Off we Bo - The 2007 Season in Review
As the dust settles, it seems only fair to look back on one of the most surreal and crazy seasons college football has ever seen. Yeah sure, the “National Champion” is a two-time loser who gave up 900 points to Arkansas (at home)…but who cares. As I stated before, if ever there was a year not to award the National Title to ANYONE, it would be this season.With that being said, let’s look around the North and see just how far off we were in our predictions.
Iowa State Cyclones (3-9)
Predicted record: (4-8)
High Point: Beating Iowa 15-13
Low Point: Every other minute of the season
Summary: The Clones have a monumental hill to climb after a tough season. Good thing the Hawkeyes suck so bad, or the season would have been a complete and total disaster. With the emergence of Mizzou and Colorado, looks like tough sailing ahead in Ames. Luckily, Iowa will probably be worse next year.
Kansas State Wildcats (5-7)
Predicted Record: 7-5
High Point: Pasting Texas by 20 points on the road
Low Point: Giving up 73 points to Joe Ganz
Summary: Things actually didn’t look too bad for the Cats for a while. Unable to capitalize on a big win over CU, KSU took a step back after a tough loss at Stillwater and never really recovered. The future will depend on pass defense, as the Wildcats were scored on more than a Millard South cheerleader on prom night.
Colorado Buffaloes (6-7)
Predicted Record: 9-3
High Point: Beating Oklahoma 27-24
Low Point: Losing to ISU, destroying any momentum into the end of the season.
Summary: Steady progress (ISU loss not withstanding) means good things for CU fans. Sure, 2007 did not bring the Big 12 North title I predicted, but a good recruiting class should have Buff fans back in the hunt within the next couple years. Look for the trip to Columbia next season to serve as a big measuring stick.
Kansas Jaychickens (12-1*)Predicted Record: 4-8
High Point: Patting themselves on the back after every 1-AA victory
Low Point: Ass pounded by Missouri on national TV, and then bragging about the BCS.
Summary: Fraud U parlayed two slim victories on the road (CU and A&M) into national respect…well by some who didn’t noticed they played one of the worst schedules in D1 history. Only a victory over offensively decreped Virginia Tech saved the squaks from complete and total embarrassment of finishing the best season in school history..and choking it all away to their rivals. OU, Texas and Tech are on the schedule next year boys. Hope you framed those South Beach photos.
Missouri Tigers (12-2)
Predicted Record: 9-3
High Point: Ruining KU on national TV and winning the North.
Low Point: Falling to OU in San Antonio
Summary: It may take a while for Mizzou fans to realize just how great a season it was in 2007. Gone is the “woe is us” attitude that has doomed every Mizzou team back to the days of Devine. In is a talented squad that overcame coaching shortcomings, and actually took advantage of mismatches and mental errors. With Maclin, Daniel, Coffman, Moore and 13 other starters, 2008 will bring an all-new level of expectations to overcome that will challenge Mizzou like never before. Winning in Lincoln next fall will be the final hurdle left in the race.
Nebraska Cornhicksters (5-7)
Predicted Record: 6-6
High Point: Beating Ball State by one, avoiding the biggest disaster since Titanic sunk.
Low Point: Becoming a National laughingstock, and hiring an inexpierenced buffoon to restore the order.
Summary: I challenge you to find ONE thing I was wrong about in predicting the outcome of the 2007 NU football season. OK, I thought they would lose at Wake Forest, but then again..I didn’t think the Deacons would start a 5th grade girl at QB either. I told you Callahan was an idiot…I was right. I told you Sam Keller was not a savior…I was right. I told you Marlon Lucky was not durable…I was right. I told you your wide receivers sucked…I was right. I told you that you can’t replace four NFL d-linemen and expect to be “dominant” on the defensive side of the ball…I was right.
Top NU questions left unanswered for 2008:
- Is Bo Pelini as dumb as he looks?
- Can Husker fan handle back-to-back losing seasons?
- Can Joe Ganz handle the pressure of being “the man”?
- Who will be the next NU player to crack a girl in the face?
- How long with Tom Osborne keep his grubbing hands on the program?
- Will the sellout streak end on 10/25 when Baylor comes to town?
- Barney Cotton? Why?
- At what point does Husker Nation realize they have MAC talent and Miami goals?
- What month will Tom Shatel predict a Big 12 North title in 2008?
- Will any NU receiver have more than 20 catches in 2008?
- Which NU defender will be praised like Jesus one minute, and booed the next week?
- Will this blog make it to September without a sudden swell of myopia and insane expectations?
Top Big 12 questions unanswered for 2008:- Does Colorado build on momentum?
- Can Ron Prince turn KSU around after a horrible end to the season?
- Can Missouri handle top 5 expectations?
- Will OU find a new way to piss a BCS bowl game down their legs?
- Will Texas actually try during every game, instead of taking a weekend off now and then?
- Does Baylor even have a team? And why isn’t TCU or Arkansas in their place by now?
- Will Mike Gundy flip out again now that he’s 41?
- Which Texas Tech team shows up? The one who was destroyed @Mizzou or won a Jan 1 bowl?
- Can Iowa State possibly get any worse?
- Can A&M finally buy some wins, despite hiring bad coaches over and over?
