NFL Mock Draft, Husker Picks, and Husker Free Agents

Back again, another 1st round NFL mock draft.  I do this for fun, but I also do it because I have opinions like most do, about who should be drafting and who should be drafted.  I do it as if I was the GM of a team, based on the teams needs and who I think fits best. It certainly isn’t based on who the actual team is going to take.  I probably average 3-4 correct picks, but guessing who someone else will pick isn’t the enjoyable thing to do.

This season is kind of a different cat when it comes to where I think people should go.  Quarterbacks are everywhere, but which one is the surest bet? I know my thought process is different than most and we’ll get to that soon.  My biggest issue is that after about 14-16 kids, the rest of the players don’t separate much from those that will be picked in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.  It made this year’s mock draft more difficult, but here we go…

1. Cleveland Browns – Josh Rosen QB – The Browns have been bad since they reentered the NFL and it doesn’t look like they are getting better soon.  They have spent money on free agents this offseason trying to push their offense into at least respectable mode. They also acquired Tyrod Taylor from the Bills.  If you look at this realistically, they should probably take Saquon Barkley, then take whatever QB falls to them at 4. Most people have Rosen rated below Sam Darnold and Josh Allen, but for a lot of reasons that perplex me.  Rosen is bored with the game? Really? He is more accurate than either of Allen and Darnold. He also played on a UCLA team that has a lot of underachievers on it, and had a middling coach and yet Rosen still scared the bejesus out of you when you were playing him because he always seems in control.  I’ll probably eat my words, but to me, his pedigree and accuracy remind me more of Aaron Rodgers coming into the league. I will take the accurate QB over the big horse any day of the week. The Browns should too.
2. New York Giants – Saquon Barkley RB – If I’m the Giants, I take Barkley or move out.  I don’t know if they have the stomach to take Darnold, even though the offense should be pretty solid for the Giants next year, if you feel like Darnold is the guy, then you have to take him.  Another thing about Barkley, there are a lot of good running backs in this draft that may be a step below him but still be good in the NFL. Why not take a stud defensive end like Bradley Chubb?  In the end, Barkley is probably the best overall player in the draft. I’m hesitant on this pick, but I think I’d take him.
3. New York Jets – Sam Darnold QB – Josh Allen fans aren’t going to like this, but I have Darnold as my second QB in this draft.  The Jets need a QB and in my opinion Darnold can handle New York. He is big and strong and has shown that he can be a leader at USC.  The Jets need a quarterback that can be the alpha in that locker room. I know that Mark Sanchez was that guy just a few seasons ago, but I have Darnold ranked much higher in ability than Sanchez, and Darnold didn’t play with as much talent as Sanchez did in college.  I think this is the perfect pick at the perfect spot.
4. Cleveland Browns – Bradley Chubb DE – The quarterback already on board, now comes the best part, you can also pick a top player at a position that helps you immediately if you are the Browns.  Yes, it would be great to get Barkley and hope that you get the QB you want, but why not wait to take a running back at the top of the second round and help Myles Garrett give you bookend pass rushers that make you a huge problem for quarterbacks in your division?  Go get Nick Chubb or Royce Freeman in the second round and have the best of all worlds. My other option if Minkah Fitzpatrick, as I have him as a sure-fire starter from day one, but I take Chubb in this spot.
5. Denver Broncos –– Minkah Fitzpatrick CB – I trade this pick if I’m the Broncos.  They have a lot of areas that they need to fill, and someone will be dumb enough to trade up for a quarterback here and probably give you a lot to do it to gamble on Josh Allen or Baker Mayfield.  Too me, if the Broncos stay here, you take the best fit for your team at this spot. Trade back into the lower first round and take Allen if he falls that far (he won’t, but I wouldn’t take him at least until then, more on that later) or Lamar Jackson if he falls.  If for some dumb reason Josh Rosen makes it this far down, I’d take him. To me, Allen and Mayfield are too much of a wild card and you still have Paxton Lynch on your roster. If you don’t think he can figure it out, then you are probably in trouble anyway. The other option other than QB is Quenton Nelson at guard, but they need a tackle and there isn’t one worth taking at this spot.  Again, trade down!
6. Indianapolis Colts – Quenton Nelson G – As a Bears fan, this one kills me, because I want them to get Nelson so bad I can taste, it but he is too talented to fall that far.  The Colts need a lot of things, and Roquan Smith would be a great pick here, but I think you can fill the middle linebacker spot later in the draft and have someone serviceable.  I think Nelson will be a guard that will be an All Pro and play 10 years. Hard to overlook that value, although most teams generally do. I’m sold on Nelson, and with Chubb gone, the Colts should take him.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Denzel Ward CB – Now we are getting to the spot that top level players are drying up and you must pick someone that maybe you don’t want as much at your spot, or you think you can get something comparable later.  No question the Buccs need a running back, but Derrius Guice is too risky for my blood at this point. I’m not sold on Josh Jackson or Denzel Ward at this point either, but they have a need at corner, so I’m going with the higher ceiling player at this pick.  The Buccs should trade down with the Cardinals or another team that is looking for a quarterback at this spot and see if they can increase assets if they can at this point.
8. Chicago Bears – Roquan Smith LB – I hope that Quenton Nelson falls to the Bears with all that is holy, but I have a feeling the Bears are going to have to take the best available player at this point, even if he may not quite fit the normal 3-4 mold that d-coordinator Vic Fangio runs.  Smith is a great linebacker though and the Bears need better players on defense. Let’s face it, the Bears need a lot and their current GM is known for taking a lot of risks in the draft, and hardly any have been what I call huge hits. Might as well get Smith and roll with it.
9. San Francisco 49ers – Marcus Davenport DE – Another team that should trade down.  In fact, I think that they will if Mayfield or Allen or Rosen fall this far.  They need an edge rusher though, and while I think that I would probably take Josh Jackson at this spot in most cases based on value, I am giving them the only edge rusher left that I feel like would be worth a top 10 pick if they stay here.  They need to get to the quarterback and Davenport is a big athlete that should be able to provide pass rush.
10. Oakland Raiders – Tremaine Edmunds ILB – I was all over the place on this pick. I like Josh Jackson at CB or maybe Mike McGlinchey, Connor Williams or Orlando Brown to play tackle as well at this spot, depending on who you like better.  In fairness to Jon Gruden, he probably would like a player on offense, but Edmunds give the Raiders a ton of versatility and should pair up great with Khalil Mack. You must take him at this spot, freak athlete.
11. Miami Dolphins – Vita Vea DT – I know this pick is pretty much a lock on most mock draft boards, but you can see why when you look at the Dolphins needs.  After losing Ndamukong Suh, the Fish have a large whole at the line of scrimmage. You can say that the Dolphins could go quarterback here, but really isn’t Ryan Tannehill the same version of Josh Allen that we already know about?  Fill the spot that you need the most and take Vea and drive on.
12. Buffalo Bills – Lamar Jackson QB – You want to shake things up?  Take Lamar Jackson. I get it, everyone says he isn’t a skilled enough passer to play in the NFL, but this isn’t your father’s NFL.  Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have shown that getting away from the rush holds great value in the NFL. I think if Jackson is in the right situation he will thrive.  I get that you have AJ McCarron now and you just shipped off Tryod Taylor, but Jackson is no Taylor. He also played at Louisville and that makes me wary of taking him, as Bobby Petrino hasn’t exactly lit up the NFL with his quarterbacks, but I think Jackson could be special.  Sure, take an OL here if you want, but if you want to fire up a fan base, Jackson will do it. His stats aren’t that different than Wilson’s at North Carolina State. And his completion percentage is the same or better than Josh Allen.
13. Washington Redskins – Josh Jackson CB – Washington took a large step back from their playoff spot the season before and the reality is, they are probably closer to missing the playoffs again than they are making a run.  They need help at guard and they also could use help in the secondary. They traded Kendall Fuller to the Chiefs for Alex Smith, so Jackson would be a great replacement at this spot. They also could take a flier on their next quarterback at this spot, but I think I’d hold off on that in this round, take the value and drive on.
