Cortez Mills N?

[Tuco Salamanca]

If you include '24 results, it looks even worse.

The average Nebraska fan's ego is so sore from the last 10 year and the jealousy of other programs that are having success is out of control. This person believes it is some sort of rite of passage that Nebraska football should have instant success because Team A did.

Instant success vs sustained success. Indiana has had instant success, agreed, but will they have sustained success with recruiting rankings in the mid 50's and depending on one year transfers at skill positions? I don't know. It definitely feels as though it would be easier to sustain success when you have good players on your roster for 3-5 years and not 1 year.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

The average Nebraska fan's ego is so sore from the last 10 year and the jealousy of other programs that are having success is out of control. This person believes it is some sort of rite of passage that Nebraska football should have instant success because Team A did.

Instant success vs sustained success. Indiana has had instant success, agreed, but will they have sustained success with recruiting rankings in the mid 50's and depending on one year transfers at skill positions? I don't know. It definitely feels as though it would be easier to sustain success when you have good players on your roster for 3-5 years and not 1 year.

I think by and large, going big in the portal never approaches the level those teams or coaches think it will.

Example, Michigan State under Tucker, hit the lotto with the Wake Forest? RB and a bunch of transfers and had a big year. Year 2 no go.

Maryland 3-4 years ago had a huge portal intake, beat 2-3 teams early by 50-60 points and were targeting PSU. They got drilled 59-0 or something like that. Team fell completely apart because those kids always just start playing for themselves.

Mississippi this year had a ton of high profile kids transfer in, have had a real good year, but nothing like Lane envisioned it.

If you can just plug in 3-4 really key guys who produce, it can work. But, yes, longevity and commitment in a programs is always gonna be the way to go to try to sustain success.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Took the first ever G5 team to the 4-team playoff

More than our guy can say

Cincinnati was also lucky in that they had Notre Dame on their schedule that year and beat them. They were the only 13-0 team in the country and had that win over the number 5 team (ND). Everyone ranked 6 or lower had at least 2 losses. IF any other P5 team, other than ND, had only 1 loss, Cincinnati wouldn't have made it and Fickell would just be another Scott Frost at UCF.

 

[oldjar07]

Could you please define “Instant Success”?

Making a playoff is fair enough. One of the 12 best teams.

 

[oldjar07]

I think by and large, going big in the portal never approaches the level those teams or coaches think it will.

Example, Michigan State under Tucker, hit the lotto with the Wake Forest? RB and a bunch of transfers and had a big year. Year 2 no go.

Maryland 3-4 years ago had a huge portal intake, beat 2-3 teams early by 50-60 points and were targeting PSU. They got drilled 59-0 or something like that. Team fell completely apart because those kids always just start playing for themselves.

Mississippi this year had a ton of high profile kids transfer in, have had a real good year, but nothing like Lane envisioned it.

If you can just plug in 3-4 really key guys who produce, it can work. But, yes, longevity and commitment in a programs is always gonna be the way to go to try to sustain success.

Georgia had a ton of transfers and they did alright. 4 year commitments are going to be exceedingly rare. Get 1 or 2 good years out of a guy is about as good as you can expect. That means a lot of transfer players each and every year.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Georgia had a ton of transfers and they did alright. 4 year commitments are going to be exceedingly rare. Get 1 or 2 good years out of a guy is about as good as you can expect. That means a lot of transfer players each and every year.

It will be interesting to see how 105 roster spots affects this. Even if the average roster size of an FBS team is 120, that would still be a net loss of 2000 spots across college football. Players usually transfer for 1 of 2 reasons, playing time or a coach on staff leaving. Teams are going to have to cut a player to take a player. Then you have to evaluate on whether or not this dude who didn't play at his previous school is good enough to play at yours. Or who are you going to cut to make room for this new guy because you just can't throw NIL money at him and make him the 125th guy on the roster. The first year will be easier than subsequent years. IMHO

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Making a playoff is fair enough. One of the 12 best teams.

One of the 12 highest ranked teams. Best team is subjective.

Alabama has losses to Vandy, Oklahoma and Tennessee. They have already proven they can lose to just about anyone in the top 50.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

It will be interesting to see how 105 roster spots affects this. Even if the average roster size of an FBS team is 120, that would still be a net loss of 2000 spots across college football. Players usually transfer for 1 of 2 reasons, playing time or a coach on staff leaving. Teams are going to have to cut a player to take a player. Then you have to evaluate on whether or not this dude who didn't play at his previous school is good enough to play at yours. Or who are you going to cut to make room for this new guy because you just can't throw NIL money at him and make him the 125th guy on the roster. The first year will be easier than subsequent years. IMHO

100%. The first cut is going to be the deepest.

