Early 2017 Top 25

[spurs1990]

@ Mr. "Chimichanga",

 

Do you really think we're going to beat WI, PSU, with a rookie QB, meh running attack, and new DC with no 'scarey' players on the D? I guarantee nxt we will not be 50/50 going into those games but will be a significant dawg in those games--in addition to the OSU game.

 

In case your memory fails you, we STRUGGLED against mediocre competition in '17 to amass the 7-0 and #7 vast overranking. Knowledgeable fans of the game knew at the time it was more or less smoke and mirrors and, not unsurprisingly, Big Red folded like a cheap suit against the good teams on the schedule.

 

NW, IA, and OR will also most likely be favored over us. Minny will also have an excellent shot at beating us.

 

If I had to lay $ on the table right now, I'd say we looking at 7 wins tops nxt year. Unless Gebbia is some ridiculous frosh phenom, we will have REAL issues @ QB--can you say ROOKIE?

 

Lamar Jackson, remember that guy, Heisman or something, "phenom", OBTW, finished with 4 or 5 losses, if I recall, and embarrassed in the bowl game.

 

Fact is, DONU is just another team, also ran, in a parity world, no more, no less. We are not a scary team. Maybe in '18/'19, IF one of the QBs pans out as hoped, we can resume a discussion of division or conference contention.

Sam Darnold was a rookie QB too. We also have Lee and POB so it's not like all of our eggs are in a single basket. It could be rough, but we could also have someone step up and play very well.

[Nebfanatic]

Jalen Hurts, Deondre Francios, Winston before him. This is college not the NFL, first year QBs succeed all of the time and alot more than just the ones I have mentioned.

[The Big Nebrowski]

Really, you're going to try and draw comparison between Tanner Lee and Hurts, Winston, and Francois? Perhaps you hadn't noticed that those 3 guys were top QB recruits in the country and they proved it. POB is obviously not in that category or he would've kicked TA to the curb and been the starter in '16. S*me deal for Lee. If Gebbia turns out to be in that category, or say, the next Josh Rosen, then HE will be the starter and I will be tickled pink and predict a 9 win season-heck, maybe even 10. Unlikely to be the case, though.

 

I repeat, TL ave ~52% completion @ Tulane, 1 game over 300, and neither season over 2000. There's my evidence. If POB can't beat out that guy then POB was an overrated recruit, IMO.

 

As to Lee and practice, I will paraphrase Allen Iverson here, "it's just practice".

[Nebfanatic]

Really, you're going to try and draw comparison between Tanner Lee and Hurts, Winston, and Francois? Perhaps you hadn't noticed that those 3 guys were top QB recruits in the country and they proved it. POB is obviously not in that category or he would've kicked TA to the curb and been the starter in '16. S*me deal for Lee. If Gebbia turns out to be in that category, or say, the next Josh Rosen, then HE will be the starter and I will be tickled pink and predict a 9 win season-heck, maybe even 10. Unlikely to be the case, though.

 

I repeat, TL ave ~52% completion @ Tulane, 1 game over 300, and neither season over 2000. There's my evidence. If POB can't beat out that guy then POB was an overrated recruit, IMO.

 

As to Lee and practice, I will paraphrase Allen Iverson here, "it's just practice".

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/82358-tidbit-about-tanner-lee-coming-to-nebraska/&do=findComment&comment=1813278

 

I think The Mannings know quarterbacks. Jared Goff was a pretty good one at the college level.

[The Big Nebrowski]

Further re TL, in '14 and '15 he started 10 and 9 games respectively, and the infamous Green Wave went 3-9 under his "record setting" leadership both yrs, finishing near the bottom of the American Conf. each year. ~5.8 yd comp. ave which means he was dinking and dunking his way to "glory".

 

So, all this being the case, I have little reason to get all hyped up re TL.

[Kiyoat Husker]

First, the OP in this thread doesn't seem to have much to do with the thread title. If you're gonna start a thread about the early 2017 top 25, it might be a good idea to link to an article about an early Top 25 forecast.

