What Do You Want From Me?

by Jon Johnston on Apr 8, 2008 10:12 PM CDT in Nebraska Husker Football

I’ve been mulling something over that’s been bugging me lately. It comes down to a simple question - the title of this article - what do you want from me when it comes to Husker football? Let me explain.
 Let’s take a look at next season’s schedule. In a three week period, Nebraska will playing the following:

Virginia Tech
Missouri
@Texas Tech

Those are three games we’re more than likely to lose. If we do, it won’t be because we’re not that good but because they are damned good. Virginia Tech and Missouri will be Top Ten teams going into next season and they won’t be overrated. The Tigers return arguable the nation’s best quarterback in Chase Daniel. Texas Tech return their starting quarterback Graham Harrell, all five of their offensive lineman and 2007 First-team All-American, Biletnikoff and Paul Warfield award-winning receiver Michael Crabtree.

If we lose those three games, we’ll be starting the season at 3-3. If you asked me right now what I think we’ll do next season, I’d say we’ll be at 7-5 or 8-4, neither of which is a bad season for first-time head coach working with a depleted (mangled?) defense. It will take

You might think I’m being negative, but I’m not. I’m excited about the start of the Bo Pelini era at Nebraska. The coaches are enthusiastic, the players are enthusiastic and there is nothing wrong with that. They should be, especially the players. It’s clear that this coaching staff has brought the dead back to life.

What I’m not excited about is the unrealistic expectations that seem to be popping out all over the place.

And that’s the problem. I’m as hopeful (sometimes to a fault - last season Husker Mike told me when we met right after the Iowa State game last season that we wouldn’t win a game in November and I as much told him he was full of nasty stuff) as the next guy, but what do you want? Do you want me to write nice fluffy rosy puff pieces about how great everything is, or do you want a realistic take on Husker football?

Since it’s spring, I could keep everything fluffy and sweet like a Three Musketeers bar and then get more realistic as fall approaches. I could do that. But these predictions of 9-3, 10-2 and 11-1 and a BCS Bowl or a Big 12 Championship? I don’t think I can do that.

So, what do you want from me?

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Comments

Actually...it was October...

...but we didn't play any better in November either.

Making predictions like this in early April, even before the spring game is kind of silly. But right now, I think we win one of those three games (Va Tech/Mizery/Texas Tech).

We also have a back-to-back of @Oklahoma and then Kansas in early November.

You've also got to remember we lost five in 2006 and fans were pretty optimistic. It might not be the number of losses as much as the size of the losses. Last year, the Texas loss didn't bother people as bad as the others.

by Husker Mike on Apr 8, 2008 10:43 PM CDT reply actions

well

shit, that's what I get for sticking these things out here when I'm burned out.

Of course it's silly.... but that ain't what I asked, is it? :)

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Apr 9, 2008 7:00 AM CDT up reply actions

These

people that are putting up 1-3 losses/Championships are setting themselves up for a huge disappointment. I'm afraid that they are the same ones who will be calling for Bo's head once 4-5 games are lost and they will justify their reasoning with statements like "He's no better than the last coach."

I don't want anything from you except to keep putting out the same quality blogs as you consistently have been doing.

by 96operator on Apr 9, 2008 7:40 AM CDT reply actions

We lost five games the year before...

...but there wasn't that much complaining since they weren't bad blowout losses where we got embarassed. 2007 we lost two more games, but other than Texas, every single one of them was embarrassing.

I think people are looking for competitiveness in 2008.

by Husker Mike on Apr 9, 2008 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions

9 wins with a bowl game

I have stated a 9 win season (with the bowl game we get) for a little while. I believe I am being reasonably optimistic. Of course I am a die hard fan and won't tell you which teams we may lose to. Before every Husker game ever starts, I believe we're going to win - even in the face of overwhelming evidence. If we lose five, I wouldn't be surprised, but I cannot see us doing worse than .500 - as long as that doesn't happen, Motor City/Independence Bowl, here we come!

http://doombob.com

by doombob on Apr 9, 2008 8:51 AM CDT reply actions

8 wins, 4 losses

and an Alamo Bowl berth, though I could easily see 9-3 or 7-5 as well.

Likely Ws (6): Directional Michigan, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State

Likely Ls (3): Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech

50-50 (3): Kansas, Virginia Tech, Colorado
(I disagree that Va Tech is a Top 10 team -- they lost a lot of their defense to graduation, and their best offensive weapon, Ore, got booted from the team. Plus, Bo showed he can shut them down last year, and we have a bye the week before. I'm not going to write up a team we gave up 76 to last year as a W, nor am I going to say a team we scored 39 on is a loss. Dan Hawkins just scares the bejeezus out of me, and I have no idea where CU and Nebraska will be, relatively speaking, in their development in November. I think we win 2 of these.)

As for you, Corn Blight, I say keep it real. No bright and fluffy, no doom and gloom (I prefer your biting sarcasm to doom and gloom, anyway), and you'll be fine.

Got Corn?

by huskerlibrarian on Apr 9, 2008 11:13 AM CDT reply actions