Nebhawk

I will say one thing that struck me last night:  We saw HH throw the same ball into double coverage as Simms has done.  To me, this is a coaching thing.  Same exact play over the middle 15 yards down middle of the field.  As far as who is better...........we still don't have enough info.  NIU was a very poor team on offense and sub par on defense, undersized.

Honestly, this game is hard to form any kind of opinon on.  Glad we did win and win convincingly.  I do have a question:  Can our base defense contain anyone, or do we have to blitz or apply pressure to get things done?  What I mean is it seems as if we have to bring some heat to make things happen.  That concerns me to a point.  We now have game film on us and our defense.  Will stronger opposing teams have all they need to scheme against us knowing our defense is a one trick pony.  As long as our D can make the pressure work, its no big deal.  We will find out against Michigan.

We are not hiring the right guys for this job.  I have watched KU and KSU over the last few seasons.  There is better talent, and better overall play right now on both of those teams.  Sure KU is battlling lack of defense, but we would take there offense or many of there offensive players on our roster.  KSU has always had better QB play for the most part in the last 20 years.  Better skill players overall during the last 20 years.  Point is Kleiman and Leipold are program builders and player developers.  I am sure we thought we were getting that with Rhule, but nothing yet has shown me he is the same coach who got Temple and Baylor going.  I think the $40 mill he received from Carolina has maybe him less hungry and more fat and happy.  Were an easy payday, simple.

I tend to agree with the not hiring a black HC, in theory you are correct.  I also think that Prime was never going to be the first either.  He is more about himself than about any team he has ever played for or coached.  He is a winner though.  He was on winning teams in every stop along his path.  That does count for something. 

As far as how long he remains with Colorado...........until a better job in warmer climate presents itself.  Credit Colorado for hiring him.  Most won't because he is Prime.  Now because of just two games, he is the hottest name in the market.  I don't see him leaving now until his boys are in the NFL.  Florida St would be the obvious answer when Norvell implodes.

I think your post has some points of interest.  I would have taken a different angle on this.  I think our future is rather bland because we are adding 4 new teams next season who will come in better than us and most of the Big 10.  UCLA, USC, Washington, and Oregon are more talented and are just better football teams right now. 

I would rank the current Big 10 schools, including those 4 like this: 

1. Michigan

2 USC

3 Penn ST

4. Ohio ST

5.  Washington

6.  UCLA

7. Oregon

8.  Iowa

9.  Maryland

10. Minnesota

11.  Michigan St

12.  Wisconsin

13.  Purdue

14.  Nebraska

15   Indiana

16, .  Northwestern

I dont care what order you rank each team, but everyone knows that those 4 new teams are better than anything in the West division.

1 hour ago, BigRedRig said:

So far, really nothing.  I think 3 wins are possible and 4 are likely the best they can do this season..  I did enjoy watching the defense.  They kept it a game that was inexcusable to lose.  
 

The offense is a complete mess.  Nothing dynamic, nothing special, nothing to see as promising.  Predictable passing game without the arm or the receivers to move the ball.   This was not a case of first game jitters, mental mistakes or lack of team cohesion.  They look like they are running in sand.  This will take a few years, maybe only 2 with the portal but will stud players want to transfer to Lincoln?.   That sure is a familiar thought pattern, but no blame for Rhule at this point.  Not enough pieces to compete.  Watching many other games this weekends made watching us even worse.  

I think this is a good post.  The fact that I see so many trying to justify that the Gophers are an elite team really cause me concern.  That was a bad football team compared to what they have had in recent years.  That team might have the same issues we do- no down field passing threats or a QB who can throw it.

We still have mostly Frost recruits yet playing.  We still have core group of players who don't know what winning is.  We brought in a QB who came from a losing situation.  Hell our coaches were canned at Carolina last season.  I think everyone is trying to correct the process, but until they see some wins and see that this process is working, its uphill.

We have fired too many coaches, blamed too many players for losing.  Watched KU, KSU, and other teams this weekend.  Coaches that are in year 3 or more, but not long time veterans.  KSU and KU have skill players on both sides of the ball.  KSU has all o-line players returning with some decent skill players all around.  Point is they are building rosters piece by piece.  Players are going there and playing and performing at high levels against good P-5 competition.  Frost has been the biggest disappointment in all of this.  He didn't get out and recruit.  He did not develop a roster.  Rhule has to almost restart from stratch, almost.  We do have enough pieces to win at least 5 this season, but we are not going to blow anyone out.

1 hour ago, Mavric said:

 

"Might struggle to" is quite a ways from a "pipe dream."

