[Husker] Winning record?

[Duane Feldman]

I can't disagree, but call me the eternal optimist.  At the beginning of the season, those optimists amoung us counted on losses at Missouri, TT and OU for certain.  VT, KU and CU were 50-50 at best and probably less so, and the remainder were probable Husker wins. (Ignoring the bowl game).  That meant 9-3 would be an incredibly good season, 8-4 still reason for celebration and 7-5 acceptable without complaints.  I don't see anything having changed at this point.  Sure we lost to VT, but VT and TT turned out to be nearly evenly played games and only the MU game was a dissappointment (from season expectation it was a loss, but moreso than expected).  

On the up side, NU is playing the toughest schedule in the country with our six opponents have an total of only FOUR combined losses besides those incurred by NU!!!  WMU has turned into a decent team who will likely meet Ball State for the MAC title (undefeated other than NU), San Jose St. is 4-2 overall, but I don't know to whom they lost, NMSt who everyone thought was a pushover has otherwise lost only to rival New Mexico in a close game.  Missouri has a loss now (#10 OSU) and VT lost its first game to (top 25??) E. Carolina and both are ranked in the top 15.  TT is now #5 and #7.  Pretty stiff company IMHO as even the pansies have been proven tough.  With a little more character and NU would be 5-1 against that group.  With Pelini, and time, comes character.

The rest of the season seems more reasonable.  ISU folded to Baylor.  KU (currently ranked but won't  be when we play them) had a tough time with ISU have will likely be coming off consecutive losses to OU and UT.  Baylor might be tougher than expected, but still they won only their first B12 game in years last week.  KSU has been what some have expected of them and are fighting TAMU for the bottom of the conference.  CU started with a first game win against WV, but WV had a new coach and CU is proving to be less than a juggernaut with three straight defeats against weaker competition than NU has faced.  Only OU remains a nearly certain loss.  

So even after our 3-3 start:  9-3 would be an incredibly successful finish, 8-4 reason for celebration and 7-5 acceptable without complaints.  Anything worse and I'll be back complaining.

Duane Feldman



----- Original Message ----
From: Steve Reichenbach <reich at inetnebr.com>
To: gbrlist at hotmail.com; husker at tssi.com
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 10:08:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Husker] Winning record?

I don't think anyone thought that 8 or 9 wins was a sure thing and
now that NU is 3-3, even 8 wins will be difficult.  That said, most
people who thought that NU could get to 8 or 9 wins figured NU could
win its first four (NU was 3-1, losing to Virginia Tech by 5) and
five of its last six (still to be played) and that any losses in
those games might be offset by other NU wins. . . .