State of the program - Spring 2017

[Enhance]

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no way Riley will be on the hot seat if he goes 9-4. If SE is still here and Riley is winning 9 games a year he's safe.

why do you say that?

Because Riley's not the a**hole Pelini was. If Riley had identical records to Pelini he would never be fired as long as SE is in charge.

Yep...and if Riley keeps going 9-4 he will stay here until he wants to retire.

And because he is a nice guy, fans will still think Riley has the program trending upward.

I call BS on that. The fans got tired of going 9-4 under Bo. What was once praise for a fiery coach became an excuse to lynch him. If Riley can't get us over the 4 loss hump in say 5-6 years, nice guy won't matter. It will be the excise to lynch him too.

 

 

Yeah, maybe the fans weren't satisfied with 9-4 but I don't think Bo's overall record on the field is what got him fired. I think Bo got fired because of his childish tantrums on and off the field. And because he routinely got blown out of the water in big games. If Pelini has fixed those two things he would still be our coach. But he didn't. And he got canned as a result. /jmho

I mostly agree, but I don't think it's entirely true that "if Riley had identical records to Pelini he would never be fired," as per the comment that started this.

 

Statistically speaking, there were sound and well-reasoned arguments for releasing him, even if they weren't the main reasons. In my opinion, at a place like Nebraska, 9-4 doesn't cut it indefinitely.

[hskerholic]

 

 

95 Redux: I would say you summed up things fairly well in your intro post. I do believe that we are on the brink of our first really 'top ten' recruiting class since early Solich years or so. We may have had a couple thereafter but they turned out to be mirages in many ways. But, to finish this class with half a dozen more 'elite-ish' guys AND ACTUALLY SIGN THEM next Feb will be very much tied to the success on the field this fall. If we find a way to get to the conf championship game and playwell (win or lose), we will hold the class together and we will have taken a giant leap forward as a program going into 2018.

 

2018 will be a gauntlet of a schedule and to manage 9 or so wins then will be 'coach of the year' type results for Riley. Of course he won't be coach of the year but it will be monumental in my view.

 

All this being said, this fall has the potential to be Riley's make or break year as a result. If the wheels fall off and the team loses confidence, or the QB gambit blows up in Riley's face (it surely could), then all bets are off. There remains a lot of weak links in this chain, although it is getting better in some areas. As many have mentioned, the O line remains a big "if" and two or three injuries there could spell disaster. We do have several RBs with ability and WRs have skills. The defense, IF we are able to build a front "3 or 4" as it turns out to be, should be pretty good and surely ought to be sufficient to keep us in the games, and if they grow a bunch as a group, keep us within 3 or 4 TDs of the Buckeyes. The offense, by then, has the potential to be able to play some catch up and take quick advantage of any turnovers or other breaks.

The kicking game, by golly, surely can improve dramatically by year three. A senior placekicker gives a chance to make those key field goals to keep the score from getting out of hand before half time. Anything can happen in a couple quarters, especially as DBs get a little fatigue in their legs by the 4th Qtr crunch time.

 

We have been hopeful and overly optimistic as it turns out nearly every season for the past 20. It is not a surprise that many of us are getting a little excited and hopeful yet again. But, as to the 'state of the program', I believe there are more positives than negatives at this point in time. We have a pretty good staff, overall, and Riley is a very good coach. Can't say 'great' yet, really in regards to any of the players or the coaches but 'very good' is better than we have had for a decade or more. How many all conference preseason pickes do we have? Probably NONE. That is not a good sign but there is one important consideration that we must recognize: the Big Ten is now the premiere conference in the country, as I have predicted for years. When Nebraska joined the league, it was apparent to me that we would make the Big Ten 'elite' and the Big 12 irrelevant. It has happened. This is the gravitas that is Nebraska football nationally. Whether or not we are rated highly, we are STILL Nebraska. The difference, evidenced by the alarmingly rapid rise last fall in the rankings by simply going 7-0, is that there are many millions of college football fans and commentators, etc, who really WANT us to be back where we belong. We aren't facing the headwinds that Bill Callahan and even Pelini faced towards the end there. We will get the benefit of the doubt more because many around the college football world want to see Nebraska in the big picture. Let's hope that come January, 2018, we are there. If so, the state of the program will be GOOD. We are on the rise but we have a long way to go.

