2014 Nebraska Football Preview

Its finally upon us!!  The Nebraska Cornhuskers will take the field this Saturday and embark on Bo Pelini’s 7th season at the helm.  It will be GLORIOUS.  Food will be cooked, beers will be had and yes tears will be shed.  It is, without question, my favorite past time.  Watching the Scarlet and Cream come out of that tunnel gives me chills.  Through the next few months we will watch this season unfold.  Once again the Huskers start the 2014 season with great expectations.  That is the way things are in Lincoln.  Husker fans expect championships.  To that end, I expect a very good team this fall.  There is talent at every position, including difference makers at RB, DE and WR.  This is a team with questions for sure, but that is true of most teams in August.  The pieces are in place and with some adjustments, I believe the Big Red should contend for both a division and a conference title.

The Husker Offense comes back after a disappointing season in 2013.  This unit was expected to be one of the best in the country, but injuries to Taylor Martinez and several Offensive Lineman derailed those expectations.  This year there is promise and unfulfilled potential.  Tommy Armstrong appears to be the day 1 starter after making 8 starts in 2013.  Although he went 7-1 in those starts, Armstrong must improve on his paltry 52% completion percentage and 9/8 TD to Int ratio.  QBs typically mature after their first season of action, so a jump in production is to be expected.  This Offensive Line returns just 1 starter from opening day last year but each of the projected starters has seen significant action  Jake Cotton and Colorado transfer Alex Lewis will lead this newly formed line, which I expect to be pretty damn good.  Offensive Line coach Jon Garrison did, in my opinion, a pretty good job with the patchwork line last season.  I am eager to see what he can do with a clean slate.  The best position group on this team lies at RB.  NU returns warrior Ameer Abdullah, bruiser Imani Cross and the lightening fast Terrell Newby.  Even with the loss of Adam Taylor, the RBs are absolutely stacked in 2014.  A major question for the Offense is at WR.  Everybody knows Kenny Bell will man one spot, but the other is a major concern.  Taariq Allen, Alonzo Moore, and Brandon Reilly are all potential candidates for the other WR spot. Each of these receiver posess the ability, but which of them will earn the position and the responsibility and take the pressure off Bell?  Overall I expect the Offense to be more than sufficient in 2014.  There are areas of concern, but there are capable bodies and untapped potential at each spot.  It is up to the coaching staff to realize that potential and mold this unit into an effective, productive unit.

As for that Offensive coaching, I would like to see a change in approach.  For years we have heard about Tim Beck and his desire to be multiple.  That means he wants to have an Offense that does many things, to keep the defense on its heels.  I say horse shit.  Ive seen enough multiple to last a lifetime.  I would prefer an Offense that finds what it does well and sticks with it.  What has the bread and butter been the last few years?  I have no freaking clue.  Sometimes it appears that Beck chooses plays at random.  I have to think this “multiplicity” is at least partially to blame for NU’s turnover bug the last few years.  I would like to see an Offense that is more conservative, capable of moving the sticks, controlling the game and protecting the Defense.  Too often in 2013, the Offense left the Defense hang out to dry with 3 and outs and turnovers.  A conservative attack could help prevent those things from happening.  I would also like to see a 60/40 run to pass ratio for the Big Red.  Beck should lean heavily on the Offensive Line and stable of stud RBs.  The Huskers could run the ball in a wide variety of ways, but however they do it, just  feed Ameer Abdullah and Imani Cross all fall long.  I would also like Beck to develop a specialized package for Terrell Newby who is said to be the most explosive player on the roster.  I believe if a conservative, run based approach were implemented the Huskers could cut down the turnovers, be more efficient and ultimately win more games in 2014.

