OWH: Can Nebraska Be Nebraska Again?

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
Truth is, most of the advantages Big Red had 20-40 years ago no longer exist — and they haven’t been replaced by anything.


Winning? Nope. The last time NU won a conference title, these recruits were in diapers.

Exposure? Nope. Everybody’s on TV now.

Facilities? Nope. Everybody has an indoor practice facility now.

Schedule? Nope. The Big Ten West doesn’t impress anybody.

Weather? OK, that was never an advantage, but it certainly hasn’t gotten easier.

Strength and conditioning? Nope. Everybody’s serious about it now.

Coaching continuity? Nope. It’s a new staff.

Scheme? Nope. It’s basically just like everybody else’s. The I-back and O-line aren’t showcase positions anymore.

Brand? Nope. The “N” has lost its allure.

So why? How the heck is this ever gonna work again?
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OWH

 
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Turn on the TV and you see a sold out stadium. Sellout streak gets mentioned. Gameday atmosphere remains the same.

 
Have you been to the horseshoe or most any stadium in the SEC?

It's not a differentiator. Sold out is sold out. Regardless of a streak behind it.

 
imo, a team needs Tier 1 coaching or Tier 1 recruiting, coupled with at least Tier 2 of the other category, in order to be well positioned to win a championship.

For each category, I define Tier 1 as being among the top 10 to 15 in the country.

I think NU is solidly in the upper part of Tier 2 for recruiting and has been for a very long time, minus a short stretch in the 90s.

I have serious doubts that we have Tier 1 coaching right now, and at 64 or whatever, I don't see the upside being there for a move up by Coach Riley and a legitimate championship runs.

That said, I like Riley and I think he's a middle of Tier 2 coach, so with the talent we have, I do think we can be a consistent 7 to 10 win team with a pleasant guy for a coach.

Will that be enough to stave off another shake up? I have my doubts. But I keep hoping Husker fans will get a grip.

Regardless, we need to hire a Tier 1 coach, who is an innovative ground game oriented offensive minded coach, for our next go around, I think.

 
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Vegas would probably give odds that it is unlikely any time soon. As long as we believe all the reasons stated that we can't we never will. If we want to bad enough we will find a way. Mich St, TCU, Baylor, Houston, and Stanford have climbed from mediocrity to respectability. We can and we will.

 
cm husker said:
imo, a team needs Tier 1 coaching or Tier 1 recruiting, coupled with at least Tier 2 of the other category, in order to be well positioned to win a championship.

For each category, I define Tier 1 as being among the top 10 to 15 in the country.

I think NU is solidly in the upper part of Tier 2 for recruiting and has been for a very long time, minus a short stretch in the 90s.

I have serious doubts that we have Tier 1 coaching right now, and at 64 or whatever, I don't see the upside being there for a move up by Coach Riley and a legitimate championship runs.

That said, I like Riley and I think he's a middle of Tier 2 coach, so with the talent we have, I do think we can be a consistent 7 to 10 win team with a pleasant guy for a coach.

Will that be enough to stave off another shake up? I have my doubts. But I keep hoping Husker fans will get a grip.

Regardless, we need to hire a Tier 1 coach, who is an innovative ground game oriented offensive minded coach, for our next go around, I think.
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+1

 
Every single national champion in the last 10 years has recruited an ESPN Top 10 class the year prior to winning a national championship. So, recent history says that unless you recruit at an elite level then you aren't going to win a title. That does not mean it will always be that way or has to be that way, but it is a very interesting trend.

To break that trend at Nebraska, a place that I don't personally believe can continually haul in Top 10 classes, it will require transcendent coaching. I think Nebraska will also need to haul in a Top 10 class again at some point, or one at least very close to Top 10. Similar to what cm said, I think it will take either elite coaching and great recruiting or elite recruiting with great coaching. I believe the former is more likely at Nebraska.

I also personally believe Nebraska will not return to national prominence until their style of offense reflects their location more accurately. The 500 mile radius rule in Nebraska is not what it's like in the southeast. That means Nebraska should be a run-based team that relies on strong offensive linemen (which we can find plenty of in the Midwest) who then extends its branches into other states to bring in the great skill position players. I don't believe Nebraska can consistently compete at a top level using an offense that favors passing.

 
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cm husker said:
imo, a team needs Tier 1 coaching or Tier 1 recruiting, coupled with at least Tier 2 of the other category, in order to be well positioned to win a championship.

For each category, I define Tier 1 as being among the top 10 to 15 in the country.

I think NU is solidly in the upper part of Tier 2 for recruiting and has been for a very long time, minus a short stretch in the 90s.

I have serious doubts that we have Tier 1 coaching right now, and at 64 or whatever, I don't see the upside being there for a move up by Coach Riley and a legitimate championship runs.