I just want to highlight what I feel is a high quality post. I think too often good posts get overlooked and talked around instead of thoughtful conversation.

Quality Post and I probably wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for Huskerzoo quoting it.

[Sker fer life]

9 wins is, was, and will never be good enough at nebraska. Our last conference title was in 1999, all this "9 wins" talk is getting old, every true fan of Nebraska knows that in today's landscape of college football, 9 wins is not going to get us back to where we all want to be. Period.

 

P.S. pelini, not coaching here anymore.

[Nebfanatic]

Forget the wins, let's talk about losses. Do we finally have less than 4 this year?

[Landlord]

Program is definitely trending up in almost every area you could think of, which is very encouraging. But make no mistake - we are not there yet. We are not a championship caliber football team. We won't be this year.

[NUinID]

Lots of doom and gloom on this thread.

 

First and formost no one really has any idea what this team is going to look like in the fall. The fans and the media only haveopinions. On the spring game broadcast Mike Riley said something to the effect that he really likes the look of this team. He seemed real sincere when he said it. I am going to take him at his word on that.

 

The offense is going to look drastically different from what we have seen the last 2 years.

 

The defense is going to be even more drastically different.

 

I am really excited to see what happens. Every team we play is not perfect and every team is beatable. I am going to choose to be optimistic and see what happens.

[southernoregonhusker]

Tiger Woods lost his mojo in a matter of a couple minutes driving into a tree. Nebraska lost theirs in a couple of hours vs Colorado. Therefore, Tiger lost his faster, case closed .

Was it the fire hydrant or the 9 iron to the face?

[KingBlank]

Program is definitely trending up in almost every area you could think of, which is very encouraging. But make no mistake - we are not there yet. We are not a championship caliber football team. We won't be this year.

Except for actually playing good football on offense, or defense, or special teams, in any improving capacity.

[RedDenver]

 

Program is definitely trending up in almost every area you could think of, which is very encouraging. But make no mistake - we are not there yet. We are not a championship caliber football team. We won't be this year.

Except for actually playing good football on offense, or defense, or special teams, in any improving capacity.

 

[Saunders]

 

 

 

Program is definitely trending up in almost every area you could think of, which is very encouraging. But make no mistake - we are not there yet. We are not a championship caliber football team. We won't be this year.

Except for actually playing good football on offense, or defense, or special teams, in any improving capacity.

He's hyperbolic, but not entirely wrong. All the "feel good" about the program is almost entirely cemented in recruiting. The on the field product isn't measurably better than it has been for the last 16 years, and the hype for 2017 right now is entirely based on potential and hope.

[Huskerzoo]

 

 

 

Program is definitely trending up in almost every area you could think of, which is very encouraging. But make no mistake - we are not there yet. We are not a championship caliber football team. We won't be this year.

Except for actually playing good football on offense, or defense, or special teams, in any improving capacity.

He's hyperbolic, but not entirely wrong. All the "feel good" about the program is almost entirely cemented in recruiting. The on the field product isn't measurably better than it has been for the last 16 years, and the hype for 2017 right now is entirely based on potential and hope.

 

 

I wouldn't say it's all recruiting. I feel good about Diaco. It's also worth noting, that you more or less have to look at recruiting to feel good about the future. As good as coaches might be, almost all the data says you don't take mediocre recruiting and turn it into big game wins. The system takes time to play out.

[MyBloodIsRed16]

The Huskers will be in the ccg this year... mark it.

