A 'W' for sure

[Huskerfan2000]

Part of the problem with the fans is that we continue to think and predict that we are going better than we are, and then we lose our minds when we are not. As I said in my long ass post, rebuilding is ugly, but Nebraska fans think, "We're Nebraska. We shouldn't be losing to . . . or get blown out at home."

No. No we shouldn't. But we are not THAT Nebraska anymore. That's just the truth. We are not a competitive team and have not been for a long time. We are at the bottom right now. Whomever is our coach next year will likely struggle. Ohio State in Columbus? Wisconsin in Madison? Michigan in Ann Arbor? Then we get Northwestern in Evanston, and the Spartans and Buffaloes at home. I see three likely losses and four to five losses is probable. If Frost is here, who will be our QB next year? Have we recruited anybody that is a dual threat? Are we going to throw a player to the wolves who either hasn't or has barely seen the field to manage, again, another NEW offense.

About the coaches not playing the "right" players. For crying out loud! Most fan bases complain about that. Every remote control jockey is a freakin' expert. I really find it mind-numbingly thick to complain about something with only a speck of empirical evidence. Ozigbo was the man when he wasn't starting. He starts and 9 yards of rushing offense. Now Bradley is the man. I don't know. Maybe the fans are smarter than most FBS coaches. Maybe most FBS coaches ARE incompetent, unable to evaluate talent, stupid and clueless. I suppose it is plausible. I suppose it is possible that most FBS coaches either don't care about winning or don't play their best players for a number of reasons. Maybe most FBS coaches are that dumb.

I still believe what our program needs is to stick with a coach. Pelini could have been the man if he had a modicum of self-restraint and impulse control. I'm going to support whomever is in charge, because I have no choice. I will continue to root for Riley. If he's not the coach next year, I'll root for the next guy. Unfortunately, if SF is not hired to replace Riley, our splintered fan base will poison the waters for the next guy too. We are our own worst enemies and we are unwilling and unable to accept the fact that rebuilding Nebraska is going to take time . . . and I fear much more time than we are willing to give.

Bill Moos disagrees with you, he thinks the pieces are already in place, but what does he know..

 

[Husker21stb]

Bill Moos disagrees with you, he thinks the pieces are already in place, but what does he know..

I'm sure he knows a hell of a lot more than me. I'm also sure he knows what to say to the public to prevent a tar and feathering, mass suicides and an exodus. (See Jen. I can use hyperbole like the best of them!)

 

[Hunchback Johnny]

Bill Moos disagrees with you, he thinks the pieces are already in place, but what does he know..

Most newly appointed ADs explain why they took the job in glowing terms. I have never seen an AD say "I wanted a challenge. The football program is in complete disarray right now and I hope I can make a difference"

Back to my triangle solo sessions...

 

[Huskergod84]

How many years does the next guy get? New coach, coaching staff, another new offense, another new defense...I am not advocating Riley get more time - but how long does the next guy get before the “burn it all down and start over” talks resume? So - since this is all hypothetical talk - Frost is that new man and struggles for the first couple years - what then?...

It depends. What direction is the program going? If it is continuing on the way it is right now then I dont think he will last very long. Are we losing games to good teams but its coming down to the wire and not getting boat raced 62-14? Are we still losing games to NIU, Illinois, Purdue? Its will all depend on how the next guy has the team playing. Riley took over for a coach who had never won less than 9 games and is in year 3 struggling to beat the lowest teams on the schedule while the top teams make us look like St Marys school for the blind and score on 8 straight possesions and convert EVERY 3rd down until the 3rd team comes in. The next guy will now take over a team that is precieved to be struggling and will get a little more leniency as long as he shows improvement.

 

[Husker21stb]

Bill Moos disagrees with you, he thinks the pieces are already in place, but what does he know..

AND if Riley is a done deal with NU, he's got to lay the AD-speak groundwork for his firing.

 

[Huskerfan2000]

AD-speak saying the pieces are in place? Hardly, that is him telling Riley no excuses.. far from AD-speak, imo.

is it laying the ground work for the firing? Could be, but does that make it any less true, or is it some just don't agree and feel they know better?

 

[Husker21stb]

AD-speak saying the pieces are in place? Hardly, that is him telling Riley no excuses.. far from AD-speak, imo.

is it laying the ground work for the firing? Could be, but does that make it any less true, or is it some just don't agree and feel they know better?

Of course it is telling Riley no excuses. It's AD-speak . . . which is part of laying the groundwork for firing. I should have been more specific.

