*** Poll: Halfway through, how do we finish the year? ***

[RedDenver]

I voted 6-6 record. We aren't very good but neither are NW and Minn. And I think Purdue is beatable and Riley might be good for an upset against tOSU orPSU.

[RedDenver]

4 minutes ago, unlfan said:

 

I am still astonished by the fact that I believe a 6-6 prediction is unreasonably optimistic. That's Mike Riley for you, folks.

I think you may be overvaluing NW, Minn, and Purdue, but we'll see. And it's a sad day when I'm hoping to get to 6-6 because we need that bowl game.

[Old Nebraska Guy]

I no longer expect anything from Nebraska Football.  I only have HOPE.  Hope that they win two more games, maybe three.  There are "only" thirty-nine bowl games which reduces our chances of getting in with a 5-7 record so I really really hope we can win three.

[10_point_buck]

Why would we even care if we went to a bowl at this point?  Playing in early December in a "nothing" bowl is not going to WOW anyone.  There is enough off season work to do and playing in a crap bowl game does not contribute

[Whistlepig]

lets face it we're not going to beat good teams, Wisconsin proved that- so tOSU, PSU Iowa are losses, mediorce teams like the rest have a better than average chance of beating us as witnessed in the NIU game- heck even bad bad teams have a chance of winning - so 4-8 or 5-7 would  reasonable predictions at this point 

[Old Nebraska Guy]

Maybe it's just me, but I think the 15 bowl practices, even with a lame-duck staff, would be better for next years team than heading home after the semester and sitting on the couch.

[Street Novelist]

Losses to Ohio State and Penn State for sure...everything else, a coin flip.

[Nebhawk]

No bowl game.  Those practices benefit a young team for the next season.  We more than likey won't have the same coach, so why even worry about extra practices under the old staffs ways?

 

I voted 3-3, but man, having hard time finding that 3rd win.  I want to believe that we can beat Purdue, NW and Minny.  I do think that MInny will ground and pound on us like Wisky did.  They could beat us up there.  NW is the worst of the bunch right now, but we know what they can do to us anywhere we play!  Can we beat Iowa?  Not right now.  Considering we have already played the 2 worst teams in the conference, and don't know if we are actually any better than the others are, man 1-5 isn't far off from reality is it?

 

Heres another thing to think about.  Purdue and Minny have new coaches.  Programs with new coaches tend to finish strong if they are trending upwards.  These two teams may not be at there best yet and with a good staff, they will improve each game.  NW, they often get weaker as the season  goes unless they upset someone early.

[brophog]

8 minutes ago, Nebhawk said:

No bowl game.  Those practices benefit a young team for the next season.  We more than likey won't have the same coach, so why even worry about extra practices under the old staffs ways?

 

I voted 3-3, but man, having hard time finding that 3rd win.  I want to believe that we can beat Purdue, NW and Minny.  I do think that MInny will ground and pound on us like Wisky did.  They could beat us up there.  NW is the worst of the bunch right now, but we know what they can do to us anywhere we play!  Can we beat Iowa?  Not right now.  Considering we have already played the 2 worst teams in the conference, and don't know if we are actually any better than the others are, man 1-5 isn't far off from reality is it?

 

Heres another thing to think about.  Purdue and Minny have new coaches.  Programs with new coaches tend to finish strong if they are trending upwards.  These two teams may not be at there best yet and with a good staff, they will improve each game.  NW, they often get weaker as the season  goes unless they upset someone early.

 

I think Northwestern is the best of those three, though they seem have a problem keeping their QB upright. That Minnesota-Purdue game wasn't pretty for either side. The difference between those three probably isn't much, though.

 

 

[HBCScottFrost]

Even if MR somehow beats PSU or OSU (longshots), I see us struggling to beat teams like Purdue and Minnesota. We shouldn't keep a ball coach that struggles to beat the Purdue's of college football. Also losses to Illinois, NIU, and not beating Wisconsin once or even sniffing the Big Ten Title game, joke of a tenure. Callahan had more success than MR ever will at NU. 

[Hans Gruber]

I went with 2-4 to finish 5-7. I've said this season is similar to 2007 and I think it ends the same, more or less. Nebraska enters the final game with Iowa at 5-6, needing a win to reach bowl eligibility. Instead they lose by double digits and the head coach is fired within 72 hours. 

[ThroughTheseGates]

2 hours ago, 10_point_buck said:

Why would we even care if we went to a bowl at this point?  Playing in early December in a "nothing" bowl is not going to WOW anyone.  There is enough off season work to do and playing in a crap bowl game does not contribute

 

This. Making a bowl game only makes firing Riley more controversial. Missing a bowl is better for the long term health of the program than going 6-6. Of course, I'd prefer we go 9-3 but that isn't happening. I'm happy to go 5-7 if that's the #CostForFrost.

[InOmaha]

I was feeling optimistic and went with 6-6.  I can't see them getting past Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa.

 

If we beat the rest and make it to a bowl game, we'll get hosed there because they'll pair us with a better team.  Since we travel well.  Maybe they'll really mess with us and pair us with UCF.

[CharBroiled]

Unfortunately, I say 1-5 but 0-6 is a distinct possibility. I don't think an upset is enough to save Mike Riley's job, and now that Gary Anderson is out at Oregon State (has to be more there) the door is open for Riley to return to his home.

How far has this program fallen under MR? Nebraska is a 24.5 point underdog against Ohio State.

[Guy Chamberlin]

In all six games -- wins and losses -- there's been a pretty clear blueprint how to beat Nebraska. You just need to be a little more talented than Rutgers to pull it off. 

 

Every remaining team on the schedule is better than Rutgers. 

 

I'm not optimistic.