1 hour ago, FrantzHardySwag said:

17/10 in the ACC, but not being a homer - the secondary’s in the ACC are not the same as the B1G. ACC has had 4 4000 yrd passers the last 2 years. Good QBs pick that league apart. Maybe slightly dramatic, but he might struggle reaching that 1:1 ratio playing a full B1G schedule. 

My issue with all of these posts that refer to Big 10 as this juggernaut conference and comparing to other conferences is bothersome.  Sure Ohio St, Penn St, and Michigan are Top 15 caliber teams, but the rest are well below those.  WE as fans assemble all these reasons why and why not players can or can not perform here.  It has been a talent issue, and will continue to be a talent issue.  I watched so many games this weekend, and honestly KU, KSU, Colorado, TCU , USC, UCLA, and ETC all have 2nd team WR that are better than anything we have.  Simple.  Pelini, Riley, and Frost couldn't bring in enought skill position talent here to compete week in and week out.  Rhule has his work ahead of him to build a full roster with skill players and linemen.  This all starts with bringing in a capable QB who can throw the ball, and WR's will follow.  We keep bringing in someone else's QB who has a book wrote about them already.  Most of those chapters are telling us what they are before they arrive. 

Key stretch in this season, and a stretch that will define this years team is coming : October 6 thru November 4.  Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and Michigan ST.  WE have to win 3 out of those 4, if not all 4.  Those programs right now are not good, and ripe for the taking, but in one month who improves more, them or us?

Watching several games today, some games are good to watch, some are rather boring.  There is one thing that stands out.  There are a few really good teams that will dominate and all the rest.  I think we will see alot of average football in the midwest with Big 10 and Big 12 while SEC will have more firepower.  Michigan looks pretty good.  Rest of the Big 10 looks really suspect.  We might win 6 games this season, but its going to be more about the rest of the Big 10 falling backwards some and us improving a little.  Its early, most teams do improve the most from game one to game two, I think we get a better understand where we are, and where the other teams are after the next round of games.  I so far don't like what I am seeing in the league as a whole so far.

1 hour ago, M.A. said:

 

We have played 1 game against a decent opponent on the road and lost by 3. YES, there were some awful moments offensively. Criticisms are fair. More than the performance though, I think that we're just SICK of losing and while having been patient, it's wearing thin. We want RESULTS.

 

As for Colorado, kudos to them. While TCU probably isn't near the same team, it was a solid win on the road for the Buffaloes no less. 

 

We talk a lot about culture and how integral that is to success. For many of us we simply can't comprehend the piling on of the team in relation to their performance Thursday night. The disparaging commentaries toward players and all the rest of it that wouldn't be a part of a winning locker room. Yet, many do it quite loosely and pridefully no shame in it whatsoever. Don't think for a moment that it'll cease. It will only worsen. Those things always get exposed during hard times.

 

This is a quitters mentality. They have quit on the team after one game, given up truly powerless to exhibit any degree of poise. A minimum of self regulation. A minimum of reflection or self awareness.  Agreed, their opinions are't mine and perhaps not yours either. 

 

My friends, we have weaknesses. Various issues that aren't going to be resolved instantaneously. We should be *EXCITED* to play a worthy opponent in Colorado or any other. The more challenging, the better we'll be as a consequence. It's best we focus on our strengths and do what we can to win and, in the process go about the business of addressing our weaknesses, improving as much as we can. Break everything down. Channel the attention toward improving each individual segment. Make what *seems* impossible toward being probable. 

 

We've played one game and our road to greatness will require courage.

 

Finally a word on Jeff Sims. Maybe he's not your son or nephew or brother or friend or student or teammate. Perhaps your fine dragging him through the mud and projecting hate through his errors. All of the anger must be exacted on him for all of our hardship and failures over the course of the last many years and, perhaps even some of your own inadequacies. You don't want him to improve upon his vision, focus or making better decisions! You want to be right. You're willing to do anything in your power to not see him or anyone else that struggles succeed but fail. 

 

He's a young man that wants to do is best and to help deliver results that translate into wins. He's owned up to what he did wrong. Condemn him? No, you get to work on improving and encouraging each other as a TEAM with a winner's mindset does.  Keep your chin up son. Put your trust in the process not the critics. Lean on each other and your coaches. Bit by bit discover your best and demonstrate it. 

 

To those that object, whatever...There's nothing that can be done to change your outlook. I'm absolutely cool with that. 

