Nebhawk

I don't think this contract extension means diddly squat. If we go 6-6 or worse, SE and MR are gone. Big money boosters will start bailing. Frost will be the next guy, if he so desires it. After that, then I would say why not Bob Stoops? Why not? Negative recruiting happens whether were on here second guessing any coach. Recruiting starts with the action on the field. Wins, not losses. Playing in the spotlight of a contender or a pretender. We have been pretenders now for almost 20 years. Once again, the west division is soft besides Wisky. Winnable. Still winnable. Odds are we won't finish better than 3rd. What in the world has Riley done to deserve anything to this point? Starting his 3rd season. His outcomes thus far are very similar to that of Callahans. NO defense, and on occasion against lesser opponents high octane offense. 9-4 and 8-5 is the ceiling. Thats all Callahan could produce before the wheels fell off the wagon. Bo had the same ceiling. I think Frost could produce 10 win consistent contenders. 11 wins in moderate levels and play for Big 10 titles. Does anyone ever see Riley getting to that point? If you are saying to yourself no, why continue along this path again?

I dare say that we would have been better off staying in the Big 12, but no one will ever know that now. Big 10 is about Michigan and Ohio St. Thats the pecking order. 1A and 1B. The other remaining schools don't matter as much. In all reality, the best Black Friday game would be against Wisky. Just schedule it every year. I truly believe that once we find a coach bring back some luster to the program that the Wisky game would be for the West crown most years. Michigan and OSU would have there annual showdown to decide the east. But wait.............thats no going to happen every year because of the Horseshoe-Big House rivalry now is it!

College Football was about rivalries and tradition. Since so many schools have abandoned conferences for more money that logical theory is all but gone, except of OSU and Michigan. Texas and OU, UCLA and USC and all of the old SEC rivalry games. Basically Big 10 and Big 12 schools have shredded classic games. Wait......wasn't this a reason why we left the Big 12? No natural rivalry since OU was a rotating sched and Colorado , well, was Colorado. I dare say that the Big 10 is doing what I really thought they would and thats kill this tradition of winning in favor of OSU and Michigan winning. Its their conference, Nebraska will always be the red headed step child.

Just another way the Big 10 can lower our standards even more. NO Michigan and Ohio St are not losing there game!

Really dudes, Oregon didn't come out for blood in the 2nd half. You can't base anything off of that half of football! Tanner Lee is Tanner Lee. He didn't come here highly touted. He isn't a blue chip recruit. How many times will this program take a transfer QB and think that this is the answer. Keller, Taylor, Lee, ETC. Why are we not trusting our recruiting just a little bit? POB, Gebbia ? If this season is a building season, lets build around a freshmen! 3-4 defense if you have the talent is a decent defense to run, but against speed and talent, your still out matched. The issue is we don't get enough push up front unless we blitz, and once we commit to a blitz, they have us with numbers.

Resources? What resources? We have money, and an old traditional program that was built by 2 coaches. Unfortunately, our tradition is not even relevant to current recruits unless they are born here. Fant not being offered a position speaks volumes for this program right now. This program was built on home grown grinders that taught the studs what playing here meant. Until we recruit home grown talent to stay, and help teach the history, its a wash. With the location of the program, and not being relevant since 2001, its going to take a special staff to ever revive this program to national level. Money and old tradition aren't enough. Were not producing pros. Were not developing NFL talent. This is another issue with all the changes we have made thus far in the last 14 years. Keep hiring crap, keep putting crap on the field.

Oregon was in ball control, clocking burn mode the whole second half. They could have put another 42 on the board if they wanted. Silver lining is Oregon didn't want to completely blow us away. 3-4 defense is not the answer. This season is a trial by fire season. Not competing for conference title.

We all know that this is Riley's swan song. He is getting a chance to coach at a power 5 school with tradition. We all know that he will not remove anyone from his staff. Banker and Langsdorf are not capable of winning more than 9 games a year, whether here or at Beaver U. The upside is that I think Riley will see the writing on the wall after next season and retire. I think that the pressure of coaching here is going to get to him. I don't think his metal will continue. I think he is a good guy, and can coach football, but not at this level. I think if he could win another 9 games next year, he has us on track to become more relevant. I just don't see that he will ever get us to the Big 10 title game and beyond. He definately won't with his coordinators presently. I new d-co would help ease some questions.

Michigan lost two games by single digits on the road. I sure the hell would take that! They played with heart and nastiness all season. No -one was going to blow them out! Yeah, who wouldn't take that. That would be trending up for this program. That would carry some optimism for the next few years. That would fuel the fire for at least 12 more months of discussion. What we get is nothing in those terms. USC got there doors blown off against Bama, but made a QB change and now are often talked about as being maybe the best team in the country not named Bama. They responded. Coaches, players, fans, they all responded, competed. Thats what you should see.

