#19 in AP poll

[Thanks_Tom RR]

They are probably unfavorable to undefeated starts because they assume you will drop a game or two in the future. But at least you didn't win and then fall in the polls.

Week 2. We went from Top 20 to unranked after a win.

 

[JTrain]

Here's the problem, guys -- IF we go to East Lansing and beat MSU on Saturday, we just killed the only piece of glimmer the B1G has. MSU falls to 3-2, beat by inferior Nebraska. MSU's early close game with Oregon gets dismissed as a sluggish start by Oregon, and the B1G has no legitimacy left at all. (Even with a hypothetical then 6-0 Nebraska) They'll just drop Michigan State all the way down to #20+ or out of the polls completely and move us up the 1 spot vacated by them, #18. If anyone above us loses we could slide up those as well, but I just don't see ESPN saying, "Oh, Nebraska is the new Michigan State. They're now the ones on the outside of the playoffs looking in."

That all said - this is 100% on us. It's not the pollsters fault we've lost 4 games every year in recent history. As it's been said over and over again - JUST WIN. Historically speaking, even if 2014 Nebraska beats both Michigan State and Wisconsin, it will piss itself against Iowa or Rutgers.

1) If the Big 10 is hanging its hat on an "early close game with Oregon", i.e. a 19-point loss, then they're in bad shape to begin with.

2) I will gladly bet my life saving's on Nebraska moving up higher than #18 in the AP with a win. As I said above, a win should put us at 15 and an impressive win gets us as high as 11.

3) ESPN does not decide the AP poll or the Selection Committee poll.

 

[JTrain]

Okay, so we are already ranked #19 and need to beat a Top 10 team and have multiple other teams need to lose for us to sniff the Top 15.

No, that's not what I said. With a win we are in the top 15-- not sniffing. With a little help we are at 11. That's comparable to where MSU landed after their big win.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Here's the problem, guys -- IF we go to East Lansing and beat MSU on Saturday, we just killed the only piece of glimmer the B1G has. MSU falls to 3-2, beat by inferior Nebraska. MSU's early close game with Oregon gets dismissed as a sluggish start by Oregon, and the B1G has no legitimacy left at all. (Even with a hypothetical then 6-0 Nebraska) They'll just drop Michigan State all the way down to #20+ or out of the polls completely and move us up the 1 spot vacated by them, #18. If anyone above us loses we could slide up those as well, but I just don't see ESPN saying, "Oh, Nebraska is the new Michigan State. They're now the ones on the outside of the playoffs looking in."

That all said - this is 100% on us. It's not the pollsters fault we've lost 4 games every year in recent history. As it's been said over and over again - JUST WIN. Historically speaking, even if 2014 Nebraska beats both Michigan State and Wisconsin, it will piss itself against Iowa or Rutgers.

Thanks.

You just described why putting any power in polls to decide any of this is the most idiotic system in the entire friggen world.

 

[zoogs]

Kind of a crime, really. A 6-0 Nebraska team that just beat Michigan State ought to be in the Top 10. Heck, we should be in the Top 15 currently. Miami's not the greatest, but they're not chopped liver either, and we completely demolished them -- the way a *good* Top 15 team does to Top 40 teams.

Completely demolished? I don't think many people would stretch the verb that far.

I don't know, I thought we steamrolled them. Without calling for a timeout and going for it with a few seconds on the clock, the score was 41-24. It was exactly the kind of shellacking we've been on the receiving end of a few times under Bo Pelini.

 

[kchusker_chris]

I think everyone is sitting back waiting for a confirmation that this isn't another 4 loss team. Many of us are still in that same boat. A win over MSU and we'll jump significantly IMO. That should calm most of the doubters (myself included) and push us ahead of most of the 1 loss teams. Add to it a few top 15 losses this week and we should find ourselves somewhere in the range of 9-11. From 11, we shouldn't have any problem rising top top 4.

 

[QMany]

I think everyone is sitting back waiting for a confirmation that this isn't another 4 loss team. Many of us are still in that same boat. A win over MSU and we'll jump significantly IMO. That should calm most of the doubters (myself included) and push us ahead of most of the 1 loss teams. Add to it a few top 15 losses this week and we should find ourselves somewhere in the range of 9-11. From 11, we shouldn't have any problem rising top top 4.