14. Green Bay Packers – Jaire Alexander CB – I dislike the Packers a lot, but they always end up getting players of great value later in the draft and Alexander would fit that description.  A speed demon at corner would pair well with the previous year’s draft pick Kevin King. They really need a wide receiver but there isn’t enough value here to justify one of the top receivers in this draft over a corner and I’m not sold that an offensive tackle justifies a selection at this spot either with the Packers other needs.
15. Arizona Cardinals – Baker Mayfield QB – How a team got to 8-8 last year with so many holes on their team just goes to show you what type of coach Bruce Arians was.  Now they have Sam Bradford, but he is just a misstep away from being out for the season. I think I’d take a chance on Mayfield to back him up. Mayfield is a lot like Bradford, he came from the same school and a similar system in college, but Mayfield is a better athlete and in my opinion a better leader.  I like him better than Josh Allen and I think this could be a great fit for both parties. If they don’t get a quarterback at this spot, they are likely taking an offensive tackle, which could be any number of players.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Courtland Sutton WR – This is one of the first spots that I’m not sure who I like better, Sutton, Calvin Ridley or even DJ Moore who I really like. In this offense though, you have to think Flacco could use a bigger receiver to throw to.  My only concern with Sutton is his ability to get separation (a lot of WRs in this class have that problem this year) and the first round bust of receivers taken the last half dozen years. Never the less, they need this weapon and I like him slightly over Ridley or the hometown Moore.  
17. Los Angeles Chargers – Connor Williams OT – I like Williams the best on the OT board, mostly because I know if he doesn’t work out at tackle, he is my most ready to move inside and help from day one type of player.  I’m not sure that Mike McGlinchey or Kolton Miller are those type of players, but I think Williams is. I think he is nasty and he competes. There are some red flags with Williams, but I also think he is special.  The Chargers will be hard pressed to not take a player like Derwin James at this point, but they need a tackle and I think that Williams is the best.
18. Seattle Seahawks – Derwin James S – I can’t tell you how bad I wanted to go with a guard here, but James is probably way to talented to pass at this point.  I would have possibly selected Isaiah Wynn or Connor Williams if he had fallen one more spot, but if James comes back healthy, he is a great replacement in the defensive back field and losing Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, they need in influx of talent.
19. Dallas Cowboys – Calvin Ridley WR – When the Cowboys let Dez Bryant walk, it really wasn’t a great surprise, in fact I don’t blame them based on injuries and overall lack of playmaking the last couple of seasons.  The fact is, they need playmakers on the outside to help Dak Prescott out. Outside of Sutton, Ridley and D.J. Moore, I don’t see any other first round grades on WRs that I would take, and I think they can address the guard position and the defensive tackle position later in the draft.
20. Detroit Lions – Da’ron Payne DT – The Lions need tight end something fierce, but I can’t see taking Dallas Goedert or Hayden Hurst this high.  They need defensive tackles as well and Payne should be a good one. You can get a running back later too, although I hate passing on Derrius Guice again, as I think he could be good playing with Mathew Stafford, but Payne is the better value.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Mike McGlinchey OT –  You could easily take James Daniels or Will Hernandez to play the interior, but the Bengals need a tackle and McGlinchey should be a good one.  He may have to play the right side in the NFL, but he might also play left, and at this point in the draft that gives you a ton of versatility. The Bengals need a lot of help on the O-Line and should get in the first two rounds.
22. Buffalo Bills – Isaiah Wynn G – After getting Lamar Jackson with their first pick, the Bills need to address offensive line concerns.  Wynn is a bull up front and played against great competition and held his own at tackle. I think he will get better in the pros than he was in college, because he should move to guard.  They could also take a shot at an offensive tackle, especially if they like Kolton Miller, or they could take James Daniels who provides flexibility of playing guard or center.
23. New England Patriots – Leighton Vander Esch LB – This kid is the ultimate Bill Belichick type player, he is long, strong and versatile.  He should be able to play in the 3-4 and would add some youth infusion to a team that needs it on defense. The Pats need an offensive tackle, but I’m not sold on the remaining tackles so much that they shouldn’t take one of the best athletes on the board.
24. Carolina Panthers – Kolton Miller OT – The Panthers need offensive line help, and Miller will help right away.  They could opt for an inside player left like James Daniels or could take a chance on the more athletic Orlando Brown.  I also like D.J. Moore at wide receiver for a team that needs help in that area. The Panthers are one of those teams that could fill all sorts of areas with potential day one starters, that is a good problem to have for a team vying for a Super Bowl.
25. Tennessee Titans – Harold Landry DE – I can imagine the Titans sitting there on draft day hoping that the raw pass rusher Landry lands in their lap.  It’s hard to say if that will happen, but the way things worked, out Landry is still here for the taking. It’s doubtful the Titans would take a wideout at this point, with Landry on the board.  This just isn’t the year for that. A linebacker like Rashaan Evans would be intriguing, but no use overthinking this pick.
26. Atlanta Falcons – Taven Bryan DT – Really the first “reach” in the draft, although many pundits think this will be the pick.  Bryan is originally from Casper, Wyoming which is frustrating to think about because a player that close to Nebraska going to Florida for college just eats at me.  Talented kid, the Falcons need defensive tackles bad. Bryan should help.
27. New Orleans Saints – Will Hernandez G – The Saints have a number of ways to go, but they need a guard and Hernandez is a really good one.  They could also be looking at James Daniels or even Orlando Brown here, but Hernandez is a good fit. One thing that I could see the doing though is taking a quarterback if the right one settles here.  I know that Josh Allen is still available. I will talk about him more later on, but I don’t have a first-round grade on him.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers – Rashaan Evans ILB – This speed demon would help the Steelers out a lot. This isn’t a great draft spot for the Steelers because they need a safety, which has been exhausted of great players at this point in the draft and they could use an interior lineman or possible another wide receiver, but they REALLY need help on defense and Evans would probably play right away.  Good fit for both sides again.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars – Orlando Brown OT – It could be said that this is way too high for Brown as he has had trouble getting into shape. Normally playing in Oklahoma’s offense makes you ready for the NFL, but Brown plays really high and that can be an issue.  After all of that, he is high value at this point. They could certainly use a D.J. Moore at WR, but the line is more pressing. They could obviously take Josh Allen as well, but they already have a quarterback that isn’t accurate, why add another?
30. Minnesota Vikings – James Daniels G/C – A guy that conveniently slipped in this draft, Daniels fills and instant need for the Vikings.  They could use some help at cornerback as well and player like Mike Hughes would be a good fit, but they need the help on the line.  Signing Kirk Cousins allows for them to help build him a wall to keep him upright. Braden Smith is another possibility at this spot.
31. New England Patriots – Chukwuma Okorafor OT – The Patriots could go in any number of directions at this point, they could take a corner like Mike Hughes or they could take a needed receiver like D.J. Moore or James Washington.  I like the Okorafor pick because they need to replace Nate Solder and you need to keep Brady upright for what I really feel will be his final season. The replacement quarterback just isn’t Josh Allen in my opinion.  I think you will find a reasonable quarterback next season, and not reach for one this year. I could also see the Pats taking a tight end because Gronk is probably one and done as well. This next season will be the last ride, it will be interesting to see how the Patriots attack it.
32. Philadelphia Eagles – Hayden Hurst TE – In one of the more surprising Super Bowl champions of the decade so far, the Eagles surpassed all expectations, but still have a lot of holes to fill.  Hurst is a play right away TE, and when you are defending a title, you want a player that can play right away. They could use an offensive tackle and/or some inside o-line depth too.  The two players that are intriguing and I had a hard time not putting in this spot is Derrius Guice at running back and D.J. Moore at wide receiver. Both would be tremendous help for an offense that is cranking on all cylinders.  Call it an ideal of excess, but I’m going with the tight end here.