That said, I like Riley and I think he's a middle of Tier 2 coach, so with the talent we have, I do think we can be a consistent 7 to 10 win team with a pleasant guy for a coach.

Will that be enough to stave off another shake up? I have my doubts. But I keep hoping Husker fans will get a grip.

Regardless, we need to hire a Tier 1 coach, who is an innovative ground game oriented offensive minded coach, for our next go around, I think.
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While I would like to give your thoughts serious consideration I automatically discard them because you are so single-minded and negative about this staff. You may think you are balanced, but no, you're not and that disqualifies you and a few others from inclusion in rational discussion of the program. And no, I have nothing against you and this is not personal.

You focus on 6-7 and Purdue. I focus on the direction of the program and any impartial evaluation sees two distinct phases of the game and season of a new staff and at least partially poisoned mindset: the season prior to the last four games and the season of the last four games. Two different directions. That's what I focus on. Unlike you I am willing to give the new staff three or four years before making decisions. You....hell, I think you did that when Riley was named HC.

 
Enhance89 said:
Every single national champion in the last 10 years has recruited an ESPN Top 10 class the year prior to winning a national championship. So, recent history says that unless you recruit at an elite level then you aren't going to win a title. That does not mean it will always be that way or has to be that way, but it is a very interesting trend.

To break that trend at Nebraska, a place that I don't personally believe can continually haul in Top 10 classes, it will require transcendent coaching. I think Nebraska will also need to haul in a Top 10 class again at some point, or one at least very close to Top 10. Similar to what cm said, I think it will take either elite coaching and great recruiting or elite recruiting with great coaching. I believe the former is more likely at Nebraska.

I also personally believe Nebraska will not return to national prominence until their style of offense reflects their location more accurately. The 500 mile radius rule in Nebraska is not what it's like in the southeast. That means Nebraska should be a run-based team that relies on strong offensive linemen (which we can find plenty of in the Midwest) who then extends its branches into other states to bring in the great skill position players. I don't believe Nebraska can consistently compete at a top level using an offense that favors passing.
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We don't need to continually haul in Top 10 classes. We need to get a few good classes, get a conference championship or two, and ride the momentum.

Look. National championships are super rare. I know in the age of Urban and Saban we now think that they're kind of a right or an expected direct variation to money spent on coaches, but that's just not true. We have 5 national championships in 50+ years of relevant football, and we are still one of the more successful schools in that regard.

The goal isn't national championship or bust. The goal is competitive football, with the occasional chances of lightning in a bottle, luck, momentum, or whatever, to hopefully get the chance at one.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
Enhance89 said:
Every single national champion in the last 10 years has recruited an ESPN Top 10 class the year prior to winning a national championship. So, recent history says that unless you recruit at an elite level then you aren't going to win a title. That does not mean it will always be that way or has to be that way, but it is a very interesting trend.

To break that trend at Nebraska, a place that I don't personally believe can continually haul in Top 10 classes, it will require transcendent coaching. I think Nebraska will also need to haul in a Top 10 class again at some point, or one at least very close to Top 10. Similar to what cm said, I think it will take either elite coaching and great recruiting or elite recruiting with great coaching. I believe the former is more likely at Nebraska.

I also personally believe Nebraska will not return to national prominence until their style of offense reflects their location more accurately. The 500 mile radius rule in Nebraska is not what it's like in the southeast. That means Nebraska should be a run-based team that relies on strong offensive linemen (which we can find plenty of in the Midwest) who then extends its branches into other states to bring in the great skill position players. I don't believe Nebraska can consistently compete at a top level using an offense that favors passing.
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We don't need to continually haul in Top 10 classes. We need to get a few good classes, get a conference championship or two, and ride the momentum.

Look. National championships are super rare. I know in the age of Urban and Saban we now think that they're kind of a right or an expected direct variation to money spent on coaches, but that's just not true. We have 5 national championships in 50+ years of relevant football, and we are still one of the more successful schools in that regard.

The goal isn't national championship or bust. The goal is competitive football, with the occasional chances of lightning in a bottle, luck, momentum, or whatever, to hopefully get the chance at one.
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I can pretty much agree with you on all accounts except that, to me, the goal is always a national championship and I think that's what a lot of players will always tell you. The drive and effort put into getting that national championship is what creates a competitive football team. I don't think any team that has won a championship in the last 50 years has sat down at the beginning of the season and said "our goal is to be competitive." They want to win it all.

And again, to me, that means one of two options - we either need elite coaching/great talent or great coaching/elite talent. In my opinion, it's more likely we'll find an elite coach who can recruit well rather than recruit at an elite level to compete with places like the SEC. Even the most dominant Nebraska dynasty couldn't haul in Top 10 classes every year in the 90's, and if the championship trend I mentioned in my previous post continues to hold true, that means Nebraska is likely going to have to find that diamond level coach.

 
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