How many years do we have to wait?

[tmfr15]

We've reached halftime of the 2017 football season and, if you take a straw poll, most believe this team is headed for 5-7 and a coaching change. Games against Purdue and Minnesota look to be our only wins left on the slate with Ohio State,, Northwestern, Penn State and Iowa all figuring to be losses.

If a new coach takes over, the question becomes....

How long does he need to take a 5-7 level team and make it into one that we can be proud of and one that can compete for a conference championship?

ANSWER: Shorter than you might think.

Steve Taylor was on the radio in post game last night and told callers into the reaction show that Nebraska would have to make an excellent hire or that Riley would have to get his ducks in order and then fans would need to be patient for as many as SEVEN seasons. That's just crazy. We don't need that much time.

Bill Callahan coached the Huskers to 5-7 years in two of four seasons, which looks to be a better effort that Riley since he's going to do the same thing in three seasons.

Still, Bo took over, made the team accountable, and then we had a very solid opening season in 2008 that was capped by a great bowl win and nine overall victories. A season later, that's right, IN YEAR TWO..... the Huskers went to and almost won the conference championship game. They went back in YEAR THREE and almost won the darn thing again. After a quiet 2011, Pelini's coaching staff put together a year in which we made it to the BIG 10 Championship game. I know, we got smoked, but we were in position to win titles and we did that all within four years.

Pelini didn't leave Nebraska because he was a bad coach. Pelini left Nebraska because of two things. NO. 1—He couldn't close on recruits. And No. 2—He was a MASSIVE DICtator who became easily fire able by an AD who simply didn't like him.

Bottom line, we can get a good coach in here and, with the right recruiting, we could be hoisting championships in as little as three years.

The question, IMO, that should be asked before we make a move to fire MR should be this......

Do you have any confidence that, in the next four years, this coach will have us in position to the win the Big 10 Conference? If the powers that be feel that the answer is NO, we need to make a move.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

One of the best things that a new coach at Nebraska would enjoy is the relatively weak Big Ten West division.  There is really only one great program in Wisconsin, and I think a great coach can get NU to compete with them and beat them at least 50% of the time.  If NU is able to beat Wisconsin, they should be able to win the division, and that does give them an opportunity to win the conference.

 

[BoNeyard]

We have to get a new coach first. Right now I feel like a fish that is stuck in about an quarter inch of water. Just enough water to feed the gills, but nothing more.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

We have to get a new coach first. Right now I feel like a fish that is stuck in about an quarter inch of water. Just enough water to feed the gills, but nothing more.

Step 1:  Hire the best AD they can find

Step 2:  Fire Mike Riley and his entire staff

Step 3:  Hire the best head coach and group of assistants that they can

 

[BoNeyard]

Step 1:  Hire the best AD they can find

Step 2:  Fire Mike Riley and his entire staff

Step 3:  Hire the best head coach and group of assistants that they can

Step 2 needs to happen for me to have any hope going into 2018. Otherwise, maybe I pick up a weaving class on Saturdays at the local Y next year.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That Purdue game isn't a gimme game anymore. Before the season started I said we could go 6-6, then changed that to 5-7. There's a chance we only beat Minnesota at this point and go 4-8. There is talent on this team, there's no depth, but the talent is there if they can stay healthy. If Nebraska could make the right hire they could be competitive fairly quickly. Just depends on who that new coach is and who they want the team to be when they get here. 

 

[BoNeyard]

Nebraska really is just one hire away of the right coach to start competing. Nebraska has everything except a huge local recruiting base, but it has the resources, brand and appeal to recruit nationally. Also, although there isn't a huge local recruiting base within the state, some of Nebraska's greatest players were Nebraskan's. Our last Heisman winner was born and raised within the state lines. So get the right coach and Nebraska will be just fine.

 

[grandpasknee]

More

 

[Saunders]

That Purdue game isn't a gimme game anymore. Before the season started I said we could go 6-6, then changed that to 5-7. There's a chance we only beat Minnesota at this point and go 4-8. There is talent on this team, there's no depth, but the talent is there if they can stay healthy. If Nebraska could make the right hire they could be competitive fairly quickly. Just depends on who that new coach is and who they want the team to be when they get here. 

Eh, I disagree. At the very worst, we have as much raw recruiting talent and depth as any team in the Big Ten West.

 

[alwayshusking]

With a good coach it happens pretty fast

 

[Nebhawk]

It starts with finding a Coach who can coach to win in the Big 10.  Lets see what talent we have  on this roster.  I for one think we are terribly under talented, but it might be a case of under coached.  Either way, a good coach will coach up what we have and build for future.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Eh, I disagree. At the very worst, we have as much raw recruiting talent and depth as any team in the Big Ten West.

I think our skill players are pretty decent compared to some of the other teams. 

 

[Mierin]

We have the facilities in place to attract some good recruits who wouldn't otherwise come to Nebraska, but for a coach to be great at Nebraska it requires more than what is required to be great in a place like Ohio, the states that border Ohio, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, and the states that border those states. Now, if we only want to win the Big Ten we can get a coach good enough to be like Wisconsin. But even Wisconsin has and is surrounded by a lot bigger population than Nebraska.

We need someone who's great at recruiting and great at coaching. Not one or the other. Riley was looking like he might be great at the former, but he wasn't good enough at the latter.

 

[Nebhawk]

I don't think we have a gimme game on the schedule left.  Northwestern is probably playing worse than any one on our schedule.  4-8 is a real possibility.   Ohio ST and Penn St are losses, pretty sure of that.  Thats our 5 losses already.  Minnesota and Purdue will smell blood and come out looking to beat us down.  Thats what up and coming coaches do to programs flailing in the wind.

Talent discussion is a good one to have.  Eye test says that we lack speed, power, size, and toughness.  Can't coach speed.  Can't coach size.  The rest can be obtained thru a great strength and conditioning program.  I think we are lacking in all areas of the program at this point.  Its time to start fresh in all areas.  

 

[BIG ERN]

We only lose 4 starters - that is 18/22 players back on offense and defense for 2018. And being honest DPE and Kalu are the only two that will be missed. At the WR position we will have Morgan, Spielman, Lindsey, McQuitty, Johnson Jr and possibly Joshua Moore as long as he signs. So more than okay there. QB is up in the air. OL isn't great but Ozigbo has had over 100 rushing yards the last 3 games and Lee wasn't sacked against a good Wisconsin defense. 

Our DL is good for the most part. I think by far our biggest weakness is LB and CB. I haven't been impressed with our LB play the past 5 years. Lee and Jackson have been a big disappointment at corner. 

2018 is the toughest schedule we have had in a long long time. Colorado, @ Michigan, @ Wisconsin, @ Ohio State, Michigan State, @ Iowa. Whoever is coaching next year is going to have a hell of a time coming out of that gauntlet.