What must the 2017 team do

[BoNeyard]

I want to see an Offensive Line that shows they can dominate the opponents line.

 

[Fru]

Conference Title.

 

[RunMickeyRun02]

I really want the Riley thing to work out in the worst way but I was going to say this:

7 or less wins...Riley "retires"

Until I saw this:

I honestly don't think it matters what happens next year. Even if we take a step backwards -- which is likely, with our current talent and next year's schedule -- no way will Eichorst admit that his hire wasn't the right one.

Only way Riley gets fires is if Eich gets Peterson'd after an Okie State like halftime walk out like during the Cally days. And if that happens TO won't come back to right the ship this time.

 

[HuskermanMike]

So here's the deal.

2016 was a bust of sorts. We beat Oregon in what was hands down my best experience at a game. They ended up tanking and we lost our 3 most important conference games in heartbreaking, embarassing and embarassing fashion. We ended 9-3, not too shabby.

2017...this will be Riley's team. No more adapting to players from a different scheme, no more players trying to learn and adapt to a new style. This is Rileys team in 2017. Year 3 is when you see what a staff can truly do and that will never be more apparent than at Nebraska. We will see a completely new type of QB for the first time in almost a decade. We have seen a couple of big staff changes that were made in a clear atempt at changing the future direction of the team.

This will be Riley's team. What he envisioned for Nebraska, back in 2014 while we watched Abdullah sing his swan song against USC, will be unveiled. Some will not like it, some will want a more traditional offense and some will completely reject it. But one thing is for sure, if it is going to work here it will be clear next season.

Next years team has the chance to not only show vast inprovement, but it has a chance to defeat all 3 teams it lost to at home! If we are going to turn a corner or get over the proverbial hump, next year is when it must happen.

Exactly.

We have Northwestern, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Iowa...ALL IN LINCOLN.

We play Rutgers at home, we do not have Indiana on the schedule. We are not allowed to play them very much apparently...

We also have four out of 5 games at home, topping it off with Ohio State- we also play 5 straight games in a Memorial Stadium.

 

[Making Chimichangas]

@HuskermanMike,

So, admittedly I have not actually seen the schedule for '17 yet...ooops. I just assumed since we went to Bloomington this year, we'd get the Hoosiers in Lincoln next year.

I wonder why we don't play Indiana next year, in Lincoln?

 

[HuskermanMike]

@HuskermanMike,

So, admittedly I have not actually seen the schedule for '17 yet...ooops. I just assumed since we went to Bloomington this year, we'd get the Hoosiers in Lincoln next year.

I wonder why we don't play Indiana next year, in Lincoln?

Its all good, I thought that we would play Indiana at home also, until I repeatedly checked the schedule. The schedule is set up really weird. I mean OSU three straight years and Indiana only once? That is really strange to me. Lets hope we can do well in 2017, especially at home. A 10-2 record would be a great step for us with losses to OSU at home and Penn State on the road. It would also send us to the CCG most likely.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

I was optimistic this year as we returned so many starters and, in my view, had a 'veteran' team that returned a 4 year starter at QB with excellent athleticism, a bevy of good receivers and pretty decent RBs. We lost a bunch in the def line but we managed to hang in there marginally OK. But, the offense, which should have scored at least 10 to 15 points a game and another 100 yards a game in rushing. It didn't happen obviously as the o line let us down majorly.

Now, looking to 2017, I would say our coaches are going to have to perform 'coach of the year' levels to somehow take the bunch of redshirts and rookies and turn them into conference title winner. With everybody thinking that simply playing Ohio State, Wiscy, NW and so on in Lincoln makes that much difference, I just don't see it. We better have a whole bunch of 'great' players in the cupboard ready to explode on the scene and dam quick. In a way, I will be pretty irritated to learn we had this much talent on the bench this year after we played to within one complete pass of the Big Ten title game with Wisconsin and struggled to an ugly loss to Iowa because we were so injured and depleted while their subs set on the bench watching. I don't think we have the 'beef' yet. Two more years of recruiting classes IN ADDITION to last year's and this years, and we should be much more ready to compete.

I don't agree with 95 Redux that 2017 is now Riley's finished product and 'team'. At this point, he will be putting Pelini's redshirt seniors, seniors and juniors mostly along with some of his own true sophomores, freshmen and redshirt freshmen.

 

[RunMickeyRun02]

@HuskermanMike,

So, admittedly I have not actually seen the schedule for '17 yet...ooops. I just assumed since we went to Bloomington this year, we'd get the Hoosiers in Lincoln next year.

I wonder why we don't play Indiana next year, in Lincoln?

Its all good, I thought that we would play Indiana at home also, until I repeatedly checked the schedule. The schedule is set up really weird. I mean OSU three straight years and Indiana only once? That is really strange to me. Lets hope we can do well in 2017, especially at home. A 10-2 record would be a great step for us with losses to OSU at home and Penn State on the road. It would also send us to the CCG most likely.

I once asked and received a reply post from someone on this board who had cracked the Big Ten rotational code. I'll go looking for it. It was pretty awesome.

 

[Huskerzoo]

Can we stop pretending like our roster was left in good shape and that there was no recovery that had to take place? A part of that blame also lies on the current staff and their handling of roster management last year (especially on the DL and at WR).

