SportsRatings is ranking all 120 Division I-A teams, from #120 to #1, starting in early August until the season begins. These rankings are meant to reflect how good the teams might be in 2008 without taking schedule into account.
Projected odds of winning each scheduled game are given for each team, and two projected records are given: one based simply on which games a team is favored to win, and another cumulative projection that allows for the aggregate uncertainty in the predictions. The expectation for the team's season is somewhere within the range of the two values. (Schedule listings adapted from James Howell's site)
This installment covers teams from #46 to #50. To see the full list, click here.
| 46. Troy Trojans |
2007 Results: Record: 8-4 Bowl: n/a Poll finish: n/a
2007 SportsRatings Power Ratings: Strength: #46 Success: #51 Combined: #45
The best team that didn't go to a bowl in 2007 will be strong again this year. Though the non-conference schedule is daunting, a Sun Belt title is a strong possibility.
Offense (7 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Offense: #40 Adj. Rush Yards: #43 Adj. Pass Yards: #30
The Trojans lose their starting quarterback (Omar Haugaboom, 2,975 yards, 18 TDs, 631 net rush yds, 11 TDs), leading rusher Kenny Cattouse (791 yds, 7 TDs, 5.9 ave), and their top two receivers (Gary Banks and Josh Allen, combined: 1,160 yds, 4 TDs). So why might the offense be just as good this year? First off, the entire offensive line from '07 is back—with their backups. Essentially, only one player is missing from the entire 2nd and 3rd string on offense, period. So where there are holes, there are experienced players to fill them. Jamie Hampton will take over at QB, and Dujuan Harris at running back, but there are plenty of options at both positions. Many decent receivers return from the huge stable they keep, and bad-boy rapper Josh Jarboe just transferred in from Oklahoma, though he has to sit out a year.
Defense (7 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Defense: #51 Adj. Rush Def: #72 Adj. Pass Def: #28
The front four return three starters and should improve on the rushing defense numbers. Incidentally, those numbers aren't as bad as most people think; they ranked 94th in raw numbers, but that includes games vs. top ten rushing teams Oklahoma State, Arkansas, and LA-Lafayette, as well as Florida and Georgia when Moreno was playing. There are two linebackers in the Troy nickel and the most important one is back: Boris Lee, the team leading tackler and the guy flying in to sack the QB in that cool photo. Three of the five starters return in the secondary, which is good, but they lose two of the best to ever play corner for Troy, 1st-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin, and Elbert Mack (8 INTs in '07).
Kicking Game (0 RS): Even while losing a star QB, top running back, top receivers, and grade A cornerbacks, Coach Larry Blakeney said the biggest hole to fill on the entire team was the loss of punter/kicker Greg Whibbs. He made 16 of 18 FGs last season and averaged over 40 yards per punt, and handled kickoffs as well. Redshirt freshmen Michael Taylor and Will Goggans were listed at the positions after spring.
Recruiting: While Troy's recruiting isn't even in the top half of all schools, it's pretty good for the Sun Belt and Blakeney knows what they need. From the redshirt freshmen at punter and kicker to JUCOs Maurice Greer at running back and Michael Ricks at linebacker, new faces will help out even as the vast majority of lettermen return. Blakeney also gets a lot of excellent players as transfers from BCS schools; Troy has players on the roster from Auburn, Cal, Colorado, FSU, Georgia, Mississippi State and now (with Jarboe) Oklahoma.
Troy 2008 schedule & forecast |
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| 8/30 | Sat | @ | *Middle Tennessee | 63% | W |
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| 9/6 | Sat | @ | Louisiana State | 34% | L | |||
| 9/13 | Sat | vs. | Alcorn State | 100% | W |
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| 9/20 | Sat | @ | Ohio State | 15% | L | |||
| 9/27 | Sat | @ | Oklahoma State | 42% | L | |||
| 10/7 | Tue | @ | *Florida Atlantic | 52% | W |
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| 10/18 | Sat | vs. | *Florida International | 81% | W |
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| 10/25 | Sat | @ | *North Texas | 76% | W |
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| 11/1 | Sat | @ | *Louisiana-Monroe | 62% | W |
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| 11/8 | Sat | vs. | *Western Kentucky | 72% | W |
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| 11/22 | Sat | vs. | *Louisiana-Lafayette | 77% | W |
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| 12/6 | Sat | vs. | *Arkansas State | 71% | W |
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Favored: 9-3 Projected: 7-5 |
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2008 Season Outlook Everything went according to plan last year, until the end. Opening losses to ranked teams Arkansas and Florida didn't faze the Trojans, and they turned around and dominated Oklahoma State. Five easy victories in a row over outmatched Sun Belt foes followed. Troy paused to nearly upset Georgia in Athens, finally falling 44-34, before picking up two more wins. They stood at 8-3, with a Sun Belt crown and bowl game for the taking...then were upset, at home, by Florida Atlantic. Not only did they not win the SBC, but outrageously there was no slot in a bowl game for them, even in this age of 6-6 playing 6-6.
