Welcome, everybody, to the Carriker Chronicles and wish me luck because today I'm going to dare to do the impossible today! I'm going to do this show with two one-year-old twins in my lap so wish me luck! Also, this will be the final Carriker Chronicles until the fall. Today, I want to discuss when the Huskers get back to that elite level of competition.

For me, what is an elite level of competition? It's competing for a national title, competing and participating in the College Football Playoff, it's probably starting out with winning the Big Ten Title. You've got to be out teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, you're going to end up playing in a major bowl game. If you're beating out those teams, playing in a major bowl game, you won the Big Ten Conference, you're probably ranked in the top-10 and odds are you're probably in the College Football Playoff if you're able to do that.

So the question is when will this realistically and objectively happen? In my opinion, this season the Huskers are going to be better. But the schedule is a little bit tougher and also there are some question marks. So I look forward to the 2018 season, a couple seasons from now, and I look at the Huskers and I think they're going to be even better than they are this upcoming season, but that schedule is brutal! I don't have it in front of me right now, but you've got Colorado, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin. Just a really tough schedule.

So for me, I look to 2019. That's going to be a little bit friendlier schedule than 2018, it's the fifth year under Mike Riley. He will have all his guys, they will have either graduated or be seniors, so it will be all his guys. At the quarterback position, you've got either Patrick O'Brien or Tristen Gebbia. Both guys I love, and I kind of like Gebbia a little bit more at the moment, but I love both of those guys as possible starting quarterbacks.

Bob Diaco, he'll be in the third year in that 3-4 defense that he's bringing in and the third year as the head coach is usually when you start to turn things around. So Riley will be in his fifth year, Diaco will be in his third year. To me, we'll have all the pieces of the puzzle in place to start competing at that elite level. For me, objectively that's how I look at it, 2019.

Now, as always, I want to hear what you wonderful fans at home have to say. Hit me up in the comments below. And this squirmy one right here, let's do an introduction, shall we? This is Dakota. This is the one who, I've never said this publicly, I literally watched her pass away in the NICU. They brought her back to life, clearly she's fine now. But she's our ornery one, if you couldn't tell or notice! There's a special bond between her and Daddy, there always has been, she's kind of a Daddy's girl. This one right here is Desi...I'm going to let her (Dakota) go for now...this is Desi. Desi's kind of our mother hen of the group, she's always patting babies on the back, wants every baby to hold her, changing diapers, feeding bottles, she's going give us like 24 grandkids.

So these two couldn't be more opposite! You've got our little rebel here, the one full of life--had to fight for her life, ironically -- and you've got the one who never likes to get in trouble. Ladies and gentlemen, like I said, final Chronicles until the fall. Until then, Go Big Red! Let me know what your thoughts are and always remember ... to THROW THE BONES!