Can Nebraska ever return to Greatness

[Hilltop]

I find it completely surprising that many think we will never win another natty.  Never...  Seriously guys? 

With a 12 team playoff, it will be more difficult but never say never, especially with a team like Nebraska that has the type of support and financial backing that we do.  I think a repeat of the 90s is highly unlikely but a natty here and there over the next 50-100 years?  Absolutely possible.   

 

[runningblind]

What if climate change gets so bad by 2300 that the only states not underwater are Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska?

You sound just like people at my work who discuss risks to any project.  What if the sun burns out though?! Then we die, Carol!  Can we do this install before that happens or not???? :lol:

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Since 'greatness' is somewhat subjective, I tend to focus more on what the actual results could be.

Similar to @Red Five, I don't think Nebraska will ever win another national title. Or, at the very least, the chances are incredibly unlikely. (Maybe they could catch a hot streak like Washington but I also don't expect Washington to regularly be in the spot they're in now.) There are a lot of reasons for this but they mostly boil down to talent and just how college football is currently structured. But, I do think that consistently winning 9-10 games, a couple conference championship appearances each decade, and maybe a conference title win once every 10-15 seasons is certainly within the realms of realism.

And a lot of that boils down to resources and talent acquisition. Nebraska has (on paper, at least) recruited better overall talent than a lot of other B1G programs that win 10 games and compete for conference titles. And they've been just a couple of plays away from beating some insanely talented teams in recent years. So, success is certainly achievable. It's just going to take the right staff and support system to pull it off. I'm really hopeful Rhule is the guy to at least make Nebraska an occasional conference title contender. 

This is well put and exactly where I am. 

It's doubtful that the conditions exist for Nebraska to win another national championship, but competing for conference championships every 10-15 years is possible.

The good news is that revenue sharing is going to dramatically change the sport, should bring parity, and give programs like Nebraska access to talent that allows them to compete. 

 

[lo country]

Washington is playing for the NC on Monday....Yes we can get back.  Not even a question.  Can't believe that people are counting us out.  Recruiting doesn't matter.  Football has changed.  NIL, Transfer portal, the B1G is now coast to coast. We just got a 5* #1 QB to flip from 2 time NC Georgia to NU who hasn't been bowling in 7 years....Have some faith and hope.

 

[runningblind]

Washington is playing for the NC on Monday....Yes we can get back.  Not even a question.  Can't believe that people are counting us out.  Recruiting doesn't matter.  Football has changed.  NIL, Transfer portal, the B1G is now coast to coast. We just got a 5* #1 QB to flip from 2 time NC Georgia to NU who hasn't been bowling in 7 years....Have some faith and hope.

So you are using the flip of a 5 star as an argument to why recruiting doesn't matter? Makes sense.

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

Paul Finebaum is an idiot and we should not take even 2 seconds out of our days to consider his opinion on anything. 

 

[gossamorharpy]

Paul finebaum is a moron. 
 

im disappointed to see so many doom and gloom posts on this. Washington has made the playoffs 3 times now? TCU was in the title game last year? We 10000% can return to greatness. R we gonna go 60-3 and win 3 titles in 4 years? Prolly not

but we sure as hell can get out of our own way, consistently be top 15 and in the playoff contention most years. You mix a 5 star qb with a filthy d line and we’re there…

we already have half the equation

 

[lo country]

So you are using the flip of a 5 star as an argument to why recruiting doesn't matter? Makes sense.

Yes.  Because it doesn't.  It's not the "only" way now.  It's part of it, but not as big as NIL and the portal now.  Raiola, by all accounts got several million to flip...He didn't come out of his love for all things red and NU.  had that been the case OSU and UGA would have never factored in.  And until we can develop the kids we recruit, the recruiting has yet to make a difference in the W-L record.  Or getting us bowling.  And truly hasn't improved our performance for years.  Clemson is another example.  Dabo's desire to not use the portal (possibly NIL) has now got people talking about he has "lost" it and that Clemson's grip on the ACC is over.  Despite top rated classes.

