When do you think you will field a championship level team?

[nebcountry]

A number of line recruits under Cav have been 4 stars. A number of recruits on either side of the ball on the lines stands to pick up 4* before this year is over.

KW is certainly killing it, but we can't pretend that this is basically soley his and Bray's show. We're really putting forth a solid showing across all position groups.

I did keep up with rating changes for the 2016 recruiting class up until the start of the new year. We did have 6 players that were bumped up in their rating. But, not a single one of them was bumped more than 0.1 in their Rivals rating post NU commitment. Right now, we have one 5.7 3* guy, Brenden Jaimes, that would be in line for a 4th star. Porcher was evaluated as a DT, where he rates as a DE we'll find out.

You have no basis at all to claim that "A number of recruits on either side of the ball on the lines stands to pick up 4* before this year is over". Unless your "A number" equals exactly 2. Which is coincidentally the exact same number of 4* recruits that you would give Cav credit for since he's been here.

 

[Cornicator]

I agree. This team has the talent on paper to be really, really good. But as I mentioned in a post above, I watched the 2015 game vs. MSU last night on BTN, and it sobered me a little from the off season kool-aid. TA was TA. And he almost lost that game for Nebraska several times with terrible decision making. If TA doesn't figure it out, then we are hosed. A talented team cannot overcome constant turnovers.

Sure... but they were a playoff team.

Nebraska may only play one team in 2016 better than that Michigan State from 2015.

 

[otismotis08]

It's all about momentum. If we can get to the B1G championship game this year and show well, that will be a major step that could get us back on the rails. Anything less than that and we're just another so-so major college football team.

 

[jflores]

We will be competing for championships when we field a championship level defense. We wil field a championship level defense whe we have a great defensive coordinator. Now maybe banker morphs into that guy and certainly bring in more talent makes a difference. I argue however that talent on defense is less important than coaching. You can point out all the walkon's playing and holes in the roster you want to justify last year. This while Dantonio is playing in the final four starting three true freshmen in his secondary

I believe towards the end of the season (and pretty much the week we beat MSU) our defense was ranked virtually identically to Dantonio's. Yes, even with the clown show that was our defense.

 

[jflores]

I did keep up with rating changes for the 2016 recruiting class up until the start of the new year. We did have 6 players that were bumped up in their rating. But, not a single one of them was bumped more than 0.1 in their Rivals rating post NU commitment. Right now, we have one 5.7 3* guy, Brenden Jaimes, that would be in line for a 4th star. Porcher was evaluated as a DT, where he rates as a DE we'll find out.

You have no basis at all to claim that "A number of recruits on either side of the ball on the lines stands to pick up 4* before this year is over". Unless your "A number" equals exactly 2. Which is coincidentally the exact same number of 4* recruits that you would give Cav credit for since he's been here.

I think Sichterman Jaimes and Porcher, and Thomas even, stand a chance at getting ratings bumps.

And I'm not talking about Rivals only, I'm talking 247 composite. In fact I couldn't tell you what their rivals ratings are.

Edit: And I'm not exactly a guy who pores over film. Clouse in his weekly roundups after guys commit generally comments as to whether a guy might move up in the ratings in his opinion.

 

[dockentwo]

I agree. This team has the talent on paper to be really, really good. But as I mentioned in a post above, I watched the 2015 game vs. MSU last night on BTN, and it sobered me a little from the off season kool-aid. TA was TA. And he almost lost that game for Nebraska several times with terrible decision making. If TA doesn't figure it out, then we are hosed. A talented team cannot overcome constant turnovers.

You are right and he is always saying how he is going to change and gets it; then repeats. But there are a few interesting things to consider.
+ He tends to be bad in streaks; so we need to jerk him for a substitute and give him a rest when he is having a bad quarter.Fyfe and Purdue probably soured the coaches a bit on that last year. Coaches did come up with the UCLA plan last year to improve things; but he had heard things before and reverted.
+ I do believe The coaches put him on notice after the disaster he was in the Iowa game; our way or we will take the pain of benching you. These coaches have probably held their tongue on many times TA changed plays and it hurt us, so coaches get questioned; qb sheltered
+ If TA remains color-blind on jerseys in parts of games; then it is worth playing another qb; even if you have to pull a player out of a redshirt and hope its there..

