Did the Big Ten change your expectations?

[teachercd]

This might sound crazy but I always thought of the Big Ten as kind of a conference that cared way more about winning the conference crown over anything else. I always thought that it seemed like there was the talk of "Well, we can still win the conference" when the teams might have started off poorly.

 

I feel like a lot of Husker fans have kind of lowered their expectations since entering this conference. When we first entered it was a lot of "Oh man, the Big Ten won't be able to handle our speed, especially all of our Texas speed..." and "Look how many gimmies there are each season in this conference"

 

Now it seems like there is a lot of "well, I think we can lose two conference games and still win the west with a tie-breaker"

 

Did a lot of your expectations change over the last 4-5 years?

 

For me I think they did. When we moved into the Big Ten I really thought it would be 1 conference loss most years...2-3 during a bad year.

[StPaulHusker]

My expectations didn't change for the team. The game changed and we have been way too slow to change with it. Regardless if we are in the B1G or Big 12

[Undone]

My expectations have lowered more as a function of how our program continues to not get back to "championship form," but not relative to anything with regards to entering the Big 10.

 

We're in a drought that's going on 16 years of no conference title. I wanted a conference title so bad during the Bo years, and want one just as bad now. Have to end that drought...

[commando]

my expectations changed when the wizard of Oz retired.

[NUance]

Expectations are a moving target. For me anyway. They've been getting lower every since the last championship we won. So, yeah, my expectations are lower now than five years ago. And they were lower five years ago than they were five years before that. And so on, back to 1997.

[BigRedBuster]

Define "expectations".

 

Are you talking about "Goals"? Meaning, what we should ultimately have as our top goal for this team? If so, no, that hasn't changed. The ultimate goal is always an NC. Now, to get there, we need to win our conference first. That is all we can control. Go undefeated and win our conference. If that happens, then we have a chance at the NC.

 

Now, I personally use the word "expecations" as meaning, what do you expect the team will do this year. Well, I expect them to win most of their games, hopefully that is up in the 9-10 win range, and they will lose some.

 

That doesn't mean my goals for the team has changed.

[teachercd]

Like I said, when we entered the Big Ten...when we first went to Wisconsin all I thought was "Okay...here comes a beat down" and well...it happened...just not how I thought!

[Kernal]

My expectations have lowered more as a function of how our program continues to not get back to "championship form," but not relative to anything with regards to entering the Big 10.

 

We're in a drought that's going on 16 years of no conference title. I wanted a conference title so bad during the Bo years, and want one just as bad now. Have to end that drought...

 

I agree. The lowering of my expectations is unrelated to Nebraska's move to the Big Ten. It is directly related to having just fired another head coach who failed to get Nebraska back to a place where higher expectations than "winning the conference" are realistic. Hell, even winning the Big Ten has become unrealistic for Nebraska. We need a big turnaround in the culture of the program.

[NUinID]

My expectations are the same as always, I want to see NU put a good competitive product on the field. Nebraska is not as good as they were in 1995, sorry they just aren't. The world of college football is completely different also since 1995.

 

Division 1 college football teams in general are better than they used to be. All teams have better athletes that have better coaching that have better facilities etc. The bottom feeders of the world aren't as far down as they used to be. It makes it harder for everyone, save for the super elite team, to win them all and look good doing it. Twenty years ago OSU doesn't beat NIU by only 7 points. Arkansas doesn't lose to Toledo. NU doesn't struggle against McNeese St. Auburn doesn't barely beat Jacksonville St. Penn St. doesn't lose to Temple.

 

Teams are just better, it is the reality of the world of college football.

[Redux]

I think the whole era of doninant Nebraska Football started changing when we got hosed on divisional setup in the Big 12. We went from overpowering everything to playing an even weaker schedule. We didn't have to fight as hard to win a division and that started reflecting on the product we put out.

 

By the time we realized it Kansas, KSU and Mizzou were routinely thumping us. We took it back but it was too late. The conference was dying and we had to move on. Unfortunately for us we didn't have a coach with enough experience recruiting and our transition into a stronger league has been much harder than it had to be. Bo held the ship together during the move, but he didn't do much for us long term towards winning the league.

[teachercd]

I think the whole era of doninant Nebraska Football started changing when we got hosed on divisional setup in the Big 12. We went from overpowering everything to playing an even weaker schedule. We didn't have to fight as hard to win a division and that started reflecting on the product we put out.

 

By the time we realized it Kansas, KSU and Mizzou were routinely thumping us. We took it back but it was too late. The conference was dying and we had to move on. Unfortunately for us we didn't have a coach with enough experience recruiting and our transition into a stronger league has been much harder than it had to be. Bo held the ship together during the move, but he didn't do much for us long term towards winning the league.

That is interesting.

[ColoradoHusk]

I never had much respect for the members of the Big Ten. I thought the games were slow and boring. When NU joined the conference, I thought NU would have no problem beating teams like Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota. It's upsetting that NU is basically at the same level as Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota and a level below Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. I think Michigan will soon be at the top tier level with those schools, as long as Harbaugh coach there. I have serious doubts if Riley can get NU to the level of those teams. It will be interesting to see if Wisconsin can stay at that level under Chryst, and if Penn State can get to that level under Franklin.

[teachercd]

I never had much respect for the members of the Big Ten. I thought the games were slow and boring. When NU joined the conference, I thought NU would have no problem beating teams like Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota. It's upsetting that NU is basically at the same level as Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota and a level below Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. I think Michigan will soon be at the top tier level with those schools, as long as Harbaugh coach there. I have serious doubts if Riley can get NU to the level of those teams. It will be interesting to see if Wisconsin can stay at that level under Chryst, and if Penn State can get to that level under Franklin.

I agree with all of this...I think it will be about two years (from now) where it is OSU and Michigan as the top dogs. I think there will be second tier of teams that will include 2-3 teams but I am not really sure who that will be, I think people will be quick to say MSU is one of them but I just have this feeling that they start losing to Michigan and OSU most years.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

I never had much respect for the members of the Big Ten. I thought the games were slow and boring. When NU joined the conference, I thought NU would have no problem beating teams like Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota. It's upsetting that NU is basically at the same level as Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota and a level below Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. I think Michigan will soon be at the top tier level with those schools, as long as Harbaugh coach there. I have serious doubts if Riley can get NU to the level of those teams. It will be interesting to see if Wisconsin can stay at that level under Chryst, and if Penn State can get to that level under Franklin.

I agree with all of this...I think it will be about two years (from now) where it is OSU and Michigan as the top dogs. I think there will be second tier of teams that will include 2-3 teams but I am not really sure who that will be, I think people will be quick to say MSU is one of them but I just have this feeling that they start losing to Michigan and OSU most years.

 

I lumped MSU, OSU, and Wisconsin as the "top tier" because they have won conference titles since NU joined the league. I agree that MSU will have a tough time staying at the top. I think they will get solid players, but the reason they are currently elite is the play of Connor Cook. I wonder if they will be able to continue that down the road. It won't be long before Michigan and OSU are the top 2, mainly because of facilities, recruiting, and coaching.

[ColoradoHusk]

As a side note, I never understood why "we have to root for the conference because it makes Nebraska look better". Screw that. I hate everyone else in the conference, let them lose. I just want to worry about what NU is doing.

 

Also, if the rest of the conference is doing well in the games, wouldn't that theoretically allow them to do better in recruiting, by attracting better plays who are seeing how well those other schools are doing? Screw that, I want those great players to go to Nebraska, not another school in the conference.

 

Yes, I know it's about perception, but I don't agree with that philosophy.