18 Jan 11 Nebraska Football: Heading For Greatness in 2010? Hold That Thought.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesMake no doubt about it, the first three games of this still young 2010 football season has been nothing short of exciting and foreboding for Husker fans around the country.With the Husker defense showing signs of life in creating more turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, it has been the Husker offense that has been all the rage in Lincoln thus far.With that said, Husker fans need to keep a little even-keeled temperance in what they have witnessed up to date for the 2010 football season.A simple grading scale will bring to light the pluses andCleveland Browns jersey
minuses of this year's Huskers compared to 2009:OFFENSE:QB:Without any doubt, this has easily been the position that has been upgraded the most in 2010 when making a comparison to 2009. Not to take a jab at Zac Lee, but the sheer explosiveness and play-making abilities of Taylor Martinez has been the story of the Huskers this season.Watching the Zone Read being ran by last year's offense was...well, offensive. No spark, no flash, and definitely no ability to be dashing and slashing for runs of 15, 20...and 80 yards.With the pure speed and execution that Martinez brings to the table, the Zone Read has become the staple of the Husker offense.To date, the upgrade at this position is so significant that Husker fans are dreaming of the impossible...a 2010 National Championship.GRADE: A (This could easily be made an A+, but the ability to throw the ball down field can be questioned, and nobody has seen what Taylor can do when the lights shine their brightest.)2009 GRADE: D- (Hard to find a less productive QB situation for the Huskers in the past 50 years than the 2009 Husker edition. One could also have easily ranked this position as 12th in the Big 12 just last year.)RB:With the addition of Martinez, Husker running backs have found running lanes to be much more available and have also shown explosiveness in their own right.While the number of carries for the duo of Helu and Burkhead are down, what they have done with these carries has been a complete night and day switch from last year.However, much like Martinez, this unit has yet to see anything of a solid defense with a solid front seven. That drill will come on Oct. 16 when the Longhorns come a calling. But up till now it is hard to give this unit anything lower than:GRADE: B+ (Could easily be an A if given more opportunities. A solid B+ is nothing to scoff at...)2009 GRADE: B+ (The Huskers simply relied on the power run game in the final 8 games of the season even with the oft-injured Helu and Burkhead. These guys played their hearts out for the Huskers in 2009. The only reason this isn't an A is the sheer lack of production when all is said and done.)WR:Niles Paul and Brandon Kinnie were expected to be the go-to guys entering the season. That hasn't changed after the first three games.The move of Mike McNeill to a slot receiver has shown some signs of brilliance, but hasn't really gelled as of yet. I fully expect McNeill to become more involved with this offense as the season progresses.The only two negatives you can really complain about this unit is the lack of Dallas Cowboys jersey
opportunities and the still frustrating amount of drops that this unit is struggling with...However, we have seen the explosiveness that Kinnie and Paul possess. The real question is who can complement Paul, Kinnie, and McNeill to really open up a passing game that could easily thrive alongside the Huskers rushing attack?GRADE: C+ (Pretty solid grade considering the shear lack of opportunities. I fully expect this unit to gel and get better as the season progresses, but we really haven't seen enough to give them more than a moderate C+ just yet.)2009 GRADE: D (The consistently inconsistent WR play plagued the Huskers in 2009 from this position as countless numbers of balls were dropped, and when plays were made, fumbles often-times followed great efforts out of this group.)OL:With Martinez being the biggest surprise on offense, the Offensive Line hasn't been that far behind. With defenses now giving 8 to even 9 guys in run support, the big uglies up front for the Huskers have more than held their ground thus far.The most impressive part from this group was the 2nd quarter drive against Washington with the score at a still competitive 21-14.Starting at mid-field, the Huskers simply lined up and ran Helu and Burkhead straight down the throat of the Huskies defense to send a message that this game wasn't going to get away from the Huskers. Eight plays later, ending in a 1 yard Martinez touchdown run, and the Huskers were back up by two scores 28-14, and the game was all but over.GRADE: B+ (The depth and somewhat overall injury-free Husker OL has been a solid surprise thus far. The emergence of Jeremiah Sirles at LT, and the continued improvement of Keith Williams and the Husker's C and Guard play has been impressive. This unit will keep getting better all season as long as they stay healthy.)2009 GRADE: D (The 2009 Husker OL was one of the worst the Huskers have seen for