Looking Back ... Looking Forward

[Saunders]

 

.

 

Let's say we start off the year with a loss to either BYU or Miami due to the team adjusting to the new schemes. From there, we start seeing the team improve only to have TA and Bush both go down with season ending injuries.

 

Is that Ol' Urb at the back of the room giving you funny looks?

 

We don't have those recruiting chops yet.

[blinky]

 

 

I'd be satisfied with waiting until Mike Riley's first season is over to decide how I feel about Mike Riley's first season.

So you really have no idea how you will feel if NU wins 0-5 games this season? You have no idea how you will feel if they win 10-14 games this season?

 

Come on...Everyone will be pissed if its 0-5 wins...everyone will be creaming their jorts if its 10-14 wins.

The problem is...6-9 wins is where the "arguing" will be.

 

For me...I am putting on my crappiest pair of jorts because I am expecting to cream.

POTY

[Guy Chamberlin]

 

 

Will someone please tell me what my agenda is then?

 

 

 

We have a better roster than every team we play except for 1, maybe 2. We seem to have a consensus that we improved our coaching staff by leaps and bounds.

 

 

Whoa. Missed that line the first time.

 

Dude, you definitely have an agenda.

 

If that "agenda" is that I expect the team to win, then I guess...

 

 

Now, can you tell me exactly what my "agenda" is, specifically in reference to that line? Do you doubt the recruiting rankings, or the ability of Riley and his staff?

 

 

No problem.

 

You've overstated the quality of Nebraska's roster, overstated the fawning over the new coaching staff, and set a precise numerical standard Mike Riley must achieve.

 

Despite your protests, you don't expect Riley to meet that standard, at which point you're well-prepared, some might say giddy to point out that Riley wasn't as good as advertised, and Bo Pelini deserves an apology. You fantasize about making people in here eat crow.

 

Come on. You know you do.

 

You've passed a lot of judgement without watching a single game.

 

A lot of stuff can happen that doesn't fit into your two self-serving categories.

 

I pointed out proof of Nebraska's roster (links supported by data, no opinions) being stronger, and if you want, I can provide proof of opinions on the new staff (I post links all the time when outsiders discuss Nebraska, check my post history), but a simple scan on the front page will give you that info. I normally agree with alot of what you post, but not this time.

 

I guarantee you there's not a poster on this board who wants Riley to succeed more than I do. The wife and I are taking our 2 boys from Florida to Lincoln for their first ever Husker game. I've already put in for tickets, vacation days, and am waiting on plane tickets for the Iowa game, where I expect Nebraska to clinch the division.

 

Simply put, you are flat out 100% wrong in your assessment of where I stand.

 

 

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

 

Fair enough.

[BigRedBuster]

Saunders...

 

My only problem with your statements on this topic is your hard line stance of..."If Riley loses more than 4 games this year then Bo obviously wasn't as bad as some think or Riley wasn't as good as advertised".

There are a ton of things that can go into deciding the outcome of this season's record that really have nothing to do with either coach's ability. This season is a true wild card and there is no way of making a hard line statement like that.

Now, if we lose 5 or more games, I am going to be very disappointed. But, I'll wait and use a lot more to make my evaluation on Riley than just the win loss record of one season.

 

When you make a hard line stance like you did before you see anything Riley can do, it comes across as having an agenda.

[StPaulHusker]

Saunders...

 

My only problem with your statements on this topic is your hard line stance of..."If Riley loses more than 4 games this year then Bo obviously wasn't as bad as some think or Riley wasn't as good as advertised".

There are a ton of things that can go into deciding the outcome of this season's record that really have nothing to do with either coach's ability. This season is a true wild card and there is no way of making a hard line statement like that.

Now, if we lose 5 or more games, I am going to be very disappointed. But, I'll wait and use a lot more to make my evaluation on Riley than just the win loss record of one season.

 

When you make a hard line stance like you did before you see anything Riley can do, it comes across as having an agenda.

This is probably the best way to clear this up.

[Saunders]

Saunders...

 

My only problem with your statements on this topic is your hard line stance of..."If Riley loses more than 4 games this year then Bo obviously wasn't as bad as some think or Riley wasn't as good as advertised".

There are a ton of things that can go into deciding the outcome of this season's record that really have nothing to do with either coach's ability. This season is a true wild card and there is no way of making a hard line statement like that.