- And finally…how on earth can KU fan possibly build on this season? With their schedule and the laws of phyics, the chickens are looking at 6 wins max, which after a year of dodging good teams all season, will probably seem a bit of a downer. If the fat man decides to pack up his tent (that he’s using as a windbreaker) and leave Lawrence, you people are F’d in the A…and I don’t mean your usual Saturday night at the TAO house.
And into the off-season we go.
Whooooopie.
Labels: Year in review
posted by A J at 12:44 PM
10 Comments:
That photo of Mangino is classic. The eyes and that orange have fear in them from being the next meal.
Wow, so many questions for this offseason. I can't answer all but I'll at least make snide remarks on most.
I don't beleive metioning Bo in the low point of the season seems right since it was arguably the best option we had (outside of Gill and maaayyybbbe Grobe). We could have done worse (like hire some unknown coordinator from the Packers (yes, I get the irony in saying this) or chucking ten trillion at a guy who'll leave in about two years anyway).
Also, you didn't predict a loss to Wake, you predicted an "ass-pounding", which, as I recall, didn't happen (granted I didn't fully feel right about winning the game either). Also, you seem to be batting .500 right now on the whole NU apocalypse thing since you predicted it last time the tigres were in Lincoln but unfortunately came up short.
"I told you that you can’t replace four NFL d-linemen and expect to be “dominant” on the defensive side of the ball…I was right." Granted a lot of Husker fans were "optimistic" about our d-line or at least our linebackers this year (picked first somehow by the press...what do they know), but you forget they had Cosgrove as coach who has been suspect ever since he showed up.
"Barney Cotton? Why?" Have to agree on this one. Not sure I totally liked him here in '03 and note sure he'll work out for '08.
What month will Tom Shatel predict a Big 12 North title in 2008? I'm saying July...for Iowa State. What your the only one that can have crazy fact-less predictions?
And finally if I haven't rattled a cage yet..."Can Missouri handle top 5 expectations?" Is Mizzou ranked in the top five at all next year? Seriously, give me a break down on why they SHOULD be ranked top five and at least we'll have some banter at least until spring ball.
I realize the whole "Missouri is still Missouri" thing exists out there..and that's fine. One great season does not a power make.
However, let's look at something logical here:
They return 18 of 24 starters. (They may have 19 if Temple gets his hardship).
They have an EASIER schedule this year than last.
They finished this year in the top 4.
They have two of the top 10 favorites for the Heisman back for next year.
Now, I'm not a rocket scientist...but I'm guessing it's not too far out of the rhelm of possibility that they'll start in the top 5 next year.
Iowa State should be better in 2008. They basically get the same schedule Kansas had in 2007. It took some time to adjust to the new coaching staff, but they actually played pretty well late in the Big 12 season, giving OU a scare, giving MU a minor scare, and beating KSU and CU. The KU game was bad, but there is still something to build on going into next season.
Even I'm not dumb enough to argue that the KU 2007 non-confrence schedule was designed to do two things. Provide a home game to replace the game lost to the MU game moved to Arrowhead, and get Coach Mangino off the hot seat. It was set up to help save his job (or at least give him some breathing room -insert joke here-).
And yes, annony, ISU and KU are the two north teams that share the south schedule with KU on alternate years. Isn't math funny eveyone? This couldn't have anything with OU and Texas wanting to play ISU and KU in the same two year stretch, could it?
Its funny how you call KU 'fraud U'...but you predicted 4 wins (you fraud)!!! Even if we give you credit for the two close road victories you list thats only 6 wins....so which other 6 wins are flukes?
But if it makes you feel better, I said I could only 'guaruntee' 4 wins but thought they might win a couple more.
And because I know your readers care so much next years schedule (in no order) is as follows...
Home: Fl Int, LA Tech, Sam Houston St., Kstate, CU, Texas, Texas Tech
Away: South Florida, ISU, NU, MU (Arrowhead), and OU
I'm guessing no more than 8 wins. And all the people who wanted to kick us to the Independance Bowl for our schedule will remain perfectly consistent and give us 'credit' for this years schedule and send us to the Holiday Bowl because so many of our losses come from good teams.
Yeah right...
AJ: You have quite a fan in cyberspace. I found the following on a Nub blog. (The last paragraph is particularly insightful):
"Do you ever read the anger-bitterness-blog "A Husker8er's View of the World"?
Just curious. The guy, aj, certainly hates NU and its fans (he's from Missouri and I believe a Mizzou grad). He is savoring what's happening, and has happened, to the NU football program, but he is a world-class arse.
What makes matters worse is that his preditions and opinions have, for the most part, been spot on. His very negative, vitriolic, and sweeping statements of Husker fans, though, is out of bounds. However, as he states, just don't visit his site."
You are tough on ISU. They had a lot of ugly moments, but coming back from a 21 point deficit against CU certainly was a high point. The Cyclones could have very easily given up during the season (like it seemed the Huskers did). They showed their heart when they came back and played OU tough after the shellacking Texas put on them the week before.
KU-Mizzou was an ass pounding -- love it, man, great stuff. And what's your sexual metaphor for Mizzou-OU? You remember, the second game, when Mizzou quit in the second half, completely rolled over for the Sooners, and ruined its chance of going to a BCS game? I bet that's a good one, too.
Congrats on making it through an comment without bringing up the issue of slavery and the economic conditions of the mid 19th century western American territories.
Don't need a sexual metephor because that sexual move has already got its name...
They call that 'The Pinkel'.
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