Skeptic/Believer

[The Dude]

Are you seriously trying to make Purdue out to be a formidable foe? They were 3-5 in conference, 6-7 overall. They suck. Stop trying to compare them to Wisconsin and Ohio State. Even in 2011 when Ohio State was in turmoil, they had much more talent than any Purdue team ever will.

 

Yes, our schedule is considerably easier just by trading Wisconsin and Ohio State with Purdue and Illinois. It's science.

[HuskerNationNick]

Yes, our schedule is considerably easier just by trading Wisconsin and Ohio State with Purdue and Illinois. It's science.

 

I agree our schedule is easier, by pretty big margin, by just by not having tOSU on it. Wisconsin, with Gary Anderson, I don't expect to see greatness just yet, but they will be back up there. Just not this year, and possibly the next. Purdue couldn't be successful with Danny Hope, I doubt they will be anytime soon. Same goes for Illinois. They had some close games last year, but their defense was far worse than our last year, and I don't see them magically getting talent after 1 year of having a new head coach and having a complete losing season.

 

Even with Wisconsin off our schedule, they would be more of a threat to us, than Purdue and Illinois.

[Count 'Bility]

Are you seriously trying to make Purdue out to be a formidable foe? They were 3-5 in conference, 6-7 overall. They suck. Stop trying to compare them to Wisconsin and Ohio State. Even in 2011 when Ohio State was in turmoil, they had much more talent than any Purdue team ever will.

 

Yes, our schedule is considerably easier just by trading Wisconsin and Ohio State with Purdue and Illinois. It's science.

A moot point here. It's a clash of opinions. Purdue SHOULD'VE beatin Ohio St last year. In Columbus.

[BigRedBuster]

I really REALLY dont want to turn this into a "what if we fire Bo" thread, but this is something that really concerns me the more I think about it. I think back to those words of Dirk Chatelain. "Bo is not good enough to get us over the hump, but he's not bad enough to fire". How bad do we have to let it get? Let's face it, we dotn have a good record of canning 9-win coaches. We're STILL trying to recover from the 1st time we did it. Yes, 2013 is definitely THE year, one way or another.

Don't confuse the fire w/ the hire. You mean - we're still trying to recover from the hire that was made. I know the first thing that people are going to throw out is Urban's comments...but Urban wasn't coming her anyways so no one really cares. A bad hire was made. End of story. Has little to nothing to do w/ the firing. And it likely wouldn't this time either. NO quality/competitive coach is going to look at Bo's last couple of seasons and question why he was let go. They'll see the blowouts, the team quiting, the roster management, etc. They'll see plenty of opportunity. Then they'll see $3.5 million/year. I'm not too worried about the firing impacting our hiring. I don't see our pool of coaches being any different than if we only won 5 games. My worry is more what the pool would look like today. Especially after watching Brett bolt from the top of the B1G to a mid-tier SEC team - for not a lot more $$.

 

There is a lot that can be said about last year's team but "quiting" isn't one of them. How many games did they fight, claw, scratch their way back in to win? That isn't quiting.

[HuskerNationNick]

There is a lot that can be said about last year's team but "quiting" isn't one of them. How many games did they fight, claw, scratch their way back in to win? That isn't quiting.

 

Hell they didn't even quit in the Wisconsin game when they knew it was over lol

[JJ Husker]

 

So, with this being said, is this agreeing or disagreeing with my point that 2013's schedule is NOT that much easier than the previous two seasons? Because that is what the overall perception is, and I just happen to not really see why. I'm not grading the level of difficulty. Just it's comparison to 2011 and 2012 in terms that 2013 is being labeled as so much "easier". I dont see it by simply changing around a couple in-conference opponents, one them being that possible trap game on the road, and then having Michigan and Penn St on the road.

 

Yes, Dude. Even as much as I am one of those that thinks we have insatiable expectations and such, I also have the pride enough to not lower mine to the point that frankly, 3 losses should never be acceptable. It happens, yes, and it should never be a reason to reset, fire coaches and start over, but it is disappointing and unacceptable nonetheless.

 

I would agree that our schedule is not THAT much easier. Easier? Yes. Significantly easier? Probably not. But it does reduce our load by a couple tough games, effectively replacing those with two much easier games. Overall it's not a cake walk but it is a situation that should translate to two fewer potential losses.

