McKewon picks West Division winner, (hint) it's not Nebraska

[Abdullah the Butcher]

Landisch was a backup behind Conor O'Neill. He only has 3 career starts.

http://thebiglead.com/2014/01/23/phil-steele-returning-2014-starters-tennessee-has-zero-starting-linemen-back/

http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/most-important-badgers-no-8-derek-landisch-061114

So he is a returning starter....on the official Wisconsin depth chart it was listed as Landisch or O'Neill, they were basically co-starters.

Media usually considers a returning starter a player who started 50% of, or the last 6 of the games in prior season. Just because you started a couple games as a freshman, then were benched for 2 seasons before returning for your senior year doesn't mean you are a "returning starter". There are some exceptions to this for things like the nickel back, etc - but for the most part someone that started 3 random games the prior year would never be considered a returning starter.

Obviously the school pumps up returning starters by adding in the placeholder, the kickers, the long snapper, etc. But the media is pretty consistent when labeling "returning starters" - and Landish is certainly not one.

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

 

[NUpolo8]

Pretty solid morning on Semanticsboard.com you guys.

 

[deedsker]

Pretty solid morning on Semanticsboard.com you guys.

(Sips coffee)
Yep.

 

[kchusker_chris]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

Yes because a 50/50 playing time split is the same as 10 line backers getting random playing time. Landisch was the starting linebacker until he got hurt then split time the rest of the way. Sometimes you guys a little insane.

 

[Saunders]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

Yes because a 50/50 playing time split is the same as 10 line backers getting random playing time. Landisch was the starting linebacker until he got hurt then split time the rest of the way. Sometimes you guys a little insane.

Except he only started 3 games out of 38. So, how does that math work?

 

[Saunders]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

We've got 7 returning starters on the OL!!!

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

Yes because a 50/50 playing time split is the same as 10 line backers getting random playing time. Landisch was the starting linebacker until he got hurt then split time the rest of the way. Sometimes you guys a little insane.

Except he only started 3 games out of 38. So, how does that math work?

Last year specifically he was the starting linebacker until he got hurt early in the season, missed two games to injury, then split time the rest of the way.

 

[Saunders]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

Yes because a 50/50 playing time split is the same as 10 line backers getting random playing time. Landisch was the starting linebacker until he got hurt then split time the rest of the way. Sometimes you guys a little insane.

Except he only started 3 games out of 38. So, how does that math work?

Last year specifically he was the starting linebacker until he got hurt early in the season, missed two games to injury, then split time the rest of the way.

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

 

[GSG]

O'Neill had 41 tackles, Landisch had 33, they split time, it's not like he was riding the bench all year and now is being named starter.

In that case, Nebraska with what, 6 or 7 returning starts at the LBer position should be a top 10 defense. Banderas, a returning starter had 28 tackles, Gerry, another returning starter recorded 32. Too bad Afalava is gone as he would have been a nice boost to our returning starters as well. Add in Santos, Rose, and Anderson and we had half the defense starting at LBer last year I guess. Heck, LBers like Richards, Williams, and Starke started on special teams and had tackes. Let's throw them in there as well. Are we to 10 returning starters at the LBer position yet?

Yes because a 50/50 playing time split is the same as 10 line backers getting random playing time. Landisch was the starting linebacker until he got hurt then split time the rest of the way. Sometimes you guys a little insane.

Except he only started 3 games out of 38. So, how does that math work?

Last year specifically he was the starting linebacker until he got hurt early in the season, missed two games to injury, then split time the rest of the way.

