It'sNotAFakeID
All-American
With the start of the 2013 season way, way too far away, I thought I'd lay out some of my bold predictions for the 2013 season.
Braylon Heard, Ameer Abdullah, and Imani Cross will become a three headed monster in the backfield.
In the absence of Rex Burkhead, who was sidelined with a nagging knee injury for a majority of the 2012 season, Ameer Abdullah stepped up big time and posted a 1,000+ yard season, and showed Husker fans that there will be life after Rex Burkhead. He's powerful, shifty, and can hide behind the big guys in front of him. But Nebraska has more talent in the backfield than just Abdullah with Braylon Heard and Imani Cross (also Adam Taylor and Terrell Newby--but I'm expecting a redshirt for one of them, maybe both). Braylon is lightning fast and Imani Cross is a brick house. Look for Tim Beck to fully utilize the diverse talents of all three of these running backs in producing what could be the nation's #1 rushing attack in 2013.
Taylor Martinez won't lead the nation in fumbles.
Going into the 2012 season, the thing Taylor needed to work on most was his passing game, primarily his mechanics. So he went to see Steve Calhoun in the offseason. The result? A dramatic increase in completion percentage from 56.2% to 62%. Now, I wouldn't expect that number to increase as much next season, but I think it will increase to somewhere in the 64% range. But what this shows is that he knows his weaknesses, and he's taking a step-by-step approach to becoming a better QB. I fully expect the amount of times he fumbles next season to decrease, but there'll still be those boneheaded-"why Taylor why?" moments. The difference is those moments will be very few and far between stretches of excellent play.
The Huskers won't struggle on the road.
It seems that every time Nebraska was away from Memorial Stadium, records were being set, and they weren't the good kind. 600 yards @ UCLA, 63 points @ Ohio State, 70 points and 400+ yards rushing @ Indianapolis and 49 points and a monstrous passing day @ Orlando. Those are problems, and they have to stick out in the mind's of the coaching staff and the players, when they review this season. This doesn't mean that we won't drop a game on the road; we have daunting games @ Ann Arbor and @ Happy Valley that will require our players to be playing at their best. I think they will, and we won't witness record setting performances against us on the road next season.
The defense will finish in the Top 25 of all defensive statistical categories (the good ones).
A lot of people, myself included, are worried about where the defense is right now and what that means in projecting where the defense will be next year. But this is a bold prediction thread and this is most certainly a bold prediction. There's going to be a lot of youth and inexperience on the defensive side of the ball, but sometimes that can benefit the team. If things are simple, which to many of these younger guys, it is (cover your guy, make tackles, stop big plays, sack the QB), you are more free to use your athletic ability instead of your mental capacity to make plays. The more things you have to worry about, the harder things become. The players coming in to replace the seniors are more athletic, and should be able to cause havoc for opposing offenses.
Nebraska will finish the regular season undefeated, en route to their best season under Head Coach, Bo Pelini (EZ-E).
The 2013 schedule is a favorable one for Nebraska. There is no Wisconsin, there is no Ohio State. Our road games are to a struggling Minnesota, a struggling Purdue, Michigan, and a sanction riddled Penn State. Our toughest home game, of which we have eight will come against UCLA, who showed in their bowl game that they might not be as good as they were painted out to be (inconsistent). All of this points to Nebraska potentially finishing the regular season undefeated, especially if Taylor cleans up his fumbles and the defense plays with athleticism more than their minds. Finish the regular season undefeated, and guarantee this to be Bo's best season yet.
Nebraska will play in a BCS Bowl Game, possibly the National Championship.
This is probably the boldest of the bold predictions (still one more to come), but if we finish the regular season undefeated, we could very well meet an undefeated Ohio State in the conference championship game. If that's the case, we'll go to a BCS Bowl regardless of if we win our lose. If we can beat Urban Meyer's bromance will Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes, we could very well be going to Pasadena (and not to the Rose Bowl).
The Huskers will send a team member to New York for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony.
This player is more than likely Taylor Martinez, as he will more than likely spearhead the majority of our offense's production. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Ameer Abdullah there if our running attack is number one in the country and we make an appearance in the national championship game. Even if we lose to Ohio State, that should still be good enough to send Taylor to New York, a la Collin Klein.
