How will Nebraska fare next year.

[HuskerShark]

I'm pretty optimistic that we can win a B1G championship next year.

-Andrew Green looks solid now, and Ciante has improved a lot.

-The success of the secondary depends on who steps into the other CB position. Seisay should be able to hold down the other side of the field.

-At LB, we will need somebody to fill the gigantic playmaking hole that LaVonte is leaving, whether that person is Zaire Anderson, Alonzo Whaley, David Santos, Quanzell Lambert, or Michael Rose.

-At safety, I have no doubt that somebody can step in and do much better than Cassidy did this year.

-At D-Line, LaVonte said that he thinks that they will be monsters next year. I hope he is right.

-On offense, we get every important piece back except for Legate, and Marrow will fill that hole and then some if he is everything that he is hyped up to be.

-Special teams should be consistent with the return of Maher, Abdullah, Marlow, and Jamal Turner (I hope he starts returning some kicks next year.)

[Redtillimdead]

Guess I'll answer this thread with same answer on 2 similar threads- 13-1 rose bowl over wash. #3 final ranking

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I honestly have no idea what to expect next year. If we dont change our scheme on defense somewhat, I dont know if we will be able to stop anyone.

[Foppa]

10 or more wins, competing with Michigan to go to the Big Ten CCG. Whichever makes it wins the conference and goes to the Rose Bowl.

Pretty much this. I think we'll finish second in the division. Michigan will be the clear favorite to win the conference.

 

I'll have what you're smoking.

Look at the schedule, you'll be fine.

 

So hopefully NU will just play a bunch of 3-5 teams and have a terrific year. Oh...guess that doesn't work either.

[Enhance]

I'm sure some of these thoughts have been iterated, but here it goes.

 

I don't really know if this team is going to be a hell of a lot better next year. Offensively, I think there's no direction to go but up. Martinez is a veteran now - by the second game next season he will have started as many games as Jamal Lord. By the end of the season, he will have started more games than Eric Crouch. Furthermore, we return almost everybody except Jones, Hardrick, Caputo and Kinnie, I think. Even though we lose three linemen, we return a lot of guys that started games and saw significant pt. At WR we have Bell, Turner, Marlowe and every other contributor coming back. At TE we get Cotton and Reed.

 

Beck returns, of course, and I hope he takes a long, delicate look at his coaching and playcalling this year. He had some really good games, but some very bad games as well (Wisconsin and USC are the two biggest foul ups imho). He's a first year OC, and he's very young, but he coached 13 games this year - that's a lot.

 

Defensively is probably where I'm a little more worried. The two guys this year who we relied on for leadership and great playmaking, Dennard and David, are gone. We return everybody on our defensive line, but it's a line that definitely needs to be coached up. I don't mind the two gap in run situations, but they need to learn how to get to the quarterback when there's only a four man rush, and they need to do it before the quarterback has seven seconds to find a receiver. The defensive backfield returns promise, especially with guys like Andrew Green who came along well as the year went on.

 

But leadership is a serious issue, and so is player accountability. We brought back the unity council to promote leadership at the student level, yet we're not seeing this translate to the field. We badly need the players to be more responsible for one another and less reliant on Pelini.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

10 or more wins, competing with Michigan to go to the Big Ten CCG. Whichever makes it wins the conference and goes to the Rose Bowl.

Pretty much this. I think we'll finish second in the division. Michigan will be the clear favorite to win the conference.

 

I'll have what you're smoking.

Look at the schedule, you'll be fine.

 

So hopefully NU will just play a bunch of 3-5 teams and have a terrific year. Oh...guess that doesn't work either.

Just out of curiosity, why do you continue to watch the team and stay on the board if you have nothing positive to say, ever?

[HuskerShark]

10 or more wins, competing with Michigan to go to the Big Ten CCG. Whichever makes it wins the conference and goes to the Rose Bowl.

Pretty much this. I think we'll finish second in the division. Michigan will be the clear favorite to win the conference.

 

I'll have what you're smoking.

Look at the schedule, you'll be fine.

 

So hopefully NU will just play a bunch of 3-5 teams and have a terrific year. Oh...guess that doesn't work either.

 

I'm not sure what you've got up your butt these days. I didn't think that you used to be this negative of a poster...

[Blackshirts007]

I'm going to say 10-4...losses to michigan, ohio st, and one to either mich st, or wisconsin...then lose the bowl game against another SEC team, if you really want to get excited 2013 is our year to make a run...

Wyoming

@Southern Miss

UCLA

South Dakota State

Illinois

@Pudue

Bye

@minnesota

@Michigan

Michigan State

@Penn State

Iowa

 

Martinez as a senior, with the 3 RB's, along with a very strong recieving corps, plus our D will be full of seniors and juniors, IMO this should be a year to make a NC run, Beck will have had 2 years to get this offense in place and by the 3rd i expect to be rolling, and with Bo at the reins of the D they should be nothing less than "good"....schedule sets up perfect so lets bring home #6!!!!

 

[Norhusker]

I'm sure some of these thoughts have been iterated, but here it goes.

 

I don't really know if this team is going to be a hell of a lot better next year. Offensively, I think there's no direction to go but up. Martinez is a veteran now - by the second game next season he will have started as many games as Jamal Lord. By the end of the season, he will have started more games than Eric Crouch. Furthermore, we return almost everybody except Jones, Hardrick, Caputo and Kinnie, I think. Even though we lose three linemen, we return a lot of guys that started games and saw significant pt. At WR we have Bell, Turner, Marlowe and every other contributor coming back. At TE we get Cotton and Reed.

