Let's Really Get Rolling!!!

The Huskers answered the bell against Michigan State.  I mean they REALLY answered it! From the week before and scoring at will over Illinois, to the next week when the Blackshirts had to lead the charge on a freezing and windy day, the Huskers are starting to resemble what us aged veterans remember from a bygone era.

Nebraska may not be back nationally, but I feel confident that they are officially back.  I know that playing Iowa this weekend and getting a win on the road is going to be a Herculean task, but I also know that Nebraska will no longer lay down when someone punches them in the mouth.

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How far they have come from Ann Arbor.  Scott Frost knew that it was the low point.  It was hard to tell Husker fans at the time, but a large shift was coming.  Players that weren’t buying in were about to hit the road. Players that stayed made a commitment to getting better.  Players that you wouldn’t necessarily point too before the season started, have become physical leaders on this team.

Nebraska has finally embraced the physical nature that has eluded them the last four seasons.  Even under Bo Pelini Nebraska too often would get down against Wisconsin or Ohio State and roll over.  They may have hit the Michigan State and Northwestern teams in the mouth, but against the league elite, they rarely could hang with the more physical teams.

We don’t know if it is permanent, but I would suspect with Coach Frost it is.  You don’t reverse a soft culture overnight. This staff has put in the work, showed the kids how to be great players and they have followed, sometimes begrudgingly, but they have finally found the fun in football again.

As Nebraska likely finishes up their season with Iowa, I expect the Huskers to be physically prepared to step up against the Hawkeyes.  The last three seasons under Coach Mike Riley have been an embarrassment against Iowa. I no longer worry that we will be under prepared.  That in and of itself is a great feeling to many Husker fans.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Michigan State game was Nebraska 28, Michigan State 24.  The actual score was Nebraska kicking their hopes into the wind and being rewarded with a 9-6 victory.  Never has the cold felt so good! Nebraska played a physical, dirty team toe to toe and didn’t back down and gave as good as they got.  Never mind that Michigan State play calling was a lousy as ever, Nebraska earned the victory.

Quick Notes:

Blackshirts… This group won a game for the Huskers for the first time in forever.  They stepped up all over the place. I can’t get over how much the defensive backfield has improved this season.  To me, they have been the MVP of this season. Mo Barry continues to be the fiery leader this team needs. His play covers up some deficiency of the defensive line.  I expect that to get corrected through weight training and off-season work. It’s hard to make that jump during the season in the Big Ten. Overall, every level answered the challenge against the Spartans and it was glorious

JD Spielman…. Spielman’s absence against Michigan State showed a glaring weakness for the Huskers.  Without his ability to stretch the field, the Huskers had a hard time making perimeter plays and it was a lot more difficult to find open receivers for Adrian Martinez.  It may be a precursor for next season. Unless Nebraska can find that third wideout that can consistently get open, the offense could take a step back against good teams next season.  They need J.D. to play against Iowa.

Barret Pickering …Give this kid a lot of credit.  After Northwestern, it would have been easy to mail it in this season and not get any better.  Instead Pickering had his best game of the season against Michigan State with swirling winds to boot in.  Pickering is on pace to equal Drew Brown’s field goal percentage as a freshman. That bodes well for the Huskers kicking game and supplied a big win in 2018 for the Huskers.

Score Prediction: Nebraska 24 – Iowa 23

If the weather holds on long enough, I see Nebraska putting some points on the board against the Hawkeyes.  Wind will be the biggest factor as it seems to be the only thing that can slow Adrian Martinez down. This score is based on J.D. Spielman playing this Friday.  If J.D. doesn’t play this weekend, it will be hard for the Huskers to score many touchdowns. Devine Ozigbo and the offensive line may need to step up their game for the Huskers to get the final win.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone and GBR!!!

When Can We Believe?

I want to tell you that Nebraska is back.  I want to tell you that that with Michigan State coming to town this weekend, the Huskers will win.  The problem is, do we know for sure that Nebraska is back to normal? I’m not completely sure, but I know this, we will know more by the end of Saturday afternoon about this Husker team than at probably any point this season.

You might say, “well look what they did against Ohio State!”  Nebraska probably should have beaten the Buckeyes. It’s hard to say what Ohio State’s mood was when Nebraska played them that day.  They were clearly still trying to recover from getting beat down by Purdue two weeks before. Despite all of this, however you want to look at it, the sample size of Nebraska against good teams still doesn’t look very good.