[Thanks_Tom RR]

95 Redux: I would say you summed up things fairly well in your intro post. I do believe that we are on the brink of our first really 'top ten' recruiting class since early Solich years or so. We may have had a couple thereafter but they turned out to be mirages in many ways. But, to finish this class with half a dozen more 'elite-ish' guys AND ACTUALLY SIGN THEM next Feb will be very much tied to the success on the field this fall. If we find a way to get to the conf championship game and playwell (win or lose), we will hold the class together and we will have taken a giant leap forward as a program going into 2018.

 

2018 will be a gauntlet of a schedule and to manage 9 or so wins then will be 'coach of the year' type results for Riley. Of course he won't be coach of the year but it will be monumental in my view.

 

All this being said, this fall has the potential to be Riley's make or break year as a result. If the wheels fall off and the team loses confidence, or the QB gambit blows up in Riley's face (it surely could), then all bets are off. There remains a lot of weak links in this chain, although it is getting better in some areas. As many have mentioned, the O line remains a big "if" and two or three injuries there could spell disaster. We do have several RBs with ability and WRs have skills. The defense, IF we are able to build a front "3 or 4" as it turns out to be, should be pretty good and surely ought to be sufficient to keep us in the games, and if they grow a bunch as a group, keep us within 3 or 4 TDs of the Buckeyes. The offense, by then, has the potential to be able to play some catch up and take quick advantage of any turnovers or other breaks.

The kicking game, by golly, surely can improve dramatically by year three. A senior placekicker gives a chance to make those key field goals to keep the score from getting out of hand before half time. Anything can happen in a couple quarters, especially as DBs get a little fatigue in their legs by the 4th Qtr crunch time.

 

We have been hopeful and overly optimistic as it turns out nearly every season for the past 20. It is not a surprise that many of us are getting a little excited and hopeful yet again. But, as to the 'state of the program', I believe there are more positives than negatives at this point in time. We have a pretty good staff, overall, and Riley is a very good coach. Can't say 'great' yet, really in regards to any of the players or the coaches but 'very good' is better than we have had for a decade or more. How many all conference preseason pickes do we have? Probably NONE. That is not a good sign but there is one important consideration that we must recognize: the Big Ten is now the premiere conference in the country, as I have predicted for years. When Nebraska joined the league, it was apparent to me that we would make the Big Ten 'elite' and the Big 12 irrelevant. It has happened. This is the gravitas that is Nebraska football nationally. Whether or not we are rated highly, we are STILL Nebraska. The difference, evidenced by the alarmingly rapid rise last fall in the rankings by simply going 7-0, is that there are many millions of college football fans and commentators, etc, who really WANT us to be back where we belong. We aren't facing the headwinds that Bill Callahan and even Pelini faced towards the end there. We will get the benefit of the doubt more because many around the college football world want to see Nebraska in the big picture. Let's hope that come January, 2018, we are there. If so, the state of the program will be GOOD. We are on the rise but we have a long way to go.

Don't expect a top ten recruiting class this year. It requires a large quantity of high quality prospects to get in the top ten. The class size is just not there this year (despite some good talent throughout).

[Thanks_Tom RR]

The Huskers will be in the ccg this year... mark it.

Mark it...Larry Culpepper is on HB.

[84HuskerLaw]

 

95 Redux: I would say you summed up things fairly well in your intro post. I do believe that we are on the brink of our first really 'top ten' recruiting class since early Solich years or so. We may have had a couple thereafter but they turned out to be mirages in many ways. But, to finish this class with half a dozen more 'elite-ish' guys AND ACTUALLY SIGN THEM next Feb will be very much tied to the success on the field this fall. If we find a way to get to the conf championship game and playwell (win or lose), we will hold the class together and we will have taken a giant leap forward as a program going into 2018.

 

2018 will be a gauntlet of a schedule and to manage 9 or so wins then will be 'coach of the year' type results for Riley. Of course he won't be coach of the year but it will be monumental in my view.

