First Big 10 schedule not as tough as it looks?

JTrain

JTrain

All-Conference
I don't think it's really the gauntlet everyone thought it was when it was first announced.

The first two games will be the toughest. Wisconsin returns a good number of guys, including all their RB talent. But they'll be starting a quarterback with almost no game experience. NIU will have been the closest thing to a good defense he'll have faced by the time he plays Nebraska. Which means they'll rely heavily on their running game (as will we) and it should be a close, low-scoring game. If Taylor is back to 100%, one of his gamebreaking runs could make the difference. Ohio State may be the only game we aren't favored in. What a way to start Big 10 play at Memorial. Crowd should be nuts. Pryor versus the Blackshirts will have a ton of national appeal, even though the Blackshirts (especially the DBs) will be going through some growing pains. If we can win one of these two, we're in good shape to make a title game run.

Minnesota is an easy win. Michigan State should be good again, but I'm skeptical they can be consistently successful. We'll see. Northwestern could be a challenge too, Persa is among the best QBs in the nation and against our rebuilt secondary. But our scheme is built for offenses like NW more so than maybe any other in the Big 10.

Then comes a pair of road games against PSU and Michigan. These two are great in name only. Aside from some great moments from Denard Robinson, neither team was very good this year. I don't see Penn State being any better, and I love our chances against Michigan if Greg Robinson's still around.

http://bbsland.org/music/Josh%20Groban%20-%20You%20Raise%20Me%20Up.mp3

Iowa loses their three best players: Stanzi, Clayborn and DJK Frank Lucas, plus key blockers with both guards and fullback Morse graduating. Even talk about McNutt and maybe Sash considering the Draft. Considering how Bo's defense tends to improve throughout the season, I wouldn't want to be a rebuilt KOK offense playing at Nebraska in November.

If we can go 6-2 in conference, it probably comes down to a tiebreaker situation with Iowa or Michigan State. Both games are in Lincoln. If we can go 7-1 I think we win the division outright.

 
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@Wisconsin is a loss, Ohio State and Michigan State are toss ups. Minnesota is the only guaranteed W. Iowa and Penn St are games that should be wins. Michigan and Northwestern are games Nebraska will be favored in, but it comes down to whether or not the blackshirts can stop Robinson and Persa respectively. 6-2 would be a great first season in my opinion.

 
IAhusker said:
@Wisconsin is a loss, Ohio State and Michigan State are toss ups. Minnesota is the only guaranteed W. Iowa and Penn St are games that should be wins. Michigan and Northwestern are games Nebraska will be favored in, but it comes down to whether or not the blackshirts can stop Robinson and Persa respectively. 6-2 would be a great first season in my opinion.
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I fail to see how Wisconsin is a guaranteed loss. I know people characterize Wisconsin as a pound-it-down-your-throat running team, but Scott Tolzien has really been the catalyst to making the offense great this year. He just won the Unitas Award and leads the country in completion percentage. Losing him will hurt no matter how you slice it.

 
I think if the '10 team plays next years schedule, you're right. I see our defense taking a step back next year. And then all the Big 12 fools will be like "SEE, NEBRASKA SUX LOLOL"

 
lilred said:
I think if the '10 team plays next years schedule, you're right. I see our defense taking a step back next year. And then all the Big 12 fools will be like "SEE, NEBRASKA SUX LOLOL"
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Didn't you hear? Bo said the D will be ten times better next season!

:corndance

 
JTrain said:
IAhusker said:
@Wisconsin is a loss, Ohio State and Michigan State are toss ups. Minnesota is the only guaranteed W. Iowa and Penn St are games that should be wins. Michigan and Northwestern are games Nebraska will be favored in, but it comes down to whether or not the blackshirts can stop Robinson and Persa respectively. 6-2 would be a great first season in my opinion.
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I fail to see how Wisconsin is a guaranteed loss. I know people characterize Wisconsin as a pound-it-down-your-throat running team, but Scott Tolzien has really been the catalyst to making the offense great this year. He just won the Unitas Award and leads the country in completion percentage. Losing him will hurt no matter how you slice it.
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Tolzien will be a HUGE loss. Along with their two best offensive lineman.

 
Hardest

Ohio State

Wisconsin

Michigan St.

Iowa

Michigan (without Greg Robinson)

Penn St.

Northwestern

Michigan (with Greg Robinson)

Minnesota

Easiest

 
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There's a lot of factors that go into this. You should be favored to be the Big Ten "West" representative in the CCG, since only Michigan State looks like they can challenge you for that spot. However, Michigan State's crossovers are their annual crossover of Indiana along with Ohio State and Wisconsin, so you are somewhat lucky that they have to face almost the same schedule as you (obviously Penn State is more difficult than Indiana, but the road would be vastly different if they had gotten say Purdue and Illinois as their rotating teams).

One thing that will be interesting is unfamiliarity. The 8 Big Ten teams that you play are only going to be unfamiliar with Nebraska, whereas Nebraska will have to face that schematic challenge every week.

If I had to guess, you'll probably have a 10 win season next year, with 1 loss in the Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State group and another among your other 5 games. In some sense, you're going to get everyone's best shot like the Miami Heat because everyone will want to give you their best, but that's no different from this year, so your team will be able to handle that burden easily. If your offense comes together and you don't have injury issues, you could go 11-1 or better and compete for the national championship, since you will probably be the top 1 loss team in the country with that schedule...

 
this team that lost to texas this team that couldnt put it in the endzone against am this team that had a 17 point lead against oklahoma this team that got taken down to the wire against Iowas st. this team with a 210 pound linebacker against 250 pound running backs. this team that self destructs in games the last 2 years. should only have 1 lose in the last 2 years. This team that is going to a conference where the teams are getting better. Well I hope it happens but most of all I hope they are competitive. I want to drink the kool aid but it came from tap water and flouride and uranium are not good for you

 
akita said:
this team that lost to texas this team that couldnt put it in the endzone against am this team that had a 17 point lead against oklahoma this team that got taken down to the wire against Iowas st. this team with a 210 pound linebacker against 250 pound running backs. this team that self destructs in games the last 2 years. should only have 1 lose in the last 2 years. This team that is going to a conference where the teams are getting better. Well I hope it happens but most of all I hope they are competitive. I want to drink the kool aid but it came from tap water and flouride and uranium are not good for you
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We went 10-3 with the 30th ranked schedule this year. Ohio State's schedule is ranked 68th, Wisconsin's 71st and Michigan State's 65th.

 
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