 

[runningblind]

Yes.  Because it doesn't.  It's not the "only" way now.  It's part of it, but not as big as NIL and the portal now.  Raiola, by all accounts got several million to flip...He didn't come out of his love for all things red and NU.  had that been the case OSU and UGA would have never factored in.  And until we can develop the kids we recruit, the recruiting has yet to make a difference in the W-L record.  Or getting us bowling.  And truly hasn't improved our performance for years.  Clemson is another example.  Dabo's desire to not use the portal (possibly NIL) has now got people talking about he has "lost" it and that Clemson's grip on the ACC is over.  Despite top rated classes.

I sort of get what you're on about, but Raiola is 100% here because of his love for NU/family. He would have been paid just fine at either school.  We almost didn't get him because we are much worse than those schools, hence the earlier commitments, and we're lucky he came anyway. Don't kid yourself here that we flipped the kid for any other reason beyond his big red roots.

 

[lo country]

I sort of get what you're on about, but Raiola is 100% here bealcause of his love for NU/family. He would have been paid just fine at either school.  We almost didn't get him because we are much worse than those schools, and we're lucky he came anyway. Don't kid yourself here that we flipped the kid in spite of his big red roots.

I'm just too jaded/snake bit to truly believe that.  I want to.  No doubt, but am just pessimistically optimistic.  

 

[gossamorharpy]

Yes.  Because it doesn't.  It's not the "only" way now.  It's part of it, but not as big as NIL and the portal now.  Raiola, by all accounts got several million to flip...He didn't come out of his love for all things red and NU.  had that been the case OSU and UGA would have never factored in.  And until we can develop the kids we recruit, the recruiting has yet to make a difference in the W-L record.  Or getting us bowling.  And truly hasn't improved our performance for years.  Clemson is another example.  Dabo's desire to not use the portal (possibly NIL) has now got people talking about he has "lost" it and that Clemson's grip on the ACC is over.  Despite top rated classes.

Id say high school recruiting still holds 75% importance and portal other 25%. you gotta develop both buckets. If you're abysmal recruiting high school, no money or famous head coach in the world is going to sustain success from the portal alone.

Look at both washington and UM- largely organic rosters but they both hit the jackpot in getting guys from the portal to complete the team.  

I think we're trending the right direction on player development.  We've been bad at it for sure, its also worth pointing out that we went thru a 7 year run of riley & frosty where A LOT of his recruits never even saw the field.  We recruited horrendously on the lines and many of our recruiting years were "buoyed" by 4* skill players, many of which transferred in a year or never took a snap

 

[Mierin]

Now the thing I'm debating is does he mean greatness bc of the multiple championships in a 4 year span or greatness in the sense of winning one?? 

Based on a quick glance, there are only 8 teams that have done that since 1970. It's unlikely he's talking about multiple championships in a short span. A normal person talking about this would probably mean win a national championship and vie for conference championships regularly.

 

[Huskerfollower4life]

Based on a quick glance, there are only 8 teams that have done that since 1970. It's unlikely he's talking about multiple championships in a short span. A normal person talking about this would probably mean win a national championship and vie for conference championships regularly.

Thanks @Moiraine for answering it.  If that's the case then I still feel strongly that we can win a National Championship.  

 

[I am I]

From the day I was borned until N won a national championship was 18yrs. 
they won 2 more in quick succession. 
 

it’s been another 22 yrs since then.  I have left on this earth, if I’m lucky,  another 30yrs. I think in 30 yrs we can win 1 national championship. 
 

but if they don’t, I will die having witnessed 3 Natty wins and played for like 6 or 7 total, otherwise in my life. 
 

So I think if we win a few B1G championships in the next 30 yrs and get to a Natty game or possibly 2, I’d die a happy Nebraska fan. 

 

[TGHusker]

Is nebraska going to 13-0 and win the big10 and be ranked in the top 3? No. Can nebraska go 10-2 and be ranked in the top 12 occasionally? Sure. Not sure if that qualifies as great or not but I would be pretty happy.

I think we are entering the era of equality- no one will dominate like Bama has or Nebraska did back in the day.  NIL and Portal will even the playing field.  So, I think there will be very few undefeated teams at the 2 big conferences battle it out.