Kernal

It's realistic to expect Nebraska to regularly compete for the division and occasionally win the Conference. And with some luck, maybe more. I think you have to look at each year though. For example, we play three legitimate top-10 teams this year. We're not a top-10 caliber team this year with the newness still and all the changes, so that's pretty much a guaranteed three losses. Then who do you play in the non-con? Oregon this year should have been a win, maybe. But if we had Oklahoma- probably another loss. Then, there is some pretty good coaching in this conference, so maybe a Ferentz or Fitzgerald pulls one out on you. There's another loss. So just like that you're down to 7-5. I think we're going to have to accept that 80's and 90's style of having one or two losses a year are gone. We should absolutely aim to win them all, but to expect it is not realistic. Nebraska needs to build up a foundation and an identity. Because we'll never be legitimately competitive as long as we're changing systems and coaches every few years. We need an Alvarez. Problem there is: he's the guy who recommended Eichorst, and he didn't turn out to be a very good fit.

Jim Harbaugh also took over a program with years of top-10 recruiting classes filled with the same type of players he uses for his systems. Plus, Brady Hoke didn't have a fan club causing divisiveness. Paul Chryst took over Wisconsin that has run the same offense for 20+ years and that he himself called for 10-ish years ending just a couple years previously. There's a reason every coach has the same degree of success at Wisconsin: Barry Alvarez keeps everything consistent. UCF was 0-12 the year before Frost arrived, sure. But they were 9-4 the previous year and 12-1 the year before that- beating Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl. So problems, sure. But it's not like they were an 0-12 program-- they weren't Kansas or Rutgers.

Haha, Rage Nose's trolls can't get over it three years later. What's wrong, did Youngstown's loss ruin your weekend?

I'm not sure why you decided to be a smart ass. Were you unable to think of an intelligent reply? Obviously all schools have powers behind the curtains. But ours have managed to drive us into the ditch for nearly 20 years. Until someone assesses those influences and how they have combined to keep NU foundering I don't see that anything will change. We'll bounce to a new coach and the cycle will repeat.

And who hired all those people- the powers behind the curtains- are they still around? Yes, I'm guessing they or people who think just like them are the same ones who will be pulling the strings today.

Lots of people didn't like Callahan already by 2007 because of his arrogance, his refusal to replace Cosgrove and his comments about Osborne. Most people like Mike Riley. This season feels nothing to me like 2007. We've had 10 more years of mediocrity since then and a new coach doesn't seem like the simple fix it did then. I have no confidence the program will get fixed if Riley is fired this year. But I also have very little confidence it will get where we want it to be if he's retained.

Eh, not really. 2007 was a combination of Riley's bad results and Pelini's bad attitude. If the Huskers play like they did tonight I could see them going 7-5. Probably wont though as they seem prone to playing to the level of competition, so 6-6 or 5-7 is probable.

It's not totally coaching or scheme, it's continuity. Wisconsin has been recruiting the same players for 20 years, and all the players in their system know what they do. Any scheme can win, but you need good coaching and continuity. The question is will Riley get us where we want to be given enough continuity? I don't think we're going to find out, and I'm not sure I've seen enough to disagree with a change.

Wisconsin is Wisconsin because of Barry Alvarez keeping the winning formula going there- through three different HCs and many more different OCs and DCs. I don't know that it's possible for Nebraska to duplicate that. You don't do it by changing coaches; you do it by changing cultures within the entire athletic department. We don't have the patience for that, and the insiders can't even see they are part of the problem. It sucks to be on the losing end of a 300+ yards rushing beatdown. We didn't look too bad until the second half, when Wisconsin's O-line just beat the hell out of our defense. We looked gassed. It was pathetic. Or CBs are bad. Barring a miracle, Riley probably won't be the coach here in 2018. If he had hired new assistants in 2015 we might be seeing the progress we wanted by now. But I'd still take Riley over that assclown Pelini every day of the week. At least Taylor didn't set the single game NCAA rushing record against us.

It's unfortunate we didn't get into the CCG this year as Penn State, the likely representative from the East, will be a much "easier" game than OSU. Though, playing like we did yesterday we would have lost to most of the East div teams. I'm optimistic for next year. I love Tommy, but I'm glad he's graduating. He would have been terrific in Osborne's option. He's not really a traditional QB though. That's just not his game and it's not knock on him, it just is what it is. Our QB play won't be perfect next year, but I'm almost certain we'll have a guy who is better at getting the ball to our WRs and RBs. The O-line should be much better. Not only will we have a good group of starters across the board, we should also have a few very good backups. We won't see what we did this year where guys are playing just because there's not another body to put in there. The big question there is whether they can develop the right attitude. I believe Nick Gates has the attitude we need in O-linemen. Morgan should be very good at WR again next year. DPE has been ok as a WR, but we're also bringing in a lot of highly-regarded guys there, as well as redshirting some this year. RB should be good next year with Ozzy, Tre and Wilbon. D-line has guys coming back. We need to get more production out of DEs. LB will be an adventure. Secondary should be solid. K/P should be solid. I think another year removed from the old regime will be beneficial too. Next year will be three years and many of the players will have only played under this staff and culture. Whether or not you liked the old staff, the conflict of two different cultures certainly causes issues. We need to "promote" Bruce Read into an administrative role, hire Tavita Thompson full-time (probably), and have somebody like Riley himself take over special teams coaching. Hopefully the staff closes out strong with the recruiting class for 2017.

