Football program in precarious position?...

[Hoosker Du]

How upgraded is our talent? I see lots of talk but it's not like we are pulling Top Ten classes. In terms of rankings we probably are just a few spots ahead of Pelini...and not close to the top ten classes of Frank or Cally.

Let's see...average star rating of 2018 class - 3.55. Average star rating of Callahan's best class on paper (2005) - 3.13. Remove thy head from thy bottom.

We are more consistently getting higher ranked recruits under Riley. Difference makers. Pelini, Callahan, and Frank all brought in some decent players, but they had far too many reaches in their classes...and reaches are like dead air space. They rarely contribute and take up a space where a contributor could be.

I, for one, applaud Riley and Co. efforts on recruiting more highly prized players than all of the aforementioned coaches. They still have to coach them up, which is a bit of a concern, but we currently have the #7 ranked recruiting class. With many other highly-coveted players taking a strong look at us, it completely obliterates Pelini's notion that a coaching staff can't recruit to Nebraska.

Here's your proof...

Class Yr. - Ranking - Star Avg.

2002 - 39th - 2.95 (Solich)
2003 - 42nd - 3.05 (Solich)
2004 - 27th - 2.55 (Solich/Callahan)
2005 - 5th - 3.13 (Callahan)
2006 - 20th - 3.27 (Callahan)
2007 - 13th - 3.33 (Callahan)
2008 - 30th - 2.96 (Callahan/Pelini)
2009 - 28th - 3.25 (Pelini)
2010 - 22nd - 3.09 (Pelini)
2011 - 15th - 3.45 (Pelini)
2012 - 25th - 3.35 (Pelini)
2013 - 17th - 3.16 (Pelini)
2014 - 32nd - 2.8 (Pelini)
2015 - 31st - 3.14 (Pelini/Riley)
2016 - 24th - 3.14 (Riley)
2017 - 20th - 3.3 (Riley)
2018 - 7th currently - 3.55 (Riley)

 

[Toms Wife]

Thanks for the facts. I see you conveniently left out Frank's three top ten classes in 1998, 2000 and 2001. This class is not done yet. Let's hope it ends up being a really, really good one. Most on this board, however, seem to be projecting around #25. If that is true, that puts Riley's class average one spot behind Pelini.

Recruiting Averages by coach for the last 20 years:

Solich...#22...3 top tens ('98, '00, '01)
Callahan...#21...1 top ten ('05)
Pelini...#24...0 top tens
Riley...#25...0 top tens

Call a girl crazy, but I just wanted to share the facts.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Awesome. 3 Top 10 in 6 years and average class was 22. Just using my rudimentary math skills, I was able to figure that the remaining 3 classes would have averaged 34. Also the 98 class was pretty much all recruited by Osborne. But other than that. Great points

 

[Hoosker Du]

Thanks for the facts. I see you conveniently left out Frank's three top ten classes in 1998, 2000 and 2001. This class is not done yet. Let's hope it ends up being a really, really good one. Most on this board, however, seem to be projecting around #25. If that is true, that puts Riley's class average one spot behind Pelini.

Team Averages for the last 20 years:

Solich...#22...3 top tens ('98, '00, '01)
Callahan...#21...1 top ten ('05)
Pelini...#24...0 top tens
Riley...#25...0 top tens

Good Grief, you're an idiot sometimes. Who gives a FF where we end up in class rating when our class isn't going to be more than 15 - 17 recruits? Pay attention to star average, not class rating. Rivals bases their class rankings on the Top 20 recruits in that class. If you don't have a minimum of 20, your class ranking is obviously going to be ranked lower.

If Pelini didn't mismanage our classes by bringing in 4 or 5 2-star duds at the end of every recruiting cycle, because he didn't do shit over the summer, and was always scrambling to fill classes in February, we wouldn't have such unbalanced classes. Riley would have also actually had a semblance of a LB corps when he got here, and wouldn't have had to also move OLinemen over to the DLine.

And how about those Callahan classes being well ahead of Riley's classes. I guess that's not the case, is it?

I see you didn't notice Rivals doesn't go back past 2002. On this site anyway. Perhaps you would like to provide us with the link to the publication that those Top 10 classes came from?