[HuskerShark]

70-31

 

Skeptic.

[JJ Husker]

 

I am not prepping for a letdown at all....I just believe Michigan will be a challenge in the big house. I think NEB can and honestly should win with the offense they have coming back. I just hope the defense is slightly or even remotely a tad bit better.

 

I didn't mean to imply that you were prepping for a letdown. I also think we can and should win with the O we have coming back and also believe our D has to be better. No way that can't improve even with youth/experience issues. I'm always frustrated when people are overly concerned about too much youth or not enough experience when the prior years version was almost totally inept. IMO it's almost impossible to still be that bad or not improve so I'm optimistic that it will be much better.

[skersfan]

I think the reason people are concerned is due to the fact that some of these kids were here, and deemed by the coaching staff not good/ready enough to beat what we had starting. If that is the case, then some real concern about their ability to stand up and be better, with out a down of college football experience, should be considered. Along with the fact that every fall, Bo makes the comment that this is the best defense since he go here or words to that affect.

 

We have youth, little experience, with kids that looked good in high school, but have yet to display their abilities on the field. Expecting them to be better than what we had last year, is possible, god hope it is. But realistically there is a reason they did not see the field last year. By guys leaving does not automatically make them better, just next in line.

[BigRedBuster]

I think the reason people are concerned is due to the fact that some of these kids were here, and deemed by the coaching staff not good/ready enough to beat what we had starting. If that is the case, then some real concern about their ability to stand up and be better, with out a down of college football experience, should be considered. Along with the fact that every fall, Bo makes the comment that this is the best defense since he go here or words to that affect.

 

We have youth, little experience, with kids that looked good in high school, but have yet to display their abilities on the field. Expecting them to be better than what we had last year, is possible, god hope it is. But realistically there is a reason they did not see the field last year. By guys leaving does not automatically make them better, just next in line.

 

 

Most of the talent we had last season was true freshman, redshirt freshman or sophomore. IT baffles my mind why some fans don't understand that even though someone like VV is extremely talented physically, as a true freshman there is a good chance he isn't going to beat out someone like Stein or Meredith as seniors.

 

Also, we saw the same thing when it came to Martinez after just his sophomore year and his second year with a new OC. Some fans absolutely had him written off as a horrible QB that will never be anything worth a lick and never EVER be able to improve his passing.

 

Hmmm....I guess we don't need coaches. We can just start all of our true freshmen because there is no chance for player development and learning of the play book.

[Landlord]

Anyone claiming the schedule isn't remarkably easier is way off base in my opinion.

 

The reason being not so much that we are playing such worse teams, or because we played such incredible teams last year, but because last season we did face the B1G's six best teams - back to back to back to back to back to back.

 

That's an absolutely brutal stretch that nobody else even came close to. And we went 5-1.

 

Next season isn't nearly as daunting.

[Count 'Bility]

And 8 of 12 teams we play this year are teams we played last year.

[Nobody]

What I forsee and hope doesn't happen. NU offensively is a juggernaut this year but the defense loses us a few games.

Beck then becomes a hot commodity and is convinced with $ or a head coaching gig and leaves.

 

2014 we turn the corner defensively and have a top10 unit. Now the offense is in reconstruction mode with a new OC.

 

Maybe unfairly to Pelini it is conjectured that he will never be able to put both together in the same year if ever. Pelini's head is called for and boom back to square one.

 

basically exactly the same thing i said on page 1

[Malth]

And 8 of 12 teams we play this year are teams we played last year.

 

And our schedule is still easier this year.

[hskerprid]

What I forsee and hope doesn't happen. NU offensively is a juggernaut this year but the defense loses us a few games.

Beck then becomes a hot commodity and is convinced with $ or a head coaching gig and leaves.

 

2014 we turn the corner defensively and have a top10 unit. Now the offense is in reconstruction mode with a new OC.

 

Maybe unfairly to Pelini it is conjectured that he will never be able to put both together in the same year if ever. Pelini's head is called for and boom back to square one.

 

basically exactly the same thing i said on page 1

 

 

Except the part about no Beck.....whatevs