 

[shocksker]

Cincinnati was also lucky in that they had Notre Dame on their schedule that year and beat them. They were the only 13-0 team in the country and had that win over the number 5 team (ND). Everyone ranked 6 or lower had at least 2 losses. IF any other P5 team, other than ND, had only 1 loss, Cincinnati wouldn't have made it and Fickell would just be another Scott Frost at UCF.

Hilarious that a factual point is made to make a point and you try and manipulate the FACT with subjectivity. You may be right, but Kong isn't wrong.
Most objective fans would call them near even and neither is that good. Both are young enough to rewrite the narrative but neither is a successful coach base don record. LF is better.
.667 > .500.
MR was and is touted as a program builder. He isn't known as some great coach.
Can he rebuild this program? Idk less likely now than 2 years ago imo.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

One of the 12 highest ranked teams. Best team is subjective.

Alabama has losses to Vandy, Oklahoma and Tennessee. They have already proven they can lose to just about anyone in the top 50.

Bama's problem is they have a great athlete at QB who tends to turn it over too much.

I "think" the teams that are dangerous, but not reliable, have QB's that turn it over a lot, i.e. Beck at GA, Howard at OSU, Milroe at Bama are real crapshoots. (Haven't looked at the full field of QB's stats).

Except for those 4 teams with the first round byes, the team that wins it all will likely go through a 3 team gauntlet unlike what they've faced this year.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Hilarious that a factual point is made to make a point and you try and manipulate the FACT with subjectivity. You may be right, but Kong isn't wrong.
Most objective fans would call them near even and neither is that good. Both are young enough to rewrite the narrative but neither is a successful coach base don record. LF is better.
.667 > .500.
MR was and is touted as a program builder. He isn't known as some great coach.
Can he rebuild this program? Idk less likely now than 2 years ago imo.

He can be right but I can point out that a set of circumstances made that a reality.

I don't compare records vs other coaches like that. One coached for 6 years at one school and improved that one school, one took over 3 schools that had losing records and within 3 years all were playing in bowl games. As a college football coach, Rhule has never had a season record that was worse than the previous year. Fickell has I think 3 of those seasons. Fickell took over a team that was a perennial 9 game winner and is now not coaching in a bowl game. Rhule took over a team that won 4 games and is coaching in a bowl game.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

He can be right but I can point out that a set of circumstances made that a reality.

I don't compare records vs other coaches like that. One coached for 6 years at one school and improved that one school, one took over 3 schools that had losing records and within 3 years all were playing in bowl games. As a college football coach, Rhule has never had a season record that was worse than the previous year. Fickell has I think 3 of those seasons. Fickell took over a team that was a perennial 9 game winner and is now not coaching in a bowl game. Rhule took over a team that won 4 games and is coaching in a bowl game.

I think Matt has a really interesting year coming up. The key to the whole thing is getting the DC right. We have a proven OC.

The bowl game is gonna be so interesting to watch, almost like a different team. If Dana can get the offense on point and the new DC is a real top notch guy, say the ST's are upgraded, there will be hope.

If the team rallies around Rhule, knowing that he has likely gone through hell lately, it could really bolster the chemistry going forward. Hopefully, Ty and the guys on defense are motivated to end their career on a high note.

It would be nice to see the ST's not be a negative factor, especially if a coaching change is made.

 

[HankMoody78]

He can be right but I can point out that a set of circumstances made that a reality.

I don't compare records vs other coaches like that. One coached for 6 years at one school and improved that one school, one took over 3 schools that had losing records and within 3 years all were playing in bowl games. As a college football coach, Rhule has never had a season record that was worse than the previous year. Fickell has I think 3 of those seasons. Fickell took over a team that was a perennial 9 game winner and is now not coaching in a bowl game. Rhule took over a team that won 4 games and is coaching in a bowl game.

I thought Fickell was the worst hire of that cycle, and was darn glad we didn't end up with him.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

I think Matt has a really interesting year coming up. The key to the whole thing is getting the DC right. We have a proven OC.

The bowl game is gonna be so interesting to watch, almost like a different team. If Dana can get the offense on point and the new DC is a real top notch guy, say the ST's are upgraded, there will be hope.

If the team rallies around Rhule, knowing that he has likely gone through hell lately, it could really bolster the chemistry going forward. Hopefully, Ty and the guys on defense are motivated to end their career on a high note.

It would be nice to see the ST's not be a negative factor, especially if a coaching change is made.

I would just as soon see the coaches and players that don't want to be here leave now.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

I would just as soon see the coaches and players that don't want to be here leave now.

That has always been my position.

 

[RBigredMax]

Making a playoff is fair enough. One of the 12 best teams.

