I can’t get enough of Nebraska’s trouble.
Will Keyshawn Jr. announce he is coming back today?
Will Keyshawn Jr. announce he is coming back today?
Nebraska's Problem
- Thread starter unoHawkeye
- Start date
#1 They are embarrassingly soft in the trenches
#2 Do not run the football
#2 Do not run the football
Here is their problem in a nutshell and why this is a no win as a coach; Their fan base is stuck in the TO era and expects to compete for NC's every year and win 10-11-12 games a year. The reality is that they have a small recruiting base that is basically the Omaha area (and they don't even lock that down anymore). Iowa is closer to big population areas than they are. No players today remember the glory days of NE at all. They can still have a good program like Iowa's, but their fan base will have a hard time accepting that and they will keep cycling coaches. Its a lot like Minnesota just not as much time has passed yet.
#2: right? For a supposedly "pro style" offense there's not a whole lot of balance
I'm not forgetting about the enhancements, but most people who get strong quickly are assumed to be doing drugs vs just having the proper strength programming. Epley's Nebraska model works well for most, and extremely well for the D1 athlete who has not been previously exposed to a decent regimen.
40 some yards offense for the day against Wisconsin is worse than manhandled it was prison rape level , comn man
I would think their program ceiling is that of Wisconsin, while if they continue this coaching carousel, they will end up being has beens like Minnesota
Not true.... majority of the fan base realizes Nebraska will likely never sniff a national title again anytime soon. The expectations are to be a competitive team and be in contention for the division every year. That's not unrealistic.
Nebraska has no identity. Back in the 90s there were two teams that when you said the name, it made you think immediately of their style: Nebraska and Florida. What kind of offense has Nebraska run since joining the Big Ten? No idea
Those are realistic expectations, but that isnt what I see from their fan base.
With nice guy Mike now gone we'll get to see what they want to try next.
Frost would be nuts to take that job and leave florida.
I'm fine with them continuing to flounder.
Frost would be nuts to take that job and leave florida.
I'm fine with them continuing to flounder.
I've met quite a few fans, living in Omaha, that believe that they can return to the dominance that was achieved in previous decades. But yeah, I think most Nebraska fans may have even been okay with Bo had he not been an asshole to the fan base
That's a pretty narrow definition of "mandhandling". Iowa was pushing them around up front for nearly the entire second half. Looked like a "manhandling" to me.
I suppose you can blame the poor line play on missed assignments, poor execution, etc., but handling assignments and executing are integral parts of good line play. Most of Iowa's O-line problems this year had to do with missed assignments and poor execution, but I'm not going to pretend that Wisconsin and even Purdue didn't control the LOS against us.
At the end of the day, it's mostly semantics. Iowa beat the tar out of NE on the LOS for pretty much the whole second half. Call it what you will.
I worked in neb for over 40 years. The tired 5 natty argument came up every time they got beaten. They absolutely thought they were going to dominate the Big when they joined, EXPECTED conference titles and being in the national title conversation... still do. The internet loudmouths are NOT the minority. That's why every coach since Tom have not been good enough, and why 9 win coaches get fired there.
9 win coaches got fired because they only won games against cupcakes and got boat raced against real competition. Repeatedly
I used "manhandling" to describe what Wisconsin did to us and Muskie evidently disagrees. But yeah we definitely manhandled Nubby haha
From today’s Lincoln Journal Star:
"’Nobody wants to go 4-8,’ he said, adding that he wants to get the football program to the point where 8-4 would be a disappointment.”
8-4 being a “disappointment” sounds to me like the measuring stick of the 80s/90s, not the newly enlightened Husker fan that is apparently everywhere other than the “loud internet” these days.
In terms of the other programs in the B1G, here are the expectations of the Nebby fan base in a nutshell:
Teams that should never beat Big Red (as in these should be guaranteed wins EVERY year):
Rutgers
Illinois
Purdue
Maryland
Indiana
Minnesota
Teams that should rarely beat Big Red (maybe 2 to 3 or maybe 4 times every 10 years or so):
Iowa (1 or 2 times)
Northwestern (1 or 2 times)
Wisconsin (3 or 4 times)
Michigan State (3 or 4 times)
Teams that should beat Big Red the most (roughly 5 times every 10 years or so; i.e., other “blue blood” programs):
Penn State
Michigan
Ohio State
This is how you get 4 losses as a “disappointment”—lose both of your “50:50” games in Tier 3 + a loss to a rare Tier 2 + an OOC loss (or maybe even an unthinkable Tier 1 loss). I don’t see recognition that, while a season like that may not achieve the goal of finishing top in the division and playing for the conference championship, it can still be a “successful” season (depending on a lot of factors) in the reality of the B1G. I await evidence to the contrary from Husker fans, sportswriters, and staff.
Nebraska should contend for the West Division every year. That's my expectation and I think the expectation of most fans (my opinion).