So, you probably stopped reading this when I didn’t have Josh Allen in the first ten picks and I’m sure you probably went off the rails if you made it all the way through and didn’t see him at all in the first round.  I know that most everyone has him as a top 3 talent, either at quarterback or overall. I just don’t see it. Many compare him to Carson Wentz, but Allen wasn’t near as accurate in college as Wentz was. Others think he has great athleticism, but he didn’t dominate in a league that a top overall quarterback should dominate in.  Finally, the draft has a history of quarterback’s failures who didn’t throw with great accuracy in college, but were drafted on potential. More often than not, those quarterbacks wind up never amounting to much, or being a decent starter at best. I just don’t see it with Allen. I could be wrong, I’ve been wrong before, but I wouldn’t take him until the second or even the third round, simply because he is going to need to sit and watch before he gets out there.  I don’t think he is a day one starter.

Husker Hounds

This year’s Husker draft picks could be interesting.  There could be as many as four Huskers drafted, there could be one or possibly even none, although it’s more likely that a few will be drafted.  Tanner Lee will probably go, because quarterbacks are taken all the time with good arms and because someone always thinks they can fix them. I think the Falcons will snag him around the 6th round.  I think that Nick Gates will get drafted as well.  I could see him going to the Redskins around the 4th round.  Finally, I wonder if Drew Brown will get picked?  I could see him being a kicker that gets selected in round 7.  Josh Kalu could also get selected, but I don’t know if that will happen, it will be late if he is.  Someone could fall in love with him, he has great measurables. Finally, Chris Jones will probably be a free agent, but you never know, maybe someone takes a crazy chance.  

JOLT DESIGN

That’s it, that’s the list.  Remember, this is how I would draft…I know, Josh Allen will go in the top ten.  I don’t care, I wouldn’t do it. Enjoy the draft! GBR!

Carriker Chronicles

Spring Game Spectacular!

A new era begins…

If you have been watching and listening to everything about Scott Frost lately, he basically is a combination of Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney sent from the heavens to Nebraska to resurrect our proud program from its deep slumber.  I know how easy it is to fall in love. Frost makes it easy. Tomorrow is the first spring game of the Scott Frost era in Nebraska.

A new era for Nebraska begins, but for the first time in a long time it feels like an old era and most Husker fans would agree, it feels great!

Now that the fluff is out of the way, I’m going to be a bit of downer.  Only because our coach has properly conditioned us to not get too far out over our skis about a spring game.   Scott Frost is the head coach now. No more excuses from coaches about not understanding the Nebraska way. Scott Frost is Nebraska.  It’s in his blood, just like it is to almost any Husker fan. It’s probably safe to say that Mike Riley, Bo Pelini or Bill Callahan were never accused of being too much of a Husker.

