Sherman: As problems mount, judgment must wait on Mike Riley at Nebraska

[zoogs]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/125113/as-problems-mount-judgment-must-wait-on-mike-riley-at-nebraska

Sherman is I believe a former OWH writer who's on a national stage now with ESPN. He's always a good read and for a national writer, offers a cogent local perspective. And he writes very, very well.

As an aside, it helps the situation none for the Huskers that Jim Harbaugh at Michigan and Jim McElwain at Florida have raced to fantastic starts. The fact is, though, results in the second season of a coaching regime portend long-term success with much better accuracy than the first.

The first year is about whats left in the cupboard. Its about transition and belief and, yes, luck.

Fun (?) fact: this last game's win probability was calculated at 88% after the missed FG.

Also interesting:

These Huskers are the second team in the past 10 years to lose three of their first six games with a win probability in the fourth quarter of 88 percent or higher.

The other team, Utah State in 2011, started 2-5, then won five straight games, all by seven points or fewer, to finish 7-6. Luck balanced out. Or the Aggies learned to win.

Will luck balance out for the Huskers in 2015? One can only hope.

 

[TGHusker]

Good article and good perspective. Too many variables in a transition year. At the end of year 2 we will have a better perspective.

 

[huskerfan92]

The Illinois loss we had a 99.5% win probability and BYU we had a 98.5% win probability....this is rough

 

[Landlord]

Article is fine, although I never put much stock into what Sherman says. His twitter feed during games seems pretty uneducated.

 

[Kernal]

It doesn't help that the very next article in that blog is: "Michigan Wolverines now among betting favorites to win national title."

 

[Bowfin]

Good article and good perspective. Too many variables in a transition year. At the end of year 2 seven we will have a better perspective.

Fixed this.

Five years gives Riley only one year with a team that is 100% of his own efforts. Besides, Pelini got seven years, so fair is fair.

 

[Hunter94]

Good article and good perspective. Too many variables in a transition year. At the end of year 2 seven we will have a better perspective.

Fixed this.

Five years gives Riley only one year with a team that is 100% of his own efforts. Besides, Pelini got seven years, so fair is fair.

i am tired already of hearing how his success is totally dependent on his recruits alone......that's bullsh#t, that's a ready made excuse for poor game management??

 

[huskerfan92]

Good article and good perspective. Too many variables in a transition year. At the end of year 2 seven we will have a better perspective.

Fixed this.

Five years gives Riley only one year with a team that is 100% of his own efforts. Besides, Pelini got seven years, so fair is fair.

Not sure if trolling. Pelini got 7 years because he consistently won 9 games....you realize we aren't projected to make a bowl game right now?

 

[Bowfin]

Not sure if trolling. Pelini got 7 years because he consistently won 9 games....you realize we aren't projected to make a bowl game right now?

Nope, not trolling. "In for a penny, in for a pound." I want to see this whole Mike Riley thing play out completely, and keeping him for seven years regardless of performance helps Nebraska avoid the reputation of not giving coaches a fair chance and having unrealistic expectations.

 

[74Hunter]

Not sure if trolling. Pelini got 7 years because he consistently won 9 games....you realize we aren't projected to make a bowl game right now?

Nope, not trolling. "In for a penny, in for a pound." I want to see this whole Mike Riley thing play out completely, and keeping him for seven years regardless of performance helps Nebraska avoid the reputation of not giving coaches a fair chance and having unrealistic expectations.

Such a troll job.

 

[Blackshirt39]

Luck has nothing to do with it. You can't leave football games up to luck. You make your own luck. Take the opportunity away from the other teams.

We're dead last in pass defense.

Not getting consistent pressure on QBs (I'll admit injuries are killing us here).

We constantly let teams out of 3rd & forever.

We aren't forcing turnovers.

The offense isn't helping the defense with points and TOP.

We're rolling a d20 to determine who plays RB every week.

We aren't winning field possession.

You won't win games with that formula. You can't rely on luck. You have to rely on discipline, character & desire.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

It doesn't help that the very next article in that blog is: "Michigan Wolverines now among betting favorites to win national title."

I believe it...They look fantastic and I don't think they have let up a point in 3 games.

 

[Bowfin]

i am tired already of hearing how his success is totally dependent on his recruits alone......that's bullsh#t, that's a ready made excuse for poor game management??

Hunter94, I am tired of it as well. I am also tired of the Bo Haters cherry picking the worst performances and games of Pelini's seven years and then comparing those to Riley's half a season.

So I say give Riley seven years and then compare his best with Pelini's best and his worst with Pelini's worse straight up without any wiggle room, "what ifs", "bare cupboard" "he was lucky", Bo would have done worse, etc., etc.

Riley might not be the right guy, but does anyone want Eichorst picking another head coach for Nebraska???

So I can take 6 1/2 years more of Riley, let's see if his supporters can...

 

[zoogs]

Trolling after all.

 

[AFhusker]

Luck has nothing to do with it. You can't leave football games up to luck. You make your own luck. Take the opportunity away from the other teams.

We're dead last in pass defense.

Not getting consistent pressure on QBs (I'll admit injuries are killing us here).

We constantly let teams out of 3rd & forever.

We aren't forcing turnovers.

The offense isn't helping the defense with points and TOP.

We're rolling a d20 to determine who plays RB every week.

We aren't winning field possession.

You won't win games with that formula. You can't rely on luck. You have to rely on discipline, character & desire.

Talk to Nate Gerry about not having stone hands or the rest of the secondary who dropped to more easy INT's. That isn't on the coaches, they were all in position and in Gerry's case the ball hit him in the numbers.

That is because TA can't hit the broad side of a barn right now. Which ties into the third point is that we don't have any good RB's right now. Not at least of the level we were used to with Helu, Burkehead, and Ameer to hide how bad the OL is.