Boy howdy, the NYTimes really nailed the current state of Nebraska Football:

[DudznSudz]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/s...ska-football-hopes-for-breakthrough.html?_r=0

I am more optimistic than this, but a lot of what is in this article rings true.

 

[DudznSudz]

Oh, and even though this article is a little depressing, it should serve as a reason why we need to beat the living crap out of Oregon tomorrow!

GBR!

 

[Digger6185]

The reporter's comment " The evolution of college football has eroded the team’s structural advantages and exposed its intrinsic shortcomings" I beg to differ.... The reporter glazed over our problem... Since Dr. tom's retirement we can place Husker football demise on the fact we have lacked really good coaching! OU is also land trap plains university, but once they got excellent coaching back the success has followed..... Win baby win and it will put some east coast New Yorker's computer idle..... GBR1

 

[shine003]

Stupid. Not saying there are no valid points, but lots blue blood program have had a down period...Oklahoma, USC, Texas, Notre Dame. Not saying it will be easy, but Nebraska can climb back into things. We've had 3 terrible head coaching hires after Osborne. No way of knowing if Riley will work out, but the right staff can reignite the Nebraska program.

 

[jteten]

Stupid. Not saying there are no valid points, but lots blue blood program have had a down period...Oklahoma, USC, Texas, Notre Dame. Not saying it will be easy, but Nebraska can climb back into things. We've had 3 terrible head coaching hires after Osborne. No way of knowing if Riley will work out, but the right staff can reignite the Nebraska program.

Yep. College football is all about coaching. Put a shitty coach on Bama, and they would fail. On the contrary, put Saban or Harbaugh on any top 25ish program and they would become immediate threats. In no sport does paying up, way up, for a coach make more sense. Coaching and recruiting with the ability to truly lockdown almost limitless talent and an outstanding staff. No salary caps and mostly transparent limitations on what coaches can do and say.

 

[WHCSC]

Oh, and even though this article is a little depressing, it should serve as a reason why we need to beat the living crap out of Oregon tomorrow!

GBR!

Yep, and I think while winning will no doubt give the program a boost, losing anything other than a very close one could be devastating.

 

[DudznSudz]

Yeah. I also am wondering why this article failed to mention that many powerhouse programs, including Alabama, were jokes for yeaaaaaars before finally righting their ships. It happens, and yes, the designed strengths of the Nebraska football program no longer work as well, but give us a few winning seasons and some good recruiting and we'll be back in the top 15 year over year for sure.

 

[Truehuskerfan]

Yep. College football is all about coaching. Put a shitty coach on Bama, and they would fail. On the contrary, put Saban or Harbaugh on any top 25ish program and they would become immediate threats. In no sport does paying up, way up, for a coach make more sense. Coaching and recruiting with the ability to truly lockdown almost limitless talent and an outstanding staff. No salary caps and mostly transparent limitations on what coaches can do and say.

I've been saying this for years-there is not a program out there that can't be successful without the right coach. I mean really-every program had to start somewhere. No program magically started winning games out of nowhere. It was when they hired the right coach. It's not a coincidence that we started winning lots of games after we hired Bob Devaney. Today, it seems like Florida State has been among the college football elite forever, but they were nobody before Bobby Bowden. The idea that there is something that has changed in college football that means we can't be successful anymore is preposterous. Come on-freakin' Iowa won 12 games last year. They certainly don't have anything we don't have.

 

[chicolby]

The notion that Tuscaloosa, Norman, South Bend are some desirable places to live is what baffles me. As other posters mentioned, good coaches overcome many things. Now I believe that Bill Snyder is an amazing coach and probably reached the ceiling for what K-State could accomplish, but that's the nice thing about having the fan base, expectations, and infrastructure at Nebraska. When we get the right coach (crossing my fingers that he's here now), our ceiling is playing for National Championships, not finishing in the top 10.

