Way too early...

[Big Red Menace]

look ahead to 2017 and our schedule. It is going to be tough to get 9 wins again IMHO. Let's assume NU beats Ark. St., N. Illinois, Rutgers, Illinois and Purdue. They have to get 4 wins against these teams to get to 9 wins. Look at this quick comparison of returning starters for our 7 toughest opponents. Not very favorable for the Huskers. In hindsight, 2016 schedule looks easier due to the youth that we faced on many of these teams. Wisconsin just reloaded this year and is set up to be heavy favorites in the West division. Can Nebraska improve enough and develop young talent to be in the running for the division next year? It's going to be a big challenge and interesting to see if MR and company are up to that challenge.

Team Offense (11) Quarterback Defense (11) S. Teams (4)
Wisconsin 9 Y 8 3
Iowa 8 N 7 1
Nebraska 6 N 7 4
Minnesota 8 N 5 4
Northwestern 9 Y 10 3
Ohio State 10 Y 11 3
Penn State 10 Y 8 4
Oregon 8 Y 11 4

Note: these numbers were based upon depth charts for last week of season. It doesn't account for early NFL departures, etc....

 

[jeans15]

Only game that will be trouble is ohio st...they return everybody.

Other than that......we should beat every one else including Wisconsin at home and Oregon on the road.

Anything less than a division title...coach should be on the hot seat

 

[nu2u]

9-3 with that schedule will be an accomplishment. Its never easy to break in a new QB. The key is to further develop the OL and DL. By now it should be painfully clear that you need to effectively run the ball and consistently defend against the run in order to compete for a B10 title.

 

[Shimmer003]

would everyone shut up about the hot seat?!? Riley should get a minimum of 6 years. Building a program doesn't happen in 4 years at a place like Nebraska. We have to start giving people time to do something. In the short term, we aren't going to get the kinds of recruiting to be a top 10 team with freshmen and sophomores. It's going to take years of smart recruiting, redshirting and eventual upgrades in talent to create a program that develops guys and relies on 5th year senior type guys to beat the more talented but youthful teams like Ohio state and Michigan. Right now, we don't have anything that resembles that and you can't build it by year 3. That's the reality. And the more times we run off a coach without giving them a real shot, the further away we will become from being relevant again

 

[LBremser_rivals78367]

would everyone shut up about the hot seat?!? Riley should get a minimum of 6 years. Building a program doesn't happen in 4 years at a place like Nebraska. We have to start giving people time to do something. In the short term, we aren't going to get the kinds of recruiting to be a top 10 team with freshmen and sophomores. It's going to take years of smart recruiting, redshirting and eventual upgrades in talent to create a program that develops guys and relies on 5th year senior type guys to beat the more talented but youthful teams like Ohio state and Michigan. Right now, we don't have anything that resembles that and you can't build it by year 3. That's the reality. And the more times we run off a coach without giving them a real shot, the further away we will become from being relevant again

It is going to require some changes on the coaching staff as well, but it is unlikely that we will see anything in that area other than maybe some shuffling at ST.

 

[Shimmer003]

I don't see anything other than special teams that needs changing at this point. I'm not saying you're wrong, but what other spots need a change? Banker and Langs both had great year. Wr is set. Oline is unclear at worst at this point. D line just changed. LB maybe? Even at that, I don't love the idea of swapping assistants too much. We continuity on our staff. That's what worked in the past. Constantly changing and making kids continually learn from new people they don't know, new schemes they haven't seen and firing coaches for not coaching kids they didn't recruit all seem like bad ideas. We aren't Texas. Let's not act like we are and make the same stupid mistakes they do.

 

[jeans15]

You can't win without decent O and D lines....We return 7 out of our top 10 guys next year in those positions..which means we should see improvement as this will be their 3rd years in the system......we were told coach does more with less....well let's see it....don't start backing off that now....no....hot seat is always up in big time college football..this isn't South Dakota St,...6 years?..so if we have losing seasons the next 2 years...we should give them a 5th?

We don't need someone to build a program we were a 9-3 team when he took over, so we expect to better than that......lmao......

We get it...you're just waiting for him to produce better than Bo so you can be right . ..I expect to him to produce better than Bo now.....lol..we will be Minnesota in 3 years. waiting that long...lol

 

[jeans15]

Can we throw money at Wisconsin's strength and conditioning coach....we need to quit invest money in being pretty and invested in quality coaches and people.

 

[NUSouth]

Only game that will be trouble is ohio st...they return everybody.

