84HuskerLaw

I think we got a shot. They got speed to get it done. Good hitters.

All good choices imo. But, I’d say, even though rated in the upper 20s nationally, I think this is, in many ways, the best sleeper class. I think it’s the best, balanced group for NU in a long time. Just my hunch I guess but there just seems to be a group of athletes that offer speed galore, with multiple sport backgrounds. Big numbers and potentially no clunkers in it really. Are there any plain head scratcher guys that look Iike they dont belong? My answer is not really. And a big group so even with some ‘misses’ it will bring in my talent than we lost by a big fin imo.

The chief analysts are the HC and his assistant coaches. That’s why they get the bigger bucks. Backroom analysts are the assistants to the assistants at most. Frankly, a couple in each side of the ball and perhaps the STs is or should be more than enough. At a time when recruiting is way behind the competition, perhaps several more helpers to search the talent pool is needed. But too many chefs / cooks may not be a benefit to making the best meal. Rhule appears to be in full control and ultimately it’s his job to assemble, teach and guide the team. He assigns specific tasks and will hold individuals accountable but in the end it’s Rhule that bears final responsibility for all things football.

Glorified scrimmage is better than flag football practice. They better play a genuine game with blocking, tackling, special teams, etc. there are over 100 on the squad - 50 per team. 4 QBs. Etc. Neb has played about a dozen less games than many programs the past five years with no bowls, cancellations and half assed spring games, very few full scale scrimmages etc. it shows. Time to play real football again - a lot of catching up to do. A young team that needs extra practice not less. This season is all about building the basics.

Ath Dept netted $12,500,000 for fiscal 7/21 to 7/22 from a Google check just now. 2020 was a loss of $40 million I recall.

The Ath Dept nets is much lower. Perhaps $20 mill. Last numbers I saw.

Also, Carolina is arguing, effectively, that Neb FB is equal in status to their NFL team. Hardly makes sense. Rhule took a step down but somehow he should be paid the same. It seems to me the Neb job, after 5 straight losing seasons, is way below the NFL job. We probably paid him too much, not too little, if anything.

Neb grosses $100 million from Big Ten. Not nets that. That # is about $25 million more than the old figure. Inflation of 9% a year eats that up in just a couple years. Tickets are hard to move now. The stadium project will be huge $150 million? Maybe. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Scholarships. School expenses. Other sports. Etc etc. Rhule is on an 8 year deal. He is here for atleast 5 like Frost, no matter how losses we suffer.

It’s just business. Everybody tries to play the game. I just do not see Carolina gaining much in the process. Equities favor Rhule. It’s hard to see Carolina arguing Rhule is such a valuable HC that Neb should pay him more after they just fired him for not being a good coach.

We will lose a bunch on 3-4 more losing seasons to start. We have a big chunk to remake a stadium. Still need $40 million to finish current project. Firing the current staff will be another big chunk. Hiring the next crew will be much harder and higher $. $150 million probably low. We are spending most of the Big Ten bucks already.

You may be Where do we find another $150 million?

We won’t have the ton of money to spend. We are spending the future now.

Maybe but very very slim chances if Rhule fails. He won’t so we will know our answer. But NU is at or near the end of the losing line. You can’t spend a decade at 3-4 wins a year and turn things around without big $$. That will dry up over a generation. We will be there soon.

I do recall Carolina ‘agreed’ to the Rhule contract with NU after prior one was rejected. That suggests Panthers are gonna lose. Probably think that they can stall awhile trying to get him to settle for less than he’s owed.

I really enjoyed Knighton’s remarks. He is sharp, devoted, enthusiastic and excited. The whole staff is apparently. He maybe downplayed the X & Os a bit but that’s understandable at this point. They haven’t practiced anything yet. They’ll need to see what they have first in the locker room. I think the players will buy in to what they’re selling. They’re all good sellers that seem genuine and honest and energetic. They believe in their system and players are buying in. Toughest part will be when the practice conditioning gets tough and the book learning of football AND school come crushing down on these guys. Attrition happens as not all will make it. The change from high school to college is a lot bigger than some realize. I know DONU athletics has systems and people to really help in the academics support. I hope that they give this another boost as well. Sink or swim in schoolwork may not be advisable. They all have to grow up and ‘man up’ but the end goal is to see that they learn the materials. Everybody learns at their own pace and methods and styles. Really don’t want to lose sight education - it is still the mission priority.

Decisions have consequences. Sometimes you make good choices. Sometimes not. 95% of D1 players will not play pro fball. College football at any level is played by a small % of high school players which is a fraction of guys who would like to play football generally. Competition is the free and fair way for players to achieve their goals and dreams. Period. I have never thought a limit should be placed on a school for scholarships of any kind. If the school wants to award academic awards to students, the school should be allowed, whether or not that whiz kid wants to play sports too! frankly, all divisions should allowed to compete for students and or athletes / students. It’s fair to all. NCAA should not have deprived so many of the opportunities to enjoy college and sports. But the NCAA does what its majority membership wants. The have less schools wanted less scholarships so they limited it. Ultimately, the SCOTUS said that’s fundamentally wrong to deny individuals the right to make money.