Iowa's Faith Ekakitie says he was target of racial slurs from Nebraska player

https://huskerchalktalk.com/2016/11/07/charting-ohio-state-next-game-please/#more-8247

How the f#*k is this allowed? We should immediately create multiple scout teams composed of former standouts. Why not? Hire them to learn and run opposing teams' offenses and defenses.

The moment was too big for them and instead of rising to the occasion they wilted. We've seen this since 2010, so it's probably not much more than that. The surprise was I thought Riley had gotten them to turn a corner, but I guess some of those self-destructive tendencies linger in their collective conscience.

Do you agree the play-calling seemed to fall off a cliff right about the time the offensive line started its rash of injuries? I don't think DL suddenly got stupid. He has nothing to work with on the line. They can't effectively and consistently pass block or run block. The other part that correlates with the line injuries is Tommy's play. It too has fallen off a cliff right around the same time the o-line quit producing. Coincidence? Ohio State was giving us one-on-ones with the fade routes. We just couldn't make those plays. DL explained this in his post-game interview. If they're bringing their safeties down for run support and to stop the underneath stuff then what do you do? You've gotta be able to hit some of those deep balls to loosen them up, but we never could.

I'm not sure burning more clock to limit the final score is the type of adjustment Husker fans want. I think some people, including Sam, are misreading that. So sure, maybe Riley and the Huskers could have changed the strategy from trying to compete and win the game to trying to paper over the ass whipping by burning clock, but I don't think that would have changed people's opinion. Husker fans don't want to get blown out because we want a team capable of competing with the teams we play. Gaming the stats (in this case the score) by burning more time with running plays doesn't make us more competitive. If anything it's worse, because it's equivalent to giving up. If the Huskers had been running the ball they'd be getting criticism for that because they were down by several scores. So this whole discussion is pretty stupid. People are mad, and they're going to find something to criticize.

Michigan is playing well so far, but let's pump the brakes on this "Harbaugh will go down as one of the greatest of all time coaches" stuff. He hasn't really accomplished jack yet, except for owning social media. Until he wins something he's just the college football version of Kim Kardashian.

Here's another blocking gem:

I usually enjoy McKewon's work, but this one was a dud. The reality is once this game started it didn't matter what plays were called. Offensive players were not executing their blocking assignments (and appearing to not even try on several occasions) and defensive players were not tackling. And you can stop the analysis right there. Without those two things nothing else matters.

We can certainly beat Minny, Iowa, and Maryland. I think we will. Sure, if Pelini is your benchmark then avoiding a total collapse is a huge accomplishment. But I wouldn't call that a "bounce back." The bounce back we needed was for the team to bounce back against OSU after losing to Wisconsin. Now it makes little difference how we finish as Wisconsin is unlikely to lose to any of its remaining opponents, and we have exposed ourselves as unable to play on the same field as the elites of the conference even if we do back into the CCG for another beatdown.

That's why Pelini's teams were regularly blown out in big games.

Michigan was still bringing in high recruiting classes under Hoke, so they had somewhat better and more importantly deeper talent than NU. Hoke was known to be on his way out and Harbaugh was a splash hire so UM didn't have any resistance or sandbagging from players wondering why the change was made. Finally, Harbaugh is ambitious and creative in recruiting and coaching, and those things are exciting to be a part of.

Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are not coming to Lincoln for any price. Michigan had to pay Harbaugh close to $10 million to go back to his alma mater. Outside of two or three coaches, there is no such thing as a coaching hire that is not a gamble. Coaches who can go anywhere and be successful are the exception, not the rule. Folks on this very board said Peterson would never leave Boise.... If Houston doesn't go to the Big 12, I'd take a hard look at Herman. If Riley is let go or his contract is up. Guys like Saban and Meyer are mercenaries and ego driven. You don't think fir the right money Saban wouldn't jump at the chance to fo something no other coach save TO has done at NU, He could come in here, win, and be considered the greatest to ever coach..... Like field of dreams.....if you pay, they will come...... Both of those guys (Peterson and Herman) are gambles. There's no way to know if Herman will be successful at the next level or not. And just as many people wouldn't be surprised if Peterson flamed out at Washington as had them undefeated this year. People also wanted Gary Patterson at TCU. And remember when the dude at Florida was the "hot" coach. How's that going? Also, what about Muschamp? He flamed out. There are "hot" coaches every year and which ones have really panned out into "can't miss" coaches? I'd say the last one was Meyer. Also, there's the matter of coaching/recruiting at another place is not the same as coaching/recruiting at Nebraska. Almost anybody is a gamble. Guys like Saban and Meyer are proven and are so well known they would be the two guys who probably would not be gambles to bring here. But other schools will pay them the same money we would, no matter how much, and they would have a harder time recruiting here and have to deal with our fans and standards. Neither needs to come here to cement their legacies- both are already cemented. I don't think Riley is the problem anyway. He needs time to solve some of these problems, such as the meltdown that occurred yesterday. If it happens once, it's a problem to be solved. If it happens every year in all the big games, as it did with Pelini, then we can assume he's no better a coach than Bozo was.

Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are not coming to Lincoln for any price. Michigan had to pay Harbaugh close to $10 million to go back to his alma mater. Outside of two or three coaches, there is no such thing as a coaching hire that is not a gamble. Coaches who can go anywhere and be successful are the exception, not the rule.

Weird. I thought we were talking about a sport, where the outcome isn't guaranteed. Have fun not rooting for these players for the rest of the season. They won't miss you. Your attitude is quite peculiar. Who appointed you the defender of the players emotional well-being? You seem to be trying to do some kind of damage control... it's odd. Why don't you just let people feel the way they feel without attacking them and putting words in their mouths. Have fun doing your 62-3 blowout damage control.