tailspin

Chryst at UW and Riley at Nebraska adds some spice to the B1G West Division. They coached together for nearly a decade and both know what the other is up to. Better yet, both are solid coaches and good people so both Universities will be well represented on the sidelines.

Interesting thing about the potential of hiring Chryst. His brother Geep is a long time NFL assistant (now at San Fran), Geep's kid was the #1 rated pocket passer in the country in '13 - he's now redshirting at Stanford. They have very strong ties to Madison and UW but I think Barry tends to drift to a DC turned head coach type candidate. Either way, that would be a huge get to have Paul, Geep and Keller Chryst in a package deal. The offense would be stacked but I'm not sure where they would go for a DC.

Miller will transfer, I think he is set to graduate so he can do the Russell Wilson thing and play right away as long as OSU signs off on a release. I heard Oregon was in play....

All that's left is Bo Pelini to UW.....

I did not see that one coming.....

What a terrible showing. It speaks to the folly we fans fall into with things like "Aranda has their defense playing well, ranked 3rd" or whatever people say. Two or three of us on the badger board didn't believe any of the hype, you can't run with a team like OSU in cover 0 and cover 1 all night. Yes, we can blitz and run with poor teams but against good offenses with skilled players, no chance. Offensively, Ludwig runs double tight and conservative junk and puts our QB in a position to fail. When Joel can throw crossing routes and use the middle of the field, he's very efficient. Outside the hashes with all the deep routes are a waste of time, we can't separate from the corners or get angles on the safeties. After tonight Joel Stave is 18-4 (12-3 in League Play) in games he's started and finished as our QB, in the two games where he got hurt, we were winning when he went out. The kid is a winner but he's constantly put in terrible positions to be successful with the pass. I did figure that you guys would enjoy that game....I don't because they are horrible for the league. Stuff like this happens, coaches need to regroup with the kids - they especially need to work on making adjustments on the sidelines and at half. It just shows you, getting excited about stats (the 3rd ranked defense) is a waste - two days ago the Nebraska faithful probably would've loved Aranda. Tonight, not so much. Go after a guy that plays a solid tampa 2 type defense that doesn't get ripped over the top and plays gap sound up front. From there its all about tackles.

Michigan has a problem. They're focused on "a Michigan Man" in every recent search. Its been a failed model from the get-go. You get the best leaders to build or maintain your program, without all the arrogance of demanding they understand the "culture". That culture usually means old rich boosters and alumni making decisions on football that they aren't equipped to make. Yes, fans want a splash hire of a big name coordinator off an Alabama, FSU type staff - or they want a "Nebraska man" but that's about as closed loop process as you can get. In Riley you got a guy just like Cutcliffe, for example. He will not be arrogant and fitting square pegs in round holes, as some here have correctly point out. He will smash mouth it if that's his talent, and I suspect that will be the case for several years to come. IF he has a QB he can utilize and balance the attack, he can and will do that. I'm loving the hire because Riley didn't chase the hot chick every chance he got. He stayed at a program he loved even if it cost him wins. So what? Now Nebraska will benefit from having a guy that has played in a great conference where he's had limited resources. He's taken limited talent and done pretty well with it. I think he'll be even better with a stable full or 3* and 4* players. I think the playoff and championship talk is nuts for the first 2-3 years. In order I would: Get back to basics of discipline and character. Compete in big games instead of getting blown out. Start winning some of those big games. Get his players in place (gotta find pro set QB and RB) instead of spread/read option guys. Start punching people in the mouth again. Coach the defense so its assignment sure and tackling in the open field. These are bits and pieces that take some time to get in place. This is not a deer in headlights Brady Hoke hire. Riley will have a plan, it will start by using what he has - it will morph into what Nebraska needs to win big games. I really think you guys have the players in place, certainly as much as Wisconsin, to win big games. You have lacked the leadership, respect, trust, teamwork stuff that puts a team over the top, in my opinion, at least. Personally (and I'm not a Nebraska alum) but the Frost talk is silly. He's not ready for the job and would be a terrible hire, even as an OC it comes with tremendous risk. Its the same "Michigan Man" mentality that has impeded UM's rebound since the Carr era. You take the best teachers and coaches, not the best ex-alum. I'm excited for Nebraska to get back in the national spotlight which will (along with Michigan and Penn St) tremendously improve the B1G brand.