Other than that......we should beat every one else including Wisconsin at home and Oregon on the road.

Anything less than a division title...coach should be on the hot seat

Oregon just got embrassment by Oregon state. I'm worried they are going to hire Scott frost back before we get him.

 

[TruHusker]

It is going to be a brutal year next year. It will be flipped in that we had all of the returners and most everyone else was young. Imagine how good that Northwestern team is going to be. OSU should be a juggernaut and my gosh PSU has been playing dominant ball of late. I would be thrilled for a 9-3 year next year.

 

[Redscarlet]

9-3 with that schedule will be an accomplishment. Its never easy to break in a new QB. The key is to further develop the OL and DL. By now it should be painfully clear that you need to effectively run the ball and consistently defend against the run in order to compete for a B10 title.

Do you want to say that again ( write that again) so everyone can hear you..We are on the same page 100%.

 

[bigboxes]

I don't see anything other than special teams that needs changing at this point. I'm not saying you're wrong, but what other spots need a change? Banker and Langs both had great year. Wr is set. Oline is unclear at worst at this point. D line just changed. LB maybe? Even at that, I don't love the idea of swapping assistants too much. We continuity on our staff. That's what worked in the past. Constantly changing and making kids continually learn from new people they don't know, new schemes they haven't seen and firing coaches for not coaching kids they didn't recruit all seem like bad ideas. We aren't Texas. Let's not act like we are and make the same stupid mistakes they do.

Agreed. You don't just turnover staff for just anything. It has to be fail. We all can agree that ST was fail this year. Last year it was DL recruiting.

 

[bigboxes]

would everyone shut up about the hot seat?!? Riley should get a minimum of 6 years. Building a program doesn't happen in 4 years at a place like Nebraska. We have to start giving people time to do something. In the short term, we aren't going to get the kinds of recruiting to be a top 10 team with freshmen and sophomores. It's going to take years of smart recruiting, redshirting and eventual upgrades in talent to create a program that develops guys and relies on 5th year senior type guys to beat the more talented but youthful teams like Ohio state and Michigan. Right now, we don't have anything that resembles that and you can't build it by year 3. That's the reality. And the more times we run off a coach without giving them a real shot, the further away we will become from being relevant again

Excellent post. Please post more often.

 

[jeans15]

We are suppose to start a guy who has been in college for 4 years and has been in the system a year.

He is not a new Qb ...And we return 8 starters on defense and 4 out 5 starters on the OL....Hell most of our receivers didn't play this year at least 4 games.

What Memorial Stadium is too loud...geesh..these guys get paid millions....enough excuses..

 

[Hawkeye_311]

Only game that will be trouble is ohio st...they return everybody.

Other than that......we should beat every one else including Wisconsin at home and Oregon on the road.

Anything less than a division title...coach should be on the hot seat

It funny how you guys just chalk the Iowa game as an automatic win every year.

 

[bigboxes]

It funny how you guys just chalk the Iowa game as an automatic win every year.

You've won nothing. It will be that way until you do.

 

[TruHusker]

It funny how you guys just chalk the Iowa game as an automatic win every year.

I agree with you there. That is something I have never quite understood on here. There seems to be a lot of living in the past - like K-State is just like they were in the 70's before Snyder. Iowa will always be a tough game for us. Your staff has our number right now and until we can prove otherwise.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

would everyone shut up about the hot seat?!? Riley should get a minimum of 6 years. Building a program doesn't happen in 4 years at a place like Nebraska.

Saban at LSU
Saban at Alabama
Urban Meyer at Utah
Urban Meyer at Florida
Urban Meyer at OSU
Harbaugh at Michigan
Stoops at Oklahoma
Pete Carroll at USC

Undefeated seasons, conference championships and/or national titles within their first two years at these stops. Sometimes it's abundantly clear that you have the right coach.

We have a coach who in year 2 has brought the team right back to where the previous coach left it. Not exactly inspiring hope for future success.

 

[bigboxes]

Saban at LSU
Saban at Alabama
Urban Meyer at Utah
Urban Meyer at Florida
Urban Meyer at OSU
Harbaugh at Michigan
Stoops at Oklahoma
Pete Carroll at USC

Undefeated seasons, conference championships and/or national titles within their first two years at these stops. Sometimes it's abundantly clear that you have the right coach.

We have a coach who in year 2 has brought the team right back to where the previous coach left it. Not exactly inspiring hope for future success.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

9-3 with that schedule will be an accomplishment. Its never easy to break in a new QB. The key is to further develop the OL and DL. By now it should be painfully clear that you need to effectively run the ball and consistently defend against the run in order to compete for a B10 title.

