CFN Big Ten Preview: Big Ten Football Golden Age

[Redux]

The writer isn't wrong.

Nebraska is one of the most inconsistent programs on a yearly basis. Look great one week lay an egg the next. It's happened literally every year since 2001

The writer has reason to doubt Nebraska. But the writer also lists Arkansas State as the OOC game for us to worry about instead of Oregon because he has already penciled that in as a Husker loss. He also names Ferentz a legendary coach which is bending that tag to it's absolute limit. He also says Harbaugh is on the hot seat after naming him among those great coaches.

The writer is as inconsistent as Nebraska if we are being fair.

That's not what that means, at all. The "take it seriously" segment is for mid-major or G5 teams that you could lose to. Notice how all the games on that list are G5 teams.

Arkansas State probably had a better season last year than Oregon did, no? If this writer is trying to inform his audience, I would start there. Nebraska isn't going to take their opening week game lightly, suggesting that we will is just stupid.

We did in 2015 against BYU. And again, this is a thing they do for evey conference. Look at the P5 vs. G5 matchups, and see which ones the P5 team could reasonably stand to lose.

I don't think that we tooK BYU lightly. That was first game new staff, we could have easily won but players and coaches were nowhere near on the same page yet.

Yes I get the whole shtick of playing up that a G5 team could come an upset a big boy. Makes reading drivel somewhat okay.

I mean, it happens every year, and it's almost happened to us a few times recently. The one they missed from that list is Wyoming @ Iowa.

I'm willing to bet right now Nebraska beats Arkansas State by double digits.

 

[Scratchtown]

Part of why I don't post on or read HM anymore is because those guys are radical about positivity and kool-aid. They don't have any questions or concerns about the team and staff until a frustrating loss happens and then it shocks most of them because the possibility wasn't even on their radar. I appreciate this board because it's not like that here.

I am willing to move some goal posts for Riley this year with the understanding that '18 should be make or break, regardless of the schedule. But I'm also only willing to let certain things go. 7-8 wins? Well, okay as long as the recruiting class doesn't collapse. But if the OLine gets dominated and the offense struggles all season when there are no excuses for them in year 3? What, do we fire DL and Cav and start over so Riley can have another transition year? As others have mentioned, the conference is improving rapidly. This recruiting class is the one that puts us at a championship level. I hope it doesn't get messed up with a disappointing season.

I'm somewhere in between believing we only win 7 and thinking everything works out right and we win 9-10 in season. But I also agree that questions have been slowly arising since Vegas set such a low bar.

No. One class who are Freshman does not put you at championship level. There are too many variables they have to weather. Look at KJJ.

If you are talking about 2018's class you are still wrong. You're sitting at 16th on 247sports composite. That's not championship level. You gotta be top 10 which as of 6/27/17 is:

Ohio St

Miami

LSU

Penn St

Oregon

Tennessee

Oklahoma

Texas

Clemson

Florida State

In that order

2018 Husker Schedule

09/01 Akron

09/08 Colorado

09/15 Troy

09/22 @ Michigan

09/29 Purdue

10/06 @ Wisconsin

10/13 @ Northwestern

10/20 Minnesota

11/03 @ Ohio State

11/10 Illinois

11/17 Michigan State

11/23 @ Iowa

You gotta improve this year, because 2018 is brutal.

I always get curious why everyone has been pointing to this year. Especially with the trends of Colorado and Michigan. If NU navigates that schedule with 1-2 losses and close losses at that. Then I would be willing to say NU has arrived again.

 

[Redux]

All he was implicating, or at leash how I took it, was that the recruiting classes we have gotten the last couple years plus the stellar one we are arranging right now is what put's us back in championship contention from a talent perspective.

If that was his implied reasoning, I completely agree.

 

[Caliborn72]

Well first and foremost, I was talking about the Big 10 championship not the CFP haha.

Secondly, we have a kicker committed who is bringing down the recruiting rankings slightly. More importantly though, the class can still land a few more big fish.

Clemson just won a title with recruiting classes similar to our '18 class. And they did it with a head coach who isn't known for X's and O's. They have the best DC in the country, and we just hired one of the best. We won 9 games last year with classes that don't resemble this one. Things are trending up. I'm far from a homer, there are things that have to get better and I'm worried that this season might be a disaster. But to think our '18 class couldn't compete for and win the Big 10 is just silly.

 

[Scratchtown]

Well first and foremost, I was talking about the Big 10 championship not the CFP haha.

Secondly, we have a kicker committed who is bringing down the recruiting rankings slightly. More importantly though, the class can still land a few more big fish.

Clemson just won a title with recruiting classes similar to our '18 class. And they did it with a head coach who isn't known for X's and O's. They have the best DC in the country, and we just hired one of the best. We won 9 games last year with classes that don't resemble this one. Things are trending up. I'm far from a homer, there are things that have to get better and I'm worried that this season might be a disaster. But to think our '18 class couldn't compete for and win the Big 10 is just silly.