Now, if we lose 5 or more games, I am going to be very disappointed. But, I'll wait and use a lot more to make my evaluation on Riley than just the win loss record of one season.

 

When you make a hard line stance like you did before you see anything Riley can do, it comes across as having an agenda.

I disagree. Like I said before, outside of a disaster, I see no reason at all for a regression. People jumping over me for saying that anything more than 4 losses is a failed season reeks of the last transition. I already see some of the same things happening, when Callahan was demonized and Pelini was crowned king, and anyone who disagreed was labeled a Callahan lover. As we look back, many people (including myself) realized how stupid that was, and the extremes weren't as bad/good as we once assumed. Many fans (myself included) gave Pelini too long of a leash because he "wasn't Bill" and he needed time to fix all the wrongs. Our team lacks in areas, but we're far from a "bad" football team, and we play in a weak division. This leads me to believe that Riley can start winning, now.

 

If you have faith that Riley can get it done, then putting out minimum goals and expectations shouldn't really bother you.

[zoogs]

As much as I wanted Bo gone, he didn't really make a super strong case for it until his 6th season, and even that wasn't on a strict W/L basis. My distaste for that era just makes me feel we should've gone in a different direction to begin with. Even after the Iowa game in 2014 it seemed like he had an argument for staying, albeit not a great one.

 

So, I do think all coaches need time -- four years minimum -- to sort things out, (almost) regardless of what happens (obvious disasters excepted). But I also agree that Riley could get off on the wrong foot here, depending on how things go. I'm just not willing to set a number on it. We'll have the season to look at.

[Count 'Bility]

Im in the same boat as Saunders. Pretty much everything he said. There really is no excuse for it.

[BigRedBuster]

I guess I just don't understand the mind set.

 

So....let me ask this. If we have 5 losses, what then?

 

I don't think there is one fan on here that would say that's a successful season. I don't think I have seen any posts claiming that anyway. So, if it is clean cut that it is absolutely an indictment on Riley's coaching ability if he loses 5 games, then what happens then? Do we demand changes in the coaching staff? Do we demand Riley fired because obviously he sucks because there are no excuses?

 

What exactly does "putting out minimum goals and expectations" do as a fan?

[skersfan]

In honesty, it all boils down to the kids. Do they buy in and make the leap of faith. Will they walk through hell for Coach Riley as some stated they would for the past coach. A lot of damage was done by the past staff. Not wins and losses, but attitude. Sometimes those things are hard to change, not instant. None of us know the answer to that question, not even the head coach.

 

You have to see how things go, how they adapt to the new system. Seldom does a complete change go smoothly. It can and I know all of us are hoping it does, but planting the seed that it might not is not a good way to start.

 

saying a certain number is success and another is failure is just plain stupid as far as I am concerned. This team was absolutely terrible for many years. Luck played a part in a lot of wins. They were seldom prepared for a game, a type of offense or defense, seldom were capable of adapting to certain plays, JET SWEEP, ring a bell. Players were out of position, some lived in the dog house and never saw the field. Those are lasting images that the kids have to over come and they have to trust their leadership to overcome it. I think that is going to take some time. 7 years embeds a lot of stuff, some quite deeply.

 

I have no idea if Coach Riley is the answer for Nebraska. None of us do really. It takes time to know, if what Saunders says is a fact, there would never be any losers. Everybody attempts to hire better. Some are, some aren't, some take longer than others. It took Coach Osborne many years to reach what everyone wanted.

 

If we look like a team, that is enjoying itself, a all in effort from defense and offense, corrections are made, players are developed, quarterbacks are recruited and developed I will be happy. We have some cream puffs this year for sure, but to think Iowa, Wisconsin, BYU and Miami are not working on getting better is silly. We will get tough games from a lot of our opponents. We will see what we have by the end of the year. Not before for me.

 

Expectations are high. But be sure you look at what we have failed at over the last 7 years, and see if those things improve. If they do, we have made the right choice even if we lose a game or two more than all of us want. If it is the same screwed up mess it has been, then most likely he is not the right guy. I think we are going to be very happy with what he brings to the table. But I have not said he will or won't.

 

For as screwed up as this program was, a certain number is not going to make difference. Well 14-0 would.

