2007 Tough Schedule

[tkyle99]

Enough of the Bosie state for president.

They beat Oklahoma, not SC, not Ohio State, not Florida, not LSU or a host of other teams more talented.

Oklahoma got mauled by Texas early in the year. Oregon beat them. (with the hlep of Officials)

A lot more motivation for Boise than Oklahoma in this game.

Go back for the last 8 years and tell me how many teams that were not ranked in the top 5 of recruiting won the NC. ZERO!!!!

Look at those ranked in the top 10 in recruiting and see where they finished up ranked by year.

All will be there.

This all changed in 97, recruiting ranking has proven over and over again. You can doubt it all you want, but the cream rises to the top.

We are not close to the talent level of a top ten program. I doubt we are ever going to be. So you need a staff the players trust and can motivate them to over achieve (Boise State). Hopefully BC is the that person. To early to know one way or another. But if the players feel he is the man to do it, who am I to say he isn't.

Look at Ohio State: They were #5 in '02, #41 in 03, #9 in '04, #12 in '05, and #12 again this past season.

On the other hand look at Florida State: #4 in '02, #21 in '03, #3 in '04, #2 in '05, and #3 this past season.

Judging by those recruiting rankings you would think it was Florida State in the National Championship game this year and not Ohio State. Recruiting is important but as far as ranking go, I think you can compete for a National Championship if you are consistently in the top 20.

 

[huskers1]

I think its just a matter of getting the type of players that fit your system. Just because there is a five star running back that ways 240 pounds but he doesnt fit your offense then why take him. I guess maybe to move him around somewhere but you get the point. That is what callahan is doing. I also think you have to look at the region or competition your recruit is playing in. Solich was recruiting all these guys from Nebraska who were three star guys. Now callahan is recruiting all these guys from texas and cali that are three star guys, for backup recruits, of course he going after the best talent in the nation. The competition is just so much better there as a whole that more often than not a three star guy is going to be a little better in my opinion than a guy from nebraska.

 

[skersfan]

The point I was making, is you need to be near the top of the class to compete. We are not there, and really are not close yet. I said yet.

We get numbers to raise our rating, percieved quality is where we seem to be lacking. We have 29 pledged and are ranked 8th, SC has 12 and ranked 4th. That is not closing the gap by any means. You can only play eleven, he who has the best eleven normally win.

Of the last 7-8 years the top recruiting programs are at the top of college football. Exceptions would be Florida State and Miami, but there are other problems there. You will see a change to that in 07 I think.

Other exceptions would be Ohio State and Texas with their one year lows. That was because they could only take a few players. Their 85 limit had been met. It was not a lack of quality players but only taking 7 for a clsss hurts the overall average.

Talent levels over the full 5 years a player plays is what is important. We are a full 3 years behind the top programs. Not only quality starters, but depth down to the third team. It is impossible to think that BC could pull even with any of the top programs in such a short period.

We get excited about the players he is pulling in but most are non starters at the top programs. When we have that type of player on the field, then you can say we should beat a proposed number one team like SC. It has been a hard lesson to learn since 1997, but just being Nebraska does not mean you win. When we all grasp that, we will see the improvements made over the last 3 years.

 

[HuskerT]

If you ask me, Boise St proved you don't need highly ranked skilled players to beat a good team. It's the similar to the old adage: you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. You can have all the skill players you want but if they won't live up to their expections and ability, what good does it do? I'd rather have a team full of 3 star recruits who want to learn and want to play their best as opposed to a team with several 4 and 5 star recruits who never pan out because they don't live up to the hype or think they're owed something. Boise St is proof mediocre recruits who have a desire to win will outplay and outperform a team with what should be superior players.

I agree to certain extent, because I think Boise had better skilled position players at WR and DB than us and thats where were obviously lacking. No doubt Boise had the heart of a champion, but what I also noticed was that they aren't afraid to take chances and open things up. It's like a no fear attitude thay have, granted thay could take chances against OU because nobody expected them to win, but if you watched any of their games you know that they play like that all the time. BC could take a lesson from Chris Peterson. Don't be afraid to leave everything out on the field instead of having to explain yourself later.

 

[mbhusker13]

I can see that those who haven't the foresight to look ahead to next year and consider the potentially disastrous season before us, do not really have the football acumen to look at the coaching staff for what it is. We have as yet to see a West Coast Offense, the defense went from leading the country in sacks to a dismal showing this year, and the special teams is nothing to brag about either. This team has not beaten a top ten opponent since 2001, a flat second half in more games then I care to remember, and gambling at moments in the game without regard to the consequences of the teams momentum.

