Would you rather....

[NoLongerN]

Let's say NU is able to win the last 2 games of the regular season. I know that's a big if, but NU will have finished the regular season at 6-6, but two wins over teams that were ranked in the top ten.

 

But, what if the season was like a typical Bo season. I am not saying Bo is the coach, but Riley is still the coach. Instead of losing to BYU, Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue, Riley is able to win all of those games, but still loses to Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa (any team with a pulse). The wins are all pretty comfortable wins with 1 or 2 close wins, and the losses are 1 blowout with 3 close losses.

 

As a fan, what would you deem is the "better season"?

 

Irrelevant to me. That would be comparing Bo's seasons to this one season of transition. Each season has it's own players, injuries, teams played against and challenges. Overall, none of Bo's season met my expectation and if MR can go 6-6 with his then "two" big wins ... it didn't meet my expectation either. Don't forget, for quite a number of you "Iowa sucks" and it is not a rivalry game. :-)

[beorach]

 

This reminds me of that South Park episode in which they try to come up with a plot that hasn't been done already by The Simpsons. Maybe we should be happy we're not sure whether we could already be in better shape than we were last season not playing for a conference title with more mature talent? Is it Bo we have but different? Dan Patrick doesn't even beat a dead horse like we have Bo. I wish we could at least trust that our AD could see the future better than the average fan but I'm just going to be patient, realizing that even a 6-6 2015 season doesn't put the matter to bed.

I'm not trying to make it a Bo argument. I am saying "which record would you rather have". It's not a Bo/Riley thing. I wanted Bo gone, and I don't want him back.

 

I'm not sure I understand how this isn't a Bo argument when your first 'question' is, "But, what if the season was like a typical Bo season."

[theknife]

I'm buying into the narrative that culturally, we were devoid of identity. When the going got tough, we laid down under Bo. That's not been the case with Riley for the most part. Specifically, even after the defense gave up big play after big play on Saturday. I saw the same intensity.

 

All that said, I'm not fully convinced Riley is our guy long term, but he's our guy now. Recruiting is picking up and imagine what the pass rush with our DTs(assuming Collins stays), if we pick up any Juco DEs that can pass rush, and another year with Freedom to develop.

[ColoradoHusk]

I'm buying into the narrative that culturally, we were devoid of identity. When the going got tough, we laid down under Bo. That's not been the case with Riley for the most part. Specifically, even after the defense gave up big play after big play on Saturday. I saw the same intensity.

 

All that said, I'm not fully convinced Riley is our guy long term, but he's our guy now. Recruiting is picking up and imagine what the pass rush with our DTs(assuming Collins stays), if we pick up any Juco DEs that can pass rush, and another year with Freedom to develop.

Don't get your hopes up on Collins. That guy is gone after this year.

[HuskerMerc44]

The MSU win was huge for Riley and DONU.

It's encouraging and we haven't given up.

DONU can still get to a bowl game.

In my opinion, this win guarantees Riley is here next year.

He has a chance to change DC's.

It might have even saved ADSE.

GBR.

[Jonathan Paul]

I think it's easy for us Nebraska fans to cherish the idea of being 9-4 this season due to the winning streak we had the past years with Bo; however, we must consider the totality of this season and the possibility of actually being better than what our record states. We beat Michigan St. which is very good but not exorbitantly impressive given that all their games had been close by only a touchdown or so. The win against Michigan St. was good in my opinion because it proved our team hadn't given up and that Riley seems to be affecting the players in a positive and uplifting way. Anyone who was at that game could see that the coaches, players, and fans united as one during the final moments of the game; which was quite euphoric in some ways. I have seen a lot of positive growth this season and for that I would take the close losses for the sake of an all around more confident and unrelenting Nebraska team spirit.

[Moiraine]

I would consider 7-6 this year an improvement over last year.

If this were Riley's 7th year as head coach and we went 7-6, then the opposite of that.

[Bowfin]

and the possibility of actually being better than what our record states.

 

Nope. 4-6 is pretty much the record of all 4-6 teams.

[Moiraine]

 

and the possibility of actually being better than what our record states.

 

Nope. 4-6 is pretty much the record of all 4-6 teams.

 

 

Teams can be better than what their record indicates. They can be worse than what their record indicates. To deny this is to say no team has ever gotten lucky in a game before.

Not all teams with the same record are exactly the same quality. To deny this is to claim that every single game ever played between two opponents with the same record will end in a tie or go into overtime.

[Bowfin]

Then one also has to consider whether a team is actually worse than its record indicates. For example we could flip the standard mantra about Nebraska only being a few plays away from being 8-2 and instead say that Nebraska was only two plays away from being 2-8.

[Moiraine]

Then one also has to consider whether a team is actually worse than its record indicates. For example we could flip the standard mantra about Nebraska only being a few plays away from being 8-2 and instead say that Nebraska was only two plays away from being 2-8.

 

I wrote that in the post you're replying to.