 

[jflores]

You are right and he is always saying how he is going to change and gets it; then repeats. But there are a few interesting things to consider.
+ He tends to be bad in streaks; so we need to jerk him for a substitute and give him a rest when he is having a bad quarter.Fyfe and Purdue probably soured the coaches a bit on that last year. Coaches did come up with the UCLA plan last year to improve things; but he had heard things before and reverted.
+ I do believe The coaches put him on notice after the disaster he was in the Iowa game; our way or we will take the pain of benching you. These coaches have probably held their tongue on many times TA changed plays and it hurt us, so coaches get questioned; qb sheltered
+ If TA remains color-blind on jerseys in parts of games; then it is worth playing another qb; even if you have to pull a player out of a redshirt and hope its there..

Short of injury situation, I don't think they willingly pull POB's shirt. They seem pretty emphatic on not throwing young QB's to the wolves.

The coaches I think would rather roll with Fyfe a series, a quarter, a game, than screwing up the future. If recruiting keeps going the way its going and they are winning some games, I don't think they are going to go to desparation moves in the QB situation and play for the long view.

 

[ThePowerOfRed]

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/many-h...5ea-1502-5b02-97a1-34fa3351642c.html?mode=jqm

Last I checked our coaching staff has a track record of developing QBs at multiple levels of football. They can't do the work for Tommy BUT structure is there. He will statistically be better this year (turnovers, yards and TDs).

If T-Magic can get better passing in year two of Becks system. Tommy can get better year two in LDs

 

[ellobo]

If we are talking the NC...coming from the West odds are that in order to win a NC you will need to knock off 3 teams, in a row, that are top ten recruiters. Its one thing to beat one but again we are talking 3 in a row. At minimum probably 2 of 3 will be top 10 recruiters.

I don't think you have to be a top 10 recruiting program to do that but I do think you'll probably need a couple classes (on campus) that were top ten with the others being top 25. When you see that happen then I think it is realistic to talk NCs again...jimo

 

[jlb321]

I agree. This team has the talent on paper to be really, really good. But as I mentioned in a post above, I watched the 2015 game vs. MSU last night on BTN, and it sobered me a little from the off season kool-aid. TA was TA. And he almost lost that game for Nebraska several times with terrible decision making. If TA doesn't figure it out, then we are hosed. A talented team cannot overcome constant turnovers.

+1

I don't need to remind anyone -- but go back and watch that Iowa game -- TA almost single handedly lost that game. That 4th down hail mary late in the game where he chucked it down the sideline was one of the single worse decisions I have ever seen consider the game situation. A close second was the play in the Illinois game where we were just trying to run out the clock - a roll out was called and TA was told to run and he decided to throw - stopping the clock on an incompletion.
the UCLA game was great in large part because Riley and Langsdorf made the conscious decision to neuter TA -- you can't put that kid in a position where he has to make decisions -- he was still making the same poor choices he did as a freshman at the end of last year despite having almost 3 years of game experience. I am not optimistic that things are going to change but one can hope.

I think this year will be better because the coaches realize they have to call plays to keep TA from having to make decisions in crucial times because he will kill you if you if you give him the opportunity

 

[dockentwo]

+1

I don't need to remind anyone -- but go back and watch that Iowa game -- TA almost single handedly lost that game. That 4th down hail mary late in the game where he chucked it down the sideline was one of the single worse decisions I have ever seen consider the game situation. A close second was the play in the Illinois game where we were just trying to run out the clock - a roll out was called and TA was told to run and he decided to throw - stopping the clock on an incompletion.
the UCLA game was great in large part because Riley and Langsdorf made the conscious decision to neuter TA -- you can't put that kid in a position where he has to make decisions -- he was still making the same poor choices he did as a freshman at the end of last year despite having almost 3 years of game experience. I am not optimistic that things are going to change but one can hope.

