POLL Your take on 8-4, please

[whoboppin]

8-4 is solid. Id be fine with 8-4 and be happy with a bowl win and 9-4.

I'd feel a lot better at 9-3 though. 9-3 means we are beating the teams we are supposed to beat and/or winning games against the better teams (Michigan, USC, PSU). If we go 9-0 and 0-3 vs those teams or 8-1 and 1-2 vs those teams it is progress.

Its been so long since Nebraska has done it, that I think people forget that we are actually allowed to beat teams that are 'better' then us. It happens every week. There's no reason Nebraska cant beat Michigan, USC, or hell even PSU. PSU plays close games, they aren't a juggernaut.

8-4 is fine, it just seems like a midpoint of still playing sloppy and dropping games vs bad teams but also not beating good teams.

Again, id be fine with it after this past decade, but 9-3 would show alot more progress.

 

[SlumpBuster]

B or B- and honestly a way to show progress. It wouldn't be super exciting (at least on paper right now) but enough to keep moving forward.

 

[doublewing]

I give it a B. B is slightly above average and they would be in this instance. It's an easier schedule but they are at a 7.5 O/U.

10 or more = A
9 = B+
8 = B
7 = C
6 = D
5 or less = F

 

[Chi7397]

8-4 is like a 40 degree day

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

12-0 or we riot at @Baron Winnebago house

 

[HashtagGBR]

I think it’s 10-2
Losses to USC and Pedo St

 

[That SOB Van Owen]

I’d def take it but why is everyone so obsessed with us losing to UCLA? I just don’t get it.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

12-0 or we riot at @Baron Winnebago house

*Googles states with castle doctrine/stand your ground laws*

 

[Stan Raymond]

Regular Season
10+ wins, wow exceeding expectations
9 wins, awesome we are looking good
8 wins, alright we are on track
7 wins, not happy, need to see some adjustments made
6- wins, frankly time to try a new HC

I see:
1 loss @ Penn State
6 wins Cincinnati, Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan State, @Maryland, Northwestern
5 tossups Michigan, @Minnesota, USC, @UCLA, Cockeye, hoping for 3-2 here, but 2-3 wouldn't be terrible
I think our over/under is 8.5

Season could really go good with our toughest pick 'em games at home, not impossible to go 5-0 there, wouldn't that be nice and create a special season.

I'm currently guessing 9-3

 

[Tonkasker]

Can't believe after the wild stuff you guys have seen over the past decade that youd be unhappy with the best season since Bo

This is a losing program. 8-4 is turning a significant corner

 

[ZJSARENOTFREE]

I'm definitely not ready to write off Penn St. There are like 3 B1G teams we have a winning record against since joining the conference and one of them is PSU. We're 4-1

Would be a monumental win for us if they're as good as everyone thinks they will be.

Agree, their OL just looks nasty and they have 2 insanely good backs. They can just keep pounding.

 

[Pipe Line]

If Rhule is who we hope he is, and who he is advertised to be, and preaches, 9 wins is the floor. Should not lose to Minnesota, should not lose to UCLA. I'll take the L against USC, Penn State, and maybe Michigan. Only Michigan if they clearly look improved before us. If not, and it's close, get over the hump.

 

[Jim14510]

Beat Minn and UCLA its an A+ as I think that's Nebraska playing as well as able and probably in the playoff.

So B+

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Can't believe after the wild stuff you guys have seen over the past decade that youd be unhappy with the best season since Bo

This is a losing program. 8-4 is turning a significant corner

Because I'm a catty bitch, I just don't want to have to squint at "we're back and here to stay".

 

[DrinkItIn]

Can't believe after the wild stuff you guys have seen over the past decade that youd be unhappy with the best season since Bo

This is a losing program. 8-4 is turning a significant corner

Amen....It’s an A, no doubt. Nebraska hasn’t cracked 8 wins in nearly a decade. Remember, we actually lost to Georgia Southern at home at night in 2022 — so NU is still a long way from consistent wins.

You don’t go from Frost’s dumpster fire to double-digit wins overnight. If we hit 8 wins this year, that’s a damn clear sign we’re finally on the right track.

 

[RedSavage]

Amen....It’s an A, no doubt. Nebraska hasn’t cracked 8 wins in nearly a decade. Remember, we actually lost to Georgia Southern at home at night in 2022 — so NU is still a long way from consistent wins.

You don’t go from Frost’s dumpster fire to double-digit wins overnight. If we hit 8 wins this year, that’s a damn clear sign we’re finally on the right track.

It is progress no matter how you slice it but it also feels like underachieving which is why I would grade it a B. I also think context of the losses does matter to some degree...I know, I know, moral victories. But if we're competitive in every game and the breaks just don't go our way, I will feel better about only winning 8 personally.

 

[BIGSTICK67]

Considering where we're at as a program, I voted B+

If we'd have went 8-4 (OR BETTER) the last 5 years, I'd have voted C or C-

 

[CornFed Gregger]

Can't believe after the wild stuff you guys have seen over the past decade that youd be unhappy with the best season since Bo

This is a losing program. 8-4 is turning a significant corner

It depends on what kind of 8-4 it is. Cockeye fans talk about the Kirk Ferentz purgatory every year so they should relate to Nebraska’s Bo Pelini frustrations.

If you lose the games that you’re supposed to & drop a couple 50-50s then ppl will be happy. If you lose to a shitty ucla, get curbstomped by a bad Wisky or MSU with no shot at tOSU/Michigan like Bo then 8-4 isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.

 

[Tonkasker]

It is progress no matter how you slice it but it also feels like underachieving which is why I would grade it a B. I also think context of the losses does matter to some degree...I know, I know, moral victories. But if we're competitive in every game and the breaks just don't go our way, I will feel better about only winning 8 personally.

I think you're overestimating the roster if you see 8-4 as underachieving

Imo this is an 8-4 roster, not a playoff roster. There are probably 18-22 teams with better rosters. Sure they're not on the schedule but it's still an extremely young team that will have a dozen sophomores starting by end of year. Experience + talent = execution. There will be hiccups

A top 12 power rated team probably has a 9.5 win total with this schedule.

 

[JankTheTank]

2 things I see - Someone detailed how dogshit Minnesota should be...maybe I'll regret believing them, but I'm rolling with that.

Is that a thread on here? I would enjoy reading that breakdown. Just earlier today I read about their DC last year who bolted to Miami after one season for the Gophers. The coach they promoted to replace him looks to be the most inexperienced DC Fleck has ever worked with with zero prior coordinator experience.

To keep this post on topic, I'd go B for an 8-4 season. 9-4 might bump it to B+. I personally feel like it's a program that has potential to go 9-3 in the regular season as the team finally starts winning toss up games. Between Michigan, USC, Penn State, and Cockeye, we take one of three, or maybe go 2-2 and lay an egg elsewhere.

From a progress standpoint, with a bowl game included, it would be hard to look at a potential 8-5 season and call that a big jump following the adjustments made after a 7-6 campaign the year before.

I feel like getting Holgorsen for the full season and giving him full autonomy and replacing an abysmal special teams that definitely cost us multiple games should warrent a higher jump, even if the defense takes a step back.