Would You Be Surprised.....?

[HuskerLuke]

every single game is winnable, but every single game is also losable.

Maybe I should've put a "realistically" in there. I meant that I wouldn't be stunned at this point if you were to tell me you looked into the future and saw us losing to Illinois or Purdue. A little surprised and a lot disappointed, but I remember being shocked to the point of being physically numb when I was told we'd lost to Iowa State in 2009 (I wasn't able to watch on tv). I don't think a loss in any of our remaining games would elicit that reaction from me at this point.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I find myself just simply being sad when I think about the season. This season had so much potential coming into the season. The offense simply had to do as well or slightly better than last year and the defense needed to show us what it can do with improved athleticism.

I didn't even watch the second half of the UCLA game and I'm still just sick to my stomach about it and then what I saw the first quarter on defense this Saturday. I thought our defense would come out and demolish an over matched team like the Jackrabbits only to watch them march down the field twice with ease.

At that point, I was done being mad. I simply sat there sad that the season is where it is right now because I honestly don't know what to expect.

 

[kchusker_chris]

By anything this season?

6 - 7 would be dissapointing, but not entirely surprising. [7 losses would be surprising to me, 6...not so much, 5, not at all]

11 - 3 wouldn't be that surprising, this team might actually be better than last year. [this would be about as surprising as 5 losses, not at all]

Would you be surprised if the defense got better? [i expect them to get better, they're young, they're getting reps, they'll get better...but so will the competition now]

Can you imagine it getting worse? [i think it will - we're going to lose one we shouldn't...happens every year. and it will get toxic]

Is Bo Pelini a rallying point? [nope]

Or does he finish out the season a lame duck? [no, Bo against the world, he'll finish strong...not sure if that means wins, but the team won't give up on him like Cally]

Or do people start getting fired mid-season? [there's not a D-Coordinator on staff like at Texas. no one's going anywhere until the end of the season]

Does Tommy Armstrong light a fire under Taylor Martinez, who now gets the green light to run? [Taylor hasn't really run the ball well in some time. He's lost a step, and in year 4 he's still guessing on the zone-read.]

Does Tommy Armstrong just take over altogether, with Taylor's lingering injury used for face saving? [Doubt it, too much risk. If he fails, with T-Mart on the bench, then people are getting fired. If T-Mart fails, T-Mart is shouldering the burden]

Will we look back at all the posts on HuskerBoard and laugh? [i wouldn't expect anything different. too many unanswered questions for the fan base to still be in "wait-an-see" mode...or the more common "trust the coaches" mode]

 

[Landlord]

I find myself just simply being sad when I think about the season. This season had so much potential coming into the season.

Are you posting from January 2014?

 

[BigRedBuster]

I find myself just simply being sad when I think about the season. This season had so much potential coming into the season.

Are you posting from January 2014?

I am responding to the question of what would surprise you. I honestly wouldn't be surprised at anything right now simply because of what I have seen on defense so far.

The quoted comment comes from the fact that I was expecting to still be very optomistic about the season at this point. However, I found myself just feeling empty watching the team play on Saturday even though they won big.

 

[robsker]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

It seems odd that now 2103 is viewed as a "rebuilding year" when 2013 was previously thought to be the year the Pelini magic would finally come. In 2011 many argued "we are young, inexperienced" 2012 and 2013 in particular NU will rock. Seems that by 1/3 of the way through each season here the last few years, the coping mechanism kicks in and says "yeah... this is an inexperienced and young team... a rebuilding year." Interesting how that works.

NU has a 4th year QB. Bell, Enunwa, AA, the whole secondary is basically 3rd/4th/5th year players, Turner, relatively experienced OL, on the DL you have Randle, Ankrah... the point is that there are plenty of experienced players. Yes.. the LB'ers are young and the TE's. And the defensive interior. But overall... this team has enough experience for the 'young/inexperienced" excuse to be not overly compelling. Generally, NU fans drew the "young/inexperienced" card each of the last two years... how many consecutive years can that one be played?

 

[Landlord]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

It seems odd that now 2103 is viewed as a "rebuilding year" when 2013 was previously thought to be the year the Pelini magic would finally come. In 2011 many argued "we are young, inexperienced" 2012 and 2013 in particular NU will rock. Seems that by 1/3 of the way through each season here the last few years, the coping mechanism kicks in and says "yeah... this is an inexperienced and young team... a rebuilding year." Interesting how that works.

The only thing that this proves is that we fans don't have a damn clue about anything.

 

[robsker]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

It seems odd that now 2103 is viewed as a "rebuilding year" when 2013 was previously thought to be the year the Pelini magic would finally come. In 2011 many argued "we are young, inexperienced" 2012 and 2013 in particular NU will rock. Seems that by 1/3 of the way through each season here the last few years, the coping mechanism kicks in and says "yeah... this is an inexperienced and young team... a rebuilding year." Interesting how that works.

The only thing that this proves is that we fans don't have a damn clue about anything.

Well stated! Good point.

Actually, there are so many variables that it is tough to predict just what to expect..

That said, the "young/inexperienced" excuse card is over played. As a 50 year Cub fan, I am so used to hearing"next year." Oddly, and not so pleasantly, being a Husker fan is beginning to sound that way too. "next year." Next year NU will be better.