 

Beck returns, of course, and I hope he takes a long, delicate look at his coaching and playcalling this year. He had some really good games, but some very bad games as well (Wisconsin and USC are the two biggest foul ups imho). He's a first year OC, and he's very young, but he coached 13 games this year - that's a lot.

 

Defensively is probably where I'm a little more worried. The two guys this year who we relied on for leadership and great playmaking, Dennard and David, are gone. We return everybody on our defensive line, but it's a line that definitely needs to be coached up. I don't mind the two gap in run situations, but they need to learn how to get to the quarterback when there's only a four man rush, and they need to do it before the quarterback has seven seconds to find a receiver. The defensive backfield returns promise, especially with guys like Andrew Green who came along well as the year went on.

 

But leadership is a serious issue, and so is player accountability. We brought back the unity council to promote leadership at the student level, yet we're not seeing this translate to the field. We badly need the players to be more responsible for one another and less reliant on Pelini.

 

 

After this endless roller coaster of a season, it is impossible to accurately predict what 2012 will bring. I thought our defense would be about equal to 2010's unit with Crick, Dennard and David coming back along with the expected development of the other players. How wrong I was!

 

The team lacked focus this year. Constantly shooting ourselves in the foot. For some reason this has now has become a trend dating back to the A&M debacle. I can't put my finger on it, but ultimately the blame lies with the coaching staff. After the SC loss I was strangely calm. I guess it means I'm getting used to these meltdowns and they don't surprise me anymore. It's just something you expect can happen and brace for it.

 

I'm worried we will get more of the same next year when we have a golden opportunity to do better based on schedule, opposing teams losing key players and Ohio State ineligible to play in the big 10 championship game. Next year will be Bo's 5th year and I know we all expect better results than in 2011. Will he? I don't have a clue....

[Manny Bob]

It's hard to say, but as Joe Cocker said, "You feeling alright? I'm not feeling too good myself, no."

 

Southern Miss - So Miss finished 12-2, with wins against Houston (C-USA Championship) and Nevada (Hawaii Bowl) - this one will be tougher than some of you think...could be the upset of the weekend.

@ UCLA - Should be a W

Arkansas State - W

Wisconsin - possibly a W

@ Ohio State - L

@ Northwestern - possibly a W

Michigan - L (yet again, another loss at Memorial Stadium)

@ Michigan State - possibly a L

Penn State - possibly a W

Minnesota - W

@ Iowa - possibly a L

 

So....anywhere between a 9-2 (best case) or 3-8 (worst case). I see a 6-5 season, not including a meaningless bowl game.

[Manny Bob]

I'm going to say 10-4...losses to michigan, ohio st, and one to either mich st, or wisconsin...then lose the bowl game against another SEC team, if you really want to get excited 2013 is our year to make a run...

 

You mean 8-3 regular season, 8-4 w/ bowl game (no championship game).- can't be 10-4.

[WAHusker]

umm, 12 regular season games, 1 conf champ game and 1 bowl game....... thats 14 games. How couldnt that be possible?

[majech]

8-5

 

Losses to OSU, Mich, Mich lite, Wiscy, and Iowa or PSU. Just my feeling.

 

Unfortunately, I think that record is pretty close. Not sure I agree with the losses you've selected, but I think we'll be 8-5.

 

Our non-con is no slouch with Southern Miss (only team to beat Houston this year), UCLA (will be better with Mora), Ark State and an yet to be named cupcake I'm sure.

 

Wiscy will not be as good, but they crushed us this year, gonna be a tough win.

tOSU will be much improved with Urban, B Miller torched us last year, under Urban and us missing David...OUCH.

Northwestern, should be better. They graduate their starting QB, but the backup, that hurt us more, is back.

Michigan, should be much better in Hoke's 2nd season and beat us 45-17 this year. It will be in Lincoln. They say home field is worth 3...not nearly enough imo.

Sparty, we'll be on the road and they'll be hungry to avenge loss. No Cousins, but he didn't impress me.

Penn State is a debacle, I think we'll roll them.

Minnesota. A gimme. But so was ISU and NW. We lose that one game we have no business losing each season.

Iowa. We should beat them, but if we've struggled thus far, wheels will be coming off.

 

Schedule is rough and with no David and Dennard, I'm worried. Hopefully the JuCo CB will be great. And Green is better, but he was horrid early, so better doesn't mean good. Compton improved by leaps and bounds, but is and never will be a David type player, he is just not that guy. And who else at LB? D-line? Do we have a D-line?

 

Offensively, I don't see that we established a lot this season long term. Tmart improved, but will never, imo, be a big time QB and I don't think we take advantage of his strengths. None of the fresh RB's developed much. Did Heard or Green develop at all in the 2nd half of season? Bell looks good at WR, but Quincy didn't get used at all the 2nd half and Jamal was buried. The O-line was excellent early, but a train-wreck late. I just don't see a lot of improvement coming.

 

Not trying to hammer the team here, but I'm just calling it as I see it. I think it is gonna be a loooong 2012 for us.

[Redtillimdead]

I see a looooong season too!!!! As in extra CCG and a bCS bowl!!! 13-1 boys lock it up... Finish 3rd in the final polls and a 2013 pre season #1

[jsneb83]

umm, 12 regular season games, 1 conf champ game and 1 bowl game....... thats 14 games. How couldnt that be possible?

We wouldn't be playing an SEC team in the Rose Bowl, unless we made it to the MNC

 

So if we lose three regular season games and the bowl game, that means we would have won the CCG.