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What we do know is the Huskers were just getting warmed up on offense. Nebraska continued at their torrid pace and put up 54 on Illinois.  The Husker offense looks like it is going to start putting up offensive statistics that will break multiple school records.

What we don’t know yet though, is how Nebraska will do against a defense that is set up to take away the running game?  Michigan State comes into Lincoln boasting one of the top defenses in all of college football. They also were pounded soundly last weekend by Ohio State and probably don’t want to lose two in a row.  They have been done in by a putrid offense, but the Blackshirts haven’t exactly been on fire. The Spartans may get well on offense this week.

Michigan State by no means is a powerhouse, but if Nebraska is going to get to the upper echelon of the Big Ten, they need to start stepping on teams like the Spartans.  The Iowa and Northwesterns of the league need to be games Nebraska wins 90% of the time. Michigan State falls in that tier as well.

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Ohio State, Michigan and somewhat Penn State are what I consider the top tier in the conference.  You start beating them with regularity, that means you can win the conference. Those three teams rank in the top 15 annually in recruiting, they have bigger budgets for football than Nebraska and they are in rich recruiting areas.  

Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State have punctured that rarified air the last half dozen years, but part of that was because of the vacuum created by Nebraska.  The Huskers as we all know have been below par. The fact is, Nebraska, despite all their warts, is the only team that has the kind of pedigree to consistently knock on the door for Big Ten supremacy, based on history, budget, fan support and a name that still resonates throughout the country when they recruit.  To get to that step, the Huskers must show on the field that they can consistently beat those second level teams.

This weekend and next Black Friday will show everyone whether Nebraska has reached the point that they can start to see the next level.  After an 0-6 start, it’s hard to imagine Nebraska is really headed in that direction, but that’s why Scott Frost was hired. He didn’t come here to be in the same group as Wisconsin and Michigan State.  Based on what we have seen the last four weeks, Nebraska is going to be salty for a long time to come. It’s time to let the fans know if they can let their excitement start to catch up to the hyperbole that most fans had when Frost was hired.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Illinois Game was Nebraska 31, Illinois 20.  The actual score was Nebraska boat racing the Illini 54-35. It wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.  In a race, Nebraska ended up lapping Illinois before the end, only to have them close and keep it somewhat respectable.  After a back and forth first quarter, the Huskers settled in a scored at will. I though the weather would be more of a factor, but Adrian Martinez threw the ball so well, it didn’t matter.

Quick Notes:

Devine Ozigbo…  Hey, I’m not leading off with Adrian Martinez!  Ozigbo solidified his name in the Husker record books last week with his three-touchdown performance.  Ziggy Stardust has been a huge find for the Huskers this year. His individual work to turn himself into an every down runner in this offense has been as big as Martinez’ improvement from game one.  Without Ozigbo, you don’t know where the Huskers would be, he has been a stud the last 6 weeks.

Stanley Morgan Jr…. Morgan will likely leave as the most prolific pass catcher in Husker history in two weeks.  That says a lot considering he will have missed out on two bowl games and never will have played in a conference championship.  Morgan has been a great player on bad teams. It’s unfortunate that he will have been on these bad teams because the kid is a winner.  I think Nebraska will miss him as much as anyone next season. He has stood tall in the wind when most others have blown over. Enjoy his last two games.

Special Teams Play …Nebraska blocked a punt last week and I about exploded out of Memorial Stadium!  It was great to see the special teams start to make some plays for the Huskers. You could argue that at least two losses stemmed from horrible special teams play this season.  I think that Nebraska has started to shore that area up. They need to play big this weekend. It will be another game that they can make a difference.

Score Prediction: Nebraska 28 – Michigan State 24

This game has a lot of implications for the Huskers and not much for the Spartans.  Even though the Huskers aren’t bowl eligible, they continue to play like they are battling for something.  Michigan State is going bowling no matter what. They may not want to lose two in a row, but what else is driving them?  They have huge issues at quarterback and haven’t been able to run the ball. If Nebraska plays even with Sparty on special teams, the Huskers should come out on top.  If the weather is good, increase the Huskers scoring to 35! GBR!!!

Now We See What the Coaches Have Been Talking About!

