Skeptic/Believer

[walksalone]

After taking a minute to think about this, I have to say, I'm like a few others on here, that is a bit of both. I think there are so many of us that are "believers", but at the same time, we've also prepared ourselves for a less than favorable outcome.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I begin each season cautiously optimistic

[Hedley Lamarr]

All of us want NU to take the next step back to being an elite level program. Some feel Bo will get this done others do not. In the end all of us root for the same team and we all want those trophies for our team. We all want to believe that this could be the year etc etc. When looking at our schedule this could very easily be the best crack we have had at running the table.

 

I don't see any excuses this season for Bo and staff. If he comes out and lays some eggs and we finish 9-4ish it will have been a failure.

 

In the end lets just do whatever it takes to get the W's no matter who is leading the big red.

[Count 'Bility]

All of us want NU to take the next step back to being an elite level program. Some feel Bo will get this done others do not. In the end all of us root for the same team and we all want those trophies for our team. We all want to believe that this could be the year etc etc. When looking at our schedule this could very easily be the best crack we have had at running the table.

 

I don't see any excuses this season for Bo and staff. If he comes out and lays some eggs and we finish 9-4ish it will have been a failure.

 

In the end lets just do whatever it takes to get the W's no matter who is leading the big red.

You do realize our defense will be loaded with newcomers, right? Not sayin they arent more talented and/or athletic than 2012's group, but there could be some growing pains. Yes, 9-4 will be a failure, but frankly, when is 9-4 at Nebraska NOT a failure? 11-2 in 1996 was even a failure.

 

I am very curious about this year's defense and the supposed athleticism we are hearing about. We'll have to see come september. We're not gonna see enough to know anything of real substance at the spring game.

 

And in answering the question.

2 years ago I was a solid believer. But after the last couple season some rifts have become clearly obvious to push me to that middle ground. Doesnt mean the issues wont be fixed though.

[HuskerNationNick]

I believe we have the talent on both sides of the field to be dominant. I am skeptic that the fumbles won't stop, offensive line won't have a pass protection, and we will still have the same weak rushing defense. I also believe we will have slip-ups and missed protections with the young defense. With the talent, we may not realize when these are done, like we were able to last year.

 

Those 3 things are key for us to focus on, IMO, and have been for the last couple years. Fumbles have always been something that Nebraska could never put their finger on, and its just not Pelini's era. In his era, we have just had 1 player lead all 3 years in fumbles, which is something Nebraska hasn't had. Rush defense hasn't been good, since we lost our over matched, dominant anchor in the middle (Suh). Crick could have been that person, if he had never gotten the concussion or the bicep injury. Stein could have as well, if he would have had someone healthy and decent next to him. Pass protection... well we all know that one. Been a while since we had a good OL that wasn't sloppy and missing blocks.

[lo country]

I am a skeptic. Until the staff shows you can take true or RS fresh, plug them in on D and win, I am a skeptic. Until we avoid the traditional blow outs, I am a skeptic. Until we stop the idiotic penalties, missed tackles fumbles, I am a skeptic. It seems we do not even do the basics well so how can we expect to be great? For me, it is not so much the W-L at the end of each of Bo's seasons, but the embarrassing beat downs we have received. The B1G last year still burns. A 3rd string QB, 3 backs over 100 yrds and a huge melt down. Until Bo shows he can avoid these, call me a skeptic.

 

Every team has youth and inexperience. I am tired of that is an excuse. I am tired of the "playing" in a new conference (see A&M). Time for this staff to put up or shut up. Teach the fundamentals and play good sound football for 4 quarters.

[B.B. Hemingway]

I feel that the program is about to turn the corner. The offense has been ready for a year now, and our defense is going to have SO many more playmakers this year compared to last. If the defense can get over the mental hurdles caused by their youth then this could be a special year for Nebraska.... I think we'll be the best team in the Big Ten....

[BigRedBuster]

It's a lot more fun being optimistic.

[KJ.]

You do realize our defense will be loaded with newcomers, right? Not sayin they arent more talented and/or athletic than 2012's group, but there could be some growing pains. Yes, 9-4 will be a failure, but frankly, when is 9-4 at Nebraska NOT a failure? 11-2 in 1996 was even a failure.

 

I am very curious about this year's defense and the supposed athleticism we are hearing about. We'll have to see come september. We're not gonna see enough to know anything of real substance at the spring game.

 

And in answering the question.

2 years ago I was a solid believer. But after the last couple season some rifts have become clearly obvious to push me to that middle ground. Doesnt mean the issues wont be fixed though.

And here we have the great divide between Bolievers and the opposition: whose fault is that? The young, inexperienced defense this year is largely a reflection of poor roster management and awful recruiting a few years ago. I understand there are naturally going to be up and down years, and we still have a lot of talent on defense, but there's going to be way too many growing pains this year for what there should be in a coach's 6th year.