 

[Blatz]

First off, Iowa State pulling off a super season every once in awhile... WHO WOULDN'T TAKE THAT RIGHT NOW? Riley hasn't been recruiting Top 10 classes, he's getting mid 30's, so who cares if he gets canned? We don't lose anything. We actually gain next year because he is such a poor GAMEDAY Coach. We started the year off ranked #37, we dropped as far as #80.
We would be better served with Moos reassigning Riley right now, and letting Diaco take over as interim Coach through the next four games. And I wouldn't pay Riley either, pull a Texas Tech and make him sue for the remainder.

And that's not emotional posting. It is based entirely on fact sans my not paying him crack.

 

[Removed Spleen of Jordan]

No. No we shouldn't. But we are not THAT Nebraska anymore. That's just the truth. We are not a competitive team and have not been for a long time. We are at the bottom right now. Whomever is our coach next year will likely struggle. Ohio State in Columbus? Wisconsin in Madison? Michigan in Ann Arbor? Then we get Northwestern in Evanston, and the Spartans and Buffaloes at home. I see three likely losses and four to five losses is probable. If Frost is here, who will be our QB next year? Have we recruited anybody that is a dual threat? Are we going to throw a player to the wolves who either hasn't or has barely seen the field to manage, again, another NEW offense.

About the coaches not playing the "right" players. For crying out loud! Most fan bases complain about that. Every remote control jockey is a freakin' expert. I really find it mind-numbingly thick to complain about something with only a speck of empirical evidence. Ozigbo was the man when he wasn't starting. He starts and 9 yards of rushing offense. Now Bradley is the man. I don't know. Maybe the fans are smarter than most FBS coaches. Maybe most FBS coaches ARE incompetent, unable to evaluate talent, stupid and clueless. I suppose it is plausible. I suppose it is possible that most FBS coaches either don't care about winning or don't play their best players for a number of reasons. Maybe most FBS coaches are that dumb.

I still believe what our program needs is to stick with a coach. Pelini could have been the man if he had a modicum of self-restraint and impulse control. I'm going to support whomever is in charge, because I have no choice. I will continue to root for Riley. If he's not the coach next year, I'll root for the next guy. Unfortunately, if SF is not hired to replace Riley, our splintered fan base will poison the waters for the next guy too. We are our own worst enemies and we are unwilling and unable to accept the fact that rebuilding Nebraska is going to take time . . . and I fear much more time than we are willing to give.

Do you honestly want Riley to get another year or not? We all root for the team while seeing that sometimes in the long term interest of the program a change needs to be made. I'll come right out and say it he isn't getting it done and should be let go. Blaming the fan base is a canard in my opinion.

 

[Husker21stb]

Do you honestly want Riley to get another year or not? We all root for the team while seeing that sometimes in the long term interest of the program a change needs to be made. I'll come right out and say it he isn't getting it done and should be let go. Blaming the fan base is a canard in my opinion.

I honestly believe that given enough time and latitude, many types of coaches can be successful.

How many times have we heard about losing the sell-out streak and fans leaving early and giving up tickets and the fishbowl? I think fans create an environment, good and bad, that affects the stability of a program. Kicking coaches to the curb every four years IS NOT STABILITY.

 

[Huskerfan2000]

I honestly believe that given enough time and latitude, many types of coaches can be successful.

How many times have we heard about losing the sell-out streak and fans leaving early and giving up tickets and the fishbowl? I think fans create an environment, good and bad, that affects the stability of a program. Kicking coaches to the curb every four years IS NOT STABILITY.

Well, Riley has been a coach for MANY years and is still a .500 coach..

 

[Blatz]

I honestly believe that given enough time and latitude, many types of coaches can be successful. well of course

How many times have we heard about losing the sell-out streak and fans leaving early and giving up tickets and the fishbowl? I think fans create an environment, good and bad, that affects the stability of a program. not the stability of the program. it affects the stability of the coach. (LSU, Bama, Nebraska, Michigan, etc etc) Kicking coaches to the curb every four years IS NOT STABILITY. No it isn't but if you are making bad hires, you can't just let the last one ride because you are tired of making change. You keep at it until you get it right. if you don't see improvement after 2-3 years you aren't going too.

That is simply what is owed to the program. We are not KU, North Texas, etc.

 

[Removed Spleen of Jordan]

I honestly believe that given enough time and latitude, many types of coaches can be successful.

How many times have we heard about losing the sell-out streak and fans leaving early and giving up tickets and the fishbowl? I think fans create an environment, good and bad, that affects the stability of a program. Kicking coaches to the curb every four years IS NOT STABILITY.