 

Here's an early top 25 forecast: LINK

 

Nice try at saving this thread and actually talking about preseason top-25 projections, NUance! Here's another attempt:

 

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/1/18/14300370/college-football-rankings-2017-early-top-25-polls

 

It's a composite preseason ranking, of sorts:

 

Combining rankings from SB Nation, Athlon, Bleacher Report, Campus Insiders, CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports, Gridiron Now, Pro Football Focus, Scout, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today —

 

 

1 Bama

2 Ohio St

3 USC

4 Florida State

5 Penn State

6 Oklahoma

7 Clemson

8 Washington

9 Michigan

10 Oklahoma State

11 LSU

12 Wisconsin

13 Auburn

14 Georgia

15 Stanford

16 Louisville

17 Florida

18 Texas

19 Miami

20 USF

21 Kansas State

22 Tennessee

23 West Virginia

24 Virginia Tech

25 Oregon

 

Receiving votes:

Boise State

Washington State

Northwestern

NC State

Utah

TCU

Colorado

UCLA

Pitt

Notre Dame

Wyoming

[Nebfanatic]

Im saying we see Bama, USC, FSU, and a big 10 rep, likely OSU in the playoff next year

[Kiyoat Husker]

^^^I like our chances next year against most of the teams ranked #16 and lower^^^^

 

And we'd have a punchers chance against #8 and lower, IMO

[The Big Nebrowski]

Jeebus, it's pretty sad when WYO-that team we trounced 52-17 last yr-receives votes and is ranked in some polls, and GBR is not. I wouldn't even go that far. I, for one, do declare that NU will be a better team than WYO in '17!!! ;-o

 

WMU sure fell off the grid quicker than a hiccup. Just goes to show the central importance of the QB position.

[The Big Nebrowski]

Im saying we see Bama, USC, FSU, and a big 10 rep, likely OSU in the playoff next year

I'd sign off on your prediction: looks solid. Bama prlly numero uno again nxt year as their CFB dynasty rolls on. Bo Scarborough is Derrick Henry 2.0 and their 2 and 3 deep rbs are ridiculous as well. And Jalen Hurts, nuff said.

 

USC has some badass talent as per usual, those 2 top RBs they have each look like old school, OJ/Jim Brown type players, scary good.

[ScottyIce]

USC is too easy of a choice. I think they miss the playoffs.

[Nebfanatic]

USC is too easy of a choice. I think they miss the playoffs.

Bama is pretty much a lock I think but after that it's a little of a crap shoot. Alot of talent spread all around I could see 10-12 contenders for those 3 spots.

 

USC is an easy choice because of their finish to the season combined with the fact they probably have top 5 roster talent at the moment but there are plenty of teams that could replace them no doubt

[NUance]

USC is too easy of a choice. I think they miss the playoffs.

 

Yeah, USC has a history of doing less with more. Their 10-3 record this year wasn't too much more impressive than our own 9-4 record. Except USC's blowout loss (Bama, 52-6) came in the first game, and nobody remembered it by the end of the season. Our two blowouts came late in the season, and nobody forgot it. Wouldn't surprise me to see crosstown rival UCLA knock off the Trojans and dash their playoff hopes on the rocks.

[Nebfanatic]

I didn't realize but Alabama opens the season against FSU. There may go my playoff prediction already

[junior4949]

 

USC is too easy of a choice. I think they miss the playoffs.

 

Yeah, USC has a history of doing less with more. Their 10-3 record this year wasn't too much more impressive than our own 9-4 record. Except USC's blowout loss (Bama, 52-6) came in the first game, and nobody remembered it by the end of the season. Our two blowouts came late in the season, and nobody forgot it. Wouldn't surprise me to see crosstown rival UCLA knock off the Trojans and dash their playoff hopes on the rocks.

 

 

I don't agree at all with the bolded. USC was a late bloomer. They lost three of their first four games. Then, they went undefeated the rest of the way beating both teams that played in the Pac 12 Championship game. They finished off their season beating the B1G Champion in the bowl game. Their losses and our losses may be similar. However, they beat much better teams than we did. They finished in the top 5 in the final rankings. We finished unranked. They were much more impressive.