Nice story from the front page outlining NU's struggles in the B1G

[cthusker]

So do I.... I absolutely refuse to go into this season with all the hand wringing negative crap being spewed. I think this team is very close to being very good. Bottom line being negative is not who I am therefore until proven different I'm all in on believing we're going to have a good season.
GBR

 

[FLAinCALI]

I think leaving the Big 12 was disastrous for our football program. Lack of Texas recruiting. The elephant in the room that everyone poo poo’d off when changing conferences.

OF COURSE it was the right move.

Leaving the B12 was the right move. The B12 is a dumpster fire of a conference that is run by Texas. We are still the redhead steep child in the B1G but we are out of the abusive relationship with a Texas-run conference.

How relevant is the B12 anymore?

 

[LoneTreeHusker]

Getting into the B1G was huge. The conference is a powerhouse in multiple sports, including basketball, football and volleyball. We are finally doing what is needed to compete in basketball with the uptick with recruiting.

Football seems so close to breaking through. Hopefully this is the year we win some of the close games we have lost. On paper it looks like we finally adjusted our recruiting to fit the size and power of the conference.

As just a fan without any insider knowledge, it seems we underestimated how tough the B1G was week after week in football. We were humbled and now we seem to have learned what we need to do. Let’s win some games this year and look ahead to a more competitive next 10 years.

 

[FLAinCALI]

Getting into the B1G was huge. The conference is a powerhouse in multiple sports, including basketball, football and volleyball. We are finally doing what is needed to compete in basketball with the uptick with recruiting.

Football seems so close to breaking through. Hopefully this is the year we win some of the close games we have lost. On paper it looks like we finally adjusted our recruiting to fit the size and power of the conference.

As just a fan without any insider knowledge, it seems we underestimated how tough the B1G was week after week in football. We were humbled and now we seem to have learned what we need to do. Let’s win some games this year and look ahead to a more competitive next 10 years.

Yes we did when we first came in and then Frost did it again when he took over. I think everyone has sobered up now so we can get the job done.

I think we will be much more competitive sooner than 10 years.

 

[KTexUNLfan]

Nailed it. Very well researched article. Sometimes the truth hurts but you've got to face it. It's a new day with an AD who should be here a long time, so we can hopefully move forward.

 

[wheat]

Yes we did when we first came in and then Frost did it again when he took over. I think everyone has sobered up now so we can get the job done.

I think we will be much more competitive sooner than 10 years.

Trev's got a bit of a tight rope to walk. There's obviously a segment of the fan base that has turned on the staff and is intent on being relentlessly vocal about it. At the same time, being one of the first to make a coaching change in the era of unfettered free agency is high risk. Coaching changes are going to carry huge consequences going forward, as a team could easily end up with 50 or less guys on scholarship, half of them true freshmen, the following season. I'm willing to be more patient with Frost because that's the path to being competitive sooner. We aren't far from the record being more acceptable but, as we all know, some elements (turnovers, penalties, special teams) have to improve signficantly for that to happen. I think we start to turn the corner this year with the proven recipe for success, which is solid (or better) play along both lines.

I agree with others that Perlman should have been identified as a primary source of the problems/instability. Nebraska athletics would likely be in a much better situation right now had Harvey been remotely competent in that aspect of his job at UNL. I still wish someone like Sipple would clarify the things that happened in that era. With the recent changes, it could now be couched as the cautionary aspect of a forward looking article on the importance of competent upper level and athletic administration and cohesion between the two.

 

[NUinID]

Nebraska and the Big Ten: A decade of struggle for stability

In 2011, Nebraska joined the Big Ten in what was a celebrated move, especially for the football team. In the decade since, Nebraska football has struggled to find its footing in an increasingly deep conference and an unfamiliar region.

web.archive.org

I agree with every thing he outlined. Stability has been our biggest nemesis. It's a good read & definitely not a hit piece.

Nice article and it is pretty accurate. Stability has been the programs big problem since Solich was fired in 2003. I thought it was the wrong move then and still think it is the wrong move now. Not because I think Solich was going to take us to 2 NC, but because I thought he made the necessary chances to his staff to get Nebraska going again.

Stability is what is going to get Nebraska back to respectability in football, stability and patience. Your not going to fire your way back to respectability. I'm with @cthusker I think this team can take a good jump this year. We will see if it does. I expect at the minimum a 6-6 season, but I think they can do better.

