Nebraska a destination job?

[Landlord]

I totally see what your getting at and have pondered the same thing. But its what Devaney and Dr. Tom did that elevated us above that mediocrity status. If not for them we could very well be an Indiana or Kentucky. Lets face it, were a small populated state in a cold region. The recipe for mediocrity is there. But what they did brought us the necessary means to compete and join the plateau of the elite. Unless the money dries up we can succeed with the top schools but we need a jolt.

The recipe for success today is money, money, and more money before adding a dash of yet more money - and that is there for Nebraska - not so for Kentucky or Indiana. 4 decades is not lightning in a bottle, it's a norm. Because of that, I can guarentee you it will be money that decides Pelini's fate as well. Not the buyout - people focus on 8 million bucks and think it matters. A&M's hiring, and Manziel's Heisman run generated over $300,000,000 in additional endowment funds last year. 300 million dollars. A lot of that can be attributed to the excitement around the football program. When was the last time we as a fan base were truly excited? The big boosters matter - but what's happening right now is that the fan base is divided, and tens of thousands of smaller donors are going to start pulling back. Maybe it's 50 bucks, maybe it's 500. But it ads up...and I'm sure they're looking at the numbers, and comparing them to. This is so much bigger than just a staff.

I agree with you Chris. It's just food for thought. I seriously find myself thinking about stuff like that, or how this entire universe and its existence is actually just a giant dream in the mind of some greater being living in a whole other dimension.

 

[TAKODA]

Whose to say we dont land a great coach or three during that time if they hadnt coached here. It just seems that without that spark we could very well have ended up mediocre. That wont happen now as we are were far more established as a brand than the rest of CFB would like to admit. We definitely can be a destination job if we arent already.

FIFY; ↑

Our image is not what it once was and the national perceptions is we are not a player in the CFB World any longer and I do not think we have a reason to argue with that perception! Sure, wins and losses on a stat line may be misleading but people in the know understand those values are not representing the full details.

But were still recognizable. A flash of success and it all comes roaring back.

We have had our chances. Take this and last year’s schedules on the national stage! UCLA, either game, Ohio State last year, Wisconsin CCG last year, Georgia last year or even last week. There are many in the Nation that wants Nebraska to find its way back to relevance because it's good for CFB as well as the B1G. They are just not lining up to give us that respect because we have burned them too many times where they thought we would get over the hump, but we didn't and still have not. My fear is we will not under this (staff) and we are as good as we will ever be.

 

[Enhance]

The recipe for success today is money, money, and more money before adding a dash of yet more money - and that is there for Nebraska - not so for Kentucky or Indiana. 4 decades is not lightning in a bottle, it's a norm. Because of that, I can guarentee you it will be money that decides Pelini's fate as well. Not the buyout - people focus on 8 million bucks and think it matters. A&M's hiring, and Manziel's Heisman run generated over $300,000,000 in additional endowment funds last year. 300 million dollars. A lot of that can be attributed to the excitement around the football program. When was the last time we as a fan base were truly excited? The big boosters matter - but what's happening right now is that the fan base is divided, and tens of thousands of smaller donors are going to start pulling back. Maybe it's 50 bucks, maybe it's 500. But it ads up...and I'm sure they're looking at the numbers, and comparing them to. This is so much bigger than just a staff.

This.

OP, it doesn't matter how many first time head coaches there were in Nebraska's history, or whether they were big splash hires or not. Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne turned Nebraska into a destination job. Nebraska is one of the most well-funded, brand name programs in the entire country. When Nebraska wins, they shoot up the rankings. Hell, even when they stink, which they have a lot this year, coaches STILL vote them into the coaches poll because of their name alone practically.

This isn't putting the Huskers on a pedestal, this isn't thinking they're better than they are. You look at the fan base, you look at that stadium, you look at the money. It's a top tier college football program. Maybe not Top 5, but definitely Top 10 or 15 imho.

That's why it's a destination job and not a proving ground.

 

[JJ Husker]

it's so hard to do any of this kind of things, because we've had more coaches in the past 10 years (16 if you go with Solich's entire tenure), than we had in the previous 36. 36 years guided by only 2 guys. So much has changed with the game and program in that span that it's really hard to decide.

I said this the other day. I think some thought of it as another one of my smart a$$ remarks, but I was serious. That a lot of times I truly believe that Devaney and Osborne were a 35 year lightening in a bottle, and that what we've experienced over the past 10 years or so is what Nebraska football is probably meant to be. Who knows. Doom or gloom. But I've seen a lot of instances over the past 10 years of bad bounces, to unfortunate cases, to flat out incompetence and blowouts to wonder that maybe we're just destined to mediocrity. That maybe a return to relevance, or eliteness for that matter, is just not meant to be. Scary to think about.