Jolt Design Tees

Coach Frost has already warned us though, if you have been listening, that this isn’t an overnight turnaround job.  He knows how much work is going to be required to get the Huskers back into national prominence. He also has showed us at Central Florida that his words aren’t just something that he says, it’s something he lives by.  Influences from Tom Osborne to Chip Kelly, from Bill Snyder to Mike Tomlin, have prepared Frost to come home as ready as he can be, to make Nebraska into a place that fans can be proud of. We get to see our first glimpse of that this weekend.

There is a lot of newness with this staff, and yet it’s familiar.  Ryan Held, Greg Austin and Barrett Ruud are former Huskers on the staff, but Travis Fisher, Troy Edwards and Erik Chinander have already bought into the Big Red Kool-Aid.  Of course, they all have one common denominator, they are loyal to Coach Frost. Almost every assistant coach has talked about how they would follow Scott Frost to China if that is where he was going to coach.  When Coach Frost picked Nebraska, it turns out his entire staff helped him make the decision to come. That type of loyalty and leadership is a welcome change. Since Tom Osborne retired, I’ve been hard pressed to remember a staff that was on the same page with each other as much as this group seems to be.

What does all this mean?  We won’t really know for a few years.  This weekend is, to quote Star Wars, the first step into a larger world.  Nebraska fans want their program to be relevant again. We want to go to Orange, Fiesta and Rose Bowls again, not Carquest, Holiday and Gator.  We don’t mind not winning our conference, but we are tired of being blown out of our own stadium. We want to have a chance in every game if we can and if we don’t have a chance in a game, we want the team that plays Nebraska to regret it for the rest of the season.  Conference titles will come if the foundation is poured properly. It feels like this staff has all the stuff to do that.

That’s part of the problem.  I thought Bo Pelini was going to be the savior coach when he returned.  I talked myself into Mike Riley being the answer, if he was just given the right tools, surely, he could do it.  Most fans want success so badly, they turn blind eyes to issues in the program and the administration. Goodness knows I’ve done that myself.  Any bit of success seemed to be the turning point under the previous coaches. Success happens, only to come crashing down in a thunderous disappointment later in the season.

So, we wait.  We wait because we are jaded, because we have been burned.  We wait because in our hearts, we know Coach Frost is going to build this thing back to the Nebraska way, but we want to wait to be sure before we give too much of our Husker Heart away.  Saturday, we will all probably fawn all over this team and this staff, which is great. Just be prepared, it’s a long road to the top of the mountain. We should all be a little wiser, and hopefully enjoy this ride.

Carriker Chronicles

ON WITH THE REWIND…

I won’t give a scoring prediction for this weekend…ok, I probably will, but my last few predictions have been way off.  I felt like Nebraska would get up for some games last fall because they had pride in themselves and the program. That couldn’t be further from the truth.  This team has some serious mental health issues. This new staff has a lot to overcome from a simple stand point of teaching this group to be winners. Many have had very little success in college.  With any luck at all, the first part of changing that happened this spring.

Quick Notes:

Who to watch for…. The quarterback group should be interesting.  True freshman Adrian Martinez gets a chance to show why Coach Frost went after him so hard and Tristan Gebbia gets a chance to show why he was a four-star recruit from California.  A starter won’t be named after this spring, but it would be a nice little bump into the summer if these two had some success this weekend.

What else should we see… It’s hard to say how much we will see on Saturday.  It won’t be a bloodbath, but we should see some things on offense that we aren’t used to seeing at Nebraska.  Coach Frost runs an up tempo, push the ball up and down the field type of offense. It’s probably as dynamic as any offense in the country.  Whether we will see any of that Saturday, is anyone’s guess, but I think we will get a taste. Defensively, Nebraska will probably be vanilla.  If anyone really stands out, don’t take it to the bank that it will translate to next fall. Again, long way to go.

Players to be on the lookout for…. I hope to see some fire from a few new players and some old ones that should break out under this staff.  I’m excited to see Tyjon Lindsey. Lindsey is built for this type of offense, hopefully he has a great spring.  I’m excited to see Will Honas, the junior college linebacker. I want to see if wide receiver Mike Williams is as fast as everyone says, along with Greg Bell at running back.  Frost wanted to bring in speed, these two should provide it.

Husker Hounds

Score Prediction: Nebraska  Red 24 – Nebraska White 21

These games always have something crazy happen and the fourth string free safety from Thedford will be a fan favorite coming out of the game half the time.  I’m looking forward to some new faces and some great new coaching. For the last time until August, this is all the football we get…GBR!!

A rebirth of Nebraska Football? You’re dang right it is!

So what has been going on with Nebraska football since Thanksgiving?  Oh, not much, just firing of Coach Riley, the hiring of our Nebraska’s own Scott Frost from the University of Central Florida and basically the home run hire of the year by new Athletic Director Bill Moos.

First let us review the firing of Mike Riley.  At first blush, the hiring of Coach Riley was out of the blue and very surprising.  I knew of Riley, I knew of his tenure at Oregon State and I certainly knew of his tenure in the NFL and the Ryan Leaf saga and how Riley never had any success in the NFL.  I knew of his background of turning down his alma mater Alabama for a head coaching job over a decade ago and I knew that he had turned down the University of Southern California before they hired Pete Carroll.  I knew he had always won with less at OSU.  

I talked myself into the fact that he needed a new scene, a new place with better facilities, more toys, more money and the attractiveness of a better environment.  Shawn Eichorst went after Riley right away and knew what he wanted, the exact opposite of Bo Pelini.  This could work I thought, but it’s going to be a transition because Riley relies on NFL type quarterbacks and wanted to throw the ball downfield.  He came in with a link to California and a west coast vibe that should help recruiting.  He started the “Calibraska” movement, he brought in big time recruits and honestly was one of the nicest people you have ever been around.