The Defense was a MAJOR question going into 2013.  There were few certainties across the board.  The Blackshirts were breaking in a brand new front 7 as well as new safeties.  Early on, it was UGLY.  There was a near disaster in the season opener against Wyoming, an absolute meltdown against UCLA and a humbling at the hands of the Minnesota Gophers.  As the season wore on this unit grew up.  Surprisingly, by seasons end this Defense was pretty damn good.  DE Randy Gregory made a name for himself with his freakish athleticism and tireless tenacity.  Michael Rose grew into the MLB role and set the freshman record for tackles despite only starting 7 games.  Some of the young Defensive Lineman like Vincent Valentine, and Maleik Collins showed some promise.  This year, I expect big things from the Husker Defense.  Back is Gregory, Collins and leading tackler Cory Cooper.  There is speed and athleticism at every position on the Defense.  The young D-Line should be a force for NU this season.  The LBs should likewise be productive even with the loss of Michael Rose to a preseason ACL injury.  One big concern for the Defense is who plays one of the corner spots.  Josh Mitchell has one side locked up but the other is a mystery.  Auburn transfer Jonathan Rose and Beatrice product Daniel Davie are both capable replacements but one of them needs to step up and take the bull by the balls.  I think that will happen and this Defense could be one of the Big 10’s best.  There is potential all over the field, but like the Offense, it is up to the coaching staff to put them into positions to be successful.

Like the Offense, the Defensive coaching must improve in 2014.  Too often last year there was confusion and blown assignments resulting in big plays for opposing offenses  Youth can be blamed for some of that, but the coaching staff deserves the bulk of the responsibility.  Toward the end of the year the Defense improved dramatically by playing more of a pressure type Defense with tight man coverage and blitzes.  They seemed to play much faster toward the end of the year.  This style of defense should be the blueprint for success in 2014.  The Huskers have a real gem in Randy Gregory.  I would like to see him moved around in order to prevent opposing offenses from zeroing in on him.  Getting Gregory 1 on 1 matchups is a key to success for the Blackshirts.  More than anything I want this unit to play fast.  If the defense is too complex, dumb it down and let the players fly to the ball.  Unleash the speed that is apparent at every position.  That wasn’t always the case last year.  I hope the staff learns from some of the missteps that were so abundant early on in 2013 and make this unit amongst the best in the country.

The schedule this fall is not kind.  The folks at the conference office stuck NU with all big games on the road.  Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Iowa are all away from Memorial Stadium.  Pelini’s teams are typically pretty good on the road.  Still, the road to a divisional or conference title will be tough.  But that is why Pelini and company make the big bucks.  Excuses wont bring a title to Lincoln.  The Huskers will have to go out each Saturday for the next 3 months and prove it.  Once again there are plenty of questions for this squad, but I believe these are manageable issues that should not prevent NU from contending for a championship in 2014.

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2014 College Football Playoff Picks

Well folks, its here.  Our troubles are over.  The solution to all of our problems has arrived.  At long last College Football has a playoff.  Fans and media alike have been clamoring and crying for this my whole life.  Finally, an end to the bitching and complaining that surrounds the great game of College Football…….WRONG!!!  This 4 team playoff will do little to quell the outrage fans around the country will feel.  In fact, I believe this system may add fuel to the fire.  Now there will be several teams that feel they should be in the top 4 and the Championship playoff.  The bitching has not ended, it has only begun.  Regardless, here are my playoff picks for the 2014 season.

#1 Florida State-  Easy pick.  The Noles may be the best team in the nation and have a manageable road to the Playoff.  Are there good teams on the schedule?  Absolutely, but none capable of beating FSU at their best.  The only way Florida State does not make the playoff is if complacency or boredom set in.  I don’t think Jameis Winston and Jimbo Fischer will let that happen.  Put me down for the Noles rolling through the regular season unscathed and perhaps untested.

#4  South Carolina- This pick will surprise some.  The Gamecocks will get in by defeating Alabama in the SEC title game.  As the winner of the nations best league South Carolina gets into the playoff with 2 losses.  This will anger some, but ultimately SC has a damn good case for their inclusion.  Look for South Carolina to be spearheaded by a fast defense and a dependable offense.  RB Mike Davis is a god damn stud and Steve Spurrier will do his best job to date in Columbia.  SC will win its first conference title since 1993.

#2  Michigan State- I had the Buckeyes in this spot, hell I had them winning both the conference and the whole freaking thing.  I just cant see it with the injury to Braxton Miller.  I dont know that I can remember a preseason injury that derailed a contender’s chances like this one.  Sparty will be a worthy, and undefeated, participant in this playoff.  Their offense will be better than last year and while the defense will take a step back, it will still be ravenous.  Mark Dantonio is one of the best coaches in the country and folks will finally give him his due.  Look for the Spartans to finish the season as an undefeated conference champion, ready to make some noise in the playoff.