But next year never comes. or... at least it hasn't in some time now.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

I was one of those, purely based on the schedule...and that's what 2014 is based on. Which is something that really worries me...Bo will go through the next few years with a very inflated W/L record. That might be enough for him to keep his job 3 years too long. 2016 rolls around, and we get smoked going 6-6 and everyone's like "well duh, look at the difficult schedule we have"...but in reality we've been playing patsy's for 3 years and finally got to a normal schedule (3-4 top 25 teams). 9 wins this year is just not that great...we'll end the year with a terrible strength of schedule as you watch teams like MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa struggle to 8 wins.

At the end of the year, I bet we will have played 1 team ranked in the final top 25

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

I was one of those, purely based on the schedule...and that's what 2014 is based on. Which is something that really worries me...Bo will go through the next few years with a very inflated W/L record. That might be enough for him to keep his job 3 years too long. 2016 rolls around, and we get smoked going 6-6 and everyone's like "well duh, look at the difficult schedule we have"...but in reality we've been playing patsy's for 3 years and finally got to a normal schedule (3-4 top 25 teams). 9 wins this year is just not that great...we'll end the year with a terrible strength of schedule as you watch teams like MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa struggle to 8 wins.

What about 11 wins? Or 10 wins?

Hell, 9-10 wins wasn't that great when we did have a tough schedule according to some. So it's not too much of a surprise that 9 wins this season or next wouldn't be very good.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

I was one of those, purely based on the schedule...and that's what 2014 is based on. Which is something that really worries me...Bo will go through the next few years with a very inflated W/L record. That might be enough for him to keep his job 3 years too long. 2016 rolls around, and we get smoked going 6-6 and everyone's like "well duh, look at the difficult schedule we have"...but in reality we've been playing patsy's for 3 years and finally got to a normal schedule (3-4 top 25 teams). 9 wins this year is just not that great...we'll end the year with a terrible strength of schedule as you watch teams like MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa struggle to 8 wins.

What about 11 wins? Or 10 wins?

Hell, 9-10 wins wasn't that great when we did have a tough schedule according to some. So it's not too much of a surprise that 9 wins this season or next wouldn't be very good.

I think you confuse those that don't appreciate the 9-10 wins, with those of us completely embarrassed by the manner in which the 4 losses came. We had 9 wins in 2008 and no one complained. We had 10 in 2009...and no one was saying a single thing about it being not enough. It wasn't until we started getting blown out on a regular basis that the 4 losses became an issue. The defenders of 9 fail to see the 4, and when the 9 are no longer that impressive either...then overlooking the 4 becomes pretty difficult.

 

[Hunter94]

Actually, if you look back at posts from 2011, many, many posters pointed to 2013 as a year that NU should make a NC run. Many posted such things (not me or quite a few others... but still, a good size subset made such claims). Many prior to the 2012 season again said things like... 2012 should be good, but 2013 will be great.

I was one of those, purely based on the schedule...and that's what 2014 is based on. Which is something that really worries me...Bo will go through the next few years with a very inflated W/L record. That might be enough for him to keep his job 3 years too long. 2016 rolls around, and we get smoked going 6-6 and everyone's like "well duh, look at the difficult schedule we have"...but in reality we've been playing patsy's for 3 years and finally got to a normal schedule (3-4 top 25 teams). 9 wins this year is just not that great...we'll end the year with a terrible strength of schedule as you watch teams like MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa struggle to 8 wins.

What about 11 wins? Or 10 wins?

Hell, 9-10 wins wasn't that great when we did have a tough schedule according to some. So it's not too much of a surprise that 9 wins this season or next wouldn't be very good.

I think you confuse those of us that didn't appreciate the 9-10 wins, with those of us completely embarrassed by the manner in which the 4 losses came. We had 9 wins in 2008 and no one complained. We had 10 in 2009...and no one was saying a single thing about it being not enough. It wasn't until we started getting blown out on a regular basis that the 4 losses became an issue. The defenders of 9 fail to see the 4, and when the 9 are no longer that impressive either...then overlooking the 4 becomes pretty difficult.

there is some merit to not just losing....but getting our a$$ handed to us.

 

[kchusker_chris]

there is some merit to not just losing....but getting our a$$ handed to us.

The infamous peaks and valleys of the Pelini era. I'm confident I'll be telling plenty of stories about the great games/plays of the last 6 years (Colt toss) well into the future...but at the same time I'll be scare to bring the era up with anyone because of the inevitable discussion of Wisconsin, or the outbursts. 10 years from now will his last 6 years be more defined by games like the championship game against Texas, or the championship game against Wisconsin? At this point, i'm going w/ the latter.

 

[HuskerShark]

This uneasy feeling really should not be taking place at this point in Bo's tenure. I look forward to a day when I know what we are going to get from this team when they take the field on Saturdays. Right now, it's a crap-shoot.

 

[robsker]

Also, at this point in Bo's time here we should not feel like baby-sitters watching a child grow up. It is amazing how many posts talk of Bo beginning to "mature" (or still needing to mature) --- as if he were a child and we hope he "grows into a professional". Astounding really, that such comments are necessary. But, they are.