The problem with all of that, in hindsight, is that Mike Riley may just no longer be a very good football coach.  Shawn Eichorst tried to have too much influence over the coach.  Assistant coaches were hired that may not have been what Riley wanted and people were added to help with recruiting that may have been less helpful that what Riley needed.  The other thing, Riley simply never embraced the physical style of the Big Ten and in the course of three seasons reduced the once mighty Big Red into a pool of blood as other programs treaded over the Huskers like a pebble on the Audubon.

Cornhusker Meme Tees

Enter Bill Moos into the picture.  I believe he gave Riley the chance to right things, but when the snowball rolls down hill and the coach has nothing to stop it with, it just got uglier and uglier.  I won’t bore you with a rewind of the entire season, but let us just say it was possibly the worst season since the Eisenhower administration.  Go ahead kids, Google that name and see what comes up.  It was that long ago.

Bill Moos has handled everything he has done at Nebraska like a seasoned veteran, but more importantly, he leaves no doubt about the direction that he wants, the people he wants to work with and the ultimate goal of this state’s football team.  It just so happened to coincide with Scott Frost becoming the hottest young coach in college football and being available.

Whatever the process it was to convince Frost to come home, it was worth it for Moos.  It was worth it for the state of Nebraska.  Scott may have been ready earlier for the job, but Nebraska wasn’t.  It could have happened that Frost would miss his best chance to become the coach at Nebraska and stay at UCF.  Moos didn’t let that stop him from going after Coach Frost and in the end, he got the man that would fit the requirements to be the next head coach at Nebraska.

Let’s face it, Nebraska had tried other methods since they fired Frank Solich so many years ago.  Bill Callahan came from the NFL, no dice.  Bo Pelini had coached here as an assistant, but wasn’t built for the grind that is 24/7 Nebraska football.  Mike Riley had all the experience you wanted, but didn’t have the chops to grind it out here either.

Scott Frost is the right man for the job.  He has played at Nebraska.  He won with Nebraska.  He left, went to the NFL, went on to work in his coaching career away from Nebraska.  He found his way starting at Northern Iowa, became an offensive coordinator at Oregon, and worked his way into the head coaching job at UCF.  Everywhere he stopped, the common theme was winning.  Scott Frost is a winner.  

Frost not only is a winner, but he wins the way that Nebraska fans want to win.  His motto of hard work, being physical and going fast are music to Husker fan’s ears.  Husker fans want their team to resemble their lives.  Hard working, hard playing, hardened people that love each other, have passion for the state and will defend their way of life to anyone that dares step up to the plate to challenge it.  Frost is confident, a little cocky, seemingly arrogant, but it is not grandiose and after you get to know him, it’s because he believes in what he is doing and the way to do it.  Nebraskans by in large know what they want and great many of them know how to get it and Frost embodies that idea for a great many of the fans.

For the first time in probably 16 years, Nebraska fans have a purpose to come together again.  Too often the last three coaching hires left people wondering if that was the best that Nebraska could do?  Husker fans want to be united.  Coach Frost is the person that will unite them.  

Coach Frost will run an offense that isn’t quite what some fans want, but I can guarantee, if he wins, the type of offense he runs will be of little concern.  College football has changed a lot since Tom Osborne retired and for the first time since Osborne left, Nebraska has a coach that is on the cutting edge of offense in college football.  The defense will need to be adjusted and it’s likely that Nebraska is two or three seasons away from competing for a Big Ten title.  I’ve argued that with all the changes in college football, it would be better to go with a younger set of knowledge, Frost certainly fits that bill.

I know and Nebraska fans know that the run in the 90’s won’t probably ever return.  At this point though, I think Nebraska fans have seen enough the last 16 years to be patient with Coach Frost.  It feels like he is going to continue to win.  This time it feels like he will help Nebraska win.  It feels like a rebirth of something we all have wanted to see for a long time.

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Iowa game was Nebraska 34 – Iowa 30.  The actual score was Iowa 56 Nebraska 14.  It pains me to type that.  Nebraska for all intents and purposes threw in the towel in this game.  Iowa could have scored 90 if they wanted to bad enough.  It was time for the season to mercifully end.  And it did.

Quick Notes:

Coach Frost has put a shot of adrenaline back into Husker Nation…. I feel it in my bones.  I feel it every time I open up Twitter or log into a Husker recruiting website.  Fans and recruits feel the rush of a great young coach landing at his home job in a premier program in a premier conference.  I can’t help but feel like Nebraska football is on its way back up.  It feels good boys and girls…no, it feels great!

GBR!!

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Why not Nebraska, Why not now?

It’s not often that you want a Husker season to end.  I find myself not wanting the season to end. When you get old enough, you realize that you won’t be around to watch football forever.  The way this season has been going, I hate to see it be over, even if it has been a huge disappointment.

You see some glimpses that the Huskers could have had a decent season if a few breaks had went there way.  Maybe if Chris Jones doesn’t get hurt last summer, the defense plays a little better and you win against Northern Illinois and things go a little different.

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Maybe doesn’t cut it around Lincoln though.  The entirety of Mike Riley’s tenure at Nebraska has been what if's, maybe's, could have beens or unrealized potential.  This last weekend against Penn State was that in a small window…surprise, again.  Nebraska gets posterized in the first half, makes a heart warming comeback in the second half when Tanner Lee gets hot, and yet they were so far behind, it didn’t matter.  You see it time and time again, Nebraska can’t get out of their own way.  They are young, they don’t have a lot of talent in the upper classes.  That can’t be an excuse though.  Teams are supposed to improve during the season.  Unfortunately, any improvement to this team has been offset by unbelievable bad play at the absolute worst times.

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All of this, and Iowa sucks too.  Why can’t Nebraska pull something together, for what will probably be Mike Riley’s last game at Memorial Stadium?  Do they have it in them to play hard in front of the home crowd for an entire game this season?  Nebraska has had some glimpses where they have really played well, but it has almost been at the antithesis of what Mike Riley has wanted on offense and they have played the best when they scratched the 3-4 and ran a 4-3 on defense.  On offense, they have done the best when they go at an upped tempo and spread the ball out, get the ball out of Tanner Lee’s hands and let the playmakers make plays. J.D. Spielman and Stanley Morgan are good football players. From the looks of it, Jalyn Bradley is going to be pretty good too.  Why can’t Nebraska get those guys the ball early and often on Friday?