Stability at what quality level is the pertinent question then. Your premise is that given more time Riley or perhaps any coach will improve the situation. I've come to the conclusion that given more time he will only keep doing more of what we've seen and that damages the program the longer it is allowed to continue. I was hopeful like most that Riley would find a new level of stability above his previous around .500 record with the new resources he had. He hasn't and it looks like it is getting worse not better. The fans didn't cause that. They can only do what they can do and voice their frustration. It is perhaps a bit unfair to Riley that he is feeling the cumulative frustration of all of the previous years built up on top of his own but he's an experienced guy and he took the gig. To quote Bo "at the end of the day" it is about filling that stadium and bringing revenue into the department. The fans aren't coaches but they aren't idiots either, at least the vast majority of them. They know what good football looks like.

 

[Husker94]

How many years does the next guy get? New coach, coaching staff, another new offense, another new defense...I am not advocating Riley get more time - but how long does the next guy get before the “burn it all down and start over” talks resume? So - since this is all hypothetical talk - Frost is that new man and struggles for the first couple years - what then?...

As always, it is dependent on how the losses occur. Getting man-handled by Northern Illinois, struggling against Purdue, barely eeking out wins over Illinois and Rutgers, and getting taken behind the woodshed by Oregon, Wisconsin, and Ohio State...

We are a very soft, very passive, team whose players play (slight hyperbole here) 100x below their respective and collective talent level(s). That points to one thing...coaching.

I've said it countless times, Mike Riley can save himself by simply refocusing his offense. He decides to actually commit to the running game, has Tom Osborne give him a "how-to" clinic, Mike Riley would be able to stay as long as he wants. But he won't do that. Riley is convinced his soft, passive, weak, pass happy offense can win at a high level and allow his team to compete for championships--despite his entire coaching history which says otherwise.

 

[j d]

Getting man-handled by Northern Illinois...

Man-handled??? We gave them not 1 but 2 pick 6 interceptions in the first quarter. Final score 21-17. Talk about hyperbole.

It was a very bad loss, but man-handled?

 

[Husker94]

Man-handled??? We gave them not 1 but 2 pick 6 interceptions in the first quarter. Final score 21-17. Talk about hyperbole.

It was a very bad loss, but man-handled?

How is that hyperbole? Do you even know what hyperbole means? It means exaggerating for effect.

Go back and re-watch that Northern Illinois game. Nebraska's OL was man-handled, out-hustled, out-efforted, and out-physicaled on almost every single snap by their defensive front. Hell even the commentators, including Les Miles, were pointing out that Nebraska's OL was getting embarrassed and weren't physical.

To say I am exaggerating that means you either don't understand the meaning of the word or you don't understand football--which I think neither is the case.

As Nebraska fans, we have got to stop lying to ourselves and candy-coating this team's performances. It serves no purpose and all it does is make matters worse.

 

[Husker21stb]

Let’s talk Mike Riley and just look at the data. This is not intended to be a pro or con Mike Riley post. Just looking at facts.

The longest he has spent in any one place was Oregon State during his second tenure. I think he spent 3 or less years at every other stop. Let’s look at 2003-2013

Oregon State Beavers
2003 – 8-5 (Beat New Mexico 55-14 in the Las Vegas Bowl)
Bankers first year and essentially Riley’s first year.
Lost to the #2 USC (ended #1) & #6 Washington State (ended #9) as well as Fresno State, Washington and Oregon
SOS - #45

2004 – 7-5 (Beat Notre Dame 38-21 in the Insight Bowl)
Lost to #1 USC (20-28), #3 LSU (21-22 in OT – Nick Saban’s 5[SUP]th[/SUP] season-ended #16th), #10 Cal in a blowout, #22 Arizona as well as Boise State (11-1, #12/13).
SOS – #3

2005 – 5-6
Langsdorf’s first year.
Lost to #8 UCLA (blowout-ended #13/16), #10 Oregon (blowout-ended #10), #11 Louisville (blowout-ended #19/20), Arizona State (blowout – ended #19/20), Arizona, Stanford
SOS - #49

2006 – 10-4 (Beat Missouri 39-38 in the Sun Bowl)
Lost to Boise State (ended #5/6) and Cal (blowouts-ended#14), WSU and UCLA
Beat #2 USC (ended #4)
SOS -#12

2007 – 9-4 (Beat Maryland 21-14 in the Emerald Bowl)
Lost to #15 USC (ended the season #2/3), Lost to Cincinnati (blowout -ended the season 10-3 ranked #17/20), Arizona State (ended #13/16)
SOS - #5

