State of the program - Spring 2017

[Redux]

Where to begin? Seriously, there are a lot of things to think about. Too many really. After taking in the spring game and seeing Lee become the #1 QB it's time to really take stock in where this team is.

 

Last year we started out at 7-0, let me rephrase that. We limped out to a 7-0 start. We played Wisconsin with everything we had and came up short and that's when the snowball really started rolling. As fun as that Oregon game was, it revealed so much about both teams. That they couldn't finish and we were ripe to get shredded via big plays. We ended up getting obliterated twice last year and only one of those teams was worthy of beating us down so badly.

 

That brings us to this year. We got rid of a couple below average coordinators and brought in new shiny ones. We have a plethora of QB's to pick from that aren't yet career infuriating mind freaks. We have probably our most depth overall in years. Lose a RB, plunk in a new one. Guy on defense goes down, move another guy over. It should be business as usual week to week. Every season an injury ends up defining our year, a senior goes down and it derails the whole team. That can't continue.

 

Our recruiting is in top gear right now. The culture has changed and kids are looking our way again. We are gainining not just depth, but options! That's huge for this team moving forward.

 

So do we win the league this year? Honestly no. Too many chances to slip up. The schedule is manageable but there is a lot to take in. Going to Oregon could be ugly if Taggart has them fired back up already. Wiscy and tOSU are both capable of coming here and breaking our hearts. Penn State on the road looks just awful. We have new QB, we have a new DC and Defensive scheme and we still don't know what our offensive identity will end up being. Those aren't things we can ignore. But dammit there is a lot to like about this squad.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is, we aren't there yet. There is no denying that this team is being built for a run in a few years. Here's the problem though; this year has to be big. A 9-4 record this year gets that seat warm if a couple of those losses are really ugly and we go another year with no division title. It's year 3 of Riley, year 3 is the year that coaches are expected to showcase their work and what they have been building. It is absolutely vital for this year to result in something to celebrate because the next two following years are absolutely brutal. We are building a team that can compete and win the conference and make a case for a playoff bid. But unless the wins start stockpiling, unless we can knock off Wisconsin, play with Ohio State and embarass Iowa, unless we bring home at least a division title.....Riley may never get to see this thing through. He's building a freight train, whether or not he gets to conduct it in a few years is still anyones guess.

[RedDenver]

Just getting rid of Special Teams coach (haha, I can't remember his name, only 450) makes us a stronger program.

[LumberJackSker]

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

[BigRedBuster]

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

[LumberJackSker]

 

 

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

because of his positive relationship with SE. Bo wasn't fires because of his record. Riley is SE's guy and as long as he keeps Nebraska respectable on and off the field he isn't going anywhere as long SE is AD.

[Guy Chamberlin]

 

 

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

because of his positive relationship with SE. Bo wasn't fires because of his record. Riley is SE's guy and as long as he keeps Nebraska respectable on and off the field he isn't going anywhere as long SE is AD.

 

 

A positive relationship with the AD is a good thing.

 

There are plenty of ADs out there who would have been less patient and diplomatic regarding Bo Pelini than Shawn Eichorst. And let's face it -- if Bo's team had beaten a mediocre Iowa in 2013 or a mediocre Minnesota in 2014, Shawn Eichorst would have retained him, regardless what he thought of him personally.

 

We've had two seasons under Mike Riley. If he hasn't improved on Bo Pelini's accomplishments after the 7 seasons granted Bo Pelini, Riley will definitely be on the hot seat. Or already retired.

[Moiraine]

 

 

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

 

Because Riley's not the a**hole Pelini was. If Riley had identical records to Pelini he would never be fired as long as SE is in charge.

[NUance]

Where to begin? Seriously, there are a lot of things to think about. Too many really. After taking in the spring game and seeing Lee become the #1 QB it's time to really take stock in where this team is.

 

Last year we started out at 7-0, let me rephrase that. We limped out to a 7-0 start. We played Wisconsin with everything we had and came up short and that's when the snowball really started rolling. As fun as that Oregon game was, it revealed so much about both teams. That they couldn't finish and we were ripe to get shredded via big plays. We ended up getting obliterated twice last year and only one of those teams was worthy of beating us down so badly.

 

That brings us to this year. We got rid of a couple below average coordinators and brought in new shiny ones. We have a plethora of QB's to pick from that aren't yet career infuriating mind freaks. We have probably our most depth overall in years. Lose a RB, plunk in a new one. Guy on defense goes down, move another guy over. It should be business as usual week to week. Every season an injury ends up defining our year, a senior goes down and it derails the whole team. That can't continue.

 

Our recruiting is in top gear right now. The culture has changed and kids are looking our way again. We are gainining not just depth, but options! That's huge for this team moving forward.

 

So do we win the league this year? Honestly no. Too many chances to slip up. The schedule is manageable but there is a lot to take in. Going to Oregon could be ugly if Taggart has them fired back up already. Wiscy and tOSU are both capable of coming here and breaking our hearts. Penn State on the road looks just awful. We have new QB, we have a new DC and Defensive scheme and we still don't know what our offensive identity will end up being. Those aren't things we can ignore. But dammit there is a lot to like about this squad.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is, we aren't there yet. There is no denying that this team is being built for a run in a few years. Here's the problem though; this year has to be big. A 9-4 record this year gets that seat warm if a couple of those losses are really ugly and we go another year with no division title. It's year 3 of Riley, year 3 is the year that coaches are expected to showcase their work and what they have been building. It is absolutely vital for this year to result in something to celebrate because the next two following years are absolutely brutal. We are building a team that can compete and win the conference and make a case for a playoff bid. But unless the wins start stockpiling, unless we can knock off Wisconsin, play with Ohio State and embarass Iowa, unless we bring home at least a division title.....Riley may never get to see this thing through. He's building a freight train, whether or not he gets to conduct it in a few years is still anyones guess.

