What’s your (unpopular) Husker hot take?

[Husker in WI]

59 minutes ago, Husker816 said:

We lost to a team last year that had only 1 win and that was against us.

 Colorado won 1 game total as well. But of their 11 losses, the closest was an 8 point loss. The second closest loss was a 23 point loss. Losing to NW was inexcusable, but 6 of their losses were somewhat competitive - they were better than Colorado.

 

Again, I get that Colorado will be better and we have always managed to sneak below the increasingly lower bar of expectations. I'm just saying people didn't pay attention to Colorado last year if they're chalking it up as an automatic L. 

[Ratt Mhule]

2 hours ago, Husker816 said:

We lost to a team last year that had only 1 win and that was against us.

That game was loat due to coaching. Anyone but Frost and we win that game. Kick it off instead of onside kick and I believe we blow them out. 
 

This team has talent. Coaching is what has been holding them back. If Rhule is the coach we all hope he is, we can definetely go bowling next season. 

[Husker816]

1 hour ago, Husker in WI said:

 Colorado won 1 game total as well. But of their 11 losses, the closest was an 8 point loss. The second closest loss was a 23 point loss. Losing to NW was inexcusable, but 6 of their losses were somewhat competitive - they were better than Colorado.

 

Again, I get that Colorado will be better and we have always managed to sneak below the increasingly lower bar of expectations. I'm just saying people didn't pay attention to Colorado last year if they're chalking it up as an automatic L. 

This team isnt good enough to just pencil in wins there's nobody on the schedule that I would be surprised if they lost to. Still lots of questions at key positions also thin on some positions too. Are we getting the Satterfield that struggled at USC or are we getting the last few games Satterfield? How long will it take for guys to understand Whites scheme?

[admo]

10 hours ago, Fru said:

This is where I’m at too. The NU Ministry of Propaganda tweets out a bunch of well edited hype videos and everyone starts taking the bait again.
 

Rhule and Co have done some nice things thus far, but we’ve all been down this road too many times. 

 

He ain't wrong

 

[Fru]

16 hours ago, The Dude said:

 

How does this make any sense ?  How does taking over a 4-win team and doing some nice thing with it equate to 2-3 wins?

- We lose some pretty significant pieces from last years team.
- There’ll be even more attrition in the next month or so when we trim down scholarship players.
- The trenches concern me. 

- New coaches, new schemes can cause growing pains.

- I’m not entirely convinced that Rhule’s staff is an overall upgrade.

- Almost all of our B1G opponents have years of program building on us and are more equipped to reload.

- This program has been mentally fragile for years now and I don’t think that gets solved in less than a year. 
 

All that said, looking at the schedule, the only game that I see as an automatic L is Michigan. 6+ wins are absolutely there for the taking. They were there with Scott too. The question is, will they be able to get over the hump and take them. As of now I don’t think it’s too likely in year 1. 

[Fru]

10 hours ago, Husker in WI said:

 Colorado won 1 game total as well. But of their 11 losses, the closest was an 8 point loss. The second closest loss was a 23 point loss. Losing to NW was inexcusable, but 6 of their losses were somewhat competitive - they were better than Colorado.

 

Again, I get that Colorado will be better and we have always managed to sneak below the increasingly lower bar of expectations. I'm just saying people didn't pay attention to Colorado last year if they're chalking it up as an automatic L. 

What concerns me about CU isn’t so much about what Deion is doing. It’s that they have always played a stupid brand of football. Doesn’t matter the era, the roster, the coach. They’re the kind of team that makes one or two games a year into their Super Bowl, then phone it in the rest of the year. 
 

I would not be surprised at all if they come out with their hair on fire and boat race us, then end up going 3-9 or 4-8. 

[TGHusker]

Hot Take:  all Husker fans should be given a nutrition plan like our football team 

Seriously, it is amazing the work that goes into feeding the team as individuals with the goal of enhancing performance.  

I like Rhule's emphasis on eating meals together (reminds me of Remember the Titans scene.  

https://hailvarsity.com/football/nebraska-football-players-feel-a-change-fueled-by-nutritionist-kristin-coggin/

 

Quote

 

Meeting Rhule and learning his intentions, the importance with which he views player nutrition excited Coggin. He surpassed expectations Satterfield shared. She walked away thinking “this is a guy I’d like to work for.” So the opportunity at Nebraska merged all she was looking for.

“The standards he has, meeting him and what he’s trying to build here,” Coggin said. “I love the fact that we make our players sit down and have meals here together and being able to build that connection.”

Coggin develops those individualized plans by getting to know each football player better. That’s so she can learn food allergies, preferences and restrictions. However, she likes to broaden their nutritional horizons so they’ll make food a picky eater may not otherwise eat. She loves working with the different personalities and accommodating the various “teams within the team.”

Linemen, linebackers, receivers, for example, have different dietary needs. Their nutrition needs are different in winter workouts than spring practice. Both are much different than what they’ll require during the season. She collaborates multiple times a day with strength and conditioning coach Corey Campbell and his staff to ensure they’re on the same page. Coggin isn’t just giving nutrition to players, she’s teaching it. Some will go onto the NFL where these resources are self-serve. Others will graduate and go professional in a different walk of life. Either way, they’ll learn how to cook various dishes with a focus on nutrition. Coggin plans to start cooking lessons with players before the season, something a few remind her about.

