2019 Westgate College Football Playoff Odds: Nebraska tied for 9th with Notre Dame

[cheekygeek]

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/college-football-win-totals-playoff-odds-futures-westgate

 

Zowie. 
Looks like NOBODY wants another Scott Frost Year Two turnaround to sneak up on them.

[TGHusker]

All of these high projections are getting me nervous

 

We got a big target on our back. 

[Mike Mcdee]

Does anyone else have this sense of the national media, betting sites, and pundits hyping us up more than the local and even our own fan base? Usually it's the them that has to water down our Kool Aid. I feel like our fan base is going to be a little more reserved because of how down we have been for so long. I guess if the hype train is coming down the tracks, hop on it.

 

[Undone]

17 minutes ago, Mike Mcdee said:

Does anyone else have this sense of the national media, betting sites, and pundits hyping us up more than the local and even our own fan base?

 

Yes, and it speaks to just what kind of an accomplishment Frost's 2017 UCF season really was. He's still riding that wave, and I'd say deservingly so. And it has helped with recruiting, so it's a good thing for us.

He'll do a good job of keeping the players' focus on the season and not getting ahead of themselves by focusing on this external attention, I'm sure.

[Salsa Red]

When I watch the playoff I have a hard time believing NU can keep up with those teams. We don't have many players that are "NFL talent" compared to teams that are always in the playoff mix. If we got in it would be one of the greatest coaching jobs ever along with some good luck.

[Waldo]

I think a lot of it has to do with our schedule. Has to be one of the easiest on paper for a top 25 team. 

[LumberJackSker]

It's going to be hard for nebraska to be a top ten team when in my opinion nebraska isn't close to having top ten talent. 

Sure the west division isn't stacked like the east but I just Don't get why people are so high on Nebraska. I would love for nebraska to have the kind of season that lands it in the top ten i just dont see it. To many questions at rb, wr, olineno pass rushers ect that i would be thrilled if they went 8-4.

[lo country]

We've had better talent than anyone in the West and most of the B1G since we joined.  On paper.  We have shown a definitive inability to develop said talent to maximize its potential. Frost has the potential to not only develop talent, but find it and get it to actually show up at NU. I expect this season to be much better than last year.  Wining the West is a tall order in year two.  We need to learn to win.  Hoping that we come out on fire from the start.  Something I don't think we've done in recent memory.  Maybe Suh in 2009.  Not the offense.  Just the D. 

 

I bought in to the hype the past few years even though those who get oaid to know said we were in for disappointing time....What do they know.  Turned out more than me.  I'm hoping they are correct and incredibly wrong.   

[84HuskerLaw]

1 hour ago, Waldo said:

I think a lot of it has to do with our schedule. Has to be one of the easiest on paper for a top 25 team. 

I get how some say our schedule is somewhat easier than last year but the actual difference is not that much really.

 

NON-CON:   We drop off Akron but add S Alabama.   We drop off Troy but add N. Illinois.   Both those are basically a wash as they are home games.  We move CU to Colorado so that suggests more difficulty.  Bethune Cookman barely has a football team - that was a gimme for even 3-8 NU last year and maybe ought not even be counted.

.  

CONFERENCE:  Swap Michigan for Indiana and Maryland for Michigan State so I concede those are certainly less daunting but there are no 'gimmes' in the Big Ten.   At Purdue, at Maryland, at Minne and at Illinois.  That is 4 road games versus 5 home in conference so that is a net plus of a the home field advantage of perhaps a touchdown in one game.

 

So, the net result is basically no significant difference in the home vs away balance.

 

Last year we managed to win 3 games and lost 8 (again I don't count Bethune Cookman as more than a practice).   Even allowing 2 more wins due to the marginally less difficult schedule, that is only 5 wins.  Colorado on the road will be a toss up in all likelyhood and should not be viewed otherwise at this point with a returning QB and WR that tore us up last year.  

 

Finally, our opponents are not just sitting around idly while we are practiciing, lifting, and doing military special forces drills.   They are recruiting, practicing, etc. as well.   

It really is quite amazing to see a large majority of pundits, media and far too many fans around the country suggesting the Huskers are going to be magically transformed from a below average - at best - team into some top ten monster that may win the Big Ten championship or even remotely have a shot at the playoffs.   Adrian Martinez did not perform anywhere near a Heisman like level, although he played well for a freshman on a mediocre team.  How much upside room does he have to improve ?   Maybe a few less fumbles and a handful of better throws and a few less sacks.  The dramatic improvement simply MUST come from the rest of the team making huge strides.   Realistically, how likely?

 

I think I've been thinking 8 wins but as I try to be realistic,  our youth and inexperience will be a big handicap in some of these road games especially, 6 or 7 is a big jump from 3.    

[Moiraine]

3 minutes ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

I get how some say our schedule is somewhat easier than last year but the actual difference is not that much really.

 

NON-CON:   We drop off Akron but add S Alabama.   We drop off Troy but add N. Illinois.   Both those are basically a wash as they are home games.  We move CU to Colorado so that suggests more difficulty.  Bethune Cookman barely has a football team - that was a gimme for even 3-8 NU last year and maybe ought not even be counted.

.  

CONFERENCE:  Swap Michigan for Indiana and Maryland for Michigan State so I concede those are certainly less daunting but there are no 'gimmes' in the Big Ten.   At Purdue, at Maryland, at Minne and at Illinois.  That is 4 road games versus 5 home in conference so that is a net plus of a the home field advantage of perhaps a touchdown in one game.