While I would agree with much of what you said, these kids are tougher today because of social media and being scrutinized more often for bad play.  Your right the culture is not good, but its up to the athletic dept, coaching staff and players to change that narrative, not the fans who invest money, time and frankly livelyhood on Big Red football.  Its unfortunate that the fans care more about the program than some of our leaders in the past with some very bad hires and some even worse firings.  We are what we are right now.  Current landscape of college football, I think we are here for some time.  We missed out on chances to improve and get back, now we are battling more teams with winning in the current state, and our past history really means less and less each and every season that passes.

5 hours ago, The Murphinator said:

Got to run the ball a bunch and when you do throw stay away from Hunter.

We have no passing threat yet.  Colorado will load the box and dare Sims to throw down field.  At least that is what I would do.  We will see what happens, but if you think we can just line up and run downhill, think again.  If Sims can pass with some effectiveness, we might be able to run down hill, but alot of things have to happen.  Can we stop all there weapons?  We will see.  Right now, Colorado would beat most of the West division, if not all of the West division.

This is real football fellow posters.  Not the 3 yards and a cloud of dust Big 10.  Big 10 West plays that brand of football because they can not recruit players like what TCU and Colorado have right now.  Wait for USC and UCLA and Oregon and Washington.  They will come into this league and do what Frost claimed to want to do.  They will bring in speed and skill players like this league, other than Michigan and Ohio St, has never seen week to week.  Facts.

Colorado has from I have seen, two Heisman trophy contenders.  Hunter is the best player on the field period.  Sanders is a good QB, that throws a nice ball.  Impressed with there talent, don't care how the talent was assembled.

Colorado might end up like us if Deion doesn't produce.  Being honest.  Colorado looks better than us, on both sides of the ball.  Better talent.  TCU has talent as well.  You can't compare Minny to either one of these teams.  Right now, Colorado will beat us 45- 13.  I don't think we can stop them, and we can not score .  The only way I will take back that prediction is most teams make there most and biggest improvements from game one to game two.  TCU beat Michigan last season, don't forget the talent that is on that sideline.  Speed on both sides.  I wanted Deion here last season.  He brings in better talent with his name alone.  Rhule will do fine once he gets Big 10 talent on campus, but its going to take a while

If Minny wins more than 6 games this season that means the Big 10 truly sucks.  That team doesn't have the same o-line they had, and there D-line is not what it was.  Yes, Minny is better than us right now because they don't make the stupid mistakes, but thats the only difference.

Got off base with that last post some.  Sims is a running QB.  We can win with that, but forget vertical passing with our WR's. I am not sure we actually have good running backs yet.  Irvin is suspect.  Grant to me is the better, but fumbles. 

Rhule better get out and start finding every hidden gem hiding under a rock and get them here.

How in the world could anyone make a fair assessment of that offense.  With zero wide receiver play, suspect o-line, and the usual suspect play calling.  But to be fair, how could you call a game with our receiving talent and our QB.  Sims is a runner who can throw some.  Jamal Lord like.  Minnesota is not going to win more than 5 or 6 this season.  Maybe less than 5.  Right now, I think were lucky to win 4 games this season with this current offense.  Given that we are still lacking key talent in the right areas, 4 to 5 wins would do this program some good.  We just don't have great line play on eitherside, but we have some good linebackers and secondary players.  Grant is the best running back, but seems to have developed some fumbling issues.  I will not bash the coaching right now.  Thats to easy.  This is still a talent issue.  We are still lacking major playmakers.  Pelini, Riley, Frost and now Rhule.  Its time folks to realize its not coaching as much as its getting talent to come to Lincoln and play like CHAMPIONS.  Rhule is the going to be the only one on that list who has a chance to bring in talent.  Frost should have but was a lazy recruiter.  Doesn't matter.  Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA are ahead us and will enter being better.  We lost our chance to gain some clout with some bad hires in Riley and Frost.  We will be in the lower tier for some time to come.  

Actually with no Wide Receiver play, will any plays being called work?  To be fair, we can not run past anyone with our wide outs.  Gimme a break, watching KU, they have 6-8 wide outs who would start for us right now.  Running backs at KU are maybe better.  We are still in the Frost era.  Until we get some actual Big 10 recruits that can do what Rhule and staff want, this is what we are going to see.  Simms is Jamal Lord.  Running QB, and thats it.  Try being an offensive Co with our roster currently.

Time will tell.  Rhule has to recruit better than anyone else since T.O. in order to get things going again.  Recruit and develop. 

My hot take is rather simple and obvious:  SEC is going to keep dominating the college playoffs.  The other conferences are not even close to challenging right now.  Bama should have been one of the playoff teams this season.  They are better than most teams, even in losing 2 conference games this season by a slim margin. 

