OWH McKweon poses a great question about future.

[Paul in WI]

A good start will be how quickly Riley and staff can deprogram the toxic mental mess that Pelini left. I want to see players playing to the whistle, not taking plays off, and showing genuine concern for the game when they're watching from the sidelines. If we just happen to be getting our collective asses handed to us by another team, I don't want to see any punks yucking it up on the sidelines. It had better look like a friggin' funeral service down there. They're playing for a lot more than themselves. When they strap on the N, they need to realize that they're playing for state pride. Go out and give 100%; work hard, and win or lose with Nebraska dignity and grace. That'd be a start.

 

[Hayseed]

Dude said-"I'm not even sure what your asking" after he gave his snarky and clever comment to another guy.

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

When do you think we'll know for sure.........what will be the catalyst that will set off the string of championships? Recruiting 5 stars? Developing walkons? What?

Dude, why shouldn't a better coach take talented players and make it work just by doing it right? Level with me sporto dude.

I'm not sure I know what you're asking.

I would say at least being competitive with Wisconsin would be a step in the right direction.

You seem to be saying that other guy is stupid for saying Riley should get to the championship in the first year. What will be the event that tells you if Riley is a success and why shouldn't a better coach take Bo's poorly coached 9-win players and make the championship? I don't believe anyone said Riley only gets one year and he's out, so let's skip that one for now. Maybe your sidekick True can answer for you....I have a sense of humor.

 

[The Dude]

Dude said-"I'm not even sure what your asking" after he gave his snarky and clever comment to another guy.

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

When do you think we'll know for sure.........what will be the catalyst that will set off the string of championships? Recruiting 5 stars? Developing walkons? What?

Dude, why shouldn't a better coach take talented players and make it work just by doing it right? Level with me sporto dude.

I'm not sure I know what you're asking.

I would say at least being competitive with Wisconsin would be a step in the right direction.

You seem to be saying that other guy is stupid for saying Riley should get to the championship in the first year. What will be the event that tells you if Riley is a success and why shouldn't a better coach take Bo's poorly coached 9-win players and make the championship? I don't believe anyone said Riley only gets one year and he's out, so let's skip that one for now. Maybe your sidekick True can answer for you....I have a sense of humor.

Winning a championship is the event that will tell me Riley is a success.

It's possible we make the title game next season, but we're implementing new systems on both sides of the ball, and that could go a lot of different ways. Not sure how anyone can rationally expect title game or bust (failure) in year one - it's too silly to even consider seriously. Not to mention we have a pretty large mountain to climb before we're even competitive with Wisconsin.

True and I are mortal enemies.

I think where there's a disconnect here is some seem to think we were on the cusp of winning a championship the last few years, and I think we're a long ways away.

 

[Nebhawk]

I not here to bash things or be negative. I do however think that our talent level is sub par in areas that matter. O-Line play is well below average. It gets covered up by having an extemely athletic QB and above average Rb. Linebacker play is well below what it should be or even comparable to most programs in this region. Some of that can't be corrected with scheme, some can.

I have one question that I keep from posing on here, but I think its time. Yes we have better resources than alot of schools. We should be able to recruit 4 and 5 star players. My question is why aren't we and is it really that simple. I listen to local sports talk radio and the term "resources" is over used in my opinion. Like I said, we do have resources, but I think geography, and climate also neutralize some of our resources. Not winning anything now for so long hinder our resources.

Can Riley change perception of what once was a giant, back into a giant when our relevance was 16 years ago? Michigan getting Harbaugh changes the landscape in a huge way, but does it do anything for Nebraska? We are not any kind of rival and won't ever be one because simply put, the Big 10 won't allow that. This makes Ohio St stronger, Penn St stronger, but really won't help Nebraska. Again geography. Think about my points with an open mind, but in all I think you can see my point.

 

[Redux]

The truth is this:

Come fall camp we are all going to have an expectation as to how the 2015 season should play out. Have no clue as of now what that will be. Could be 8 wins, could be 12. My guess, we fall a game short of those expectations. Then we spend the next offseason bulking our expectations up for 2016 and how we will roll through Oregon and the Big Ten.

