Curious about fan expectations...

[Sheffielder]

What are your expectations for this season?

I saw someone in a post refer to this season as "do or die" for Braun. For me personally, unless the actual performance of the team is an unmitigated disaster (for me, that's three wins or less), I have no objections bringing him back for another year.

I realize the past three seasons have felt like 100 years for some of us, but in reality this is only Braun's second season firmly in the driver's seat. I think it is unfair to count his season as interim, since there was so much noise and he really had limited means to establish his coaching staff or to recruit (whether the old fashioned way or with cold hard cash) with an eye towards the future. I would also argue last season was DOA as soon as we realized we didn't have what we needed in Wright at QB (...also a result of hitting the market late).

Given our schedule, I would consider four wins to be "disappointing but expected"...five wins to be "solid" and six to be "great" (esp. if that included a win @ USC or @ Neb). Anything beyond six and we're in an alternate universe resembling heaven.

 

[Eurocat]

I pretty much agree with you.

 

[NURoseBowl]

Yeah, Sheff, can't take much issue with this take.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

What are your expectations for this season?

I saw someone in a post refer to this season as "do or die" for Braun. For me personally, unless the actual performance of the team is an unmitigated disaster (for me, that's three wins or less), I have no objections bringing him back for another year.

I realize the past three seasons have felt like 100 years for some of us, but in reality this is only Braun's second season firmly in the driver's seat. I think it is unfair to count his season as interim, since there was so much noise and he really had limited means to establish his coaching staff or to recruit (whether the old fashioned way or with cold hard cash) with an eye towards the future. I would also argue last season was DOA as soon as we realized we didn't have what we needed in Wright at QB (...also a result of hitting the market late).

Given our schedule, I would consider four wins to be "disappointing but expected"...five wins to be "solid" and six to be "great" (esp. if that included a win @ USC or @ Neb). Anything beyond six and we're in an alternate universe resembling heaven.

If Braun, by your reckoning, doesn't even get full credit for his first season, then what exactly has he achieved to warrant an extension?

 

[rmndcat]

What are your expectations for this season?

I saw someone in a post refer to this season as "do or die" for Braun. For me personally, unless the actual performance of the team is an unmitigated disaster (for me, that's three wins or less), I have no objections bringing him back for another year.

I realize the past three seasons have felt like 100 years for some of us, but in reality this is only Braun's second season firmly in the driver's seat. I think it is unfair to count his season as interim, since there was so much noise and he really had limited means to establish his coaching staff or to recruit (whether the old fashioned way or with cold hard cash) with an eye towards the future. I would also argue last season was DOA as soon as we realized we didn't have what we needed in Wright at QB (...also a result of hitting the market late).

Given our schedule, I would consider four wins to be "disappointing but expected"...five wins to be "solid" and six to be "great" (esp. if that included a win @ USC or @ Neb). Anything beyond six and we're in an alternate universe resembling heaven.

Beat USC and I will be ecstatic. Anything else is gravy.

 

[nickcat4]

Beat USC and I will be ecstatic. Anything else is gravy.

Yes, I also agree

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Same as Sheffield. Expect 4, hope for 6. We have a "puncher's chance"

 

[CatChatAR]

My sense is that when those in the know say "NU will be better than what pundits expect," what they mean is that they will be competitive in games not necessarily end up better than .500.

The unfortunate truth is that OUR positives are everyone's positives. There isn't a team in the BIG that didn't have a previous year starter at QB, high star talented QB coming, or find a transfer QB who started at their last stop. (Indiana fully reloaded and Iowa improved signifcantly) It used to be good coaching and senior laden team with lots of starts would mean good things - now I'm not so sure.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Another season like last year and he should be fired. That's not just on the record, that's on the complete lack of remote competence on one side of the ball and general embarrassing lack of competitiveness in most games. They were hopelessly outmatched and steamrolled by the middle teir of the conference last year, not good. With Stone, QB isn't a comfort blanket excuse any more.

With that out of the way, I do think there is an opportunity to have as many as 8-10 WINNABLE games this year and 5-7 wins. Oregon and PSU will be rough, but if they play competitive games with 8+ of the remainders and get into that 5+ range I can probably live with that as far as it stands with Braun.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

What are your expectations for this season?

