Mandel's Mailbag: The State Of Nebraska

He is right that Riley historically has slow starts and finishes strong. However, at a place like Nebraska when your goals are to win conference titles and be in the hunt for national championships, slow starts means you're not obtaining those goals. In college football every game counts, it's what makes college football so special and IMO, better then the NFL. At a place like Oregon State that is acceptable, because it may mean you go from 1-2 to 9-4, or 10-4 and make a good bowl. At a place like Nebraska one or two losses means your season is done because you know you aren't winning your conference or getting to the NCG.

I remember in the 90's and early 00's if Nebraska lost one game it was, "well maybe next year." Because at that time the goal was national title, and if you lost 1 game back then you were out.

 
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When a person has a career as long as Riley's with the record he has, I truly think that one becomes accustomed to losing.  Not that they "like it" or want that, buts it's expected and accepted.  Throw in 3 years at NU of rookie coaching mistakes, and IMHO, it's a snap shot of his career.  IF we win out or "turn" this season around to 8-4 or better, it's because teams underestimate us and feel we are an easy win.  And right now we are.....

We are now facing another season with injuries and a complete lack of depth behind them.  No outside LB ready.  No rt tackle if MF can't go.....The comedy of errors goes on and on.  OL still not communicating.....after 3 years in the system......with the same OL coach....no TE to speak of that can block or catch.....I will never again complain about Bo's roster management.  And these issues from a coach in Riley who has coached his entire adult life......

He is what he is.  For every upset win, there's a loss to an FCS school (this year was NIU)......

 
NebraskaHarry said:
I think over the years since 2003 and all the coaches we had since then, a Riley coached team might be worst of them all. Thats saying something considering what we had with Callahan. I truly question his ability to out coach anyone or be a great leader. You see it with his game to game preperation, his offensive and defensive mentality and approach, special teams, clock management, his depth chart management and recruiting (we need linemen!). Over and over as I pay attention to a Riley coached team, it is nothing short of pure frustration nearly 90% of the time. Heck, even Bo Pelini could come up with a great game plan every now and then. The Missouri game in 2010 comes to mind. 

I mean how do you hire a guy like Bruce Read or keep Banker as you DC over all these years up until last year? It's not loyal, it's ignorant and just plain stupid. Do we want that kind of a guy as our coach? I certainly hope not and i for sure dont. 
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So maybe you forgot when Texas Tech put up 70 on NU on ESPN, or when the Kansas Jayhawks scored 76 on the Huskers (69 at the end of the third quarter), or the Oklahoma State home game....

Or when Wisconsin blasted NU in the B1G championship game during prime time (I forget if they scored 80, but it was close to that), or when a different time they had a half back run for 400 yards by the third quarter on ABC/ESPN...

Riley sucks for sure, but c'mon man

 
BoneyardHusker said:
He is right that Riley historically has slow starts and finishes strong. However, at a place like Nebraska when your goals are to win conference titles and be in the hunt for national championships, slow starts means you're not obtaining those goals. In college football every game counts, it's what makes college football so special and IMO, better then the NFL. At a place like Oregon State that is acceptable, because it may mean you go from 1-2 to 9-4, or 10-4 and make a good bowl. At a place like Nebraska one or two losses means your season is done because you know you aren't winning your conference or getting to the NCG.

I remember in the 90's and early 00's if Nebraska lost one game it was, "well maybe next year." Because at that time the goal was national title, and if you lost 1 game back then you were out.
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We're going on 2 decades of not being that program.  Back then, an NU loss ruined my whole week.  Now, a loss doesn't even ruin my weekend.  We're a middle of the road program.  The glory days are long gone.  

 
NebraskaHarry said:
I think over the years since 2003 and all the coaches we had since then, a Riley coached team might be worst of them all. Thats saying something considering what we had with Callahan. I truly question his ability to out coach anyone or be a great leader. You see it with his game to game preperation, his offensive and defensive mentality and approach, special teams, clock management, his depth chart management and recruiting (we need linemen!). Over and over as I pay attention to a Riley coached team, it is nothing short of pure frustration nearly 90% of the time. Heck, even Bo Pelini could come up with a great game plan every now and then. The Missouri game in 2010 comes to mind. 