#3 Alabama- Herein lies the turd in the punch bowl.  Sparty, FSU and South Carolina will all be conference champs, each deserving of their place in the inaugural playoffs.   Alabama will not.  The Tide will get in based upon SEC love and their recent accomplishments.  Paul Finebaum will do so much politicking, you would think he is running for Senate.  I see Bama losing at least one game in the regular season, possibly to Ole Miss or LSU,  and then again in the SEC title game.    Still, they will be chosen over a few excellent, worthy squads.  This will cause outrage in several college towns across the country.

THE COLD SHOULDER- a few teams with a legitimate beef.

Baylor- The Bears will once again impress fans across the country by lighting up scoreboards.  Art Briles knows how to coach and Bryce Petty is surgical that offense.  Look for the Bears to tear up Big 12 defenses like they are made of cheap tissue paper.  Petty will be up for all kinds of accolades and the Bears will repeat as Big 12 champs.  They will slip up somewhere along the way and it will keep them out of the playoff.  The Bears gripe with the system will be highly justified.

UCLA- This is the year the nation will stand up and take notice that the Pac 12 is the deepest conference in the country.  There are several good to very good teams in this league.  UCLA will win this league but will do so with a blemish or two on its resume.  This team is as good as any nationally.  The Bruins will play a comparable schedule to Alabama and they will win their conference.  But the Bruins will be snubbed.  Folks out west will cry a foul but it will not matter.  No team west of the Mississippi will make the playoffs.

Clemson- Obviously the Tigers will not win the ACC, but they will be very, very good.  Their defense could be downright ridiculous.  I see them losing to FSU and to South Carolina, both playoff teams.  Their 2 losses will be better than the 2 losses of Alabama, thus giving them a legitimate argument for their inclusion.  Again, Alabama is simply a sexier addition to the playoffs and, as a result, the Tigers will be on the outside looking in.

I originally had the Buckeyes winning the whole enchilada.  I still think its an formidable team, loaded on the D-line, and with weapons aplenty.  But the loss of Miller will be far too much to overcome.  As it stands I’ll pick South Carolina and Michigan State to upset Florida State and Alabama in the semifinals.  The country will moan and groan about how the two best teams aren’t in the championship game.  Playoffs dont always give you the desired matchup in the title game.  This title game will be an absolute dog fight between two ultra physical squads.  I’ll take the South Carolina Gamecocks to grind it out and surprise everyone and win the National Championship.

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ACC Picks

The Florida State Seminoles are easily the best team in the ACC.  Its that simple.  The defending national champions are LOADED.  The Noles return 4 starters on the Offensive Line, leading receiver Rashad Greene, and of course Jameis Winston. Last year that Offense put up mind boggling 51 points per game in conference play.  Winston was terrific, winning every conceivable award while completing 67% of his passes and throwing 40 TDs.  This unit will again be amongst the nations best.  The Seminole defense has some holes to fill from last year, but that is more than managable for a program that has been white hot the last few years.  I expect the replacements, along with mainstays Mario Edwards and Terrance Smith, to be more than adequate.  There might be some growing pains but they wont last long.  When the rubber meets the road Jimbo Fischer will have this team clicking on all cylinders.  This team is good, god damn good.  Florida State will easily win the ACC, and play for a bigger prize.  This team is legit.

I want to give some kudos to Clemson.  In most other divisions, this team would be the favorite.  Clemson has broken out of the role of underachiever and now is comparable with any team in the country.  Dabo Swinney isn’t the best coach, but he is smart enough to hire the best coordinators.  Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris is going to be a head coach somewhere soon and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was a damn good one.  This year the Tiger offense will take a step back with their significant losses.  Gone are Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant.  Chad Morris knows how to run an offense.  The Tigers will be fine.  The defense will be the BEST in the ACC.  They return 9 of their top 11 tacklers from a unit that was exceptional.  Vic Beasly led the ACC in sacks last year and will return to wreck havoc on the rest of the ACC.  Stephone Anythony will be the best defensive player in the ACC and this unit will make the rest of the nation take notice that Clemson is here to stay.  Its just unfortunate that they share a division with FSU.

