Mandel's Big Ten predictions

[iowahusker09]

I think the idea that Nebraska could lose to Michigan is a fair one to say. I don't see us losing to another team in the conference though, forcing Michigan to not lose to two of their conference foes, which might be tough for them considering Ohio State is on their schedule and not ours.

 

Lets not forget Sparty. MSU has won 4 of the last five and the only loss was last year by 2 points in Ann Arbor.

[Mavric]

We beat NW at home by two TDs. My prediction. Not overly worried about them.

 

I'm watching the 2012 game again on DVR the last couple of days. If we don't give them the ball on our side of the field twice in the first quarter due to our own utter stupidity, we win that game in a cakewalk. If we had only figured out how to cover that stupid crossing route in 2011 we win that game, too (and if Rex doesn't fumble at the five yard line).

 

Northwestern is supposed to be better this year than recent years. I say great - they're going to need it. If our defense is even only as good as the last two years, and if our offense doesn't utterly crap the bed again, I think your prediction of a two-score win is pretty accurate.

 

If Rex doesn't fumble on the 5 and Quincy doesn't fumble going into the red zone we win that game even if we concete yards to Colter.

 

I'm not seeing this Northwestern team that people are afraid of. If we show up focused and don't turn the ball over we win it comfortably.

I stated this before be we did a much better job of beating ourselves the two times we've played NW than anything thing they've done to beat us.

 

We've played down to their level, not the other way around.

[iowahusker09]

@pennst

vs Indiana

@MSU

vs NEB

@ NW

 

If michigan makes it through that gauntlet with one loss, they deserve the legends, unless its to us.

[Treand3]

We beat NW at home by two TDs. My prediction. Not overly worried about them.

 

I'm watching the 2012 game again on DVR the last couple of days. If we don't give them the ball on our side of the field twice in the first quarter due to our own utter stupidity, we win that game in a cakewalk. If we had only figured out how to cover that stupid crossing route in 2011 we win that game, too (and if Rex doesn't fumble at the five yard line).

 

Northwestern is supposed to be better this year than recent years. I say great - they're going to need it. If our defense is even only as good as the last two years, and if our offense doesn't utterly crap the bed again, I think your prediction of a two-score win is pretty accurate.

 

If Rex doesn't fumble on the 5 and Quincy doesn't fumble going into the red zone we win that game even if we concete yards to Colter.

 

I'm not seeing this Northwestern team that people are afraid of. If we show up focused and don't turn the ball over we win it comfortably.

I stated this before be we did a much better job of beating ourselves the two times we've played NW than anything thing they've done to beat us.

 

We've played down to their level, not the other way around.

 

Agree with all in that our Huskers made a lot of mistakes that benefited Northwestern. They are the epitome of making a team pay for their mistakes.

[Foppa]

I'll take 10-2, a good bowl and an 11-2 finish. I'd prefer a conference championship but with a young defense like we have this year that's maybe too much to ask for.

 

You're not drinking the right kool-aid.

 

Seriously though, I think this team is capable of playing and beating every team on the schedule. Even OSU if it comes to that. The defense might be young, but I think they'll be faster and more physical, and hopefully that can counter the inexperience a little bit.

 

I know it's been said many times, but if Nebraska can stop beating Nebraska in a few tough games, they should be fine.

[Mavric]

NW is not going to be a cake walk, by any means. They are just as good as last year, and who knows why Fitz played Semien instead of Kolter? But, I think that may have saved us in 2012.

 

I think we win, but it will be a very tough game.

 

Fitz play Semien over Kain because Kolter did absolutely nothing against us.

And Semien did ... what exactly? Complete 43% of his passes? Check. Average 3.3 yards per pass? Check. Those numbers definitely tell me he should of had twice as many touches as their best player. Plus, you should always play the non-mobile, drop-back passer against the Blackshirts. Everyone knows that gives you the best chance to win.

