Thoughts on the Nebraska job

[zeek55]

I adore Morty, thank God he was chosen, but let's not forget -

https://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/winter2008/cover/bienen_sidebar/wildcatsfan.html

I liked Bienen (especially as he led to dramatic improvement across the varsity sports), but Schapiro/Phillips really put the focus on the facilities part of the equation through the master plan and the donors have stepped up to an unprecedented level over the last 10 years.

Basically to the point where everything's done (day to day facilities and basketball arena) except the football stadium and that likely has somewhere around $250 million committed already at least.

If you'd have asked me 15 years ago, I'd have thought we'd someday have competitive facilities with the lower end of the Power 5.

Instead, we're going to basically have best-in-class across the board when the football stadium is done in a couple years.

$800 million in facilities build for athletics is not something I'd have foreseen in 2007. It's a comprehensive change that says "we want to be the best at athletics as much as we want to have the best academics."

 

[Frabjous_rivals]

Lou Holtsch is exschited about the Nebrashka job!

 

[stpaulcat]

I really like this point. In the banter from Nebraska trolls last week, one recurring claim the Husker trolls made was that because of their great tradition, that they are a “big time” program, they could always out-recruit NU, and for Cat fans to think the team could realistically compete was laughable. I think that unless Nebraska hires away Saban from Alabama or someone equivalent to him, NU has a better chance of landing really good players (1st round picks) than Nebraska does. Nebraska is competing against Alabama, Georgia, OSU, Oregon, Auburn, Texas, TAMU, Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, PSU and Clemson as well as two dozen other SEC, B1G and other Power 5 teams for most top flight recruits. Northwestern is realistically competing against Stanford, Notre Dame, and maybe Michigan and Cal for those really good players who do want the combination of academic excellence as well as football. I think a great example of a player like that was Andrew Luck. At the time, he was down to NU and Stanford for the reasons just cited and, understandably chose Stanford. Given the same choice today, my guess would be that he would choose NU.
The combination of Fitz, administration commitment and the basic excellence of Northwestern academics has made the football team consistently more competitive for success (and for recruiting and developing players who become 1st round picks) than a former power like Nebraska, something I never would have thought. The only kind of person who could be successful at Nebraska at this point would be either a Saban stature coach who could recruit on his name, or a young, ambitious second coming of Urban Meyer, which is what they thought they had in Frost. My guess is they go all in on a big name hire, with a record breaking salary after they fire Frost. We will see. There are very few coaches like that, and the only motivation to take the job would be more money than any coach has ever made.

"There are very few coaches like that, and the only motivation to take the job would be more money than any coach has ever made." That's an interesting theory--that bad coaching increases the spiral of coaches salaries more so than good coaching.

 

[MotownMedilldo]

"There are very few coaches like that, and the only motivation to take the job would be more money than any coach has ever made." That's an interesting theory--that bad coaching increases the spiral of coaches salaries more so than good coaching.

It's true. The new TV deal will render $5 million annually as the minimum salary for a Big Ten head football coach. The donor funding the bulk of Mel Tucker's new contract at Michigan State, Mat Ishbia, essentially said, "We'll get championship level-football during the life of the contract, or we'll be buying out the contract in a few years."

 

[eastbaycat99]

"There are very few coaches like that, and the only motivation to take the job would be more money than any coach has ever made." That's an interesting theory--that bad coaching increases the spiral of coaches salaries more so than good coaching.

I think the new media contracts that are significantly upping the payouts to schools coupled with the relaxed transfer rules and NIL money injection, coaching salaries are poised for another quantum leap.

 

[Eurocat]

Frost now has to win 50 in a row to just match Pellini's record.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Their fanbase is insane, and it sounds like everyone wants to run Frost out of Lincoln ASAP. I think Scott Frost could be gone if he loses his next big ten game.

What are your thoughts on the Nebraska job? It seems like an impossible situation for anyone to walk into.