One of the other problems that Rittenburg addresses is that Nebraska is burdened by its past. I agree with this. Solich was fired because Steve Pederson would not let Nebraska slip into mediocrity. He said that after a 9-3 season on its way to a 10-3 season with the bowl win. We were like spoiled children at that point. It wasn't good enough. So we thought we could fire are way from being a pretty good and respected football team back to the top.

Nebraska is burdened by its past. There are still thousands of Nebraska fans all in that 40 and up range worried about Nebraska being great again. Right now they want to skip being good and move right to great. As the article says I am an not sure that is going to happen. I don't think Nebraska is getting back to year in and year out being 11-1 and playing OSU for the conference title. It doesn't mean it will never happen its just not going to be Alabama, Clemson, OSU, OU and Nebraska playing in the playoffs every year.

Nebraska needs to get back to being consistently good. Fans have to get over thinking that 8-4 is a mediocre record. If anything 4-8,5-7 and 3-5 should have taught everyone that 8-4 is a pretty good record. Being good means you see that 8-4 record every now and then. You also see 9-3 a lot and that special 10-2 and 11-1 season. But you may also see 7-5 once in a while. I am OK with that.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

Nebraska and the Big Ten: A decade of struggle for stability

In 2011, Nebraska joined the Big Ten in what was a celebrated move, especially for the football team. In the decade since, Nebraska football has struggled to find its footing in an increasingly deep conference and an unfamiliar region.

web.archive.org

I agree with every thing he outlined. Stability has been our biggest nemesis. It's a good read & definitely not a hit piece.

The final quote from Osborne is notable:

"There's always an ebb and a flow with programs, and we've gone through a difficult stretch, but the basics are pretty good," he said. "We hope we can be long-term Big Ten, and we can be competitive. I don't have a crystal ball. I can't predict what's going to happen five, 10 years from now, but I have a little bit of an idea of what's going to happen this fall, and I think we'll be improved." (bold added)​

He mentioned earlier in the piece that he had attended some practices this spring, which I don't believe he had done in the past. I already believed the bold, so this is confirmation bias on my part, but I like the fact that Osborne is thinking what I'm thinking. It never hurts to have a hall of fame coach in the same corner.

 

[HuskerNash]

Nice article and it is pretty accurate. Stability has been the programs big problem since Solich was fired in 2003. I thought it was the wrong move then and still think it is the wrong move now. Not because I think Solich was going to take us to 2 NC, but because I thought he made the necessary chances to his staff to get Nebraska going again.

Stability is what is going to get Nebraska back to respectability in football, stability and patience. Your not going to fire your way back to respectability. I'm with @cthusker I think this team can take a good jump this year. We will see if it does. I expect at the minimum a 6-6 season, but I think they can do better.

One of the other problems that Rittenburg addresses is that Nebraska is burdened by its past. I agree with this. Solich was fired because Steve Pederson would not let Nebraska slip into mediocrity. He said that after a 9-3 season on its way to a 10-3 season with the bowl win. We were like spoiled children at that point. It wasn't good enough. So we thought we could fire are way from being a pretty good and respected football team back to the top.

Nebraska is burdened by its past. There are still thousands of Nebraska fans all in that 40 and up range worried about Nebraska being great again. Right now they want to skip being good and move right to great. As the article says I am an not sure that is going to happen. I don't think Nebraska is getting back to year in and year out being 11-1 and playing OSU for the conference title. It doesn't mean it will never happen its just not going to be Alabama, Clemson, OSU, OU and Nebraska playing in the playoffs every year.

Nebraska needs to get back to being consistently good. Fans have to get over thinking that 8-4 is a mediocre record. If anything 4-8,5-7 and 3-5 should have taught everyone that 8-4 is a pretty good record. Being good means you see that 8-4 record every now and then. You also see 9-3 a lot and that special 10-2 and 11-1 season. But you may also see 7-5 once in a while. I am OK with that.

I am one of those in the 40+ age bracket but I’m not expecting great. I would define good as 8 to 10 wins, rare blowouts, a New Years bowl every now and then and a appearance in the big 10 championship game now and then. I don’t expect us to be at Ohio state level. I am ok with missing the mark occasionally as well. I think you are off the mark understanding what most fans want.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

I think you are off the mark understanding what most fans want.