 

[Truehuskerfan]

One other thing-this idea that people are upset that passing the football is severing the program from its roots and we need to run over people is always exaggerated. Yeah, there are some ultra traditionalists that feel that way, but most fans just want to see wins and they don't care how we do it.
And of course we have to endure in this article the typical simplistic we fired a coach in Bo Pelini that won 9 games every season nonsense. Yes, that's true as far as that matters, and it's also true that there were many more reasons aside from that why he was fired. Once again we see how incredibly two-faced the national media is. For years we had to endure the media telling us he was embarrassing the program with his behavior. Then we get rid of him, and the media can't figure out why we got rid of him. But again, I can't expect much more from a simplistic article like this that just regurgitates the same stuff we've been hearing for years.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Marc Tracy has joined The New York Times’ sports department as a college sports reporter. He was most recently a staff writer for The New Republic since June 2012, covering politics, entertainment and sports. Prior to The New Republic, Tracy wrote for Tablet, a daily Jewish lifestyle publication.


Just another unqualified dude with a computer and an opinion.

 

[WPGator]

Marc Tracy has joined The New York Times’ sports department as a college sports reporter. He was most recently a staff writer for The New Republic since June 2012, covering politics, entertainment and sports. Prior to The New Republic, Tracy wrote for Tablet, a daily Jewish lifestyle publication.


Just another unqualified dude with a computer and an opinion.

Doesn't surprise me - he insinuates that Osborne installed a triple-option offense while an assistant under Devaney. Obviously didn't do his homework on Nebraska Football.

 

[SWIowahawks]

What the article is trying to illustrate are the downfalls of Lincoln compared to the other programs that have been resurrected. Bama is in the south and the SEC. Oklahoma is in the south and borders Texas. Ohio St. Is in Ohio, which is arguably the most talent recruiting state in the north. Texas is in Texas. It's about recruiting in your own back yard. Year in and year out.

Coaching does make a huge difference in those teams getting back to dominance. Michigan got lucky having Harbaugh as an alum. Does Nebraska have that savior waiting in the wings somewhere?

Does the national media treat Nebraska like they do Michigan, OSU, etc? I certainly don't think so. The national media is needed to keep the Nebraska brand alive since its been 15 years since they have done anything of substance.

I'm thinking with the right coach, Nebraska could be a Michigan St level program for sure. The one thing Nebraska has over MSU is the history as tremendous fan base. Maybe instead of thriving to all of a sudden be like Ohio St., thrive to be like MSU first. Then see where that takes ya. Just my two cents on the subject.

 

[dockentwo]

What the article is trying to illustrate are the downfalls of Lincoln compared to the other programs that have been resurrected. Bama is in the south and the SEC. Oklahoma is in the south and borders Texas. Ohio St. Is in Ohio, which is arguably the most talent recruiting state in the north. Texas is in Texas. It's about recruiting in your own back yard. Year in and year out.

Coaching does make a huge difference in those teams getting back to dominance. Michigan got lucky having Harbaugh as an alum. Does Nebraska have that savior waiting in the wings somewhere?

Does the national media treat Nebraska like they do Michigan, OSU, etc? I certainly don't think so. The national media is needed to keep the Nebraska brand alive since its been 15 years since they have done anything of substance.

I'm thinking with the right coach, Nebraska could be a Michigan St level program for sure. The one thing Nebraska has over MSU is the history as tremendous fan base. Maybe instead of thriving to all of a sudden be like Ohio St., thrive to be like MSU first. Then see where that takes ya. Just my two cents on the subject.

You have lots of good two cents: but you do realize we beat MSU last year and should have beaten you - TA's worst day

 

[NorthWillRiseAgain]

What the article is trying to illustrate are the downfalls of Lincoln compared to the other programs that have been resurrected. Bama is in the south and the SEC. Oklahoma is in the south and borders Texas. Ohio St. Is in Ohio, which is arguably the most talent recruiting state in the north. Texas is in Texas. It's about recruiting in your own back yard. Year in and year out.

Coaching does make a huge difference in those teams getting back to dominance. Michigan got lucky having Harbaugh as an alum. Does Nebraska have that savior waiting in the wings somewhere?

Does the national media treat Nebraska like they do Michigan, OSU, etc? I certainly don't think so. The national media is needed to keep the Nebraska brand alive since its been 15 years since they have done anything of substance.