I agree. Also, next week we will be resting while watching:

• Oregon v. UCLA
• Ole Miss v. A&M
• Auburn v. Miss. St.
• Baylor v. TCU
• Georgia v. Mizzou

It could be a massive jump in the polls if we take care of business in East Lansing.

 

[trouble]

Anybody else notice LSU jumped five spots after a win against nmsu? I mean, really? Holy craps do I not get pollsters.

No, nobody noticed that because it didn't happen.

He might be referring to ESPN's Football Power Rankings where they went up 5 spots. They went up 2 spots in the AP and 3 in the Coaches.

Attention trouble:

Please throw any weight you thought those lame idiotic Power rankings had. That's an ESPN-centric ranking, and just like their stupid Football Power Index, is totally subjective. They have free reign to assign whatever number to whatever team they please. It is totally biased though... they're not in the business of being objective. They're protecting their brand strictly for cash and ratings, and their brand is the SEC.

I actually didn't realize that was the power rankings. I was reading an article on my phone this morning...before my coffee apparently.

 

[sd'sker]

I think everyone is sitting back waiting for a confirmation that this isn't another 4 loss team. Many of us are still in that same boat. A win over MSU and we'll jump significantly IMO. That should calm most of the doubters (myself included) and push us ahead of most of the 1 loss teams. Add to it a few top 15 losses this week and we should find ourselves somewhere in the range of 9-11. From 11, we shouldn't have any problem rising top top 4.

and this is why i am really trying to manage my expectations. we were set up so nicely to be perceived as a power when we lost to texas, right before the bcs poll came out.

it just seems like when everything would work out perfectly with that one big win, we kind of flop. so although i think we are talented enough to win, i have serious concerns about our ability to avoid a letdown when the stakes are so high. we just have not shown up in those program changing games.

if we do, i will believe this team is different and have turned a corner. heck, i will have diabetes from all the kool-aid i'll be downing.

 

[Mavric]

We're arguing about where we're ranked in the polls instead of who's to blame for how bad we've played the last three weeks. That's a win in my book.

 

[gossamorharpy]

No point in getting worked up over something outside of our control. A solid win in East Lansing will most certainly place us int he 10-13 range, a close win should peg us around 15 (though, I would expect even a close win would vault us in the 10-13 range). Could you make the case we should be slotted a bit higher at this point in time? Sure. However, the season is still insanely early and us taking care of business on the road against a top 10 team would be a Bo Pelini first.

Michigan St carries a lot of weight and respect given last year and the Rose Bowl win, they also played the toughest road game out of any top 10 team thus far. Nebraska taking them down would give us legitimacy, there's no way we would only move up a few spots with a win like that.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I find it funny that Husker fans are complaining that we aren't ranked higher. Heck, if any of the pollsters would read this board they would think we aren't that good.

 

[junior4949]

Most agree with SEC bias, but very few if any are pointing their finger at just how lousy the B1G is. Ohio State was supposed to be the darling this year getting into the playoff. They lay an egg against a very suspect Va Tech team. Michigan State played well through a lot of their game against Oregon, but they still ended up getting whooped. Our ranking is more indicative of the conference we're in than anything else. At this juncture, I really care very little where we are ranked. We're playing as good of ball as we've probably played in over a decade. This is good enough for me. Winning will take care of everything else.

 

[sd'sker]

donu has lost the benefit of the doubt and now a lot of respect. that happens when you fail to show up against top competition and lose to lesser competition.

but we just have to earn back that respect. unfortunately, we have few opportunities to do so. but enough. i do think the pollsters are being unfair to neb., but it is hard to fault them.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Most agree with SEC bias, but very few if any are pointing their finger at just how lousy the B1G is. Ohio State was supposed to be the darling this year getting into the playoff. They lay an egg against a very suspect Va Tech team. Michigan State played well through a lot of their game against Oregon, but they still ended up getting whooped. Our ranking is more indicative of the conference we're in than anything else. At this juncture, I really care very little where we are ranked. We're playing as good of ball as we've probably played in over a decade. This is good enough for me. Winning will take care of everything else.

I can't argue that this isn't a factor. But, it makes no logical sense to rank a team based on how good the rest of the conference is.