USA Today CFB Countdown | No. 16: Nebraska

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
Dozens of programs across the Football Bowl Subdivision have lost at least four games in each of the past six seasons. Three have won at least nine games in each of the last six seasons.

Only Nebraska fits in both categories, a fact that illuminates the program's endless ebb and flow between highs, lows, frustrations and successes under Bo Pelini, who enters the seventh season of his tenure as the face of the Cornhuskers' battle between optimism and near-constant negativity.

On one hand, Pelini is one of eight major-conference coaches in college football history to win at least nine games in each of his first six years. Of those eight coaches, only one, Pelini, took over a program coming off a losing season. Three first-time coaches have opened with six consecutive nine-win seasons: Pelini, Osborne, Switzer.

Yet he is 8-14 against ranked teams, 2-8 against top-10 teams and 0-3 in conference championship games, the last in humbling, humiliating fashion. Only one Pelini-coached team, in 2009, finished inside the top 19 of the final Amway Coaches Poll.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/08/18/nebraska-cornhuskers-2014-countdown-preview-roster-depth-chart-schedule-football-four/14212855/
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Can't argue with his breakdown, the only thing I had a problem with is that he's so sure that michigan state is a loss. We've always played that team good, even if we turn the ball over 5 times. At this point I'm more worried about the games in Madison and Iowa City.

 
I think that this is realistic, the kids showed a lot of improvement in the Georgia game. Anxious for the season to start.

 
Great breakdown. Hard to argue with any of it. Particularly this:

In terms of the total package, this is the best team in the West Division and the third-best team in the Big Ten. But the total package – personnel, talent, experience, expectations – has never been Nebraska's issue; the issue has been parlaying the total package into total production, a quest that has eluded this program for a full-season span during the duration of Pelini's tenure. It's easy to buy in: Nebraska is the best team in the division. It's also easy to remember the recent past and be skeptical, questioning whether or not this specific team can avoid the mental missteps, the physical errors, the turnovers, the sloppiness and the general malaise that have long stymied Pelini and the Cornhuskers. Let's buy in, I say – but let's retain some of that skepticism, keeping it in reserve if or when everything runs off the rails.
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Bah, I can't get behind this prediction. Not enough gloom and doom. It's as if a Unicorn from Ponyville threw up magical rainbows and hugs to make this prognostication.

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Nice read Saunders! +1 for it...

The read came across much like us die-hard fans believe; pretty much we are awating the season to commence!

 
His breakdowns are ao thorough. There really isn't anyone else that dives into the details quite like Paul. Not sure if it's good or bad that I had the same 11-1 record for this year. Great minds...

 
I bookmarked this.

I never bookmark articles.

This was very well thought out. An exciting and informative look at the program under Bo.

He really puts this season in perspective with this line.

Miami (Fla.) for national prestige, Michigan State for a shot at a potential playoff berth, Wisconsin to remain in the West race and Iowa for the division, for bragging rights and for revenge.
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I think this is one of those predictions that will end up scoring well in the postseason review. Most other publications have us lower, not unfairly. But a top 15 or so finish is what I think this team should be capable of.

I agree that I'm more worried about Wisconsin than Michigan State. Also not worried about Iowa, last year was just weird. With Wisconsin, though, I think we'll be in the mix for a CCG berth, and it may well come down to tiebreakers. We've gotta beat them.

 
carlfense said:
Great breakdown. Hard to argue with any of it. Particularly this:

In terms of the total package, this is the best team in the West Division and the third-best team in the Big Ten. But the total package – personnel, talent, experience, expectations – has never been Nebraska's issue; the issue has been parlaying the total package into total production, a quest that has eluded this program for a full-season span during the duration of Pelini's tenure. It's easy to buy in: Nebraska is the best team in the division. It's also easy to remember the recent past and be skeptical, questioning whether or not this specific team can avoid the mental missteps, the physical errors, the turnovers, the sloppiness and the general malaise that have long stymied Pelini and the Cornhuskers. Let's buy in, I say – but let's retain some of that skepticism, keeping it in reserve if or when everything runs off the rails.
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That is really well put. Succinct & accurate.

 
Hard to argue with anything in the article.

The author of this article is also a pretty good follow on twitter and tweets almost exclusively about CFB.

 
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