I can see where you're going with this and it has some validitySure we did but Riley didn't act like a complete fool AND Eichorst was the AD so IF Eichorst was a bad as everyone says, there is no way that it is logical to say that the program was in a better place when we canned Bo. You can't have it both ways. We were in a MUCH better place as a program the day we fired Eichorst even with Riley in the midst of a terrible season. It all happened the way it HAD to happen IMO to make things come together the way they have. You will recall even with TOM as our AD there was a HUGE division in the fan base over Pelini. HUGE. That's largely gone other than the constant misplaced loyalty of some fans to a guy that told us to get f$$$$$ as he burned the place down on the way out the door. I haven't seen our fans as on board with what's going on with our program since Tom retired. We're in a MUCH better place now than 3-4 years ago. MUCH. Similar football talent. Better national perception. Better AD, Better fan morale. Better staff in place today. ITS ALL GOOD now even coming off a terrible season.
The place we are in today as a whole may be better
But not because of what Riley did for the program but because both him and Eichorst are gone - addition by subtraction
Turning the kids from negative thoughts about the fans is much easier to solve than getting kids to now think they should win when they are losing to the likes of Purdue and northern Illinois and getting blown out by Minnesota and iowa