When Nebraska went to Columbus last week to play Ohio State, most Husker fans I spoke with just didn’t want to get embarrassed again.  Nebraska fans for the most part, have handled this stretch of beatings pretty well. None of us like them, we all want to see them end, and the fans have continued to support the team.  It didn’t matter who was coaching, the fans continue to show up on the road and of course at home, even when it didn’t seem like it was worth it.

What was crazy though, was that almost no one gave Nebraska a chance to win the game.  Maybe it’s the battered fan syndrome. Most fans have settled on the fact that Nebraska just can’t win games against superior teams anymore.  I get it, I didn’t think Nebraska would win either, but I also thought if they had a little fortune that they COULD have beaten Ohio State.

That’s the thing with the ride that we are on. Nebraska has yet to beat someone that they weren’t supposed to beat.  Not since Bo Pelini walked the sidelines, with exception of Michigan State in Mike Riley’s first year, has Nebraska beaten a ranked team when they were the underdog.  What is funny is that I know it happened with Bo Pelini, but I honestly don’t remember what game and I’m not sure if there is more than one. I’ll let you do some Google research if you really want to know.  The point is, as fans we are accustomed to losing games that we probably should.

I don’t feel like that is going to be the case much longer.  Scott Frost and his staff have worked so hard this season, changing the culture of the team, implementing their system and changing the mindset of so many players, it won’t be long before Nebraska starts beating teams consistently.  I’m not just talking teams that they should beat, but teams that probably have more talent than Nebraska…ranked teams. That time is coming. It may not be this year, or it might, but it is coming. I no longer fear Nebraska playing anyone.  

You might say that it is wishful thinking and with one or two injuries, it could all be derailed.  I don’t think it is wishful thinking though. I think Nebraska, with solid recruiting, a special offensive system and a team of kids that wants to play hard, is destined to be on the upswing.

That probably isn’t of any comfort to the rest of the Big Ten, but to Husker fans, it’s a 180 from where they were last season at this time.  Now it’s time to show it on the field.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Ohio State Game was Ohio State 44, Nebraska 35.  The actual score was Nebraska getting close, but falling short 36-31. It wasn’t the outcome that Nebraska fans wanted, but it sent notice not just in the Big Ten, but nationally, that Nebraska won’t be a doormat anymore.

Quick Notes:

Adrian Martinez…  I’m not saying he is a Heisman candidate yet, but he outplayed one last weekend.  For the rest of the country, they got a glimpse at what Husker fans already know. Martinez is going to be a star, if he isn’t already.  Enjoy the ride. I miss the days of Frazier, Frost and Crouch. We may be looking at a return to glory, barring injury. He is special.

Turnovers…. It’s amazing what forcing turnovers will do for a program.  Nebraska forcing Ohio State into fumbles and an interception kept the Huskers in the game.  It also turned the tide for energy on the sidelines and kept the entire team invested in winning.  That type of energy is contagious. If Nebraska can continue to force turnovers, they may run the rest of the table.

Consistency …Part of what takes bad teams to good and good teams to great is how consistent they are week to week.  Nebraska still has one of the worst special teams units in the country, but offensively and now on defense, the Huskers have started to make plays throughout each game.  If Nebraska can continue to come up big on both sides of the ball, over and over, Nebraska won’t get beat again this year. The offense will make sure of it and now the defense is doing their part.  If the special teams ever get straightened out, look out!

Score Prediction: Nebraska 31 – Illinois 20

I have felt like this might be a bit of a letdown week for the Huskers.  Coming off such an emotional game in Columbus might make for an understandable drop in energy.  Tack on the cold weather of a Nebraska November and I think the Huskers may not score at will. I don’t think the game will be in doubt, but I see Nebraska having some difficulty with a suddenly fired up Illinois team.  The Illini will move the ball on the Huskers on the ground, but Nebraska will have a lead and give up a late touchdown that will make an otherwise regular win seem closer than it is. GBR!!!

Can the Huskers Discover a win in Columbus?

It seems like it has been an eternity ago that the Cornhuskers traveled to Ann Arbor and had their doors blown off, the hood ripped out and the tailpipe dragging by halftime.  That Husker team was no match for the Wolverines at that point and time and they knew it. Adrian Martinez was still hobbled, players were about to bail on the team and the defense couldn’t stop Lincoln Southeast’s offense that day.