This year presents even more challenge than the last one in non-conference play. Except for the gimme against poor I-AA Alcorn, road games against last year's national champ contenders LSU and Ohio State are brutal, and Oklahoma State will probably get their revenge at home. But the showdown comes right away at FAU, and I think Troy should be a slight favorite. After that the meat of the Sun Belt is fodder for this team. The cumulative odds call for one or two more losses, though other than FAU it would be a fair-sized upset. This year ultimately looks a lot like last season; beat FAU, finish 9-3 and go to a bowl; lose to FAU, finish 8-4, and...well there are two more bowls than last season, so it might work out either way.
| 47. Boston College Eagles |
2007 Results: Record: 11-3 Bowl: beat Mich. St. 24-21 (Champs Sports) Poll finish: #10 AP #11 USA
2007 SportsRatings Power Ratings: Strength: #28 Success: #16 Combined: #26
B.C. falls pretty hard, losing Matt Ryan and many on D.
Offense (6 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Offense: #34 Adj. Rush Yards: #101 Adj. Pass Yards: #6
He was maybe a bit overrated: the offense was heavily biased toward passing, his QB rating was middling, and he threw 19 interceptions. But the NFL disagreed with that assessment, and 4,500 yards and 31 TDs doesn't begin to tell the story of how much of a team leader Matt Ryan was. His performance in the clutch (see 1st Virginia Tech game) was often astounding, and without him the team wouldn't have been the same. Which brings us to this season, when the Eagles are without him, and are not the same. The experience at QB is so limited that the return of three 500+ yard receivers will be diminished. The running game even loses all its top rushers, including near-1,000-yarder Andre Callender. A bright(er) spot is the offensive line, which has three starters back. And kick return specialist Jeff Smith, who had quit football due to concussions, has returned to compete at running back.
Defense (4 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Defense: #34 Adj. Rush Def: #6 Adj. Pass Def: #115
Great when it comes to the run and dismal as concerns the pass, the defense is the opposite of the offense. The rushing D has a chance to retain much of its luster with starters Ron Brace and Alex Albright (8.5 sacks) returning and much experience back from last year and '06. Only Mark Herzlich returns at linebacker from starting in '07, but again, there is much experience returning including Brian Toal who started in '05 and '06. But the passing defense won't get any better and will probably get worse; for all the yards the Eagles yielded they did intercept a lot of passes, but with leading tackler Jamie Silva, who had 8 picks, gone along with two other starters, that leaves Paul Anderson as the core of the secondary. Though deep in reserves, the defense loses a lot of key people, and the worst area is hit the hardest.
Kicking Game (1 RS): Last year's punter Johnny Ayers had a decent average (40.8) but a great net (36.9); freshman Ryan Quigley, soph Billie Flutie (Doug's nephew), or kicker Steve Aponavicius will be his replacement. The latter may gain the punting job while losing his kicking job; he was just 6 of 12 beyond 30 yards and Quigley and Billy Bennett will push him for that chore. Update: Quigley is the punter, Aponavicius the kicker.
Recruiting: Jeff Jagodzinski's first year was a success on the field, and his 2nd recruiting class was a marked improvement over his first (which was of course during transition). The '07 class ranked around #50 while the '08 class was roughly 25th in the country. The top recruit, running back Josh Haden, is expected to do great things and is already moving toward starting status in camp.
