Gut Check Poll - Will Husker go to a Bowl Game in 2021

[J-MAGIC]

Had to convert 3rd & 1 and 4th & 8 and averaged about 5 yards per play on that drive.  Credit them for making the plays but that's hardly just "steamrolling" down the field on us.  You make it sound like they could just score at will.

For some reason you highlight that we didn't score on our final five drives but don't point out that Iowa only got three first downs in the entire second half.  Saying they weren't trying is a pretty lame way to try to prove your point.

Were they the better team?  Probably.  We out-yarded them overall.  We had a better conversion rate on 3rd down.  We had more passing yards and a better yards per attempt.  We had more rushing yards and a better yards per attempt.  I don't know why you're insisting on exaggerating what Iowa did and deflect away from what we did.  

They have really only been the better team because they've made fewer mistakes.  Which is a big part of winning football games.  But they aren't nearly as much better as you're trying to make them out to be.

Iowa has been notorious under Ferentz for getting a lead and then packing it in and getting hyperconservative. That's their whole thing. Steamrolled was a poor choice of words, but when they have needed a stop or a drive against us in all three games, they have executed and delivered and we have not. I think that would indicate that they have been the better team. If you disagree, that's fine.

 

[J-MAGIC]

That isn't getting "steamrolled." Getting steamrolled means that you weren't competitive, which NU has been with Iowa under Frost. You categorized this a solid L and not a toss up, but the past evidence points to this game being a toss up or Iowa being a slight favorite. 

"Steamrolled" did not refer to the final score but to what Iowa did to us when they needed to make plays to win in all three games. I categorized it as a "likely L" based on the totality of both team's past seasons (not one game) and what our preseason rankings are from a variety of sources. Iowa is a bigger favorite against us by FPI than we are against Buffalo, but everyone here calls Buffalo a "Solid W" so I don't see how Iowa is then a "Toss-Up" unless we're really pulling the wool over our own eyes. I'd love to be wrong.

EDIT: I said it was a "very likely L". Of the four I feel its the most winnable but I'd categorize it as a likely L.

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[admo]

Isn't SELA an FCS opponent?  Need to win 6 FBS to get eligible.  So 7-5.  It's achievable IMO.  Need to win close games, and play better offensively than the past few seasons.  Which is possible.  5-7 is also possible too.  So the margin of success and/or error is fairly close. 

This team needs to LEARN HOW to win games.  It will be fun to see if they can learn how to do that this year.  If not, we will wait around another year. 

 

[runningblind]

Isn't SELA an FCS opponent?  Need to win 6 FBS to get eligible.  So 7-5.  It's achievable IMO.  Need to win close games, and play better offensively than the past few seasons.  Which is possible.  5-7 is also possible too.  So the margin of success and/or error is fairly close. 

This team needs to LEARN HOW to win games.  It will be fun to see if they can learn how to do that this year.  If not, we will wait around another year. 

You're allowed one FCS win counting towards bowl eligibility, so it's still 6 wins to get there.

 

[teachercd]

Yes, with ease.

West sucks

 

[RichardHangslow]

8-10 wins

 

[Hagg]

8-10 wins

I am certain of 7 wins, and I see them all as winnable if the fire continues (as reported by those monitoring practices).  Let's see what there is to see in the RW game tomorrow.  Altho I'm not thrilled to see no tackling in the entire first half.  Maybe flag football.. with the coaches yelling to the ball carrier, "swing those hips!" 

 

[admo]

You're allowed one FCS win counting towards bowl eligibility, so it's still 6 wins to get there.

I did not know that.  Thank you @runningblind

 

[suh_fan93]

It doesn't take as many wins to be bowl eligible these days so yes.  If it takes 6 games to be eligible unlike last year apparently then I do not know if they will make it to a bowl.

I have no idea how many games Nebraska will win this year.  

 

[RichardHangslow]

What is so upsetting to me is that they refuse to play a bowl game last season. Or I guess I should say McCaffrey and Robinson refused and then they left. 

Really should have played the bowl game I'm pretty disappointed that they didn't. it's a matter of pride and to me that just shows cowardness.

 

[Husker in WI]

What is so upsetting to me is that they refuse to play a bowl game last season. Or I guess I should say McCaffrey and Robinson refused and then they left. 

Really should have played the bowl game I'm pretty disappointed that they didn't. it's a matter of pride and to me that just shows cowardness.

I don't really care that some players didn't want to, there are things more important than football and that year was a grind. It was just a bad idea to roll with the "we're a team, so we'll decide as a team" thing IMO. I get it, but at the same time what's going to cause more friction - wanting to play in a bowl game and being unable to because teammates didn't want to, or playing in a bowl game shorthanded because some players opted to go home? I'd say the former, easily. I don't think there would have been many hard feelings toward those who opted out of the bowl game, certainly not harder feelings than there actually were when it prevented anyone from playing. 

 

[RichardHangslow]

I don't really care that some players didn't want to, there are things more important than football and that year was a grind. It was just a bad idea to roll with the "we're a team, so we'll decide as a team" thing IMO. I get it, but at the same time what's going to cause more friction - wanting to play in a bowl game and being unable to because teammates didn't want to, or playing in a bowl game shorthanded because some players opted to go home? I'd say the former, easily. I don't think there would have been many hard feelings toward those who opted out of the bowl game, certainly not harder feelings than there actually were when it prevented anyone from playing. 

Yes, I absolutely 100% agree with your post. If certain players did not want to play I believe they should have been able to opt out. I would not have held any ill will towards them. However I think there was a lot of players that did want to play in a bowl game and I think that their voices must not have felt like they were heard. To me it just seems like you're running away from a fight and that's not the Nebraska football team I know. 

On the plus side though I do think that Frost finally has a team of players that 100% want to be here and I think are going to contribute to make this a better program. As I say that I do remember hearing I believe it was Sam McEwen on the radio yesterday saying to expect transfers, who and what positions he wasn't clear on. I look at it as addition by subtraction. Kind of the same way I looked at McCaffrey and Robinson leaving.

 

[Gorillahawk]

Yes, I absolutely 100% agree with your post. If certain players did not want to play I believe they should have been able to opt out. I would not have held any ill will towards them. However I think there was a lot of players that did want to play in a bowl game and I think that their voices must not have felt like they were heard. To me it just seems like you're running away from a fight and that's not the Nebraska football team I know. 

On the plus side though I do think that Frost finally has a team of players that 100% want to be here and I think are going to contribute to make this a better program. As I say that I do remember hearing I believe it was Sam McEwen on the radio yesterday saying to expect transfers, who and what positions he wasn't clear on. I look at it as addition by subtraction. Kind of the same way I looked at McCaffrey and Robinson leaving.

With the portal I think “expect transfers “ is going to be extremely commonplace from here on out. And not just at Nebraska but everywhere 

 

[TGHusker]

I have added another question to the poll.  Basically are you more optimistic or less optimistic or no change in your opinion as to whether the Huskers will be in a bowl game at the end of the year.

Personally,  I am more optimistic.  I see the potential that the D could be vastly improved (relative to recent years - they are not in the 2010 or 94-99 category by any means) and I think the OL and WR groups will be improved.  The main ??s for me are still at RB and special teams.   We are still one injury away from disaster however in several spots.  I hate seeing Honas going down with a knee injury.  We still need more depth to take that worry away  but it is improving.