NU's 2012 schedule with final Sagarin rankings

[everybody knows my name]

Here's how I would rank the games by their toughness....

 

1a. Michigan

1b. Ohio State

3. Michigan State

4. Wisconsin

5. Iowa

6. Penn State

7. Northwestern

8. Iowa

9. UCLA

10. Arkansas State

11. Southern Mississippi

 

I know the vadgers don't like Minnesota, but it's just wrong to leave us out of the rankings!

 

Did you take the hint that you put Iowa on this list twice?

[husker_99]

Here's how I would rank the games by their toughness....

 

1a. Michigan

1b. Ohio State

3. Michigan State

4. Wisconsin

5. Iowa

6. Penn State

7. Northwestern

8. Iowa

9. UCLA

10. Arkansas State

11. Southern Mississippi

 

Did you take the hint that you put Iowa on this list twice?

 

DOUBLE BEAT DOWN! One wasn't enough.

[Mavric]

9-3 or 10-2 seem likely.

Hopefully. I would think 4 non-con wins plus NW, PSU, MINN & Iowa would be pretty realistic. That's eight. Wisc, tOSU, Mich & MSU? If we don't win at least one of those, that could be bad. I don't think two is asking too much. More than that? I'll have to see how we look after four games.

[Husker 93]

Iowa not only loses Coker, but also their top backup at RB(McCall) along with Rief coming out early.....even though it is in iowa City...I would say we will have a tougher time with PSU and NW as well. Iowa's offense next year could be in BIG trouble. So maybe 8th is the correct spot for them with UCLA also presenting a better challenge.

[Sub-Husker]

We have one spot to fill on the schedule, September 22nd, a TBA date right now. Likely it'll be some schlub team.

 

Hopefully it's not a team like McCheese State.

 

Nah let's fill it with a quality opponent(if any left). I don't like padding non conference schedules then get demolished in conference play against better teams like 2011. Big marquee non conference teams will also help with recruiting and bring together the team earlier in the year.

 

I agree, practice happens in August.

[Minnesota_husker]

Minnesota was so bad they didnt make your list Badgerfan?

 

 

Ark State is not bad and neither is Southern miss, so those will offer somewhat of a challenge.

 

I think 10 wins is attainable but I dont expect it with this defense.

[melscott62]

9-3 or 10-2 seem likely.

 

 

i hope you are right

[chamrocck]

Southern Miss is no slouch. Our schedule looks tough but agree you gotta play the better teams to prove you are the best. Would be cool to see a former Big 12 North opponent in the open date.

[walksalone]

Ark State is by no means the toughest team on our non-con. UCLA should be tough, especially out in Los Angeles, and Southern Miss should be better than Ark State, despite the fact that they lose a lot of talent on defense.

 

Gus Malzahn may be a good coach, but he's still going to have to play us with the players Ark State had before. He's not a miracle worker.

The players Arkansas State had before finished 10-3 this year. So Im not really sure what you mean by that, I know their competition is iffy, but 10 wins is 10 wins.

 

But thats 10 wins in the "Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio Valley-Sun Belt" Conference. If it were a different conference, we'd all take note.

[Sub-Husker]

8-4 regular season, plus a bowl loss because we usually get selected to play against better teams because our fans travel.

[Redtillimdead]

6-6!!

[huskerfan333157]

I would say our toughest game out of the non-conference schedule is against Arkansas State. I wouldn't have said this at the beginning of the year, but with Gus Malzahn as their new head coach, our secondary could have some trouble. I still like us to win that game, but it will be close. I see us easily beating Southern Miss and UCLA.

 

I haven't had enough time yet to evaluate the depth charts and rosters for the Big Ten teams next year, so I will hold off on my "guesstimate" for the conference games at a later date.

 

Dont forget that Michael dyer, the stud auburn rb that was critical in their national championship run, transferred to arkansas state as well

[Muck]

Southern Miss - 31 (28)

 

Mississippi St - 31 (28)

Southern Miss - 24 (94)

 

If instead you use Sagarin's more accurate "Predictor" numbers you get:

 

Mississippi St - 35 (28)

Southern Miss - 26 (94)

[knapplc]

What good is using Predictor when all the games have been played? And why are you including Southern Miss?

[Count 'Bility]

I would say our toughest game out of the non-conference schedule is against Arkansas State. I wouldn't have said this at the beginning of the year, but with Gus Malzahn as their new head coach, our secondary could have some trouble. I still like us to win that game, but it will be close. I see us easily beating Southern Miss and UCLA.

 

I haven't had enough time yet to evaluate the depth charts and rosters for the Big Ten teams next year, so I will hold off on my "guesstimate" for the conference games at a later date.

 

Dont forget that Michael dyer, the stud auburn rb that was critical in their national championship run, transferred to arkansas state as well

 

Dyer was not nearly as critical in their National Championship run as hype makes it seem. As good as he may be, if he was that great, then why is he tranferring from Auburn to Arkansas St.?

 

If Tim Beck got the HC job @ Chadron St, does Burkhead go with him? I think it's safe to say that Dyer is greatly overrated and a major beneficiary of a superstar lining up next to him. You could compare it to a Crick/Suh situation.