A look back at the 2007 class, 2011 results

[jd]

Completely agree FLAS.

[Big Sky Husker]

Amazing work, as always, FLAS!   

Any thoughts on the basic premise, from a former player's perspective? 

I can only postulate, but if only 10% of the team are fully-vested 4th and 5th year guys, they would be heard less.  A lot of the "leaders" on this team were either underclassmen-Taylor/Rex, JuCo's-David, former  walkons-Caputo, or ended up on the bench for a good part of the season due to injury.  That had to have an effect that was reflected in this year's performance, especially over the background of a less-experienced /revamped/ reshuffled staff AND a new conference schedule.

I'm disappointed like anyone is, but I also believe this was a pretty good coaching job to get to 9 wins.  A lesser coach could have easily slipped to 7-8 with everything that happened throughout the season.  A lot of youth, a lot of inexperience, and a lower number of true senior class leaders to lean on...key injuries.

I don't know what good it does to lament blowout losses.  I wouldn't call 30-13 a blowout at all, missing a 3, losing 3 on the blocked xp, and turning it over twice in the redzone.  That was a good SEC team and we were running over them for a half until we cooked our own goose.  We had similar rankings all year to USC...we belonged on that field with them and showed signs of dominating them before the Hail Mary.  We beat a decent Mich State team and pulled that comeback against tOSU, who arguably had better athletes based on recruiting rankings.  We were running the ball on Wisconsin just fine and then completely pooped our pants and lost the will to live.  Total quicksand game.  Give Michigan four extra posessions on special teams...another quicksand game.  northwestern was complacency and overconfidence.  I think the youth really showed in those situations.

I'll give you MSU and may be South Carolina.  But Wisconsin and Michigan had over 400 yards of offense on us.  The Badgers had nearly 500 yards.  We weren't in those games except for showing up.  The blowouts against good competition provide a measure of where we're at, IMO.  Against good competetion, at least right now... we lose more than we win.  And sometimes we lose badly.  I don't see a silver lining when we lose to someone good by 4 touchdowns.  If that makes me a pessimist... that's what I am.

Appreciate your work on this topic thread.  Thanks.

[Husker03]

Good thread that makes some good points. I hesitate to really buy into a "youth" excuse, but I admit that it may play a role.  I see what you are saying about the low number of long term players playing as Sr's this year, but 20 Sr's on a roster is very comparable to other teams and very comparable to the teams that beat us this year. I do not know if you took a fine tooth comb to those teams Sr's if you would come up with similar degrees of injury, attrition, busts, etc. I do not know the rosters and programs well enough to be able to read into it, but the fact that I assume all teams deal with similar issues I am leaning toward the assumption that they come with their own baggage as well.  Attrition and low Sr. numbers happen to every program across the board. Rosters always feature more young players because many fall to the wayside during their 5 yr stay in college. Not to mention, the Jr's aren't exactly freshmen. They have been in the program for plenty of time to make their presence felt, but I digress...

Top 10 teams, numbers of Sr's on roster
LSU-21
Bama-24
OkieSt-18
Stan-24
Oregon-14
BSU-26
Ark-20
Wisc-21
USCarolina-16
KSU-22

That averages out to be 20.6 seniors/roster/team..

Michigan-23
Northwestern-21
Nebraska-20

I think there is no denying that this team lacks leadership and swagger. If there are youngsters waiting in the wings to bring it, great.  I am just not really to breath easy due to being convinced that it is due to low volume of older players.

That said, this board is great because after reading all these positive theories and excuses over the past 2 weeks I am starting to believe in Bo a bit more again!

[TNT]

FLAS great work as always, so do what do you see as a possibility for the the 2012 season for a prediction of wins and losses and to whom they loss too?