BYB Top 25 Countdown - #16 Nebraska Cornhuskers

The following post is part of the BYB 2013 Preseason Top 25 Countdown. Continue to check in Monday-Friday each week as I count down the Top 25 teams in college football. I swear, even if I flake out and don’t do any other posts, I will continue the countdown.

These picks are a reflection of how I predict the college football season will shake out. I performed a complex formula and broke down each team’s schedule, predicting wins, losses and push games, you know, games that I’m to chicken shit to actually pick a winner. I then ranked the teams with the most predicted wins highest and the teams with the least predicted wins lowest.

This isn’t precise. For example, I have Texas at #23 with six wins, zero losses and six pushes. This means UT could finish 12-0, 6-6 or anything in between. While Texas is ranked low I think the Horns have a great chance at finishing the season ranked high.

The Top 25 is also influenced by other factors like strength of schedule and conference affiliation.  

Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez

Taylor Martinez’ career has been anything but magical. From a meteoric rise to a calamitous injury and decline and now to a painstaking day by day improvement, Martinez has worked to become a quarterback not only known for jaw dropping runs like the one below from the Big Ten Championship, but also for efficient passing and improved footwork and decision making.

As rocky a relationship as Martinez seemed to have with head coach Bo Pelini on the field in College Station in 2010 the fifth year quarterback and the sixth year head coach are tied to each other more so than any other coach and signal caller in the country.

Martinez leads an offense that will be counted on to carry the Huskers while Pelini’s defense continues to struggle and adjust to changing strengths and weaknesses of not only Nebraska’s opponents but to the Huskers’ own revolving door of defensive personnel.



The Huskers were strong running the football again in 2012 as Martinez and running back Ameer Abdullah both tallied 1,000 yards+ on the ground when both had to pick up slack after an injury to Rex Burkhead. With Burkhead gone, Imani Cross will be expected to pick up the remaining carries in the backfield.

The strong running game will allow Martinez good looks in the passing game and improve on a 62% completion percentage that the senior has stated he would like to see get to 70%. Nebraska returns Quincy Enuwa, Kenny Bell and Jamal Turner at receiver. The three players should be able to stretch the field and make defenses pay for loading up the box.

On the other side of the ball, the Blackshirts aren’t the Blackshirts anymore. Since Ndamukong Suh left Nebraska after the 2010 season Nebraska’s defense has continued to plummet and last seasons’ showings against UCLA (653 total yards surrendered) and Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship (70 points, 539 rushing yards given up) were ready examples of how far Nebraska has fallen defensively.

Nebraska returns only three starters on defense but that could present a rare case of addition by subtraction as the younger players may be better suited to Pelini’s objectives. Jason Ankrah has been a consistent pass rusher for the Huskers and played a vital role in helping Nebraska to be, surprisingly, the fourth best pass defense in the nation in 2012.

The rest of Nebraska’s front seven is new but many have logged playing time in 2011/2012. Safety Ciante Evans will be counted on to develop an also young secondary.

Nebraska’s great running and attack and deep play threats should keep them in all their games which gives them no definite losses but a leaky defense will be a liability in all five of the Huskers’ push games, at home against UCLA, Northwestern and Michigan State and road trips to Michigan and Penn State. If the defense lapses significantly all those games can easily get out of hand. I’ve got Nebraska at 7-0-5.

I'm Too Sexy (for Traditional Uniforms)

Adidas has once again rolled out its newest clown costumes known as alternate uniforms for its college football partners for next season.

The company’s past great ideas have included giving Notre Dame dual colored helmets with a navy leprechaun last season and slapping a green shamrock on the side of the helmet two years ago. 

Michigan’s helping of past apocalyptic uniform play didn’t look as bad but it was grotesque enough for the Wolverines to ask out of the annual fashion show in 2013. 

The crowning moment in Adidas’ assault on tradition was Nebraska and Wisconsin’s god awful uniforms in 2012. Needless to say those offerings coupled with Baylor, Louisville and Cincinnati’s neon uniforms in the NCAA Tournament did not whet my appetite for Nebraska’s uniforms to be unveiled for 2013. In fact, to make it worse, I just searched “Adidas NCAA Tournament uniforms” and found an even more sinister plan for the 2014 tourney - Zubaz shorts. 

To make a long story short Nebraska’s uniforms to be worn against UCLA this season…aren’t half bad. Good use of black, despite the fact that the Blackshirts have one foot in the grave, and a return to white helmets. Plus, no gigantic, ridiculous N instead of a number. Well done.  Now, do something about the Zubaz basketball shorts. Zubaz hasn’t been acceptable since Canseco was rocking them. 

It's Nick Saban, Marty! Something Has To Be Done About Nick Saban!

Has anyone seen these future ranking for college football and the NFL on espn.com. I'd put a link to them but they're on Insider. Apparently, the only things ESPN produces that are actually readable or watchable should cost extra but the never ending supply of Skip Bayless and Steven A. Smith (it might be spelled Stephen but I'm not checking because frankly, he doesn't matter as a person) is as accessible as sorority chicks are to Johnny Football.

Anywho, Nebraska came in at a strong, nothing. Nada. Didn't move the needle. Its not discernible what turned ESPN off more - having a 1940's drill sergeant as a coach, playing in a state with more cows than people or recruiting classes with a veritable who's who of Iowa, Kansas and Indiana prep stars.

That said, Nebraska had won nine games or more every year during the Pelini era so saying it won't be in the Top 30 in four years might be a bit of a stretch. And the Huskers' Title Path isn't exactly daunting. The likes of the Leaders Big Ten West include Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana, not LSU, Bama and the Aggies.

Texas Tech was also absent from the list, which after a horrendous few years isn't shocking. But if this is a list based on prognosis then you would have thought the Red Raiders would have received some more love. I'm just excited Business Insider is now saying I didn't piss $80K away entirely. Suns Up, Guns Up!

No reason to go in depth on the NFL future rankings. Everything was pretty much status quo. The Bills were the third lowest ranked team in the NFL. No surprise there. Especially since Buffalo's first round pick this year got this reaction from me.

The one shocker was Dallas coming in at #24. Inept ownership, coaching, scouting and general scheme aside, the Cowboys usually stay in the middle of the pack. Maybe ESPN isn't enthused with the plan to allow this character to call the plays. Understandable.