[Poll/Discussion] Are you optimistic or pessimistic in regards to the 2017 season?

[moveitforward]

A perhaps realistic, and significant step forward this season, would be to finish ranked in the top 25. Let's hope so.

 

[Landlord]

9-10 wins with a decent bowl game (Capital One, Outback) would likely be a pretty good season.

8-5 or 7-6 with at least one win over OSU/PSU/Wisc and a win in the bowl game would also be pretty decent.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

9-10 wins with a decent bowl game (Capital One, Outback) would likely be a pretty good season.

8-5 or 7-6 with at least one win over OSU/PSU/Wisc and a win in the bowl game would also be pretty decent.

A 5 or 6 loss season would be terrible. This is Riley's 3rd year at the program. He has the QB to run his offense, and has had time to bring in other players at key positions. I don't get this mentality.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

I want this season to either cement Riley as a bad a$$ coach or as a bad coach. So either way we will either know we are on the right track or that we will be starting a new track.

 

[Enhance]

Granted this is a pretty drawn out conspiracy theory, but it just makes sense to me.

How does your theory account for the following factors:
1) Athletic directors have been fired for making poor hires in relation to an athletic department's premier sport

2) the person who hired Eichorst is no longer chancellor at UNL

1) Have been, yes. Always? No. Like I said, if this was part of a larger plan it's irrelevant. I don't think Riley's tenure will be regarded as a poor hire.

2) So what? That doesn't mean ADSE is automatically on thin ice. We have gotten too used to the two positions coinciding with eachother (HC/AD).

But that's such an outlandish gamble. The mere fact that it's quite common for AD's to lose their jobs over bad hires is reason enough to put this theory to bed.

And no, it does not automatically mean SE is on thin ice, but there's always a different dynamic when the person who hires you is no longer there. It works like that in almost every single business. It's not a matter of getting used to anything - it's a matter of reality in today's sports and business world.

There have been rumors behind the scenes since day one that many of the boosters aren't fans of SE. If Riley were to tank at Nebraska, there's a strong chance SE would not survive the fallout.

 

[Landlord]

9-10 wins with a decent bowl game (Capital One, Outback) would likely be a pretty good season.

8-5 or 7-6 with at least one win over OSU/PSU/Wisc and a win in the bowl game would also be pretty decent.

A 5 or 6 loss season would be terrible. This is Riley's 3rd year at the program. He has the QB to run his offense, and has had time to bring in other players at key positions. I don't get this mentality.

You're operating from where you think the team should be in year 3 regardless of most of the actual circumstances of reality. I'm operating from a best guess based on what does currently exist.

I'm not saying a 5 or 6 loss season would be pretty decent for Riley's 3rd year, as if that statement exists in a vaccuum. I'm saying that would be pretty decent considering the pieces and schedule we have.

I also have no clue what this season will look like.

 

[Redux]

So in your opinion, AD's have one shot to get it right if the person that hired them is no longer around. Forget all other Athletics, they have one shot to hire a guy who can win championships in Football or they are fired along with that guy.

I'm not disagreeing that this happens. I'm not disagreeing that this could happen to ADSE. I am disagreeing that it's automatic.

 

[alwayshusking]

So in your opinion, AD's have one shot to get it right if the person that hired them is no longer around. Forget all other Athletics, they have one shot to hire a guy who can win championships in Football or they are fired along with that guy.

I'm not disagreeing that this happens. I'm not disagreeing that this could happen to ADSE. I am disagreeing that it's automatic.

Eichorst went out on a limb with this hire. I think some good things are happening in the program, but if it does go south, Eichorst is going with it.

If he would have made a more conventional hire, say Dan Mullen, had it not worked out I could see keeping him around.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

9-10 wins with a decent bowl game (Capital One, Outback) would likely be a pretty good season.

8-5 or 7-6 with at least one win over OSU/PSU/Wisc and a win in the bowl game would also be pretty decent.

