Direction of the Program

[Thanks_Tom RR]

People should probably revisit the flow and ending of that mcneese game. Lots of history being rewritten

I guess I'm forgetting something here. I remember it taking a massive effort play from do everything back Ameer Abdullah to edge out an FCS team.
Honestly, what am I forgetting? At the time I thought it was forgivable, but in reflection it's no more forgivable than barely edging out SMISS.

Edge out? Nebraska never trailed in that game. And though Ameer made a great play at the end, he didn't have a particularly strong game. That TD catch and run just avoided OT. It wasn't, in itself, necessary to win.
Compare that to Purdue and being down 4 scores in the fourth quarter. And before saying "fbs vs fcs", compare how many FBS teams each of those opponents beat during the respective seasons.

Anyway, no reason to even bring up 2014 and that staff except to deflect.

A close win is edging out a victory, regardless if the team ever trailed. That TD catch and run avoided OT and the potential loss. Nebraska did not play well in that game. You brought up the gap between talent and record at Nebraska as an indiatement of the current staff. While I disagree with how simply an agrument this is, using your logic, the talent gap between the two teams in that game should have made Nebraska a lock, without last minute heroics by a future NFL RB.
Purdue was a lot on the staff, in particular the playcalling of Langsdorf. You have a back-up QB, in inclement weather, playing against the worst rush defense in the B1G, and you choose to throw it 48 times? Something is wrong with that gameplan. However, it was abundantly clear that the psychie of the team by that point of the season was severly shaken and lead to an extreme lack of effort in that game by nearly everyone, sans maybe some of the WRs like Westy. If you attribute the loss at Purdue to anything, you have to acknowledge these two factors as major influences on the outcome.

 

[Redux]

Again, so much that ^

 

[Redux]

That TD catch and run just avoided OT. It wasn't, in itself, necessary to win.

That sentence feels pretty contradictory to me.

As for the rest, a team that had Gregory, Abdullah etc. should have not been tied in the closing minutes against an FCS squad. You keep pointing out how talented we were and it just makes the Mcneese game look worse like so many other games we faltered in.

I never mentioned Purdue, but since you bring it up, that turd was mostly on the staff. The teams morale was shot and the staff called a game that they clearly didn't have their fingers near a pulse. It was beyond embarassing. No excuses other than road game and a backup QB, it's still Purdue and should have been a win. They responded to that defeat quite well though when MSU came to Lincoln though.

 

[cm husker]

You keep bring up Gregory, but did he even play in that game (a poorly played game by NU that remains irrelevant to the current direction of the program). NU played poorly, but found a way to win. That's what good teams do and Bo's teams often found a way to win.

Before I start believing in the new direction of the program, this staff needs to prove that they know how to grind out wins, even when the team isn't playing great.

 

[Redux]

You keep bring up Gregory, but did he even play in that game (a poorly played game by NU that remains irrelevant to the current direction of the program). NU played poorly, but found a way to win. That's what good teams do and Bo's teams often found a way to win.

Before I start believing in the new direction of the program, this staff needs to prove that they know how to grind out wins, even when the team isn't playing great.

You are correct, Gregory was out that game. Bell and Turner also got hurt. Still, the talent gap should have been much greater than they played that day. And no that game has no bearing on the current team but it is comparable to say Southern Miss last year.

Yes, Bo's teams found ways to win A LOT of games that by all means they could have/should have lost because of poor play. Often times, we had better talent on the field yet played down to our opponent and had to find a way to come back and eek out a win. I just don't consider that a staple of what we should be doing, nor should we be losing to Purdue and Illinois.

And personally, I would rather the team play great most days and when they aren't they find a way to grind things out. We got too used to the grind it out for a win method.

 

[Gobigred44]

We've been going in the wrong direction ever since Osborne announced his retirement.

 

[Gobigred44]

Riley did well in the 00s but has really sucked this whole decade. I think he might end up being the least successful of our 4 post Osborne coaches.

 

[wanderful]

Riley did well in the 00s but has really sucked this whole decade. I think he might end up being the least successful of our 4 post Osborne coaches.

Someone with a new account pooping on everything and mysteriously getting +1s on their posts? Hmmm....

 

[Redux]

Riley did well in the 00s but has really sucked this whole decade. I think he might end up being the least successful of our 4 post Osborne coaches.

This got a +1?

You are basing this off one season and his record at a sh**ty PAC12 school. Patience is virtue pal, lets see how this season shakes out.

 

[TheSker]

You are basing this off one season and his record at a sh**ty PAC12 school. Patience is virtue pal, lets see how this season shakes out.

So Riley's career record at Oregon State doesn't matter?.....and his first season as coach at Nebraska gets him a "pass" since it was a "transition" year.

Is any season record for Riley ever going to matter?

 

[Redux]

You are basing this off one season and his record at a sh**ty PAC12 school. Patience is virtue pal, lets see how this season shakes out.

So Riley's career record at Oregon State doesn't matter?.....and his first season as coach at Nebraska gets him a "pass" since it was a "transition" year.
Is any season record for Riley ever going to matter?

Convincing you is a lost cause.

If 2016 is a 6-7 disaster, the pitchfork carriers can proceed.

 

[dvdcrr]

If Pelini is coach do we win Mich St ? I dont think so. Glimmer of hope

 

[dvdcrr]

Saban was recognized as an excellent coach even way back in the MSU days.

 

[cm husker]

You are basing this off one season and his record at a sh**ty PAC12 school. Patience is virtue pal, lets see how this season shakes out.

So Riley's career record at Oregon State doesn't matter?.....and his first season as coach at Nebraska gets him a "pass" since it was a "transition" year.

Is any season record for Riley ever going to matter?

It's about as relevant as Saban's record at Michigan State before LSU gave him his chance.

Ignoring that Saban was around 48 when hired at LSU (versus 61), you must acknowledge that Saban only had 5 seasons at MSU (compared to Riley's much longer body of work OSU). I acknowledge that, although he had a strong last season, he was anything but highly successful during that stint.

To me, Saban is a good example of how a coach can improve even from modest beginnings, often due to pure force of will. That's really what it takes to win in such a competitive field. You have to absolutely HATE losing. That Bob Devaney documentary was excellent in describing the how competitive he was. Really, Bo was a lot like Devaney, except he lacked Devaney's grace/humor, at least publicly.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

You are basing this off one season and his record at a sh**ty PAC12 school. Patience is virtue pal, lets see how this season shakes out.

So Riley's career record at Oregon State doesn't matter?.....and his first season as coach at Nebraska gets him a "pass" since it was a "transition" year.

Is any season record for Riley ever going to matter?

It's kinda interesting. When I recently looked up Frank Solich's record at Ohio, it was very similar to Mike Riley's at Oregon State, including turning a moribund program around, then following up with a series of peaks and valleys. Riley never got the conference championships Frank got in the MAC, but he had several winning seasons, a good bowl record, and some major college football upsets in a much tougher conference.

Not saying it proves much. Just another way of looking at it that isn't quite so crabby.