Football Miracles Happen

R

Roundball Shaman

Four-Star Recruit
It’s hard for Husker fans to feel it right now, but you can turn a program around quickly and it doesn’t have to take 20 years... or even 5.

Husker fans... look to the Baylor Miracle. OK, maybe miracle is a bit much, but here’s what they’ve done in a very short time.

In 2015 they had a good record of 10-3. Dismissed the coach as he got caught up in an on-campus scandal. Brought in a caretaker coach in 2016, still got a 7-6 record after much turmoil.

New coach comes in 2017. Recruiting had been scarred so he didn’t have much to work with. Ended up 1-11. People were patient. 2018, they go plus-six-wins over prior year and end up 7-6.

And this year? Just a nice bright sparkling 8 wins, 0 losses.

So, anxious Husker Nation, it can happen. It didn’t take a long time or anything earth-shaking. Just bring in the right guys and let things grow together.

Sure, it’s not an equivalent situation as Huskers have been so Not-Husker-Like for a generation. But with the right mix of guys and a little time, good things can happen quickly. As underachieving as they’ve been, Huskers haven’t been 1-11 in all that time.

And be glad you’re not a football fan in the State of New Mexico. This season, New Mexico Lobos are 2-6, and the other major program in the State - New Mexico State - is 0-8 for a combined 2 wins, 14 losses. Bad football in the Land of Enchantment.

The future is bright, Husker fans. Things either get better or they get worse. And things won’t get worse in the Land of Tall Corn.

 
Roundball Shaman said:
It’s hard for Husker fans to feel it right now, but you can turn a program around quickly and it doesn’t have to take 20 years... or even 5.

Husker fans... look to the Baylor Miracle. OK, maybe miracle is a bit much, but here’s what they’ve done in a very short time.

In 2015 they had a good record of 10-3. Dismissed the coach as he got caught up in an on-campus scandal. Brought in a caretaker coach in 2016, still got a 7-6 record after much turmoil.

New coach comes in 2017. Recruiting had been scarred so he didn’t have much to work with. Ended up 1-11. People were patient. 2018, they go plus-six-wins over prior year and end up 7-6.

And this year? Just a nice bright sparkling 8 wins, 0 losses.

So, anxious Husker Nation, it can happen. It didn’t take a long time or anything earth-shaking. Just bring in the right guys and let things grow together.

Sure, it’s not an equivalent situation as Huskers have been so Not-Husker-Like for a generation. But with the right mix of guys and a little time, good things can happen quickly. As underachieving as they’ve been, Huskers haven’t been 1-11 in all that time.

And be glad you’re not a football fan in the State of New Mexico. This season, New Mexico Lobos are 2-6, and the other major program in the State - New Mexico State - is 0-8 for a combined 2 wins, 14 losses. Bad football in the Land of Enchantment.

The future is bright, Husker fans. Things either get better or they get worse. And things won’t get worse in the Land of Tall Corn.
 
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I think you can always have examples of this...SMU, Penn St, Minnie etc....BUT those at least showed improvement moving forward.  What concerns me is we seem to have regressed....If AM can't get it down will he bench him?  If the staff comes back next year is he willing to let people go year 4?  I'd like to see him be more of a CEO and have his finger on the pulse of all 3 phases.  IIRC, he lets the assistants run their areas.

 
I'm not starting a new thread, too many of those already.  This is TL;DR, Venting

What a disaster.  Seriously, it's bad enough we lose our home and home against woefully bad Buffaloes.  It's bad enough we get murdered on national TV on a huge platform.  It's bad enough and overrated Minnesota slaps us around.  But now, in back to back games, we have blown EASY and WINNABLE games to the two worst teams in Indiana.  We can't go bowling, even if we manage to somehow stumble into a win versus pitiful Maryland.  We have less than zero shot of beating Wisconsin and Iowa.  We are staring down the barrel of a 3rd straight 4-8 season.  This isn't acceptable by any means.

This schedule looks worse and worse as the weeks pile on, and we have gone above and beyond to look worse and worse as the weeks pile on.  This staff isn't clicking.  The team is a mess at every level.  I have no faith in any of them to piece together a game I can enjoy watching the rest of this awful season.  I've never hated watching Nebraska as much as I do this year.  I finally thought I could let my guard down, get excited, be proud to wear red, look forward to the rankings, speculate on post season.  But no, this team is so freaking bad it's not even remotely debatable.  Scott has lost control of this thing already somehow.

