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Wisconsin/Alvarez mythology

cecilB

Recruiting Coordinator
Nov 1, 2001
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since there is some angst and envy from the latest emasculation from Wisconsin..and significant infatuation with Alvy...I can only assume it’s because he’s a NU alum...Alvy’s Big Ten record was 64-61-3...from an era when we mocked the Big Ten for being weak
 
since there is some angst and envy from the latest emasculation from Wisconsin..and significant infatuation with Alvy...I can only assume it’s because he’s a NU alum...Alvy’s Big Ten record was 64-61-3...from an era when we mocked the Big Ten for being weak
He struggled early as he built their program. What was his record his last 5 years?
 
Facts are fun.

He was .500 or worse 9 season. He was better than .500 7 seasons.
 
3-5
2-6
4-4
6-2
5-3
Those last 2 years look pretty good to Husker fans about now. I do seem to recall that Michigan, OSU, and Michigan State and sometimes Iowas were pretty good teams during that time span too. PSU wasn't there yet were they?
 
Those last 2 years look pretty good to Husker fans about now. I do seem to recall that Michigan, OSU, and Michigan State and sometimes Iowas were pretty good teams during that time span too. PSU wasn't there yet were they?
Yes, PSU was the Johnny come lately we are now. The big 10 was a rude awakening for them as well
 
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Yes, PSU was the Johnny come lately we are now. The big 10 was a rude awakening for them as well
I was never one to criticize the Big Ten. I always used to say that they bludgeoned each other to near death and then the last one able to stand won the conference. In that regard, the old NU teams would have fit in very well.
 
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Those last 2 years look pretty good to Husker fans about now. I do seem to recall that Michigan, OSU, and Michigan State and sometimes Iowas were pretty good teams during that time span too. PSU wasn't there yet were they?
And Iowa was on a different level than MSU. It’s hard to acknowledge on this board, but when the big ten looke at records for setting up competitive divisions, mich, Nebraska, osu, psu(by a whisker) were slate for top tier and different divisions. Iowa and Wisky were next... then the rest were a marked fall off
 
I was never one to criticize the Big Ten. I always used to say that they bludgeoned each other to near death and then the last one able to stand won the conference. In that regard, the old NU teams would have fit in very well.
Yes, quite well.
 
And Iowa was on a different level than MSU. It’s hard to acknowledge on this board, but when the big ten looke at records for setting up competitive divisions, mich, Nebraska, osu, psu(by a whisker) were slate for top tier and different divisions. Iowa and Wisky were next... then the rest were a marked fall off
Well they likely thought TO would be able to mold Bo into a sane head coach. They didn't realize that even the Dr. of Educational Psychology couldn't fix that warped dude and they didn't fully realize how little Bo liked to recruit. Tom really screwed up that hire. Even he realizes that now.
 
I think what he's built at Wisconsin turned in to a pretty good deal but as a coach I cant say I was impressed aside from a couple of seasons here and there.
 
It rubs the Scott Frost lotion on the skin or else it gets the hose again.
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can we please stop with these ridiculous comparisons
you a replace a head coach with the intentions of improving the program and then maintaining a level of winning that is deemed reasonable

lets looks at Alvarez's record in 3 year blocks

three years prior to arrival - 7 total wins

Alvarez ...

years 1-3 --- 11 total wins
years 4-6 ---- 21 total wins
years 7-9 --- -27 total wins
years 10-12 -- 24 wins
years 13-15 -- 24 wins
2005 -- 10 wins

+ 3 rose bowls in 16 years ... Wisconsin hadn't been to even a bowl since 1962

so you have clear evidence of improvement (ie wins) in 3 successive 3 year blocks for Alvarez. In his next 6 years the program maintained what would be reasonable expectations for Wisconsin - averaged 8 wins per year.

no one can argue with any hard evidence that there has been improvement during Riley's first year. All that can be claimed is a bunch of subjective recruiting "maybes". I realize improving on a 9 win team is more difficult than a 2 or 3 win team. I don't think most were counting on immediate improvement - I think most of us were hoping to maintain the status quo or at least minimize the backslide in his first three years - I am not sure anyone can claim that - things have clearly deteriorated during his 3 years. If he gets to 6-7 wins this year I am in favor of giving him more time - unfortunately my rationale for giving more time is that it will become even more obvious as time goes on that, while an outstanding person, he isn't the right football coach fro Nebraska. If we have to go another year or 2 for more of a consensus to be reached among the fan base then so be it.
 
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Tom made the hire (Bo) because every Husker fans wanted and expected Bo to be the guy. That from his one year as a Nebraska DC followed up at Oklahoma and LSU. If TO had not hired Bo, there would have been a burning Big Red country. In retrospect, it is easy to criticize when things don't work out well.
 
can we please stop with these ridiculous comparisons
you a replace a head coach with the intentions of improving the program and then maintaining a level of winning that is deemed reasonable

lets looks at Alvarez's record in 3 year blocks

three years prior to arrival - 7 total wins

Alvarez ...

years 1-3 --- 11 total wins
years 4-6 ---- 21 total wins
years 7-9 --- -27 total wins
years 10-12 -- 24 wins
years 13-15 -- 24 wins
2005 -- 10 wins

+ 3 rose bowls in 16 years ... Wisconsin hadn't been to even a bowl since 1962

so you have clear evidence of improvement (ie wins) in 3 successive 3 year blocks for Alvarez. In his next 6 years the program maintained what would be reasonable expectations for Wisconsin - averaged 8 wins per year.

no one can argue with any hard evidence that there has been improvement during Riley's first year. All that can be claimed is a bunch of subjective recruiting "maybes". I realize improving on a 9 win team is more difficult than a 2 or 3 win team. I don't think most were counting on immediate improvement - I think most of us were hoping to maintain the status quo or at least minimize the backslide in his first three years - I am not sure anyone can claim that - things have clearly deteriorated during his 3 years. If he gets to 6-7 wins this year I am in favor of giving him more time - unfortunately my rationale for giving more time is that it will become even more obvious as time goes on that, while an outstanding person, he isn't the right football coach fro Nebraska. If we have to go another year or 2 for more of a consensus to be reached among the fan base then so be it.

you can do whatever you want.

As can the guys who say Bielema and Anderson and Crist were/are successful b/c the great NU alum, Barry, still ran or runs things, including breaking down film and telling them what to do.

As can the people that see Alvarez as Big ten coach that was 3 games over .500 over a 16 year period.

It's America, and his record is fact and not fake.

In my case it had nothing specific with Mike R. Tangentially, perhaps because of the ill-informed opinions on how great Alvy was that many hold.

Carry on
 
Barry organized a moribund program and had some great seasons before he got lazy and his equally lazy staff gave up on recruiting and sold the locals (who were in fear of becoming irrelevant again) on easy OOC schedules and a decent bowl every year.
Then as the internet became more important and message boards became active, Barry got that the GIG was over, and retired a hero and has been even a better AD than he was a Coach.
It's his program and style that keeps us winning.
 
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I don't think Barry is breaking down film. He is however setting expectations (focus on oline recruiting and development) including style of play... and resources allocated to football. He lays down the law on being a physical team and focus ensure Oline comes 1st. The head coach and staff know that is the expectation coming in. So in this case the team identity is dictated by the AD. Nebraska is about as far away from that reality as a football program can be.
 
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