I'm thinking with the right coach, Nebraska could be a Michigan St level program for sure. The one thing Nebraska has over MSU is the history as tremendous fan base. Maybe instead of thriving to all of a sudden be like Ohio St., thrive to be like MSU first. Then see where that takes ya. Just my two cents on the subject.

The one thing we have? Championships and being close to the top on total wins doesn't help now?

Nebraska needs baby steps, but the fact is, their ceiling is right up with the best of them.

 

[jedimasterjed]

The future of Nebraska Football is much brighter than the future of the NYtimes. To many positives things going for the huskers.

 

[Spectrumalaska]

If we strive to be like MSU, maybe we can be like them. Here, I would rather we strive to be like Nebraska, afterall, we have a much more decorated history, and resulting accomplishments.

I prefer we always strive to be like NU.

 

[NikkiSixx]

Just Win.

 

[Huskers_Rule]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/s...ska-football-hopes-for-breakthrough.html?_r=0

I am more optimistic than this, but a lot of what is in this article rings true.

When did we ever play the wishbone. Tom brought the passing game to the Huskers as an assistant not the wishbone as he states.

 

[SWIowahawks]

The one thing we have? Championships and being close to the top on total wins doesn't help now?

Nebraska needs baby steps, but the fact is, their ceiling is right up with the best of them.

Correct. I don't think that stuff helps right now. It's been 15 years since Nebraska has done anything newsworthy for these 16, 17, 18 year old kids to notice. It helps fans think they should be accustomed to championships and winning but I don't think it means squat to high school kids from Texas, California, Ohio, etc.

 

[SWIowahawks]

You have lots of good two cents: but you do realize we beat MSU last year and should have beaten you - TA's worst day

Fully aware on the first part, but the second one is another debate for another time. MSU did win the conference title and went to the CFB playoff. They have a really excellent stretch going on that is better than Michigans and to some extent, better than Ohio State's.

That's the expectation I would set for Nebraska to become relevant to high school kids. Then the history of Nebraska can become relevant into rebuilding to Bama status. Oh ya, plus a really good coach.

 

[Digger6185]

I am always baffled when pundits (including anti-huskers) place too much emphasis on all other factors instead of true reason to Husker's football 15-year run of mediocre ...... ITS COACHING..... Bama was nothing for awhile, TEX-azz was irrelevant, USC.... Norte Dame.... Man the list goes on....... So SWIAhawk go give your 2 cents on your teams page instead of trolling Husker Rivals.... Just my 2 cents too!!!! GBR1

 

[SWIowahawks]

I am always baffled when pundits (including anti-huskers) place too much emphasis on all other factors instead of true reason to Husker's football 15-year run of mediocre ...... ITS COACHING..... Bama was nothing for awhile, TEX-azz was irrelevant, USC.... Norte Dame.... Man the list goes on....... So SWIAhawk go give your 2 cents on your teams page instead of trolling Husker Rivals.... Just my 2 cents too!!!! GBR1

Nah I think I'll stick around and have conversations with the Husker fans that are capable of reading and having an open mind. I've stated a couple times that coaching is huge. In fact, I stated it right above your post.

I do enjoy playing devils advocate on the Hawkeye board too. There is really not much difference between the two boards. Other than the Hawkeye board is more busy and has waaaaaay more opposing teams trolls.

 

[Mr.Scary13]

What the article is trying to illustrate are the downfalls of Lincoln compared to the other programs that have been resurrected. Bama is in the south and the SEC. Oklahoma is in the south and borders Texas. Ohio St. Is in Ohio, which is arguably the most talent recruiting state in the north. Texas is in Texas. It's about recruiting in your own back yard. Year in and year out.

Coaching does make a huge difference in those teams getting back to dominance. Michigan got lucky having Harbaugh as an alum. Does Nebraska have that savior waiting in the wings somewhere?

Does the national media treat Nebraska like they do Michigan, OSU, etc? I certainly don't think so. The national media is needed to keep the Nebraska brand alive since its been 15 years since they have done anything of substance.

I'm thinking with the right coach, Nebraska could be a Michigan St level program for sure. The one thing Nebraska has over MSU is the history as tremendous fan base. Maybe instead of thriving to all of a sudden be like Ohio St., thrive to be like MSU first. Then see where that takes ya. Just my two cents on the subject.

