Where do you stand?

[ColoradoHusk]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

Callahan might have been nice, especially early on. I probably would describe him as arrogant and condescending.

Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?

Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you,

Yes, the personalities between Riley and Callahan are completely different, but the first year results were pretty much the exact same.

 

[Redux]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

Callahan might have been nice, especially early on. I probably would describe him as arrogant and condescending.

Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?

Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you,

Yes, the personalities between Riley and Callahan are completely different, but the first year results were pretty much the exact same.

The long term results will be polar opposites.

The big difference is Riley understands the college game. BC didn't, won't and never will.

 

[Savage Husker]

I'm supportive of the coaches and the program, but I selected "indifferent". The on-field results are what matters the most for me and the 2015 season was ridiculously bad. Riley is a nice person and a good offensive mind, but his in-game management stinks. It will be interesting if Langsdorf is truly interested in committing to running the ball this year. I understand that the WR's are a strength of the offense, but Armstrong shouldn't be throwing the ball more than 30 times a game.

I think game planning and in-game management are two things undeniably in need of improvement. The staff is made up of a good "coaches," in the sense that they're good teachers of the game. You would hope and think year two would result in more of the team being on the same page and the staff better understanding their strengths/weaknesses.

I might be alone on this, but I think the staff is conscious of their opponent and design a pretty good game plan against individual opponents. The execution of their plan doesn't always back my opinion up though.
I think they have a good defensive scheme to shut down B1G rushing attacks, they just really really lacked a strong secondary to keep below average QBs from looking like freakin Joe Montanya. Finding talent (check), coaching them up and developing them (question mark) across the front 4 and the secondary will prove Banker's philosophy correct, which is very similar to MSU's quarters defense. It just takes talented guys who can grasp the schemes. I understand that comes off as, "let's just wait and see," but whatever scheme we run it is going to be, "get the right guys and let's wait and see."

Langsdorf play calling is a concern, but I don't think he's as bad as I initially react during a game. Looking back at plays, many times in crucial situations the play call was money, but it just wasn't executed (4th down vs Iowa) or the call wasn't to the strength of the individuals. (OT INT against Miami) and a mixture of both play call and execution (3rd down vs Illinois). So to that, I don't have a firm opinion on the offense.

I'll concede that I'm more of an optimist than I sometimes should be, but I think it's too early to have a hard negative grade on the coaches or put them in the same category as BC - even though some of the discussions sound similar - because I know there are more positive attributes than negatives that Riley has brought back to the program.

 

[hskrpwr13]

I might be alone on this, but I think the staff is conscious of their opponent and design a pretty good game plan against individual opponents. The execution of their plan doesn't always back my opinion up though.
I think they have a good defensive scheme to shut down B1G rushing attacks, they just really really lacked a strong secondary to keep below average QBs from looking like freakin Joe Montanya.

Love it!

I'm not gonna look it up, but I remember the SNL that he hosted, where during his monologue, the skit was that a father and preteen son, dressed in 49er gear, got up to leave the audience because they thought they were coming to see Joe Montana. Pure gold.

Anyway, back to the thread....

 

[Enhance]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

This is what makes me skeptical. I've seen West Coast in Lincoln before. Was the BC staff just that bad, or was it the style in a place that is super windy/blistering hot/chilling cold most of the time during August-November.

I've seen arguments for both sides - one being schools in better recruiting areas run these types of offenses and Nebraska will never be able to recruit well enough to compete nationally, the second being anything can work as long as you have the right coaches and the right players.

I think the latter can be true, but I also believe Nebraska needs to be a formidable running team to reach their goals.

We tend to view BC through this lens of ultimate failure, which in essence is true because he was fired after a bad season. But, we should also remember our offense in years like '06 and '07 weren't that bad. They weren't great by any means, but they were decent. And even the defense had playmakers. For whatever reason, the parts didn't click.

 

[Huskerzoo]

I'm optimistic about the staff, but I'm not sure about the play calling/coaching. I think they were left with a mess on the depth chart and took over a very difficult situation given the climate Bo created, so I'm willing to give them some time to get the roster sorted out and their players in. I need to see the D come together for me to really buy into what they're selling.

 

[cm husker]

I might have gone with better than "indifferent" but I'm not seeing (a) the uptick in recruiting - I get that some kids may be lined up in theory, but as of now, we are on track with where NU has traditionally recruited, and (b) I don't think the morale is higher now than before, unless we are talking about among some fans who disliked meanie face. To the last option, I'll be quite surprised if this staff wins Riley's first championship of his career, so I couldn't vote that way.

A better constructed poll wouldn't have conflated feelings of happiness, either with Riley's comportment or Bo's dismissal, with expectations about upcoming seasons.

That said, NU has, at least per recruiting rankings, the 2nd or 3rd best roster in the Big 10 this year. In the division, it's not even close. So, they should be positioned to win a lot of games.

We'll see how it plays out.

 

[cm husker]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

Callahan might have been nice, especially early on. I probably would describe him as arrogant and condescending.

Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?

Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you,

Yes, the personalities between Riley and Callahan are completely different, but the first year results were pretty much the exact same.

The long term results will be polar opposites.

The big difference is Riley understands the college game. BC didn't, won't and never will.

(A) What stocks should I pick this year?

(B) What's your evidence that Riley understands how to win championships at the college level?

 

[zoogs]

I love them. They make me extremely proud to be a Nebraska fan. I'm glad we got one of the ultimate good guys in CFB; it hardly had to be that way.