Its the same song and dance as with Bo. Riley just doesnt look like he wants to eat your face.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

A good coach takes the exact same talent and does better. That's what makes him a good coach and/or the previous coach not so great.

We may have seen the beginning in the Holiday Bowl. With a different head coach, perhaps any warm body would have worked, Nebraska executed a crisp hurry-up offense that netted 93 plays instead of 60 plays and a lot of staring at the sidelines. There was a sense of urgency but guys stayed calm, dug deep and fought back. Fewer dumb penalties and confusion. Zero fumbles. Adjustments were made and the team played its best ball in the fourth quarter.

The wisdom of Barney Cotton? Or simply the liberation from all the bad BoJo?

Same players. Better results. That should be the expectation of every coaching change.

By the way, that USC team they were playing is recognized as a hotbed of recruiting, already loaded, expected to compete at the highest levels next season, guided by one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA.

And Nebraska looked like USC's peer.

The expectations are in order. No one knows that better than Mike Riley. His recruiting skills will need some time to bear fruit and for that alone he needs four years. I can't put a number on what I want Riley to win in his first year, but I do want Nebraska to look like they belong on the field with anybody, and that's something Bo Pelini just couldn't pull off.

 

[Hayseed]

Dude said-"I'm not even sure what your asking" after he gave his snarky and clever comment to another guy.

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

When do you think we'll know for sure.........what will be the catalyst that will set off the string of championships? Recruiting 5 stars? Developing walkons? What?

Dude, why shouldn't a better coach take talented players and make it work just by doing it right? Level with me sporto dude.

I'm not sure I know what you're asking.

I would say at least being competitive with Wisconsin would be a step in the right direction.

You seem to be saying that other guy is stupid for saying Riley should get to the championship in the first year. What will be the event that tells you if Riley is a success and why shouldn't a better coach take Bo's poorly coached 9-win players and make the championship? I don't believe anyone said Riley only gets one year and he's out, so let's skip that one for now. Maybe your sidekick True can answer for you....I have a sense of humor.

Winning a championship is the event that will tell me Riley is a success.

It's possible we make the title game next season, but we're implementing new systems on both sides of the ball, and that could go a lot of different ways. Not sure how anyone can rationally expect title game or bust (failure) in year one - it's too silly to even consider seriously. Not to mention we have a pretty large mountain to climb before we're even competitive with Wisconsin.

True and I are mortal enemies.

I think where there's a disconnect here is some seem to think we were on the cusp of winning a championship the last few years, and I think we're a long ways away.

That's pretty much what I think, but some of us are just having a good time mocking the Bo-haters who say his staff was so bad at coaching that any better coach should be able to walk in here and win at least a conference championship and probably even a national title in the first year.

I don't think anyone seriously expects a guy with a five year contract to be shown the door after one year when they're still paying millions to the last coach. Money is no object here but that's getting out of hand (really out of hand, not like at St. Elmo's where it meant having a good time.)

There's a rumor going around that True was seen pinching your butt....just thought you should know.

 

[Paul in WI]

A good coach takes the exact same talent and does better. That's what makes him a good coach and/or the previous coach not so great.

We may have seen the beginning in the Holiday Bowl. With a different head coach, perhaps any warm body would have worked, Nebraska executed a crisp hurry-up offense that netted 93 plays instead of 60 plays and a lot of staring at the sidelines. There was a sense of urgency but guys stayed calm, dug deep and fought back. Fewer dumb penalties and confusion. Zero fumbles. Adjustments were made and the team played its best ball in the fourth quarter.

The wisdom of Barney Cotton? Or simply the liberation from all the bad BoJo?

Same players. Better results. That should be the expectation of every coaching change.

By the way, that USC team they were playing is recognized as a hotbed of recruiting, already loaded, expected to compete at the highest levels next season, guided by one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA.

And Nebraska looked like USC's peer.

The expectations are in order. No one knows that better than Mike Riley. His recruiting skills will need some time to bear fruit and for that alone he needs four years. I can't put a number on what I want Riley to win in his first year, but I do want Nebraska to look like they belong on the field with anybody, and that's something Bo Pelini just couldn't pull off.

Well said.