[Saunders]

NW is not going to be a cake walk, by any means. They are just as good as last year, and who knows why Fitz played Semien instead of Kolter? But, I think that may have saved us in 2012.

 

I think we win, but it will be a very tough game.

 

Fitz play Semien over Kain because Kolter did absolutely nothing against us.

And Semien did ... what exactly? Complete 43% of his passes? Check. Average 3.3 yards per pass? Check. Those numbers definitely tell me he should of had twice as many touches as their best player. Plus, you should always play the non-mobile, drop-back passer against the Blackshirts. Everyone knows that gives you the best chance to win.

he had better averages than Kolter, and actually scored points. And both TD passes were throws Kolter would have struggled with.

[Mavric]

NW is not going to be a cake walk, by any means. They are just as good as last year, and who knows why Fitz played Semien instead of Kolter? But, I think that may have saved us in 2012.

 

I think we win, but it will be a very tough game.

 

Fitz play Semien over Kain because Kolter did absolutely nothing against us.

And Semien did ... what exactly? Complete 43% of his passes? Check. Average 3.3 yards per pass? Check. Those numbers definitely tell me he should of had twice as many touches as their best player. Plus, you should always play the non-mobile, drop-back passer against the Blackshirts. Everyone knows that gives you the best chance to win.

he had better averages than Kolter, and actually scored points. And both TD passes were throws Kolter would have struggled with.

And you know this ... how? Colter completed about 75% of his passes in a five game stretch including ours.

[Saunders]

NW is not going to be a cake walk, by any means. They are just as good as last year, and who knows why Fitz played Semien instead of Kolter? But, I think that may have saved us in 2012.

 

I think we win, but it will be a very tough game.

 

Fitz play Semien over Kain because Kolter did absolutely nothing against us.

And Semien did ... what exactly? Complete 43% of his passes? Check. Average 3.3 yards per pass? Check. Those numbers definitely tell me he should of had twice as many touches as their best player. Plus, you should always play the non-mobile, drop-back passer against the Blackshirts. Everyone knows that gives you the best chance to win.

he had better averages than Kolter, and actually scored points. And both TD passes were throws Kolter would have struggled with.

And you know this ... how? Colter completed about 75% of his passes in a five game stretch including ours.

Because Fitz said that the whole reason they went with a 2 QB system is because Trevor could make all the throws, and Kain couldn't. I never saw Kain make anything like the 26 yarder Siemian threw to Jones.

 

Bottom line is, Kain didn't do anything against us. In 2011, he had 26 touches for 229 yards, 8.8 ypt, and 2 TD's. In 2012, he had 19 touches for 57 yards, 3 YPT, and 0 TD's. He was thrown to another 4-5 times, and Ciante owned him last year.

[Mavric]

Fitz play Semien over Kain because Kolter did absolutely nothing against us.

And Semien did ... what exactly? Complete 43% of his passes? Check. Average 3.3 yards per pass? Check. Those numbers definitely tell me he should of had twice as many touches as their best player. Plus, you should always play the non-mobile, drop-back passer against the Blackshirts. Everyone knows that gives you the best chance to win.

he had better averages than Kolter, and actually scored points. And both TD passes were throws Kolter would have struggled with.

And you know this ... how? Colter completed about 75% of his passes in a five game stretch including ours.

Because Fitz said that the whole reason they went with a 2 QB system is because Trevor could make all the throws, and Kain couldn't. I never saw Kain make anything like the 26 yarder Siemian threw to Jones.

 

Bottom line is, Kain didn't do anything against us. In 2011, he had 26 touches for 229 yards, 8.8 ypt, and 2 TD's. In 2012, he had 19 touches for 57 yards, 3 YPT, and 0 TD's. He was thrown to another 4-5 times, and Ciante owned him last year.

Exactly. They took their best player and put him in a terrible spot.