People need to go and fast.  I'm all in with Frost, but at this point it's because there are literally no other choices.  I'm beyond disappointed.  I haven't TRULY enjoyed watching this team play since November of 2014, that's 5 effing years during a stretch where I warmed up to firing the coach I was all in on.  In that time this program has made so many piss poor choices and finally got one right and it's too late.  We aren't the new Minnesota, we're the new Kansas.

Get this s#!t fixed. 

 
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Not sure baylor is a great example they actually improved from year1 to year 2. Frank beamer was hot garbage at Virginia Tech his first 5 years or so then turned it around maybe thats what we're going for.

All kidding aside i think if benhart is ready to go next year and they can slide farniok inside to guard i think this offense looks a lot better. Also if Chin becomes one of those coaches that does more with less Nebraska could make a bowl game.

 
Redux said:
I'm not starting a new thread, too many of those already.  This is TL;DR, Venting

What a disaster.  Seriously, it's bad enough we lose our home and home against woefully bad Buffaloes.  It's bad enough we get murdered on national TV on a huge platform.  It's bad enough and overrated Minnesota slaps us around.  But now, in back to back games, we have blown EASY and WINNABLE games to the two worst teams in Indiana.  We can't go bowling, even if we manage to somehow stumble into a win versus pitiful Maryland.  We have less than zero shot of beating Wisconsin and Iowa.  We are staring down the barrel of a 3rd straight 4-8 season.  This isn't acceptable by any means.

This schedule looks worse and worse as the weeks pile on, and we have gone above and beyond to look worse and worse as the weeks pile on.  This staff isn't clicking.  The team is a mess at every level.  I have no faith in any of them to piece together a game I can enjoy watching the rest of this awful season.  I've never hated watching Nebraska as much as I do this year.  I finally thought I could let my guard down, get excited, be proud to wear red, look forward to the rankings, speculate on post season.  But no, this team is so freaking bad it's not even remotely debatable.  Scott has lost control of this thing already somehow.

People need to go and fast.  I'm all in with Frost, but at this point it's because there are literally no other choices.  I'm beyond disappointed.  I haven't enjoyed watching this team play since November of 2014, that's 5 effing years during a stretch where I warmed up to firing the coach I was all in on.  In that time this program has made so many piss poor choices and finally got one right and it's too late.  We aren't the new Minnesota, we're the new Kansas.

Get this s#!t fixed. 
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Your venting is completely understandable. Next season will showcase a lot of new and younger players. See improvement as the season progresses, then things will look promising. However, no improvement or regression will speak volumes.  

 
Decoy73 said:
Your venting is completely understandable. Next season will showcase a lot of new and younger players. See improvement as the season progresses, then things will look promising. However, no improvement or regression will speak volumes.  
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All the old next year arguement when we still have 3 games left. My favorite

 
Decoy73 said:
Your venting is completely understandable. Next season will showcase a lot of new and younger players. See improvement as the season progresses, then things will look promising. However, no improvement or regression will speak volumes.  
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I feel that way, after reading about the younger players, etc.  But.. I'm worried about the coaching staff, especially the D. 

I don't think the problems are 100% about the players "not executing," etc as Frost keeps saying (although at times he's referred us to his own failings in a game).  If I were forced to put a percentage of "fault" or "blame" for the losses on players vs coaches it'd have to be 90% coaches and 10 % players because I think good coaches know how to get performance out of less than great talent and also how to recognize and exploit the talents that are there.  Frost may grow into that, but Chinander?   IDK. 

 
@ReduxMy wife doesn't enjoy watching Husker football either.  She never has.  She understands.

But I turn it on every Saturday I can.  She shoots me an annoyed look along with a low groan.  I respond the same every week, "no one is making you watch..."

My advice to you: clean your garage.

 
It would be a miracle if Frost would scrap this cutesy offense. I've lauded it recently because of the yards it has racked up, but when teams like Purdue and South Alabama shut us down for the better part of 6 quarters, it needs to go. We aren't playing AAC patsies every week. This is the Big-Boy B1G with legit defenses. 

