The Athletic: What went wrong for 2019’s preseason top-25 busts, and why there’s hope

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
Seasons from hell: What went wrong for 2019’s preseason top-25 busts, and why there’s hope.

Nebraska

Preseason: No. 24
Result: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten)

In hindsight, it makes sense why Nebraska was deemed a preseason top-25 team. The ingredients were all there. The Huskers had an encouraging finish to 2018, winning four of their last six games and nearly beating Ohio State and Iowa. They had an exciting young coach in Scott Frost who achieved a big turnaround in Year 2 at UCF. They had an exciting young QB in Adrian Martinez. The 2019 schedule looked so much easier on paper. Making a jump from 4-8 to 8-4 seemed relatively doable if they just stayed on course and kept improving.

Well, that didn’t happen. Martinez experienced sophomore struggles and dealt with injuries. Maurice Washington, one of their most talented and troubled players, exited in the middle of the season. The Colorado game could’ve gotten them off rolling early in the year, but they blew a 17-point lead and lost in overtime. They couldn’t compete with Ohio State and Minnesota. They had some of the worst special teams play in the country and had to use six different placekickers.

Had the Huskers just found a way to win one tight game against Indiana, Purdue or Iowa and go bowling, the perception of this program’s trajectory is a lot different right now. Instead, this goes down as another frustrating season for the program, one that was much tougher than anyone anticipated.

Reason for optimism: Frost has made some staff changes, bringing in his former colleague Matt Lubick to help him as OC and to improve their receiver room. Mike Dawson came back, too, as outside linebackers coach. The disappointing season did not deter Nebraska from building a top-20 recruiting class that should offer some instant-impact help. Martinez should be healthy for spring ball. There are several areas where the Huskers need to improve, and the 2020 schedule does get tougher, especially late in the year. But Frost continues to believe they’re not far off and that, when things do turn, they’ll turn fast.

https://theathletic.com/1604433/2020/02/13/seasons-from-hell-2019-preseason-top-25-busts/
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It still perplexes me to think back about last year.  8-4 was very doable.  And 7-5 should have been a slam dunk.  

The CU loss was a tough pill to swallow.  Even so, we still looked okay for the season up through the midway point.  After NW we were sitting at 4-2.  Not great, but okay.  

But after the NW game in the first week of October the wheels fell off the wagon.  The only game we won after Oct. 5 was Maryland.  Ouch!  The wheels didn't just fall of the wagon.  The wheels fell off, rolled down a hill and knocked over a silo killing old Betsy the cow.    

 
NUance said:
knocked over a silo  
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I have tempered optimism.....Surely we won't be worse......Special teams can't be worse (I have no idea who the coach is so I might eat these words), a healthy AM with other guys right behind, "better" receiver group (on paper) etc....  I am concrened about the losses on the DL....and LJax at CB.

I also think that Frost letting staff go has sent a message (direct or inferred) that expectations are high and staff and starters will be held to it.....The distraction of Mo being gone should help as well.

 
NUance said:
It still perplexes me to think back about last year.  8-4 was very doable.  And 7-5 should have been a slam dunk.  

The CU loss was a tough pill to swallow.  Even so, we still looked okay for the season up through the midway point.  After NW we were sitting at 4-2.  Not great, but okay.  

But after the NW game in the first week of October the wheels fell off the wagon.  The only game we won after Oct. 5 was Maryland.  Ouch!  The wheels didn't just fall of the wagon.  The wheels fell off, rolled down a hill and knocked over a silo killing old Betsy the cow.    
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There were several games after Oct 5th where Nebraska not doing the little things killed any shot of a 7-5 season. Several fundamental errors in both Indiana and Purdue games. To me had Nebraska been better in the slightest of details, they likely beat Colorado, Indiana, Purdue and Iowa.

 
NUance said:
It still perplexes me to think back about last year.  8-4 was very doable.  And 7-5 should have been a slam dunk.  

The CU loss was a tough pill to swallow.  Even so, we still looked okay for the season up through the midway point.  After NW we were sitting at 4-2.  Not great, but okay.  

But after the NW game in the first week of October the wheels fell off the wagon.  The only game we won after Oct. 5 was Maryland.  Ouch!  The wheels didn't just fall of the wagon.  The wheels fell off, rolled down a hill and knocked over a silo killing old Betsy the cow.    
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Ya, we should have gone at least 7-5, no excuse for losing to CU or a depleted Purdue squad. 

 
Danimal said:
Ya, we should have gone at least 7-5, no excuse for losing to CU or a depleted Purdue squad. 
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And looking at that - it should give us the hope this next year.  We truly were that close to being 7-5 or 8-4.  I'm hoping the light bulb goes on and next year we take that leap forward.  It would be nice to upset the teams we aren't expected to beat and get some swagger back.  Get the swag back and maybe the team will begin to believe in themselves.  I've heard it said our 95 and 97 team believe they couldn't be beat, they played out of that belief. 

 
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