So in that world - if we look at 15-20 new coaches every year - programs that had losing seasons for 3 years in a row to be a top 12 team I would be surprised if that happened more than 2 times in the last 10 years. Which is a huge credit to coach Cig

 

[oldjar07]

So in that world - if we look at 15-20 new coaches every year - programs that had losing seasons for 3 years in a row to be a top 12 team I would be surprised if that happened more than 2 times in the last 10 years. Which is a huge credit to coach Cig

Yeah, sure. That's exactly what it's going to require for this program to be elite is to hire an elite head coach.

 

[nostromo78]

So......did we get Mills?

 

[Huskers123456]

So......did we get Mills?

Doubtful.

 

[RBigredMax]

Yeah, sure. That's exactly what it's going to require for this program to be elite is to hire an elite head coach.

Had we hired Cig from James Madison you would have called him elite when the news broke? Doubtful.

 

[RBigredMax]

Yeah, sure. That's exactly what it's going to require for this program to be elite is to hire an elite head coach.

So one elite coach in the last 10 years has been hired by underperforming programs?

 

[dinglefritz]

The average Nebraska fan's ego is so sore from the last 10 year and the jealousy of other programs that are having success is out of control. This person believes it is some sort of rite of passage that Nebraska football should have instant success because Team A did.

Instant success vs sustained success. Indiana has had instant success, agreed, but will they have sustained success with recruiting rankings in the mid 50's and depending on one year transfers at skill positions? I don't know. It definitely feels as though it would be easier to sustain success when you have good players on your roster for 3-5 years and not 1 year.

Indiana's instant success was buoyed by 20 experienced transfers from a ranked team and an experienced successful MAC QB. Their recruiting rankings in the 50s have led them to the same kind of results we've had with a rank in the 20s and a constant churning of the roster and coaches.

 

[HuskerHusaria]

Any word on Mills?

 

[dinglefritz]

So one elite coach in the last 10 years has been hired by underperforming programs?

it's been pretty obvious that underperforming coordinators over the past 20 years have cost us a lot of games. Cosgrove, Diaco, Chinander and most recently Satterfield. Maybe the key to being an elite head coach is really good coordinators who are good at game plans and play calling. Dana appears to be really good. Hopefully we won't have a freshman starting QB next year and hopefully that right there is going to win us 2 more games. Hopefully Rhule hires a "really good" DC.

 

[Antwill]

it's been pretty obvious that underperforming coordinators over the past 20 years have cost us a lot of games. Cosgrove, Diaco, Chinander and most recently Satterfield. Maybe the key to being an elite head coach is really good coordinators who are good at game plans and play calling. Dana appears to be really good. Hopefully we won't have a freshman starting QB next year and hopefully that right there is going to win us 2 more games. Hopefully Rhule hires a "really good" DC.

Why would we have a freshman starting QB next year? Do you know something? If so, spill it. 😜

 

[dinglefritz]

Yeah, sure. That's exactly what it's going to require for this program to be elite is to hire an elite head coach.

elite coordinators make elite head coaches. One could argue that there are exactly 2 coaches in modern times who were truly elite and did it with average coordinators. Tom and Nick. Nick did it largely with insane recruiting and good coordinators like Kirby Smart and Sark. Kirby was very good, Sark was pretty average. Tom did it with a photographic memory and extremely intelligent game plans and play calls. Tom micromanaged everything in his program unlike any normal human being could do. My brother-in-law met Tom ONE time at an ag meeting. Five years later he ran in to him on an airplane and Tom stopped and greeted him by his first name. Unbelievable. Tom knew exactly what he was going to call a half later and he could do it without a play sheet. Tom could have run the defense as well. He didn't have to though because Charlie got that good under Tom's direction.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Indiana's instant success was buoyed by 20 experienced transfers from a ranked team and an experienced successful MAC QB. Their recruiting rankings in the 50s have led them to the same kind of results we've had with a rank in the 20s and a constant churning of the roster and coaches.

Going forward.

 

[dinglefritz]

Why would we have a freshman starting QB next year? Do you know something? If so, spill it. 😜

Chris on 590 yesterday spent an hour talking about how other teams have and will come after Raiola. It's also true that one injury could throw open the QB competition for Lateef. Kaelin left because he didn't have any confidence that he could beat out Haarberg. IF he were 2nd on the depth chart I think he would have stayed realizing that he would be one injury away from being the starter. Lateef is now Haarberg's competition for the backup role. No experienced QB in his right mind is going to transfer in to NU with Raiola upright. The only way that happens would be if Raiola suffered a season ending injury next spring.

 

[dinglefritz]

Going forward.

They lose Rourke I think. I have no idea what they lose from the other transfers. I would imagine that this season is going to help their recruiting immensely. The transfer portal certainly reduces the importance of high school recruiting. It's going to be much easier to find 25-30 guys out of 85-105 guys on your roster who can win. That's really what it comes down to even if it wasn't for the portal. Can you hit 1 out of 3-4 guys you sign to put together enough starters to win.