I saw someone in a post refer to this season as "do or die" for Braun. For me personally, unless the actual performance of the team is an unmitigated disaster (for me, that's three wins or less), I have no objections bringing him back for another year.

I realize the past three seasons have felt like 100 years for some of us, but in reality this is only Braun's second season firmly in the driver's seat. I think it is unfair to count his season as interim, since there was so much noise and he really had limited means to establish his coaching staff or to recruit (whether the old fashioned way or with cold hard cash) with an eye towards the future. I would also argue last season was DOA as soon as we realized we didn't have what we needed in Wright at QB (...also a result of hitting the market late).

Given our schedule, I would consider four wins to be "disappointing but expected"...five wins to be "solid" and six to be "great" (esp. if that included a win @ USC or @ Neb). Anything beyond six and we're in an alternate universe resembling heaven.

Who expects 4 win? That would be a disaster. This is the best group of transfers NU has ever gotten. There is enough veterans to expect at least 6 wins. We have at least two players that will be drafted. 4 wins and subpar HS recruiting and the staff needs to go! Expect more.

 

[its_the_sauce]

Beers will be more expensive at Lakeside

 

[gocats8992]

It’s either Bowl game or Braun gets the boot. There are no more excuses anymore. The AD and admissions have changed and now support him allowing him full access to the portal. He has the financial backing. He has everything he needs. This is no longer a developmental program because it can’t be in order to be competitive as a P4 team. Winning needs to start now.

 

[DaCat]

Who expects 4 win? That would be a disaster. This is the best group of transfers NU has ever gotten. There is enough veterans to expect at least 6 wins. We have at least two players that will be drafted. 4 wins and subpar HS recruiting and the staff needs to go! Expect more.

Agree with PPD. Expect 6 wins, with upside to 8 wins. No excuses. It all starts with the QB, and we have a good one in Stone. The OL will be solid, allowing the entire offense to outperform. It’s going to be a good year!

 

[julescat]

I expect 3-4 wins max and that NU will move on from Braun. Not enough talent in the roster.

 

[TheC]

Another season like last year and he should be fired. That's not just on the record, that's on the complete lack of remote competence on one side of the ball and general embarrassing lack of competitiveness in most games. They were hopelessly outmatched and steamrolled by the middle teir of the conference last year, not good. With Stone, QB isn't a comfort blanket excuse any more.

With that out of the way, I do think there is an opportunity to have as many as 8-10 WINNABLE games this year and 5-7 wins. Oregon and PSU will be rough, but if they play competitive games with 8+ of the remainders and get into that 5+ range I can probably live with that as far as it stands with Braun.

I think this is the concern I have too. I just felt like there were too many deer-in-the-headlights moments from Braun and staff last year where they seemed way over their heads. That, plus the inability to recruit well makes me very nervous about his ability to succeed. I admit, though, that I have some preconceived biases about all this. I am not confident in a coach coming from the FCS division who wasn't even a head coach there. He then brought in one coordinator from the FCS level and another is an elevated position coach. They seem so green and not in an exciting, fresh, and revolutionary way.

But, I'd like to imagine a scenario where they shock the world this season and make it to a bowl and prove me wrong. It wouldn't answer all the questions about ability to recruit, but it would certainly say they figured out gameday. I'm not saying that is what it would take to keep his job, but if the team does look overmatched and outcoached as badly as they did last year, then we MUST start over.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Who expects 4 win? That would be a disaster. This is the best group of transfers NU has ever gotten. There is enough veterans to expect at least 6 wins. We have at least two players that will be drafted. 4 wins and subpar HS recruiting and the staff needs to go! Expect more.

I don't EXPECT 4 wins, but it is easy to see. Pundits widely expect us to finish 16th or 18th. There are only two gimmes on the schedule. Could easily lose to Tulane.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

I think this is the concern I have too. I just felt like there were too many deer-in-the-headlights moments from Braun and staff last year where they seemed way over their heads. That, plus the inability to recruit well makes me very nervous about his ability to succeed. I admit, though, that I have some preconceived biases about all this. I am not confident in a coach coming from the FCS division who wasn't even a head coach there. He then brought in one coordinator from the FCS level and another is an elevated position coach. They seem so green and not in an exciting, fresh, and revolutionary way.