Several disagreements. 1) Complaining about Riley being a nice guy is non-sense. He shouldn't be punished for being a good representative of your university, more to the point who criticizes someone for being a good person? 2) If the power 5 coaches rate him right with Cutcliff as the most underrated, explain how you are qualified to critique his ability more than those guys. At what point is there a professional parallel between Brady Hoke and Mike Riley. Mike Riley has taken bottom feeder programs at every level and still been held in high esteem by his peers. He's won big games and made the OSU program respectable. Did Hoke do this at Michigan? 3) Mike Riley has already stated, repeatedly, that he will play to the strengths of his team. Sorry, Nebraska is not equipped at this point to be a passing team. Check out his understudy, Paul Chryst. As OC at UW Chryst had among the most explosive and highest scoring offenses in the country. At Pitt, like Bielema at Ark, Chryst is laying the foundation by running the ball, not throwing it. Chryst spent his early years with.....Mike Riley. 4) Football is changing, participation rates are way down all across the country. Nebraska, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Miami, USC and others are finding it more difficult to succeed without their two deeps stacked with 5 stars. You know how you solve that problem?you get the smartest guy who is the best teacher of football and hire him. Eichorst accomplished this. 5) Nebraska needs to throw in this era to be good. I am a firm believer in FB's and TE's, it makes the run more powerful and the pass game more diverse/efficient. Riley will do this, Paul Chryst does/did this. 20-25 passes a game is all you need if you are efficient. UW has proven you can throw that many times and still rush for 350 yards a game if you do it right....and bloody your opponents nose in the process. 6) I have a deep respect for Nebraska's tradition but as a Badger fan, I have to say, no one is going to be knocking doors down to go to Nebraska any more than they are Florida, Miami, Michigan, USC and others that have failed to adjust their perception of how the football program needs to be re-tooled. Its not a volume/talent game any more. The teachers with resources win - those with just resources and tradition lose.

I believe while at OSU Riley turned down more money and pushed to get an additional $300,000 for his assistants instead. He was already the longest tenured and lowest paid coach in the league and his focus was on more money for other people. I think Nebraska fans should step back and realize what they are getting. A guy who does things the right way. A guy who is deeply respected by the best football minds in the country (coaches/AD's). A guy who runs a clean program. Yes, its difficult to diagnose his success or lack thereof at Oregon State but its logical to defer to other coaches and AD's - no doubt Eichorst had Alvarez's ear on this hire and Alvarez has some Nebraska blood in him. I think this helps to validate the hire - when other AD's and coaches are on board then its a pretty good sign its a great hire. I can sympathize with posters here though, I had the same "WTF" reaction with the Gary Anderson hire at UW. It proves we don't know jack about who will, or won't, make a great hire. In my book its character first (run a clean program), teaching second (get the right kids and then get them on the same page) and third its about winning. The first two generally solve the third. Winning first with guys like Tressel rots a program and an institution from inside out and in 5 years you're on probation and having your 10 wins seasons nullified. No thanks.

Guys, trust your AD. I don't think Wisconsin fans were happy going from Barry Alvarez down to Bret Bielema. Nor was anyone happy when when we lost Bielema we had to look up a coach from freaking Utah State in Gary Anderson. Utah State! What? 4 wins, 4 wins, 7 wins and 11 wins. Thats 3 steps below Oregon State. Alvarez knew far more than the fans looking for splash hires and big salaries. Fans generally don't know squat about X's and O's, leave that to the AD's who have great contacts, let them sort it out. Trust the football minds, not the knee jerk fans reacting to a name they don't know. I would have never picked Gary Anderson but I wouldn't trade him for Saban, winning is only part of the equation and he'll do plenty of that. He'll also graduate kids, he'll recruit character and he'll teach...all while putting the institution first. Riley may or may not bring championships, only time will tell. The certainty is that he'll represent the university and state well, he'll restore the integrity and pride in your program (by not screaming like a fool at kids or coaches on the sidelines), he'll handle your media with class and the bottom line is the guy still knows football. If he has an identical record to Pelini in 7 years then this is a huge upgrade. Anything more is just icing on the cake.

