McKewon: Preseason guides not high on Huskers, provide lots of fiery fodder for fans

Saunders

Saunders

Heisman Trophy Winner
If Nebraska fans want their summer Husker bubbles burst, a few hours with college football preview magazines ought to do the trick.

I’ve been reviewing preseason magazines in July for several years. Rarely have they collectively been this bearish on a Nebraska football season. It’s a contrast to the natural tendency of local media — myself included — to focus on the more hopeful, upbeat aspects of any program during the summer. Every team is 0-0. No hamstrings have been strained.

No mistakes have been made.

But if ESPN’s Football Power Index — which has its many imperfections — picking NU to have a losing record didn’t splash the cold water on you, or if the 6-6 record from SBNation’s Bill Connelly — whose stat work is featured in Athlon, one of the preseason magazine we reviewed — doesn’t wake you up, consider part of the “opposing coaches” feature in Athlon.


“That job is a lot worse than it was a few years ago, and no one in the administration seems to recognize it,” said one anonymous coach to Athlon.

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/football/mckewon-preseason-guides-not-high-on-huskers-provide-lots-of/article_b5e3694a-b523-59e9-8d03-09e500ce6c25.html
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As I recall Callahan's last year set up a bit like this in terms preseason expectations and what I felt as a fan (Optimism of Course). The way the season rolled out was more in line with what the preseason mags said so this does make me a bit nervous. I do think that a pick for a losing record gets more into the click-bait and trolling realms as it makes not sense even when I go into pessimism mode.

 
Until the program proves they deserve serious consideration and respect, this is the type of preseason fodder the fans will be subjected to. I don't bother reading much if any of the national stuff. They interview the local reporters and/or ask coaches the surface level questions of which we already know the answer. I don't think it's worth the fans' time to get worked up over any of it, and for the most part, I think a lot of fans don't.

As for the anonymous coach and his thoughts, I don't think he's wrong, but I'm also unsure what he's saying. Does he expect the AD to say the program is several rungs down from where it used to be? Does he expect Eichorst to constantly tell people the program isn't great and there are better universities out there? Whoever he is, he's throwing stones in a glass house. That's hard to take seriously. Plus, I'm fairly certain the AD and university is well aware of where the programs is right now. They're not stupid.

 
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I think Nebraska's potential return to glory has been a good story for the sports media about 12 years running, and the reasons for optimism were never entirely misguided, but you can only get burned so many times.

The skepticism isn't any more hurtful than the optimism, since you have to prove yourself on the field in either case.

And as Enhance just suggested, nobody is under illusions anymore that simply being Nebraska is enough. If Anonymous is suggesting that Nebraska can't expect to land the most coveted coaches and recruits in the land....yeah. Everyone gets that.

 
mnhusker said:
As I recall Callahan's last year set up a bit like this in terms preseason expectations and what I felt as a fan (Optimism of Course). The way the season rolled out was more in line with what the preseason mags said so this does make me a bit nervous. I do think that a pick for a losing record gets more into the click-bait and trolling realms as it makes not sense even when I go into pessimism mode.
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It was 10 years ago, but I remember most people and preseason expectations for 2007 to be very high. NU was coming off a Big 12 North Division title, had a promising talent coming in at QB (Keller), and talent that was highly recruited coming into age. Of course, we didn't realize that Cosgrove was helpless against spread offenses, and that the offense would sputter numerous times during the season.

 
Enhance89 said:
As for the anonymous coach and his thoughts, I don't think he's wrong, but I'm also unsure what he's saying. Does he expect the AD to say the program is several rungs down from where it used to be? Does he expect Eichorst to constantly tell people the program isn't great and there are better universities out there? Whoever he is, he's throwing stones in a glass house. That's hard to take seriously. Plus, I'm fairly certain the AD and university is well aware of where the programs is right now. They're not stupid.
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You know, this was my first reaction, too. The remark is just stupid. It's a nice anonymous attention-getting quote, but that's really all it is. It's nice and printable.

First of all, is the job really THAT much different than what it was 3 years ago? Not at all. It's the same job, with the same challenges in acquiring talent. But the team of coaches and administrators seems to understand this much better than even 3 years ago, and I would argue they're handling the challenges better.

Lastly, the "and no one in the administration seems to recognize it" part ..... Seriously, what is that supposed to mean? That's the part that makes no sense and is just blowhard-like.

What exactly does the administration not understand? Do you REALLY think they're not painfully aware that they don't get to recruit from a state with a population of 10 million?? What exactly are they NOT doing, in the face of that challenge, that would just magically make the job better?

Should we just shut up shop, because we don't have the natural advantage of population? Should we instead be happy with 5 win seasons?

It's just a dumb remark that is meant to kick us while we're down, under the veil of anonymity.

 
mnhusker said:
As I recall Callahan's last year set up a bit like this in terms preseason expectations and what I felt as a fan (Optimism of Course). The way the season rolled out was more in line with what the preseason mags said so this does make me a bit nervous. I do think that a pick for a losing record gets more into the click-bait and trolling realms as it makes not sense even when I go into pessimism mode.
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Preseason expectations were decent for the 2007 Huskers. They were ranked in 19/20 in the polls to start the season and were expected to win the division. Moved up to #14 before getting blown out by USC. Downhill from there.

 
I don't get the critique on Diaco by the anonymous coach. ND's defense wasn't good with all those "high-level" athletes before he got there and haven't been very good since he left. Put together some solid defenses at UConn with all those high-level athletes.

His high energy approach might be ineffective as a HC but as a DC it seems to work.

 
A coach of what school would care what Nebraska's administration thinks of this job?

“That job is a lot worse than it was a few years ago, and no one in the administration seems to recognize it,” said one anonymous coach to Athlon.
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The smart money is on Iowa, who is still butthurt over Eichorst's explanation of Pelini's firing. "In the final analysis, I had to evaluate where Iowa was."

 
ColoradoHusk said:
mnhusker said:
As I recall Callahan's last year set up a bit like this in terms preseason expectations and what I felt as a fan (Optimism of Course). The way the season rolled out was more in line with what the preseason mags said so this does make me a bit nervous. I do think that a pick for a losing record gets more into the click-bait and trolling realms as it makes not sense even when I go into pessimism mode.
Click to expand...
It was 10 years ago, but I remember most people and preseason expectations for 2007 to be very high. NU was coming off a Big 12 North Division title, had a promising talent coming in at QB (Keller), and talent that was highly recruited coming into age. Of course, we didn't realize that Cosgrove was helpless against spread offenses, and that the offense would sputter numerous times during the season.
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It was a forgettable year; we forked out to go see the USC game and after that things kept going the wrong way. I gonna stay on the kool-aid this year and hope for the best.

 
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