But, I'd like to imagine a scenario where they shock the world this season and make it to a bowl and prove me wrong. It wouldn't answer all the questions about ability to recruit, but it would certainly say they figured out gameday. I'm not saying that is what it would take to keep his job, but if the team does look overmatched and outcoached as badly as they did last year, then we MUST start over.

I don't buy the FCS coach complaints, plenty of coaches move from FCS to P5 and suceed, but ultimately I don't care. i don't care if Braun was prepared and the team was overmatched or if he struggled on gameday or what. The team was pathetically uncompetitive, and that's on him.

 

[NU'06er]

Another season like last year and he should be fired. That's not just on the record, that's on the complete lack of remote competence on one side of the ball and general embarrassing lack of competitiveness in most games. They were hopelessly outmatched and steamrolled by the middle teir of the conference last year, not good. With Stone, QB isn't a comfort blanket excuse any more.

With that out of the way, I do think there is an opportunity to have as many as 8-10 WINNABLE games this year and 5-7 wins. Oregon and PSU will be rough, but if they play competitive games with 8+ of the remainders and get into that 5+ range I can probably live with that as far as it stands with Braun.

I suspect I disagree with exactly where the line should be, but I'm quoting this anyway because I agree strongly with the criteria here. It's not just about record, it's about how the team looks and plays overall. I don't want to be 4-8, but 4-8 means a different thing if we blow out Western, ULM, UCLA, and Purdue and then lose a bunch of close games that put the fear of God into teams like Oregon and Penn State that most others will expect to defeat us comfortably than it does if we're squeaking by ULM and losing by 40 even to teams below the Oregon/Penn State tier.

I don't have a litmus test by record. Eight losses is not automatically one too many for me. But we can't have another year where Purdue is the only B1G team we outscore, and our opponents collectively score 102 points more than we do. I'd like to see what Braun can do with more time to keep getting his own recruits in/actually having some upperclassmen he's had time to develop instead of relying solely on transfers or guys he inherited for top-level talent -- but he's got to hold serve enough to justify it.

 

[TheC]

I don't buy the FCS coach complaints, plenty of coaches move from FCS to P5 and suceed, but ultimately I don't care. i don't care if Braun was prepared and the team was overmatched or if he struggled on gameday or what. The team was pathetically uncompetitive, and that's on him.

The FCS thing alone isn't the problem. He wasn't a head coach at the FCS level moving up. Nor was he even a coordinator there for all that long.

 

[eddie_gocats]

Let's Go Bowling!

 

[BosCat]

Let's Go Bowling!

 

[GOCATSGO2004]

What are your expectations for this season?

I saw someone in a post refer to this season as "do or die" for Braun. For me personally, unless the actual performance of the team is an unmitigated disaster (for me, that's three wins or less), I have no objections bringing him back for another year.

I realize the past three seasons have felt like 100 years for some of us, but in reality this is only Braun's second season firmly in the driver's seat. I think it is unfair to count his season as interim, since there was so much noise and he really had limited means to establish his coaching staff or to recruit (whether the old fashioned way or with cold hard cash) with an eye towards the future. I would also argue last season was DOA as soon as we realized we didn't have what we needed in Wright at QB (...also a result of hitting the market late).

Given our schedule, I would consider four wins to be "disappointing but expected"...five wins to be "solid" and six to be "great" (esp. if that included a win @ USC or @ Neb). Anything beyond six and we're in an alternate universe resembling heaven.

Cats will get six wins

 

[PURPLEBookCat]

.

 

[CatManTrue]

If they can find a couple of guys to catch Stone’s fastballs and the OL gives Stone time, then this team can make a bowl.

NU does well with experienced transfer QBs, and Stone is perhaps the best of the “big three” since COVID.

Check out his tape versus Oklahoma in 2023. He had virtually no pocket protection and his receivers drop a lot of balls. Let’s see if he’s Lujan’s Bryant.

 

[Rodenthater]

It seems best for us when we’re underestimated and ignored! 7 wins!

