Stewart Mandel is not a Boliever

[carlfense]

And I'm noticing the goalposts being moved already. "Just you wait until the 2015 class!" "Give this staff a few more years and THEN YOULL SEE".

Well . . . our offensive line is young and those turnovers/penalties/etc. are flukes.

[sd'sker]

At this point? Anything less than 9 wins. IMO, he's doing just enough to keep the job. And mostly, that's because I don't think we'd easily have someone lined up who is an upgrade, because of the win/loss floor.

you created the floor with anything less than 9 wins. are 8 wins that much worse?

 

there is no floor. anyone should see that. it is the totality of circumstances that should lead to neb. and bo parting ways. yes, he consistently gets 9 wins. but he has not won a championship, he has not gotten to bcs game, he has not won a meaningful game, he consistently gets blown out, he has built little support from the community because of his behavior (which i do not think is a big deal, expect when you have little to defend him on, it would help if he avoided nationally embarrassing himself).

you think anyone is calling for his head if he won a bcs game, but then goes 7-6 the next season? i do not think so.

 

the issue is not the floor, it is the ceiling.

[carlfense]

No it's more like "Come to Nebraska, you have to do a bad job to get fired."

 

Yeah, a bit of semantics here, but this statement is more moderate...and you could substitute it into my post without loss of meaning. First-class programs demand excellence, which is stressful but it comes with the territory. "Just don't do bad, and you'll stay around until you want to go" is exactly the kind of thing that chips at the Nebraska luster, and again, results in what you ask for.

 

I can't think of any schools, but it's an interesting question. I just don't pay too much attention to other places. You may very well be right, and the current 9-win status quo is resulting in a reluctance that is very, very standard. I'm not sure.

 

I think you and I disagree only very slightly. Bo has by no means done a bad job, in pure W/L results. I think this puts him in borderline territory, whereas you think it makes him safe. Pretty close, but even if he's safe, there has to be heat on him right now, IMO, or it really is "Don't be bad" instead of "Be great."

+1

[carlfense]

the issue is not the floor, it is the ceiling.

'zactly.

[Saunders]

No it's more like "Come to Nebraska, you have to do a bad job to get fired."

 

Yeah, a bit of semantics here, but this statement is more moderate...and you could substitute it into my post without loss of meaning. First-class programs demand excellence, which is stressful but it comes with the territory. "Just don't do bad, and you'll stay around until you want to go" is exactly the kind of thing that chips at the Nebraska luster, and again, results in what you ask for.

 

I can't think of any schools, but it's an interesting question. I just don't pay too much attention to other places. You may very well be right, and the current 9-win status quo is resulting in a reluctance that is very, very standard. I'm not sure.

 

I think you and I disagree only very slightly. Bo has by no means done a bad job, in pure W/L results. I think this puts him in borderline territory, whereas you think it makes him safe. Pretty close, but even if he's safe, there has to be heat on him right now, IMO, or it really is "Don't be bad" instead of "Be great."

Agree 100%.

[zoogs]

And as far as split in the fanbase goes...if Bo & co continue down the road of blaming fans who don't support them 'enough' in service of defending their own jobs, that chips away at NU Football's biggest asset of fan devotion, too. Bo's not a lifelong Nebraska guy, and he didn't win national championships on this staff. The Solich thing -- both his firing and the split it caused -- were, separately, about a whole lot more than this #9wins.

 

But yes. A split in the fanbase is a bad thing. I'm sure that weighed heavily in the AD's decision this year, because there's a lot of strong opinion on both sides right now.

[Saunders]

I'm not worrying. I'm pointing out factual things that happened.

Oh, you're worrying. And that's fine. Just don't let it lower your standards any further than it already has.

My standards haven't lowered, so you can stop with the strawman bullsh#t.

[Saunders]

you created the floor with anything less than 9 wins. are 8 wins that much worse?

 

there is no floor. anyone should see that.

Yes there is. Every job has minimum standards.

 

you think anyone is calling for his head if he won a bcs game, but then goes 7-6 the next season? i do not think so.

 

the issue is not the floor, it is the ceiling.

Yes. Brady Hoke.

[carlfense]

I'm not worrying. I'm pointing out factual things that happened.

Oh, you're worrying. And that's fine. Just don't let it lower your standards any further than it already has.

My standards haven't lowered, so you can stop with the strawman bullsh#t.

I guess that could be true. Your standard might have always been 9-10 wins a year and nothing more.

[Saunders]

I'm not worrying. I'm pointing out factual things that happened.

Oh, you're worrying. And that's fine. Just don't let it lower your standards any further than it already has.

My standards haven't lowered, so you can stop with the strawman bullsh#t.

I guess that could be true. Your standard might have always been 9-10 wins a year and nothing more.

[sd'sker]

Yes. Brady Hoke.

you think those two situations are analogous in every meaningful way?

[Saunders]

Yes. Brady Hoke.

you think those two situations are analogous in every meaningful way?

In any meaningful way, yes.

[sd'sker]

Yes. Brady Hoke.

you think those two situations are analogous in every meaningful way?

In any meaningful way, yes.

bo has had 6 years; brady has had 3. bo has done well, but we may have seen his ceiling; brady has done great, but they may not have seen his floor (they may have though). bo only hires baby coordinators; hoke made a necessary change and filled a need with an experienced oc. neither coach has been fired, so there is that similarity.

 

if bo won a bcs game (or, now, got us to the playoffs) or won a conf. champ., he would have quite a bit of slack.

[Saunders]

Yes. Brady Hoke.

you think those two situations are analogous in every meaningful way?

In any meaningful way, yes.

bo has had 6 years; brady has had 3. bo has done well, but we may have seen his ceiling; brady has done great, but they may not have seen his floor (they may have though). bo only hires baby coordinators; hoke made a necessary change and filled a need with an experienced oc. neither coach has been fired, so there is that similarity.

 

if bo won a bcs game (or, now, got us to the playoffs) or won a conf. champ., he would have quite a bit of slack.

Hoke backed into a BCS bowl in year one, and has won less games every year all while, on paper, having a better roster from top to bottom.

[Saunders]

Look, I'm not happy with where we're at in the CFB pecking order (comments about "standards" aside). I want Nebraska to win, badly. But... I also recognize that it's not a simple black and white situation. I thought Bo should have been let go after the Iowa debacle, but I understand why he wasn't. That's my point.