Nebraska has a nuts fan base and lots of hangers on causing problems... but they also have plenty of money, lots of support in facilities and things, plenty of NIL capability, and a very strong game day environment. The second any coach experiences serious success, the national media is going to treat them like the second coming. It's still an attractive job where the right hire can have serious success.

What they definitely really lack is a football identity and culture. They need a coach who can install that. Frost certainly tried, but he failed... or rather successfully installed a losing culture.

Where they can sabotage themselves is the fan culture there. THey need somebody with a strong enough personality to stand up to all the 1990's guys hanging our around the department and with boosters trying to call shots. But they can't have somebody with a personality so prickley like a Pellini where they can't help but run him out of town despite success.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

The Michigan fans in Ann Arbor were/are just as delusional.

They’re delusional, but not as much. They have a better tradition, better recent history, a much bigger fan base, a MUCH richer donor base and way better recruiting in the surrounding area. Nebraska should get used to a ceiling similar to Wisconsin … not an insult (I’d kill for that for the Illini!), but they seem to expect to regain “Blue Blood” status. And that’s not happening.

 

[TheC]

I think the new media contracts that are significantly upping the payouts to schools coupled with the relaxed transfer rules and NIL money injection, coaching salaries are poised for another quantum leap.

How long do you think it would take a grown man to learn how to coach a college football team? I'm starting to think it might be a good career move.

 

[12375CAT]

Wish Corn would have stayed in the B12.
What a pleasure it would have been for us to be booting their rumps now the way they bloodied our noses under Osborne.

 

[PZAZ]

What happens if UNL goes 6-6 or 7-5? Frost retained or let go?

 

[zeek55]

What happens if UNL goes 6-6 or 7-5? Frost retained or let go?

I think he's gone unless they beat 2 out of Oklahoma, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin.

That's a very tall order.

 

[stpaulcat]

How long do you think it would take a grown man to learn how to coach a college football team? I'm starting to think it might be a good career move.

Two, three months max. Go for it! I look forward to watching the fans have their way with you. Nothing personal, it's just that football coaches are frequently more entertaining for things other than actual coaching.

 

[TheC]

Two, three months max. Go for it! I look forward to watching the fans have their way with you. Nothing personal, it's just that football coaches are frequently more entertaining for things other than actual coaching.

Having their way with me?? Is that why they get paid so much?!?

 

[stpaulcat]

Having their way with me?? Is that why they get paid so much?!?

The upside is that maybe they'll just tear you to shreads.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

So Northwestern has the ball to open the 3rd quarter, leading 17-14... Nebraska's defense forces a punt after giving up 16 yards. The Nebraska offense goes 88 yards, with a big (lucky) play and a pass interference call to take a 21-17 lead. Northwestern gets the ball, Cam Porter runs 21 yards but tries to run over a defensive back and fumbles. Nebraska takes possession at midfield and scores a TD on another big play to go up 28-17.

And Frost calls for an onside kick, believing that Northwestern is reeling and that he can deliver the knockout blow IF Nebraska recovers the kick.

Essentially Frost is looking at two outcomes...
Nebraska recovers --- this is like kicking deep and forcing a 3 and out and a punt to midfield.
Northwestern recovers --- this is like kicking deep and having Northwestern run it back 60 yards.

The 2nd outcome is much more likely than the first...

In addition, the onside kick is disrespectful and guaranteed to fire up Northwestern, whether the gamble succeeds or fails.

Bad coaches do that - make bad risk/reward decisions and get their opponent to play with passion.

Nebraska fans seem to understand this.

Yeah, that onside kick seems to be the story of the game so far as the media is concerned. In the Sunday Paper here where I presently am the Sports Page Headline read, "Questionable call helpsNorthwestern top Nebraska," referring to the call Frost made.

Watching the replay, however, that call came so early in the third quarter it really was far from a deciding factor. The real story from that point was how Northwestern's defense was able to keep Nebraska from scoring for the rest of the game.