 

You can make the claim that they thought Siemian gave them the better chance to win if you want. It goes against everything that has and has not worked against our defense, particularly the last two years. But to claim that they put in Semien because Kolter did nothing against us is patently false. Siemian was in on their third play from scrimmage. He played extensively in the first quarter. Kolter was not given any opportunity to do anything against us. They game-planned their best player out of the game. They had made that choice going in. And expect for mostly what our offense/special teams handed to them, it didn't work out very well.

[Saunders]

Exactly. They took their best player and put him in a terrible spot.

 

You can make the claim that they thought Siemian gave them the better chance to win if you want. It goes against everything that has and has not worked against our defense, particularly the last two years. But to claim that they put in Semien because Kolter did nothing against us is patently false. Siemian was in on their third play from scrimmage. He played extensively in the first quarter. Kolter was not given any opportunity to do anything against us. They game-planned their best player out of the game. They had made that choice going in. And expect for mostly what our offense/special teams handed to them, it didn't work out very well.

What are you talking about putting him in a terrible spot? His touches in 2011 were split between WR and QB.... just like in 2012.

 

Except, in 2012, he had nowhere to go because we had game-planned to stop him. Colter is a run first QB 75% of the time, and we gave hime nowhere to run or throw, and smothered him when he was at WR. He only ran the ball 3 less times, and had almost half the yards (and no touchdowns). Outside of one busted assignment (the 80 yard run by Venric Mark) Northwestern average like 2.1 YPC.

 

They had to throw. Siemian played because he was a true threat to throw. They had been splitting snaps since the Syracuse game (when Kain benched himself in the 2nd half because he couldn't make the throws to win the game).

 

Fitz is supposedly the best coach in the league, but he makes such a stupid mistake? No. We shut down Colter. Anything else is pure conjecture.

[Mavric]

Exactly. They took their best player and put him in a terrible spot.

 

You can make the claim that they thought Siemian gave them the better chance to win if you want. It goes against everything that has and has not worked against our defense, particularly the last two years. But to claim that they put in Semien because Kolter did nothing against us is patently false. Siemian was in on their third play from scrimmage. He played extensively in the first quarter. Kolter was not given any opportunity to do anything against us. They game-planned their best player out of the game. They had made that choice going in. And expect for mostly what our offense/special teams handed to them, it didn't work out very well.

What are you talking about putting him in a terrible spot? His touches in 2011 were split between WR and QB.... just like in 2012.

 

Except, in 2012, he had nowhere to go because we had game-planned to stop him. Colter is a run first QB 75% of the time, and we gave hime nowhere to run or throw, and smothered him when he was at WR. He only ran the ball 3 less times, and had almost half the yards (and no touchdowns). Outside of one busted assignment (the 80 yard run by Venric Mark) Northwestern average like 2.1 YPC.

 

They had to throw. Siemian played because he was a true threat to throw. They had been splitting snaps since the Syracuse game (when Kain benched himself in the 2nd half because he couldn't make the throws to win the game).

 

Fitz is supposedly the best coach in the league, but he makes such a stupid mistake? No. We shut down Colter. Anything else is pure conjecture.

If you take out the 80 yard run, they averaged 2.7 yards per rush. If you take out the longest pass play, Siemian averaged 2.6 yards per pass. How many plays are we going to ignore?

 

Did the Huskers have more trouble stopping the run or the pass last year?

[Mavric]

Sorry to derail the thread. I'll stop now.

[Count 'Bility]

Okay. Here's the thing about the perception that we shut down Colter when he was given the ball-and Denard Robinson for that matter while he was playing-is that we held these guys in check for not much more than what we held Braxton Miller completely in check. With those 2, you have to believe that there was still that real possibility that had Robinson played the whole game, and Colter been fed the ball as he shouldve, that they couldve opened the floodgates with one broken run. That's been our tendancy right. So as much as I've said the same about the defense playing well on those days, we really will never know. Then Wisconsin II happened, and it really makes you wonder.

[walksalone]

I can't argue too much with Mandel's assessment, until they learn to start winning the "big" games, we'll perpetually be a 10-2 team on the outside looking in....