NU vs USC

[DaveH]

I am normally pretty upbeat about the team.  But after the ass whipping we took yesterday, at the hands of a single athlete, I have way more concerns today than before.

 

We are not a top 25 team.  Period.  We will not be next year to start off.  I seriously doubt we have the talent to make it much of a game.  USC most likely will win the MNC this year again.  They will lose a lot next year but their talent level is so deep it will be hardly noticed against Nebraska.  We have a very long road back to being competitive with a top 15 team.  Texas dismanteling of Tech should give you some idea of where we truly are.

 

Reality is we are still way down on talent, Lucky is not nor ever will be another Bush, Glen is not nor ever will be Earl Campbell.  Taylor is not nor ever will be Matt Linart.  We do not have an offensive line player except Mann, and I truly do not see much coming that makes a major difference.  Two more years of great recruiting may just possibly get us into the top 15.  But we are not nor will we be competitive with SC next year or the following.  Reality!!

 

We are making improvement from where we were, but give it the time it takes.  For years the media has told us just how bad our talent level is.  It should be evident by now.  God forbid we have to face Texas.  Suicide watch will triple in Nebraska if that happens.

You'd better watch what you say around here, bro, some of the guys dont like to hear simple reality

Man, if you can't see the difference between him and you I don't know what to say.

[bigredhusker427]

BTW,where is the Texas game next year? If it's in Austin that will be tough.

[BigRedSmitty]

Can we get through this year first...we have a lot of work this year to accomplish, before even mentioning next year.

[NamelessHusker]

It expect it to be a thrilling game.   

Probably for USC. If NUs coaches cant get this team to improve, USC most likely wins by 5 td's.

 

Does anyone else love this guys optimism

[junior4949]

Reality is I stated it would take 3 years minimum to get back to being a compeitive team. We have put too much stock in games against proven losers.

 

Missouri destroyed us at their house the last time we played there. They have talent, and Smith leaving will have little affect on the QB playing. Daniels will be very very good.

 

We just need to understand how far we had fallen. I know 9-3, but the same kind of ass whippings from top teams were being dealt in those 3 losses. This shows that Pelini was no miracle worker and neither is Coz. You need the talent and for the previous staff that was not a priority. It will take longer than most think and most are not willing to give the staff a chance. We need time, I stated early in the year out talent was on par with Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma State. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, A&M, Texas and Colorado are still way ahead. No matter how hard that is to believe it is reality.

 

Just going to take the time to get what we need to be competitive. Like it or not.

I know it may have looked like it on Saturday, but Missouri doesn't have better talent than NU. They do have better talent at the QB position, but not better overall talent than NU. Hell, they have better talent at the QB position than about any other team in D1 considering Smith holds the record in the Big 12 for most yards in a career. Missouri's defense for the better part of the season has stunk up the place. I don't know what happened to our offense, they seemed to play like they did the first 3 games. Realistically, two of our touchdowns on Saturday were scored by the special teams and defense with the blocked punt and fumble recovery deep in Mizzou territory.

 

Texas has better talent than NU, and OU has better talent than NU. None of the other teams you listed have better talent than NU. Texas would slaughter us with their better talent. OU will lose to us with their better talent. TT has better talent at a few positions than NU, but not better overall talent. I just don't buy into the other teams having more talent than NU.

 

Pinkel (sp) showed how stupid and inept of a coach he really is on Saturday, and it could have cost him the game. Why in the hell would you take the guy with the hot hand out and put in a true freshman? It killed their momentum, and we tied the game up by halftime. Very stupid move. You don't take out the career record holder for offense out of the game unless he's injured.

[NamelessHusker]

I have to disagree with you. Missouri has comparable talent to NU at the moment. Sure their running backs and WR's were rarely used considering Smith scored all 4 touchdowns, but that doesn't mean their talent is worse then Nebraska. Quite honestly, i would trade all 3 of their receivers for our 2 TE's. That's just to start off with.

 

People need to remember one thing. We are playing at 45% at this time. We have 2 linebackers out for the season. We have a experienced TE out for the season. We have a DT turned OT (Seppo). We have a senior OT (C. Thomas) who is starting for his first time this year and looks lost out there. We have a RB converted to DB (Tierre Green). A QB and a CB (Bowman) who is playing for his first time as a starter in DIV-A. We have a receiver who is learning as he goes (Frantz). 2 TE's who are virtually non productive (Phillips and Sievers have a combined 8 catches in 7 games). We have a guy who is playing sloppy this year and could care less and is just waiting for the season to be over so that he can follow his brother to the NFL (Bullocks). Anyone who thinks Bullocks cares is fooling themself. I have never seen Bullocks get beat so bad in his 3 years at Nebraska as he has this year. I think we all know what that means.

 

Right now, i would say our talent level is the equivlant of a junior varsity compared to the varsity teams (Texas, USC, Florida St, Miami). We still need the experience and the talent on the team. It wouldn't hurt to have a few Offensive tackles who are bullies either.

[Nate]

Even tho they will lose Matt and Reggie at the end of the season, they will get 2 players just as good to plug into the offence.

[junior4949]

I have to disagree with you. Missouri has comparable talent to NU at the moment. Sure their running backs and WR's were rarely used considering Smith scored all 4 touchdowns, but that doesn't mean their talent is worse then Nebraska. Quite honestly, i would trade all 3 of their receivers for our 2 TE's. That's just to start off with.