[huskered17]

All of us want NU to take the next step back to being an elite level program. Some feel Bo will get this done others do not. In the end all of us root for the same team and we all want those trophies for our team. We all want to believe that this could be the year etc etc. When looking at our schedule this could very easily be the best crack we have had at running the table.

 

I don't see any excuses this season for Bo and staff. If he comes out and lays some eggs and we finish 9-4ish it will have been a failure.

 

In the end lets just do whatever it takes to get the W's no matter who is leading the big red.

 

9-4 would be a good year most other places. I also think we should have the team this year, that gets back to the B1G championship game. We have an easy enough early schedule sandwiched around UCLA, that should give Bo and company enough time, to get the new players some time, to get their cleats wet. I am looking for a great season, doesn't mean we will have one thou. As we are finding out......

 

GBR!!!

[Landlord]

I'm both, depending on the general consensus. Usually, it holds true that when the entire fanbase, or at least the overwhelming majority, feel pretty confident in something, they're completely wrong.

 

Take the Capital One Bowl vs. Georgia for example. 90+% of all of us expected we'd get blown out, be lucky to keep it within 3 scores, embarrassed on the national stage, etc.

 

I don't quite know how to accurately judge the team itself year in and year out or any given Saturday, but I do know how to judge the fanbase, and I expected to win the game against Georgia.

[HuskerNationNick]

I'm both, depending on the general consensus. Usually, it holds true that when the entire fanbase, or at least the overwhelming majority, feel pretty confident in something, they're completely wrong.

 

Take the Capital One Bowl vs. Georgia for example. 90+% of all of us expected we'd get blown out, be lucky to keep it within 3 scores, embarrassed on the national stage, etc.

 

I don't quite know how to accurately judge the team itself year in and year out or any given Saturday, but I do know how to judge the fanbase, and I expected to win the game against Georgia.

 

As well did I. That game, before it even started, was winnable to me. I don't know how many times I got grief here for saying it would be a close game. Had there not been a fumble on our dominating drive, that caused a HUGE snowball effect, who knows if we could have gotten the W. I believe we would have. We were unstoppable on offense and the defense folded, trying to make the big play to get the ball back. We just stopped playing "smart" defense, and in a way, the same goes for the offense after that.

 

This year, I just hope we stick to the fundamentals and play simple, dominating football. Our guys on defense are too young for the complicated coverages, and it seems to me, that is when we make our biggest mistakes.

[Nobody]

Whats going to suck is doing just enough to stay out of or not win the CCG with a stellar offense this year.. One of the more impressive offenses we've known, especially in recent years. Our young defense will look impressive at times but show their age when it counts.

 

Now the sucky part... the season after this one we really come into our own defensively. Only to realize that.... wait for it.... we've just started a new offensive era and are far from the scoring explosion we saw the year before. New leaf. Stingy defense, new offense. Polar opposites. Welcome to Lincoln folks. "/

 

I just have that feeling.

[HuskerNationNick]

Whats going to suck is doing just enough to stay out of or not win the CCG with a stellar offense this year.. One of the more impressive offenses we've known, especially in recent years. Our young defense will look impressive at times but show their age when it counts.

 

Now the sucky part... the season after this one we really come into our own defensively. Only to realize that.... wait for it.... we've just started a new offensive era and are far from the scoring explosion we saw the year before. New leaf. Stingy defense, new offense. Polar opposites. Welcome to Lincoln folks. "/

 

I just have that feeling.

 

I think Armstrong and/or Stanton will run our offense just fine, if not better. We will still have the same receiving core, with much of the OL, while the same guys in the back. Stanton is a better Martinez. Smarter, more ball security, and a MUCH stronger arm/accuracy. Armstrong, is smart, is not as fast, but can run and has one hell of an arm. Both are great leaders from what we have been told. Only time will tell, but I don't think we will see a drop off offensively next year. Maybe less fumbles

[kchusker_chris]

You do realize our defense will be loaded with newcomers, right? Not sayin they arent more talented and/or athletic than 2012's group, but there could be some growing pains. Yes, 9-4 will be a failure, but frankly, when is 9-4 at Nebraska NOT a failure? 11-2 in 1996 was even a failure.

 

I am very curious about this year's defense and the supposed athleticism we are hearing about. We'll have to see come september. We're not gonna see enough to know anything of real substance at the spring game.

 

And in answering the question.

2 years ago I was a solid believer. But after the last couple season some rifts have become clearly obvious to push me to that middle ground. Doesnt mean the issues wont be fixed though.

So you're cautiously optimistic?

 

Every year there is going to be an excuse to be found for why we underperformed. Every team has that. I think the question at this point isn't as much if you're a believer for a skeptic - it's whether you'll accept the barrage of excuses, the constant flow of "if this", or "but such and such", or "young coach", or "without xyz injury..." - or not. Is you're patience for such excuses thinning? Mine is.

 

It's time to step up. 9-4 would be a failure with this schedule. I don't think Bo or anyone on the team would disagree with me...not sure why so many of the "defenders of 9" continue to.