Predicting college football's most improved teams (3. wisconsin, 9. Nebraska)

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Can’t believe all the pre-season love Fickell is getting. Maybe it is deserved. But each new coaching destination comes with a unique set of challenges. Wisconsin has advantages Cincinnati doesn’t, but Wisconsin plays a tougher schedule than Cincy. And if Mordecai is Mertz 2.0, …Neither Fickell nor Rhule should start off as badly as Scott Frost (because neither has the breadth and depth of Frost’s character flaws), but I have a hard time just handing the West to Fickell before a snap has been played.
 
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Leading a CFB program to winning is a lot harder in the B10 than it is in AAC, B12, or Big East. As a new coach, unless you're coaching tOSU and maybe Michigan, you don't deserve the pre-season optimism. The floor of decent programs is pretty high in the B10, so again, unless you're tOSU, you cannot fall back on talent alone to cover your miscues. Having said that, I might make an exception for Nebraska because of just how bad things have been. But to be honest, I'm torn on who most to blame for Nebraska's failure, Frost or the whole program itself? I honestly don't know.
 


You’d think it’d be hard for Nebraska to get any better after landing on this list for about five years in a row now.
 



Both opponents will be a load. I don’t for see either game as a blowout. In fact, I would be extremely happy with a split.
 

Bill Connelly of ESPN has a B1G West Division preview on ESPN+.
based on their SP+ system --
1. Wisconsin 8.8 wins - 6.1 conf wins
2. Iowa 8.1 wins - 5.6 conf wins
3. MN 6.8 wins - 4.6 conf wins
4. Illinois 6.5 wins - 4.3 conf wins
5. Purdue 5.6 wins - 3.6 conf wins
6. Nebraska 6.2 wins - 3.6 conf wins
7. Northwestern 3.7 wins - 1.7 conf wins

for Wisconsin, Connelly seems to think that the hiring of Phil Longo as OC is the key to the season.

On Nebraska, Connelly says Rhule is a good coach, but it will take 3-4 years to revamp the program from where Frosty left it.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Bill Connelly of ESPN has a B1G West Division preview on ESPN+.
based on their SP+ system --
1. Wisconsin 8.8 wins - 6.1 conf wins
2. Iowa 8.1 wins - 5.6 conf wins
3. MN 6.8 wins - 4.6 conf wins
4. Illinois 6.5 wins - 4.3 conf wins
5. Purdue 5.6 wins - 3.6 conf wins
6. Nebraska 6.2 wins - 3.6 conf wins
7. Northwestern 3.7 wins - 1.7 conf wins

for Wisconsin, Connelly seems to think that the hiring of Phil Longo as OC is the key to the season.

On Nebraska, Connelly says Rhule is a good coach, but it will take 3-4 years to revamp the program from where Frosty left it.
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I can see if folks think that WI will be good because they were already talented, so not much change needed to get them competitive and possibly ranked. But that's not the situation here.

They are tearing the house down to the studs with brand new HC, OC, QB who have not worked together before and deploying a brand new, completely different offensive scheme. Hard to predict how it will turn out.

Also, it is implied and assumed that WI defense will remain elite, but they have new coaches there too. Not sure success on that side is guaranteed either.
 




The Fickle and Rhule hires gave Wisconsin and Nebraska instantaneous buzz. It may seem unfair to the Gophers. They have not won a title or made huge national noise. They missed opportunities by one or two games they should have won easily.

Winning the last Big Ten West title will be difficult with their schedule in the Big Ten this season.
 
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jonnyganas said:
I can see if folks think that WI will be good because they were already talented, so not much change needed to get them competitive and possibly ranked. But that's not the situation here.

They are tearing the house down to the studs with brand new HC, OC, QB who have not worked together before and deploying a brand new, completely different offensive scheme. Hard to predict how it will turn out.

Also, it is implied and assumed that WI defense will remain elite, but they have new coaches there too. Not sure success on that side is guaranteed either.
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to be clear - when I say the writer saw the new OC as the key to the season - the issue is "if it works or not."

his point goes like this:

if the new OC can successfully bring in a wide-open passing scheme to WI and incorporate it with the traditional running game, then WI could indeed make a big splash. But if it takes longer to put in the new system or get the pieces to fit, then WI could struggle at least in the first year.

if it works, good for WI. if it doesn't work - at least not right away - then not so good for WI.

if you have ESPN+, it's worth reading. long and detailed article - and he's doing the same for just about all of the D1 conferences.
 

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