Where is the confidence coming from?

[GoDucks349]

I don't think they're unbeatable, but what scares me is Royce Freeman.  We're also on the road which will likely be a factor as well.  I don't know if we have an answer for him.

Royce is the real deal. If you're sloppy tackling him he'll put up real big numbers. I'd expect Nebraska to focus on stopping him first. Then see if Herbert and his young receivers can keep the Oregon offense on the field for sustained drives.

Oregon has a similar problem they've got to stop Nebraska's running game and make them put the ball in the air.

Should be a very interesting game. Winning in the trenches is critical for both teams.

 

[GoDucks349]

We win because the Oregon players have been breathing bad air all week. They will we worn out by the middle of the first quarter.

I do worry about the disruption of practice that Oregon has had due to weather. However "worn out by the middle of the first quarter" is laughable.

 

[Mierin]

Lol who said we should do that? . Those factors I referenced are just the two factors that prevent me from being overconfident.  Anything can happen any given Saturday that's why they play the games.  Freeman looked great last year before going down.  Hopefully we can contain him. #GBR

Lots of people are implying it with all their doom and gloom all over the forum.

And this topic isn't really about confidence or overconfidence, despite the title. The OP said he doesn't understand how anyone could think Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning.

There is a huge chasm between thinking Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning and feeling confident that Nebraska will win.

People who think Nebraska doesn't have a legitimate chance of winning the game have either never watched college football or are masochists who like to wallow in their own misery (i.e. cry in their beer).

 

[SuperBigFan69]

If the "transition year" theory has any validity, we should be golden.

Exactly...all coaches need (blank) years to settle in and get things going with their new teams.

 

[The Cornfather]

Their resumes are hardly comparable.  Helfrich, took over for Chip Kelly and began his coaching record as so:

2013 11-2

2014 13-2 playoff appearance

2015 9-4

2016 4-8

2017 Broadcast Analyst

Oregon saw the writing on the wall and went in a different direction.  Taggart on the other hand soent 3 years at WKU where he went 16-20, 4 years at USF where he went 24-25 and now Oregon where he is currently 1-0.  Helfrich got handed the reigns and he dropped them.  Taggart worked his way up to a Power 5 gig and has a chance to reach that nevmxt level.  Maybe he doesn't.  Too early to tell.  And yes i understand that's why everyone was razzled earlier, I'm not a fortune teller.  But last time I checked message boards were built out of opinions.  And my opinion is that Helfrich was in over his head and Taggart will be an upgrade.

So Taggart isn't even a .500 coach? I thought that was a Bad Thing.

 

[Sea of Red]

Lots of people are implying it with all their doom and gloom all over the forum.

And this topic isn't really about confidence or overconfidence, despite the title. The OP said he doesn't understand how anyone could think Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning.

There is a huge chasm between thinking Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning and feeling confident that Nebraska will win.

People who think Nebraska doesn't have a legitimate chance of winning the game have either never watched college football or are masochists who like to wallow in their own misery (i.e. cry in their beer).

Well OP can pack sand.  We are in this to win this.  Doom/gloom, Royce or everyone questioning the D be damned. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

Lots of people are implying it with all their doom and gloom all over the forum.

And this topic isn't really about confidence or overconfidence, despite the title. The OP said he doesn't understand how anyone could think Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning.

There is a huge chasm between thinking Nebraska has a legitimate chance of winning and feeling confident that Nebraska will win.

People who think Nebraska doesn't have a legitimate chance of winning the game have either never watched college football or are masochists who like to wallow in their own misery (i.e. cry in their beer).

Heck.....the original post claimed he doesn't  even understand how we can be COMPETETIVE.....let alone win. 

Implying that we are are so horrible, he just doesn't see how this game can be anywhere close. 

 

[Cy the Cyclone]

I am shocked with all the gloom in this thread.  This is OREGON we're talking about here.  Yeah... I know it starts with the same letter as real football teams like Ohio State or Oklahoma but it's OREGON!  We're talking an unproven defense that can't stop a run...an unproven QB...a team with no tradition other than being Nike's free advertising b!^@h boy.  Worst of all...they are in the PAC whatever number it is now!  Any self respecting, hard nosed, grind it out football fan from flyover country should be confident that our corn fed, Midwestern farm boys will march into their house and kick those dope smoking hippies all the way off the side of the left coast.  Hell...ain't Duck hunting one of our favorite pastimes out here?  Nothing like blasting a defenseless Duck out of sky to make a guy feeling good.

Now go out there...suck it up and grind that ball on the ground over and over and over, until their defense caves in like cheap toilet paper and their offense starts crying cuz they never get the ball so they can pose for their PAC 42, or whatever it is now, buddies in Los Angeles and the morons at ESPN have to try to figure out where Nebraska is so they can put it back on the college football map.

Go Cyclo...uh...Huskers!

 

[Redux]

So Taggart isn't even a .500 coach? I thought that was a Bad Thing.

Being under .500 got him the Oregon job, that should be pretty telling.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

Exactly...all coaches need (blank) years to settle in and get things going with their new teams.

Besides Urban Meyer.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

[...] a team with no tradition other than being Nike's free advertising b!^@h boy.

[...] march into their house and kick those dope smoking hippies all the way off the side of the left coast.

[...] until their defense caves in like cheap toilet paper and their offense starts crying cuz they never get the ball...

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

It's not strange--the inmates (boosters) are running the asylum (AD). And frankly, some of those boosters are crazy or racist (or both) enough that they should be committed. It's why Mack Brown and the AD were jettisoned, it's partially why Strong was booted, and why Texas went after Herman (and why they can't land someone better, no matter the money thrown at them). 

Solid diagnosis, Doctor Vector Victor.  I concur.  (on Texas, that is.  Kind of a non-sequitur, but quite the illuminating post, nevertheless).

 

[olddominionhusker]

I am aware that there are many who think we have a legitimate shot at beating Oregon.

I'm trying to understand logically how someone arrives at that conclusion. We got torched last week to the tune of nearly 500 yards whilst having to hang on for dear life against Arkansas State.

In the face of the above, and considering our next opponent has a plethora of athletes much better than Arkansas State along with a prolific offense built to spread the ball around like wildfire and exploit the same mismatches and weaknesses that Arkansas State did, I'm trying to understand  how on earth there is an expectation that we can even be COMPETITIVE in this game let alone win it?

What quantifiable things am I missing?

What should make me hope for something other than another embarrassing smackdown on national TV?

Oregon was hot garbage last year and still had a ton of good athletes. They were almost dead last in the nation in defense. Why should a win over a bad FCS team all of a sudden erase the fact that this was a terrible team one year ago. 

Im not disputing that they may be better this year but I certainly don't think that has been confirmed based on one win over a trash team. Ark St. is no juggernaut  but I'd wager they beat southern Utah by 30 or more. 

I wouldnt say im confident we will win but I would be more surprised if we got blown out then if we won. I think it will be a fairly close game

 

[MichiganDad3]

I do worry about the disruption of practice that Oregon has had due to weather. However "worn out by the middle of the first quarter" is laughable.

It was a joke. I assume Oregon is practicing inside.

 

[GoDucks349]

It was a joke. I assume Oregon is practicing inside.

The smoke was so bad they couldn't use the indoor practice facilities. Example: I've changed air filters in my home HVAC system in the last week. It's been tough keeping indoor air breathable.