I agree...with this coaching staff, a 9-3 record next year will be quite an accomplishment (maybe even miraculous).

Breaking in a new QB can be good or bad. For Harbaugh, it's worked out for 2 years now. Alabama also seems to be doing well with their Freshman QB. Maybe coaching has a lot to do with it?

Looks like we're already coming up with our excuses for next year. Sad.

 

[GBRhuskers_rivals203711]

Saban at LSU

8-4
10-3
8-4

It happened in year 4 [13-1] then dipped in year 5 [9-3], not year 1 or 2 like you think.

 

[rrthusker]

Saban at LSU
Saban at Alabama
Urban Meyer at Utah
Urban Meyer at Florida
Urban Meyer at OSU
Harbaugh at Michigan
Stoops at Oklahoma
Pete Carroll at USC

Undefeated seasons, conference championships and/or national titles within their first two years at these stops. Sometimes it's abundantly clear that you have the right coach.

We have a coach who in year 2 has brought the team right back to where the previous coach left it. Not exactly inspiring hope for future success.

We should at least wait until he has his own recruits. Last time I checked most of these are Bo`s recruits and many on roster are walk-ons.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

8-4
10-3
8-4

It happened in year 4 [13-1] then dipped in year 5 [9-3], not year 1 or 2 like you think.

I said "undefeated, conference champion and/or national title". Year 2 (the 10-3 year) Saban led LSU to an SEC championship.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

We should at least wait until he has his own recruits. Last time I checked most of these are Bo`s recruits and many on roster are walk-ons.

I would agree if we had a younger, first-time HC or a proven winner; however, we have neither.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

I would agree if we had a younger, first-time HC or a proven winner; however, we have neither.

Still waiting on your top tier coach pic and new AD..................Stop running your mouth with no answers.

 

[GBRhuskers_rivals203711]

I said "undefeated, conference champion and/or national title". Year 2 (the 10-3 year) Saban led LSU to an SEC championship.

Oh I see, 8-3 and unranked but won a conference title with Sugar win and top 1p finish. That's something I can get on board with except, some of you posters would want Riley canned for going 9-3 [12 game schedule] and not ranked in the playoff poll prior to the conference title game.

The point still stands though, he took a step back in year 3, and once again in year 5.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace_rivals38755]

would everyone shut up about the hot seat?!? Riley should get a minimum of 6 years. Building a program doesn't happen in 4 years at a place like Nebraska. We have to start giving people time to do something. In the short term, we aren't going to get the kinds of recruiting to be a top 10 team with freshmen and sophomores. It's going to take years of smart recruiting, redshirting and eventual upgrades in talent to create a program that develops guys and relies on 5th year senior type guys to beat the more talented but youthful teams like Ohio state and Michigan. Right now, we don't have anything that resembles that and you can't build it by year 3. That's the reality. And the more times we run off a coach without giving them a real shot, the further away we will become from being relevant again

6 years? Laughing The fogie will be 70 years old at that point. Not a great hire if you're looking for a long term solution.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

Oh I see, 8-3 and unranked but won a conference title with Sugar win and top 1p finish. That's something I can get on board with except, some of you posters would want Riley canned for going 9-3 [12 game schedule] and not ranked in the playoff poll prior to the conference title game.

The point still stands though, he took a step back in year 3, and once again in year 5.

He took a step back after winning a conference championship one year and then another step back after winning a national title? That's how it usually works. You're not going to win it every year.

The point is that he won a title in his second year, which is more than MR has done in nearly two decades.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

He took a step back after winning a conference championship one year and then another step back after winning a national title? That's how it usually works. You're not going to win it every year.

The point is that he won a title in his second year, which is more than MR has done in nearly two decades.

You got nothing!!RollingLaughSick

 

[GBRhuskers_rivals203711]

He took a step back after winning a conference championship one year and then another step back after winning a national title? That's how it usually works. You're not going to win it every year.

The point is that he won a title in his second year, which is more than MR has done in nearly two decades.

What part of "I can get behind that" do you not understand? Not all coaches take a step back; you referenced Meyer so there's one. You shouldn't have named Harbaugh at Michigan though, he doesn't fit your qualifications. He doesn't have a conference title, undefeated season or national title. In year 2. Your words, not mine. I look forward to you changing your stance.

Who's your preferred head coach?