 

[stpaulcat]

3-9, where have we heard that before? Nebraska should keep Scott Frost, unless he's doing damage to the Football program or the University beyond his won-lost record. F the boosters, after all, most of them are likely car dealers who supervise salespeople. You won't have success without failure. Example: Fitz. Last December, fans were calling for Fitz to be fired. You don't know when Frost might turn this around, and he may--he seems to be trying. This whole thing about wanting immediate success or putting a strict timeline on success, while firing coaches and paying their replacements even more, with no guarantee of success is SICK. Regarding their fan base, "La donna e mobile."

 

[Jaguar 88]

This thread makes me think NU wasn't very good to have beaten Nebraska. But they were, and they did. Okay, the on-side kick, but they nedid some other things pretty darn well. Maybe it isn't that Frost is that bad, it's that others are better. That happens in life.

What gets me is that all the media has focused on was how Frost screwed up with the onside kick. His D line sucked and his receiving corp had hands of stone for the most part. The Cats dominated both sides of the trenches. In short we man handled them and played our type of . The team received very little credit for the win as it was portrayed as a Frost screw up. The team still is not getting the respect it deserves.

 

[Titanium999]

We got lots of guys in the nfl!

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Yeah, that onside kick seems to be the story of the game so far as the media is concerned. In the Sunday Paper here where I presently am the Sports Page Headline read, "Questionable call helpsNorthwestern top Nebraska," referring to the call Frost made.

Watching the replay, however, that call came so early in the third quarter it really was far from a deciding factor. The real story from that point was how Northwestern's defense was able to keep Nebraska from scoring for the rest of the game.

 

[Jaguar 88]

They’re delusional, but not as much. They have a better tradition, better recent history, a much bigger fan base, a MUCH richer donor base and way better recruiting in the surrounding area. Nebraska should get used to a ceiling similar to Wisconsin … not an insult (I’d kill for that for the Illini!), but they seem to expect to regain “Blue Blood” status. And that’s not happening.

Not sure about the part about the recent history. Rich Rod and Hoke had the Maize and Blue faithful suffering from conniptions for the better part of a decade, then throw in Harbaugh getting his *** reamed by OSU for awhile there. I wouldn't be surprised if Michigan takes somewhat of a dive again at some point.

 

[stpaulcat]

We got lots of guys in the nfl!

Yay Wrassler, you can still type. Keep 'er goin' there guy!

 

[stpaulcat]

Wow. This game wasn't won by Northwestern because of the refs.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

The person who wrote that headline is clueless.
For one "Questionable Call" means the refs made a bad call...
More importantly, it was just a terrible decision by the coach that turned the momentum around, or more accurately, killed Nebraska's momentum.

From that point forward Northwestern dominated.

 

[Fanaticat98]

If they couldn’t recover and prevent a minor momentum shift mid 3rd quarter from turning the tide, then it’s not the onside kick that lost the game, it’s that we were better than them. A long return to the same spot would have been a similar momentum shift, but would that be an excuse for them to allow it to be converted to a TD?
Moreover, we still had a 3 and out on the next possession AND a missed FG, then didn’t score again until into the 4th quarter, so it wasn’t like an irreversible momentum shift.

 

[Eurocat]

I think a great example of a player like that was Andrew Luck. At the time, he was down to NU and Stanford for the reasons just cited and, understandably chose Stanford. Given the same choice today, my guess would be that he would choose NU.

Andrew Luck chose Stanford because he is nuts about architecture and that is what he really wanted to study and Northwestern does not have that major. We really never had a chance.

https://vault.si.com/vault/2011/06/13/man-with-a-plan

 

[Alaskawildkat]

The person who wrote that headline is clueless.
For one "Questionable Call" means the refs made a bad call...
More importantly, it was just a terrible decision by the coach that turned the momentum around, or more accurately, killed Nebraska's momentum.

From that point forward Northwestern dominated.

Agree that anyone just reading the headline would assume it was a ref's call being referenced. The article itself made it clear that it was Frost's call for the onside kick that was being highlighted.

