Is this really a rebuilding year for Missouri?

DocNice said:

As for how close we've come, part of that reason is that Oklahoma has been particularly good the last few years (and Texas). If you win within the next 3 years as you suggest, it will be because OU and Texas have come down to our level, not because you've gone up to theirs. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you've got to much ground to make up in that timespan. Mizzou's 2007 team had so much skill player talent than nearly every player at a skill position went to the NFL, including several on defense. I may never see another Mizzou team that talented, and we still couldn't beat them. And I guarantee you that team was way better than you are now.

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It's not strictly about talent, though. All it takes is one game (to win the conference). We don't have to run the gauntlet through the South, or even beat OU or Texas in a best of seven. All we have to win is one game. And as you've probably seen in just about every OU bowl game in recent years (that '07 OU team that you're pretending had godly talent got lit up by WVU, not to mention beat by unranked CU and unranked Texas Tech), teams with less talent (sometimes considerably less) can beat them. Obviously this is always the case in football, and who would have it any other way? My point being, I don't expect us to match Texas or OU in talent level in the next three years (or maybe ever) but that doesn't mean we won't be able to beat them. The big shot can go down in the title game, especially the Big 12, as you have surely noticed if you caught the game in '96, '98, '01, or especially '03.

As for the national title race, well, you're pretending like it takes 10 years to climb into it, which is complete nonsense. Look what Stoops did at OU, Tressel at OSU, Carroll at USC, etc. Six win teams can be turned into national title contenders in two years with a good coaching staff. As for pretending Saban is some coaching god, well... not really. Sure he won one title at LSU, but other than that he was pretty average given the talent he had, and most LSU fans were not sad to see him go. He then failed in the NFL and is now doing well at Bama, although he lost their two biggest games last year, including getting stomped by Utah. Not sure what it is about Bo that makes you think he could never be as amazing as Saban, but only time will tell if you're right.

Don't know where I'm going with this at this point, other than trying to say that it's not unrealistic to think Bo could possibly get us to the point where 10 wins are expected, and at least making a game of the CCG (which the North has failed to do for six years now), with a conference title being a reasonable goal, and from there the national title game isn't far from reach.

Blackshirt316 said:

Last year was the biggest rebuilding year in Nebraska history. Didn't see them cutting us any slack for that. In fact this year could still be considered a rebuilding year for us as well.

Besides if you've had the same coach for 8 years and still need to classify a season as a rebuilding year coming off a year where you finished tied for fifth in your conference with a team that was horrible the previous year and is led by a rookie head coach, you got a LOT of problems in your program.

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:yeah Remember... Mizzou had as many conference losses last year as NU did. And in Pelini's first year, had it not been for an OT loss at Texas Tech, Nebraska would have been the North champs and not Mizzou. Not saying Mizzou backed into the championship, they straight pounded NU. But... it wasn't like 2008 with Daniel, Maclin and Coffman and Co. was so amazing, they still managed to lose 3 conference games JUST LIKE NEBRASKA... probably should pump the brakes on how great the Tigers are this year.

TGRLVR said:

Lastly, if you truly think Pelini is going to win a conference championship in his first four years find a Vegas line for it - the odds ought to be astronomical.

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Forget Vegas, I'd gladly take your bet on Matchbook today. Or however you wanna do it. Since you think the odds are astronomical, then you'd surely take a steal like, say... my $200 to your $500? Might as well take my $200 and go shopping, right?

clone said:

JTrain said:

Side note: Pinkel has eight full seasons under his belt, and the closest he's come to a conference title was a 21-point loss to Oklahoma. Anyone have any doubt Pelini will have one in his first four?

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yup.

serious doubt.

north- yes, maybe even this year. :dunno

But B12 champs?

IMO- not in his first four years.

I'd love to be wrong on this one....

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I would say he's alluding to next year when we have a ton coming back and well, UT, OU, and OSU (assuming dez leaves) all lose a ton...

clone said:

JTrain said:

Side note: Pinkel has eight full seasons under his belt, and the closest he's come to a conference title was a 21-point loss to Oklahoma. Anyone have any doubt Pelini will have one in his first four?

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yup.

serious doubt.

north- yes, maybe even this year. :dunno

But B12 champs?

IMO- not in his first four years.

I'd love to be wrong on this one....

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May want to hold that thought a bit. Next year sets up nearly perfectly for a nice run for NU. Lee, Helu, McNeil etc all return. We'll have to replace some on the O-Line but depth is pretty good there right now. The big loss is Suh but Crick looks like he'll be great and Steinkuhler is coming along nicely and should plug in right next to Crick next season. The Secondary will be deeper, the Linebackers will all be a year better and even our kickers both return.

The Non Conference schedule is set up to be pretty easy and we should be 4-0 going to conference play.

Western Kentucky, Idaho, Washington and South Dakota State

We open with Kansas State in Manhattan - On the road but a MUCH easier conference opener than we've had in a few years.

Texas - In Lincoln and the Horns will be breaking in McCoy's replacement and a bunch of other new starters, All significant starters on our offense return.

Oklahoma State at Stillwater - This is the big game of the year, and OSU isn't as good as people thought they'd be this year and lose some key pieces next year.

Missouri - Home game, Missouri should be good but Nebraska should be better.

Iowa State at Ames - like the KSU game a winnable road game in conference play.

Kansas - Another Home game against a Kansas team who's going to be in total rebuild mode with Reesing gone.