Frost needs to go all in on I Formation, ball control, power football. THAT would be a miracle. Simplify everything down and grind out 4 yards a play. Play-Action to loosen up the box. Shorten the game and keep our 'Bend and Usually Break' defense off the field. Teach the linemen straight ahead blocking and keep that clock rolling. I get that we run the ball, but our linemen are trying to zone/reach block and they simply can't do it. Wandale and Mills are just running into unblocked defenders. Get a fullback out there and block for our talented backs.

How many times in the past 2 seasons have we been near the goal line only to come away with 3 or none with cutesy crap? Line up in the I and ISO/Pitch/Option your way in. Heck, we had the ball first and goal from the 3. ISO! 4th and goal from the 1 foot line. QB sneak! There isn't a flag for aiding the runner anymore, so have the two backs push Adrian in! 

We've lost at least 4 games every year since '03, the last time we ran I Formation Option/Power football. We won't need to recruit an all-world QB. We have some backs coming in - focus on the line, a couple receivers, and tight ends. We aren't going to out-recruit the other 11 spread teams in our conference for the necessary quarterbacks and athletes to be effective. But we can get guys for the power game. God, let it happen.

 
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I really wonder if this transition was handled well by this staff. I mean, we chased away a lot of players. I know they were Riley guys, but it seems to me that we could have used them as a bridge to the Frost guys. I mean, Frost brings in a bunch of guys, and most need development, and yet we are throwing them into the mix out of need because so many guys left. 

Take 2AM for instance. He played as a freshman. And, yes, we saw the flash that he could provide. But we also saw a ton of mistakes. It seems to me that some of those mistakes have now become habits that he is having a hard time overcoming. We could have went with Gebbia and had him just basically hand it off on power stuff and jet series and that sort of thing, then worked play action off of it and we might have had something at least serviceable. Even if it ended badly, we would still be working with 2AM in the background and getting him ready for the challenges.

We saw that at least some of the guys are better than we would have liked to assume they would be. I mean where would we have been last year without Morgan and ZIggy. This year, we would be in a world of hurt without J.D.

My strategy of playing Riley guys until Frost guys were ready might not have worked, but it couldn't be any worse than what we freaking have now.

 
funhusker said:
@ReduxMy wife doesn't enjoy watching Husker football either.  She never has.  She understands.

But I turn it on every Saturday I can.  She shoots me an annoyed look along with a low groan.  I respond the same every week, "no one is making you watch..."

My advice to you: clean your garage.
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I used to enjoy watching this team.  This current product is more of a chore than my garage.  Anyone watching the team play this year and saying they are fully enjoying it is full of bunk.

 
Redux said:
I used to enjoy watching this team.  This current product is more of a chore than my garage.  Anyone watching the team play this year and saying they are fully enjoying it is full of bunk.
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It is because I don't attach my happiness to their success.  I attach it spending few hours on a Saturday not worrying about the real problems in my life, eating fatty foods, and drinking domestics.  I enjoy it because it was a break from from new floors and remodel job in my house.  I enjoy it because by "hawkeye fan" 9yo gives me crap, just as I plan to give him when/if the Huskers beat the Hawkeyes.  

If watching this team really makes you that miserable, by all means, clean your garage.  You just admitted it would be better.

 
funhusker said:
It is because I don't attach my happiness to their success.  I attach it spending few hours on a Saturday not worrying about the real problems in my life, eating fatty foods, and drinking domestics.  I enjoy it because it was a break from from new floors and remodel job in my house.  I enjoy it because by "hawkeye fan" 9yo gives me crap, just as I plan to give him when/if the Huskers beat the Hawkeyes.  

If watching this team really makes you that miserable, by all means, clean your garage.  You just admitted it would be better.
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I really don't get this attitude from people honestly.  Some people's fandom is nonchalant, others allow themselves to become more emotionally invested in the success or lack thereof.  Regardless of fandom, I've never been impressed by those who feel the need to tell someone how to be a fan.  I said in the first sentence above, I'm venting.  I'll vent and by tomorrow I'll continue looking for tickets to the Wisconsin game.  Can't clean my garage if I'm at the stadium.

 
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