HCMR from the best I can see is playing the long game. We're not burning redshirts to patch holes (e.g. POB), he's trying to get everything stacked up so that we're not scrambling to have a team. That is going to mean taking a few lumps here and there to get players a RS. Luckily our recruiting at WR seems good enough that we'll have tFR come in and be able to play well. This is going to look less pretty where strength and conditioning come up the most. DE is still going to burn us, we have Freedom, we have some good DTs, but I think we'll be a liability at one end.

Depending on the health of our OL and our development, it's going to be feast or famine. If Lee is as good as we want to pretend him to be, or if POB has some serious development, this will be a fun team depending on the line play. Remember that game Fyfe started, the offense was multiple and we used all our tools. Fyfe was the backup for a reason. He had his issues, if we get improved accuracy and touch at the QB position, we will be fine with a pocket guy. If Tre plays well, Oz heals up and gets out of the doghouse, and Wilbon continues to develop, we will be fine (sorry Taylor) with the run. That said, we're going to be thin at the line for about 2 more years IMO. The depth wasn't there, we've got some great potential, but we need it to pan out, and we need more potential behind it.

What I want to see in 2017 is a few things.

Hold the course: we safe movement in the right direction. The benchmark is set for 2017, it perhaps dips a bit in 2018. Next year is still going to be rough. Oregon recruits ballers, Wisconsin, tOSU, and Penn State are all going to continue to be good teams. Iowa is going to continue to be Iowa. We should be competitive though and I think we pull off another 9-10 wins.

I want us to continue to build depth and show promise. All those high potential guys need to start delivering a little bit or showing it in 2017 (Lightbourn, Dismuke, Lamar Jackson, the 2016 OL recruits, and one DE I'm guessing Alex Davis though Daishon should be close as well). I think we are fine at LB and in our Secondary. Everything else I'm a little more shaky on.

Finally I want the team to stay disciplined. Fewer penalties, no going on tilt after rough starts to games, being consistent. This years team was still anything but consistent. I think so much of that was on TA. When he was good the team could get going, but when he was bad it put way too much pressure on the D. The D showed huge resiliency, but our DL was a bit of a miracle with how they played. My memory is the board last year right after the draft declarations knew that. I think they benefited from an improved secondary, but it's something that teams could game plan against and with the right athletes at the right positions (OSU all over the place, Iowa in the trenches) could hugely take advantage of. A consistent offense that doesn't get as many 3 and outs improves every aspect of the team. It means less punting from bad field position, and it means a better rested D that imo is still going to struggle against teams with great/elite line play.

The wins will come eventually. We need a solid foundation to work from first though. IMO this staff is working to give that foundation through recruiting and culture change. I think that takes time.

 

[Red_Payne]

I'd be happy if we win 8 games, as long as the losses are relatively close, the lines show significant improvements; and signs of an offensive identity being established are shown.

Pretty much, I'm looking for line improvement.

 

[Redux]

We need to beat Wisconsin first and foremost, and Iowa to a lesser extent. Beating Oregon in Eugene would be fantastic, and knockin off tOSU in Lincoln would be amazing. But Wisconsin....they have to leave Lincoln defeated and defeated ugly.

 

[cornstar]

I'd be happy if we win 8 games, as long as the losses are relatively close, the lines show significant improvements; and signs of an offensive identity being established are shown.

Pretty much, I'm looking for line improvement.

I agree with the line improvement, but not the rest.

If they don't make indy in these first 3 years, it won't happen with this staff. Next year's schedule is tougher than the last two, but will get exponentially tougher in 18. The last 2 year's schedules were as easy as we will ever get, and we have nothing to show for it. This program isn't even back to the level is was in 14.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I'd be happy if we win 8 games, as long as the losses are relatively close, the lines show significant improvements; and signs of an offensive identity being established are shown.

Pretty much, I'm looking for line improvement.

I agree with the line improvement, but not the rest.

If they don't make indy in these first 3 years, it won't happen with this staff. Next year's schedule is tougher than the last two, but will get exponentially tougher in 18. The last 2 year's schedules were as easy as we will ever get, and we have nothing to show for it. This program isn't even back to the level is was in 14.

Given the retooling and recruiting, you'd expect years 4 and 5 to be a better indicator of what this staff can do than year 3.

 

[junior4949]

I really want the Riley thing to work out in the worst way but I was going to say this:

7 or less wins...Riley "retires"

Until I saw this:

I honestly don't think it matters what happens next year. Even if we take a step backwards -- which is likely, with our current talent and next year's schedule -- no way will Eichorst admit that his hire wasn't the right one.

Only way Riley gets fires is if Eich gets Peterson'd after an Okie State like halftime walk out like during the Cally days. And if that happens TO won't come back to right the ship this time.

Honestly, why would you want him to? In some ways, Bo set this program back more than Clownahan did. We've already let him name two coaches. Is this a three strikes you're out kind of deal?

 

[husker98]

7 or less wins...Riley "retires"

Riley "retires", the Calibraska kids transfer to schools back in CA, and NU is left to pick up the pieces again.

I highly doubt that.

Considering we weren't on any of those kids radar before Riley and co. got here I wouldn't call it far fetched.