don't get why people are freaking out

[Husker in WI]

Our defense?  I'd argue has been a massive disappointment.  Fans that rely on stats will cherry pick certain stats to make the case theyre a top 15-20 unit yet casually ignore our cupcake schedule is a massive part of that.  1/3 of our schedule is in the bottom 10 in offensive scoring.  The remaining portion is largely not in the top 50% offensively.  Sure, they've been hung out to dry by this limp d!(k offense, but let be real, no one has confidence they will make a key stop when we have the lead... how many missed turnover opportunities did we gift USC this past weekend?  Simply put, there isnt a single difference maker to be had on this defense and all of them have displayed numerous examples where the moment was simply too big to make a play

I agree the defense hasn't been as elite as expected, but can you find a meaningful stat where they aren't top 25 or better? If most of the stats say top ~20, they people agreeing with that aren't the ones cherry-picking. We've played some bad offense. We've also held some really good offenses in check. We and Penn State are the only teams to keep OSU under 31, and Colorado only scoring 10 (in garbage time, no less) is a huge outlier for them. 

The defense has been a disappointment because I expected them to take a step forward, and I don't think they have. But trying to claim they aren't a top-20 defense is just being ignorant of what defense is like across college football. There are a handful of truly elite defenses that don't have games where they look human. I was hoping we'd be one, we're not. But we're solidly in the next tier, which should get you at least 8 wins with an average offense. 

 

[gossamorharpy]

I agree the defense hasn't been as elite as expected, but can you find a meaningful stat where they aren't top 25 or better? If most of the stats say top ~20, they people agreeing with that aren't the ones cherry-picking. We've played some bad offense. We've also held some really good offenses in check. We and Penn State are the only teams to keep OSU under 31, and Colorado only scoring 10 (in garbage time, no less) is a huge outlier for them. 

The defense has been a disappointment because I expected them to take a step forward, and I don't think they have. But trying to claim they aren't a top-20 defense is just being ignorant of what defense is like across college football. There are a handful of truly elite defenses that don't have games where they look human. I was hoping we'd be one, we're not. But we're solidly in the next tier, which should get you at least 8 wins with an average offense. 

There certainly are stats and a case to support this defense being top 25 unit.  Im just saying they havent played to the standard many of us expected given how much returning experience we had on that side of the ball.  When the original poster said why is everyone so disappointed- i think its fair to call out its not only the offense and ST that has underwhelmed.  Defense def been our strong point on the team but thats not really saying much when the whole operation has been a dumpster fire for 6 weeks now

Our scoring defense is solid- right at the 25th mark.  3rd down defense?  we plummet closer to 60th in the nation.  I'm old enough to remember what an actual scary defense looks like, this defense looks like a pac 12 defense compared to our 09-2012 defenses we were fielding

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

Who? I think you're right on the "will be better" (I would say could be better), but I am not convinced those guys are going to be better than Bullock/Gifford or even Sherman/Benhart next year. Now obviously at some point the younger guys need the playing time to develop into better players. But if we had guys currently better than them, those guys would be playing. We need big leaps from quite a few guys for the defense to hold steady, let alone improve next year.

Shavers has already got PT as a true freshman and he will be replacing Bullock.  Princewell and Willis Mcgahee are both play makers and will be fighting to replace Sherman.  Bullock and Gifford are both 6th year guys and is Sherman a 5th year?  True freshman come in and there isn't that much of a drop off if at all.  I think Benning will replace Gifford but that's a wild guess cause he's not on the 2 deep right now.   I'm just more optimistic when guys come in and play well right away and not take 5yrs to turn it on.   

 

[Husker in WI]

There certainly are stats and a case to support this defense being top 25 unit.  Im just saying they havent played to the standard many of us expected given how much returning experience we had on that side of the ball.  When the original poster said why is everyone so disappointed- i think its fair to call out its not only the offense and ST that has underwhelmed.  Defense def been our strong point on the team but thats not really saying much when the whole operation has been a dumpster fire for 6 weeks now

Our scoring defense is solid- right at the 25th mark.  3rd down defense?  we plummet closer to 60th in the nation.  I'm old enough to remember what an actual scary defense looks like, this defense looks like a pac 12 defense compared to our 09-2012 defenses we were fielding

Got it, I don't disagree then. Defense is just pretty far down the list of things I'm freaking out about. I have a lot of individual concerns and issues, but for me it really comes down to this: We had two games against mediocre teams at home that we lost. Yeah they were playing well at the time, and yeah they had some breaks go their way. But you've got to win those. 

 

[gossamorharpy]

Shavers has already got PT as a true freshman and he will be replacing Bullock.  Princewell and Willis Mcgahee are both play makers and will be fighting to replace Sherman.  Bullock and Gifford are both 6th year guys and is Sherman a 5th year?  True freshman come in and there isn't that much of a drop off if at all.  I think Benning will replace Gifford but that's a wild guess cause he's not on the 2 deep right now.   I'm just more optimistic when guys come in and play well right away and not take 5yrs to turn it on.   

To add to this, can it really get that much worse?  I'd rather have a young guy making mental mistakes and getting reps for next year as opposed to watching benhart continue to make mental mistakes 6 years in or completely whiff on his blocking assignment.  I've seen enough of slow footed gifford getting burned and taking horrendous angles, have seen that song and dance long enough now to know 2023 was an outlier for him.  

We havent even touched on the mental state of a lot of these veteran players.  They know nothing but how to lose- really wish we would've taken more of a deion route 2 years ago and cleaned house of guys that simply put do not have what it takes to play at the level this fan base expects

 

[gossamorharpy]

Got it, I don't disagree then. Defense is just pretty far down the list of things I'm freaking out about. I have a lot of individual concerns and issues, but for me it really comes down to this: We had two games against mediocre teams at home that we lost. Yeah they were playing well at the time, and yeah they had some breaks go their way. But you've got to win those. 