Picking the Coastal division is an exercise in futility.  First, the winner has NO CHANCE IN HELL of beating Florida State.  None.  Secondly, what separates each of these teams?  There are as many as 5 teams that you can logically say could win this division.  Are any of them really good?  I dont think so.  I regard Duke, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Georgia Tech as slightly above average, but nothing more.  Each of these teams have their upside, but their flaws as well.  I would like to make a bold, definitive claim that one of these will win the division, but that would be a lie.  I cant separate these 5.  They are the murky middle of the conference.  None are great, none are poor.  Its a sea of average in the middle of this conference.  I suppose, for the sake of consistency, I will pick one of them, but it is with no real confidence.  So I will select Virginia Tech because I prefer Frank Beamer and Bud Foster to the rest of the coaching staffs.  The Hokies will be the sacrificial lamb lead to slaughter in Charlotte in early December.  Tech will have no freaking chance.

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Big 10 Picks

The Big 10 gets a bad rap.  Its become something of a punch line for fans around the country.  Folks regard the brands and style as bland and out dated.  The talking heads over at the worldwide leader don’t help matters.  Big 10 football is tough, rugged, hard nosed football.  It warms my heart.   Im here to tell you this conference is pretty good, and getting substantially better.  Urban Meyer has turned Ohio State into a perennial National Title contender, Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State squad finished 2013 with a Rose bowl victory and a top 5 ranking.  Nebraska has won 9 or more games in each of the last 6 seasons, a claim only a few programs can make.  James Franklin and Gary Andersen are both poised for successful runs at Penn State and Wisconsin respectively.  Even traditional cellar dwellers like Minnesota and Indiana are improving.  This league is full of teams that are trending upward.  I suspect this trend continues in 2014.  Making these picks was quite difficult, considering the number of contenders and new divisions.  I may have egg on my face by seasons end.  Regardless, here goes.

In the East its a battle between the league’s 2 best teams.  Michigan State and Ohio State are the clear class of this conference.  The Spartans do it, primarily, with defense.  They play a tough, physical, fast brand of defense.  This unit is flat out nasty.  Last season they lead the conference in points per game, rushing defense and total defense.  Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi is as good an assistant as there is nationally.  The Spartan defense looks like a pack of wolves in green.  Its a beautiful sight.  What made the Spartans so great last year was the fact that the offense figured it out.  QB Connor Cook went from being a caretaker to a playmaker.  His even keel nature and sharp accuracy paved the way for an offensive breakthrough.  This transformation made the Spartans one of the best teams toward the end of the season.  Cook returns, along with top rusher Jeremy Langford who ran for over 1400 yards last season.  The offense’s experience, and the return of Marcus Rush, Kurtis Drummond and Taiwan Jones on defense, could make Sparty scary good in 2014.  Unfortunately for MSU, they will be ousted by the Buckeyes.

Ohio State too is coming off a terrific season.  The Buckeyes averaged an astounding 6.8 yards per rush in 2013.  That was the best in the nation.  QB Braxton Miller should again be fantastic.  Last year he ran for over 1000 yards and threw for over 2,000.  Urban Meyers offense is predicated on spreading out defenses and then exploiting that weakness.  He is pretty damn good at it, particularly when he has superior personnel.  Look for WR Dontre Wilson to have a breakout campaign in 2014.  Wilson has speed to burn and will be used in a wide variety of ways, much like Percy Harvin was at Florida.  However, it will be the defense that will vault the Buckeyes to the conference title.  Noah Spence and Joey Boza will wreek havoc up front for Ohio State.  These two are a couple of animals.    The key date for is November 8th when the Bucks go to East Lansing for a monster showdown.  This game will ultimately determine the division champ.  Sparty may be at home, but I like the Buckeyes to go in there and steal one.  It will be payback for last seasons Big 10 title game that cost the Bucks a shot at the National Title.  Both Sparty and the Bucks are serious contenders to play in the inaugural 4 team playoff, but Ill hold off on those predictions until another day.