So that's all I have, Huskerboard, agree, disagree or indifferent, I would love to hear your opinions.
Braylon Heard, Ameer Abdullah, and Imani Cross will become a three headed monster in the backfield.
In the absence of Rex Burkhead, who was sidelined with a nagging knee injury for a majority of the 2012 season, Ameer Abdullah stepped up big time and posted a 1,000+ yard season, and showed Husker fans that there will be life after Rex Burkhead. He's powerful, shifty, and can hide behind the big guys in front of him. But Nebraska has more talent in the backfield than just Abdullah with Braylon Heard and Imani Cross (also Adam Taylor and Terrell Newby--but I'm expecting a redshirt for one of them, maybe both). Braylon is lightning fast and Imani Cross is a brick house. Look for Tim Beck to fully utilize the diverse talents of all three of these running backs in producing what could be the nation's #1 rushing attack in 2013.
Taylor Martinez won't lead the nation in fumbles.
Going into the 2012 season, the thing Taylor needed to work on most was his passing game, primarily his mechanics. So he went to see Steve Calhoun in the offseason. The result? A dramatic increase in completion percentage from 56.2% to 62%. Now, I wouldn't expect that number to increase as much next season, but I think it will increase to somewhere in the 64% range. But what this shows is that he knows his weaknesses, and he's taking a step-by-step approach to becoming a better QB. I fully expect the amount of times he fumbles next season to decrease, but there'll still be those boneheaded-"why Taylor why?" moments. The difference is those moments will be very few and far between stretches of excellent play.
The Huskers won't struggle on the road.
It seems that every time Nebraska was away from Memorial Stadium, records were being set, and they weren't the good kind. 600 yards @ UCLA, 63 points @ Ohio State, 70 points and 400+ yards rushing @ Indianapolis and 49 points and a monstrous passing day @ Orlando. Those are problems, and they have to stick out in the mind's of the coaching staff and the players, when they review this season. This doesn't mean that we won't drop a game on the road; we have daunting games @ Ann Arbor and @ Happy Valley that will require our players to be playing at their best. I think they will, and we won't witness record setting performances against us on the road next season.
The defense will finish in the Top 25 of all defensive statistical categories (the good ones).
A lot of people, myself included, are worried about where the defense is right now and what that means in projecting where the defense will be next year. But this is a bold prediction thread and this is most certainly a bold prediction. There's going to be a lot of youth and inexperience on the defensive side of the ball, but sometimes that can benefit the team. If things are simple, which to many of these younger guys, it is (cover your guy, make tackles, stop big plays, sack the QB), you are more free to use your athletic ability instead of your mental capacity to make plays. The more things you have to worry about, the harder things become. The players coming in to replace the seniors are more athletic, and should be able to cause havoc for opposing offenses.
Nebraska will finish the regular season undefeated, en route to their best season under Head Coach, Bo Pelini (EZ-E).
The 2013 schedule is a favorable one for Nebraska. There is no Wisconsin, there is no Ohio State. Our road games are to a struggling Minnesota, a struggling Purdue, Michigan, and a sanction riddled Penn State. Our toughest home game, of which we have eight will come against UCLA, who showed in their bowl game that they might not be as good as they were painted out to be (inconsistent). All of this points to Nebraska potentially finishing the regular season undefeated, especially if Taylor cleans up his fumbles and the defense plays with athleticism more than their minds. Finish the regular season undefeated, and guarantee this to be Bo's best season yet.
Nebraska will play in a BCS Bowl Game, possibly the National Championship.
This is probably the boldest of the bold predictions (still one more to come), but if we finish the regular season undefeated, we could very well meet an undefeated Ohio State in the conference championship game. If that's the case, we'll go to a BCS Bowl regardless of if we win our lose. If we can beat Urban Meyer's bromance will Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes, we could very well be going to Pasadena (and not to the Rose Bowl).
The Huskers will send a team member to New York for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony.
This player is more than likely Taylor Martinez, as he will more than likely spearhead the majority of our offense's production. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Ameer Abdullah there if our running attack is number one in the country and we make an appearance in the national championship game. Even if we lose to Ohio State, that should still be good enough to send Taylor to New York, a la Collin Klein.
So that's all I have, Huskerboard, agree, disagree or indifferent, I would love to hear your opinions.
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