Nebraska Cornhuskers Football: Realistic Expectations For 2013
By John Ackeren
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
With local media debating a possible “Scoring Explosion” sequel in 2013 it is easy to get caught up in the hype.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers offense will be explosive, that we know. If they will be able to duplicate the 1983 Huskers is a moot point. This team is playing in a different era with different players and coaches. Yes, Taylor Martinez is poised for a huge year, just like Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell. Yes, Tim Beck is in year three as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator. Yes, Nebraska needs to take a step forward if the program wants to get back to the top.
Anything is possible in today’s college football world. Teams that aren’t expected to be great can turn out to be giants. Some with lofty expectations can be complete duds, just ask USC. The Nebraska Cornhuskers and their fans should have high expectations for 2013, but how high should they be set?
I’ve spent the past few weeks thinking about this team and what should be expected from them this year. I have looked at the schedule and thought that they could easily get to The B1G Ten Championship Game.
Then I look at the roster and think, especially on defense, maybe they are a solid nine or ten win team headed for The Outback Bowl. Maybe Michigan and other conference foes take Nebraska down in the regular season and the Huskers aren’t playing on the first Saturday in December.
I was listening to defensive coordinator John Papuchis on The Legends Radio Show over the weekend. He couldn’t stop talking about how athletic the Husker defense is. He mentioned several young players that he thought would make a big impact. It wasn’t just David Santos and Michael Rose. Josh Banderas, Jared Afalava, Vincent Valentine, Randy Gregory, and Avery Moss seemed to excite Papuchis.
What should be the expectations for a team with a strong offense and unproven defense? Here are three expectations for the 2013 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
1) Nebraska should win at least 11 games
Eleven wins should be expected from The Nebraska Cornhuskers. If they reach 12 wins something magical has taken place. Michigan is probably a loss, Northwestern or Penn State could find a way to upset the Huskers, but Nebraska should be expected to reach 11 wins.
2) Nebraska should play for The Big Ten Championship
As I mentioned, this schedule is more than manageable. Michigan is a heavy hitter, but Nebraska should be able to win the rest of the games on their schedule. Michigan has to play at Northwestern, Penn State, and Michigan State. They also have to play rival Ohio State. Winning three out of those four seems improbable. Nebraska should represent the Legends Division for a second straight year.
3) Nebraska should play in a BCS Bowl Game
Nebraska will have a tough time getting by Ohio State in The Big Ten Championship game. Even with two losses, especially if they are to Michigan and Ohio State, the Huskers should be BCS Bowl bound. Ohio State might be playing in The BCS Championship Game, which means as Big Ten runner up, Nebraska should be playing in The Rose Bowl.