The Big 10 West lacks a true front runner.  There are a few key contenders, but they all have their share of issues.  There is the Iowa Hawkeyes, whose toughness on the lines makes them a serious threat.  The Hawkeyes pound the ball with a 240 lb battering ram named Mark Weisman.  The problem for the Hawkeyes is replacing their LB core from last year.  Anthony Hitchens, James Morris and Christian Kirksey, these 3 led the team in tackles and formed the best LB core in the conference.  Replacing that production will be a tall order.  They will be sorely missed in Iowa City.  Iowa also lacks a true outside threat.  Kevonte Martin Manley led the team with 388 yards in 2013.  Thats not a lot of production from that position.  The lack of a deep threat will allow Hawkeye opponents to load up on Weisman and the run game.  One dimensional teams typically don’t win Championships.  For these reasons I cannot pick the Hawks as my Big 12 West winner.

Likewise Northwestern appears to have a realistic shot at the division.  The Wildcats Have a talented receiving core with its top 2 receivers returning as well as USC transfer Kyle Prater.  Last year, Veneric Mark was among the hobbled, playing in just 3 games.  Mark is an explosive playmaker at both RB and kick returner.   He is lightening in a bottle for the Wildcats.  The key offensively is Trevor Siemian, who must improve.  If he does, and Mark stays healthy, this offense could be exceptional.  The defense looks solid as well.  NW returns 12 of its top 14 tacklers from a year ago including Chi Chi Ariguzo, who is one to watch.  Last year the Wildcats lost 5 close conference games including to Ohio State, Nebraska and Michigan.  The talent is there in Evanston.  The issue for Northwestern is the schedule.  There are trips to Penn State, Iowa and tough home games against Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan.  That is tough road for the Wildcats. They wont be able to climb that mountain.

On paper I think Nebraska might be the best team in the west.  The Huskers return their top 5 tacklers, top 4 rushers and 5 of their top 6 receivers.  There are studs like Ameer Abdullah, Randy Greggory and Michael Rose.  The Huskers have the potential to be amongst the best teams in the conference.  The problems for the Big Red are two fold. First the schedule is brutal.  The Huskers go to Michigan State, Northwestern, Iowa and Wisconsin.  Yowza!!  I think the talent exists in Lincoln to navigate the schedule.  The chief problem for the Huskers lies in the mirror.  The Huskers have led the league in turnovers the last 2 seasons and it wasn’t close.  Nebraska also led the conference in penalties and are known to lay an egg at least once a year.  It seems the Big Red shoot themselves in the foot when they can least afford to do so.  Its an epidemic in Lincoln.  If Bo Pelini can rectify some of these errors the Huskers could be the hands down favorite.  I’m skeptical that will happen.

I suppose all of the preceding means I am picking the Wisconsin Badgers to win the West.  The Badgers have their flaws like the rest of the teams in the West.  The Badgers lose 5 of their top 7 tacklers from last year including my personal favorite Chris Borland.  Additionally UW lost all 4 of their top receivers.  There is also talk of an open QB competition between Joel Stave and converted Safety Tanner McEvoy.  These are all negatives for Wisconsin, but the positives are irrefutable.  First the schedule is as about as soft as it gets.  Wisconsin avoids Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State from the East, and gets Nebraska at home.  The schedule maker made life really easy in Madison.    Additionally, the Badgers return 4 road graders, in the form of Offensive line starters from a year ago.  To run behind those bohemoths, All-World thoroughbred Melvin Gordon who averaged nearly 8 yards per carry last year.  8!!  Once again the Badgers should be able to run the ball opponents, which just makes life easier on the rest of the squad.  If Gary Andersen has half of a brain he will ride this Offensive Line and Gordon to a Big 10 West title in 2014.

In the title game I expect the Badgers to put up a hell of a fight, but ultimately will fall to the Buckeyes.