 

[The Dude]

Dude said-"I'm not even sure what your asking" after he gave his snarky and clever comment to another guy.

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

When do you think we'll know for sure.........what will be the catalyst that will set off the string of championships? Recruiting 5 stars? Developing walkons? What?
Dude, why shouldn't a better coach take talented players and make it work just by doing it right? Level with me sporto dude.

I'm not sure I know what you're asking.
I would say at least being competitive with Wisconsin would be a step in the right direction.

You seem to be saying that other guy is stupid for saying Riley should get to the championship in the first year. What will be the event that tells you if Riley is a success and why shouldn't a better coach take Bo's poorly coached 9-win players and make the championship? I don't believe anyone said Riley only gets one year and he's out, so let's skip that one for now. Maybe your sidekick True can answer for you....I have a sense of humor.

Winning a championship is the event that will tell me Riley is a success.
It's possible we make the title game next season, but we're implementing new systems on both sides of the ball, and that could go a lot of different ways. Not sure how anyone can rationally expect title game or bust (failure) in year one - it's too silly to even consider seriously. Not to mention we have a pretty large mountain to climb before we're even competitive with Wisconsin.

True and I are mortal enemies.

I think where there's a disconnect here is some seem to think we were on the cusp of winning a championship the last few years, and I think we're a long ways away.

That's pretty much what I think, but some of us are just having a good time mocking the Bo-haters who say his staff was so bad at coaching that any better coach should be able to walk in here and win at least a conference championship and probably even a national title in the first year.

Who said this? Serious question.

 

[KazLong]

That simply is not true. We have talent, some very good, but not the row after row talent of the major programs. USC played the game with 51 scholarship athletes and were able to beat Nebraska, imagine them with 85 and rolling DL after DL fresh. OL 3 deep at every position that can play close to the first string.

Be realistic in your expectations. We are not at the top teams level. Mostly because we failed to recruit from the top down, we decided to recruit who we thought we could get and let the major programs take the top kids with out a fight. I think that may change some now. The team over in Columbus, has far more talent than Nebraska, they are always going to be a hurdle, with Harbaugh going to Michigan and Franklin at Penn State, it is going to be even tougher.

I think Coach Riley will get us there, not next year or the year after, but down the road a bit. He will be able to recruit to Nebraska, and he has a pretty good eye for talent. He will develop what we have, and he will find diamonds in the rough like the Rodgers brothers.

Just give the man time.

Question: how many years do we give this guy? How many losing seasons will we give him? How many less then 9 wins seasons? How long before the hot seat of Lincoln becomes too hot and retirement seems better?

 

[Nebhawk]

Definition: Bo Hater- someone who expects our program to win with respect and honor and lose in the same fashion. A program that expects excellence, not mediocrity. I think almost everyone is now a Bo-hater.

 

[AFhusker]

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

Every coach should get at least six years to prove thier worth. The first four they are stuck using what they were left by the previous HC for better or worse. But you won't truly know how good they are unitl year 5 or 6 when the team is 100% their recruits. That is where we saw Frank's and Bo's true color's when they didn't have Tom's and Bill's recruits to make them look better than they really were.

 

[suh_fan93]

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

Every coach should get at least six years to prove thier worth.

Umm NO.

 

[The Dude]

Nothing on Bo's resume offered a benefit of the doubt, but he got it for 6-7 years. This "Riley gets one year" business is insane. haha

Just stop for a second and think before you post.

Every coach should get at least six years to prove thier worth. The first four they are stuck using what they were left by the previous HC for better or worse. But you won't truly know how good they are unitl year 5 or 6 when the team is 100% their recruits. That is where we saw Frank's and Bo's true color's when they didn't have Tom's and Bill's recruits to make them look better than they really were.

This is the reasonable and prudent attitude to have. I've always said a college coach should get at least 5 years to get his progrum in place. The only exception is if the wheels fall off and you have to make a change for damage control.
It's a little different in the NFL due to free agency.

 

[zoogs]

+1 for 'progrum', Dude.

I think 4 is sufficient in a lot of cases, even if you don't have a full picture yet. At that point it's reasonable to say "this isn't trending in the right way."