 

People need to remember one thing. We are playing at 45% at this time. We have 2 linebackers out for the season. We have a experienced TE out for the season. We have a DT turned OT (Seppo). We have a senior OT (C. Thomas) who is starting for his first time this year and looks lost out there. We have a RB converted to DB (Tierre Green). A QB and a CB (Bowman) who is playing for his first time as a starter in DIV-A. We have a receiver who is learning as he goes (Frantz). 2 TE's who are virtually non productive (Phillips and Sievers have a combined 8 catches in 7 games). We have a guy who is playing sloppy this year and could care less and is just waiting for the season to be over so that he can follow his brother to the NFL (Bullocks). Anyone who thinks Bullocks cares is fooling themself. I have never seen Bullocks get beat so bad in his 3 years at Nebraska as he has this year. I think we all know what that means.

 

Right now, i would say our talent level is the equivlant of a junior varsity compared to the varsity teams (Texas, USC, Florida St, Miami). We still need the experience and the talent on the team. It wouldn't hurt to have a few Offensive tackles who are bullies either.

I don't disagree at all with your assessment of us being JV compared to Miami, Florida State, Texas, and USC. However, these guys are all top 10 teams. The Big 12 only has one top 10 team. I just don't buy that we have less talent than the likes of Missouri, TT, T A&M, etc. These teams are not top 10 and will not be top 10 this year. There may be comparable talent on some of these teams, but they do not possess better talent.

 

The Big 12 is weak this year. I realize we don't have the talent of some of the best teams out there, but we're not playing in their conference. We're playing in the very weak Big 12 North and the weaker than usual Big 12!

[huskerduff]

It will take a few years for us to be as good as we all want us to be, that's to be expected with a new staff, new offense, and renovating our mediocre facilities. Don't be too quick to judge some of our freshman and JUCO transfers, though. I think Lucky has every chance of being as good as Reggie Bush. The guy was a star at North Hollywood. Heck, the LA times had a big article on him a couple of months ago about his dominating prep career and why he chose Nebraska. I predict this staff will keep getting the best recruits (something that hasn't been done since Osborne) and we will be lovin' life in a few years.

[skersfan]

We are not competitive at this time. You can throw in at least another 21 teams that have superior overall talent very easily.

 

But the idea is we are making improvements. We are taking the steps to get to where we want to be. If the old Nebraska had fallen 21 or 24 points behind anyone we would never have come back.

 

I am not down on the team. I just realize after watching Missouri and Texas play this weekend, just truly how far we are down. When we come to accept this it will be easier to understand what is happening and how the staff is correcting it. Living in denial is not the answer. We have no offensive line, other than Mann. That is not this staffs fault. We do not have a seasoned QB or even a descent back up. Again not this staff's fault. Most of our CB and Safetys are too small. You are going to see more and more of the 6'4" to 7" wide receivers. No matter how much we do not want to believe it, college is going more pro attack. They have taken stop gap measures, but in reality there is a reason kids end up in Juco's. Some may not have belonged there, but overall it is not the fix we need. I am not talking about Zac here.

 

During the 2003 season numerous media types continually stated even when our D looked good, that we were way down on talent and Peilini was doing it with mirrors. Pelini even made the same coments. We do not have the speed or athletic ability to compete on a levl field. I am very concerned about the conditioning of the OL. I think they are to big and to slow to compete with the top teams. Most look like they are nailed to the ground Saturday.

 

I think the staff is doing the absolute best with what they have to work with. It is just going to take more time than some are willing to give I am afraid.

[NamelessHusker]

The guy was a star at North Hollywood. Heck, the LA times had a big article on him a couple of months ago about his dominating prep career and why he chose Nebraska.

As long I know a 2 time National champ (possibly 3) was pissed we grabbed him from under their watch, then that itself tells me we got a good one. Regardless if he turns out to be the next coming of Reggie Bush or not, we have him on our sidelines next year and USC doesn't.

[hoyamannn]

It will take a few years for us to be as good as we all want us to be, that's to be expected with a new staff, new offense, and renovating our mediocre facilities. Don't be too quick to judge some of our freshman and JUCO transfers, though. I think Lucky has every chance of being as good as Reggie Bush. The guy was a star at North Hollywood. Heck, the LA times had a big article on him a couple of months ago about his dominating prep career and why he chose Nebraska. I predict this staff will keep getting the best recruits (something that hasn't been done since Osborne) and we will be lovin' life in a few years.

We actually grabbed another stud that USC had offered, JUCO 5 CB Andre Jones.

 

Now USC doesn't offer everybody and their kids and girlfriends like we do, but any time we win a recruiting war against the defending National Champs is awesome.

[Huskrz65]

Even tho they will lose Matt and Reggie at the end of the season, they will get  2 players just as good to plug into the offence.

Kinda like how NU, FSU, Miami, and Florida used to just "reload"?

Soon enough, with another stellar recruiting year, we'll be reloading too.

 

Don't believe me, read hoyamannn's post above mine...

[skersfan]

I am sorry I just do not buy into the Lucky hype. I just do not see anything that reminds me of Bush. Not even close. He may end up being a good back, but not the real game breaker we need. I hope I am wrong.

 

I live in the LA area and honestly I never heard much about him until we offered and the All Star game. If I remember correctly he had one descent play in that game. Hardly any rushes at all.

 

He played in a very small conference that does not get much pub that is true. He really sprang on the recruiting front due to a Nike camp I think.

 

My feelings are if he was anywhere near being as good as Bush he would be playing alot. I really do not think he is as good as Cory and may never be. Again I hope I am wrong on this one more than any of you.

[Huskrz65]

Didn't one of the commentators during the Pitt game compare Lucky's high-stepping to Roger Craig?

Not that I dare compare Lucky to the great Husker back in Craig. I just thought the commentators remarks were "encouraging"; if that's the right word to use.