Boston College 2008 schedule & forecast |
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| 8/30 | Sat | @ | Kent State | 66% | W | |||
| 9/6 | Sat | vs. | *Georgia Tech | 60% | W | |||
| 9/20 | Sat | vs. | Central Florida | 58% | W | |||
| 9/27 | Sat | vs. | Rhode Island | 83% | W | |||
| 10/4 | Sat | @ | *North Carolina State | 61% | W | |||
| 10/18 | Sat | vs. | *Virginia Tech | 50% | W | |||
| 10/25 | Sat | @ | *North Carolina | 43% | L | |||
| 11/1 | Sat | vs. | *Clemson | 38% | L | |||
| 11/8 | Sat | vs. | Notre Dame | 61% | W | |||
| 11/15 | Sat | @ | *Florida State | 42% | L | |||
| 11/22 | Sat | @ | *Wake Forest | 42% | L | |||
| 11/29 | Sat | vs. | *Maryland | 47% | L | |||
Favored: 7-5 Projected: 7-5 |
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2008 Season Outlook B.C. didn't dominate on their way to 7-0, but by that time they were in the top five. They faced Virginia Tech at home and for 58 minutes the offense did nothing. Luckily neither did Virginia Tech's, so Matt Ryan's two touchdown drives gave them the 14-10 win. Now 8-0 and ranked #2, the Eagles were vastly overrated and due for a fall, which came courtesy of Florida State, and, in the subsequent game, to Maryland. They managed to beat Clemson and Miami before losing a rematch with Virginia Tech for the ACC title. Falling from a BCS bowl to the Champs Sports Bowl, a letdown was certain, and the Eagles struggled to put away Michigan State.
This season without Matt Ryan will be very different, though it may share some similarities. Looking at the schedule, another opening string of victories is expected; and if they manage to win a very close game with Virginia Tech once again, the Eagles would be 6-0 and probably ranked fairly high! But then come the tough games, and while winning some of them isn't out of the question, it's not likely they'll make it close to ten wins. A decent showing, though, and they'll be going to a bowl game—perhaps even the same bowl game they went to last year armed with 10 victories.
| 48. Kansas State Wildcats |
2007 Results: Record: 5-7 Bowl: n/a Poll finish: n/a
2007 SportsRatings Power Ratings: Strength: #45 Success: #65 Combined: #47
18 JUCO recruits! 20 JUCO recruits! 15...or 17...whatever the exact number, lots of JUCO recruits! Read about Kansas State this year and you'll read all about the mess of junior college players Ron Prince is bringing in for a last-ditch attempt to have a good year and save his job. Except that...he already, just recently, got a big vote-of-confidence contract renewal. I guess that means it worked.
Offense (7 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Offense: #22 Adj. Rush Yards: #81 Adj. Pass Yards: #14
QB Josh Freeman improved a lot last year, completing 63% for over 3,000 yards and 18 TDs vs. 11 INTs. But he owed a lot to leading rusher James Johnson (1,106 yds, 12 TDs) and especially receiver Jordy Nelson (122 receptions, 1,606 yards, 11 TDs), both of whom are gone. The top returning receivers, Deon Murphy and tight end Jeron Mastrud, had about 1/2 Nelson's yards and TDs, and leading returning rusher Leon Patton may not returning at all after law trouble. The best news for Freeman is that his offensive line is 4/5 intact, so he should have more than ample protection.
Defense (5 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Defense: #74 Adj. Rush Def: #45 Adj. Pass Def: #83
The defense collapsed late in the season, and many of the experienced players are gone. Sack specialist Ian Campbell returns on the line, but that's about it. Reggie Walker and Eric Childs return at linebacker, but part-time starter (and leading returning tackler) John Houlik has a DUI charge that may affect his availability early on. Virginia transfer Olu Hall bolsters the corps. The secondary loses about half their total starts, including #1 tackler in '07 Justin McKinney. The losses on defense are substantial, but are being filled by a lot of the aforementioned JUCO transfers (see Recruiting).
Kicking Game (1 RS): Kicker Brooks Rossman (18 of 19 inside the 40, 4 of 9 outside it) returns, but punter Tim Reyer (an excellent 44.5 average) must be replaced. JUCO George Pierson is set to take over.
Recruiting: JUCO is the buzzword of the moment for K-State. The Wildcats have a long tradition of junior college transfers, as the school is not averse to them like some colleges and the state of Kansas has some of the most prominent junior college football programs (e.g. Coffeyville, Butler, Garden City, Fort Scott). This year Ron Prince went JUCO-razy, recruiting 20 in all, at least 15 of whom are in camp. Several have a chance to start, the most likely being: Wade Weibert, offensive line; George Pierson, punter; Jack Hayes and Daniel Calvin, defensive line; Grant Valentine and Ulla Pomele, linebackers; Aubrey Quarles and Attrail Snipes, wide receivers; and Daniel Thomas, running back. Among other recruits, good old-fashioned freshman Logan Dold and walk-on Keithen Valentine are also in the mix for the running back start. Prince takes 'em where he can get 'em: in addition to Valentine, seven other walk-ons were awarded scholarships.
