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

So Bo Pelini can take a 5-7 Callahan team that played a difficult schedule, and lost a lot of blowouts because the effort level of the players (especially on defense) waned significantly by the end of the year, and turn it into 9-4....

But thinking Frost, who has been a head coach and has had more success than Bo, can't take a very similar situation and turn it into more than 7 wins is crazy?

I can tell you this, I think it is fool hardy to put a ceiling on anything Scott Frost does.  All he had done is be successful everywhere he has gone.  He improved a team that DIDN'T WIN A GAME and took them bowling.  You don't think he can't get us to 8 wins next season?  Come on.

Also, stop comparing this to Saban going 7-6 in his first year.  Pretty sure Frost isn't coaching in the SEC West.  The B1G West is not the same animal.

 
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In the Deed the Glory said:
So Bo Pelini can take a 5-7 Callahan team that played a difficult schedule, and lost a lot of blowouts because the effort level of the players (especially on defense) waned significantly by the end of the year, and turn it into 9-4....

But thinking Frost, who has been a head coach and has had more success than Bo, can't take a very similar situation and turn it into more than 7 wins is crazy?

I can tell you this, I think it is fool hardy to put a ceiling on anything Scott Frost does.  All he had done is be successful everywhere he has gone.  He improved a team that DIDN'T WIN A GAME and took them bowling.  You don't think he can't get us to 8 wins next season?  Come on.

Also, stop comparing this to Saban going 7-6 in his first year.  Pretty sure Frost isn't coaching in the SEC West.  The B1G West is not the same animal.
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yort2000 said:
That 2008 team won a grand total of 2 games over teams that made it to bowl games.  Western Michigan that got boat raced by Rice in their bowl game and Kansas that went 4-4 in the Big 12, beating the same crap teams NU feasted on.

The 2018 schedule is comprised of 9 teams that made it to bowl games in 2017.  Now, I know that a 2017 bowl team may not be a 2018 bowl team, but for hypothetical sake let's say they all are 2018 bowl teams.   Then in comparison to 2008, beating the 3 non bowl teams plus 2 bowl teams gets you to 5 wins.
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Honestly I don't have a Floor OR Ceiling for a win total for year 1 under Frost.  Too many variables.

Year 2 and beyond, I think 9 wins is the floor.  This coaching staff will do great things at Nebraska, I just wouldn't be surprised if it takes more than 8 months.

 
There are 10 more bowl games now than there were then, that's 20 more teams making bowls than did in 2008...

Not a good comparison.  

Also, Frost is better than Pelini.  

Also, I'm tired of not having high expectations.

Nebraska Football's EXPECTATIONS are to compete for championships.  It has been stated numerous times by many people since we stopped meeting the EXPECTATION.

However, I think we need to talk about that as a GOAL and we need to reach short term goals before reaching that.  These short term goals can be met in the first year, or the fifth year.  I am not putting a timeline on the fulfillment of these short term goals as I have full confidence in Frost to right the ship and I don't need it to be done right away.  That doesn't mean, however, that the EXPECTATION of competing for championships should be removed.  

That EXPECTATION drives people to reach their GOALS.

 
In the Deed the Glory said:
So Bo Pelini can take a 5-7 Callahan team that played a difficult schedule, and lost a lot of blowouts because the effort level of the players (especially on defense) waned significantly by the end of the year, and turn it into 9-4....

But thinking Frost, who has been a head coach and has had more success than Bo, can't take a very similar situation and turn it into more than 7 wins is crazy?

I can tell you this, I think it is fool hardy to put a ceiling on anything Scott Frost does.  All he had done is be successful everywhere he has gone.  He improved a team that DIDN'T WIN A GAME and took them bowling.  You don't think he can't get us to 8 wins next season?  Come on.

Also, stop comparing this to Saban going 7-6 in his first year.  Pretty sure Frost isn't coaching in the SEC West.  The B1G West is not the same animal.
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I actually mentioned 5-10 really goodcoaches (Carroll and stoops to name a few)who struggled their first year, not just Saban.  I'm  just saying we can't EXPECT 8 wins in Frosts first year.

 
Redux said:
I'm still waiting to hear if you think the 6-6 scenario I laid out is actually progress or if it's actually the ceiling we are capable of.
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yort2000 said:
I think the main issue, that keeps getting argued back and forth in this thread, is you boldly proclaiming that you expect at least 8 wins and anything less is a disappointment.  That proclamation does not adequately recognize the starting point of this team and the monumental coaching effort and ability it will take to reach those 8 wins.  Now, I think most every Husker fan believes that this coaching staff has that ability and will put in the effort that is required to accomplish that immense challenge, but if all the balls don't bounce our way, I think we're realistic enough to know that 6-6 is not a disappointment based on the status of the team on 1/1/18 and the schedule that they face.
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I guess you didn't read what I wrote earlier.

As far as ceilings, I think NU is going to win every game every year.

As far as progress based on your wins:

Wins of the same level:

Akron - Same level as Arky state, needs to be win this year

Colorado - Same level as Rutgers, needs to be win this year.

Illinois - dumpster fire, needs to be a win

Purdue - a little undecided if a win here shows progress or not.  They will be in second year of new coach so they will be better, but the game is at home, so I will just say it needs to be a win.

Wins that demonstrate progress:

Northwestern - They lose some key players (RB Justin Jackson and S Igbwuieke (Sp?)) but return QB Thorson, they went 9-3 last year, and beat us last year, so I would say a win here demonstrates progress over last year.

