . . . . . 37.9 (12th)------> 29.2 (6th)

KU . . . . . . . . . . 16.0 (1st)--------> 29.5 (9th)

 

yards/game

NU . . . . . . . . . .476.8 (12th)------> 361.5 (3rd)

KU . . . . . . . . . .318.3 (1st)--------> 402.2 (8th)

 

Rivals.com

 

Do you see any trends?

 

Hey mods, what is up with spacing/tabbing?

[knapplc]

Oklahoma just came off that loss to Texas the week before Kansas played them, and they were still figuring out how to deal with the loss of Ryan Reynolds, injured in the Texas game.

 

There is a context to every situation, and that's being ignored in this discussion. No games exist in a vacuum - they all relate to the games before and after them, and sometimes games two down the road.

[SOCALHUSKER]

 

Agree, but with those 5 sacks unl still only won by 10 in Lincoln. Our biggest changes will be LT and C. Which is where we really needed help last year. I thought Suh could play every position on D. There is no question, KU has to play better on the OL, no question. I just do not see UNL scoring more points in Lawrence than what KU puts up. You will have a very inexperience O this next year. Are you going to run the ball and control the clock? The trio can score very fast and you will end up hurting yourselves by running out of time. KU needs to get up early and make UNL throw the ball.

 

Where do you get this at? See my above post about the experience on offense. Sure, a few positions are inexperienced but that hardly equates to an entire unit being inexperienced.

 

To answer your question, yes, we will run the clock. That is how this team will operate offensively. It doesn't matter how quickly you score. If we follow that up with a long sustained drive it will be a long day for that horrible jayhawk D, and your offense won't see the field. Our defense will get a few stops. Sure there's no way to completely shut down your O, but they will make mistakes and when they do, the Huskers will capitalize.

 

You're forgetting that football is a balanced sport, with equal parts O and D. The Jayhawks have all O and no D. The Huskers have some O and some D. The team with the most balance wins, and that will be the Huskers.

[caveman99]

 

Agree, but with those 5 sacks unl still only won by 10 in Lincoln. Our biggest changes will be LT and C. Which is where we really needed help last year. I thought Suh could play every position on D. There is no question, KU has to play better on the OL, no question. I just do not see UNL scoring more points in Lawrence than what KU puts up. You will have a very inexperience O this next year. Are you going to run the ball and control the clock? The trio can score very fast and you will end up hurting yourselves by running out of time. KU needs to get up early and make UNL throw the ball.

 

Where do you get this at? See my above post about the experience on offense. Sure, a few positions are inexperienced but that hardly equates to an entire unit being inexperienced.

 

To answer your question, yes, we will run the clock. That is how this team will operate offensively. It doesn't matter how quickly you score. If we follow that up with a long sustained drive it will be a long day for that horrible jayhawk D, and your offense won't see the field. Our defense will get a few stops. Sure there's no way to completely shut down your O, but they will make mistakes and when they do, the Huskers will capitalize.

 

You're forgetting that football is a balanced sport, with equal parts O and D. The Jayhawks have all O and no D. The Huskers have some O and some D. The team with the most balance wins, and that will be the Huskers.

Yeah NU should actually have a fairly experienced O-Line this year. I am pretty sure NU is in the top 3 or 4 in the Big XII for the number of returning starts along the O-Line. Major losses were RT and RG, but at RT we have a player who played a ton and got a few starts last year when the starter was out hurt. The left side of the line and the Center are solid to very good. Hickman at Center is a stud. RG is really the only question mark, there is talent there but no one has stepped up and taken hold of the starting job. NU is stacked at TE so overall NU looks pretty good at O-Line. Combine that with the fact that NU may have the best stable of I-Backs in a few years in Helu and Castille and the run game will be very potent indeed this year. Last year NU was 2nd in the nation Time of Possession, I expect a similar level of success in this area again in 2009 with a heavy emphasis on the run game.

[MVPujols]

Is that KU fan still talking about 76-39? Come on man. We had a completely different coaching staff, and players who had quit on their coaches. It seems to me like you are saying something like this: "We will beat you guys, because we blew you out last time you came to Lawrence". Dont forget, KU fan, that our defense has been improving ever since Pelini came to town. Throughout last year, it got better and better. I know we have quite a few question marks on the defensive side, but I believe the blackshirts will continue to show improvement, despite this. Your defense, on the other hand, was great two years ago. Last year it got way worse, and now, I dont see any improvements that make me really scared of it for this year.

[SOCALHUSKER]

 

Sorry, jayhawker but your chickenhawks, just like last year, are going down!! In case you need a reminder, Here'swhat happened last year with a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Husker D.

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D. Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping. 76-39, now that's a stomping. Who was your biggest win last year? 8-5 KU, whom you state sucks, or 7-6 Clemson in a bowl game? That's you restoring the order? A 10 point win in Lincoln over a bad chickenhawk team?

 

PS. To the rest of the board, sorry, but that was just an uninspired post from socal.

 

You seem to be forgetting that we made the ultimate improvement after that debacle!! What improvements have you made since last year? That's all I'm asking for. Since you can't answer the question I can only assume you have none. Yes, 10 points isn't much, but guess what? It's still a W!!

 

You also admit that your team was bad last year, so if they haven't made any improvments, which you refuse to answer, how do you figure they going to be better than last year?