I mean how do you hire a guy like Bruce Read or keep Banker as you DC over all these years up until last year? It's not loyal, it's ignorant and just plain stupid. Do we want that kind of a guy as our coach? I certainly hope not and i for sure dont. 
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In regards to the bold, Riley's gameplans against 2015 Michigan State and 2016 Wisconsin should be considered in the realm of great. 

In regards to the rest of your post, you're nuts. Bill Callahan never won a game that he was trailing at halftime in. He never won a game against a top 10, or top 15 team, or even a team that finished in the top 25 per end of season rankings. 

'04 Southern Miss - 21-17 L

'04 Texas Tech - '70-10 L

'04 Kansas State - 45-21 L (this team finished 4-7)

'04 Oklahoma - 30-3 L

'05 Kansas - 40-15 L

'07 USC - 49-31 L

'07 Mizzou - 41-6 L

'07 OSU - 45-14 L

'07 A&M - 36-14 L

'07 Kansas - 76-39 L

'07 Colorado - 65-51 L

 
Maybe I'm in the minority here but losing to NIU at home is not what I consider a "slow start". We should have won the game on talent alone so I feel like it comes down to coaching. He wasn't a splash hire and I think he needs to go. The program needs a coach that can launch it back into the top 25 where it belongs. It pains me when I look at the top 25 now and see teams like San Diego State in it and we're sitting at 1-2. 

 
I wonder what Stew will write after this season if Riley is gone...he was on his jock pretty hard.  A lot of the national guys might have some interesting things to say but I think in the end it will come down to a few key talking points.

 
A lot of the national media were bullish on the Riley hire. There were two common themes: 1) Nebraska could have done better, but this was a safe hire, and 2) Riley is a sneaky good coach and Nebraska doesn't know what a gem in the rough Eichorst got. Usually with #2 we were reminded that USC & Alabama wanted to hire Riley, but only Nebraska could pull him away.

This was all part of Nebraska Fan's education into who exactly Mike Riley was, because 97.3% of us said, "WHO?!?!?" when Eichorst announced him as the new head coach.

 
lo country said:
He is what he is.  For every upset win, there's a loss to an FCS school (this year was NIU)......
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NIU is not an FCS program.  Eastern Washington and Sacramento State were not in the top division Nebraska and Oregon State are in, though.  I don't recall when the top division started going by FBS but that's not really the point.  When Michigan lost to Appalachian State, they were 1-AA as I recall...because there was some joke about batteries.  When Ameer Abdullah saved us against Alcorn, no, McNEESE State, that was another example of a lower division program.

 
I knew who Mike Riley was when he was announced.  I remembered him from some of the good teams he had at OSU.

But I think it's a bit of an overstatment to say a lot of the media were bullish on the hire.  There was a lot of talk about how he was respected and such.  But almost no media guys ever really say someone was a BAD hire.

If you look at any list of the rankings of the coaches that were hired that off-season, Riley was kind of in the middle.  So while they thought he was a good guy, they weren't really impressed with the hire overall.

 
Mavric said:
I knew who Mike Riley was when he was announced.  I remembered him from some of the good teams he had at OSU.

But I think it's a bit of an overstatment to say a lot of the media were bullish on the hire.  There was a lot of talk about how he was respected and such.  But almost no media guys ever really say someone was a BAD hire.

If you look at any list of the rankings of the coaches that were hired that off-season, Riley was kind of in the middle.  So while they thought he was a good guy, they weren't really impressed with the hire overall.
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Didn't LSU take heat for sticking with Coach O last year?  Same with Muschamp/USC the year before?

 
I think you have some selective memory, Mav.  There was quite a bit of praise for the hire as well as confusion.












 
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