I think this year will be better because the coaches realize they have to call plays to keep TA from having to make decisions in crucial times because he will kill you if you if you give him the opportunity

Not unfair; whether its ego to do what he wants, or color blind to uniforms or such - Iowa game came after the house fiasco , you think he would have been more in plan.... From various reports; he was a wildcard in the Iowa game and conflicted with coaches. I believe he was given a scare at that point and it resulted in him following the UCLA game plan. A certain retired qb had conversations with him; possibly pointing out coaches could be pushed too far; and did he want any hope of more than one more year of football. GBR

 

[NikkiSixx]

+1

I don't need to remind anyone -- but go back and watch that Iowa game -- TA almost single handedly lost that game. That 4th down hail mary late in the game where he chucked it down the sideline was one of the single worse decisions I have ever seen consider the game situation. A close second was the play in the Illinois game where we were just trying to run out the clock - a roll out was called and TA was told to run and he decided to throw - stopping the clock on an incompletion.
the UCLA game was great in large part because Riley and Langsdorf made the conscious decision to neuter TA -- you can't put that kid in a position where he has to make decisions -- he was still making the same poor choices he did as a freshman at the end of last year despite having almost 3 years of game experience. I am not optimistic that things are going to change but one can hope.

I think this year will be better because the coaches realize they have to call plays to keep TA from having to make decisions in crucial times because he will kill you if you if you give him the opportunity

Great post.

This is an important year for the coaching staff. If things don't go as planned early, I think it's entirely possible that we see a different QB finish up the season. I'm going to give those odds of about 25-30%.. so in my mind, POB may still get his shot this year, which while tough for a true freshman, we've seen others do it and be successful.

 

[jflores]

Great post.

This is an important year for the coaching staff. If things don't go as planned early, I think it's entirely possible that we see a different QB finish up the season. I'm going to give those odds of about 25-30%.. so in my mind, POB may still get his shot this year, which while tough for a true freshman, we've seen others do it and be successful.

I think its a great post too, but it would probably have to be a clear upgrade.

I don't know that if TA comes out firing 1-2 picks a game, they pull a shirt on a true frosh who is throwing picks at the same rate. If that's what the situation is. TA's clear advantage would be in game experience and the miracle factor on the ground when you need some production. POB is not a statue, but he probably won't be the wiley runner that TA is.

If POB can come out and spin it, I don't think there's any reason they would hesitate to pull the shirt. But I think the fact that they'd rather have him be a redshirt instead of the #2, tells us that he's probably not going to be out spinning it at 18. Or they wouldn't be talking about redshirting him.

There's a whole lot of code of "adjust to this level" out of the coaching staff on POB.

 

[jflores]

"---Have one maybe two spots left on the OL and definitely want to add an OT. Austin Jackson and Aaron Banks 4-star prospects would make great additions. Both are very interested in Nebraska and there are probably other highly touted OL who may take official visits too. Thus the Huskers are sitting well land can be selective. Coach P has being doing well too with the likes of DT Deonte Watts that plans to visit, Ben Hutch another big-time DT out of Tennessee is in his Top 3 and will be getting an official visit too. He loves Coach P's tenacity and how much he enjoy talking with them. Always leaves him fired up about Nebraska."

---Target number of WR on scholarship is between 10-12 depending on offense you run. Losing a handful of seniors after this year (Westy, Riley and Moore) thus the Huskers will take at least four WR and could take five depending on who wants N. Next year will be a different story and it will be extremely selective. With more than likely only two in the class.

Emphasis mine. But that's straight from Clouse on Bahe yesterday. Credit to Red Reign for the transcription. Folks who are worried this a 20 receiver team with little else to show for it can be calm now.

We still don't really know what type of coach Mike Riley is. We know he's a great man. We know he's honest. We know he wants to win but we still don't know if he can win. This year he has to show more than last year. I believe the 2016 has a ton of talent on it. More than I believe the 2016 MSU has. But I thought the 2015 had a lot more talent then their record showed (some disagree)

I believe if Riley doesn't win 9 to 10 games this year, he's never going to win championships here. A ton of people are in awe of his recruiting but I am still not sure. Coach Williams is amazing, coach Bray is very good, & Danny can land top QB's but outside of that, I am not sure if the other guys can close. We know that Bray & Williams cant do it alone and we cant live off of 3 stars every where else and expect to win the B1G let alone a NC. So until other staff members really start recruiting well and Riley starts having the huskers look great on the field, I am not sure we can have a "championship level" team under him. But I hope we can.