A 5 or 6 loss season would be terrible. This is Riley's 3rd year at the program. He has the QB to run his offense, and has had time to bring in other players at key positions. I don't get this mentality.

You're operating from where you think the team should be in year 3 regardless of most of the actual circumstances of reality. I'm operating from a best guess based on what does currently exist.

I'm not saying a 5 or 6 loss season would be pretty decent for Riley's 3rd year, as if that statement exists in a vaccuum. I'm saying that would be pretty decent considering the pieces and schedule we have.

I also have no clue what this season will look like.

Actually, I would say a 5 or 6 loss season would be disappointing no matter what the roster issues or schedule looks like.

 

[Mavric]

#9Wins

 

[ColoradoHusk]

#9Wins

A certain assistant coach was mocked relentlessly for celebrating the 9-win streak, and now a 7 or 8 win season is supposed to be decent or acceptable.

 

[Redux]

So in your opinion, AD's have one shot to get it right if the person that hired them is no longer around. Forget all other Athletics, they have one shot to hire a guy who can win championships in Football or they are fired along with that guy.

I'm not disagreeing that this happens. I'm not disagreeing that this could happen to ADSE. I am disagreeing that it's automatic.

Eichorst went out on a limb with this hire. I think some good things are happening in the program, but if it does go south, Eichorst is going with it.

If he would have made a more conventional hire, say Dan Mullen, had it not worked out I could see keeping him around.

If were solely about results sure. But this hire wasn't just that. Obviously results are always top of the totem poll. But we had an uglumy national image and recruiting was in a slump. Thpe 2 things have improved, I think that goes a long ways towards him getting another shot if this ultimately falters.

 

[BigRedBuster]

So in your opinion, AD's have one shot to get it right if the person that hired them is no longer around. Forget all other Athletics, they have one shot to hire a guy who can win championships in Football or they are fired along with that guy.

I'm not disagreeing that this happens. I'm not disagreeing that this could happen to ADSE. I am disagreeing that it's automatic.

I have always thought that was a pretty idiotic way to look at your AD.

Fans who think it should be like that are only looking at it through emotional fan base eyes. "If they can't get their prized trophy then heads are going to roll".

Never mind if the department is actually operating efficiently and being managed well.....and how other sports programs are doing.

 

[Caliborn72]

I am not a Riley fanboy by any means. I'd like him to be the right hire because he says and does a lot of the right things. I also want to believe that we hired a bit of a hidden gem when the rest of the country is preoccupied with splash hires only.

That said, I've really only been impressed by his recent hires and the 2018 recruiting class. The on-field play hasn't moved the needle much for me, but I have no problem accepting that it was going to take time for that. The system and pieces are now falling into place and I have relunctantly moved the goalposts for my expectations.

My issue with a 6 win season, besides the obvious disappointment, is that I'm not sure the 2018 recruiting class stays anywhere near as strong with that kind of year. Even an 8 win season would give counter-recruiting a lot of ammo. I would "accept" 8 wins if the staff kept the recruiting class together but if not, then it would mean Riley hasn't really done much of anything to impress me in 3 years and I would have no issue cutting him loose.

Just to reiterate though, I fully believe we can surprise a lot of people and rattle off 9 or more wins.

 

[Toe]

So in your opinion, AD's have one shot to get it right if the person that hired them is no longer around. Forget all other Athletics, they have one shot to hire a guy who can win championships in Football or they are fired along with that guy.

I'm not disagreeing that this happens. I'm not disagreeing that this could happen to ADSE. I am disagreeing that it's automatic.

I have always thought that was a pretty idiotic way to look at your AD.

Fans who think it should be like that are only looking at it through emotional fan base eyes.

No, it's looking at it from the bottom line of the business. Football pays the bills for pretty much everything in the athletic department, if that disappears then so does a lot of other things. If the manager can't keep a business's moneymaker going, then he's failed at his real job, no matter how great he is as a person or how much he supported all of the other parts of the business that aren't making money.