We all know that Riley is probably going to be finished after this weekend.  Let’s just hope that he is able to rally the Huskers one more time.

Why not beat Iowa?  We all want to.  Let’s see if the players can summon the energy and stamina to knock the Hawkeyes into a lower bowl.  Make us all appreciate one more game this season.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Penn State game was Nebraska 10 – Penn State 49.  The actual score was Penn State 56 Nebraska 44.

When you take a look at this game, sure it was a great scoring binge in the second half, but the first half was so bad, it’s hard to take much good from the game

Quick Notes:

The Season is almost over…. There will be no bowl game for the Huskers.  I hope that Nebraska treats this game like a bowl.  You get an opponent that you don’t like and get a chance to salvage a small bit of pride in this season.

What comes next?  There is enough speculation rolling across the plains about what happens when and if Mike Riley is let go this weekend.  I don’t have any inside information, but I have had some brief interaction with Scott Frost before, I know in the past he really wanted to be the Husker head coach at one time.  That has been years ago, but I have to think the chance to come home and lead the Huskers back to prominence has to be a draw.  I’d put it at about 70% that he returns.  I hope he does, he would be a great fit and I think having a young offensive mind would be a nice turn from what we have had recently.

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Score Prediction: Nebraska 34 – Iowa 30

I don’t like Iowa.  You don’t either.  I have no idea if the Huskers will win, but by golly, it’s my prediction and I say we come out and play well and shock them. Why not? Nothing else this season has made sense.  GBR!!

The Season Winds Down, so does the Riley Experiment

Man, what a year.  That’s what I hoped I would be writing when this season kicked off and we just beat Iowa to finish 9-3 at worst and just came up short on the Big Ten title game.  Nebraska, with Tanner Lee flourishing and a recruiting class poised to finish in the top 12 in the nation according to recruiting websites, looked to be the team on the rise for 2018.  Hard schedule wouldn’t matter I was thinking, Nebraska would be a fine tuned machine with Bob Diaco turning the Blackshirts into aggressive monsters! They would be a bending but tightening “D” in the red zone, to go along with forcing multiple turnovers per game.  2018 was going to be the year and Mike Riley would be on the way to restoring Husker Pride and Husker Nation would be ready to roll to a Big Ten title shot.

Whew…well that dream died about half time of the Oregon game.  I thought Nebraska would shake that horrible half off, and come back, take care of business against Northern Illinois and be ready to fire out in the Big Ten….and then Northern Illinois came into Lincoln and shocked not only the team, but the fans as well.  Nebraska has had its rough times against South Dakota and McNeese State, but we would never succumb to a loss to a non-power five team, right?

Having a 2-2 record seemed like not a big deal.  Then the Huskers get to three wins and you are thinking, bring in Wisconsin.  We were a bad non call in overtime away from maybe beating the Badgers in Wisconsin in 2016.  We have a better quarterback, or so we thought, surely we will be in it until the end.  Except for the last three possessions, when Wisconsin simply lined up and ran it down our throats like we are a high school program.  Aren’t we invincible at night?  What happened?  Ohio State is coming to town, surely the night time atmosphere will fire up the team, get them back to basics and at least give Ohio State a run.

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Yikes, we realized we are a long way from being at Ohio State’s level.  That much is clear.  First year for Diaco, but the team seems to be crumbling from the inside.  Mike Riley’s got this though.  Mike is a coach that has seen a lot, been around a while, struggled with less talented teams at Oregon State, but he can right the ship.  Purdue seems to be an up and coming team and we go to Indiana and win.  It was on a last second drive, but man, we have a chance to go 4-1 to end the season, salvage this recruiting class, reload and be ready for 2018.

We are up on Northwestern 24-17 with the ball in their territory, at home.  If we run the ball up the middle, let Drew Brown kick a field goal we probably survive and advance again.  We have this.  I told myself we had this.  We have a quarterback that really has played well with much fewer picks since Northern Illinois.  You can’t blame him for getting killed and tossing up a duck, right?  Right???

I feel like going to Minnesota, we have a shot.  They are struggling to score lately, our team has played better on the road.  We will be in a close game, their defense isn’t that great.  If we don’t stub our toe out the gate, we can do this.  Wait?  Was that an opening kickoff returned for a touchdown?  That escalated quickly.  What the hell just happened?

Those paragraphs are a microcosm of how I’ve coped with this year.  I keep thinking we are going to turn the corner.  I keep thinking Beautiful Bob Diaco is going to somehow recover that Notre Dame magic he had.  I keep thinking Tanner Lee makes NFL throws, it’s not a matter of if, but when he dominates.  Tre Bryant goes down, Mikale Wilbon keeps on running.  Down to our 3rd string safety?  No big deal, rated a four star by some services, recommended by Keyshawn Johnson Sr., kid’s going to be a stud.

And yet none of this has happened.  I’m an optimistic fan no doubt.  At this point though, even I have seen the writing on the wall.  It’s in a different print than the 2007 version.  That train wreck was clouded by great recruiting and the fact that Nebraska had just played in the Rose Bowl six years prior.  

Honestly, when Mike Riley was hired, I was a bit skeptical, but right away, he talked the talk.  The recruiting started off slow, but you could see the engine revving up as five star kids started to visit campus again.  Nebraska has a good, not great year in 2016, but man, I thought I could see some promise.  Bob Diaco was supposed to reinvigorate the defense to a new level.  Money was spent on assistant coaches that a person would think would really be beneficial to the team.

And now, after all of it, I’m just a tired fan.  I know there is nothing I can do different or better, that has to be handled in the North Stadium.  I know that in two weeks, a new coaching search will begin.  I will be in Scott Frost’s corner when he is hired.  I hope it’s Frost at a minimum, anyone with a lesser resume not named Frost will be a hard sell.

We will watch the team go to Penn State, I will cheer for them, even though I know that they will be lucky to get out of there without getting beat by 50.  I will go to Memorial Stadium to see us play Iowa, if for no other reason, by all that is holy, no one wearing that ugly black and yellow will get my seat.  I will continue to cheer.  I will hold out hope.  Because even when there is none left, I’m still a fan.  And at this point, that’s all I’ve got.  