I did keep up with rating changes for the 2016 recruiting class up until the start of the new year. We did have 6 players that were bumped up in their rating. But, not a single one of them was bumped more than 0.1 in their Rivals rating post NU commitment. Right now, we have one 5.7 3* guy, Brenden Jaimes, that would be in line for a 4th star. Porcher was evaluated as a DT, where he rates as a DE we'll find out.

You have no basis at all to claim that "A number of recruits on either side of the ball on the lines stands to pick up 4* before this year is over". Unless your "A number" equals exactly 2. Which is coincidentally the exact same number of 4* recruits that you would give Cav credit for since he's been here.

 

[GBRhuskers]

Hopeful for a tight division race this season so we can get to a legit bowl game, with the anticipation 2018-2020 is a nice run for us.

 

[SnohomishRed]

+1

I don't need to remind anyone -- but go back and watch that Iowa game -- TA almost single handedly lost that game. That 4th down hail mary late in the game where he chucked it down the sideline was one of the single worse decisions I have ever seen consider the game situation. A close second was the play in the Illinois game where we were just trying to run out the clock - a roll out was called and TA was told to run and he decided to throw - stopping the clock on an incompletion.
the UCLA game was great in large part because Riley and Langsdorf made the conscious decision to neuter TA -- you can't put that kid in a position where he has to make decisions -- he was still making the same poor choices he did as a freshman at the end of last year despite having almost 3 years of game experience. I am not optimistic that things are going to change but one can hope.

I think this year will be better because the coaches realize they have to call plays to keep TA from having to make decisions in crucial times because he will kill you if you if you give him the opportunity

I am not defending TA in the Iowa game because his turnovers had big impact but to say he single handedly lost that game is pretty far fetched especially considering Iowa score on two long runs by Canzeri. The Illinois game I still cannot get out of my head if it was a called run then why in the heck did the RB not block for him instead of running a route. If being neutered in the UCLA means passing for 174yards 1 TD and no int's while rushing for 75 yards at 7.6yd/carry then why in the heck did they not neuter him before

I hate it when players are blamed for following their base instincts and coaches who are supposed to be able to mold and control these players get a pass - TA is what he is, he was the same way the year before and the year before that. If the coaches are going to play him when the season sucks anyway and he is deliberately not following their directions then I say the fault is on the coaching staff. I would have sat him - heck the season was a lost cause anyway

 

[jlb321]

I am not defending TA in the Iowa game because his turnovers had big impact but to say he single handedly lost that game is pretty far fetched especially considering Iowa score on two long runs by Canzeri. The Illinois game I still cannot get out of my head if it was a called run then why in the heck did the RB not block for him instead of running a route. If being neutered in the UCLA means passing for 174yards 1 TD and no int's while rushing for 75 yards at 7.6yd/carry then why in the heck did they not neuter him before

I hate it when players are blamed for following their base instincts and coaches who are supposed to be able to mold and control these players get a pass - TA is what he is, he was the same way the year before and the year before that. If the coaches are going to play him when the season sucks anyway and he is deliberately not following their directions then I say the fault is on the coaching staff. I would have sat him - heck the season was a lost cause anyway

there is some truth to this

it is up to the coaches to call plays that don't allow TA to follow his base instincts ... because his football instincts are crap

 

[jteten]

Maybe never. But, if we focus on every single day of recruiting, practice, games, film, etc..., then we can be in the conversation sooner rather than later.

 

[dockentwo]

I am not defending TA in the Iowa game because his turnovers had big impact but to say he single handedly lost that game is pretty far fetched especially considering Iowa score on two long runs by Canzeri. The Illinois game I still cannot get out of my head if it was a called run then why in the heck did the RB not block for him instead of running a route. If being neutered in the UCLA means passing for 174yards 1 TD and no int's while rushing for 75 yards at 7.6yd/carry then why in the heck did they not neuter him before

I hate it when players are blamed for following their base instincts and coaches who are supposed to be able to mold and control these players get a pass - TA is what he is, he was the same way the year before and the year before that. If the coaches are going to play him when the season sucks anyway and he is deliberately not following their directions then I say the fault is on the coaching staff. I would have sat him - heck the season was a lost cause anyway