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Big 12 Picks

It seems that the whole damn world is in love with the Oklahoma Sooners.  Everywhere I look “experts” are putting Oklahoma as conference champions with legitimite National title aspirations.  I suppose they recall the last thing they saw.  That was, OU defeating Alabama behind a sterling performance by QB Trevor Knight.  That was an impressive win for sure, but I recall something else from the 2013 Sooners.  I recall a curb stomping at the hands of the Baylor Bears.  Then there was an embarrassment, in Dallas, to the lackluster Horns.  OU benefited from winning 3, single possession conference games last year.  That is not the mark of a team with an overwhelming amount of talent.   Oklahoma does return 8 defensive starters including their top 3 tacklers, and QB Knight.  There is promise in Norman, I just don’t buy it.  First, I am unconvinced that Knight will cement himself amongst the league’s best QBs.  His numbers are not great.  He only started 5 games and had a 9/5 TD/Int ratio.  4 of those TDs came in the Sugar bowl.  The notion that he will step in an be awesome is questionable.  I also don’t believe their talent level is vastly superior to their competition.  Thus, I do not believe the Oklahoma Sooners will win the Big 12.  The question is, who will?

There are a few contenders in this strange, hodge podge conference.  The Texas Longhorns have a new sheriff in Charlie Strong.  Strong will be the kick in the pants needed in Austin.  UT appears to have the horses to contend immediately.  Jonathan Gray and Malcolm Brown form the best RB tandem in the league.  They also return 8 defensive starters and 6 of their top 8 tacklers.  Strong has a terrific history of stout, fast defenses.  He will work wonders with this group.  I just cant hitch my wagon to David Ash.  Ash’s career numbers aren’t bad, but he only played in 3 games in 2013.  If not Ash, who plays QB for the Horns?  Tyrone Swoopes?  Ill pass.  TCU is another viable candidate to win the league.  The Frogs lost 4 close games to conference foes and were riddled by injuries last season.  Gary Patterson brought in a new Offensive Coordinator, Sonnie Cumbie, to install the spread.  They also got the QB to run it in the form of graduate transfer Matt Joeckel and simultaneously return QB Treyvon Boykin to the receiving core.  The Frogs are legitimate contenders, but I cant pick them in the first year with such a different offensive philosophy.  Kansas State will always be a contender as long as Bill Snyder is in Manhattan.  He has the Midas touch.  This year they have a returning starting QB in Jake Waters and perhaps the best WR in the conference in Tyler Lockett.  But I’m not picking the Wildcats either.  Who else?  Okie State?  I don’t thinks so.  Tech?  You’re high.  hmmmm.

That leaves the Baylor Bears as the team with the least amount of warts.  The Bears only return 3 defensive starters, and only 2 of their top 8 tacklers, but the offense will again be among the nations best.  Bryce Petty returns after throwing 32 TDs and just 3 Ints in 2013.  He also ran for 14 TDs.    Baylor returns 5 of their top 6 receivers as well as 800 yard rusher Shock Linwood, who I expect to have a break out year.  This unit could be even better than in was last year when it led the nation in numerous offensive categories including total offense and points per game.  The defense will be a work in progress, and it wont be pretty, but it doesn’t have to be.  There is a WIDE margin for error with this group.  They have to just be good enough.  Opposing teams are going to have a hell of a time keeping pace with this outrageous Bear offense.  Most of my faith in the Bear program stems from my admiration of Art Briles.  He has done a trans-formative, damn near miraculous,  job in Waco.  It was not long ago that Baylor was a laughing stock.  The difference is remarkable.  The turnaround is as great as any Ive ever witnessed and its all due to Briles’ incredible coaching acumen.  Baylor won the conference in 2013 and I am calling for a repeat in 2014.

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Pac 12 picks

The Pac 12 has transformed itself in the last 7-10 years.  It used to be a top heavy conference headed by the big dawgs from Southern Cal.  From 2002 to 2008 the Trojans won at least a share of the conference title and appeared in BCS bowls in EACH of those seasons.  The Trojans of that era were incredible, to be sure, but the conference on the whole was fairly shallow.  These days the Pac 12 is vastly different.  There are several good to great teams in this league.  The conference is far deeper and more competitive than Ive ever seen it.  Most of the teams in the league appear to be getting better.  Better yet, almost all of them are interesting for one reason or another.  Most of this can be attributed to the new coaching blood brought in in recent years.  Mike Leach, Rich Rodriguez, Todd Graham and Chris Peterson have helped overhaul this conference into the most interesting league in the country.  I look forward, with tremendous anticipation, to what the Pac 12 has to offer this season.  Here are my Pac 12 picks for 2014.

