ReddyRed

Is Leipold out for sure? I know he "agreed to terms," with KU, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's signed on the dotted line yet, does it?

Respectfully disagree, FTW. Not yet time to pull the plug on Scott. Things are definitely improving. A concern, though: The process of now "being so close," as many have mentioned after yesterday, might not necessarily continue forward. There's no guarantee. Lots of teams get close, but then stagnate or regress. What will happen over the rest of this season? That will tell us a lot about this program's position.

Yes, it's paranormal. No question about it. Paranormal.

It's true that Illinois has never done anything, but that 2-5 Illinois team, that has lost to the likes of UTSA, Virginia, Maryland and Purdue, nonetheless beat the Huskers this year. And if you think being a fan means living in the distant past and not facing the current reality, then maybe YOU should find one of those other 106 teams to root for. Merely stating an opinion that happens to be critical and realistic doesn't disqualify anyone as a fan. My honest opinion is that the glory days will not return for NU. A decent year here and there? Yes. An occasional close game or even an upset of a top 10 team at home? Yes. But mostly just an average program from year to year? Yes. There are simply too many intrinsic disadvantages, including playing in a league with stronger programs that not only have top-shelf traditions, but also natural and fertile recruiting grounds in highly populated states – particularly Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. That's a big reason that the past 10 years have been a depressing slog, and nothing can change that major disadvantage. But saying all of this doesn't disqualify me as a fan who is willing to accept that reality.

Yes, that's the way it works for Alabama.

Yeah, like 3 decades ago.

Wait a minute. Why does he have to be Tom Brady? There are 10 other guys on offense.

I think that could be correct. I'm thinking Michigan's better athletes could widen the lead as the game continues in the 2nd half.

I honestly don't know if this program will ever be successful again. Why should it be? -- No obvious recruiting territory that is rich in talent (lost the Texas recruits, for the most part, by leaving the B12). -- Geographic disadvantage. Twenty-five years ago, this wasn't a problem. But the recruiting rules have changed. A lower-tier, unremarkable B1G program stuck in flyover country. Nearby K-State does a better job of handling this geographic problem. -- No conference championships for more than two decades -- today's recruits weren't even born. -- Just a string of mediocre seasons. And every mediocre season just cements the reputation of a meh football program. -- Great facilities, but everybody has great facilities, thanks to TV money. Sorry for the pessimism, but there's no sense living in sentimentality for the good ol' days. They're long gone, a quarter-century ago. That's the reality, and t's way past time to get realistic.

Bob Stoops stepped away because he didn't want to die of a heart attack on the sideline. He's done. He has all the money he'd ever want.

For all of the financial benefits of the B1G, every Husker misses winning conference championships – which hasn't happened in two decades. Nattys? Not even remotely on the horizon. Why? One reason is the absence of recruiting grounds. A&M is furious about the idea of UT joining them in the SEC. What if A&M called NU with the idea of creating a "new" conference that they both could control – kinda like the old days of the Big 8 (with OU)? NU, Texas A&M, KU, KSU, ISU, Texas Tech, OSU, Baylor and TCU for starters. Maybe keep West Virginia. There have been rumors that the Arizona schools could be picked up by somebody. Arkansas is often mentioned, too. Just spitballing, but kinda intriguing. A&M and NU (with renewed access to Texas recruits) could rule the roost of a very good conference. Would Alberts be receptive to that idea?

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Yeah, I guess. How long has that been the refrain? As to Illinois, Bielema is a solid coach, and a substantial upgrade from Lovey.

But nothing new. Over the past 2 decades, they've been the better program.

Not sure those were lucky wins. In 2019, K-State led OU 41-23 at the end of the 3rd quarter. And in 2020, they outscored OU 17-0 in the 4th quarter, on the road, to win the game.

Serious question: Is there a W remaining on the schedule?

I really don't think the program has a bright future at all. Given lack of natural recruiting grounds, remote location, a 20-year drought in conference championships, kids not aware of the long-ago tradition, and multiple head-coaching failures, I just don't see how things can get much better. No B1G championships in the next 5 years (at least)... and likely never another natty – the CFB world has simply changed too much. I feel sorry for fans who for so many years tied their personal self-esteem to this program. Very sad, but it's the reality.

"Home"? To a conference where UT owned NU (1 and 9 vs. the Horns)? No thanks.

They weren't actually booing. They were shouting, CHIEEEEEFS, which is their custom.

I think I've wandered into Platitude Hell.

That was great. Unfortunately, the record against Texas was 1-9 during the Big 12 years. Yay.

There is a good chance you would be shocked. And a good chance NDSU would win. Every FBS team they have played has thought it was a sure win.

This is a very insightful, and correct, response.

Easy. Dominant programs in the Southeast; no local recruiting grounds; multiple superior or equivalent programs in the B1G that do have local recruiting grounds (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois); lack of any NU intimidation factor whatsoever in the B1G (as opposed to the old Big 8 and Big 12); poor location on the far western edge of the conference; abandoned ties to Texas recruiting; a 2020 recruiting ranking that is on par with Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina; and a current reputation as a mediocre (at best) program that doesn't go to bowl games regularly and shocks no one when it loses to the likes of Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Northern Illinois, Purdue and Troy. None of that was true in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, and that's "what has so fundamentally changed." Therefore, there's simply no reason to expect anything beyond "pretty good football" from this point forward. Of course, anything can happen in any given year (KU 2007), so there's always hope. Every program has hope.