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

Only game that will be trouble is ohio st...they return everybody.

Other than that......we should beat every one else including Wisconsin at home and Oregon on the road.

Anything less than a division title...coach should be on the hot seat

OSU will be the only trouble game? I'd put Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin on that list, too.

I absolutely agree that he should be put on the "hot seat" if we fail to win a division title next year.

 

[TwinsRRUs_rivals79748]

Sometimes it's abundantly clear that you have the right coach.
Other times, it is not. Sometimes it takes years (Osborne).

There are 128+ FBS college football teams. How many of those are want an elite coach?

Out of the hundreds of head coaches in the last 25 years, how many have had undefeated seasons, conference championships and/or national titles within their first two years?

The answer: Very few.

Every school wants their coach to do that, but it isn't possible.
============================================================
Auburn is not Nebraska. They do not have the tradition we have, but they have a good example of hiring the "right coach" per se.

Case in point, Gene Chizik's first two years were successful as he went 8-5 and 14-0 and won the BCS National Championship.

He was fired after year four because he went 8-5 and 3-9 following the championship. If he was the right coach, why did they fire him?

Gus Malzahn was hired to replace Chizik. He went 12-2, then 8-5 in his first two years. He won the SEC his first year.

Is he the right coach? Well, he followed that up with a 7-6 and 8-4. Does Auburn still think he is the right coach?

Maybe Chizik and Malzahn should have learned from Meyer and left after winning so they still looked like great coaches. (2 yrs at Bowling Green, 2 yrs at Utah, 6 yrs at Florida)

 

[GBRhuskers_rivals203711]

I absolutely agree that he should be put on the "hot seat" if we fail to win a division title next year.

Jim Harbaugh is on the hot seat.

 

[GammaxuvirHusker]

What part of "I can get behind that" do you not understand? Not all coaches take a step back; you referenced Meyer so there's one. You shouldn't have named Harbaugh at Michigan though, he doesn't fit your qualifications. He doesn't have a conference title, undefeated season or national title. In year 2. Your words, not mine. I look forward to you changing your stance.

Who's your preferred head coach?

True. Harbaugh fell short this year.

 

[Cidsports]

Saban at LSU
Saban at Alabama
Urban Meyer at Utah
Urban Meyer at Florida
Urban Meyer at OSU
Harbaugh at Michigan
Stoops at Oklahoma
Pete Carroll at USC

Undefeated seasons, conference championships and/or national titles within their first two years at these stops. Sometimes it's abundantly clear that you have the right coach.

We have a coach who in year 2 has brought the team right back to where the previous coach left it. Not exactly inspiring hope for future success.

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz went 8-0 in Big Ten in Year 4 (2002) at Iowa. Of course, Big Ten has championship game in 2017 and 2018.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace_rivals38755]

What part of "I can get behind that" do you not understand? Not all coaches take a step back; you referenced Meyer so there's one. You shouldn't have named Harbaugh at Michigan though, he doesn't fit your qualifications. He doesn't have a conference title, undefeated season or national title. In year 2. Your words, not mine. I look forward to you changing your stance.

Who's your preferred head coach?

Craig Bohl with Scott Frost OC, Chris Klieman as DC. You asked. At least we'd have a future HC in waiting(silent) if Bohl wasn't cutting it.

Future would be way brighter, fan base more behind them and wouldn't have to make another change for 10 + years. Riley's not coaching 6 more years, so we get to start over again. Sweet, huh?

 

[jeans15]

It funny how you guys just chalk the Iowa game as an automatic win every year.

No..I expect to win at home..just like you do.

 

[jeans15]

OSU will be the only trouble game? I'd put Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin on that list, too.

I absolutely agree that he should be put on the "hot seat" if we fail to win a division title next year.

It was a nice way to say...probable loss.

 

[RealTucoSalamanca]

Craig Bohl with Scott Frost OC, Chris Klieman as DC. You asked. At least we'd have a future HC in waiting(silent) if Bohl wasn't cutting it.

Future would be way brighter, fan base more behind them and wouldn't have to make another change for 10 + years. Riley's not coaching 6 more years, so we get to start over again. Sweet, huh?

Right so the DC that gave up 568 yards on the ground to New Mexico and 401 on the ground to UNLV. Pass thanks.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace_rivals38755]

Right so the DC that gave up 568 yards on the ground to New Mexico and 401 on the ground to UNLV. Pass thanks.

Ha, so Banksy hasn't had his hiccups?

At least Klieman knows how to hold Iowa to 21 points & win.