All Hail Herbie

Of course, the roster post. All of our recruiting wins will translate into actual ones. Talent is important, but make no mistake, coaching matters. This might explain why a Senior Pre-Season All Conference corner fielded a punt at the 1/2 yard line. Talented, yes, but well-instructed, no. The 1958 Packers were 1-10-1 with 6 Hall of Fame players on the roster. Not to certain those 6 would be in the HOF without Vince Lombardi's arrival in 1959. Coach Frost is not Vince Lombardi.

Fordham now knows that they need to do the opposite of their tendencies in order to win on Saturday. Coach Costanza will have his players ready!

The bright spot for me was seeing a Head Coach in a post-game press conference demonstrating the sort of humility that should have existed from Day 1. Reality has finally overrun hubris. He all but admitted that he is out of answers in how to address that which is plaguing this team. Without a doubt, he will grow professionally from this experience. I just happen to believe that we will not be the beneficiaries of that growth.

I love your enthusiasm, but history is prologue and we now have 3+ years of evidence that disproves this possibility. Self-destruction during games is not the result of talent, weight-training, or nutrition deficiencies, but rather the result of poor instruction which is unalterable with this current staff of personnel. This staff has 15 months remaining. Let's thank them for their service, but begin to think about what the future might look like.

So many of our issues are tied to poor offensive and defensive line play. When the starting IL QB went down to injury on Saturday, Bielema relied on two proven components to beat NU; get physical at the point of attack with a steady run game and wait for NU to self-destruct. The second is always a given, but the first has shown up on so many occasions over the years. Inability to stop the run and no offensive rushing attack whatsoever to take pressure off of the QB. Soft along the lines.

Without a doubt, the top name on anyone's coaching list will be Hugh Freeze (Liberty). Three questions result however; is he personally / professionally redeemed following his time at Liberty; second, will he be around at the end of 2022 and third, is NU prepared to trade institutional reputation for wins?

Great topic for our fanbase right now. As I posted on another topic, let's end the in-fighting as a fanbase, recognize that this 4th year experiment has failed, and also end speculation about job termination for Coach Frost in 2021. The staff will get 5 years (pending termination for cause or resignation). I have not watched a Husker Football game since the collapse in Boulder two years ago. For those not in attendance for games, and for your health, I would encourage you to distance yourself from Saturday broadcasts for awhile. Only a masochist enjoys watching these undisciplined debacles week after week. This crew looks like the New Orleans Saints with QB Archie Manning. As a result of this game, and with no bowl likely for a 5th straight year, this staff is officially on the 12 month performance plan that ends in 2022. Thanks to Coach Frost for his contributions as a player, ambassador and coach. We wish him success in his next endeavor. That said, we would all be wise to turn down the temperature and devote our energy elsewhere in the coming months. That goes for beat reporters as well who could only dream of playing or coaching FBS football.

Last week I said that regardless of the score, I just wanted to see good fundamental football and no unforced errors. The good news is that once again, I avoided the game entirely and managed to get a quick recap through articles and post-game lowlights. While losing to IL might seem to be the worst thing, it was doing so with fumbles, botched returns, no rushing attack and poor pass protection. All elements that point to lack of discipline and poor coaching. I said last month that this game would be pivotal in whether or not we make a bowl this year, and I stand by that. Given this reality, and knowing that Coach Frost will get 5 years, I would encourage our fans to give Coach Frost a Thank You Farewell Tour of sorts in the coming weeks. It is time to accept the reality that this experiment will not work and that yet another disruptive transition is on the horizon. Great player and ambassador for the school and we should thank him and wish him well. Finally, all those fans not in attendance for games would do themselves a huge favor by limiting their game watching / analysis time. Only a masochist would enjoy watching these debacles week after week. The coaching staff will be here for 5 years so enough talk of new coaches and let's also end the talk of progress and patience. In Year 4, progress, or lack thereof should be obvious.

Sound fundamental football tomorrow...few if any penalties, zero turnovers, good blocking at the point of attack, and assignment sound defense. Finally, no miscues on special teams this year. Who could forget the Illini punter walking for a first down last year in Lincoln on a 4th and long. Win or lose, these are the elements I am looking for if we are indeed making progress. For those who remain critical of those of us questioning this current coaching staff, evaluate those elements, rather than the score, and ask yourself if we are on the right track. If I see tomorrow what I have seen for the past 3 years, it is hard for me to believe that this year will turn out any different.

Lines aside, I think there is a realization with this coaching staff that this game is a must win. Without a win this week, the probability of a bowl this year is unlikely. Make no mistake, there is pressure to win this week.

It is hard to argue with the points made in the earlier message. A coaching change is not in the cards until at least the end of the 2022 season. The native son will get 5 years so there are no other options at this stage except strategic patience. In terms of fan apathy, I think it is fair to say that while program support remains, the intensity of that support is probably diminished. I never missed a game, a half or a play of Husker football on autumn Saturdays. Now I routinely ignore all college football and just enjoy the afternoons outdoors.

Your read is a good one. I feel as if we are walking into a bear trap in the first game. Opening the season at 2-2, assuming both road losses come by double digits, will not lead us back to relevance this year. As bizarre is it may sound, this first game is critical for this staff if long term job security is a goal they possess. It becomes far more difficult to qualify for a bowl if they lose this one.

I tend to agree that this is a practice that is likely used by every other major FBS program in the country. That said, it is embarrassing to stretch the rules to one's advantage only to still lose 20 games in 3 seasons. Separately, I think this investigation affirms what we already knew; that NU is truly a bottom-feeder among FBS programs. Investigations such as these, despite the strength of evidence, very rarely get launched against top programs. Issues such as these are handled "administratively" and without consequence. For all its' faults, the NCAA recognizes who butters their bread (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, etc.). This kind of investigation is always launched against lower tier programs for two reasons; 1.) to demonstrate that the NCAA still possesses some enforcement authority and 2.) to deter other lower tier programs (most FBS schools) from committing the same violation and thus, keep them in line. Sanctioning NU will have very little consequence for the NCAA and Big Ten given the state of our program today.