Next year, we possibly could have to meet 5 top 25 opponents and two tens in the first three weeks of the season. All the bragging in the world by the players will not help them when the potential number one team USC comes to town with a Heisman Trophy candidate in Josh Booty and Jarrett at wide receiver.

All of you who think this team is headed in the right direction will get a quick taste of foot in mouth about this coaching staff come September next year, especially if Callahan decides to call the game the same way he did at USC this year.

I will take the ridicule for my posts and replys, but do not forget me next season when the truth appears. And if by some miracle I prove to be wrong, I shall take my lumps with humility, because I'm hoping to have to, it would mean that the program is actually headed back to where it should be.

I hope your wrong. I could see it happening just as easily as 10-2. We shall see.

 

[WarTeddy]

I think you guys are going to have a great season in 2007. Heck we are still trying to find teams to fill our non conference schedule for next season. Wanna play us? Lets do a one and one where you come to Jordan Hare and then next season we go to Lincoln. That would be way cool!

 

[skers]

you could have this very argument everyyear in college athletics ya know why...as much as we praise them...they're all still kids. There is soo much emotion that goes on in college athletics that can completely slide the game... could we be great...yes...could we also get a fat head and not work our tails off...yes... i wouldn't make any kind of plans for anything next year until that first snap in september... lets see where the spring and summer takes us....as for the recruiting thing... forget about it... look at all the "talent" that left the team because they couldn't crack the top 4 on the depth chart.. i would rather have a team of 3 stars that work their tails off and are willing to sacrifice a little for the team than a bunch of prima donnas that cry and complain and get their mommys to fight their battles for them...

focker out

 

[admo]

I think you guys are going to have a great season in 2007. Heck we are still trying to find teams to fill our non conference schedule for next season. Wanna play us? Lets do a one and one where you come to Jordan Hare and then next season we go to Lincoln. That would be way cool!

Right on, thanks War Eagle! Yah man that would be cool to play you guys during the reg season. Why wait until the end of the year? :woo

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

2007 is definately going to be a tough schedule, but if we can get through it with 1 or 2 losses or better yet 0 that would definately be impressive. :thumbs

 

[Jackals44]

What are you guys complaining about? I think your going to have a great season next year. I think your going 10-2 for the year. Unfortunately I don't think your going to make a BCS bowl. Heres the way I see it. You beat:

Nevada

Wake

USC - close but your at home, revenge factor...your kids will be up for the game!

Ball State

Iowa St

Oklahoma St. (vengeance factor and home game)

Texas A&M (Home game again, but not easy victory)

Kansas

Kansas State

Colorado (Colorado makes it close in Boulder but not yet enough to win)

You lose to:

Mizzou (Away game and Pinkel is bringing them up) I don't see you running the table quite yet

Texas

Yes I think you can beat USC. One factor I'm concerned about there is Coaching. I think Pete Carrol is the best coach in football period! I've seen some things Callahan has done that left me scratching my head.

Youv'e got a decent (but not stellar) recruiting class too.

Unfortunately the strength of schedule due to Nevada, wake forest and Ball State don't help much. This is a perrenial problem. One things for sure... If you beat USC you'll be ranked top 10 if not higher at that point.

Overall I think you win the North again... which is improved again next year... and you go to a major bowl game if not a BCS.

My team Colorado I think goes 6 and 6

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

What are you guys complaining about? I think your going to have a great season next year. I think your going 10-2 for the year. Unfortunately I don't think your going to make a BCS bowl. Heres the way I see it. You beat:

Nevada

Wake

USC - close but your at home, revenge factor...your kids will be up for the game!

Ball State

Iowa St

Oklahoma St. (vengeance factor and home game)

Texas A&M (Home game again, but not easy victory)

Kansas

Kansas State

Colorado (Colorado makes it close in Boulder but not yet enough to win)

You lose to:

Mizzou (Away game and Pinkel is bringing them up) I don't see you running the table quite yet

Texas

Yes I think you can beat USC. One factor I'm concerned about there is Coaching. I think Pete Carrol is the best coach in football period! I've seen some things Callahan has done that left me scratching my head.

Youv'e got a decent (but not stellar) recruiting class too.

Unfortunately the strength of schedule due to Nevada, wake forest and Ball State don't help much. This is a perrenial problem. One things for sure... If you beat USC you'll be ranked top 10 if not higher at that point.

Overall I think you win the North again... which is improved again next year... and you go to a major bowl game if not a BCS.

My team Colorado I think goes 6 and 6

Welcome Jackals and thanks for your post. I agree that we can beat USC, but we are going to have to get out of our own way first. We make some stupid mistakes sometimes and don't seem to recover from them. If we could figure out what our problem is in the second half of games we would have stomped some teams this year.