Its not what I see as well. All due respect to Alum-ni...but the fans I encounter are extremely nice people that turn into extreme blowhards at even the slightest suggestion that anything could be better than the glory that is Lincoln, lecturing you endlessly on your folly for ever believeing that anything your team does is REALLY that good. Just being competitive would never be enough for them. Maybe they are just bandwagon post 90s fans. My brother is one. The Big Ten Husker experience has been humbling for him. I also know a lot of Iowa fans that are the similar btw.
Let me guess because you were good in the 90's you expect to be good now? Minnesota was a power in the 60's.
No, not at all. But it shouldn't be too much to ask for to be competitive for the Big Ten West every year (not necessarily win it, but be in contention).
Iowa's goal should be the same. Why let Wisconsin run roughshod over the division year in and year out?
Yeah, Nebraska has not adjusted well to B10 competition. Penn State had a similar experience - parts of their fan base still harbor conspiracy theories against the Commissioner for slowing their march to dominance. And, just like Nebraska fans, PSU had a very hard time accepting losses to Iowa.... especially when Ferentz was routinely beating St. JoePa.
When they joined, I'm pretty sure Husker fans never imagined a time would come when Iowa had won 3 straight games at Memorial Stadium, not to mention consecutive 30 point humiliations. I attended a family reunion in Omaha the year Pelini was hired and remember my nephew wearing a "Restore The Order" t-shirt and describing how Nebraska would school the "slow" and predictable B10 lol I wonder if he kept that t-shirt for the next savior of Husker football.
When they joined, I'm pretty sure Husker fans never imagined a time would come when Iowa had won 3 straight games at Memorial Stadium, not to mention consecutive 30 point humiliations. I attended a family reunion in Omaha the year Pelini was hired and remember my nephew wearing a "Restore The Order" t-shirt and describing how Nebraska would school the "slow" and predictable B10 lol I wonder if he kept that t-shirt for the next savior of Husker football.
In defense of some (perhaps a lot) of Husker fan expectations when joining the league....at the time the Big Ten was down. But still a lot of solid programs and the entire league was/is on the upswing when the Huskers joined. Everyone has money, coaches, facilities and expectations. The league certainly opened a lot of fans eyes....and that's a good thing
Realistic fans shouldn't have expected dominance out of the gate. The Huskers certainly weren't doing that in the Big 12. The perception of the Big Ten was not reality for most.
Realistic fans shouldn't have expected dominance out of the gate. The Huskers certainly weren't doing that in the Big 12. The perception of the Big Ten was not reality for most.
Wrong how? If you're my nephew, time to fess up.
Edit to correct prior post:
from
"When they joined, I'm pretty sure Husker fans never imagined a time would come when Iowa had won 3 straight games at Memorial Stadium, not to mention consecutive 30 point humiliations.."
to
"When they joined, I'm pretty sure Husker fans never imagined a time would come when Iowa had won 3 straight games at Memorial Stadium, not to mention a 30 point humiliation followed by a 42 point beatdown"
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This may be true, but in 2011 what was scary about Iowa? On top of that Nebraska did come in and win 2 in a row. Congrats on iowas recent run of three wins in a row.
In 2014, 8-3 (5-2) Minnesota played at Wisconsin in the final week of the season for the West Division title. They had previously lost OOC at TCU, by 4 at Illinois, and at home by a touchdown to #8 Ohio State. They lost in Madison by 10 to finish 8-4 (5-3) and finish second in the division to the Badgers 10-2 (7-1).
Would a season like that align with your expectations (and the expectations of Husker Nation), or would it be unacceptable like your AD has recently given indications?
I am distantly related by marriage to ex-Husker player from their glory days and humbly suggested to him at outset when they joined the Big Ten, that they would find to win consistently in November in the Big Ten, unlike the Big 12, they would need plenty of heavy horse. I think Bo understood that and was working successfully to stockpile Big Ten caliber interior lineman. Evidently, Riley did not feel that was necessary.
I just want a team consistently in contention for the division and simply competitive in all games.
Fair enough, and just so we’re clear, I believe that’s the “right” mindset (and in general, the one I hold for my Hawkeyes—although at 52, these games are not nearly as important to me as they once were). Your AD, however, has stated otherwise.
Iowa fan cannot see past their husker hate and jealousy to understand that most husker fans want a team the contends for B1G West often and get to the B1G every 5 years or so. You cannot have 2 losing seasons out of three simple as that, there were not even glimpses that it was working. A lot of us hoped it would work. Iowa fan that said mediocre mike wouldn’t work were right, but in typical Iowa fan fashion, Iowa fan is now claiming husker fan expectations are unreal. I’m not surprised to hear it from Iowa fan, but wish they could see their idiocy.
Says the guy who lives on an Iowa message board. That is hate and jealousy...NTTAWWT
I think Bo was emotionally fired for losing some big games then they claimed it was for image.