My preseason top 10:

1.  Georgia

2. Bama

3. Tennessee

4.  USC

5.  Clemson

6. Ohio ST

7.  Michigan

8  LSU

9.  NOtre Dame

10.  TCU

Expect a SEC team to win.  BAMA or Georgia, but don't sleep on LSU.

On 1/1/2023 at 11:36 AM, gossamorharpy said:

It’s coming to an end. Saban retiring soon, Bama as a program isn’t the same dominant force it was a few years ago. Georgia on a nice run but they too don’t feel the same as Bama did during the last decade.. the dawgs almost lost to an Ohio state team missing its whole receiver room, quite a few who will be playing on Sundays. 
 

Solid teams and best conference for sure but I feel like the sport is heading to a place of more contenders which is great 

Completely agree.  I do think that parity will take place in a few years once the 12 team format gets going.  I still think that the SEC will get more teams into the playoff each season( Media bias) and the fact that they just have better talent right now.  OU and Texas will challenge the bag men in the SEC.  They have cash.  They will compete for recruits with Georgia and Bama.  I hope that they have a rule where all conference champs go to the playoffs. P-5 conferences at least.  This at least allow for some other schools to at least get a shot and hope they start soon as the regular season is over.  No layoffs.Just like basketball.  If you have injuries, so be it. 

7 hours ago, huskerfan702 said:

 

I’m not trying to discredit tcu because they easily could’ve folded 3 outta the last 4 weeks and they found a way to win. But when you add in the conversation of a 12 team playoff ask how legitimate this conversation goes beyond 4. IMO the bcs never got it wrong.  

BCS never got it wrong--Nebraska vs Miami?  USC vs OU?   OU vs LSU- none of these games were ever competitive.  BCS did get it right sometimes, but not always.  Close wins, hum, we had a few a close win at Mizzou in order to win the Natty.  Close wins teach teams and players how to win under pressure.

The 12 team playoff will be a good thing.  The only negative that I can actually think of is injuries, team that are beat up after the regular season and lose because of attrition, not talent or scheme.  This will be school like TCU, K-ST, Ohio ST and maybe Michigan.  Georgia, BAma, and Clemson most seasons have more depth at key positions.  Bama will benefit from a playoff with more teams.  After watching yesterdays games, for sure they were one of the top 4 teams in the country at the end of the season.  SEC dominance is real, and I don't see it leveling out anytime soon.

Lets hear how the Big 10 is so much better than the Big 12.....................More physical?  Better run games?  Better coaching?  I would say that TCU just checked all the boxes in that game..............I do give the Ohio St Buckeyes a 25% chance to win this game, but its going to take a different level of play than they have played all season in the Big 10

I feel for AMart some, but does anyone know if he is 100%?  Maybe those few plays he ran was enough and he wasn't fully ready...........Shows actually how far down we have gotten when our 4 year starter goes to KSU and can't hold the starting job.....injury or not...........

Who is gods creation thinks that we can "grab coordinators" from other schools that are high profile?  We didn't hire a sitting coach first off, and secondly, if we couldn't hire big name as HC, who would think we could hire big name coordinators? 

Trev surely has told Rhule every facet and area that needs an upgrade already.  Rhule knows that this job is an overhaul.

This hire has some question marks, sure, but to think that no one from the Carolina Panthers is qualified to lead young men onto a football field are being rather negative, just to be negative at this point. 

1 hour ago, HANC said:

Why is this AUTOMATICALLY on Trev? You guys make me smh..so damn negative, and it is you guys who are the joke. Could it be Trev made a run at Fickell????? Could it be that Fickell wanted to be at Wiscy more than here.  No one knows, but easier to just point fingers and complain. And, wasn’t Fickell the HC when we came back on OSU when they collapsed in Lincoln.

Exactly.  I am sure that Fickells agent was contacted, and they turned down any kind of interview or discussion.  Like I said on a different thread, we will never know who was asked and who declined even and interview at this point.  What we do know is that we made a few coaches more money along the way.

Just wanted to put this out there, but how does the people of Oklahoma feel right now?  Your old coach is going to lead USC more likely into the CFP.  I guess that this says that if your thinking about leaving your conference, maybe consult with your HC first.  I don't feel a bit sorry for OU and Texas going forward.  They just sealed there fate.  Venables is also already on the hot seat, maybe he should have stayed put at Clemson as well.

Greed that Texas and OU have is so ridiculous it is funny.  Reminds of another school..........lets hope for traditions sake they don't encounter the same things we did by joining a conference that really doesn't want you, but will take your name and money.

Riley is a really good coach, with a scheme that works where ever he goes.  USC is going to be around for awhile now.  they might have just replaced Clemson and OU as a title contender each season.  Welcome to the Big 10!