I see what your point is here, but the simple fact is we did have that 36 year run. It doesn't really matter what we're "meant" to be, we know it can be done here. Yes, Tom was definitely a once in a lifetime talent, maybe even more rare than that. But the fact that we likely will never see another Tom Osborne come through our program does not mean someone else could not have a similar level of success. We may never hit that streak of dominance again but we can be relevant and we can be elite and we definitely should be much more of a CFB force than we currently are. To even be able to say that 6 years post Callahan says a hell of a lot about what Pelini has done for this program. He has done a tremendous job and righted so many wrongs. But, the fact that we are still seeing some embarrassing blowout losses and are dropping more than our share of games to lesser opponents and do seem to struggle at times against equal or lesser competition also says something. I would love nothing more than for Bo to be the guy to take us there, but I am just having trouble believing he will be that guy. I refuse to accept that we are doomed to the status quo. It can be better and it will be better, as long as too many people don't accept that this is all we can be. When that happens, surely we will live up to our expectations.

 

[sd'sker]

But, the fact that we are still seeing some embarrassing blowout losses and are dropping more than our share of games to lesser opponents and do seem to struggle at times against equal or lesser competition also says something. I would love nothing more than for Bo to be the guy to take us there, but I am just having trouble believing he will be that guy. I refuse to accept that we are doomed to the status quo. It can be better and it will be better, as long as too many people don't accept that this is all we can be. When that happens, surely we will live up to our expectations.

+1

 

[Redux]

Tulane used to win Rose Bowls snd be an SEC member.

I have faith we will get back up there though. Maybe Bo gets us there, maybe the next guy does. Either way you cant discredit the brand name NEBRASKA. Hell there are likely some people that dont know it as a state, just a fooyball program

 

[kchusker_chris]

Tulane used to win Rose Bowls snd be an SEC member.

I have faith we will get back up there though. Maybe Bo gets us there, maybe the next guy does. Either way you cant discredit the brand name NEBRASKA. Hell there are likely some people that dont know it as a state, just a fooyball program

They all play for an SEC team....

 

[NUinID]

it's so hard to do any of this kind of things, because we've had more coaches in the past 10 years (16 if you go with Solich's entire tenure), than we had in the previous 36. 36 years guided by only 2 guys. So much has changed with the game and program in that span that it's really hard to decide.
I said this the other day. I think some thought of it as another one of my smart a$$ remarks, but I was serious. That a lot of times I truly believe that Devaney and Osborne were a 35 year lightening in a bottle, and that what we've experienced over the past 10 years or so is what Nebraska football is probably meant to be. Who knows. Doom or gloom. But I've seen a lot of instances over the past 10 years of bad bounces, to unfortunate cases, to flat out incompetence and blowouts to wonder that maybe we're just destined to mediocrity. That maybe a return to relevance, or eliteness for that matter, is just not meant to be. Scary to think about.

Absolutely NU caught lightning in a bottle with BD and TO. What we have experienced for the last six has not been all that bad. We have played for CC 3 of the last 5 years, that is good.

I just don't tHink you will see the kind of dominance for any team north of the Mason-Dixon Line very soon.

 

[Count 'Bility]

LOLs. you guys take me so serial sometimes. I agree with everyone.

 

[presidentjlh]

it's so hard to do any of this kind of things, because we've had more coaches in the past 10 years (16 if you go with Solich's entire tenure), than we had in the previous 36. 36 years guided by only 2 guys. So much has changed with the game and program in that span that it's really hard to decide.

I said this the other day. I think some thought of it as another one of my smart a$$ remarks, but I was serious. That a lot of times I truly believe that Devaney and Osborne were a 35 year lightening in a bottle, and that what we've experienced over the past 10 years or so is what Nebraska football is probably meant to be. Who knows. Doom or gloom. But I've seen a lot of instances over the past 10 years of bad bounces, to unfortunate cases, to flat out incompetence and blowouts to wonder that maybe we're just destined to mediocrity. That maybe a return to relevance, or eliteness for that matter, is just not meant to be. Scary to think about.

I disagree, you know, Nebraska before the 1950s was pretty damn powerful as well. Only team to ever beat the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, and they did it twice for good measure.

Nebraska football, from inception, has been a tradition of excellence.

 

[Count 'Bility]

it's so hard to do any of this kind of things, because we've had more coaches in the past 10 years (16 if you go with Solich's entire tenure), than we had in the previous 36. 36 years guided by only 2 guys. So much has changed with the game and program in that span that it's really hard to decide.

I said this the other day. I think some thought of it as another one of my smart a$$ remarks, but I was serious. That a lot of times I truly believe that Devaney and Osborne were a 35 year lightening in a bottle, and that what we've experienced over the past 10 years or so is what Nebraska football is probably meant to be. Who knows. Doom or gloom. But I've seen a lot of instances over the past 10 years of bad bounces, to unfortunate cases, to flat out incompetence and blowouts to wonder that maybe we're just destined to mediocrity. That maybe a return to relevance, or eliteness for that matter, is just not meant to be. Scary to think about.

I disagree, you know, Nebraska before the 1950s was pretty damn powerful as well. Only team to ever beat the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, and they did it twice for good measure.

Nebraska football, from inception, has been a tradition of excellence.

So was Minnesota, err.....dang. N/M.

 

[presidentjlh]

Sure, it's possible that Nebraska falls into mediocrity, but think about it. Minnesotans have other teams besides the Gophers to root for. Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild...when things started going bad for Minny, they went to other teams and sports.

Here, this is our one team. This is it. This is the big show in Nebraska. So the money and fan support in sports will remain in Nebraska football.