 

[HappyNUyear_rivals517720]

Frost’s current buyout is $15 Million, on October 1st the buyout drops to around $7 Million. Modt likely nothing will occur until after October 1st

 

[HappyNUyear_rivals517720]

Nebraska’s Schedule
8/27 @NU (Dublin) LOST
9/3 North Dakota
9/10 Georgia Southern
9/17 Oklahoma
9/24 BYE
10/1 Indiana
10/7 @Rutgers
10/15 @Purdue
10/22 BYE
10/29 Illinois
11/5 Minnesota
11/12 @Michigan
11/19 Wisconsin
11/25 @Iowa

 

[NUCat320]

Nebraska’s Schedule

9/3 North Dakota
9/10 Georgia Southern
9/17 Oklahoma
9/24 BYE
10/1 Indiana
10/7 @Rutgers
10/15 @Purdue
10/22 BYE
10/29 Illinois
11/5 Minnesota
11/12 @Michigan
11/19 Wisconsin
11/25 @Iowa

After a home loss to Indiana seems like a perfect time to fire him.

 

[NJCat]

Nebraska’s Schedule
8/27 @NU (Dublin) LOST
9/3 North Dakota
9/10 Georgia Southern
9/17 Oklahoma
9/24 BYE
10/1 Indiana
10/7 @Rutgers
10/15 @Purdue
10/22 BYE
10/29 Illinois
11/5 Minnesota
11/12 @Michigan
11/19 Wisconsin
11/25 @Iowa

7 1/2 home games, and road trip to RU, can't have a more favorable schedule. RU and IU are easy cross-over games. Anything less than an 8 win season is a double bogie.....

 

[HappyNUyear_rivals517720]

7 1/2 home games, and road trip to RU, can't have a more favorable schedule. RU and IU are easy cross-over games. Anything less than an 8 win season is a double bogie.....

71/2, Dublin was NU’s home game and had the game not been played across the pond, the game would’ve been at Dyche/Ryan

IMO Nebraska wins 4 / 5 games

 

[TheC]

I suspect that Oklahoma game is for his job.

 

[NJCat]

71/2, Dublin was NU’s home game and had the game not been played across the pond, the game would’ve been at Dyche/Ryan

IMO Nebraska wins 4 / 5 games

The fact that UN-L had more fans in Dublin than NU made it a 1/2 home game, probably as much as if they had played at Ryan Field. Before the season, I suspect most would have forecast wins against NU, ND, GSU, IU, RU, UI, Minny and Wisconsin. Which is how I got to 8. Having seen them, I agree with you on the likely win total. I doubt they beat with Minny or UW.

 

[PZAZ]

We aren't going to change the newspaper. It attracts more readers to mention the "questionable call" than to say UNL got flat out beat by NU. That's okay. If we keep winning, people will be following us because we're winning.

 

[stpaulcat]

We aren't going to change the newspaper. It attracts more readers to mention the "questionable call" than to say UNL got flat out beat by NU. That's okay. If we keep winning, people will be following us because we're winning.

Maybe that's also why the game was on FOX?

 

[seavue617]

If Frosty loses two games before 10/1, he is gone by 10/3. OU should beat him so he better win his two gimme games and beat IU.

 

[seavue617]

If Nebby fires Frosty, look for them to make a run at getting Chris Petersen to come out of retirement.

 

[MotownMedilldo]

No lie ditected.

If Nebby fires Frosty, look for them to make a run at getting Chris Petersen to come out of retirement.

Petersen didn't want to go to USC before he finally left Boise State for Washington, which was a perfect fit for him. Why, other than money, would a West Coast guy like him go to Lincoln? He seems too smart to go to a situation like that.

 

[seavue617]

No lie ditected.

Petersen didn't want to go to USC before he finally left Boise State for Washington, which was a perfect fit for him.

Having lived in SoCal for 30+ years, I can tell you with certainty that the USC job was NOT the perfect job for Petersen and I am sure that he knew it. He is not the glitzy media-type personality (like Pete Carroll) which the USC job requires and prospers under. Great coach, yes. He has won everywhere and is just the innovative, tactical type coach Nebby needs.