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Minnesota game was Nebraska 24 – Minnesota 21.  The actual score was Minnesota 54 Nebraska 21.  Not much more to say, this was the nail in the coffin for the 2017 season.  You can probably say that about Mike Riley’s career in two weeks.  

Quick Notes:

Hard season to watch…it’s about to get worse….  There aren’t many notes, positive to share. This season has been one stumble after another.  Like I said above, I will continue to watch, because I’m a die hard, but I don’t expect another win.  I’m not sure I expect another lead.  Penn State and Iowa are simply better than Nebraska right now.  It could be 3-4 years before that changes.  It’s a hard pill to swallow for multiple reasons.  Let’s just hope whoever his hired next makes it a more palatable rebuild for us all.

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Score Prediction: Nebraska 10 – Penn State 49

Penn State still has a few things to play for, namely a good bowl game.  They know they are going to beat us up, but I suspect they will want to get out of this game with no injuries.  This score may be best case scenario.  If there is any fight left in the Huskers, we certainly didn’t see it in Minnesota.  Where they go to find it, I don’t know.  I do know this…I will be in front of the TV, cheering….and possibly drinking.  GBR!!

Husker Fan Frustration

As Goals Evaporate, Bowl Eligibility Remains

As a Husker fan, it’s tiring watching this season play out.  Nebraska’s kids seem to play hard.  They are a really great group of kids too.  They say all the right things, they would be great kids to have as son in laws or as brothers or as friends or relatives.  They love Nebraska, they love Coach Riley and they want what is best with the program.  They come back every week and play really well for a brief period of time, although there have been a couple games that you wondered if they could play any worse.

That’s what makes this so exhausting.  I love these kids.  I love Chris Webber, Stanley Morgan, JD Spielman and Chris Jones.  I think Tanner Lee makes throws some weeks that make me wonder what this kids ceiling is and I keep wondering if he is going to play in the NFL.  Then you watch them and they go out, get more than a half dozen penalties, turn the ball over at inopportune times, fail to stop the run when they need to the most and you just wonder if this team is snake bit.

At this point I don’t think that bad luck is really the problem.  I think the bigger issue is, between roster mismanagement and players that don’t fit this coaching staff’s requirements, this team and this coaching staff are just on different pages.  You see it week to week, guys don’t know their assignments, they make boneheaded penalties or they just look lost when they are trying to cover a receiver.  That in a nutshell is coaching.  Whether it is the head coach, the coordinators or the position coaches, this team is not well prepared.  As Bill Parcels liked to say, “your record is who you are” and this team just isn’t very good.

We all can sit back and play Sunday Morning Quarterback and pretend we would know what to do to fix it. Play the backup more, throw when they run, pass when they throw, go for it on fourth down, don’t go for it on fourth down.  Everyone has an opinion on what happens on Saturdays, but the reality is, what is happening the other six days of the week have not helped this team since Coach Mike Riley has arrived in Lincoln.

I will be the first to admit, when Coach Riley was hired, I knew that he would be the opposite of Bo Pelini. Coach Riley on the surface is really a great guy.  I won’t claim to know him, my interactions with him have been next to nothing, but he couldn’t have been nicer when I have been around him.  He came in and sold the program to recruits, probably better than any coach since Bill Callahan and maybe better in a lot of respects because he respects Nebraska and he understands the culture for the most part.  The problem is, he maybe didn’t understand what he was getting himself into.

The culture under Pelini was surely and defensive at best and arrogant and vindictive at its worst.  There were players that were retained that had no business playing the first year Riley was here, that Riley had no idea that they would try to sabotage practices and possibly games just to stick it to whoever, (Pelini haters) they could just to prove that they could.  Then when a great number of those players left the following season, a large senior class brought everyone together and made a run at a conference title game appearance, but injuries and a shallow roster limited what they could accomplish.

Riley probably didn’t realize that he would have so little depth and I’m sure he thinks the best about people and probably didn’t think players would openly give up during games, just to prove a point about a lousy person (Pelini) that should have been fired a year earlier.

Riley also should have left more of his staff behind in Oregon when he left.  He was given resources to hire better assistant coaches and has replaced at least half his staff since he got here.  That tells me he shouldn’t have brought some of them to Lincoln.  

I think Riley would do things quite a bit different if he had a do over, but most of us would if given the opportunity.  Unfortunately for Riley, he probably won’t get that chance for multiple reasons.  Nebraska will be in the throws of rebuild once more.  That is a hard pill to swallow and will make us all a lot older and a lot more weary when it’s all said and done.  

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Northwestern game was Nebraska 21 – Northwestern 28.  The actual score was Northwestern 31 Nebraska 24.  I give up, Nebraska had the ball with a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter, with a chance to go up 27-17 and putting themselves into great position for a bowl.  One more interception later and Nebraska ended up where we guessed they would, losing in overtime.  It just seems par for the course with this group of Huskers.  

Quick Notes:

Tanner Lee, CFL QB….  I know, they are college kids and they are allowed to have a bad game or two, but Tanner Lee goes from looking like a kid that can play on Sundays, to throwing three picks against Northwestern and looking like he will be lucky to finish the game.  Lee clearly had some rust at the beginning of the season, but he has enough experience now. Two of those interceptions were just awful throws.  Throw in a missed open shot down field, and it was a top 4 bad game as a Husker for Lee.

What are the offensive coaches thinking??? Nebraska has the ball, on the Northwestern side of the field, with a touchdown lead and chance to salt the game away.  They could have ran the ball, taken time off the clock and at worst, missed a long field goal.  Instead, they drop back and Lee gets hit and throws a crushing pick.  What makes their playcalling even worse, was the overtime call to run a screen pass.  That play should have been trashed after Tre Bryant went out for the season.  To pull that play out when you absolutely need yards just shows this playcalling by the staff is questionable at best and downright insane at it’s worst.

RIP Nebraska’s Running Game… I don’t want a return to the option.  Heck, I don’t even care if we don’t run the ball, if we are throwing it like an NFL team.  That being said, if you can’t run the ball at least a minimal amount when you want to, you aren’t going to win many games in college football.  Nebraska’s running game has a myriad of issues, but the identity of Nebraska being a hard nosed run the ball team has died.  Can it ever come back?

