ESPN's revised Top 25 for 2010

[HuskerRob]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4901998

 

Comments? Too high? Too low? Just right?

[walksalone]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4901998

 

Comments? Too high? Too low? Just right?

 

Too high.

 

We have a very good defense, but an offense that still has questions to be answered.

 

Too many people, including those "in the know" are giving us all this preseason hype, due in large part to our defense. We gotta score points though, or the effort our defense puts out is wasted (i.e. the Texas, ISU, and Va Tech).

[Huskerdownunder]

Since these rankings really don't mean too much beyond hype.... I love it!, bring on some national hype for the Huskers.

[kansas husker]

I like the hype but is too high. I think its a tough team to figure out. I think our defense will be better as the coaches say and our offesne should improve with more time to learn the playbook.

 

Ny biggest problem with the article.

The Cornhuskers will have to replace defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was probably the best player in the country last season,

[teachercd]

Love it, only us NU fans could hate on ESPN for "disprespecting the skers and respecting the Skers" classic.

[M I K E]

I agree that #7 is a little high, but I think Bo will do a good job of not letting the hype get to the player's heads. I can see why people would put us there, but I'm not yet convinced the offense will be suddenly successful just because we are returning 10 starters. The Holiday Bowl looked promising though.

[knapplc]

Too high.

 

We have a very good defense, but an offense that still has questions to be answered.

 

Too many people, including those "in the know" are giving us all this preseason hype, due in large part to our defense. We gotta score points though, or the effort our defense puts out is wasted (i.e. the Texas, ISU, and Va Tech).

 

A lot of this preseason hype is stemming from the 33 points and general competence the offense displayed in the Holiday Bowl. Sports writers are very "what have you done for me lately" kind of guys, and our last game was really impressive on both sides of the ball. Couple that with the stellar defensive showing against Texas and we're the flavor of the month.

 

I'm taking a cautious tack - we almost have to be better on offense next year, but at the same time we almost have to be a step down on defense. We'll see. As watered down as D1A is these days, being a top ten team isn't what it used to be.

[Igetbored216]

Too high. Our defense needs to show they can play just as good without the key players that left (Suh, Dillard, Asante, & O'Hanlon) and our offense needs to show they can actually do something. Sorry, but one great performance in the Holiday Bowl isn't enough for me to say that the offense will be great or even average next year.

 

A ranking ranging from 20 to 25 would be okay, but top ten is definitely too high considering all the question marks.

[husker rob]

i dont think there should be any preseason polls. no rankings should be released until after the first week of the season

[HuskerMack]

Not going to say that its to High but I would say the Huskers are a 13-19 range team until the offense can prove they score points like in the bowl game each and every game.But then I havent looked at all the other teams out there to figure where they belong.

[ESPY]

i dont think there should be any preseason polls. no rankings should be released until after the first week of the season

I agree. But, even then who do you think would land in the top 10? We would see the exact same teams we always see minus those oh-so-rare 1st game upsets (ie Michigan loss to App St in '07). Basically we would be delaying the preseason polls.

[ESPY]

Looking at Schlabach's top 25, I noticed he mentioned on a couple occasions that a team is losing several key players but would be fine because of the incoming class. Most notably on this list he thought Oregon, Texas & Florida would benefit from their 2010 classes. Now I know these three did quite well compared to most, but am I wrong to think the majority of those incoming frosh/JUCO transfers will receive redshirts?

[GM_Tood]

I would be ok with a 10-15 ranking when the 'real' polls come out. I hope we can just make it thru Spring/Fall camp with no injuries and play up to the level we saw in the Holiday Bowl. All we have to do is leave it all on the field and the rankings will take care of itself.

 

The one thing I am surprised about in that article is...no espND love?

[knapplc]

Too high. Our defense needs to show they can play just as good without the key players that left (Suh, Dillard, Asante, & O'Hanlon) and our offense needs to show they can actually do something. Sorry, but one great performance in the Holiday Bowl isn't enough for me to say that the offense will be great or even average next year.

 

A ranking ranging from 20 to 25 would be okay, but top ten is definitely too high considering all the question marks.

 

By what measuring stick are we judging this ranking, though? By top ten teams from the last time we were ranked around the top ten or top ten teams of the last few years? If it's based on past recollections of top ten teams, no, we don't qualify. but the "New Top Ten" - that we probably qualify for.

 

In the New Top Ten, parity has made such a ranking nebulous at best. All teams have at least one flashy player, and all teams have flaws. On any given Saturday those flaws could come up to bite a New Top Ten team, and they could plummet from glory quite quickly.

 

Nebraska circa 2009 was perhaps more flawed than most top ten teams, but certainly on defense we outshined most of the year's top ten teams. 2010 Nebraska has solid reasons to believe that we'll be decent-to-very-good on defense, and with ten starters returning on offense, plus added O Line depth, there's every reason to believe we'll be better on offense.

 

Does that necessarily mean we belong in the top ten? Of course not. But do we qualify as much as anyone else for the New Top Ten? I believe so.

[Hskr86]

juuuuuuuuuuusssssssstttttttt riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...

 

what's wrong with a little upward pressure coming from the outside? it all plays into that important re-development of 'swagger'. I really thought I saw that (swagger) return for the first time in a very long time @ the Holiday Bowl - with healed-up kids, and now moving from 'learning' to 'executing'.