The Pac 12 South is an easy pick.  Its a freaking slam dunk, perhaps the easiest pick in all of College Football.  The UCLA Bruins will win the Pac 12 South.  Period.  There are good teams in this division, but none of them matches the quality that the Bruins possess.  QB Brett Hundley shocked many last fall when he announced his return for his Junior season.  I think he would have been a top 10 pick in the draft.  Regardless he returns to a unit, and a team, that is loaded.  The Bruins return 9 offensive starters including 4 O-lineman, and 4 of its top 5 receivers.  Hundley was fantastic in 2013 completing 66%of his passes with a 24/9 Td to int ratio.  He also led the team in rushing with 748 yards and 11 TDs.  Put simply, Hundley is a freaking stud.  The Bruins are similarly talented on the other side of the ball.  Eric Kendricks and All-World Freshman Myles Jack both return at LB for UCLA.  Overall, 5 of their top 7 tacklers, including 7 starters, are back in 2014.  This unit could be downright nasty.  Last year the Bruins ran into a buzz saw in the form of back to back road games at Oregon and Stanford.  This year they do not have such misfortune.  The schedule is tough, but not unmanageable.  There are road games to Texas (in Arlington) and Arizona State, but they get Oregon, Stanford, and USC in the Rose Bowl.  The Bruins have the pieces, and the coaching, to navigate this schedule and come out on top in the Pac 12 South.  There is no doubt about that.  Could they potentially be in play for a bigger prize?  Perhaps, but for now I will call for them to win this division, hands down.

The Pac 12 North is much, much less clear.  There are two juggernauts among the contenders in this division.  Both Oregon and Stanford can lay claim to the position of best in the conference.  They both have the pedigree, and win totals, to back it up.  The Ducks will be the favorite for a variety of very legitimate reasons.  First Marcus Mariota returns under center.  Mariota put up ridiculous, gaudy, video game type numbers in 2013, including a 31/4 TD to Int ratio and over 700 yards rushing.  These border on absurd.  Secondly, Oregon will roll out its usual bevy of explosive offensive weaponry, including 1,000 yard rusher Byron Marshall.  Additionally the Ducks have a favorable schedule schedule including hosting the Cardinal on November 1st.  All these factors clearly point to Oregon winning this division.  But I’m not.  I am picking Stanford to win the Pac 12 North.  Stanford has built an awesome program over the last several years.  The Cardinal have won back to back Pac 12 championships and the 2014 outlook once again looks strong.  Stanford returns 7 of its top 8 receivers to aid developing QB Kevin Hogan.  Hogan, who has had some struggles in his career, is poised for a big year in 2014.  The Defense will have to replace some parts, including departed Defensive Coordinar Derek Mason, but do return monster LB A.J Tarpley.  The schedule is  an absolute minefield, with trips to Washington, Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA.  Logic and reason all indicate that Oregon will win this division.  I am taking a leap of faith in David Shaw and the Stanford program.  I think they will find a way to grind out wins in tough environments.   The Cardinal, with their rugged line play and hard nose style, are built for such a challenge.  Stanford pulls out the Pac 12 North leaving the Ducks once again crying in their beer.

In the end, Ill take the Bruins to oust the Cardinal in Santa Clara for their first conference title since 1998.

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5 Nebraska Football questions for 2014

With the season a couple of months away, it is time to look forward to what 2014 could have in store.  As usual, I expect the Nebraska Cornhuskers to compete for a championship of some kind.  That will always be the expectation when it comes to Big Red football.  I believe the  pieces are there to achieve this goal.  That said, there are a number of  major variables in play.  Here are 5 key questions about the Nebraska Cornhuskers going into the 2014 football season.