And for that, I hardly care if Nebraska wins 10 games or 4 games. Obviously, the former would be more enjoyable and it would result in a longer tenure.

But I'm way past the point where the absence of sports victories means anything to me. As I found out over the course of the previous regime's tenure, 9 or 10 wins can feel pre-t-ty hollow.

 

[cm husker]

I can respect that opinion, Zoogs.

For me, though, and the overall mental health of the fan base and program, I think winning 9/10 games a year, with some dips or peaks sprinkled in, is a necessary requirement.

Otherwise, we'll be flipping coaches again and again, and then we are talking KU status before too long (yes, I'm quite afraid that could happen-- or maybe Colorado status is a better cautionary tale of a death spiral).

 

[Huskerzoo]

I love them. They make me extremely proud to be a Nebraska fan. I'm glad we got one of the ultimate good guys in CFB; it hardly had to be that way.

And for that, I hardly care if Nebraska wins 10 games or 4 games. Obviously, the former would be more enjoyable and it would result in a longer tenure.

But I'm way past the point where the absence of sports victories means anything to me. As I found out over the course of the previous regime's tenure, 9 or 10 wins can feel pre-t-ty hollow.

I completely agree with this point. They are doing it right as far as I can tell. It feels fun again and I feel like integrity is part of the game again.

 

[zoogs]

I can respect that opinion, Zoogs.

For me, though, and the overall mental health of the fan base and program, I think winning 9/10 games a year, with some dips or peaks sprinkled in, is a necessary requirement.

Otherwise, we'll be flipping coaches again and again, and then we are talking KU status before too long (yes, I'm quite afraid that could happen-- or maybe Colorado status is a better cautionary tale of a death spiral).

Yeah, as a really practical matter, I hope the trophies come raining down here. I don't like turmoil, and they need to win games to avoid that.

But if they don't, I won't be ticked at these guys. I'll just be sad to see them go, and hope the next ones are equally good in the areas that count (on top of winning games and staying around)

 

[Redux]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

Callahan might have been nice, especially early on. I probably would describe him as arrogant and condescending.

Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you,

Yes, the personalities between Riley and Callahan are completely different, but the first year results were pretty much the exact same.

The long term results will be polar opposites.The big difference is Riley understands the college game. BC didn't, won't and never will.

(A) What stocks should I pick this year?

(B) What's your evidence that Riley understands how to win championships at the college level?

A) You're just trying to insinuate that I am psychic in a sarcastic manner.
B) Obviously I have no proof since Mike Riley has never done so, but you knew that.

The only proof I can offer (that you won't agree with) is the fact that after one season that saw Nebraska lose 7 games, the team is still united more than I remember them being in a long time. Also the fact that after losing 7 games last year, we are still getting some top notch talent to take notice in us and come visit campus.

PS- Asking someone for proof in regards towards the future is blatantly being difficult.

 

[Landlord]

I love them. They make me extremely proud to be a Nebraska fan. I'm glad we got one of the ultimate good guys in CFB; it hardly had to be that way.

And for that, I hardly care if Nebraska wins 10 games or 4 games. Obviously, the former would be more enjoyable and it would result in a longer tenure.

But I'm way past the point where the absence of sports victories means anything to me. As I found out over the course of the previous regime's tenure, 9 or 10 wins can feel pre-t-ty hollow.

I completely agree with this point. They are doing it right as far as I can tell. It feels fun again and I feel like integrity is part of the game again.

To be fair, Bo's staff did it pretty right as well; he/they just rubbed people the wrong way and created some fractures due to personality. Bo was a good coach, and a respectable man for the most part. He had a lot of good ideas that called back to the integrity of the game (His 2011 post Penn State press conference was very poignant and refreshing), and he did a lot of good for his players and for the community. For all his faults, I'm glad he wasn't a snake oil win at all costs type of coach. God help Nebraska if we ever end up with someone like that.

 

[cm husker]

It looks like people are willing to put up with crappy on-the-field results as long as the coach and the staff are nice and they are strong at recruiting. I just hope it's not Bill Callahan 2.0.

Callahan might have been nice, especially early on. I probably would describe him as arrogant and condescending.

Question: What kind of adjustments could you have made?Callahan: Oh, I think it's probably too technical for you,

Yes, the personalities between Riley and Callahan are completely different, but the first year results were pretty much the exact same.

The long term results will be polar opposites.The big difference is Riley understands the college game. BC didn't, won't and never will.

(A) What stocks should I pick this year?

(B) What's your evidence that Riley understands how to win championships at the college level?

A) You're just trying to insinuate that I am psychic in a sarcastic manner.
B) Obviously I have no proof since Mike Riley has never done so, but you knew that.

The only proof I can offer (that you won't agree with) is the fact that after one season that saw Nebraska lose 7 games, the team is still united more than I remember them being in a long time. Also the fact that after losing 7 games last year, we are still getting some top notch talent to take notice in us and come visit campus.

PS- Asking someone for proof in regards towards the future is blatantly being difficult.

actually, you're the one who insinuated that you're psychic.

Truth is, none of us know if this is Callahan 2.0. There's evidence going both ways. Personality wise, they aren't similar. football style and results so far, they are uncannily similar.

What do you mean the team is more united? Do you really mean that you perceive the fan base to be more united? I don't think the team is more or less united than it was under Bo, or even most of Callahan's years.

Sometimes a lot of losses by a new staff that shifted the schemes can lead to an attraction of talent. I'm just not seeing where it's going to end in different than historical recruiting results.

I'm not looking for proof of the future. Just trying to understand what supports your opinion of the future.