The ‘jump’ Neb has made is mostly done for 2023 at least. We dumped our previous expensive coaches and hired even more expensive coaches. That was a $50 million dollar giant LEAP of faith in the future and bet the bank of our ability to win in the process. There has been a huge recognition by the University Admin that winning football is very important to the brand image and collective psyche of the State, the City of Lincoln, the school and the Husker Nation. This has been done before but never to the utmost degree that it is now. This reflects a realization that winning isn’t easy nor automatic. It will require the combined efforts and dedication of everyone to turn this around. Neb FB was on its literal deathbed before Rhule. Trev searched and deliberated exhaustively. He chose a real grinder. Trev and the powers of the inner circle rightly see that it’s all hands on deck to save the entire Ath Dept. from sinking. The question is will the work continue or will the first hurdle be too hard? Will the collective efforts continue until the job is truly accomplished? Perseverance? 5-7 years worth? We need a sign? Initial recruiting will have to do. A big leap in win total IS unrealistic and should not even be seriously discussed. My feeling is this is the last great hope. If Rhule fails, DONU fails. There won’t be another chance. Husker Nation better unite 100% and help pull in the same direction. And realize and never forget this is a long term project, essentially never ending. Immediate gratification ain’t happening. It’s gonna take time and while we can expect a turnaround - more competitive teams starting in 7 months, we are in for a long haul. Like the first Huskers that settled and homesteaded Nebraska and those that traveled west to California on the Oregon trail, it will be a fearsome struggle for years to overcome the challenges. The hard work is just begun. Those players have to do their part too! Rhule is following Devaney’s model. Be positive and patient.

He has the motor and drive. He finished plays well. Highlight vids never show the ‘low lights’ but presumably the coaches saw the full game tapes. He has the size already - even if it’s 6-3 and 275, he’ll be able to help in a couple years for 3. It’s not like he is 6-1 and 235 so needed 50 pounds. I think, (I’m no expert in D line play) he needs work in hand deployment but he seemed to hold his ground and pushed his way in the direction needed.

There may be some new ways to do somethings but there is no substitutes for WORK (hard, strenuous, exhausting, physically demanding work). Players who don’t have what it takes (heart, desire, guts, determination, willpower etc) should leave now. No more ‘partipation medals’ for showing up and being on the team. This is no longer amateur games for fun. This is real pro ball. The players wanted to be paid for their efforts. They got their wish. Now, the free college education is replaced by a hard job that a lot competitors will try to take away. In the end, some players will like pay for play. Others will not. Some will benefit and some will not. I’m not sure that the NFL will appreciate the competition. It’s possible some stay at the college level for their careers.

Your returning players, especially third year on up, are on scholarships and will take hefty NiL $ to keep. The new recruits (4 stars or better which is what everyone wants) will require big NIL $ and initially a scholarship too. Ultimately it costs the Ath Dept more to give scholarships. NIL money doesn’t cost NU anything so long as the donors are plentiful and have the money to spend. There is a limit on $ but it’s got to be in the $15 to $20 million per year on NIL. 110 players @ $100,000 per year = $11,000,000 Thats about right with bigger bucks to the highly sought after ones that that u desperately need. Is it sustainable? Idk. Depends how many big $ boosters want to spend their money buying football players. In the short term, say 5-7 years, perhaps it’s doable, but long term, the real winning has to be there. Thus, Rhule is the final answer for Nebraska, sink or swim, it’s all come down to The Rhuler. He either gets us back to perennial power or he doesn’t. The NIL well will have run dry without the glory returned. That winning is where the long term $$$ is sourced. Higher game ticket $. Ultimately, the NIL collective will need to tap the fan base for annual donations. Priority seating etc will come down to how much a ticket holder will give to the collectives to buy players.

The Big Ten wants tourney teams. Neb is not going to get many wins in the final stretch. Those go to enhance tourney prospects. A ‘good’ season needs to happen in the first 20 games, not the last ten. Maybe next year.

I think Nebraska BB could be better if locally there were better players, and twice as many. Without even 3-4 a year as a basis to build from, it’s almost impossible, especially at a top tier conference level. I always felt to rise up to a top 50 Bb program, not just a one year wonder, we would to have a couple great, local players come thru and transform the program. From that point, we might be able to go afar and recruit entire rosters. Sadly, never ever happened. Any truly great players usually get recruited away. These difference makers end up at the elite schools with long time traditional powers, etc. We have teetered on the edge in having this happen in football last few years. That is scary as hell. Thankfully Rhule seems to be reversing this but we will have to see if he actually succeeds. NIL and a supersized work effort appears to have recharged recruiting. Can this be done in BB? Do we have NIL $ enough from basketball boosters? Idk but it seems not. Sell a good number of game tickets but I get the impression they’re more ‘basketball’ fans than Husker basketball fans. Some come to see the play of any good teams, Husker or opponent..

Could be.

Yes!

Scholarships # @ 85 does not mean player reduction. I’d expect upper class level players to move from scholarship $ to NIL $. Some will quit / move but it won’t be because they’re cut off from financial aid. If they leave NU, it will be from choice of schools, etc.