Troy - Better than NIU,  Fourth year of the head coach's regime and they return a ton of depth from a team that beat LSU last year.  I think they have to replace QB and RB though, but this win would be better than any win we had last year.

So from the wins you threw out there, I can see 6-6 as progress.  

I also think we should beat Minnesota as their QB is gone and it doesn't seem like they did anything that they can build off of from the 2017 season.  I think it will almost be like they are in year 1 again.  However,  I can also see the mistakes and inconsistencies, that show up during the 1st year of a new coaching staff, show up in the Colorado, Purdue, Northwestern and/or Troy games causing NU to lose one or more of those.

Getting that 8th win will be tough, especially if we drop one of the above games, because NU was no where near the level of @Michigan, @Wisconsin, @Ohio St, Michigan St. or @Iowa.

 
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In the Deed the Glory said:
There are 10 more bowl games now than there were then, that's 20 more teams making bowls than did in 2008...

Not a good comparison.  

Also, Frost is better than Pelini.  

Also, I'm tired of not having high expectations.

Nebraska Football's EXPECTATIONS are to compete for championships.  It has been stated numerous times by many people since we stopped meeting the EXPECTATION.

However, I think we need to talk about that as a GOAL and we need to reach short term goals before reaching that.  These short term goals can be met in the first year, or the fifth year.  I am not putting a timeline on the fulfillment of these short term goals as I have full confidence in Frost to right the ship and I don't need it to be done right away.  That doesn't mean, however, that the EXPECTATION of competing for championships should be removed.  

That EXPECTATION drives people to reach their GOALS.
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OK, so they also beat 6-6 San Jose State.  Either way, there weren't a lot of (any) quality wins in 2008. And though we played and lost to 4 top 20 teams.  The rest of the schedule was pretty lackluster.  If NU could have pulled out a win against Virginia Tech and/or Texas Tech, it would have made the results seem a little more impressive (especially since Missouri and Oklahoma just hammered NU).

 
yort2000 said:
I guess you didn't read what I wrote earlier.

As far as ceilings, I think NU is going to win every game every year.

As far as progress based on your wins:

Wins of the same level:

Akron - Same level as Arky state, needs to be win this year

Colorado - Same level as Rutgers, needs to be win this year.

Illinois - dumpster fire, needs to be a win

Purdue - a little undecided if a win here shows progress or not.  They will be in second year of new coach so they will be better, but the game is at home, so I will just say it needs to be a win.

Wins that demonstrate progress:

Northwestern - They lose some key players (RB Justin Jackson and S Igbwuieke (Sp?)) but return QB Thorson, they went 9-3 last year, and beat us last year, so I would say a win here demonstrates progress over last year.

Troy - Better than NIU,  Fourth year of the head coach's regime and they return a ton of depth from a team that beat LSU last year.  I think they have to replace QB and RB though, but this win would be better than any win we had last year.

So from the wins you threw out there, I can see 6-6 as progress.  

I also think we should beat Minnesota as their QB is gone and it does seem they did anything that they can build off of from the 2017 season.  I think it will almost be like they are in year 1 again.  However,  I can also see the mistakes and inconsistencies that show up during the 1st year of a coaching staff show up in the Colorado, Purdue, Northwestern and/or Troy games causing NU to lose one or more of those.

Getting that 8th win will be tough, especially if we drop one of the above games, because NU was no where near the level of @Michigan, @Wisconsin, @Ohio St, Michigan St. or @Iowa.
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Well, if you think Troy is a real measuring stick I guess I can see why you think we are a 6 or 7 win team at best.  I'm not going to try to convince you othwrwise.

 
Redux said:
Well, if you think Troy is a real measuring stick I guess I can see why you think we are a 6 or 7 win team at best.  I'm not going to try to convince you othwrwise.
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Unfortunately, as of today, that is the state of the Nebraska football program.

yort2000 said:
Getting that 8th win will be tough, especially if we drop one of the above games, because NU was no where near the level of @Michigan, @Wisconsin, @Ohio St, Michigan St. or @Iowa.
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And I'll clarify this a little bit.  I think this coaching staff is capable of getting this team up to the level of at least 4 of those programs in Year 1, but I absolutely don't EXPECT them to accomplish that in Year 1.  If they do, that is just icing on the cake.

 
So, essentially, you're just setting the bar as low as possible so not to be disappointed.  I mean, I get it I really do, but the days of being terriefied when Nebraska plays a team with half a pulse are behind us.

 
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Redux said:
So, essentially, you're just setting the bar as low as possible so not to be disappointed.  I mean, I get it I really do, but the days of being terriefied when Nebraska plays a team with half a pulse are behind us.
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Oh, you caught on to my grand master plan.  I have to protect my delicate psyche.

Them Feels you know...........sometimes they can hurt.

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I'm not being sarcastic.  You said yourself they are capable but you don't expect it.  That's fine.  I expect them to be able to win at least 8 honestly.  It is what it is.  I doubt they lose any sleep over either of our expectations.

 
Redux said:
I'm not being sarcastic.  You said yourself they are capable but you don't expect it.  That's fine.  I expect them to be able to win at least 8 honestly.  It is what it is.  I doubt they lose any sleep over either of our expectations.
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All that hullabaloo and your goal is 8 wins!!

:bang

 
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