Coggin tells everyone she has 120 little brothers to feed every day. She’s brought in two chefs so far, with plans to hire another, to help feed them all and staff. In order to accommodate them before spring practices, Coggin wakes up around 3:45 a.m. and stays in the stadium until around 7:30. They make shakes specifically for each player and Julian Franklin, one of the chefs, became a player favorite with specially made pancakes for breakfast. Sarah Ptak, the other football performance nutrition coordinator, helps with pre-lifting snacks so players maintain necessary nutrition to stay attentive, active and powerful. Those specialized meals are also made with religious observations in mind like Lent and Ramadan.

All those meals change as necessary. Some may never have thought about nutrition in the same way Coggin does, she wants to teach it. She knows a good amount of players were raised by their mothers and wants to be another consistent, strong female presence in their lives. Plus, she’s just as competitive and a former NCAA Championship-participant rower. She understands the mentality of players and coaches alike. So she’s catering her lessons to them in order to teach another aspect of elite performance.

 

 

[RedDenver]

Husker fans can't help arguing what the future record is going to be, even in the unpopular Husker hot takes thread.

[The Dude]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:55 AM, Fru said:

- We lose some pretty significant pieces from last years team.
- There’ll be even more attrition in the next month or so when we trim down scholarship players.
- The trenches concern me. 

- New coaches, new schemes can cause growing pains.

- I’m not entirely convinced that Rhule’s staff is an overall upgrade.

- Almost all of our B1G opponents have years of program building on us and are more equipped to reload.

- This program has been mentally fragile for years now and I don’t think that gets solved in less than a year. 
 

All that said, looking at the schedule, the only game that I see as an automatic L is Michigan. 6+ wins are absolutely there for the taking. They were there with Scott too. The question is, will they be able to get over the hump and take them. As of now I don’t think it’s too likely in year 1. 

 

I don't think they were ever there for Scott because he did a lousy job from day one.  People just refused to acknowledge it because it was Scott and they adored him. I don't think Rhule is doing anywhere near as lousy a job.  And this is coming from someone who didn't think Rhule was the best available coach when he was hired.

[BigRedBuster]

How does anyone predict number of wins, with any sense of confidence, when so much has changed and we haven't seen one snap of play yet?

[Fru]

15 hours ago, The Dude said:

 

I don't think they were ever there for Scott because he did a lousy job from day one.  People just refused to acknowledge it because it was Scott and they adored him. I don't think Rhule is doing anywhere near as lousy a job.  And this is coming from someone who didn't think Rhule was the best available coach when he was hired.

I think they were there. Lots of games were within the grasp. 

 

2018 - CU, Troy, NW, and Iowa 

2019 - CU, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa

2020 - NW, Iowa, Minn

2021 - Take your pick 

 

I don’t think Rhule is doing a lousy job either, but I’m really trying to maintain some healthy and fair skepticism. He was not in the top 5 on my wishlist. I’ve bought into every regime, and was convinced each one was going to save us. Not anymore.
 

It’s funny you mention the adoration of Scott causing people to overlook his shortcomings, because I feel like that’s kind of happening with Rhule to a degree too. It seems the entire fan base is bought in and saying “Pass the Kool Aid!” Never mind that 6 coaches on Rhule’s staff have never coached at the Power 5 level. None have coached in the B1G. At Baylor, Rhule never beat a ranked team, and had 5 total wins against FBS teams with a winning record. The last ranked opponent he beat was #19 Navy in 2016. These are just a few things that give me pause on fully buying in. 
 

And for the record, I am not rooting for Rhule to fail. I am praying that they are the ones to return us to relevance. I just can’t fully buy in and believe that at this point. 

[TGHusker]

18 hours ago, The Dude said:

I don't think Rhule is doing anywhere near as lousy a job. 

Dude,  If ever there was ever a left-handed compliment, this was it in your post    My apologies to left handed people with that comparison. 

[Guy Chamberlin]

On 4/10/2023 at 6:45 PM, Husker816 said:

We lost to a team last year that had only 1 win and that was against us.

 

This.

 

The year before we had 3 wins and a  bunch of close losses to good teams. Last year we had four wins and four close losses to bad or mediocre teams. 

 

It's not too much to ask a new head coach to be the difference maker in at least two close losses -- which would put Nebraska at 6-7 wins and bowl consideration. That's why you hired a new head coach. Why on earth would you expect him to be as bad or worse than the s#!tty coach you fired three games into the season?  Do you honestly think the attrition of Frost's losing players outweighs the recruits, portal transfers and culture change Rhule has already implemented? 

 

I get the expectation management given the many years of getting burned, but 3-9 feels a lot like the bottom and we have every right to expect Rhule's first season to be better.

 

My unpopular Husker Hot Take?

 

If Scott Frost had not called the onside kick, Nebraska would still have found a way to lose to Northwestern.

[JJ Husker]

Unpopular hot take.

 

Just because we’ve been screwed over 5 times in a row by regime change is no reason to not exhibit some hope and cease to cast aspersions at every chance for the 6th time. It’s not “protecting yourself”, it’s just being negative before being negative is called for. 

[Dr. Strangelove]

My hot take is that Nebraska massively upgraded their coaching staff. They have a recruiting plan, they take the job seriously, and Nebraska will be a well prepared team.

 

But, realistically, Rhule is likely to push Nebraska football to the level of peer teams like... Minnesota. A massive upgrade over how things have been for 7 years, but without significant upgrades to talent acquisition, Nebraska simply don't have the talent to rise above a consistent 7-5 to 9-3 team.