Kansas State 2008 schedule & forecast |
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| 8/30 | Sat | vs. | North Texas | 83% | W |
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| 9/6 | Sat | vs. | Montana State | 80% | W |
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| 9/17 | Wed | @ | Louisville | 54% | W |
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| 9/27 | Sat | vs. | Louisiana-Lafayette | 77% | W |
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| 10/4 | Sat | vs. | *Texas Tech | 32% | L | |||
| 10/11 | Sat | @ | *Texas A&M | 46% | L | |||
| 10/18 | Sat | @ | *Colorado | 43% | L | |||
| 10/25 | Sat | vs. | *Oklahoma | 31% | L | |||
| 11/1 | Sat | @ | *Kansas | 27% | L | |||
| 11/8 | Sat | @ | *Missouri | 26% | L | |||
| 11/15 | Sat | vs. | *Nebraska | 54% | W |
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| 11/22 | Sat | vs. | *Iowa State | 69% | W |
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Favored: 6-6 Projected: 6-6 |
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2008 Season Outlook After five games last season, things were going pretty well. A closer-than-expected loss to Auburn and three wins, the last one a road pounding of Texas, put them on the map. They lost to rival Kansas in a game that was bigger than that game has been in a long time, but crushed Oklahoma-killer Colorado the next time out. The 41-39 loss to Oklahoma State was the first loss of concern, as the Cowboys had been crushed by Troy, and it was the first time the defense failed. The Wildcats beat Baylor and were 5-3 when it started to fall apart; the loss to Iowa State was the low point, but giving up 73 to Nebraska hurt the most. Two more losses followed, the defense yielding 49 and 45 to Missouri and Fresno State.
This year's schedule is kinder in many ways. Prince changed the Fresno State game to one against Montana State, money well spent I'd say. Louisville is down lately, and there are seven home games and two Sun Belt teams. Not much can be done about the Big Twelve this year, and they face four of the top five. Overall six wins look likely, though two are close with only one close loss, so a repeat of 5-7 is pretty likely, too. But the JUCOs are the big question. How good will they be? Normally when adding points for recruiting, I count the last two classes equally, since most freshmen redshirt and play the following year, though some of the better frosh, as well as JUCOs, contribute immediately. When a class is so JUCO-heavy, it can have a huge immediate impact. So if these players come along quickly and fill in all the gaps, the Wildcats could have an 8-4 season. I don't think any amount of JUCOs would make me favor them over Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Kansas, or Missouri this year, however.
| 49. Texas A&M Aggies |
2007 Results: Record: 7-6 Bowl: Lost to Penn State 24-17 (Alamo Bowl) Poll finish: n/a
2007 SportsRatings Power Ratings: Strength: #39 Success: #43 Combined: #39
The Aggies don't return enough starters on the offensive line or defense to compete in the tough Big 12 under first year coach Mike Sherman, but should do okay out of conference.
Offense (5 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Offense: #46 Adj. Rush Yards: #12 Adj. Pass Yards: #88
The Aggies return a lot in the "skill positions," but the O-line (which takes no skill?) is porous. QB Stephen McGee led the team in rushing going over 1,000 (gross) yards and 5 TDs, while passing for 2,300-some and 12 scores. Fullback Jorvorksie Lane (16TDs) and tailback Mike Goodson totalled 1,500 yards combined. All are back, though Goodson is the team's leading returning receiver as well, with only Pierre Brown back among the starting receivers and tight ends. And together Travis Schneider and Michael Schumard add up to one returning starter on the line, where three full-time, 3+ year starters are lost along with two more part-timers. Now we'll find out how well those "skill positions" do with a rebuilt offensive line, and running a new offense, to boot.
Defense (5 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Defense: #35 Adj. Rush Def: #53 Adj. Pass Def: #40
The front seven isn't looking too great these days. Only one starter returns among all the defensive line and linebacking positions, Cyril Oziozor at defensive end. Gone are linebackers Mark Dodge and Misi Tupe, the team's leading tacklers. There is some experience to fill the holes, as 19 2nd and 3rd-string reserves return on defense, and some good recruits can help too. The secondary is stocked, returning five players who started half-time or more, and adding full-time starter Jordan Pugh (the fifth from the 3-3-5 they ran last year) to make up for the loss of Marquis Carpenter. The team's top four returning tacklers reside in the secondary, and it got so crowded that backup safety Kenny Brown and corner Chevar Bryson moved to wide receiver where there's less competition. The pass defense will likely improve further while the rush defense becomes much more questionable.