Thinking that the '18 class will compete for a Big10 title is just silly. They haven't even stepped foot on campus as a student, they haven't even played a down of their senior year of HS FOOTBALL YET!

Think about what you are saying. Clemson. They had CONSECUTIVE top classes (15th, 16th, 9th, 11th), they also scored a transcendent QB that elevated the players around him. Clemson's HC and staff is all very high energy and promotes crazy positivity around the program. Their staff is a whole different dynamic from NU's. That may change with Diaco but Riley isn't a Ra-Ra guy like Swinney.

NU is 35th, 30th, 26th, and 23rd (2014-2017). 247 composite

So maybe NU puts together a nice class but they have to have strong classes behind it to make the difference. So you're looking at 4 years at a MINIMUM that NU competes for a Big10 title. Mike Riley will be 67/68 years old at that time.

 

[Saunders]

Well first and foremost, I was talking about the Big 10 championship not the CFP haha.

Secondly, we have a kicker committed who is bringing down the recruiting rankings slightly. More importantly though, the class can still land a few more big fish.

Clemson just won a title with recruiting classes similar to our '18 class. And they did it with a head coach who isn't known for X's and O's. They have the best DC in the country, and we just hired one of the best. We won 9 games last year with classes that don't resemble this one. Things are trending up. I'm far from a homer, there are things that have to get better and I'm worried that this season might be a disaster. But to think our '18 class couldn't compete for and win the Big 10 is just silly.

Thinking that the '18 class will compete for a Big10 title is just silly. They haven't even stepped foot on campus as a student, they haven't even played a down of their senior year of HS FOOTBALL YET!

Think about what you are saying. Clemson. They had CONSECUTIVE top classes (15th, 16th, 9th, 11th), they also scored a transcendent QB that elevated the players around him. Clemson's HC and staff is all very high energy and promotes crazy positivity around the program. Their staff is a whole different dynamic from NU's. That may change with Diaco but Riley isn't a Ra-Ra guy like Swinney.

NU is 35th, 30th, 26th, and 23rd (2014-2017). 247 composite

So maybe NU puts together a nice class but they have to have strong classes behind it to make the difference. So you're looking at 4 years at a MINIMUM that NU competes for a Big10 title. Mike Riley will be 67/68 years old at that time.

Wisconsins and Michigan State have won recent B1G titles while recruiting at that level. Hell, Iowa in 2015, and Wisconsin last year were a play away with recruiting levels much lower than what NU averages.

 

[Scratchtown]

Well first and foremost, I was talking about the Big 10 championship not the CFP haha.

Secondly, we have a kicker committed who is bringing down the recruiting rankings slightly. More importantly though, the class can still land a few more big fish.

Clemson just won a title with recruiting classes similar to our '18 class. And they did it with a head coach who isn't known for X's and O's. They have the best DC in the country, and we just hired one of the best. We won 9 games last year with classes that don't resemble this one. Things are trending up. I'm far from a homer, there are things that have to get better and I'm worried that this season might be a disaster. But to think our '18 class couldn't compete for and win the Big 10 is just silly.

Thinking that the '18 class will compete for a Big10 title is just silly. They haven't even stepped foot on campus as a student, they haven't even played a down of their senior year of HS FOOTBALL YET!
Think about what you are saying. Clemson. They had CONSECUTIVE top classes (15th, 16th, 9th, 11th), they also scored a transcendent QB that elevated the players around him. Clemson's HC and staff is all very high energy and promotes crazy positivity around the program. Their staff is a whole different dynamic from NU's. That may change with Diaco but Riley isn't a Ra-Ra guy like Swinney.

NU is 35th, 30th, 26th, and 23rd (2014-2017). 247 composite

So maybe NU puts together a nice class but they have to have strong classes behind it to make the difference. So you're looking at 4 years at a MINIMUM that NU competes for a Big10 title. Mike Riley will be 67/68 years old at that time.

Wisconsins and Michigan State have won recent B1G titles while recruiting at that level. Hell, Iowa in 2015, and Wisconsin last year were a play away with recruiting levels much lower than what NU averages.

Ya. You're right. I didn't think about that. However all of those teams have had an identity (physical style of play) and very good defense.

Nebraska needs to build that nasty OL mentality if they are going to recruit that low. No champ has done it without that mentality and that's the thing NU misses year after year. Line up and kick someone's a$$.

Not saying it's not being built but it's one of those things that you hope for every year and it hasn't surfaced quite yet.

 

[Saunders]

The writer addressed the "Legendary" Kirk Ferentz.

I didn’t really think much about it.

In the fog of offseason preview writing, opining on the coaching situation in the 2017 Big Ten Preview, a blurb started off …

“There’s a fantastic mix of coaching talent ranging from the legendary (Urban, Harbaugh, Ferentz) … “

Which prompted …



Honestly, I just assumed that Ferentz belonged in the category – at least as much as Harbaugh, who has yet to really accomplish anything as a college football head coach – and didn’t give it more than a half-second worth of thought as I wrote it.


http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/is-kirk-ferentz-a-legendary-head-coach