(Five) New Coaches on the Husker Schedule for 2012

[Red Reign]

FYI......from the folks at the Big Red Network blog....pretty much nails it....

The early read on the 2012 schedule was that Nebraska was going to be facing a lot of bowl teams. Not only had the Big Ten just sent ten teams to bowl games, but Southern Miss (11-2), Arkansas State (10-2), and UCLA (6-7) all had postseason plans. Now the carryover from last season to next season is far less apparent. The Bruins fired their coach and the Golden Eagles and Red Wolves saw theirs get hired away. Within the conference, Ohio State and Penn State are replacing head coaches which means the Huskers will now face (at least) five coaches in their first year as head man at their school.

For Southern Miss and Arkansas State that's probably a bad thing. The Golden Eagles lost Larry Fedora to North Carolina. The Red Wolves lost Hugh Freeze to Ole Miss. Trying to defend a conference championship is hard enough with the same coach, but adapting to a new one makes it that much more challenging. You could debate whether replacing Paterno is a positive or negative for Penn State (putting aside the horrors that took place there). From a purely football perspective, the Nittany Lions were having a nice season before controversy exploded.

Ohio State seems to clearly have upgraded their head coach. The game in Columbus now just got that much tougher.

You'd still call Nebraska's schedule for next season a very difficult one. Chances are that it will again rank as one of the toughest in the country. But all this coach swapping probably nets out to an easier road than it may have appeared a few weeks ago for NU.

Read more here:

http://bigrednetwork.com/story/new_c...dule_for_2012/

[RedBlack&Blue]

Seemed to hurt us v Michigan.

[Red Reign]

True....

Seemed to hurt us v Michigan.

[HuskerWeatherman]

Arkansas State and Southern Miss -- while coming off solid seasons -- are two teams you simply cannot afford to lose to (regardless of who their coach is). Just about any coach at UCLA is an upgrade. Urban Meyer is certainly an upgrade. Penn State...who knows? We caught them at their lowest point this season -- but I still feel (regardless of the coach in 2012), that's a team Nebraska should beat in Lincoln.

[DuckTownHusker]

We might be fortunate to get Urban Meyer in his first season. Ohio State has talent and now they have the proper coaching, but it still takes time to gel. In Bo's first season, we had highs and lows:

-Blow out losses to Missouri and Oklahoma
-Annihilated Kansas State and Iowa State
-Nail-biters against a very strong Virginia Tech squad and an OT loss to Texas Tech.

Ohio State's 2012 schedule is spaced out nicely since they get big opponents in duos: Michigan State and Nebraska, Penn State and Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Michigan State is the only real tough test for the Buckeyes before Husker Week, so we'll be sure to get their best game, especially if they lose in East Lansing the week before. But again, with a new coach and a new scheme their offense may just be falling into place by October. Either way, it'll be tough for the Huskers, but certainly not a guaranteed loss. Fortunately, we play stronger competition before that game (Southern Miss, UCLA, Wisconsin), so we should be in fighting shape.

[Red Reign]

Jim Mora is a huge disappointment....has never coached in college except as a GA at Washington in 1984....never recruited etc.....very underwhelming among the alum out here...talk that the AD botched this by not having a plan when he fired Rick N. and he may be gone himself......lot of mad folks...I think is a dud myself...they could nto attract any other top canidates....

Having Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State at home will be a big plus....

Arkansas State and Southern Miss -- while coming off solid seasons -- are two teams you simply cannot afford to lose to (regardless of who their coach is). Just about any coach at UCLA is an upgrade. Urban Meyer is certainly an upgrade. Penn State...who knows? We caught them at their lowest point this season -- but I still feel (regardless of the coach in 2012), that's a team Nebraska should beat in Lincoln.

[Big "D"zasker]

Jim Mora is a huge disappointment....has never coached in college except as a GA at Washington in 1984....never recruited etc.....very underwhelming among the alum out here...talk that the AD botched this by not having a plan when he fired Rick N. and he may be gone himself......lot of mad folks...I think is a dud myself...they could nto attract any other top canidates....

Having Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State at home will be a big plus....

Lord knows we've never seen that before!

[Rs11]

I'm one of the few people who think that Jim Mora might just work out. He can certainly sell, which what recruiting is anyway. He's got tons of NFL and college connections and should be able to put together a decent staff. It all depends on his assistants. He's organized and can coach defense. I don't know what happened in Seattle but here in Atlanta, he was saddled with Michael Vick although Matt Schaub was clearly a better quarterback. His mouth may get him in trouble and I don't expect him to be great the first year. But, unlike Callahan and NU, he's not likely to remake an entire offense because I could not see any particular offense on UCLA's part anyway.

[Red Reign]

To me he is an NFL guy and he is going to have to rethink in order to be sucessful in the college game...and with boosters closing their checkbooks he won't get much time....

I'm one of the few people who think that Jim Mora might just work out. He can certainly sell, which what recruiting is anyway. He's got tons of NFL and college connections and should be able to put together a decent staff. It all depends on his assistants. He's organized and can coach defense. I don't know what happened in Seattle but here in Atlanta, he was saddled with Michael Vick although Matt Schaub was clearly a better quarterback. His mouth may get him in trouble and I don't expect him to be great the first year. But, unlike Callahan and NU, he's not likely to remake an entire offense because I could not see any particular offense on UCLA's part anyway.

[HuskerWeatherman]

Jim Mora is a huge disappointment....has never coached in college except as a GA at Washington in 1984....never recruited etc.....very underwhelming among the alum out here...talk that the AD botched this by not having a plan when he fired Rick N. and he may be gone himself......lot of mad folks...I think is a dud myself...they could nto attract any other top canidates....

Having Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State at home will be a big plus....

i agree that mora is nothing special... but i can't imagine he'll be any worse than skippy (who was absolutely horrible).

[HuskerWeatherman]

We might be fortunate to get Urban Meyer in his first season. Ohio State has talent and now they have the proper coaching, but it still takes time to gel. In Bo's first season, we had highs and lows:

emphasis on "might be".... again, how long did it take brady hoke to turn michigan around? how long did it take urban meyer to turn florida around? braxton miller is a stud -- and was just a freshman this year... and they aren't lacking talent. i'm willing to bet ohio state improves significantly from this season in urban's first year. i strongly believe this will be one of nebraska's two most difficult games in 2012.

in bo's 2nd, 3rd, and 4th season, we had highs and lows.