Nebraska could be on the level of MSU...that's some funny stuff right there. I think Nebraska strives a little higher than Michigan State.

 

[jflores]

The reporter's comment " The evolution of college football has eroded the team’s structural advantages and exposed its intrinsic shortcomings" I beg to differ.... The reporter glazed over our problem... Since Dr. tom's retirement we can place Husker football demise on the fact we have lacked really good coaching! OU is also land trap plains university, but once they got excellent coaching back the success has followed..... Win baby win and it will put some east coast New Yorker's computer idle..... GBR1

One thing I have wondered about, talking about OU. My dad is a fan but he lives in Nebraska, so I'm not all that connected to OU fan culture.

When Stoops arrived and went all 5 wide on Wishbone U, I don't remember there being a whole huge outcry about "The Oklahoma Way" and "At OU we run the football and that's the only way we win titles".

So while we are both plains states, it would appear that OU is at least a little bit less restrictive in how one runs their program, there's not a bi-weekly call to compare present operations to how "Switzer Dunnit". (one might say OU is a little more "win at all costs" and we're a little more "TO invented the only secret sauce that works".)

 

[SWIowahawks]

Nebraska could be on the level of MSU...that's some funny stuff right there. I think Nebraska strives a little higher than Michigan State.

That's the start. Then you go from there. It's atleast a different way to look at it than thinking two years from now Nebraska should be playing for titles.

 

[jflores]

That's the start. Then you go from there. It's atleast a different way to look at it than thinking two years from now Nebraska should be playing for titles.

There's still a very strong narrative here that NU is just going to flip on the lights at some point and have a Bob Stoops or Nick Saban or Urban Meyer moment. If I had to guess, under the current staff, its probably not going to work that way (we generally all seem to agree on that because we didn't hire a $10 million coach, but don't seem to let it sink in as we engage in shop talk).

But you'll have to excuse us, we're not used to this building thing.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

The regime right before Stoops was our guy John Blake. He tried to run the ball and failed miserably. I think the fact that the tried to pound the rock and weren't successful allowed for Stoops and Leach to come in a change it all up. Then when they had immediate success, even easier. IMHO

One thing I have wondered about, talking about OU. My dad is a fan but he lives in Nebraska, so I'm not all that connected to OU fan culture.

When Stoops arrived and went all 5 wide on Wishbone U, I don't remember there being a whole huge outcry about "The Oklahoma Way" and "At OU we run the football and that's the only way we win titles".

So while we are both plains states, it would appear that OU is at least a little bit less restrictive in how one runs their program, there's not a bi-weekly call to compare present operations to how "Switzer Dunnit". (one might say OU is a little more "win at all costs" and we're a little more "TO invented the only secret sauce that works".)

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

That sounds like an Iowa mentality. The take what you can get when you can get it mentality rather than expect to win mentality. Just my 10 cents, my two cents is free.

That's the start. Then you go from there. It's atleast a different way to look at it than thinking two years from now Nebraska should be playing for titles.

 

[SWIowahawks]

That sounds like an Iowa mentality. The take what you can get when you can get it mentality rather than expect to win mentality. Just my 10 cents, my two cents is free.

I'm very comfortable in what Iowa is and will continue to be. I did want Kirk gone before last season. I'm glad he isn't gone now of course. Iowa is definitely trending up and Kirk seems to be steering clear of what happened the last two times that Iowa followed up successful seasons with some bad ones.

I also know how difficult it is to win a national title and I personally think to aim at just winning national titles is a bit absurd. But that's the world we live in. Apparently you ain't shit if your program hasn't won a national title. Heck, even conferences not winning national titles are labeled as "down".

 

[Mr.Scary13]

That's the start. Then you go from there. It's atleast a different way to look at it than thinking two years from now Nebraska should be playing for titles.

The last 5 years Mich St has an avg record of 11-3 while Nebraska has a record of 9-5. Nebraska leads head to head 3-2. Mich St is no starting point for Nebrasaka, unless you want to talk about being a team that is coached very well, which MSU definitely is.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Trending up. Like they do for a couple of years every once in a while. Until the next 7-6 season. Your expectations are what they are. The expectations here are different. Good luck with NDSU.