 

We have momentum in recruiting. And we've upgraded a couple of important coaching slots. Things are looking up! Pass me that Kool-Aid!!

 

:koolaid2:

[Redux]

 

 

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

because of his positive relationship with SE. Bo wasn't fires because of his record. Riley is SE's guy and as long as he keeps Nebraska respectable on and off the field he isn't going anywhere as long SE is AD.

It's not unheard of to see an AD ousted and replaced just to fire a coach. Why just 10 years ago...

 

Yes, ADSE and HCMR have a good relationship. He hired him and wants him to succeed. I can confirm ADSE is all in on Riley. That said, if things went really south, see above.

[84HuskerLaw]

95 Redux: I would say you summed up things fairly well in your intro post. I do believe that we are on the brink of our first really 'top ten' recruiting class since early Solich years or so. We may have had a couple thereafter but they turned out to be mirages in many ways. But, to finish this class with half a dozen more 'elite-ish' guys AND ACTUALLY SIGN THEM next Feb will be very much tied to the success on the field this fall. If we find a way to get to the conf championship game and playwell (win or lose), we will hold the class together and we will have taken a giant leap forward as a program going into 2018.

 

2018 will be a gauntlet of a schedule and to manage 9 or so wins then will be 'coach of the year' type results for Riley. Of course he won't be coach of the year but it will be monumental in my view.

 

All this being said, this fall has the potential to be Riley's make or break year as a result. If the wheels fall off and the team loses confidence, or the QB gambit blows up in Riley's face (it surely could), then all bets are off. There remains a lot of weak links in this chain, although it is getting better in some areas. As many have mentioned, the O line remains a big "if" and two or three injuries there could spell disaster. We do have several RBs with ability and WRs have skills. The defense, IF we are able to build a front "3 or 4" as it turns out to be, should be pretty good and surely ought to be sufficient to keep us in the games, and if they grow a bunch as a group, keep us within 3 or 4 TDs of the Buckeyes. The offense, by then, has the potential to be able to play some catch up and take quick advantage of any turnovers or other breaks.

The kicking game, by golly, surely can improve dramatically by year three. A senior placekicker gives a chance to make those key field goals to keep the score from getting out of hand before half time. Anything can happen in a couple quarters, especially as DBs get a little fatigue in their legs by the 4th Qtr crunch time.

 

We have been hopeful and overly optimistic as it turns out nearly every season for the past 20. It is not a surprise that many of us are getting a little excited and hopeful yet again. But, as to the 'state of the program', I believe there are more positives than negatives at this point in time. We have a pretty good staff, overall, and Riley is a very good coach. Can't say 'great' yet, really in regards to any of the players or the coaches but 'very good' is better than we have had for a decade or more. How many all conference preseason pickes do we have? Probably NONE. That is not a good sign but there is one important consideration that we must recognize: the Big Ten is now the premiere conference in the country, as I have predicted for years. When Nebraska joined the league, it was apparent to me that we would make the Big Ten 'elite' and the Big 12 irrelevant. It has happened. This is the gravitas that is Nebraska football nationally. Whether or not we are rated highly, we are STILL Nebraska. The difference, evidenced by the alarmingly rapid rise last fall in the rankings by simply going 7-0, is that there are many millions of college football fans and commentators, etc, who really WANT us to be back where we belong. We aren't facing the headwinds that Bill Callahan and even Pelini faced towards the end there. We will get the benefit of the doubt more because many around the college football world want to see Nebraska in the big picture. Let's hope that come January, 2018, we are there. If so, the state of the program will be GOOD. We are on the rise but we have a long way to go.

[dvdcrr]

Husker football used to be about Conference championships and being in the hunt for the NC.

Now it is more about floating on a cloud somewhere between "kind of good" and "suck".

I say if we arent winning a conference title by next year, Eichorst and Riley both need to go.

 

It's not like any of the other major mens sports are doing better at NU either. NU football in the Big ten has only shown itself to be the team who can't beat Wisconsin, or win a title. A team that cannot remember it's identity And I am sick of it.

 

I think a great debate would be "Who completely lost their Mojo faster, Tiger Woods or Nebraska?"

[Swiv3D]

Tiger Woods lost his mojo in a matter of a couple minutes driving into a tree. Nebraska lost theirs in a couple of hours vs Colorado. Therefore, Tiger lost his faster, case closed 😅.

[dvdcrr]

Glad someone found at least a little humor in it😀

[NU5XChamps]

A bunch of "Negative Nancy's" on here anymore. We will finally have a QB behind the center, instead of an athlete posing as a QB. That alone makes us light years ahead.

[HuskermanMike]

Riley needs to at minimum make the CCG and have the team fight as hard as they can in it. If we have a respectable defeat such as OSU stopping us on a fourth and goal, I would be happy with the teams performance. I would be happy if we won the whole thing too. It would also put us in a New years six bowl which would also be an improvement. This team is not at an elite level just yet, but a 10-2 record with making the CCG or winning it and winning the bowl game would be progress for me. We do not stand a chance against an Alabama or Clemson on a neutral sight, so that needs to happen with recruiting and developing players as well as depth to get to their level.