Texas A&M at College Station - may actually be a good game, they turned around this year but until they prove it I'm skeptical considering all the assistants that they have that were part of our worst team ever.

Colorado - Colorado is always tough but they should be breaking in a new head coach and there isn't a ton of talent at the important positions for the Buffs right now.

It's not inconceivable we run the table next year at all and since OU will probably be further along than Texas and win the south (mostly due to Landry getting significant time this year) a NU/OU game in the Championship would be a good match-up, and frankly it would probably be a true tossup game.

We'll see where things go after this season of course but right now but 13-0 for Nebraska going into the Bowls is NOT out of the question at all next year based on the schedule and what teams look like at this point.

TGRLVR said:

I've been reading this board for some time and now, thanks to your administrator, I actually have the ability to post.

Whether MU is rebuilding or reloading is still not clear. Our competition hasn't really pushed us yet and VT is the only school you've played that could even begin to give anyone an objective barometer for what the season holds for Nebraska.

To answer J Train, we're confident because even with the losses of Daniel, Maclin and Coffman, we've recruited well and there's talent stepping into the positions they held. We're confident because the game's being played in Columbia where you haven't had a lot of success recently and also because your offense is not something that strikes fear into an opponent. Helu will make his yards but the defense has improved significantly in minimizing big gains. Unless Lee plays several BIG levels better than he did against VT - which is the only NU game I've watched this season - MU will sell out to stop the run and Lee doesn't have the passing game to make us pay.

I've seen other threads which talk about the superiority of your lines and up to this point Nebraska's has played better. When Gabbert has had to scramble it's typically taken more than just the oppositions front four to apply the pressure. The MU receivers are much better than anyone you've had to play against up to now and your backfield is the weakest link to your defense. If MU can exploit that your chances of winning drop considerably. Likewise, if your O-line can dominate up front and keep our offense off the field, our chances are seriously hurt. To see which one happens is why we're all wishing next Thursday would get here sooner than it will.

Also for J Train - we think we'll beat ku because we always think we'll beat ku. It certainly doesn't always happen but the history between our two schools is such that the more experienced and talented team doesn't always win - last year being a case in point. That and the idea of losing to ku is hateful to anyone who loves MU. Lastly, if you truly think Pelini is going to win a conference championship in his first four years find a Vegas line for it - the odds ought to be astronomical.

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This is at least better than the "ur gay" responses that we get on the Mizz board. You have some valid points-nobody really knows a whole lot yet. Of course people are going to talk smack-many would argue that this game is essentially for the big 12 north title.

This is going to be a scary game for both sides. Mizz has the deep threat and we have the swarming defense that may create sacks and/or turnovers. I think that you are underestimating Lee's passing ability-and before you mention VT, look at how many points Miami put up on their defense.

i dont know if "rebuild" is the right term but there are alot of new young players on the team.

I would not say its an excuse, unless your pounding your chest about a convincing win and you lose. Then if you pull that card, its an excuse.

But I think if you are honest with yourself and look at the number of starters and players off the two deep that were drafted/graduated its quite a few. Infact MU is a younger team than your Huskers. NE i believe only has 10 seniors on their two team. Thats a young team. Well MU only has 7. And about half the the starting team are Sophs. Its not really an excuse if its true.

Good news is should both teams keep getting better we should have some good games to look forward too over the next 2-3 years.

Gawd it will be nice to get this game played and over with--with a win. But the truth is that neither of these teams can talk about "rebuilding" or "reloading" like truly elite programs. Neither team on a national level (even with the big 12 South) has been competitive. The problem with both Misery and the Huskers is that they have little depth that you associate with a great program. Both are very young teams with some promising young players. They both lack deep senior leadership that champions almost always have. They lack depth at almost all areas of play. But they are competitive in the Big 12 North and that is all we are concerned about right now.

Even with Missouri's dance with the elite in the country that was snuffed out when OU exposed their weakness, I would say that the Huskers have out recruited them. Now this year to this point, for some reason Misery seems to be having the better results ....so far. But both teams seem to have young players that are far above the recruiting status coming in. Of course Gabbert was ours and if was still here, there would be no shot for Misery next Thursday.

But when you have young teams that are not very deep, anything can happen. I worry that many Husker fans are so thrilled with our close loss at VT, that they are taking way too much for granted and are setting themselves up for a big letdown. The post above about going 13-0 next year is emblematic of what I am talking about. We are young and not very deep. Thankfully so is Misery.

What I worry about are those Husker fans who remember the 'good ole days' have convinced themselves that we are back to that level. Well, we're not. We're a young team, with promise but no depth. Things can go either way both next Thursday and in many games we will play this season.

What I hope I don't see is what is going on to many fans in Arkansas who are already calling for Petrino's head 15 games into his stay there. They were the same fans 3 weeks ago talking about winning the SEC, naitonal championships and what a genius the guy was. Now the guy by some of their accounts is an idiot and doesn't know how to coach defense, use the right combinations of players, have a running game etc.

The reason of course is that Arkansas is a young and not very deep team and not at the level the fans thought they were. Fans tend to see a few victories over weak teams and think that they are ready to play against senior laden deeply talented teams---usually they are bitterly disappointed.

I hope our fans manage their expectations with a young team, a young coaching staff that does not have all the answers that they will after 10 yrs in place, playing on the road in a nationally televised game. We could win going away, but that is not the lock that some giddy fans seem to have come to believe is a certainty. My fear is that they will not realize that they overestimated and overhyped this young talented team and will blame players and coaches for not meeting their expecations.