No offense; doesn't seem like you are giving coaches a pass; do you really think in game they can control sheer stupidity - throwing to lone defenders, occasionally when told to run or on a play he audibled into? I think coaches at times maintained silence to shield him. We didn't have a large number of choices; I doubt if I or many could have done differently - if he just said ok, then did what he did? Fyfe may be better this season, but he didn't get it done - a good to great performance vs Purdue would have gotten him more playing time; instead I feel the coaches probably felt like " pulling their hair out" , can't anyone be medium and steady?.... A lot of trolling here for the coaches at times; and sometimes fans venting. Just IMO. You are a detailed and enjoyable poster; sometimes the young D got demoralized on a momentum swing after consistent screw-ups. Very common in football; so yep, sometimes I just give them a bit of a pass ( Dadgummit TA, I told you to run it ). GBR

 

[bigboxes]

A lot of sky is falling comments ITT. A lot of blame to go around for last season. However, I see the glass as half full. We were competitive in every game last season. It could have easily been 9-3 instead of 5-7. Should have been. Yes, I do know it wasn't.

Just looking at all the facts surrounding our difficulties. It was year one for TA in the new system. I am hopeful that TA will know his limitations, trust the staff to put him in a position to succeed and work within the system. I am hopeful that our staff will have weeded out the cancer, get the players to buy into their system and to play call within the abilities of the players that have on the roster. I am hopeful that we won't have all those holes in the LBers depth and the inexperience of the DBs.

I cannot say the same for the DTs. I don't blame Riley as Hughes was let go, partly due to players leaving early, but mostly because we didn't sign any DTs. That is the one area I am really worried about.

To put all this blame on TA is just not right. He had a bad game. No doubting that. However, if he can stay within the system, go through his progressions and just throw the damn ball away or run when nothing is there it will be better than a handful of turnovers a game. Just manage the game. Get the ball to your skill positions and don't lose the game. You may still lose the game, but when we have superior talent it should come down to just being disciplined and we will win those close games.

 

[SnohomishRed]

No offense; doesn't seem like you are giving coaches a pass; do you really think in game they can control sheer stupidity - throwing to lone defenders, occasionally when told to run or on a play he audibled into? I think coaches at times maintained silence to shield him. We didn't have a large number of choices; I doubt if I or many could have done differently - if he just said ok, then did what he did? Fyfe may be better this season, but he didn't get it done - a good to great performance vs Purdue would have gotten him more playing time; instead I feel the coaches probably felt like " pulling their hair out" , can't anyone be medium and steady?.... A lot of trolling here for the coaches at times; and sometimes fans venting. Just IMO. You are a detailed and enjoyable poster; sometimes the young D got demoralized on a momentum swing after consistent screw-ups. Very common in football; so yep, sometimes I just give them a bit of a pass ( Dadgummit TA, I told you to run it ). GBR

Cannot control stupid - but we should be consistent with it - In the MSU game TA threw a horrible int at the goal where he never saw the LB. But the play before that Langdorf calls a bubble screen from the 3 yard line that goes for negative yards setting the table for the next play. The int never would have happened if we had just ran the football which we were doing very effectively so who is really at fault. If we had a conservative game plan for Iowa would TA have thrown the int's no way to know

 

[dockentwo]

Cannot control stupid - but we should be consistent with it - In the MSU game TA threw a horrible int at the goal where he never saw the LB. But the play before that Langdorf calls a bubble screen from the 3 yard line that goes for negative yards setting the table for the next play. The int never would have happened if we had just ran the football which we were doing very effectively so who is really at fault. If we had a conservative game plan for Iowa would TA have thrown the int's no way to know

Once again I agree with you; a key point, he is not another qb - thus the UCLA formula. Back too Einsteins quote, I believe its; " Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results " ='s what: insanity.... ...Unless its for team moral and summer workouts; the coaches see the qb's consistently and they are giving the snaps and majority of the opportunity to TA and R Fyfe at this point. So it will take a heck of a camp rally for another qb to move up. So our best passer could be POB, mister B ran through our D in the Spring game like Johnny R - they simply couldn't handle a qb of that size. With our supporting talent any qb could excel ; so we will be better at qb in 2017. Any qb who can handle this system in a low turnover; follow the good decision path will excel. Which is too your point, we have some talented run blockers.