Kicking Game (1 RS): As if the Aggies weren't already low on returning starters, kicker Matt Szymanski transferred to SMU this summer. He missed only one out of 47 PATS and kicks inside the 30, but was just 8 of 18 outside that range. Punter Justin Brantly returns, though; he averaged 44.2 and netted 39.2, both fantastic numbers.
Recruiting: You can't judge a coach's recruiting by his first year, but the 2008 class was great, easily one of the top 25 in the country, and notably better than '07, which wasn't too bad itself. Wide receiver Jeffrey Fuller may start, and others should contribute on defense such as JUCO Matt Moss.
Texas A&M 2008 schedule & forecast |
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| 8/30 | Sat | vs. | Arkansas State | 71% | W | |||
| 9/6 | Sat | @ | New Mexico | 56% | W | |||
| 9/20 | Sat | vs. | Miami (Florida) | 63% | W | |||
| 9/27 | Sat | vs. | Army | 84% | W | |||
| 10/4 | Sat | @ | *Oklahoma State | 43% | L | |||
| 10/11 | Sat | vs. | *Kansas State | 54% | W | |||
| 10/18 | Sat | vs. | *Texas Tech | 32% | L | |||
| 10/25 | Sat | @ | *Iowa State | 62% | W | |||
| 11/1 | Sat | vs. | *Colorado | 51% | W | |||
| 11/8 | Sat | vs. | *Oklahoma | 31% | L | |||
| 11/15 | Sat | @ | *Baylor | 61% | W | |||
| 11/28 | Fri | @ | *Texas | 34% | L | |||
Favored: 8-4 Projected: 7-5 |
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2008 Season Outlook The Aggies couldn't get over the hump last year, which is not surprising considering the distractions concerning coach Dennis Franchione. After starting 3-0, they were trashed by Miami 34-17 (the score was much closer than the game). At 5-1, they visited Texas Tech and emerged a 35-7 loser. They dumped Nebraksa to go 6-2, but lost three straight to the Big Twelve's best teams. A&M finally got a big win, beating Texas, but lost to Penn State 24-17 in the Alamo Bowl.
Though they won't beat Oklahoma once again, and Texas and Texas Tech are just as tough, they don't have to play Kansas or Missouri this year. The Colorado game is a tossup I've given them for being at home. The off-season schedule is better, too, with New Mexico replacing Fresno State (a good thing, this year) and #120 ranked army on the slate. They get Miami at home this year and I think they'll win it. All in all, eight wins is a possibility, though 7-5 is probably more realistic given the tightness of some of the wins. Not bad for a team with only ten starters back, but then, they do return the "skill" positions :)
| 50. Nebraska Cornhuskers |
2007 Results: Record: 5-7 Bowl: n/a Poll finish: n/a
2007 SportsRatings Power Ratings: Strength: #55 Success: #64 Combined: #57
Will Bo Pelini be the savior the Husker Nation is looking for? Probably, but not this year.
Offense (6 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Offense: #17 Adj. Rush Yards: #47 Adj. Pass Yards: #8
Gone is Sam Keller, who promised to bring many 400+ passing yard games with him from Arizona State. As it turned out, Joe Ganz had more 400 yard games in his three starts than Keller did in nine. Keller (63%, 2,422 yds, 14 TDs, 10 INT) never truly clicked at Nebraska, while Ganz (59%, 1,435 yds, 16 TDs, 7 INT) stepped in like he'd been there for years...which he had. Ganz returns for his senior year, and there will be no breaking-in period necessary. 1,000 yard rusher I-back Marlon Lucky (9 TDs) returns, so the offense already has good options left over from a pretty strong season. Leading receiver Maurice Purify (9 TDs) is gone, in fact only Nate Swift returns of the starting pass catchers, but Pelini plans to return somewhat to Nebraska's ground-game roots anyway. This requires a Nebraska-style offensive line, and this season's should be up to it. Due to injuries last season the starts were spread out over several players. Center Jacob Hickman and tackle Lyndon Murtha are back, while Matt Slauson and Mike Huff rotated at guard, and both started full-time in '06. Two other linemen started a handful of games on the Husker line.