O-line is the most important part of upcoming teams. John Elway couldn't complete 40% of his passes with our current line play. Address the real issues, then find a QB/running game to play on the field. Need a QB, but need a running game to offset and balance the field. Right now honestly we didn't have much of either in losses, and run heavy won the games we did win. Trending up............sure. Soft schedule, right games on the road and home, should equal 8-9 wins. This should have happened last year. QB play has to upgrade. First possession INT's for TD's deflates a teams will quickly. That was what doomed the Huskers so fast in Columbus. They never had a chance. It was taken at the start. Everyone panicked. Coaching was very suspect in that game, and thats a game that you have to have your A+ game if your a coach. They panicked, team responded in same manner. Can't adjust when things go south. Same thing for Pelini and his staff. So was it an upgrade? Are things truly different? I am asking because I don't really see it that way yet. Don't think a new coach would solve many issues, but I do think that everyone knows Riley won't get this program over the hump. Lame duck seasons upcoming, my friends. Wait and see approach will slowly swallow this program into an era of "complete mediocrity". Thats what I seen coming. 8-9 wins a year and the usual beatdowns by Ohio St, Michigan, Wisky and maybe others.

Calibraska means nothing for another two years. Don't be surprised most redshirt next season. Will they be ready to compete next year? Dont count on the Cali part to be Nebraska right away. They come here and redshirt and then develop, unless they are 100% an upgrade at any position. Two years is the cycle for most average, above average talent. Exceptional talent makes it on the field in year one. What doing we know for sure about talent incoming?

The schedule was weak. Yes Wisky, Ohio ST and Iowa on the road are not easy games, but You have to win one of those games if your trending in the right direction. Purdue came into our house and almost won, Illini could have won.......those teams are not Nebraska. Losing at Ohio St is not an embarrassment, but losing by 63 is acceptable. If you lose that game 42-21, at least you had some fight. 40-10 to Iowa is unacceptable. NO reason for that. Schedule or not, your not going to have a much easier schedule than this one. No Michigan, No Penn St, no Sparty. This could have been much tougher and yes 5-7 would have been realistic.

Have to admit that a 10 win season would look nice on the record books, but knowing that losing two games like we did, flaws that some. How proud can you be of a record like that when your trounced on national tv 2x in the same month? The only thing that would make some sense is to play a good team and win for that 10th win. Play someone like Auburn, Colorado, USC, or OU in a bowl game would look better than beating someone like KSU, WVA, Washington St, etc. So what is the best option? I think playing prestige and winning outweighs playing fluff and winning just for the sake of winning.

Basically if you don't have an elite or close to an elite QB your on the struggle bus. I don't care if that QB is a runner or passer, he has to have some special qualities. Tommy gave his all, but never did progress much as a passer, and being banged up, never could run at full speed the last half of the year. If you have an elite QB, you will get receivers, and lineman. Can't keep getting average QB play from average QB's and expect to ever go anywhere. Zac Taylor was the last decent QB to play here. Need a receiver like Purify. Could this upcoming class possess some of those players? Sure. Will the y be Big 10 caliber or Pac 12? Finesse or power?

Whiffs in recruiting are high. That arguement is full of flaws. Read a recruiting analysis a few years back and nearly 15% of incoming recruits never see the field or never even play at school they signed with. Don't quote me on that percent, but it was higher than most would think. It does make some sense. Recruiting larger numbers is the key. Getting more key walk on's is also a key. Diamond in the rough.

Nebraska is the biggest loser of any of the schools who moved conferences. Iowa, that is the Big 10 answer for a rivalry game. National ratings for TV viewing were decent, but won't compare to what these games today will bring in. This weekend is one of the biggest recruiting weekends in sports. This is showcase weekend. We showcased how to lose to a average at best over coached Iowa team. Big 10. Its all about Michigan and Ohio ST. ALL about them. Big 10 loves our money, but won't change things that don't benefit those other two. Penn St has more leverage than we do. Change back to the Big 12 sounds better if you can get OU as the Thanksgiving game back, but Texas won't allow that either. Hostages to a conference that won't ever void any of THEIR traditions. This has nothing to do with us not winning meaningful games, but does have things to do with how we are perceived nationally. Thoughts?

Big 10 needs Sparty to make the upset so the Buckeyes can play for the playoff spot and also eliminate Wisky. This will make the playoffs actually make some sense. Otherwise I want chaos. It was a great game, even if both coaches made some bonehead calls and tried to lose the game for there schools thru out the game.