 

All this being said, this fall has the potential to be Riley's make or break year as a result. If the wheels fall off and the team loses confidence, or the QB gambit blows up in Riley's face (it surely could), then all bets are off. There remains a lot of weak links in this chain, although it is getting better in some areas. As many have mentioned, the O line remains a big "if" and two or three injuries there could spell disaster. We do have several RBs with ability and WRs have skills. The defense, IF we are able to build a front "3 or 4" as it turns out to be, should be pretty good and surely ought to be sufficient to keep us in the games, and if they grow a bunch as a group, keep us within 3 or 4 TDs of the Buckeyes. The offense, by then, has the potential to be able to play some catch up and take quick advantage of any turnovers or other breaks.

The kicking game, by golly, surely can improve dramatically by year three. A senior placekicker gives a chance to make those key field goals to keep the score from getting out of hand before half time. Anything can happen in a couple quarters, especially as DBs get a little fatigue in their legs by the 4th Qtr crunch time.

 

We have been hopeful and overly optimistic as it turns out nearly every season for the past 20. It is not a surprise that many of us are getting a little excited and hopeful yet again. But, as to the 'state of the program', I believe there are more positives than negatives at this point in time. We have a pretty good staff, overall, and Riley is a very good coach. Can't say 'great' yet, really in regards to any of the players or the coaches but 'very good' is better than we have had for a decade or more. How many all conference preseason pickes do we have? Probably NONE. That is not a good sign but there is one important consideration that we must recognize: the Big Ten is now the premiere conference in the country, as I have predicted for years. When Nebraska joined the league, it was apparent to me that we would make the Big Ten 'elite' and the Big 12 irrelevant. It has happened. This is the gravitas that is Nebraska football nationally. Whether or not we are rated highly, we are STILL Nebraska. The difference, evidenced by the alarmingly rapid rise last fall in the rankings by simply going 7-0, is that there are many millions of college football fans and commentators, etc, who really WANT us to be back where we belong. We aren't facing the headwinds that Bill Callahan and even Pelini faced towards the end there. We will get the benefit of the doubt more because many around the college football world want to see Nebraska in the big picture. Let's hope that come January, 2018, we are there. If so, the state of the program will be GOOD. We are on the rise but we have a long way to go.

Don't expect a top ten recruiting class this year. It requires a large quantity of high quality prospects to get in the top ten. The class size is just not there this year (despite some good talent throughout).

 

I will considerit 'top ten' in my view, whether or not it is scored that way by the services, IF we fill 'er up with lots of players that are being recruited by other top ten type programs. If we are bringing in guys that have 'best' offers from middle of their conference type programs, then not so much. It seems we are getting these early commits from players who have a long list of other offers that will include the perennial powers such OU, Texas, USC, UCLA, the Floridas, Oregon, other top tier Big Tens and SEC programs. This tells me, that not only are they being rated with 4 stars by the 'gurus', they are being sought after by other programs with real stature. This is not guarantee of course and they need to fill our needs as much as anything but it is a good indicator that it is not just our coaches taking the 'left overs' and the guys who just didn't quite make the cut at the top programs. We need to recruit with the best if we really want to compete with them - as many comments have stated aptly - it still takes 'talent' and you can't take a bunch of hungry, hard working, guys and build a champion. You need some real difference makers sprinkled in there with those blue collar guys to give you the extra speed and skills to make plays when its crunch time and it takes a rare kind of young man to do the special things. Champions need luck but teams with great talent somewhat make their own luck and can overcome otherwise deadly mistakes.

 

One class of 16 or 17 is enough but the cupboard is NOT bare and we have some youth and some experience and the 'system' is now in year 3. Guys should now be starting to play faster without the hestitation and over thinking. Athleticism helps, We are going to have to outwork and out smart the elites but we should be closer to be on an equal footing with most teams outside the top fifteen or so as opposed to maybe more like the top 25. An upset is now possible against nearly all oppoents. As little as two years ago, it was not. Last year, half a dozen injuries to key guys made it a snowballs' chance in hell of winning down the stretch run. Despite the rough ending, there seem to be no real signs that this 2017 bunch is suffering from real hangover or a loss of confidence and faith. They seem to be determined to work as hard as ever and also to be going into the season with heads held high and a feeling that good things will come. This is a VERY POSITIVE sign for me.