It wasn't the quantity of wins, it was the quality of wins. No question. But would this fan base look past a 7-6 season? I think next year he gets a pass, even with a favorable schedule. But if he doesn't deliver by year 2, things heat up, imo. Before Bo got fired, some guys at work and I were looking at the 2015 schedule and thought there was a very good possibility that given the way the team played this year, they would likely go 7-5 next season. So in my opinion, if Riley goes 7-5 next year it would not be a huge deal, and if he goes 8-4 or better it is an improvement! I'm hoping he can do MUCH better than that, which is all up-side! Here was our prediction for Bo next season if he were still coaching: W - BYU W - South Alabama L - @ Miami W - Southern Miss W - @ Illinois L - Wisconsin L - @ Minnesota W - Northwestern W - @ Purdue L - Michigan St W - @ Rutgers L - Iowa We went back and forth on that Iowa prediction but it seems the road team has the edge in that series, so we gave Iowa the win! You guys shouldn't lose to UW at home....and I'm a Badger fan! You shouldn't lose to Minnesota on the road, they are too one dimensional to beat good teams that get out in front of them. Miami is a toss up at worst on the road, I don't see Nebraska as a dog in that game. Iowa is tough defensively but mostly anemic on offense, plus its at home. MSU is a tough out, but again, it's a home game so I have that as a push. If Nebraska regains ANY defensive swagger, I see that as a favorable schedule. A game here or there (road game like Minnie) could go haywire but I would love that schedule with MSU, BYU, Iowa and UW at home and a bunch of middling teams on the road. I say 8-4 is the floor, 9-3 is most likely and 10-2 would be awesome. The only kicker is the kids are playing in a new system, can they pick it up quickly enough to play athletic and full speed? These kids have spring ball to get the system in place so it really comes down to a small improvement on defense and gradual development of a pass game. In year 2 I'd be downright giddy about this schedule, UW and MSU are the only semi elite teams you face and both are at home.

I forgot to add that Eichorst intercepted a pass or two of mine in college when he played at UW-Whitewater. I wish Riley well but Shawn can kiss my arse

great insight.... thanks! but from "tailspin" ??? yes, part of it is my last name Tail/Tayl and seemed more classy than using tailhook, if you remember that scandal.

First time poster (and a Badger fan). I think this is a great hire, any time you get a respected coach who runs a program the right way, its the only place to start. 2nd task is to get a product on the field and Nebraska can certainly do that without too many problems. To give a little background on Riley, he is the mentor to former UW OC Paul Chryst - one of the most respected offensive minds in the game. There is a lot of power running, heavy use of FB's and TE's and a very creative downfield passing game. At UW the OL does it all, a lot of pulling, some zone, a 2nd tight end plays H-Back and motions or pulls into the holes to give additional power at the point of attack. The run game is powerful and creative and gets defenses leaning...with the right QB this offense can be dynamite. Nebraska will need to find a QB that can get it downfield but even a serviceable QB is good enough to win games, mobility a huge plus. The OL should be excited as hell about this hire, RB's should be knocking down the door to get their share of carries at a storied program like Nebraska. Its not an overly sexy hire and demanding championships is a bit unfair, even though I think winning the West will happen for your program very soon (not as certain about a B1G championship in 3 years or whatever I'm reading on this board). My fear as a badger fan is that things don't work out for Paul Chryst at Pittsburg and he ends up at Nebraska under Riley as offensive coordinator. That would suck for Badger fans. Riley can flat out coach if he gets the players. Nebraska is far better than Oregon State in terms of prestige, they should get no worse players than WI and that type of player is plenty good enough to win games. I'm 46 so I'm neither real old nor real young but I respected the way Nebraska ran a football program in the Osborne years - not so much the winning as the class. I think that is fully restored under Riley. Its a huge upgrade for your University if he wins 9+ games a year, winning is important but its about more than that at places like WI and NE. He's the type of coach that restores pride among former players, boosters, students, alumni, etc. I do think a big key will be who gets hired as defensive coordinator, its critical that he gets it right. From my cheap seats you guys just didn't adjust on the field - that's on the coaches. I'm sure Pelini knew how to scheme an opponent but he sure as hell didn't know how to adjust to that opponent once the game got underway. I'm in the camp that the B1G can be a beast of a league if Nebraska returns to its glory, if Michigan returns to it glory, if Iowa can regain some swagger and teams like Minnesota, Illinois and Maryland continue to improve. Congrats on the hire, I hope works out for the University, the state of Nebraska and the Conference as a whole.