What were... and ... what are expecations

[admo]

They are still inline with my expectations. Regardless who coached this year, I did not feel comfortable with BYU, Miami, Wisconsin & Michigan State. Now Northwestern is looking like a real challenge because they have improved. Although I did (and still do) think we pull off an upset in one of those games.

 

The way last year went, Michigan State was embarrassing. Wisconsin did me in. This team showed how brittle it was down the stretch.

 

Going into the season - new coach and new players - My expectations were (and still are) to have some patience and watch the games with a grain of salt. I want to see the Huskers get better. I wanted to see improved quarterback play and better tackling. So far those two have improved through three games and that's encouraging.

 

One other thing. I've gotten tired of the Huskers rolling through parts of the season, only to see several losses pile up during the final stretch of the season. And it's been happening year after year after year. So my expectation would be to improve throughout the season and play your best football down the stretch. Build some momentum into bowl season and then onto the next year.

 

Non conference records don't bother me so much. I want to see us play for B1G - and that is still in reach (0-0).

[hskrfan4life]

Nebraska will still win the West in my book.

[Saunders]

Need to get out of this funk, because NU has lost 5 of the last 7. Here's hoping the staff finds some fixes to bandaid the injuries problems, and we can get a nice streak going.

[Moiraine]

I thought we'd go 3-1 or 2-2 and win 8 or 9 games total. I still think we'll win 8-9 games total.

[Kernal]

I thought 9-4 or 10-3 before the season, but I thought we'd beat BYU and Miami. I still think we'll win at least 8 because I expect the team to continue improving and because both of those losses were very close.

 

I was too optimistic before the season about all the issues that arise with a coaching change. I was also too optimistic that many of the mistakes that plagued the Huskers for the past few years could be corrected right away. Now, I'm almost afraid it will take a full recruiting cycle for some of those old habits and attitudes to graduate.

 

Nebraska hasn't been nationally relevant or won their conference for about 15 years now. I'm used to waiting, so I can keep waiting without too much additional fuss. I am enjoying this new coaching staff's approach much more than I have any of the past three, so at least there's that.

[Dbqgolfer]

Entering season, expected 9-3, but thought we'd split BYU and Miami. Hopefully we'll win one I didn't think, so hopefully still 9-3.

[Jeremy]

It's crucial we get to a bowl game. That extra month of practice and the game being televised will provide a lot of momentum going into recruiting and spring ball.

[skersfan]

I think we have played two teams that were better, more talented. But we saw a team that kept fighting, trying, wanting to win. Never wavering from that goal. I think we are just fine. Not about the wins or losses this year. Need to get all the kids on board, keep striving to improve.

 

I expected tough games from both Miami and BYU. We lost two games by a total of 4 points. BYU lost to UCLA by one, we never did that. This team is better than its record, and it will start to show. Injuries are affecting us, we need to improve on numerous fronts, but we have coaching that can accomplish that I think.

 

Stay positive, the kids need it, the staff needs it and most of all we need to see light at the end of the tunnel.

[84HuskerLaw]

This is a very interesting thread and many comments with differing views but much more friendly and 'agree to disagree' in it. That makes this one read through much more comfortably. I tend to remain optimistic about the team's prospects. While a loss is still a loss in the record books and for purposes of bowl standing, ratings generally, etc, I think you have to judge a football game by so much more than the final score. That's why they keep all those statistics. The numbers indicate how things are going in the game within the game so to speak. The old saying of "it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game!" still holds true for me. I see us playing some of the best football in husker history for 10 minutes of the fourth quarter of the Miami game. If somehow these guys can replicate that effort and focus (aka 'execution') for two quarters of each game they play the rest of the year, we will win our customary 9 games and add a decent bowl game on top. On the other hand, if we play like we did in the first quarter of the same game, we won't win more than 4 games this year (OMG!, Sh t, f ck holy crap!). But, fortunately I don't see the latter happening. The team is learning and getting better. Again, as I have offered in several other comments the past few days, we will know much, much more after we play the next three games. Half way through, you no longer have freshmen playing without any experience and they players normally know nearly all the plays etc. without much problem in the knowledge area. You have also identified the 'best' players that sometimes haven't revealed themselves in the spring and fall preseason camp. Some guys lack confidence and or don't get enough reps being down on the depth chart to really show the coaches they have the skills to get it done. 6 games is usually enough to provide some opportunities to see live action for everybody on the travel roster. Of course all teams are 'improving' as well. But, in key areas such as QB play, we are seeing dramatic rises in quality of play with far more good plays and far fewer bad plays. I remain optimistic about this team and our crystal balls will be much clearer by the time we discuss game 6. i will predict we are 4-2 after game 6 unless we see another rash of injured starters.

[VectorVictor]

I don't know if you can expect a Stoops like year out of 98% of the NCAA coaches.

 

Point of information--Stoops won that NC with John "Dirty Rycruter" (not official nickname) Blake's kids, and hasn't been able to replicate the results since. And they're getting antsy down there in Norman as a result.

 

Most coaches don't walk into a program and have the cupboards stocked with premium talent--usually the other way around, as is the case for DoNU, as proven in another thread here in this forum.

[Red Five]

My expectation/goal was that we would win the B1G West. I still think that is very doable.

[StPaulHusker]

I expect the team to be competitive. Obviously I would prefer they be competitive from the start of the game but I just don't want to see them give up a la Wisconsin 3 out of 4 games.

 

So far I haven't seen that. And no one can say with any degree with certainty that a Pelini led team would not have folded in at least one of those 2 losses.

[The Dude]

Wisconsin's conference schedule is so light we'll probably have to sweep the division to win it. I don't see that happening. If Wisconsin beats us, that's pretty much that.

[GBRedneck]

I thought 7-5 or 6-6 at worst, but now 5-7 has come into play.

[NUinID]

Mine are really the same, I think the team will continue to get better as the season rolls along. I was hoping for 3-1 coming out of the non conf schedule I was fearful of Miami. BYU is much improved over last year. I don't see a game left on the schedule that we can't win.