Fully agree,  ill make the same comment about Raiola.  Kids a true freshman and we've done him, the team and the fan base a complete disservice by having him be the face of the program from day 1 and expect him to work magic.  

Im just annoyed because this year was setup well for us to rid a lot of the BS off our back and be optimistic for once.  Yet once again, here we are needing to square up against 2 programs that have had our number, needing a win to reach bowl eligibility and I have minimal confidence the group will rise to the occasion.  If you would've told me this 2 months ago I would've laughed at it and said no way- but here we are again

 

[Toe]

 

[Street Novelist]

Massive amount of losing talent ***

and good riddance, I’ll lend a hand and help em move. Vast majority of those players represent nothing but mediocrity during the worst stretch of modern husker football

I'm disappointed you feel that way. I don't consider our boys losers. They were the best on their team in high school. Some were even the best in their state. Our coaches recruited most of them heavily. Did you stop and think, for one second, that the problem might not be with the players, but with the coaches who recruited them? The coaches who sat in their living rooms, eating dinner with their parents, telling them how great their kids were and how they would be such a great fit for Nebraska? Or are you saying that we are better off without them and that they just suck? Because I am getting really tired of hearing that narrative. 

 

[chamrocck]

I’m not freaking but there is concern. With Raiola starting off so hot and really energizing the QB position I completely thought our offense would be in a better position at this point in the season. That has not happened.  The defense is weaker, not stronger.  I go back and forth between is it coaches or players.  I see some dead weight on this staff but then I look across the roster and like who are the dudes on this team?  Who are all conference players, who are NFL caliber players?  
 

UCLA was a must win and we sucked.

I thought USC would beat us and did.

Wisconsin is a must win and is TBD.

Iowa is TBD.

Basically we needed to win two of these last four to get to my prediction of 7-5.  Thus now all the anxiety because we absolutely have to beat Wisconsin.  I’d argue this is the biggest game of the year.  Have to win.  Don’t let it come down to Iowa, but I would not be surprised if it does.

 

[gossamorharpy]

I'm disappointed you feel that way. I don't consider our boys losers. They were the best on their team in high school. Some were even the best in their state. Our coaches recruited most of them heavily. Did you stop and think, for one second, that the problem might not be with the players, but with the coaches who recruited them? The coaches who sat in their living rooms, eating dinner with their parents, telling them how great their kids were and how they would be such a great fit for Nebraska? Or are you saying that we are better off without them and that they just suck? Because I am getting really tired of hearing that narrative. 

coaches own their fair weight of the blame too.  However, it wasnt the coaches whiffing time and time again this past saturday when the ball was proverbially and literally right in our defenses hands for a pick and they came up short.

By definition, they are losers.  My exact words were “losing talent”.  They've never had a winning record here.  I grow tired of fans that wanna gripe and complain about the sad state of this football team but then act like the players who get paid really well are free from any kind of criticism, you cant have it both ways.  This board is to discuss their football merit, i'm sure they are all fine outstanding young gentleman off the field. However, I dont tune in to watch them do community service, I tune in to watch them play football games.  And many of said individuals have done this incredibly poorly and have done nothing but lose for 6 years now in every way imaginable.  

BTW, my response was inrergards to posters expressing concern with who is behind them.  My response is simply to say, could it get any worse?  You can take the moral card elsewhere bud!

 

[gossamorharpy]

I’m not freaking but there is concern. With Raiola starting off so hot and really energizing the QB position I completely thought our offense would be in a better position at this point in the season. That has not happened.  The defense is weaker, not stronger.  I go back and forth between is it coaches or players.  I see some dead weight on this staff but then I look across the roster and like who are the dudes on this team?  Who are all conference players, who are NFL caliber players?  
 

UCLA was a must win and we sucked.

I thought USC would beat us and did.

Wisconsin is a must win and is TBD.

Iowa is TBD.

Basically we needed to win two of these last four to get to my prediction of 7-5.  Thus now all the anxiety because we absolutely have to beat Wisconsin.  I’d argue this is the biggest game of the year.  Have to win.  Don’t let it come down to Iowa, but I would not be surprised if it does.

I don’t think it’s either or coaches vs players

we very clearly have coaches on this staff, many of whom this is their first p5 job or official job altogether; that had no right holding this job 

we very clearly have players on this team who have no right being a starter on a p5 team. We will surely once again not have a single player on an all conf team.  
 

we’ll probably have a couple guys drafted late.

 

[chamrocck]

I don’t think it’s either or coaches vs players

we very clearly have coaches on this staff, many of whom this is their first p5 job or official job altogether; that had no right holding this job 

we very clearly have players on this team who have no right being a starter on a p5 team. We will surely once again not have a single player on an all conf team.  
 

we’ll probably have a couple guys drafted late.

Yep it’s a combination. We have to improve and we are seeing that in getting a guy as highly rated as Raiola and upgrading the coaching to bring in a guy like Holgerson.  So there is positive momentum there in recruiting and Rhule realizing coaching needed an upgrade.  But we now need superior player development and filling some talent gaps via the portal.  There are no free 3 years for coaching any power 5 team.  It’s win early and often.  

 

[The Dude]

I'm freaking out because my basement has a leaky area.

Depends.

 

[Mierin]

Depends.

Dude… and I’m calling you that because I would call anyone that in this case, not because you’re claiming to be The Dude, someone else already had this exact reply. You are lame!

 

[The Dude]

Dude… and I’m calling you that because I would call anyone that in this case, not because you’re claiming to be The Dude, someone else already had this exact reply. You are lame!

Listen, there's a lot of words around here.  You can't expect me to read them all.