Whoa Nellie! I see improvement from the defensive unit, but so much so that HC offers are on the table; not so much. 4-8 assistants typically end up as assistants on other staffs, if fortunate. Lending institutions are also fertile ground for former assistants, such as our own Matt Lubick.

While I strongly disfavor the usual August team "hype" videos, I actually did not mind the last one posted. A very light and business as usual approach. I just hope the "whistling" in the video was not the sort that overly optimistic types do when they are walking past a graveyard. Now that the hype period is nearly at an end, we can see if the actual results match the terrific practices that we hear so much about. Let's have a game on the 28th with no turnovers and very few penalties and see how things end up.

Despite the greater disconnect that fans have today with this football program, I think fan support remains. That is a real tribute to this fanbase (including the kids you spoke with). That said, many of us no longer orient our Saturdays around kickoff. In fact, it is difficult for me to remember the last time I watched a game from beginning to end. Highlights, or conversely lowlights, are easier to stomach. Your last point is the key one; if we can get the ship turned around soon. Getting folks excited about football in September (new season, a realm of possibilities, and good weather) is the easy part in a State like Nebraska. Where things get difficult is when the weather turns bitter, the realities of the season set in (i.e. no bowl eligibility) and the losses (especially the margins in losses) begin to mount. For this reason, I think the sellout streak could be in jeopardy.

That's great. I hope you guys enjoy the game(s) you attend this year.

I would agree with this sentiment. The lack of a consistent and winning on-field product for more than a decade with the lack of attention from a younger fan base will likely end the sellout streak. Younger fans want to two-screen (Memes / IMs / Texts) while having the game on in the background. This younger group is also completed disconnected from any program success. While a sad fact, the gameday experience for families will soon fade to obscurity. In terms of Trev, I like the hire. I am not certain it changes our situation on-field in the short term, but it does give needed stability to the athletic department and boosters.

Sure...people can talk about it. Much like discussing daydreams or birthday wishes, I am confident it will be therapeutic, albeit temporarily, for some. That said, we are so far removed from the Top 25 that reality will quickly deflate those baseless expectations. Let's stay grounded with what this team is right now.

Our tactical problems perfectly summarized. I can add two more: 6- Educate Center on the importance of snapping. Jump snaps need to disappear this season. 7- QB needs to lose the sleeves during cold weather games. See Rutgers game and point one as supporting evidence.

Individual games or ratings matter little to a program that has not been to a Bowl Game in four seasons. Let's start with bowl eligibility and then we can take the former discussion more seriously.

Of course the major problem with this proposal is that it is completely "football-centric". If money is the aim, then let's acknowledge that fact and proceed. However, if promoting competition is the aim, this proposal will fall well short. An NCAA tournament that is Power 5 oriented would exclude the likes of Gonzaga, Memphis, and any AAC or Big East school. A college baseball field devoid of UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, etc. would be much diminished in my opinion. Rather than hastily moving towards a day where more and more power is concentrated with the few, let's consider the implications for the 100's of institutions that compete in sports beyond football. I enjoy amateur athletics and want to find a way to preserve them. ESPN is money hungry and cares little for amateur athletics.

If the Power Football institutions wish to create a Saturday semi-pro football league where players are under contract, do not need to meet any academic testing standards or be a part of the university as a student, that is fine. Let that money reside with the semi-pro institutions so they can fund all of their other athletic programs. That said, do not expect those of us that support student athletes and amateurism to permit the semi-pro league teams to have representation in the NCAA tournament, track & field championships, collegiate baseball, etc. In other words, give them want they want, MONEY! Let us have and enjoy competition and sports without the headaches of professionalism. Watching a relatively unknown, amateur 17 year old US Olympic swimmer win the Gold Medal in Tokyo was far more enjoyable than watching these collegiate athletes complain about 4 star accommodations or not getting paid to play.

Much appreciation to ESPN and the University of Texas for systematically dismantling college football over the past 25 years. I was not surprised at the news that these two cash cows (pun intended), along with their cohorts in the SEC league offices, were the impetus behind a negotiation that would usher in a sports monopoly for years to come. To my friends in the former Big 8 / Big XII; your unwavering support for these two institutions have led you to the same end NU was at in 2010, departure. I wish you all the best. At this stage all I can assume is that KU / ISU as AAU accredited institutions are potential targets of the Big Ten. Perhaps with any luck, KU and NU can restore the more than a century union that was interrupted courtesy of the ESPN / UT alliance. All of this said, collegiate football needs a media counterweight to the Bristol monopoly! ESPN leverages significant weight in conference memberships, media contracts, university administration, coaching contracts, athlete recruitment / retention, as well as participation in post-season playoffs, tournaments, and regionals. This constitutes a monopoly on its' face and may even constitute anti-trust proceedings. ESPN tampered with the Big XII in 2010 and did so again this year with the SEC.

This staff's future prospects rest entirely on demonstrable progress being made THIS YEAR (i.e. bowl game). If we are unable to qualify for a bowl game for the 4th time in 4 years under this staff, this staff is officially on borrowed time. To continue to compensate a coach at $5 million annually for little to no ROI in terms of on-field football results is not a good investment. We need to get out to a 4-2 start this year to have any chance at a bowl. IL / MSU / NW are all winnable games for a team with an experienced defense and a 4th year starter at QB. And by borrowed time I mean through 2022...