SI Mailbag: What Are Realistic Short-Term Expectations for Nebraska?

[Ratt Mhule]

Well, Ohio State hasn't punted the ball once in the past two years we played them...

We haven't beat Wisconsin in quite awhile.

Michigan will be improved and there is no way you should even consider us favored.

Michigan state had a damn good year last year and return everyone.  

Which one do you think we will win and please state why.

The only guaranteed loss on our schedule is OSU. 

Riley teams played Wisconsin tough for 3 years. Should have won two of them. 

Michigan will not be improved unless their QB play improves and that is contingent upon if the kid from Ole Miss gets cleared which is most likely not going to happen. 

Michigan St. doesnt scare me in Memorial Stadium

 

[huskerfan333157]

The only guaranteed loss on our schedule is OSU. 

Riley teams played Wisconsin tough for 3 years. Should have won two of them. 

Michigan will not be improved unless their QB play improves and that is contingent upon if the kid from Ole Miss gets cleared which is most likely not going to happen. 

Michigan St. doesnt scare me in Memorial Stadium

We have a new qb who won't know the system that's really had no playing time yet that's better than a Michigan qb who's been in the same system and has had playing time?  Speight also earned all big ten third team honors.

But you're right, our qb situation is sooooooo much better than theirs. :sarcasm

 

[Redux]

Well, we've been mediocre since 2003.  Sorry, but youre living too much in the past, programs have caught up. I think frost will get us back into being a top 10/15 program and competing in the playoff once every 3 years.

It's been 20 years since a conference title.  I'm looking forward to the future not living in the past buddy.

But please go on about these guaranteed losses.

 

[huskerfan333157]

It's been 20 years since a conference title.  I'm looking forward to the future not living in the past buddy.

But please go on about these guaranteed losses.

I'm looking forward to the future as well, I've specifically said we eill continually be a top 20 team with a playoff appearance every 5 years and a conference title.  But I'm not a homer so I'm not expecting a 8 or 9 win season this year.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

We have a new qb who won't know the system that's really had no playing time yet that's better than a Michigan qb who's been in the same system and has had playing time?  Speight also earned all big ten third team honors.

But you're right, our qb situation is sooooooo much better than theirs. :sarcasm

Pretty sure Speight is transferring.

 

[huskerfan333157]

Pretty sure Speight is transferring.

You, sir, are correct.  I retract my statement.

 

[Ratt Mhule]

We have a new qb who won't know the system that's really had no playing time yet that's better than a Michigan qb who's been in the same system and has had playing time?  Speight also earned all big ten third team honors.

But you're right, our qb situation is sooooooo much better than theirs. :sarcasm

I never compared their QB situation to ours. I just said they wont improve unless their QB situation does and unless the Ole Miss kid gets his waiver I doubt it will. This makes them beatable. They are an average team. Havent won a game against a ranked opponent in 2 years. Which means they are not a guaranteed loss. Our QBs wont be asked to do as much as theirs. Frosts offense is about simple passes and getting playmakers in space. 

 

[Redux]

I'm looking forward to the future as well, I've specifically said we eill continually be a top 20 team with a playoff appearance every 5 years and a conference title.  But I'm not a homer so I'm not expecting a 8 or 9 win season this year.

Expecting better than .500 and to not lose to Purdue makes me a homer.......lol k.

 

[Landlord]

Pretty simple, listen closely.

6-6 would be disappointing and is a pretty weak goal to frame a team after even though we went 4-8 and face an ugly on paper schedule.

Okay, but why would that be disappointing, other than because you say so? Is there data that suggests that programs under new head coaches, with barely top 25 talent, coming off of 2 out of 3 losing seasons, often win more than 6 games in the first year? Does that generally happen? 

 

[KingBlank]

We hired the best coach in the country and are talking about 6-6 being a realistic expectation.

That's literally the best example of apathy I can think of.

You $#&$#ING tell um.  I'm right with you.  Mike Riley did more damage to this fan base then I could have even imagined.  Also these are the same people that will be like "well I thought we were going to 6-6, but now I'm really ecstatic because he went 8-4.  But don't get me wrong I really thought they could go 8-4 I just didn't expect it."  Fight the fight for expectations not being 6-6.  You want to know what the expectation should be?  Big Ten title game, or you didn't meet expectations of this program.  

 

[Redux]

Okay, but why would that be disappointing, other than because you say so? Is there data that suggests that programs under new head coaches, with barely top 25 talent, coming off of 2 out of 3 losing seasons, often win more than 6 games in the first year? Does that generally happen? 

I'm not the least bit surprised you would be proud of 6-6.

 

[Landlord]

I'm not the least bit surprised you would be proud of 6-6.

Please point out where I said, or even inferred, that. The post you quoted contains no statements, only questions.

Conversely, I'm not the least bit surprised you would put words in someone's mouth. That behavior makes up half of this thread.

 

[Redux]

Please point out where I said, or even inferred, that. The post you quoted contains no statements, only questions.

Conversely, I'm not the least bit surprised you would put words in someone's mouth. That behavior makes up half of this thread.

Landlord jumping in with the majority to take easy shots, yeah bout what I would expect.

 

[Redux]

You $#&$#ING tell um.  I'm right with you.  Mike Riley did more damage to this fan base then I could have even imagined.  Also these are the same people that will be like "well I thought we were going to 6-6, but now I'm really ecstatic because he went 8-4.  But don't get me wrong I really thought they could go 8-4 I just didn't expect it."  Fight the fight for expectations not being 6-6.  You want to know what the expectation should be?  Big Ten title game, or you didn't meet expectations of this program.  

It's the apathetic approach to year one.  Set the bar as low as possible and then when it gets easily cleared celebrate it.  It is what it is.  I get why people are doing it, the last staff made this mindset the status quo.

Me, I'm excited again for the first time in probably 4 or 5 years and I thinl 6-6 is ugly for a staff of this caliber. 

 

[jsneb83]

It's the apathetic approach to year one.  Set the bar as low as possible and then when it gets easily cleared celebrate it.  It is what it is.  I get why people are doing it, the last staff made this mindset the status quo.

Me, I'm excited again for the first time in probably 4 or 5 years and I thinl 6-6 is ugly for a staff of this caliber. 

I don't think apathy is the right word here. There is plenty of excitement going around as shown by the spring game sellout and the resurgence in season tickets. The Riley failure has left people uncertain as to how far this team has fallen. If you don't know where the starting point is, it can be harder to predict the finish. People are expecting this could take a few years, since that's what the AD and head coach also said. While I believe 6-6 is low, I can see it happening because we honestly don't know how good this team will be this year or how the season will play out.