I did not say our team was bad last year. You did. I was just stating that your biggest win last year was against a team you say sucks.

What is this ultimate improvement you speak of? you barely beat CU in Lincoln the next game and then had problems beating Clemson in the bowl. KU returns 7 starters, probably the best B12 S in Stuckey. We got what on paper looks to be some upgrades on the DL through recruiting and the same on the OL. I do not put to much stock into the recruits until they do something, Mangino stated that the play of the OL was very improved this spring compared to last year.

 

You said inexperienced and not as talented. That means bad. If it has any other meaning please feel free? When I mentioned it about the Huskers, I said if we beat you when we were bad, how are you going to beat us when we are improved? Also, all our wins were big last year, the only possible exception was maybe the bowl game, which was icing on the cake. This was mainly because of momentum it created for this year and because it was polar opposite of the events that transpired the year before.

 

The ultimate improvement was the coaching change. The KU game, you brought up, was Clownahan's work and last year's win was Pelini's. What about that isn't an improvement? A coach who is accountable for his actions or a coach who isn't? Let's see a win or loss, which is better? You mentioned it yourself that it was a good hire, and on that I will agree. What does the CU and Clemson games, wins I might add, have to do with anything we were arguing?

 

Can you mention some names for any of those position improvements so I might check them out myself?

[caveman99]

 

Sorry, jayhawker but your chickenhawks, just like last year, are going down!! In case you need a reminder, Here'swhat happened last year with a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Husker D.

so, wanna see here what happened the last time UNL went to Lawrence. Don't get your point I guess. That also was last year when KU had a fairly inexperienced and definitely not as talented, Jayhawk D. Difference is KU returns a very potent O. 10 points is not that much to make up for, or are you one of those that think 45-35 is a stomping. 76-39, now that's a stomping. Who was your biggest win last year? 8-5 KU, whom you state sucks, or 7-6 Clemson in a bowl game? That's you restoring the order? A 10 point win in Lincoln over a bad chickenhawk team?

 

PS. To the rest of the board, sorry, but that was just an uninspired post from socal.

 

You seem to be forgetting that we made the ultimate improvement after that debacle!! What improvements have you made since last year? That's all I'm asking for. Since you can't answer the question I can only assume you have none. Yes, 10 points isn't much, but guess what? It's still a W!!

 

You also admit that your team was bad last year, so if they haven't made any improvments, which you refuse to answer, how do you figure they going to be better than last year?

I did not say our team was bad last year. You did. I was just stating that your biggest win last year was against a team you say sucks.

What is this ultimate improvement you speak of? you barely beat CU in Lincoln the next game and then had problems beating Clemson in the bowl. KU returns 7 starters, probably the best B12 S in Stuckey. We got what on paper looks to be some upgrades on the DL through recruiting and the same on the OL. I do not put to much stock into the recruits until they do something, Mangino stated that the play of the OL was very improved this spring compared to last year.

 

You said inexperienced and not as talented. That means bad. If it has any other meaning please feel free? When I mentioned it about the Huskers, I said if we beat you when we were bad, how are you going to beat us when we are improved? Also, all our wins were big last year, the only possible exception was maybe the bowl game, which was icing on the cake. This was mainly because of momentum it created for this year and because it was polar opposite of the events that transpired the year before.

 

The ultimate improvement was the coaching change. The KU game, you brought up, was Clownahan's work and last year's win was Pelini's. What about that isn't an improvement? A coach who is accountable for his actions or a coach who isn't? Let's see a win or loss, which is better? You mentioned it yourself that it was a good hire, and on that I will agree. What does the CU and Clemson games, wins I might add, have to do with anything we were arguing?

 

Can you mention some names for any of those position improvements so I might check them out myself?

The thing about KU's O-Line this Spring IIRC, was that the Center and Guards had to be replaced. They played 2 newbies at the Tackle spots in 2008. After the Spring KU moved the LT from 2008 to Center, supposedly his natural position and could be a star player in a year or 2, that leaves a hole at LT and the 2 Guards. The LT spot seems to be currently manned by a converted TE/DE, not sure if he has any hard core O-Line experience or not. That leaves the Guard spots still undecided. If all pans out as it did in the Spring, KU will have 3 RFr. on the O-line along with 2 RSo. (not really an issue as they are going into year 3) but only 2 players with any starting experience. The Center (formerly the LT and partial RT last year) and the RT. This does not boad well against NU which returns a D-Line that may be even better than the unit in 2008. It wasn't just the 5 sacks that NU put up, it was controlling the run game and causing Reesing to run for his life. Reesing simply did not have time to throw last year, I really doubt he does this year either.

[knapplc]

This whole conversation is moot until we actually see film of both teams. It's a good conversation, but we're at a point where we're just gnawing the bones of old points.

 

I think the biggest point we can make at this time, which most of us won't find fault with, is that Kansas and Nebraska figure to compete for the North title this year.

[jayhawker]

This whole conversation is moot until we actually see film of both teams. It's a good conversation, but we're at a point where we're just gnawing the bones of old points.

 

I think the biggest point we can make at this time, which most of us won't find fault with, is that Kansas and Nebraska figure to compete for the North title this year.

Agreed. Just like the football conversation. i do not unleash personal attacks so I ask the same in return.