Why would Fischer leave FSU for LSU? Why would Herman go to the SEC where your second fiddle to BAma? Herman can go to Texas and win next season. Herman will destroy the Big 12 in one season. Texas has the most resources of any school in the country. He will recruit, win and become a legend. Yes, Nebraska screwed up not going and getting this guy. Frost has some potential as well, but he wont be around after one more season at UCF. Oregon will come calling. KSU might be calling him. Snyder will retire after this season and I have heard they might move on him first. He coached under Snyder one season and I think enjoyed working with him and his staff.

Nothing fancy about KSU in the Big 12. They pound the ground and will win 8 games against a tougher sched than we played this season. Who knows what the answer is actually, but if Oregon fires Helfrich, Frost will return there and that will backfire on us. I think at Nike U. you can recruit who and whatever you want. Big 10 pushing Michigan and Ohio st all year makes me wonder what will happen. I don't see the playoff selection group actually going with two Big 10 teams, but if Wisky wins out, how can you not go with them over Ohio St in some regards? I want total chaos next weekend.

Everything is flawed. Ohio St could play for the national title and not even play for the Big 10 championship......explain that one to me! Nothing against any one team, but how can Penn St and Wisky play for a conference title that means nothing? Ohio St is the true winner all around in this scenario. Wisky could be the biggest loser cause they can't gain anything playing Penn St. Nothing. The pundits have been yelling about the Big 12 not having a title game, but apparently it doesn't really matter does it? I hope everybody loses next weekend, Bama, Washington, Clemson, all of them. Lets see what happens then...........

Bo was hired to bring in some defense. His defense faded away after a few years. Never had enough play makers on his rosters. On both sides of the ball. He didn't bring in Suh. Those really good defenders he had early on were all Callahan recruits. He never did recruit anything better himself. Bo is a done deal. His classlessness was his legacy and will always be. Nebraska was a headline for all the wrong reasons when he was head man. If you want Bo back, then you might as well go back to 2003 and bring back Solich. We can't undo the last 13 years of mediocrity. Pedersons so well thought out phrase! My question is this: I always here we have the resources to hire anyone....anyone! Where the hell are they? Is the money fizzled out? Firing coaches after 9 win seasons scaring off big names? Was T.O's legacy merely his legacy, not Nebraska's? Was T.O the program? Florida St, Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio St, Florida have all won titles with different head coaches since the 80's. Relevance. I forgot LSU won titles with two different coaches. What is the real issue? Money? Bad hires? Bad recruiting? Big 10? Nebraska being Nebraska? Other powers have moved on and won titles. What is the excuse.?!

Coaching change won''t happen this season, but reality is if Riley can't do better next season and Scott Frost keeps winning at a school like UCF, the choice is there to make. It is going to take a homegrown talent to bring back some success and prideful moments. I wasn't a huge SF fan two years ago, but he is doing well at UCF with not much to work with. I think Frost could recruit in state beef eaters for lineman, and find those skill players to compete in Big 10 football. We are recruiting California players to play in Big 10 football.........I don't see it working out. Find those players in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, or other places that play Big 10 football. Were going to bring in Pac 12 talent to play Big 10 football.............? Wisconsin is finding in state lineman who care and play with heart and smash mouth style. This was what made Nebraska so tough for decades and of national respect. This is what is missing, no matter who coaches. This was destroyed by Callahan and Pelini. This is the element that needs corrected. Pride sometimes can overcome talent. This is what made this such a special place in the Osborne era and Devaney years.

To close the talent gap its time too hit the JUCO ranks and get some skilled postion players. WR, LB, and even a dual threat QB. Instant players that can fill gaps.

Big Tem move has sucked the life out of this proud tradition. However, as much as I hate the Big 10 myself, this move didnt lead to the slow free fall into mediocrity. This started the day TO retired. Solich was at least better than those who came after him. Callahan/Petersen killed this program, and its never truly recovered. Now, Riley who I think can game plan very well, can't make in game adjustments on either side of the ball. Talent in recruiting is getting better, but I don't that will ever make up for lack of coaching in game when the game plan gets changed up some. Losing is one thing......getting ran out of the building twice in 3 weeks is not losing, its getting chin stomped. QB upgrade is needed. Linebacker upgrade is needed. Line play on both sides is needed. Too many holes to fix. The biggest thing that is needed on offense is a true down field threat at WR. A burner. Maybe we should hire Bill Snyder. He at least will coach up and play a style of ball that matches his talent level and does what works.

when was the last time we had multiple drafts picks from either line? Linebackers? Starts with talent, ends with talent.