 

So, the net result is basically no significant difference in the home vs away balance.

 

Last year we managed to win 3 games and lost 8 (again I don't count Bethune Cookman as more than a practice).   Even allowing 2 more wins due to the marginally less difficult schedule, that is only 5 wins.  Colorado on the road will be a toss up in all likelyhood and should not be viewed otherwise at this point with a returning QB and WR that tore us up last year.  

 

Finally, our opponents are not just sitting around idly while we are practiciing, lifting, and doing military special forces drills.   They are recruiting, practicing, etc. as well.   

It really is quite amazing to see a large majority of pundits, media and far too many fans around the country suggesting the Huskers are going to be magically transformed from a below average - at best - team into some top ten monster that may win the Big Ten championship or even remotely have a shot at the playoffs.   Adrian Martinez did not perform anywhere near a Heisman like level, although he played well for a freshman on a mediocre team.  How much upside room does he have to improve ?   Maybe a few less fumbles and a handful of better throws and a few less sacks.  The dramatic improvement simply MUST come from the rest of the team making huge strides.   Realistically, how likely?

 

I think I've been thinking 8 wins but as I try to be realistic,  our youth and inexperience will be a big handicap in some of these road games especially, 6 or 7 is a big jump from 3.    

 

 

Wrong. 

[Hans Gruber]

3 hours ago, TGHusker said:

All of these high projections are getting me nervous

 

We got a big target on our back. 

I agree. I think Nebraska could definitely be good this fall. But in terms of proven commodities, Nebraska has a good quarterback and a good (but often injured) receiver. Aside from that, there are a lot of unknowns.

 

I'm sure some players will step up. But needing offensive lineman, backs, other receivers, defensive lineman and linebackers all to step up is a lot.

 

That's more or less why I'm expecting 8-4. Anything more is gravy. 

[cheekygeek]

12 hours ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

I get how some say our schedule is somewhat easier than last year but the actual difference is not that much...

 

Focusing only on the schedule misses how much different last season would have been without the huge drop off at QB2 until Martinez came back from the Colorado dirty play last year. This year we have both Vedral (who has an extra year in the SF system) and an intriguing guy in McCaffrey. Just having higher caliber QBs simulating the opponent’s QB has to help the defense prepare a little better. And this will be Year 2 of the Husker Power program & Boyd Epley Pro nutrition program, also. It’s going to be fun to watch.

[Ziebol]

14 hours ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

I get how some say our schedule is somewhat easier than last year but the actual difference is not that much really.

 

NON-CON:   We drop off Akron but add S Alabama.   We drop off Troy but add N. Illinois.   Both those are basically a wash as they are home games.  We move CU to Colorado so that suggests more difficulty.  Bethune Cookman barely has a football team - that was a gimme for even 3-8 NU last year and maybe ought not even be counted.

.  

CONFERENCE:  Swap Michigan for Indiana and Maryland for Michigan State so I concede those are certainly less daunting but there are no 'gimmes' in the Big Ten.   At Purdue, at Maryland, at Minne and at Illinois.  That is 4 road games versus 5 home in conference so that is a net plus of a the home field advantage of perhaps a touchdown in one game.

 

So, the net result is basically no significant difference in the home vs away balance.

 

Last year we managed to win 3 games and lost 8 (again I don't count Bethune Cookman as more than a practice).   Even allowing 2 more wins due to the marginally less difficult schedule, that is only 5 wins.  Colorado on the road will be a toss up in all likelyhood and should not be viewed otherwise at this point with a returning QB and WR that tore us up last year.  

 

Finally, our opponents are not just sitting around idly while we are practiciing, lifting, and doing military special forces drills.   They are recruiting, practicing, etc. as well.   

It really is quite amazing to see a large majority of pundits, media and far too many fans around the country suggesting the Huskers are going to be magically transformed from a below average - at best - team into some top ten monster that may win the Big Ten championship or even remotely have a shot at the playoffs.   Adrian Martinez did not perform anywhere near a Heisman like level, although he played well for a freshman on a mediocre team.  How much upside room does he have to improve ?   Maybe a few less fumbles and a handful of better throws and a few less sacks.  The dramatic improvement simply MUST come from the rest of the team making huge strides.   Realistically, how likely?

 

I think I've been thinking 8 wins but as I try to be realistic,  our youth and inexperience will be a big handicap in some of these road games especially, 6 or 7 is a big jump from 3.    

[brophog]

14 hours ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

How much upside room does he have to improve ? 

 

To a Heisman level, which I read on the internet is a really big jump from where he was at.

[WyoHusker56]

18 hours ago, Mike Mcdee said:

Does anyone else have this sense of the national media, betting sites, and pundits hyping us up more than the local and even our own fan base? Usually it's the them that has to water down our Kool Aid. I feel like our fan base is going to be a little more reserved because of how down we have been for so long. I guess if the hype train is coming down the tracks, hop on it.

 

 

I agree that national media and betting sites are way higher on the team than they have been in the past. Maybe even higher than fans and local media. However like you said in years past they were not high on Nebraska and honestly they were more correct even when no one wanted to believe it. I think this number of national guys putting their name to Nebraska being good is encouraging. These guys don't want to be massively wrong as it hurts their image. They all see something in store for Nebraska that maybe a lot of fans can't believe after years past.