 

[oldjar07]

elite coordinators make elite head coaches. One could argue that there are exactly 2 coaches in modern times who were truly elite and did it with average coordinators. Tom and Nick. Nick did it largely with insane recruiting and very good coordinators like Kirby Smart and Sark. Tom did it with a photographic memory and extremely intelligent game plans and play calls. Tom micromanaged everything in his program unlike any normal human being could do. My brother-in-law met Tom ONE time at an ag meeting. Five years later he ran in to him on an airplane and Tom stopped and greeted him by his first name. Unbelievable. Tom knew exactly what he was going to call a half later and he could do it without a play sheet. Tom could have run the defense as well. He didn't have to though because Charlie got that good under Tom's direction.

Yeah, sure. Exactly the type of coach we need if we are ever going to get to the top again. Once in a generation coaches don't come around often. That's why I advocated for making a run at Urban and Deboer. Urban is proven and Deboer may get there. I couldn't really say at this point that Rhule is an elite level coach. Though with elite level coordinators like DH and maybe someone like Leonhard on defense, maybe they could cover Rhule's weaknesses and produce elite results. We'll see about that. But not being able to hold onto a very good DL coach and our top pass rushers is certainly not a positive sign.

 

[BrighteRed24]

 

[CameronKrazie86]

 

[shocksker]

Very pleasant surprise!

 

[Walleye79]

Whoa, great news. I honestly expected to lose out on Terry and Mills. Great get

 

[sloth316]

About time this thread returned to its original intention

 

[dinglefritz]

Yeah, sure. Exactly the type of coach we need if we are ever going to get to the top again. Once in a generation coaches don't come around often. That's why I advocated for making a run at Urban and Deboer. Urban is proven and Deboer may get there. I couldn't really say at this point that Rhule is an elite level coach. Though with elite level coordinators like DH and maybe someone like Leonhard on defense, maybe they could cover Rhule's weaknesses and produce elite results. We'll see about that. But not being able to hold onto a very good DL coach and our top pass rushers is certainly not a positive sign.

I liked DeBoer a lot but he's taken a team loaded with talent to losses including one to Vanderbilt. Urban isn't what he once was and right now I don't believe he could win many more with our talent than what Rhule has. Urban was having issues when OSU fired him. His ability to identify young talented coordinators would help him eventually probably. IF I had to pick between Rhule, DeBoer and Urban I would take DeBoer. He's younger and from the area and given the time he would get at NU he would develop a winner. He also doesn't have Urban's baggage. FWIW I believe if given a few more years, Rhule will win consistently at NU as well. Rhule is working his ass off on recruiting and that will pay dividends eventually. We HAVE to win soon though if we want to get our recruiting up to the level to win the B1G.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

They lose Rourke I think. I have no idea what they lose from the other transfers. I would imagine that this season is going to help their recruiting immensely. The transfer portal certainly reduces the importance of high school recruiting. It's going to be much easier to find 25-30 guys out of 85-105 guys on your roster who can win. That's really what it comes down to even if it wasn't for the portal. Can you hit 1 out of 3-4 guys you sign to put together enough starters to win.

OK I will type this slow. Cignetti has been there a year, he brought in a crap ton of transfers, a very high number of them were 1 year guys. They are currently ranked 40th in recruiting with 21 signees and only 1 4 star. So the season did not help the recruiting immensely. So in order to maintain, they are going to have to hit on a good number of transfers or hope their new QB can lead them to victories at Iowa, at Oregon and at Penn St vs Illinois vs UCLA vs Wisconsin vs Mich St. Their 2025 conference schedule is much more difficult. Going from 12-2 or 13-2 depending on how the season ends up to 8-4 or 9-3, or maybe even worse.

 

[tro80]

New WR coach and OC paying off already! Air Nebraska here we go.

 

[dinglefritz]

OK I will type this slow. Cignetti has been there a year, he brought in a crap ton of transfers, a very high number of them were 1 year guys. They are currently ranked 40th in recruiting with 21 signees and only 1 4 star. So the season did not help the recruiting immensely. So in order to maintain, they are going to have to hit on a good number of transfers or hope their new QB can lead them to victories at Iowa, at Oregon and at Penn St vs Illinois vs UCLA vs Wisconsin vs Mich St. Their 2025 conference schedule is much more difficult. Going from 12-2 or 13-2 depending on how the season ends up to 8-4 or 9-3, or maybe even worse.

Thank you for being so kind and patient to a seasoned citizen.... I type what comes to mind when I read threads and it doesn't always follow the direction one might expect.

 

[Dr_Alan_Grant]

LFG