Can they get to a Bowl game? It is beginning to look very doubtful.  Nebraska could have gotten to six wins with a win over Northwestern and Minnesota, but it was going to be a longshot at best to beat Penn State on the road and now Iowa looks like they could blow the doors off Nebraska.  It may be a blessing in disguise if there is a coaching change, but it’s never good to miss a bowl, especially at Nebraska.

Score Prediction: Nebraska 24 – Minnesota 21

I don’t think Nebraska is very good, but I think Minnesota is worse.  They have next to nothing in the way of playmakers and are probably just a step up from Rutgers.  Nebraska is due for a little luck on the turnover equation.  I’m thinking the Huskers get three up north and steal one more win for Coach Riley before he leaves Lincoln. Wear Red, Cheer Loud, GBR!!

Last Second Comebacks and a Small Sliver of Hope

Just when you think the Huskers are done and Mike Riley’s job is probably finished, this group of Huskers comes back on a miserable night for the offense in the red zone and stuns Purdue in Indiana.  If you didn’t watch the game (and who could blame you for 3 quarters) Nebraska held serve when they needed too, probably for the first time this season and gave their offense a chance to win it at the end.

It wasn’t a pretty victory.  Quite honestly, beating Purdue isn’t really a monument victory either, but for this team and this coaching staff, all hanging by a thread, it keeps the Huskers in the Bowl hunt and maybe even propels them to finish the season on a high note.

As we say all of that, the reality is, it is a long uphill slide for Mike Riley and this staff.  Injuries are really starting to mount up.  Michael Decker, the best center on the team is out for the year and right guard Tanner Farmer will miss the rest of the regular season.  Tre Byrant has already been ruled out for he year, but Mikale Wilbon has been banged up and now Jaylin Bradley has a bum wheel after his breakout game.  Defensively, Luke Gifford continues to be hampered by a hip problem, and the safety position doesn't have a player in the group that hasn’t missed some time and will continue to miss time.

College football is a long slog, almost a war of attrition.  At this point, Nebraska is losing that war.  This is where one the of the biggest complaints of the Mike Riley era is starting to come to fruition.  For a staff that is so organized in recruiting, they failed to address some of the issues with the upper class and have undersigned the first three years they have been here.  It is killing depth and may cost Riley his job.  He has failed to recruit Junior College kids to fill holes and the transfer market, outside of Tanner Lee has yielded no fruit to speak of.  I understand Riley not wanting to add more dead weigh to the roster, but when you go after big time high school kids and finish runner up on a lot of them, you have to supplement that somehow.  You have some of the best JUCO teams in the country in your back yard.  If you fail to take advantage of that at Nebraska, that is your own problem.

Nebraska’s roster has holes and young players sprinkled throughout.  The good thing is, some of the young guys on the roster are delivering.  Coming back to beat Purdue on the road shouldn’t be sold short.  Purdue has improved immensely under new coach Jeff Brohm this season.  The problem is, the Nebraska bar had already been set way above Purdue, and Nebraska is playing at their level.  For Mike Riley, these last four games have to be above that if he wants to stay in Lincoln.

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Our previous score prediction for the Purdue game was Nebraska 24 – Purdue 18.  The actual score was Nebraska 25 Purdue 24.  You have to give Nebraska some credit, they hung in the game as long as they needed and Tanner Lee drove them to a last minute win.  For those who have criticized Tanner Lee as the starter, you wouldn’t have wanted anyone else throwing the ball that last drive.  

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Quick Notes:

Tanner Lee, NFL QB….  It sure didn’t look like it to begin the season, but the reality is if Mike Riley is let go at the end of the year, Tanner Lee is probably headed to the NFL draft.  Lee graduates in December, and let’s face it, without him in Big Ten play, Nebraska is probably 1-4 and in way worse shape than they are.  He has improved to the point that he is the best throwing quarterback in Nebraska history.  I know I beat the drum that he is the best I’ve ever seen in Lincoln to begin the year.  It’s too bad it took 3 or 4 games to shake off the rust, this season may have gone a bit differently.

The team answered the heart question…. There was a moment in the 3rd quarter against Purdue that the defense started to bull up a little bit.  They made a couple plays in the Boilermaker backfield and you could see their confidence rise.  I think this had an effect on the entire team.  If you can find that little bit of spark in the darkest hours, I think they can continue to play hard.  For this state and coaching staff let’s hope that continues.

Jaylin Bradley shows potential… Nebraska’s run game was down right awful last Saturday, but the freshman from Bellevue showed great potential, outrunning Purdue to the outside.  It’s clear that his speed is Big Ten worthy.  He has a banged up ankle and probably won’t play this weekend.  That is too bad, he might have been the horse that gave Nebraska’s run game a little pop in the last half of the season.  For whatever reason, the offensive line is no longer opening up anything in the run game.  Bradley showed that maybe he could make something out of nothing.

The final ride begins… I will just say that if Mike Riley wants to coach at Nebraska next season, he better hit the gas this weekend and keep it on through Minnesota.  If making a bowl game or finishing with 7 wins is the bar for staying, you can’t lose to Northwestern or Minnesota.  You win those two games and beat Iowa, you have a chance to stay.  Losing to Purdue would have sealed this staffs fate in my opinion.  They made it over that bar, but the higher bars start this week.

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Score Prediction: Nebraska 21 – Northwester 28

Since we have started doing this blog last season, I have rarely had to pick against Nebraska, outside of Ohio State and probably Wisconsin, I have felt like Nebraska could win the majority of their games.  That hasn’t really panned out and therein lies the problem.  Mike Riley has lost too many games he should have won in three years.  Barely pulling out the game against Purdue almost put me on edge.  With Northwestern’s ability to stifle the run and having a dual threat quarterback and superb running back, I just don’t like Nebraska’s odds against the Wildcats.  Nebraska needs physical play on both lines and I don’t now that they can do it, especially on offense.  I want Nebraska to win so bad, I’m afraid we all will be disappointed.  That doesn’t mean I won’t be at the game cheering loud, trying to turn the tide! GBR!!