I'm very comfortable in what Iowa is and will continue to be. I did want Kirk gone before last season. I'm glad he isn't gone now of course. Iowa is definitely trending up and Kirk seems to be steering clear of what happened the last two times that Iowa followed up successful seasons with some bad ones.

I also know how difficult it is to win a national title and I personally think to aim at just winning national titles is a bit absurd. But that's the world we live in. Apparently you ain't shit if your program hasn't won a national title. Heck, even conferences not winning national titles are labeled as "down".

 

[jflores]

That sounds like an Iowa mentality. The take what you can get when you can get it mentality rather than expect to win mentality. Just my 10 cents, my two cents is free.

Lets not filet the Hawk too badly here. Our own Damon Benning has taken to the radio a couple of times and said Nebraska probably needs to be setting sights on 80's NU rather than 90's NU.

Get those 11 win seasons. Be in the conference title picture every year. Occassionally bust up into the final stage and figure it out from there. Most that, basically describes MSU, they haven't played for a big one yet (and may never), but that's where NU's "been there and done that" ought to be a little help in boosting us beyond where they sorta hovered.

 

[B1G RED RULES]

I've been saying this for years-there is not a program out there that can't be successful without the right coach. I mean really-every program had to start somewhere. No program magically started winning games out of nowhere. It was when they hired the right coach. It's not a coincidence that we started winning lots of games after we hired Bob Devaney. Today, it seems like Florida State has been among the college football elite forever, but they were nobody before Bobby Bowden. The idea that there is something that has changed in college football that means we can't be successful anymore is preposterous. Come on-freakin' Iowa won 12 games last year. They certainly don't have anything we don't have.

Totally agree with coaching. Just need to be serious about hiring the best. Since TO, that has not been pursued by the powers that be.

 

[B1G RED RULES]

You have lots of good two cents: but you do realize we beat MSU last year and should have beaten you - TA's worst day

Yippee - we snuck out a game or two. We beat OSU once too.

 

[SWIowahawks]

The last 5 years Mich St has an avg record of 11-3 while Nebraska has a record of 9-5. Nebraska leads head to head 3-2. Mich St is no starting point for Nebrasaka, unless you want to talk about being a team that is coached very well, which MSU definitely is.

In that time frame Michigan St has played in three conference championship games, winning two. They also played in the CFP. That's the next step for Nebraska. You have to get to that point before getting to the 90's Husker point.

 

[SWIowahawks]

Lets not filet the Hawk too badly here. Our own Damon Benning has taken to the radio a couple of times and said Nebraska probably needs to be setting sights on 80's NU rather than 90's NU.

Get those 11 win seasons. Be in the conference title picture every year. Occassionally bust up into the final stage and figure it out from there. Most that, basically describes MSU, they haven't played for a big one yet (and may never), but that's where NU's "been there and done that" ought to be a little help in boosting us beyond where they sorta hovered.

This guy gets it. No need to take it easy on me either, I'm tough. Like I said, I know what Iowa is and I'm ok with it.

 

[SWIowahawks]

Trending up. Like they do for a couple of years every once in a while. Until the next 7-6 season. Your expectations are what they are. The expectations here are different. Good luck with NDSU.

Yep. Trending up. Like I said, hopefully Kirk has learned from his past mistakes. It seems like he definitely has.

 

[B1G RED RULES]

Nebraska could be on the level of MSU...that's some funny stuff right there. I think Nebraska strives a little higher than Michigan State.

Nebraska strives to be above MSU - just hasn't been able to do it lately. If any of our past coaches could have gotten us to MSU level, they would still be coaching.

 

[jflores]

The last 5 years Mich St has an avg record of 11-3 while Nebraska has a record of 9-5. Nebraska leads head to head 3-2. Mich St is no starting point for Nebrasaka, unless you want to talk about being a team that is coached very well, which MSU definitely is.

If 11-3 and 9-5 were roughly equivalent there wouldn't have been coaching controversy at NU in the last 15 years.

Because we'd have never fired Solich or Pelini. But they aren't so we did. Lets not lower the standards ourselves here.