 

[Abdullah the Butcher]

 

[NUance]

Nebraska 2014

Aug. 30 Florida Atlantic
Sept. 6 McNeese State
Sept. 13 at Fresno State
Sept. 20 Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Sept. 27 Illinois
Oct. 4 at Michigan State
Oct. 11 Open
Oct. 18 at Northwestern
Oct. 25 Rutgers
Nov. 1 Purdue
Nov. 8 Open
Nov. 15 at Wisconsin
Nov. 22 Minnesota
Nov. 28 at Iowa


Wisconsin 2014

Aug. 30 LSU Tigers (Houston, TX)

Sept. 6 Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks

Sept. 13 Open

Sept. 20 Bowling Green Falcons

Sept. 27 USF Bulls

Oct. 4 at Northwestern

Oct. 11 Illinois

Oct. 18 Open

Oct. 25 Maryland

Nov. 1 at Rutgers

Nov. 8 at Purdue

Nov. 15 Nebraska

Nov. 22 at Iowa

Nov. 29 Minnesota

Iowa 2014
Aug. 30 Northern Iowa Panthers
Sept. 6 Ball State Cardinals
Sept. 13 Iowa State Cyclones
Sept. 20 at Pittsburgh Panthers
Sept. 27 at Purdue
Oct. 4 Open
Oct. 11 Indiana
Oct. 18 at Maryland Terrapins
Oct. 25 Open
Nov. 1 at Northwestern
Nov. 8 at Minnesota
Nov. 15 at Illinois
Nov. 22 Wisconsin
Nov. 28 Nebraska



Going back to the OP. I though I'd just compare schedules without considering talent or other factors. I'd say Nebraska has the toughest schedule by a small margin (Miami, at Michigan State, at Wisconsin). The Wisconsin sched (LSU in Houston, at Nebraska) and the Iowa sched (Nebraska and Wisconsin at home) are about the same difficulty, I'd say. Maybe a slight edge in SOS to the Badgers. btw, Minnesota plays a brutal schedule (at Michigan, tOSU, at Nebr, at Wisconsin). Iowa has a mediocre schedule. And they suck.

 

[Junior]

Going back to the OP. I though I'd just compare schedules without considering talent or other factors. I'd say Nebraska has the toughest schedule by a small margin (Miami, at Michigan State, at Wisconsin). The Wisconsin sched (LSU in Houston, at Nebraska) and the Iowa sched (Nebraska and Wisconsin at home) are about the same difficulty, I'd say. Maybe a slight edge in SOS to the Badgers. btw, Minnesota plays a brutal schedule (at Michigan, tOSU, at Nebr, at Wisconsin). Iowa has a mediocre schedule. And they suck.

Looking at conference schedule only, since that is all that matters for these purposes, Iowa and Wisconsin have the same schedule. Nebraska's is tougher, only because of the one game at MSU. It's hard for me to agree that Iowa could win the division... because they are Iowa. But I don't believe that Nebraska will either. I have HUGE reservations about the QB situation. Tommy is a decent player. He's confident and the players seem to love him, but unless we are going full on triple option offense of the 90s, there has to be another QB on the roster who's better suited to run Beck's "multiple" offense. Or there has been a massive failure at QB recruiting.

Wisconsin seems to be the favorite, with Iowa and NU tied in my opinion.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Going back to the OP. I though I'd just compare schedules without considering talent or other factors. I'd say Nebraska has the toughest schedule by a small margin (Miami, at Michigan State, at Wisconsin). The Wisconsin sched (LSU in Houston, at Nebraska) and the Iowa sched (Nebraska and Wisconsin at home) are about the same difficulty, I'd say. Maybe a slight edge in SOS to the Badgers. btw, Minnesota plays a brutal schedule (at Michigan, tOSU, at Nebr, at Wisconsin). Iowa has a mediocre schedule. And they suck.

@Iowa isn't any walk in the park for either Nebraska or Wiscy.

It'll probably end up like 2012 (think that was the year) where the schedule looked absolutely brutal about this time (because it had been the prior year), and by season end Michigan was 8-5, MSU was 7-6, Penn State was in turmoil and Wisconsin was a 7-win divisional winner by default. Meanwhile OSU rolled off an undefeated season, Northwestern got to 10 wins, and UCLA somehow turned things around w/ a young QB.

Good thing we have 47 returning starters...on defense. We should be fine.