game week

The season for all practical purposes is here.  The teams are in their game week routine and are already game planning their weekend opponents.  It is time for couch potato predictions to flood the net.  I have watched many of the preseason prediction shows and am encouraged by what I hear of the Huskers.  Most agree with what I posted last time and that is if Tommy Armstrong brings Good Tommy  to the games we have a chance to win the West.  If he brings Bad Tommy aka: Turnover Tommy, well, there will be some disappointed Husker fans. 

I made a point to mention the Huskers have the top receiving corps in the Big Ten.  I am not sure Jordan Westercamp can get any better and with guys like Stanley Morgan Jr. and Brandon Reilly are both game breakers.  The most interesting one of the group is De’Mornay Pierson-El.  He has the talent to be All American and when he first started returning punts as a freshman I thought he could be a future Heisman candidate.  Of course, we know about the injuries and the role they have played in his collegiate career but if De’Mornay shows up with something to prove we may have the best offensive weapon no one has heard of.  Most people my age probably remember Johnny the Jet Rodgers.  He was a punt returner and a pretty successful one at that and De’Mornay started to remind me of Rodgers.  Speed, great hands, tight pass patterns, and confidence were Johnny’s attributes and those are the things to look for in De’Mornay. 

The big question in my mind with regard to the receivers has to do with Mike Riley.  I very much wonder how long Coach Riley will stay with TA if he still struggles with turnovers ala 2015.  Riley is not going to waste a season with this stable of receivers while TA stumbles around in the backfield, throwing interception and trying to throw 60 yard touchdowns every other play.  So, one of the keys to success this season is having a prepared, steady, and seasoned backup.  Ryker Fife, who has never thrilled me, must be prepared to step in in the manner of Brook Berringer at a moments notice if Armstrong cannot cut it.  That presents Coach Riley with a real problem.  A.J. Bush figured to play a central role this year until he decided to transfer.  I do not see Fife as another Berringer, unfortunately.  He has not shown an ability to take charge and lead a drive especially with a game on the line.  Mop up duty is one thing…jumping into the middle of a Big Ten game in the second quarter trying to get the team off of top dead center is another thing entirely.  Those of you who saw the Spring Game (I didn’t) may have a different opinion but I think if he were able to lead the Huskers to the Big Ten West championship we would know it by now.  Afterall, he is a senior.  So (sigh) that leaves us Patrick Obrien.  A freshman.  A true freshman at that.  I have a feeling Coach Riley, with his hesitation to pull the trigger on a red shirt for Obrien, may be thinking the same thing.  I hope so anyway. 

But the good news is we are less than a week away before it all starts again.  I hope to write these essays often this season.  I am retired, love to write, need the practice (obviously) and love the Huskers.  I appreciate your interest in my thoughts and hope I have given you something to think about. Generally, when prognosticators start making their declarations this time of year I usually think to myself somewhat cynically that now we know what isn’t going to happen.