Yeah, It's not hard to get that way when we've had what we've had the past 8 years. It's a combination of bad coaching and recruiting fostered by some really bad decisions by our administration. But that's in the past, so it's time for many here to buck up and be a little more positive, at least until there's reason to be negative again. Some points:
1. The athletic program, for the first time since TO, is now being run by someone who is competent and understands what it takes to win here. Sure, we could have said that about Frost in 2018, but Trev is a pro and for the first time in our athletic history, he opened the checkbook to bring on a coach and staff that's 21st century. No more doing things on the cheap in this program.
2. The new coach has brought a level of organization and accountability to this program that has not been around since TO. As one would expect, it's going to be hard initially because you can't clean up everything in 9 months, but the progress on almost all fronts is noticeable and dramatic.
3. Rhule is not starting from scratch. In the likely top 48 players, 32 were here and playing last year. We have 17 returning starters on a team that frankly, had they been coached in 2022 by a competent staff from January to the end of the season, would have been a 9 win team.
4. We have a new QB who, despite the detractors, is a serious athletic upgrade from any QB we've had the past 6 years. People are worried about turnovers, but it's not just about turnovers, but rather the number of big plays that a QB can make verses the number of turnovers he makes.
5. We have a head coach for the first time since TO who comes in to Nebraska with a history as a winning college football coach. This can't be understated and is one of the big points of optimism. This head coach is at the top of the learning curve, coaching at all levels of football. He's seen it all and has won in college football.
6. We have a coach that seems to be able to secure his recruiting class early and not rely on reaches at the end of the cycle. A coach who seems to be actually able to evaluate talent and character at a much higher level than we have seen since TO.
7. Finally and I think most important, we have a staff now that by all indications can compete on Saturday with other elite coaching staffs in the B10 and nationally. No more getting out coached by the staff at Troy and Georgia Southern. No more being dominated by staffs at Wisconsin, Iowa, or Purdue.
So stop being pathetic wimps and get fired up for what's to come, maybe not early, but over the long-term.
1. The athletic program, for the first time since TO, is now being run by someone who is competent and understands what it takes to win here. Sure, we could have said that about Frost in 2018, but Trev is a pro and for the first time in our athletic history, he opened the checkbook to bring on a coach and staff that's 21st century. No more doing things on the cheap in this program.
2. The new coach has brought a level of organization and accountability to this program that has not been around since TO. As one would expect, it's going to be hard initially because you can't clean up everything in 9 months, but the progress on almost all fronts is noticeable and dramatic.
3. Rhule is not starting from scratch. In the likely top 48 players, 32 were here and playing last year. We have 17 returning starters on a team that frankly, had they been coached in 2022 by a competent staff from January to the end of the season, would have been a 9 win team.
4. We have a new QB who, despite the detractors, is a serious athletic upgrade from any QB we've had the past 6 years. People are worried about turnovers, but it's not just about turnovers, but rather the number of big plays that a QB can make verses the number of turnovers he makes.
5. We have a head coach for the first time since TO who comes in to Nebraska with a history as a winning college football coach. This can't be understated and is one of the big points of optimism. This head coach is at the top of the learning curve, coaching at all levels of football. He's seen it all and has won in college football.
6. We have a coach that seems to be able to secure his recruiting class early and not rely on reaches at the end of the cycle. A coach who seems to be actually able to evaluate talent and character at a much higher level than we have seen since TO.
7. Finally and I think most important, we have a staff now that by all indications can compete on Saturday with other elite coaching staffs in the B10 and nationally. No more getting out coached by the staff at Troy and Georgia Southern. No more being dominated by staffs at Wisconsin, Iowa, or Purdue.
So stop being pathetic wimps and get fired up for what's to come, maybe not early, but over the long-term.
