Nebraska @ Minnesota
Circa Opener: MIN (-6) | Total: 47.5
If there is anyone out there who is unfamiliar with my college football fandom, well, tonight you will learn. For better or worse, there will be expletives shouted at the TV and I'm sure there will be numerous complaints Tweeted from my account.
I didn't grow up a Nebraska fan, but after attending school there, it was impossible to steer clear of the passion. I love my Huskers (despite them giving me almost nothing to love, athletically speaking) and hope us fans can be proud of the team that takes the field tonight under new Head Coach Matt Rhule.
Not only is the coaching staff new, but practically the whole damn team is.
The most important acquisition, though, is former Georgia Tech Quarterback Jeff Sims.
Sims, during his three years as a Yellow Jacket, tossed 30 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a total of 4,464 passing yards. Sims also tacked on 1,166 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Tonight I expect us Husker fans will get a glimpse of what Sims can bring to the table. A duality of a beautiful throw, when he gets a clean look, and the elusiveness of his ground attack.
The issue?
Well, there are various. Sims is prone to throwing picks, Nebraska just lost their 5-star transfer Tight End, Arik Gilbert, to a burglary charge, and there are going to be numerous hurdles to overcome on both sides of the ball.
The good news?
There is finally an adult in the room; and a competent one at that. No more dumb decisions in the most crucial moments of the game. No more neglecting your job off the field in terms of preparation, recruiting and organization.
Rhule changes all of that.
And he's done it twice before. Rhule has resurrected both Temple and Baylor, and the plan is to make it a trifecta on his resume by adding good ole Nebraska U.
Speaking of coaches, how about the Gophers? Therein lies a man who's not afraid to make a name for himself. Whether it's in a good or bad way, well, that's up for you to decide.
PJ Fleck has always been a character to say the least. And that character was criticized this offseason when former players came out and accused Fleck of mistreatment allegations.
Fleck said the claim had been looked into and there was no wrongdoing found.
Regardless, you'd have to imagine that left an imprint during summer camp. Will Minnesota crumble from the potential disruption, or will they come together amidst the critics and thrive?
Tough to tell.
The Gophers lose their all-time leading rusher, Mohamed Ibrahim (4,668 yards), and also a handful of interior lineman. Sixth-Year Senior QB Tanner Morgan has finally left the building and it is up to Sophomore Athan Kaliakmanis to take over the reigns.
Kaliakmanis appeared in 10 games last season, and threw for 946 yards on 111 pass attempts. He racked up just three passing touchdowns and four interceptions.
Kaliakmanis should have a solid receiving corps to dish it to; it's just a matter of whether or not Fleck let's him throw, or if they continue to lean on the ground attack.
Replacements will also be utilized on this Minnesota defense that, last season, ranked fourth nationally in scoring (13.8) and ninth in yards allowed (295.1).
All in all, there's a lot of turnover for both squads. But, I'm always hesitant in laying big numbers in the first games of the season; especially intraconference games. These teams have had all offseason to prepare for this one game, and with the familiarity of the opponent and their coaching style - I give the slight advantage to the underdog.
Plus, everyone talks about Sims being volatile, but fail to recognize that Kaliakmanis has plenty to prove himself.
Aside from his quality performance at Wisconsin (19-29, 319 yards, 2 TD), the kid has shown minimal reps. I'm not saying he's going to be bad, but there are a lot of unknowns. Too much, in fact, to lay over a touchdown in his first game.
The Husker in me wants to take the points, but I think that will only cause my blood to boil even more than it inevitably will. I do indeed lean Nebraska +7.5, but don't have enough conviction to fully get there. Perhaps a live betting angle is the smart approach.
Let's see how comfortable Sims and Rhule look in their respective roles and then we'll go from there. If anything stands out, like I mentioned - I'm sure you can find me Tweeting about it (@dannyburke5).
Commentaires