[Husker] Huskers Get Cracking With Full Contact Drills

[Steve Reichenbach]

Just received my tickets.  Pics are Husker Pavilion, Cornhusker band,
Husker Legacy statue, tunnel walk, fans in stadium, baloons over
stadium, and stadium at sunset.  The tickets are slightly oversize
from the past.

My predictions / expectations are for at least 8-3 and I think that
anything less than that is not a meaningful step forward for the
program.

Beat Maine at home
Beat Wake Forest at home
Beat Pitt at home (Pitt has a new coach, Pederson's first choice)
Beat ISU at home
Lose to Texas Tech at home
Beat Baylor away
Beat Missouri away (Mizzou has player unrest and a player death)
Lose OU at home
Beat KU away
Beat KSU at home
Lose to CU away

If NU loses any of its away games other than CU --- Baylor, Missouri,
or KU --- it has to be regarded as another step back for the program.
With seven games at home, NU may lose a couple (e.g., Texas Tech and
OU) in Lincoln, but three or more home loses would not be a step
forward for the program.  So, I see 8-3 as the minimum record for NU
to take a meaningful step forward.

I didn't like Pederson's handling of Solich, but thought he got a
good catch (after Wannstedt begged off) with Callahan.  AFter last
year, especially the ISU and CU games, my enthusiasm is somewhat
curbed.  As far as questions at QB, if the coaches aren't more confident
with the players they have now, they shouldn't have pushed Dailey out.
If these coaches can't win 8 games with this schedule and this team,
it is difficult to see them leading NU to a national title in a few
years.  You can't win on just recruiting --- there are going to be
other teams with good recruits and good coaching.

From: "Tommy Thompson" <huskertt at charter.net>

> I can't believe the disparity in opinions about the upcoming season.
> My brother in Arkansas predicts 6-5.  I'm in Illinois and say 7-4.  My
> brother in Nebraska says 9-2!  Is the news that encouraging back home?
> I haven't seen anything, yet, to make me feel too positive.
> 
> At any rate, here are my picks for this year.   Am I missing a game?  I
> thought we went to 12 games this year.
> 
> Blow out Maine
> Blow out Wake 
> Squeak by Pitt
> Squeak by ISU
> Lose to TT
> Blow out Baylor
> Lose by Missouri
> Lose big to OU
> Beat KU
> Lose to KSU
> Beat CU

Mike Jaixen <mikejaixen at yahoo.com>:

> I'm going with the copout 8-3 record; there's only 11
> games on the schedule.  If they make it to Houston,
> then that would be the 12th game.  After this season,
> there is 12 games every year.
> 
> My "L"'s are Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Colorado.  I
> think, though, that they have the talent to beat
> anyone on their schedule in Lincoln - and that
> includes the Sooners, who I think are in a position
> similar to the Huskers in 2002.
> 
> As for the light traffic, I think deep down the FS/SP
> situation caused a lot of people to drop their
> interest level in the Huskers.  I know a lot of people
> are fired up higher than ever (witness 63K at the
> Spring game), but I keep running into people who are
> still disgusted.  I have heard from several sources
> that there still are season tickets available at the
> ticket office, for the standard donation.

"Mike and Kelly Petersen" <husker at communicomm.com>:

> I'm going with 7-4 just because we are so young and one might get away
> from us. I was as disgusted as anyone with the Solich firing, but these
> new coaches are Huskers now and I'll dad-gummed well support them.
> 
> It will sure be an interesting season and I guess I have kinda come to
> enjoy (in a sick sort of way) not knowing ahead of time that we will
> win the game.
> 
> I think we do need some success this year to keep the recruiting as
> successful as last year. Another losing season or even 6-5 and the top
> recruits will doubt the coaching.

dkarre at comcast.net:

> HI's annual asked 13 media people to predict the season. Two predicted
> 6 wins; four predicted 7; four predicted 8; and one each predicted 9,
> 10 and 11. There seems to be a bit of uncertainty about the season.
> Who'd a thunk it?

Rod Wellman <gobigred66 at mac.com>:

> From my talks with numerous Husker fans, I get the sense that no one is
> really confident in predicting the Ws and Ls this year.  Some will say
> that NU SHOULD go 8-3 or 7-4, but in the next breathe they'll say that
> it's also possible that they'll have the same or worse record than last
> year!
> 
> My feeling is that although the Huskers should be improved over last
> year in some areas (the jury is still out on the defense, IMHO on
> whether they will be improved or not), so will some of the other teams
> on our schedule who many are pointing to as "blow outs" or "sure
> wins".  How can you say we're going to blow out or win for sure
> against:  Wake Forest, Kansas, Baylor and ISU?  ISU was a young team
> last year...they'll only be better.  If memory serves me, we didn't
> even play against KU's best QB last year due to an injury.  Baylor
> played well against us last year for 2 or was it 3) quarters.  I don't
> buy how "terrible" KSU is going to be.  I see Texas Tech and OU as very
> tough to win...odds are extremely against us.  I also think Missouri,
> Colorado and yes, even Pittsburgh should be at least in the "toss up"
> category.
> 
> So, IMHO, I think there's a very challenging season ahead of us.  I
> wouldn't be too surprised at another losing season, maybe even a worse
> record than last year, depending upon how it all plays out with all the
> new players (we have a new QB for crying out loud).
> 
> After a few games, we'll know more.  And with the way this crazy game
> is, who knows...we might be undefeated entering our first road game.