When Big Ten Media Days open in Chicago on Monday morning, there will be plenty of "softballs" tossed at coaches and players.
The typical junk that gets asked, that allows for coach-speak or overly generic answers from players.
"What are your goals for this fall?" "What did you do in the offseason?" "How comfortable will the offense be with new quarterback X?"
Blah, blah, blah.
Most of the time, there's very little substance that actually comes from events like these. It's nothing more than a nice, easy way to get everyone back into college football mode, and allow the TV networks to get some stock video to use during the year while filling some air time on the side.
That said, there are legitimate questions hanging over Mike Riley and Nebraska headed into fall camp.
So, as opposed to all the soft and squishy junk you'll likely hear, here's five questions Husker fans SHOULD want answered in Chicago.
What's the plan in the secondary with Chris Jones injured?
Make no mistake - Jones' injury is a big time problem for Nebraska. He was, after all, the Huskers best player on defense.
Maybe not the guy with the biggest upside, and maybe not the guy that would be the center of fan's attention, but when you figure in the whole package (consistency, experience, ability, role), Chris Jones was about as important of a player as you could have found on NU's roster.
So what is to be done, assuming Jones will miss (at least) the first half of the season?
Will Joshua Kalu slide back to cornerback, and Kieron Williams simply move up the depth chart at safety? Or is it as simple as promoting Eric Lee to the starting spot opposite Lamar Jackson?
Is Lee, or Jackson for that matter, really ready for prime time? Will it be a repeat of the great nightmare of 2015 at cornerback?
For what was one of the most solid units on the defensive side of the ball, there are suddenly many questions that will need answered.
What's really going on with the offensive line?
It's the shakiest, and by far most important, position group on offense this season for the Big Red.
End of the day, if the line doesn't take major steps forward, everything else Nebraska is doing on offense won't make a lick of difference.
After last season, NU better hope that the big boys up front had a good offseason of conditioning, a shift in attitude that has been sorely needed, and found the magic elixir to keep everyone healthy.
Because if 2015 and 2016 repeats themselves up front....watch out.
What's going on at running back?
It sure feels like it's going to be Tre Bryant as the number one, and then some combination of Mikale Wilbon and Devine Ozigbo at number two, but some clarity as to the depth chart and the role of the position would be nice.
Beyond that, will Jaylin Bradley figure in at all this season? How many carries (realistically) is NU looking to get out of each of these guys?
At the moment, it feels like there are more questions than answers at this spot.
What's up with Stanley Morgan and Antonio Reed? And are any other players going to miss games?
Chances are, both Morgan and Reed are looking at a suspension to start the year for their off the field issues in Florida over the summer.
But is that where it stops?
Are there any other players that are looking at missing a game or two? Don't forget, the last several seasons have started with multiple guys riding the pine due to offseason missteps.
Don't be surprised if history repeats itself, its just a matter of who, how important they are, and for how long.
What's the whole story with Elijah Blades not making it on campus?
It feels like there's a good bit of clarity with Keyshawn Johnson Jr. and his situation, but there's still the Nebraska side of the Elijah Blades tale to be told.
For his part, Blades has given his account of why he ended up at Arizona Western, but there's always two sides to every story.
For what it's worth, it doesn't appear there was any malicious intent on either side, but at some point, there were unexpected circumstances that arose that caused the deal to fall apart.
Those two, combined with the non-arrival of defensive lineman Deiontae Watts, have taken a toll on NU's 2017 recruiting class. 2018 may prove to be more important than originally thought at several key positions.
