It's been heading that way for several years mainly due to spotty recruiting at many spots, especially the most important position on the team. Hopefully the current recruiting momentum will result in a great class this year; it's been a while.
I know you like to follow recruiting. If you believe those rankings, we're still the most talented team in the division.
As far as the quarterback position, no player has ever thrown for more yards as a sophomore or as a junior than Tommy Armstrong. He's a convenient scapegoat, I suppose, but he's beaten out several highly ranked recruits and will leave Nebraska with a ton of records. He was also 16-5 as a starting quarterback before the coaching staff largely misused him last season. He's also a member of both the Tom Osborne and Brook Berringer Citizenship teams. Great player, great person. Probably would have been closer to 3-9 last season without him.
Here's a partial listing of his accomplishments. They really speak for themselves (and prove his detractors wrong):
Career Passing Yards, 2nd (6,691 yards)
» Career Pass Completions, 2nd (474 completions)
» Career Touchdown Passes, 2nd (53 touchdowns)
» Career Total Offense, 2nd (7,998 yards)
» Career 250-Yard Passing Games, 1st (12 games)
» Career 300-Yard Total Offense Games, 1st (10 games)
» Career Rushing Yards by a Quarterback, 8th (1,309 yards)
» Career Starts by a Quarterback, 5th (33 starts)
» Season Passing Yards, 3rd/5th (3,030 yards in 2015, 2,695 yards in 2014)
» Season Passing Touchdowns, 4th (22 TDs in both 2014 and 2015)
» Season Passing Completions, 5th (222 completions, 2015)
» Season Total Offense, 3rd/4th (3,430 yards in 2015, 3,400 yards in 2014)
» Season 300-Yard Passing Games, 2nd (4, 2015)
» Season 250-Yard Passing Games, 1st-tied (8, 2015)
» Season 300-Yard Total Offense Games, 1st-tied (6, 2015)