SI Mailbag: What Are Realistic Short-Term Expectations for Nebraska?

Enhance said:
The bolded is why it's problematic to put a number on expectations for 2017. Nebraska could win six games while still showing improvements in key areas like toughness, athleticism and the team culture.
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That's already happened though from what we are hearing, that toughness and accountability have been amped up.  It's very clear that yes Scott Frost and his staff can, will and already have changed the culture of this program.

 
Redux said:
That's already happened though from what we are hearing, that toughness and accountability have been amped up.  It's very clear that yes Scott Frost and his staff can, will and already have changed the culture of this program.
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Likely true, but we've heard the same thing for every off season for a decade now.  It's just now it's a lot more believable.

 
KingBlank said:
Like I said, if we don't make the big ten title game I will be disappointed, because that's what I expect every single year no matter who the coach is. 
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If 65 of the players on our roster were tragically killed in an explosion, would you still expect what was left of the team to make the title game?

 
Landlord said:
If 65 of the players on our roster were tragically killed in an explosion, would you still expect what was left of the team to make the title game?
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I ask the ridiculous question to point out that some people look at expectations of what Nebraska should always be capable of because of our pedigree, fan support, financial resources, facilities, etc.

While others look at expectations as something relative to what the actual evidence and data shows. You wouldn't expect a team coming off a 4-8 season to win a national championship, if you're basing your argument off actual numbers, just like you wouldn't expect Alabama to go 3-9.

One way isn't more right than the other, just know the way the person you're talking to is defining the term.

 
Redux said:
What do we do?  What CAN we do as fans regardless of seasonal outcome?  As fans it's pur job to support and show up and be loud.   That's it.

6-6 is not the expectation or goal.  I guaranfreakingtee Frost did not come in and introduce himself "Hi, I'm your new coach Scott Frost.  Let's turn this 4-8 team back into a .500 squad in year 1!"

We go .500, so be it.  I think that the s#!t season we all just endured  has messed with a lot of posters heads.  There are way more than 6 teams Nebraska is capable of beating.
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Not mine. We are going undefeated.

Saunders said:
Right now, progress is a coach on the sidelines who looks involved, and like he cares.
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That's it? That's all it takes?

 
Landlord said:
I ask the ridiculous question to point out that some people look at expectations of what Nebraska should always be capable of because of our pedigree, fan support, financial resources, facilities, etc.

While others look at expectations as something relative to what the actual evidence and data shows. You wouldn't expect a team coming off a 4-8 season to win a national championship, if you're basing your argument off actual numbers, just like you wouldn't expect Alabama to go 3-9.

One way isn't more right than the other, just know the way the person you're talking to is defining the term.
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I've got Bama at 4-8 this year.

 
jsneb83 said:
I don't think apathy is the right word here. There is plenty of excitement going around as shown by the spring game sellout and the resurgence in season tickets. The Riley failure has left people uncertain as to how far this team has fallen. If you don't know where the starting point is, it can be harder to predict the finish. People are expecting this could take a few years, since that's what the AD and head coach also said. While I believe 6-6 is low, I can see it happening because we honestly don't know how good this team will be this year or how the season will play out.
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This is a very reasonable take. It's weird that it's getting pushback. 

I responded to some posts in the Shed before knowing where they were coming from.  It's definitely plausible that we go 6-6 this year, even with a rock star coach, based on SOS, lack of familiarity with schemes, and just plain bad luck.

knapplc said:
6-6 is a reality.  Frost may get this team all fired up and they may win more, but let's not just write that off as unacceptable because Mike Riley went .500 and we fired him.

Akron - W
Colorado - W/L
Troy - W
Michigan - W/L
Purdue - W/L
Wisconsin - L
Northwestern - W/L
Minnesota - W/L
Ohio State - L
Illinois - W
Michigan State - W/L
Iowa - W/L

There are only three guaranteed wins on this schedule, personal opinion, and a lot of tossups.  Colorado is no slouch, and our record against the rest of the schedule doesn't look like many guaranteed wins (with the exception of Illinois.  There are two guaranteed losses.  That's just about .500. 

I chalked up Ohio State & Wisconsin as losses.  We're a combined 1-7 against them, and a combined 0-4 in Columbus & Madison. 

Here's our last four games against the teams I marked W/L:

Michigan: 3-1 (1-1 in Ann Arbor)

Purdue: 3-1 (2-0 in Lincoln)
Northwestern:  2-2 (2-0 in Evanston)
Minnesota:  2-2 (1-1 in Lincoln)
Michigan State: 2-2 (1-1 in Lincoln)
Iowa:  1-3 (1-1 in Iowa City)

That's a combined 13-11, just about .500.  Those are the definition of tossup games.

Nobody wants to lose 6 games. But if you're not looking at that as a definite possibility, you're not connected to reality.
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It's also plausible we do better than 6-6 (and possible, although highly unlikely, that we do worse).  But anyone expecting better against this schedule has their Big Red Homer Glasses on quite firmly. 

 
Landlord said:
I ask the ridiculous question to point out that some people look at expectations of what Nebraska should always be capable of because of our pedigree, fan support, financial resources, facilities, etc.

While others look at expectations as something relative to what the actual evidence and data shows. You wouldn't expect a team coming off a 4-8 season to win a national championship, if you're basing your argument off actual numbers, just like you wouldn't expect Alabama to go 3-9.

One way isn't more right than the other, just know the way the person you're talking to is defining the term.
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So just like a majority of people on this board saying from day 1 Riley would be better then a .500 coach with the resources at Nebraska.  Even though every possible metric showed it would be a disaster, which I repeatedly said it would be?  No I would not expect Alabama to do that, also I don’t expect Nebraska to miss the title game.  I am masssive stat person, showed stats for Tanner Lee, got hated on, Banker, Riley, ect from that coaching time.  Now the statistics matter to damper the expectations because Scott is the coach?   Because they sure didn’t for the last 3 years.

 
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knapplc said:
Saunders said it would be progress. If you were on a thousand-mile journey and you went one mile, that's progress.
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Not necessarily.  What if you walked 1 mile in the wrong direction, then you're 1001 miles from your destination.  Movement does not equate to progress.

 
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