CFN: 2018 Spring Rankings And Lookaheads

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
107. Akron Zips

Okay … so this is wrong. The defending East champs come back with a loaded D and no O – the same formula that got them to the MAC title game last year. The record will be far, far better than the team – if that makes any sense whatsoever.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

77. Troy Trojans

The offensive backfield from last year’s fantastic team is gone, but the rest of the pieces are there to keep the fun going. With a great O line and good receivers – along with head coach Neal Brown still around – things should be fine, even if the defense needs work.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

76. Illinois Fighting Illini

This had all better work. Can Virginia Tech grad transfer AJ Bush really step in and make the offense work? Lovie Smith went really, really young, and now the payoff should come with experience on both sides of the ball. But now these guys have to be better at college football.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

63. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Give it one more year. PJ Fleck is slowly starting to build up the talent level, but there’s a good base in place to go bowling. Finding a downfield passing game is a must, but the Gophers need stronger skill players across the board. The effort will be there, but the results have to follow.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

54. Colorado Buffaloes

It’s up to whether or not QB Steven Montez is an elite quarterback. The guess? He is – as long as he’s more accurate and consistent. There are a whole lot of losses, though, on the offensive side, and the great secondary of the last two years has been gutted.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

40. Purdue Boilermakers

This will be interesting. While everyone liked the offense under Jeff Brohm in his first season, it was the defense that made the season a success. Now, most of the top linebackers from a vastly improved front seven are gone. But with a good offensive line, and a nice quarterback situation, Purdue shouldn’t take any step back.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

35. Northwestern Wildcats

How quickly can QB Clayton Thorson come back after getting hurt in the bowl win? The offense won’t have him for a while, and RB Justin Jackson is gone, but the line is good and the defensive front seven will be great.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

30. Iowa Hawkeyes

Replacing another outstanding Hawkeye linebacking corps is going to be tough, and CB Josh Jackson and RB Akrum Wadley are gone. But Nate Stanley has excellent upside as a pro-style quarterback working behind another good line. But that linebacking corps … that will take the whole offseason.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

14. Michigan Wolverines

The pressure is on, but remember, the 2017 team lost just about everyone. Jim Harbaugh has to finally get more production out of his quarterbacks, and welcoming in Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson should help. The receivers are there to rock, and the defense will be the defense again, but the O line is undergoing an overhaul.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

8. Michigan State Spartans

It looks like the football program has weathered the offseason storm. On the field, with QB Brian Lewerke and RB LJ Scott, the offense will be fantastic, especially around the four starters returning up front. As long as the offense is just okay, look out – nine starters are back on defense, led by a nasty secondary.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

Yeah, the running backs are amazing, and the line should rebuild in a hurry, and the athletes are there on defense, and Urban Meyer the rest of the staff are still great, and the speed is back in the receiving corps, but … is there a star at quarterback who become the man? JT Barrett might have had his flaws, but he won the Big Ten championship. The QB situation has to be settled. Fast.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown

4. Wisconsin Badgers

Just when it seemed like the Badgers didn’t have the speed or skill to keep up what the biggest of boys, they had the puck on their stick with a chance to win the Big Ten title, and when they didn’t get it done, they got past a rough start to dominate Miami in the Orange Bowl.

Jonathan Taylor, Alex Hornibrook, and a few great young receivers return behind what should be the best line in college football. The defense has work to do in the secondary, and it won’t be as good overall – the light schedule had something to do with the stats – but it’ll be another great year under defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
– Spring Analysis & Breakdown
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Click each link for a more in-depth look.

 
Given all the unknowns it's difficult for much depth analysis at this point.  This quote pretty much says it all:    

 Lincoln won’t be rebuilt in a day.
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The guy I get info from, always super positive mind you, around this time last year kept telling me over and over "I think we are really going to surprise people this year".  Aka; we were going to contend for a title or win upwards of 10 games etc.  After 2016 I was far less optimistic for our 2017 season.

I think he was a year off.  I think this team has the potetnial to be much better than the last version was.  Last years squad could have won more games with a little actual guidance and less head scratching/standing around.  I think this team has a boatload of diamonds under the surface ready to shine once the ugly crust of a former era gets wiped away.  I'm not suggesting we get to Indy or that we even win 10 games,.  Im just thinking this team has been coached, like really COACHED, for the first time in 3 years and is going to have some real skill we didn't know it had.

I'm sure I'm not alone, but man doesn't it feel incredible to be excited and hopeful for the direction of the program?

 
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Redux said:
The guy I get info from, always super positive mind you, around this time last year kept telling me over and over "I think we are really going to surprise people this year".  Aka; we were going to contend for a title or win upwards of 10 games etc.  After 2016 I was far less optimistic for our 2017 season.

I think he was a year off.  I think this team has the potetnial to be much better than the last version was.  Last years squad could have won more games with a little actual guidance and less head scratching/standing around.  I think this team has a boatload of diamonds under the surface ready to shine once the ugly crust of a former era gets wiped away.  I'm not suggesting we get to Indy or that we even win 10 games,.  Im just thinking this team has been coached, like really COACHED, for the first time in 3 years and is going to have some real skill we didn't know it had.

I'm sure I'm not alone, but man doesn't it feel incredible to be excited and hopeful for the direction of the program?
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Same.