Fast forward a month later and things are looking up in Lincoln.  Adrian Martinez is starting to look healthy, the running game has settled in with Devine Ozigbo and Maurice Washington giving a little Thunder and Lightning and the offensive line has improved considerably since Michigan.

Why am I telling you all these things you already know?  It’s because Nebraska is headed to Columbus, Ohio to take on a wounded Buckeye team and they may have the confidence to play with them.  Ohio State is reeling from their loss to Purdue, two Saturday’s ago. The media, the fanbase, even Urban Meyer’s wife, is questioning the Buckeyes right now.

Now I’m about to pop the balloon.  While Nebraska has improved greatly on offense the last month, the defense still isn’t quite prepared to go toe to toe with one of the best passing offenses in the country.  Nebraska has continuously been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten against the pass. They have failed in almost every Big Ten game to have a legitimate pass rush. Against Ohio State that will make for a long night.

I’m not saying Nebraska can’t compete with Ohio State, in fact I imagine Nebraska will be fired up and if they don’t turn the ball over early, could even be in the game until the fourth quarter. If Nebraska were to get a few breaks and the Buckeyes implode, you could even see an upset.  That would be a big feather in the cap for Scott Frost and it would show recruits that Nebraska, with all their dings this year is really on the road back up.

What is clear to me, is that Scott Frost has established his culture in Lincoln.   The Huskers are in better position in one month, to take on the Big Ten East’s behemoths.  That shows me that this staff and this program are improving week to week. We knew when the rebuild started that it wasn’t going to be easy.  Nebraska still has a lot of work to do on the recruiting trail and in development of players. Those things don’t always show up against Bethune Cookman, but they will against Ohio State.

It comes back to the old saying, “Day by day, we get better and better.”  Nebraska is getting better, and this weekend they have a chance to prove it.  That is all we can ask for.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Bethune Cookman game was Nebraska 46 – BC 17.  The actual score was Nebraska winning easily 45-9. Nebraska did what they needed to do, they beat an inferior team badly and allowed players on the bench that never play, an opportunity to get out in front of the home crowd.  Nebraska hasn’t played a game like that in a long time, it was a refreshing change.

Quick Notes:

Defensive Backs…  Here is your chance Blackshirts.  You’ve been put on blast as much as any position group, but you have started to show improvement.  Travis Fisher has only been here 11 months, but I finally have started to see this group come together.  Cam Taylor, Deontai Williams and even Braxton Clark in small doses, have integrated themselves and helped build depth.  JoJo Domann coming back from injury has injected a spark. Dicaprio Bootle and Lamar Jackson have bought in. This has helped transform an eyesore into a budding unit.  They will be tested mightily this weekend. How they respond will show us what the future could be on defense.

Pass Rush…. Nebraska needs someone that can get to the quarterback consistently, but that player isn’t on the roster right now, or is a year and a lot of weight training and conditioning from being that player.  That doesn’t mean that Huskers can’t get to the quarterback without some creative sets and blitzes. If Nebraska has any chance against Ohio State, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander will need to figure out a way to get to Dwayne Haskins.  If the Huskers can do that at all, they at least will give themselves a shot to win.

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Recruiting …Nebraska had a great week in recruiting, but it was somewhat overshadowed by one player that didn’t commit to the Huskers.  As someone that has followed recruiting way to close for a long time, I encourage Husker fans to wait until signing day before you start the sky is falling routine.  Every year, Nebraska loses out on a player from another state when it seems like they are in the basket, only to have them go somewhere else. It stings, sure, but there are always recruiting wins that we don’t even worry about how it looks to the team that loses out on the players that come to Lincoln.  I’m encouraged by the people that are already on board for 2019. There is always room for surprises along the way, don’t sweat the ones that get away.

Score Prediction: Ohio State 44 – Nebraska 35

I know that the Huskers think they can win in Columbus.  I know that I think they can win, if they get some breaks and the Buckeye’s aren’t interested during an early morning game.  What I’m not sure of, is where Nebraska can make mistakes and still win. Urban Meyer doesn’t like Nebraska and will look to run up the score whenever he can.  If he gets a break here or there, he will exploit it. Nebraska is better than they were a month ago, but on the road in Columbus may be a tall order for the Huskers to deliver a victory.  Don’t care though, I will still be cheering! GBR!!