 

[timnsun]

Thanks for the facts. I see you conveniently left out Frank's three top ten classes in 1998, 2000 and 2001. This class is not done yet. Let's hope it ends up being a really, really good one. Most on this board, however, seem to be projecting around #25. If that is true, that puts Riley's class average one spot behind Pelini.

Recruiting Averages by coach for the last 20 years:

Solich...#22...3 top tens ('98, '00, '01)
Callahan...#21...1 top ten ('05)
Pelini...#24...0 top tens
Riley...#25...0 top tens

Call a girl crazy, but I just wanted to share the facts.

Stupid. Just stupid.

 

[Toms Wife]

Good Grief, you're an idiot sometimes. Who gives a FF where we end up in class rating when our class isn't going to be more than 15 - 17 recruits? Pay attention to star average, not class rating. Rivals bases their class rankings on the Top 20 recruits in that class. If you don't have a minimum of 20, your class ranking is obviously going to be ranked lower.

If Pelini didn't mismanage our classes by bringing in 4 or 5 2-star duds at the end of every recruiting cycle, because he didn't do shit over the summer, and was always scrambling to fill classes in February, we wouldn't have such unbalanced classes. Riley would have also actually had a semblance of a LB corps when he got here, and wouldn't have had to also move OLinemen over to the DLine.

And how about those Callahan classes being well ahead of Riley's classes. I guess that's not the case, is it?

I see you didn't notice Rivals doesn't go back past 2002. On this site anyway. Perhaps you would like to provide us with the link to the publication that those Top 10 classes came from?

Are you saying the three teams behind us in the rankings last should have been in front of us because their star ranking was higher?

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Are you saying the three teams behind us in the rankings last should have been in front of us because their star ranking was higher?

Yes and Maryland, Tennessee and South Carolina would have been behind us.

 

[timnsun]

Thanks for the facts. I see you conveniently left out Frank's three top ten classes in 1998, 2000 and 2001. This class is not done yet. Let's hope it ends up being a really, really good one. Most on this board, however, seem to be projecting around #25. If that is true, that puts Riley's class average one spot behind Pelini.

Recruiting Averages by coach for the last 20 years:

Solich...#22...3 top tens ('98, '00, '01)
Callahan...#21...1 top ten ('05)
Pelini...#24...0 top tens
Riley...#25...0 top tens

Call a girl crazy, but I just wanted to share the facts.

Keep this stuff up and Tom's wife will cease to exist, going the way of Tulsa Tom...

What's your next alias? Tom's concubine?

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Look at Stanford and Clemson 2017 classes as what most are hoping the 2018 Nebraska class most looks like Tom.

 

[jflores]

Tom Lemming...BC's buddy, probably had us rated the highest of anyone if recall.

And he said explicitly that a good chunk of the reason he had us as the top class was simply because we took 30 kids to try and convert a roster of option kids to WCO kids*and it filled our needs*, not because we had 20 5* lined up.

 

[NikkiSixx]

Sipple has to write something to get views for the ljs

Talent does matter and we are getting better talent, but will people be patient?

Maybe fans are being patient by letting the idea of a 6-7 win season slide.

or is it just apathy?

From my perspective, they have to prove that this pro style system can work for at least a year or two for me to be on board with it. We've been sandbagging the last two years so Riley can collect a paycheck, so he better go earn it this year.

all this planning and recruiting class size, and player development and new coaches and blah blah blah..

Just go flipping do it.

Go Win

Go Win like you are supposed to do.

 

[timnsun]

Sipple has to write something to get views for the ljs

Talent does matter and we are getting better talent, but will people be patient?

Maybe fans are being patient by letting the idea of a 6-7 win season slide.

or is it just apathy?

From my perspective, they have to prove that this pro style system can work for at least a year or two for me to be on board with it. We've been sandbagging the last two years so Riley can collect a paycheck, so he better go earn it this year.

all this planning and recruiting class size, and player development and new coaches and blah blah blah..

Just go flipping do it.

Go Win

Go Win like you are supposed to do.

I thought we were done with the "just collecting a paycheck" hyperbole? But maybe I'm wrong, and it's still a thing...

 

[jflores]

Sipple has to write something to get views for the ljs

Talent does matter and we are getting better talent, but will people be patient?