 
Don't think we're nearly as slow as people think. People just tend to think of Nebraska as slow. We may not have the perfect players for Frost's offense but we have talent. And the likelihood we're worse than Northwestern and Purdue with Frost, even in year 1, is pretty low.

 
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junior4949 said:
Are we really that slow, slow, and more slow?  While we looked and played slow last year, I'm not convinced our speed is really behind the top dogs of the B1G. 
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I agree.  It was mostly the fact that our offensive scheme was terrible at getting playmakers in space, and our defense looked confused a lot of the time.

 
BigRedN said:
Interesting analysis ... that I disagree with ... "once the skill guys are in place" ???  IMHO, the skill guys are not the problem nor were they.  It's the OL and DL that will take time to rebuild .  The rest of the thoughts on our Huskers seem true to me.
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Completely agree ... with you. We have the skill players in place, especially at WR with Morgan, Spielman and Lindsey. RB has some unknowns in JUCO Bell, but we bring back 3 experienced RB - along with the addition of Miles (WR/RB) and Washingtong. I think our skill positions look pretty solid. 

As you point out, the OL and DL are the areas of concern. 

 
bugeater17 said:
Completely agree ... with you. We have the skill players in place, especially at WR with Morgan, Spielman and Lindsey. RB has some unknowns in JUCO Bell, but we bring back 3 experienced RB - along with the addition of Miles (WR/RB) and Washingtong. I think our skill positions look pretty solid. 

As you point out, the OL and DL are the areas of concern. 
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I'm not even that concerned with our DL.  I think it was mostly scheme last year - they weren't allowed to be aggressive.

Carlos Davis, Khalil Davis, Stolt - they should be more than solid

Deontre Thomas - showed flashes last year

Freedom, Stille, Damion Daniels - high potential here

 
Moiraine said:
And the likelihood we're worse than Northwestern and Purdue with Frost, even in year 1, is pretty low.
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Throw in Illinois and Minnesota as well. Iowa may not be much of a jump. 

I find it funny the article mentions Wisconsin dominating Miami.....they dominated the second quarter, but not the game. The rest of the game was even to slightly in Miami's favor. I maintain that as soon as Wisconsin has a legit threat in the division, and stops getting handed easy cross divisional schedules, that their little aura bursts. I can respect what they've done, their ceiling just isn't that high.

Nebraska has the makings of a team that would make a big jump in win totals. More talent than last year's win total would suggest combined with a new 'ready made' staff led by a detail oriented, process heavy head coach. Historically, that has been an archetype for an immediate gain in wins. Lost in the tough schedule talk is that the really winnable games are at home. 

 
HS_Coach_C said:
I'm not even that concerned with our DL.  I think it was mostly scheme last year - they weren't allowed to be aggressive.

Carlos Davis, Khalil Davis, Stolt - they should be more than solid

Deontre Thomas - showed flashes last year

Freedom, Stille, Damion Daniels - high potential here
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I think there is some potential for some playmakers in this group, but I worry that there isn't an a$$ in the middle to anchor it all. Chinander will find a way, it's just a question on how much he has to dial up to make things work. 

Generally speaking, defenses make big jumps in year 1 when good coaches take over bad teams, and I fully expect that to happen here.

 
Redux said:
The guy I get info from, always super positive mind you, around this time last year kept telling me over and over "I think we are really going to surprise people this year".  Aka; we were going to contend for a title or win upwards of 10 games etc.  After 2016 I was far less optimistic for our 2017 season.

I think he was a year off.  I think this team has the potetnial to be much better than the last version was.  Last years squad could have won more games with a little actual guidance and less head scratching/standing around.  I think this team has a boatload of diamonds under the surface ready to shine once the ugly crust of a former era gets wiped away.  I'm not suggesting we get to Indy or that we even win 10 games,.  Im just thinking this team has been coached, like really COACHED, for the first time in 3 years and is going to have some real skill we didn't know it had.

I'm sure I'm not alone, but man doesn't it feel incredible to be excited and hopeful for the direction of the program?
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Yup, very well stated. I couldn't agree more.

I would add that the vibe from the players seems to be much better this year than in years past. They seem genuinely excited. I'm having a hard time keeping my red Kool-Aid consumption under control. There is this sense of quiet confidence eminating from the coaches and players and I can't shake the feeling that they all realize how great of a leap this program is about to take. It's difficult trying to temper that with where we were just months ago. Can't wait for fall.

 
brophog said:
Throw in Illinois and Minnesota as well. Iowa may not be much of a jump. 

I find it funny the article mentions Wisconsin dominating Miami.....they dominated the second quarter, but not the game. The rest of the game was even to slightly in Miami's favor. I maintain that as soon as Wisconsin has a legit threat in the division, and stops getting handed easy cross divisional schedules, that their little aura bursts. I can respect what they've done, their ceiling just isn't that high.

Nebraska has the makings of a team that would make a big jump in win totals. More talent than last year's win total would suggest combined with a new 'ready made' staff led by a detail oriented, process heavy head coach. Historically, that has been an archetype for an immediate gain in wins. Lost in the tough schedule talk is that the really winnable games are at home. 
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Agree here. I'd put our receivers up against anyone in the division.

Also agree about Wisconsin. They've not had a legit threat for years, but that's our fault somewhat.

Yep. If things get taken care of at home, I feel Nebraska can get one of OSU, Michigan, MSU or Wisconsin with OSU being least likely imo.

 
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