I think that you're off the mark. If you don't think that there are A LOT of Nebraska fans who think that we're still just one magical coach hire away from repeating the 90s, you're hanging out in a more reasonable circle than most. There has been a negative separation where there are now many former Husker fans who think that we'll never be anything better than average again, so if that's your reference point, I guess that I don't know how to average them into the statistics, but of those who still buy tickets and attend games? A LOT think that we should be regularly winning the B1G. I don't know how to come up with a percentage, but I meet them everywhere I go and see Husker fans.

 

[NUinID]

I am one of those in the 40+ age bracket but I’m not expecting great. I would define good as 8 to 10 wins, rare blowouts, a New Years bowl every now and then and a appearance in the big 10 championship game now and then. I don’t expect us to be at Ohio state level. I am ok with missing the mark occasionally as well. I think you are off the mark understanding what most fans want.

Well I think your definition of good and mine are pretty much the same if you go back and reread my post. I didn't say most fans either. I said thousands of fans. There are also thousands of fans that have realistic expectations of what to expect out of Nebraska as a football team also.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think that you're off the mark. If you don't think that there are A LOT of Nebraska fans who think that we're still just one magical coach hire away from repeating the 90s, you're hanging out in a more reasonable circle than most. There has been a negative separation where there are now many former Husker fans who think that we'll never be anything better than average again, so if that's your reference point, I guess that I don't know how to average them into the statistics, but of those who still buy tickets and attend games? A LOT think that we should be regularly winning the B1G. I don't know how to come up with a percentage, but I meet them everywhere I go and see Husker fans.

I don't think it's unreasonable to think NU should win our division about half the time, and almost always in the top 3 of our division. If we coach, and play smart football, that's almost guaranteed with our resources
We do that, we win the conference a couple times a decade and make the playoffs.

I became a fan in 1969. I'm a fan that was always appreciative of Tom Osborne, even before his final 5 years. I don't expect greatness, but know you can't ever be great if you are never good. I want Nebraska to be consistently good. I don't think that is unreasonable.

 

[Rocky Top Husker]

I am one of those in the 40+ age bracket but I’m not expecting great. I would define good as 8 to 10 wins, rare blowouts, a New Years bowl every now and then and a appearance in the big 10 championship game now and then. I don’t expect us to be at Ohio state level. I am ok with missing the mark occasionally as well. I think you are off the mark understanding what most fans want.

I think you pretty much nailed my expectations for this program and I am willing to bet that the majority of us fortunate enough to witness NU football at its best would agree.

Quote from the article:

“few expected Nebraska to complete its first Big Ten decade at 68-55, 43-41 in conference play. Since 2011, Nebraska ranks 54th nationally in win percentage (.553) and eighth among Big Ten teams.”

I think most fans expected Nebraska to join Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State at the top of the conference standings when NU joined the B1G. Little did we know that NU not only wouldn’t compete for championships but would be a middle of the pack team in their own division more seasons than not, looking up to the likes of Wisconsin, NW, Iowa and Minnesota.

I can only speak for myself but at this point after 4 straight losing seasons I’d be satisfied with a fundamentally sound and competitive team, something I haven’t witnessed in a very long time. Until that’s corrected, championships are unrealistic.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think you pretty much nailed my expectations for this program and I am willing to bet that the majority of us fortunate enough to witness NU football at its best would agree.

Quote from the article:

“few expected Nebraska to complete its first Big Ten decade at 68-55, 43-41 in conference play. Since 2011, Nebraska ranks 54th nationally in win percentage (.553) and eighth among Big Ten teams.”

I think most fans expected Nebraska to join Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State at the top of the conference standings when NU joined the B1G. Little did we know that NU not only wouldn’t compete for championships but would be a middle of the pack team in their own division more seasons than not, looking up to the likes of Wisconsin, NW, Iowa and Minnesota.

I can only speak for myself but at this point after 4 straight losing seasons I’d be satisfied with a fundamentally sound and competitive team, something I haven’t witnessed in a very long time. Until that’s corrected, championships are unrealistic.

Take care of the fundamentals, winning takes care of itself.

 

[HuskerNash]

Well I think your definition of good and mine are pretty much the same if you go back and reread my post. I didn't say most fans either. I said thousands of fans. There are also thousands of fans that have realistic expectations of what to expect out of Nebraska as a football team also.

Fair enough. I read into your post as most fans. Apologies