Maybe fans are being patient by letting the idea of a 6-7 win season slide.

or is it just apathy?

From my perspective, they have to prove that this pro style system can work for at least a year or two for me to be on board with it. We've been sandbagging the last two years so Riley can collect a paycheck, so he better go earn it this year.

all this planning and recruiting class size, and player development and new coaches and blah blah blah..

Just go flipping do it.

Go Win

Go Win like you are supposed to do.

I think 99% of the countries teams run a pro-style or a spread offense by categorization.

Wisconsin is probably the only team that one would categorize as similar to an old time NU team. And even then, its more of a pro-style offense as Russell Wilson demonstrated.

 

[jflores]

Part of the problem with NU is that in terms of coaching logistics, we're on the outside looking in.

Most of the top coaches have alma mater's elsewhere and there's basically zero fruit left on Osborne's coaching tree if you wanted to even touch it.

The guys that are going to go the highest bidder with fertile recruiting grounds aren't looking here primarily. Even if we were willing to pay #1 HC salary type of money it won't be an offer that another school couldn't match and the coach would have an easier time recruiting there among other things.

If you are willing to play second fiddle to the coaching greats at the moment (and there may not be a choice, CFB just had to wait for TO and Bowden to retire), when Meyer and Saban move on, perhaps Frost is part of the next generation of greats, and he's related to us

If not, then we're talking about firing Riley and looking for that right guy that is looking for a little bit of a challenge in a unique situation. And is a really damn good football coach. Those guys don't come along very often. And generally, cycling your staff every 3 years or so, doesn't make them come along more frequently.

 

[Toms Wife]

For those who may be young to remember, Bobby Burton was the owner of Rivals when it really got going in 2001. If you want additional recruiting rankings from before that time just google Bobby Burton. You can also see his rankings on the Huskers on individual years on HuskerMax. (I'm not sure if I can say that here.) Until 2007 when Burton sold Rivals to Yahoo! he was running the rankings at Rivals.

 

[NikkiSixx]

I think 99% of the countries teams run a pro-style or a spread offense by categorization.

Wisconsin is probably the only team that one would categorize as similar to an old time NU team. And even then, its more of a pro-style offense as Russell Wilson demonstrated.

I agree with what you're saying, I just need convincing that it will work at Nebraska. It will require relentless recruiting, (which they are doing) but part of what made NU successful in the past, was playing to the strengths we do have. I have no doubt anyone can be successful spitting into the wind once in awhile, but see that as the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

I agree with what you're saying, I just need convincing that it will work at Nebraska. It will require relentless recruiting, (which they are doing) but part of what made NU successful in the past, was playing to the strengths we do have. I have no doubt anyone can be successful spitting into the wind once in awhile, but see that as the exception rather than the rule.

I have heard this same argument since Osborne went away from a more balanced attack in the late 70's.

Why does it take more of a relentless effort to recruit a Pro style than a spread?

What exactly is it that can't be done in Lincoln, Nebraska but can be done in other areas of the country?

 

[NikkiSixx]

I have heard this same argument since Osborne went away from a more balanced attack in the late 70's.

Why does it take more of a relentless effort to recruit a Pro style than a spread?

What exactly is it that can't be done in Lincoln, Nebraska but can be done in other areas of the country?

It comes back to recruiting again. Look, I think it's great that we are having some recruiting success. The staff has worked very hard at it the last year or two. I just question the sustainability of it for the long term.

Most if not 99% of Div 1 college football programs are not located in a such a low population area. Historically, we sent our best local players to be strengthened and coached up into starting players, with a few superstars that didn't fit the other 99% ending up here. It was a system that worked for us.

I'm not saying another system can't work, but until there is some sustained proof of this working at Nebraska, I'm going to be a bit skeptical.

 

[Hoosker Du]

Are you saying the three teams behind us in the rankings last should have been in front of us because their star ranking was higher?

No, I'm saying that if you have 20+ recruits in your class, then your class rank is on equal footing with others. With fewer than 20 in a class, a team's class ranking can take a hit, so you need to compare using avg. stars.

 

[jflores]

It comes back to recruiting again. Look, I think it's great that we are having some recruiting success. The staff has worked very hard at it the last year or two. I just question the sustainability of it for the long term.