How much will Tommy Armstrong improve?
I ask how much because Armstrong must improve in 2014.  He flashed his potential last season, but his numbers are that of a below average QB.  On the season he completed 52% of his passes with a 9/8 TD to Int ratio.  The Huskers finished 11th in the Big 10 in passing Offense.  That simply isn’t good enough.  His accuracy and decision making were both suspect.  I will give him a pass on last season considering he was thrown to the fire with the injury to Taylor Martinez.  I expect improvement from Mr. Armstrong.  I trust that he will learn from the 8 starts he made last year and his accuracy and and decision making will improve.  The question is not if, but how much.  I think Armstrong has the potential to be one of the best in the conference, but he hasn’t shown it to this point.  If he makes the leap, this unit, and this team, could be very good.  His improvement is a requirement for success in 2014.  If improvement is not tangible, then Coach Pelini should look to Johnny Stanton or Ryker Fyfe to lead this offense.

Can the offense be better on 3rd down and cut down on the turnovers?
These categories are the ones that hold the back the unit as a whole.  In NU’s 4 losses they were a combined 15/53 on 3rd down.  That comes to a pathetic 28%.  That statistic has a trickle down effect on the rest of the team.  If the Offense cant stay on the field, then the Defense must pick up the slack.  Too often last year the Offense would go 3 and out and put the defense in a tough spot.  This unit must convert 3rd downs, move the sticks and keep drives alive, for NU to break through in 2014.  Turnovers have also plagued the Big Red in the last several seasons.  There were 3 against Iowa, 5 against Michigan State, 4 against Northwestern, and  3 against Purdue.  Overall NU committed a league high 29 turnovers, 7 more than the next team.  Those figures are staggering.  A team like Nebraska cannot continue to shoot themselves in the foot with such regularity.  A second year QB should help both of these numbers, but overall I question if either of these areas will dramatically improve in 2014.

Will the LB core be the best in the Big 10?
It could be.  This unit is freaking stacked.  That is a far cry from this time last year when LB was a major question mark.  Toward the end of the year I was incredibly impressed with the trio of Michael Rose, Zaire Anderson, and David Santos.  Each of them returns, along with the top 5 tacklers from a year ago.  This might be a homer statement, but I do think these 3 can form the best LB unit in the conference.  Rose, in particular, could be a freaking stud.  Despite only starting 7 games, he was 3rd on the team in tackles.  If he makes the typical jump from Freshman to Sophmore, he may have an All-Conference 2014.  That would be very good for this defense.  Santos and Anderson are both good LBs with speed to burn and there are backups aplenty.  I’m very excited to see the LB’s this fall.

Has Special Teams been addressed?
When I look in the mirror in the morning, I see strands of gray hair.  I attribute these to the play of the special teams last season.  It was horrific, and that is being kind.  The punt return team specifically was painful.  How many times was this units ineptitude responsible for horrible field position?  Too many to count.  There were also several muffed punts, 2 terribly conceived fake punts, an inordinate amount of shanks and simply poor play all the way around.  Pelini and company have vowed to examine the special teams and fix them, but I’ll believe it when I see it.  Place kicker Pat Smith exhausted his eligibility so NU will need to find a kicker as well.  Special teams is a major question mark for the potential success of the Huskers in 2014.  NU cannot break through the 10 win barrier if special teams is as weak as they were in 2013.  Its that simple.

Will the youngsters on the Defensive Line make the jump?
This team is full of young exciting players on the defensive line.  While everyone wants to talk about Randy Greggory, I am equally excited about the slew of big uglies inside.  Coaches and media alike have ranted and raved about Maliek Collins.  Vincent Valentine has shown that he can be a productive player.  Greg McMullen is in line for a starting job.  Aaron Curry was productive at times last season.  Incoming freshman Peyton Newell looks the part.  None of these players have shown they can do it play in and play out.  It is up to D-Line coach Kaz to get these guys to make the leap from part time players to every down studs.  If this happens the ripple effect will be enormous.  If the D-Tackles in the middle can command double teams, that keeps opposing lineman off of Husker LBs.  Additionally the pash rush from the front 4 could be downright nasty.  That would open up a whole world of possibilities for Bo, who can dial up all kinds of pressures and looks.  As always the success of the Blackshirts will hinge on the play of the Defensive Line.  Its incumbent on coach Kaz to get this unit where it needs to be.

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