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Cats will get six wins

From your keyboard to God's ears

 

[Zazzy]

Braun will be here another year unless we totally flop this year. I think we’ll be better. Win 6? Perhaps. Tulane is a double barrier- away game and ungodly heat/humidity that they’re used to as well as decent P5 team. If we can pull out win there that’ll help.

 

[mickbula]

Braun will be here another year unless we totally flop this year. I think we’ll be better. Win 6? Perhaps. Tulane is a double barrier- away game and ungodly heat/humidity that they’re used to as well as decent P5 team. If we can pull out win there that’ll help.

Sometimes it’s cooler in no than chi town at end of summer. Just hope the lake fill will be hot as heck until game time at Tulane. Try to get used to humidity and temperature

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Braun will be here another year unless we totally flop this year. I think we’ll be better. Win 6? Perhaps. Tulane is a double barrier- away game and ungodly heat/humidity that they’re used to as well as decent P5 team. If we can pull out win there that’ll help.

Tulane may be the key to the season. Lose, and the path to 6 is treacherous. But then I remember how 2023 started with an ugly loss to RU, so there still may be hope

 

[Eurocat]

The AD and admissions have changed and now support him allowing him full access to the portal. He has the financial backing. He has everything he needs.

Wait, what? A new attitude from admissions? Full access to portal? Financial backing? What did I miss?

 

[Deeringfish]

Tulane may be the key to the season. Lose, and the path to 6 is treacherous. But then I remember how 2023 started with an ugly loss to RU, so there still may be hope

Well, if they beat Tulane, they will have beaten a team that is reportedly very good this year so you could expect them to beat others. I wouldn't say it is the key to the season but more a bellwether.

 

[GECat2]

6 wins or new coach.

 

[AtlantaCat]

4-8

 

[DaCat]

Boo

 

[Jaguar 88]

Coach needs to get to a bowl. The offense needs to vastly improve to make that happen. If the team goes sub .500 the AD needs to hire the most innovative OC available out of Div I. I was excited when Braun was first hired as he was a proven winner and seemed really up for the task at hand. Division I might have been a bridge too far for him. The initial excitement over his hiring has evaporated. There hasn't been a real bump in terms of recruiting either. 3 star recruits aren't going to get us bowling on a consistent basis, if at all

 

[AdamOnFirst]

The FCS thing alone isn't the problem. He wasn't a head coach at the FCS level moving up. Nor was he even a coordinator there for all that long.

Youth and inexperience doesn't bother me either, especially at OC... but MAYBE the inexperience as expressed via a coach who inherited an incredible machine with a talent advantage and having no experience with a less plum setup is a concern.

 

[Username Not Available]

The video of Stone looks kinda bad. He pretty much overthrows almost every target. On the plays he chose not to throw the ball away, he ran out of bound behind the line or passed to a guy about to get tackled behind the line, both causing needless losses of yardage. Consistent overthrows and bad decision making seem like problems to me.

I agree he had almost no protection for most of the clip and I wouldn't blame his receivers for most of those incompletions.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

The video of Stone looks kinda bad. He pretty much overthrows almost every target. On the plays he chose not to throw the ball away, he ran out of bound behind the line or passed to a guy about to get tackled behind the line, both causing needless losses of yardage. Consistent overthrows and bad decision making seem like problems to me.

I agree he had almost no protection for most of the clip and I wouldn't blame his receivers for most of those incompletions.

So you don’t think protection matters? It was a flat out jailbreak in that Oklahoma game two years ago. NU looks like they have all pro’s on the OL next to what is on that film. It’s also two years ago.

 

[Username Not Available]

So you don’t think protection matters? It was a flat out jailbreak in that Oklahoma game two years ago. NU looks like they have all pro’s on the OL next to what is on that film. It’s also two years ago.

That's a silly hot take when I already said he had almost no protection. My point was that even when he did have time, he consistently threw over his receivers. Some of the other plays were clearly designed to take advantage of the attacking D and create over pursuit to open up a lot of space for his backs, and even then he made some bad reads.

It's safe to say that he will be facing games like that this coming year and that video doesn't bode well imho. NU's line will be better than SMU's line was in that game, but one or two of our opponents will be, you know, pretty good.

 

[NJCat]

Here is a take on Preston Stone from a couple of PFF guys....