Husker fans don't seem to be drinking the Big Red Kool-Aid as much as they did a year ago. Last year with a retooled coaching staff, some fans were predicting double-digit wins.
However, this year's predictions are more modest ranging from a low of four wins to a high of seven.
Why the change? Are Husker fans not buying what first-year head coach Matt Rhule is selling?
I don't think so. Most Husker fans have embraced Rhule and his staff and think he'll do well at NU. But consider this: Nebraska has been a graveyard for head football coaches. All five who succeeded Tom Osborne have gone down in flames. Solich, Callahan, Pelini, Riley and Frost are all gone.
Let's just say Husker fans are a bit more cautious this year.
In 2018, Husker fans (including me) gulped down as much Kool-Aid as we could. Scott Frost was going to be the second coming of Tom Osborne.
No doubt about it. You can go to the bank with Frost, or so we thought. There were so many high expectations of him. He was going to be the savior of the Husker football program.
Until he wasn't.
So how will Rhule fare in his first year at Nebraska? Let's look at some facts as Nebraska approaches its season opener Aug. 31 at Minnesota.
- Against the seven conference opponents NU faced last year and will face again this season, the Huskers are 1-6.
- The lone victory was a 24-17 win at Iowa.
- NU will face five coaches who are in their first year as their team's head coach: Deion Sanders (Colorado) Jamey Chadwell (La. Tech), Dave Braun (Northwestern), Ryan Walters (Purdue) and Luke Fickell (Wisconsin).
- Five of this year's Husker opponents had losing records last year: Colorado, La. Tech, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan State.
- This football season will most likely be the last of the B1G's two-division format.
- Next year, the B1G will expand from 14 teams to at least 18 with the addition of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.
- Will that be the end of the B1G's expansion plans?
- I highly doubt it.
Let's look at the Husker schedule. There appear to be four "winnable" games for Nebraska this year - that is, games in which NU will likely be favored: Colorado, La. Tech, Northern Illinois and Northwestern.
Michigan appears to be the only "sure" loss. The remainder of the Husker season looks to be made up of toss-up games including Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin and Iowa.
If NU can take care of the "winnable" games (four wins) and come out on top in just three of the seven toss-up games, the Huskers could end up with a 7-5 record.
Seven wins would put the Huskers in a pretty good bowl game for the first time since 2016. With a bowl victory, Nebraska could end the season with an 8-5 record.
Now wouldn't that be sweet. Time to get out the Kool-Aid. It's been a very hot summer and I'm getting really thirsty.
How ’Bout Them Huskers
This week's episode is devoted entirely to the 2023 Husker football season. In just 10 days from today (8/21) the Husker football season will begin. GO BIG RED!
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