[Saunders]

As much as I wanted Bo gone, he didn't really make a super strong case for it until his 6th season, and even that wasn't on a strict W/L basis. My distaste for that era just makes me feel we should've gone in a different direction to begin with. Even after the Iowa game in 2014 it seemed like he had an argument for staying, albeit not a great one.

 

So, I do think all coaches need time -- four years minimum -- to sort things out, (almost) regardless of what happens (obvious disasters excepted). But I also agree that Riley could get off on the wrong foot here, depending on how things go. I'm just not willing to set a number on it. We'll have the season to look at.

I agree completely with this. We can get an accurate assessment in 4 years, and barring 2 bad seasons to start, Riley should get that at minimum.

[Saunders]

I guess I just don't understand the mind set.

 

So....let me ask this. If we have 5 losses, what then?

 

I don't think there is one fan on here that would say that's a successful season. I don't think I have seen any posts claiming that anyway. So, if it is clean cut that it is absolutely an indictment on Riley's coaching ability if he loses 5 games, then what happens then? Do we demand changes in the coaching staff? Do we demand Riley fired because obviously he sucks because there are no excuses?

 

What exactly does "putting out minimum goals and expectations" do as a fan?

We have talent, we have an easy schedule, and if we have 5 losses (and it wasn't because half the time got ebola or something), then very likely, the coaches screwed up. I haven't seen anyone saying that 5 losses is successful. What I have seen, is posts saying that the old staff did such a terrible job, that Riley could lose 5 games this year. I find that laughable.

 

As for goals and expectations, it helps evaluate performance. If you (not you particularly) don't really care about that, then you probably were fine with things as they were under Bo. After 2013, I was pretty much done, and 2014 was the nail in the coffin for me. I'm ready to move on to Riley, and in my opinion, I see no logical reason (outside disaster) that he should lose more than 5 games.

[BigRedBuster]

 

I guess I just don't understand the mind set.

 

So....let me ask this. If we have 5 losses, what then?

 

I don't think there is one fan on here that would say that's a successful season. I don't think I have seen any posts claiming that anyway. So, if it is clean cut that it is absolutely an indictment on Riley's coaching ability if he loses 5 games, then what happens then? Do we demand changes in the coaching staff? Do we demand Riley fired because obviously he sucks because there are no excuses?

 

What exactly does "putting out minimum goals and expectations" do as a fan?

We have talent, we have an easy schedule, and if we have 5 losses (and it wasn't because half the time got ebola or something), then very likely, the coaches screwed up. I haven't seen anyone saying that 5 losses is successful. What I have seen, is posts saying that the old staff did such a terrible job, that Riley could lose 5 games this year. I find that laughable.

 

As for goals and expectations, it helps evaluate performance. If you (not you particularly) don't really care about that, then you probably were fine with things as they were under Bo. After 2013, I was pretty much done, and 2014 was the nail in the coffin for me. I'm ready to move on to Riley, and in my opinion, I see no logical reason (outside disaster) that he should lose more than 5 games.

 

Ok....pardon me for being confused.

 

So, people claimed the old staff did a terrible job and you don't agree with that? But, you claim you were ready for a change? If Riley loses 5 games, then he obviously isn't the answer?

 

You didn't answer the questions I highlighted above.

[StPaulHusker]

I think you can lose 5 games and still consider Riley the better coach. These losses would need to meet some criteria like:

 

Did it look like we had a clue it was Saturday and a game was happening?

 

Did we not piss down our leg in the 2nd half of a game to lose by 20?

 

Were we down by 20 or more and had to launch a biblical comeback to just come up short?

 

Did we let a team hang 50 or more on us while we were still bending not breaking?

 

Did Riley lose his sh#t on the ref, or a player, or the fans, or the admin, or a coach, or......?

 

 

I mean, if he instills a new offense and defense and deals with obvious lack of depth (bodies, not necessarily talent) and we are still competitive in every game, then there is nothing wrong with that. Sure more than 9 wins is what I want to see but there has to be some perspective.

[jsneb83]

I could see us being 2-2 in September just because the team doesn't have the schemes quite down yet. That leaves them having to go 6-2 with a bowl win or 7-1. Possible? Yes, but seeing improvement throughout the year is more important to me than the W-L record the first year. Look at Bo's first year. They started 3-3, but then they won their last 4 and 6 of the last 7.