Final Regular Season Record - POLL

What will be the regular season record?

  • 9-3 win out - let the talk of a QB controversy begin

    Votes: 3 9.1%
  • 8-4 - where many thought we'd be - nice improvement

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • 7-5 a tad bit better than last year

    Votes: 20 60.6%
  • 6-6 lose out. Let the talk of a new coach begin

    Votes: 6 18.2%

  • Total voters
    33
With this year's schedule, Nebraska should have easily been able to get to 8 wins in the regular season but I am not predicting 7-5. If Rhule does not make a huge leap in Year 3, when will he make a huge leap (meaning getting to double digit wins)?
 
I'm sticking with my original preseason guess of 7-5. I'm strangely optimistic about UCLA for some unknown reason. Maybe it's because UCLA doesn't have film with TJ at the helm. Maybe we can surprise their D.
 
I had 7-5 in the first one, but am saying 6-6 now. That is no shot at TJ, but at the coaches as I think they go in a shell here and won't let the kid cook enough. UCLA on the road will eke out a close game, and PSU/Iowa are going to run the ball 40+ times and we won't be able to stop it consistently enough to get it done. Iowa also is going to eat the poor freshman QB alive, they are really good on defense again.
I’m 6-6 and no way advocating for firing Rhule. Now members of his staff are a different story. Injuries are an issue. Unless they go back and examine what works and what doesn’t, we’re cooked. On the road against UCLA, bye then PSU on the road and an Iowa that has found a pulse that we have only beaten once in 10 years…. Glad we got 6 when we did. Best case is 7-5 if we catch one slipping. But I’m still 6-6. The way to beat NU is out there. Run it down our throats and let our our play calling on O take points off the board.
 
I'm enjoying not feeling like the next game is a must-win for a change. That pressure feels gone to me. I'm excited to see all aspects of our game on Saturday and see if this staff & players can respond to this challenge.

I personally think these Huskers will show great fight against UCLA. I hope some good fortune happens early in the game to help encourage them.
 
We're a lock to beat Iowa. We were already better than UCLA and are now have reverse expectations and an offensive adjustment to surprise them. Penn State will likely take its horrible season out on the Huskers. 8-4 seems perfectly reasonable.
 
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"A lock to beat Iowa"

I like your version better than mine. Iowa looks to me to be the toughest team left on our slate. If I had to pick our most likely loss it would be Iowa. An always great defense now has a potent offense.
 
"A lock to beat Iowa"

I like your version better than mine. Iowa looks to me to be the toughest team left on our slate. If I had to pick our most likely loss it would be Iowa. An always great defense now has a potent offense.

Iowa is the best team left on the schedule, but I wouldn't be shocked at winning or losing any of the remaining games.

I know UCLA's home field advantage is next to nothing, but they've gotten better. It's the first start for Lateef, on the road and they've had an extra week to prepare. We haven't done a good job containing mobile QBs, although I do think QB run was what Butler was willing to allow in the gameplan against Cincy and MSU more than a permanent weakness. You can't take away everything - against UCLA, containing QB run game will be a priority.

Penn State is a dumpster fire and we have the extra week, but Happy Valley is a tough place to play and they are still really talented. Not an easy place for a freshman QB to play, and they will test the run defense. Best case is they get blown out by Indiana and then drop the MSU game on the road (which I do not expect) to eliminate themselves from bowl contention. They may be completely checked out when they get to us anyway, but if they're not even eligible for a bowl we could see a team full of 3rd stringers.

Iowa is again the best team, but it's a home game that this team desperately wants to win, and they are not difficult to prepare for. "Potent offense" might be a stretch - the ppg (31.2) are good, but buoyed by 4 defensive/special teams TDs and some incredible field position. Other teams have short drives, so maybe it's not as much of an outlier as I think, but they have two 1-yard TD drives and I think four other TD drives of less than 25 yards. They are difficult to play because they will punch us in the mouth and test whether this defense can stop the run consistently enough. But for once special teams is not a massive advantage for them, I think we can make them throw enough to get a pick or two, and frankly I like an offensive gameplan with a mobile QB against them. If Lateef is turnover prone it's another story.
 
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