Most if not 99% of Div 1 college football programs are not located in a such a low population area. Historically, we sent our best local players to be strengthened and coached up into starting players, with a few superstars that didn't fit the other 99% ending up here. It was a system that worked for us.

I'm not saying another system can't work, but until there is some sustained proof of this working at Nebraska, I'm going to be a bit skeptical.

We are recruiting top flight WR and QB's "by the numbers". If a pro-style offense fails, it won't be because we aren't good enough at the skill positions.

Arguably we did well in an option offense because even our high school strength (squatty OL guys from Class A and B) weren't well suited to do much besides run block.

 

[bigboxes]

Haha. I thought a few were unkind to each other then I realized that someone I was "ignoring" was really the target of their derision. Carry on.

 

[Archie Graham]

1) Greg is a damn fool. His commentary is ridiculous.

2) I don't really have a problem with that article. Siplle has written waaaay worse.

3) If you don't like the trajectory right now you're a damn fool.

4) Reggie needs help recruiting or he should move on. This is a big year for Cav's guys on the field; he deserved a pass for the roster/depth issues he inherited.

5) Can't freaking wait!!!

 

[kaz36]

The thing I find funny is he criticizes people for being "ok" with a 7-8 win season(or as he put it, letting a 7-8 win season slide). How is that much different than the Bobots who were perfectly fine with letting 9 win seasons slide with no championships and a couple blowouts a year? This "apathy" isn't anything new. It started long before this season rolled around.

 

[Toms Wife]

The thing I find funny is he criticizes people for being "ok" with a 7-8 win season(or as he put it, letting a 7-8 win season slide). How is that much different than the Bobots who were perfectly fine with letting 9 win seasons slide with no championships and a couple blowouts a year? This "apathy" isn't anything new. It started long before this season rolled around.

Best post of the thread.

 

[nebcountry]

The thing I find funny is he criticizes people for being "ok" with a 7-8 win season(or as he put it, letting a 7-8 win season slide). How is that much different than the Bobots who were perfectly fine with letting 9 win seasons slide with no championships and a couple blowouts a year? This "apathy" isn't anything new. It started long before this season rolled around.

Sipple doesn't point blank say it, but it certainly reads like he is part of the "slide" crowd. Mention 7 or 8 wins and preach patience at the same time, sounds like Sipple would be criticizing himself. 7 wins with conditions attached, and I'm part of that crowd as well.

And now my general, non-directed ranting. A couple of months ago (?), Riley let slip to the media the concerns with the OLine. 4 returning starters, and a main backup (that might be better than one of the starters) ALL COMING BACK. Cavanaugh has the black spot on his hand, will he take the whole ship down with him.

Reggie Davis. I've concluded that he must have pictures of Eichorst, Riley, and/or Devaney.

As for the influx of talent, it needs to show up on the field. Otherwise, they're just a bunch of Riley guys waiting for a bunch of Bo guys to graduate before they can see the field. Meyer played his young guys at OhSU and won the nat'l championship. I am NOT saying that we are OhSU, nor Riley is Meyer. BUT, if you want to claim so much TALENT is coming in, then they need to be on the field for it to be true. Kind of like our two walk-on TE's that will be filling the senior graduation void.

 

[Archie Graham]

Sipple doesn't point blank say it, but it certainly reads like he is part of the "slide" crowd. Mention 7 or 8 wins and preach patience at the same time, sounds like Sipple would be criticizing himself. 7 wins with conditions attached, and I'm part of that crowd as well.

And now my general, non-directed ranting. A couple of months ago (?), Riley let slip to the media the concerns with the OLine. 4 returning starters, and a main backup (that might be better than one of the starters) ALL COMING BACK. Cavanaugh has the black spot on his hand, will he take the whole ship down with him.

Reggie Davis. I've concluded that he must have pictures of Eichorst, Riley, and/or Devaney.

As for the influx of talent, it needs to show up on the field. Otherwise, they're just a bunch of Riley guys waiting for a bunch of Bo guys to graduate before they can see the field. Meyer played his young guys at OhSU and won the nat'l championship. I am NOT saying that we are OhSU, nor Riley is Meyer. BUT, if you want to claim so much TALENT is coming in, then they need to be on the field for it to be true. Kind of like our two walk-on TE's that will be filling the senior graduation void.

