**2021 Previews: ESPN/Bill Connelly SP+ Big Ten West preview **

admo said:
... Michigan.  It's at home.  Last meeting UM won like 62-3.  A lot of players on our team where there, and probably circled this game. I really think we got this game.
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I always get a chuckle when I see the "revenge game" angle trotted out by the fans. Looking back at all the purported "revenge games" that have taken place since the the early 2000's almost all have ended up being huge disappointments and some unmitigated disasters

 
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Husker in WI said:
Not to mention we win Minnesota if AM doesn't reaggravate his shoulder OR we had a competent passer as a backup. AM started 14/17 and then went 2/10, including some missed TDs. I forget exactly when in the second half he reinjured it, but coaches might have pulled him if McCaffrey hadn't gone 0/2 with a pick when he had to jump in early. This is on the coaches, but seems like a lot of the gameplan involved some shots to Wan'Dale on an LB and once we were down to AM with a bum shoulder and McCaffrey with a noodle arm, we were in trouble.
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Also McCaffrey only had to come into the game because of an equipment thing with Adrian and immediately tossed a pick. No excuse for not winning but that was a weird, fluky game. 

 
Dogs In A Pile said:
I always get a chuckle when I see the "revenge game" angle trotted out by the fans. Looking back at all the purported "revenge games" that have taken place since the the early 2000's almost all have ended up being huge disappointments and some unmitigated disasters
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2009 @VT L

2009 @ Mizz W

2009 TT L (Blowout)

2009 OU W

2010 @ISU W

2010 Texas L

2012 Wisky W

2012 Michigan W

2012 @Northwestern W

2013 UCLA L

2014 Minny L

2014 @MSU L

2014 @ Wisky W

2014 @ Iowa W

2017 @ Wisky L

2017 tOSU L

2019 @Colordao L

2019 @Purdue L

2019 Northwestern W

2019 tOSU L

2019 Iowa L

2020 Iowa L

2020 @Purdue W

2020 Minny L

10-14 By my count. Didn't include any of Riley, Frost first years or the beginning of B1G play. Didn't want to do "real" research before 2009.

 
J-MAGIC said:
And I think people are really underestimating how tough @ Minnesota and the Iowa game will be. I know we've played Iowa close the past few years but on paper this looks like one of Ferentz's best teams so just shrug them off at your own risk.
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Iowa is always tough, but what makes you think this looks like his best team on paper? They have to replace both lines almost entirely and have a new O line coach this year.

Also, for anyone talking about purely star rankings on the roster,  here:

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite/?Conference=Big-Ten

2021 isn't updated yet so we've lost a couple 4 stars and added a 5. Lower than Michigan,  higher than Wisconsin and much higher than Minny or Iowa.  Highest in the west. We are doing less with more,  like we have for a long time.  Other teams (NW, Iowa, Indiana) punch way above their rankings.

 
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J-MAGIC said:
Maybe I'm in the minority here but I think we would have handily beat Illinois last year if AM is starting. Receivers were running wide open downfield all day and McCaffrey was incapable of getting them the ball. Eventually Illinois figured that out and sat on everything short. AM came in and we went right down the field and scored. Defense didn't look good either but it was on the field a ton because of the turnovers. If we show up I'm not super worried about that game (though they are certainly capable of beating us if we play poorly as last year showed).
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That's probably one of the worst performances at QB I can remember for Nebraska. 

 
runningblind said:
Iowa is always tough, but what makes you think this looks like his best team on paper? They have to replace both lines almost entirely and have a new O line coach this year.

Also, for anyone talking about purely star rankings on the roster,  here:

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite/?Conference=Big-Ten

2021 isn't updated yet so we've lost a couple 4 stars and added a 5. Lower than Michigan,  higher than Wisconsin and much higher than Minny or Iowa.  Highest in the west. We are doing less with more,  like we have for a long time.  Other teams (NW, Iowa, Indiana) punch way above their rankings.
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Connelly is projecting them 16th, which would be Ferentz's third- or fourth-best team.

 
MyBloodIsRed16 said:
Did anyone have a good game?  I just remember everyone looking like deer in headlights.  No enthusiasm.  Like there was a team party the night before and everyone was on the struggle bus
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Rewatched it yesterday. It was a much stranger game than I remember. At times both the offense and defense looked amazing. Then they'd have a series where they looked like they've never played football before. 

A few things off the top of my head that I think  that killed or swung momentum 

- After Luke's opening play fumble, Peters was definitely down when he then "fumbled" it. It should have been reviewed because he was clearly down. That fumble ended up giving them an extra 6 yards or so. Holding them to a FG here would've been huge. 

- CTB had a great punt return called back. Field position was a huge factor in this game. 

- That damn fake punt. Had some momentum from that defensive series, would've been nice to keep it going. 

- Wandale's fumble. If I remember correctly, it came on a 3rd and long. He converted it then coughed it up. Another moment where momentum got snuffed out. 

- Marvin Scott looked pretty good early on, then disappeared. 

- Holding call on what should have been a TD run by Marvin. 

Illinois is an odd team. They play temporarily inspired football. They'll sleep walk thru most of their schedule, then one or two games a year they'll get up for it and act like it's the Super Bowl. Luke definitely looked like a deer in the head lights. Hard not to wonder what AM would've done had he gotten the nod. Not sure if it'd have changed the outcome, but having a steady vet at the helm might've helped maintain some momentum. 

 
Dogs In A Pile said:
I always get a chuckle when I see the "revenge game" angle trotted out by the fans. Looking back at all the purported "revenge games" that have taken place since the the early 2000's almost all have ended up being huge disappointments and some unmitigated disasters
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I know what you mean.  I don't think it's being seen as a revenge game, per say.  They played so awful, probably the worst football game in the Frost era. I just feel they want another crack at it to prove something (to themselves, to the coaches and to Michigan).

 
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