Defense (6 RS) '07 Adj. Scoring Defense: #93 Adj. Rush Def: #105 Adj. Pass Def: #54
Pelini, a defensive coordinator by trade, has to bring back the Blackshirts. Last season's rushing defense was pathetic by any standards, let alone Nebraska's. The rushing defense starts, of course, with the front four, and all four are back along with all of their backups save tackle Kevin Dixon, whom Pelini dismissed before fall camp. They're the same players that finished 105th in the nation, but they should be one year bigger, faster, stronger, and better. The question is, what is the normal expectation of improvement in such a situation? Whatever the answer, Pelini has to make these guys go beyond that expectation; since defense is his area, next year's rush defense ranking will be a good measure of his coaching abilities. The linebacking corps is the just opposite, though—no starters return. #1 tackler Steve Octavien and the #3 and #5 tacklers must be replaced. The pass defense wasn't horrible, at least compared to the rush defense, and especially considering how poorly the line pressured the throw. Two starters, Armando Murillo and Larry Asante, return in the secondary.
Kicking Game (2 RS): Nebraska tries very few field goals recently, I've noticed. But Alex Henery was 8 for 8, all on short kicks, and 45 of 45 on extra points. He's back and so is longer-range kicker Adi Kunalic, who was 1 for 1. Maybe Pelini will get more use out of these guys than Callahan did? Punter Dan Titchener, who netted 36.3 in '07, is back for '08 too.
Recruiting: Nebraska was one of the elite recruiting schools for decades. But under Frank Solich, the classes slipped outside the top 25. Bill Callahan actually pulled things up, including a top ten class in 2005. His last class in '07 was still in the top 25. With another coaching change and last season's turmoil, the '08 class was on the cusp, and four of that group are still not on the roster as of mid-August. Pelini's NU credentials should help restore the recruiting pecking order, but winning would help, too.
Nebraska 2008 schedule & forecast |
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| 8/30 | Sat | vs. | Western Michigan | 65% | W | |||
| 9/6 | Sat | vs. | San Jose State | 74% | W | |||
| 9/13 | Sat | vs. | New Mexico State | 80% | W | |||
| 9/27 | Sat | vs. | Virginia Tech | 50% | L | |||
| 10/4 | Sat | vs. | *Missouri | 33% | L | |||
| 10/11 | Sat | @ | *Texas Tech | 24% | L | |||
| 10/18 | Sat | @ | *Iowa State | 61% | W | |||
| 10/25 | Sat | vs. | *Baylor | 67% | W | |||
| 11/1 | Sat | @ | *Oklahoma | 24% | L | |||
| 11/8 | Sat | vs. | *Kansas | 33% | L | |||
| 11/15 | Sat | @ | *Kansas State | 46% | L | |||
| 11/28 | Fri | vs. | *Colorado | 51% | W | |||
Favored: 6-6 Projected: 6-6 |
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2008 Season Outlook 2007 didn't start out too bad, but soon became a disaster. A stomping of Nevada and narrow win over Wake Forest would look more impressive later on; at the time the 52-10 opener was considered a warmup, and the Deacons weren't supposed to be good. After getting drubbed by USC 49-31, columnists declared the Trojans the best team of all time rather than noting that the Huskers might be suspect. The 41-40 escape at home vs. Ball State really got people wondering what exactly was happening to the defense.
The answer was, it was collapsing. Missouri put up 41, Oklahoma State 45, Texas A&M 36. NU had Texas down, but Jamaal Charles singlehandedly ran through the Blackshirts and took the game back. Then came the lowest moment of the year, when Kansas scored 76 points. Ganz made his debut as starter and scored 5 TDs. Bizarrely, they scored 73 next week in beating Kansas State, and people wondered where this offense had been all year with Keller. The final loss at Colorado was a shootout, which the Buffs won 65-51.
The 2008 team has roughly the same talent level as a year before. If the Huskers are going to do considerably better, then the coaching has to be the difference. It's a good year to test Bo Pelini. If the team does considerably better or worse than .500, he deserves some credit or blame. Winning the games listed, plus the close ones vs. Virginia Tech and at K-State, would be a strong showing at 8-4. 9-3 would be a great year, since they'd have to beat one of the Big 12's big four this year. Likewise, losing any of the first five games marked W while falling below last year's record would make me wonder if Pelini is the right man for the job; with eight home games, 5-7 is the worst they should do under any circumstances.
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