quite a while. However, it must be iterated that the Huskers OL from last year incurred countless numbers of injuries throughout the season which included all 5 starters at one time playing hurt or hindered. A tough grade, but results are truly all that really matter. They just weren't there in 2009).OVERALL OFFENSE:GRADE: A (A significant surprise to start the season. Returning an offense that was ranked 99th in the country last year, the Huskers have improved to be the 8th best in the country in overall offensive yardage, and 5th overall in scoring.While it will be tough to maintain those lofty numbers, the 'switch' has definitely been substantial and somewhat awe-inspiring for Husker faithful.One also can't dismiss the new-found explosiveness of this offense that has shown the ability to score a bevy of touchdowns that have traveled over 40 yards or more.)2009 GRADE: D (Doesn't get much worse Denver Broncos jersey
than last year's unit. Actually this is a pretty light grade that one could make a case for giving a solid F. However, one has to take into account the number of injuries and the costly turnovers this unit survived through last year.)DEFENSE:DL:Almost unfair to compare this group to 2009, as that unit one of the best in Nebraska football history.While this unit has yet to produce the huge numbers that last year's unit enjoyed, they have played much better than most fans would be inclined to recognize.Often times, the Huskers DL are simply playing 4 on 5 or 6 on any snap. Rarely using stunts, blitzes, and up-the-field pressure off of the edge, the Huskers front four has been sound in gap assignment, and containment for much of the season thus far.GRADE: C+ (Darn right, this is a tough grade, but keep in mind, I doubt we have even come sniffingly close to seeing the best that this unit can produce.)2009 GRADE: A+ (Easy grade when you consider this unit was one of the best in Husker history.)LB:The loss of Dillard has been significant thus far. We also can't discount the injuries of Sean Fisher and Will Compton prior to the season starting as well.While David, Martin, and Whaley have all shown promise, they have also found themselves out of position in a solid amount of snaps and also failing to call the proper checks on defense to get the Huskers in position to be effective.Look for this position to improve the most during the rest of the season as David and Martin become more and more comfortable with the Pelini schemes. David is an all-star in the making, and when the 'light turns on' for Martin...look out!GRADE: C (Tough? Sure. But this is Husker football, and excellence is to be expected.)2009 GRADE: A- (Likely the most unheralded unit on the Huskers 2009 squad as Dillard was playing at an All Big 12 level during Big 12 conference play.)SECONDARY:Absolutely spectacular. The 4-20 and 71 effort from Jake Locker speaks volumes about this defensive unit. One can easily argue that the Husker DB's are the absolute best in the country.Especially when you consider they have intercepted two of the better QB's in the country a total of 8 times including three of those INT's being taken back for touchdowns.As it stands right now, the Husker pass efficiency ranking is #4 in the entire country.GRADE: A+ (Can it get better? Frightening to say..but yes, it can. With Dennard, Amukamara, Gomes, and Hagg, one can easily argue the Huskers fearsome foursome as the best in the country. Throw in the improving PJ Smith and Rickey Thenarse, and this secondary will rank as one of the best at season's end.)2009 GRADE: A (A solid unit lost both Asante and O'Hanlon that played at an All-Big 12 level last year. A very unheralded unit from last year that didn't get near as much credit as it deserved.)OVERALL DEFENSE:GRADE: B (Solid thus far, especially in the secondary, there are some holes and tightening up that need to be done for this defense to match last year's 'greatness'. While it has been solid, it hasn't been truly 'great'. At least not great Detroit Lions
considering Pelini standards.)2009 GRADE: A (One could easily give last year's unit an A+, especially late in the season, there were enough breakdowns throughout the season to keep this unit from getting that incredibly lofty grade.)SUMMARY:The Huskers have been impressive thus far, but they have yet to really play anybody that would really be considered a good team.With a rather 'easy' schedule staring the Huskers square in the face, the mighty Huskers could be sitting on a dream season.However, as I stated, the schedule has been less than stellar thus far and Nebraska will face much tougher competition along the way in Kansas State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Texas AM to finish the season.While the early results look to be extremely exciting, 'greatness' feelings must be tempered a bit until these Huskers face some serious challenges that surely await them.While 2010 looks to be a breakthrough year for the Huskers; a team that will likely be favored in every contest, a wait and see approach must be taken. 'Could' it be...?Either way, it sure is exciting to talk about Husker football likely being amongst the nation's elite again, isn't it?