Yes and no on the OL front. We are going to see a lot of new faces getting reps this year. If the line sucks I could see us moving on from Cav. But if we see some good line play I think that buys him another year to show growth in the young guys he identified and brought in.

Reggie is a great coach. I'm convinced of that. But we have one guy on the roster (Bryant) that is a complete back. That's it. And he didn't bring him in. So we either need to have a guy like Donte close on a difference maker with him each year or he needs to take the train.

 

[Toms Wife]

With fewer than 20 in a class, a team's class ranking can take a hit, so you need to compare using avg. stars.

So, right now our class is really ranked #17? That's just a touch better than what we have been.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

Includes a K right?

 

[Pennsyhusker]

So, right now our class is really ranked #17? That's just a touch better than what we have been.

No. It is ranked 7th

 

[hddude55]

Sorry to make a comment a bit off the topic, but after reading some of this thread I just wondered: Is Tim's wife posting here, too? It's like whack-a-mole.

 

[Toms Wife]

Oh...forget it. Hopefully we will be better on the field this year and start winning championships.

 

[dockentwo]

We are recruiting top flight WR and QB's "by the numbers". If a pro-style offense fails, it won't be because we aren't good enough at the skill positions.

Arguably we did well in an option offense because even our high school strength (squatty OL guys from Class A and B) weren't well suited to do much besides run block.

A great article showed how Wiscy put more players into high NFL draft sports in the recent past than others in the BIG. So it appeared that also recruiting top skill players, enabled OSU and Mi to make up the difference.

 

[NikkiSixx]

No. It is ranked 7th

I think he meant the ranking by the avg star ranking.. if you sort it by average star rank, then count down, we come in at #17

 

[Pennsyhusker]

I think he meant the ranking by the avg star ranking.. if you sort it by average star rank, then count down, we come in at #17

Ok. Thanks for the correction

 

[Hoosker Du]

So, right now our class is really ranked #17? That's just a touch better than what we have been.

Hey, if you want to give credence to Utah's 3-recruit class...North Carolina's 4-recruit class...or even Alabama's 2-recruit class, you just knock yourself out, little fella. The rest of us will carry on in the real world, where we realize that an 11-recruit class with a star average of 3.55 is a pretty darn good start, when we're only taking 15 - 17 recruits. Most of the hay is in the barn, so to speak. A 4-year old child couldn't be more obstinate if he/she tried.

Sure, if we start adding a truck load of 2-stars, our average stars would drop. But see, this coaching staff isn't going to pull a Pelini and take the summer off. They will continue cultivating relationships and bringing in highly regarded players for visits.

 

[Snickerdoodle70]

This is way to cryptic. What does this even mean?

It was cryptic for a reason.

The fact that we as a fanbase are willing to tolerate a 7-8 win season is odd. All because we think we will be good in 2019? Did we really opt to forgo the normal preseason hype, and skip forward to two years ahead preseason hype?

 

[Archie Graham]

So, right now our class is really ranked #17? That's just a touch better than what we have been.

Oh...forget it. Hopefully we will be better on the field this year and start winning championships.

Or you could stop posting. That would be best. Since you have been doing nothing but trolling for years.

 

[Nebraska Fan]

Or you could stop posting. That would be best. Since you have been doing nothing but trolling for years.

So if someone doesn't tow the line there out of here?

 

[timnsun]

Or you could stop posting. That would be best. Since you have been doing nothing but trolling for years.

Glad to see you post this. Sometimes I feel like maybe I'm the only one that feels this way about Tulsa. Good to know that I'm not alone.

 

[Nebraska Fan]

If Pelini didn't mismanage our classes by bringing in 4 or 5 2-star duds at the end of every recruiting cycle, because he didn't do shit over the summer, and was always scrambling to fill classes in February, we wouldn't have such unbalanced classes. Riley would have also actually had a semblance of a LB corps when he got here, and wouldn't have had to also move OLinemen over to the DLine.

I don't believe that was the case. When I looked back it just doesn't support your theory. 2014 was probably the closest but by then he had checked out.