 

[Coach Tuz]

evidently you didn't watch many bowl games......there are a ton of teams out there that have way better skill position players than we have.....yes, we should be better, but we will not be good enough to competewith USC and Texas and we may stumble on the road against others as well......on top of that some of our position coaches are questionable.....9-4 would be another good year, all things considered, but sometime along the way this team needs a break thru game or two

Actually, I did watch a lot of bowl games. Did you watch the Cotton Bowl? How about the Big Twelve Championship Game - did you watch that game? Or did you happen to catch the Texas - Nebraska game? We played well - at least up to the competition - in each of those games. Skill position players? Well, of course, some teams have better players at certain positions than the Huskers will in 2007. That is the nature of the game. That doesn't mean that we do not have the talent to compete (and win) against any top 10 team. But, I agree with you....it is going to be a difficult road for the Huskers to come away with 10 wins next year given our schedule. However, we will be better team next year. Don't[ be surprised if we are favored to win the Big Twelve next year by some reputable publications. And, I would bet that the Huskers are given a preseason rank somewhere in the range of 11-15.

What you fail to realize is that many like you have been saying the same thing for years about improvement and "we shall see" type comments every year for the last five. Even in the last of year of Solich's stand at Nebraska he was 10-3. Although my expertise may seem in question to you, for the last five years I have been correct about where would be the next year. I dont want to debate the positives about maybe a game here or there where the team shined, but the second half of to many games they just truly sucked. Those are not my comments, those are the players thoughts. So think what you will about me, but you haven't been watching the same football I have.

 

[Silent Commit]

What you fail to realize is that many like you have been saying the same thing for years about improvement and "we shall see" type comments every year for the last five. Even in the last of year of Solich's stand at Nebraska he was 10-3. Although my expertise may seem in question to you, for the last five years I have been correct about where would be the next year. I dont want to debate the positives about maybe a game here or there where the team shined, but the second half of to many games they just truly sucked. Those are not my comments, those are the players thoughts. So think what you will about me, but you haven't been watching the same football I have.

I don't think poorly of you. As I stated earlier, I appreciate responses from people with expertise on this board, but I don't know where your expertise is illuminated in your posts. Heck, Lou Holtz is an expert in college football, but most of the time his comments are opinionated rather than factual. (Like every comment he has about Notre Dame). I just think that you have an overly dismal perception of the football program. Yes, I'm one of those "we shall see" types. If you don't see the improvement year-in and year-out from the Callahan era, then I'm at a loss as to explain my optimism for next year (but I will try). Yes, we have a tough schedule. There is no arguing that point. However, every position next year is either fortified with more depth and talent than this past year except, perhaps, the defensive line. I would venture that, four years ago, if we would have had to play Auburn, Texas, USC, and Oklahoma, we would have been demolished in each of those games because the talent was not up to the level that it is now. However, this year, we went toe-to-toe with each of those teams - except USC. We're respectable again. We're top of the Big Twelve North (restored the order), played in Big Twelve Championship Game, and played in a New Years Day bowl game. The team keeps improving and, now, all the Huskers need is to win some of those big games - which I think will happen next year. We shall see.

By the way - Solich was 9-3....Pelini was 1-0

 

[hack]

....Pelini was 1-0

oh snap! he used the 'p' word!

 

[huskers1]

In response to skersfan, I agree with you somewhat. You cant tell me that Suh, Carriker, Moore, Bradley, Bowmann, Purify, Lucky, Jackson, Glenn, Wilson, Dugunduro, Cryer, and maybe Mceon would not play at a lot of other colleges. The reason that may be so low is the exact reason that Solich got fired, because he was severely dipping in recruiting. That was one of the last classes solich ever had and what players were his? Carriker, Moore, Bradley, and maybe Mceon. Four people out of the whole team? Now look at the people that we are bringing in. Holt, Henry, Paul, Asante, Lee, Castille, Ross, Washington, Townsand, Lewis, Lawrence, Potter, Turner, Thenarse, Murillo, the list goes on I just dont want to put anymore down. To end this class with the way it is looking right now we will have about 12 four stars and 1 five star with the rest three star. Some of the three stars are right on the edge of getting another star and i think Paul gets bumped up. That is a good class, not good enough to be the number one but solid either way. That is two out of the three years that callahan has been here that we'll be in the top ten and the other one was 20 I believe that filled a lot of needs. I think you can win being in the top ten as long as your coaches know how to spot talent and know what is best for the team. Its not like the ten best college players are going to be the top ten rivals in rivals 100.