2008 – 9-4 (Beat Pitt 3-0 in the Sun Bowl)
Lost to #15 Utah (ended #2/4), #19 Oregon (ended #9/10), #Penn State (blowout – ended #8), and Stanford.
Beat #1 USC (ended #3)
SOS - #8

2009 – 8-5 (Lost to #20 BYU 44-20 in the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas – BYU ended #14)
Lost to #4 USC (Ended #20/22), #7 Oregon (Ended #11), #7 Cincinnati (Ended #8/9) and Arizona
SOS - #25

2010 – 5-7
Lost to #1 Oregon (Ended #3), #3 Boise State (Ended #7/9), #6 TCU (Ended #2), #7 Stanford (Ended #4), Washington (in 2 OT - the one’s that beat us in the Holiday Bowl), UCLA, Washington State (A pretty bad team)
SOS - #5

2011- 3-9
Lost to #4 Stanford (Blowout- Ended #7), #8 Wisconsin (Blowout – Ended #10/11), #9 Oregon (Blowout – Ended #4), BYU (Ended #25), Cal, UCLA, Arizona State, Sacramento State (Bad team)
SOS - #23

2012 – 9-4 (Ended Ranked #19/20 – Lost to Texas (#18/19) 27-31 in the Alamo Bowl)
Lost to #5 Oregon (Blowout - Ended #2), #16 Stanford (Ended #6/7), Washington
Beat #13 Wisconsin (Ended unranked but, throttled us 70-31), #19 UCLA (Was a decent team, but ended unranked), BYU (Solid team, but ended unranked.)
SOS - #13

2013 – 7-6 (Beat Boise State, 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl)
Lost to #6 Stanford (Ended #10/11), #12 Oregon (Ended #9), USC (Ended #19), #21 Arizona State (Ended #20/21), Washington (Ended #25- Blowout), #4 Eastern Washington (3 points - FCS – Ended #3)
SOS - #24

80 wins and 59 Losses .576 and was 6-2 in bowl games.
Average SOS was #19
All Time w/l percentage is .479

They started playing in 1893. From 1893-2002 they had only been ranked by the AP or coaches 6 times. During Mike Riley’s second tenure, they were ranked 4 times.

Pelini - .713
2008 – SOS #25
2009– SOS #5
2010– SOS #28
2011– SOS #32
2012– SOS #21
2013– SOS #53
2014– SOS #41
Average SOS – 29th

Riley @ Nebraska-.559
2015– SOS #50
2016– SOS #47
2017– SOS #39
Average SOS – 45[SUP]th[/SUP]

No. This is not a stellar resume. Oregon State has never been a great program and they were only adequate under Riley.

Clearly he had a difficult SOS at OSU, it is tough to recruit to Corvallis and he had fewer resources than UNL. However, in both locations he has had too many blowout losses, the results have been inconsistent and he has had an average winning percentage. This data shows an explanation, but not an excuse. I think we can understand why he was average at OSU, but so far at UNL, the team is underperforming. He has had an easier SOS at NU, better talent and better resources. So far, he has his teams have underperformed.

His first 3 seasons at NU bear some similarities with his first 3 seasons at OSU.

1. SOS in seasons 1 & 3 are similar to UNL.
2. He had a regression in season 3.
3. He changed a coordinator in his first 3 years. (Langsdorf after year 2 at OSU and Bob Diaco after year 2 in Lincoln.)
4. He lost some he shouldn’t and won some he shouldn’t.
5. Year 4 at OSU was significantly better. Riley likely won’t get the chance to have a year 4 at NU.

I’m not arguing for or against HCMR. I just believe that if he has any chance of getting it done at NU, it would be best not to change AGAIN.

“What is past is prologue.” Let us hope that HCMR has learned some lessons and can use that information to improve our situation. There is no evidence on the field to suggest it, but all we have left is hope.

 

[Huskerfan2000]

You did a lot of work when all you had to do is look at this..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Riley

You will see that he went .556 in the CFL for his career

You will see he went .550 in the WLAF

You will see he went .292 in the NFL

and his total coaching career he is .560

Yes, that includes a few good seasons, but overall he is a .500 coach.

 

[Husker21stb]

You did a lot of work when all you had to do is look at this..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Riley

You will see that he went .556 in the CFL for his career

You will see he went .550 in the WLAF

You will see he went .292 in the NFL

and his total coaching career he is .560

Yes, that includes a few good seasons, but overall he is a .500 coach.

No. Wiki doesn't show the whole picture. I wanted to see WHY he went .500 at OSU. There are some pretty understandable reasons. It is similar to looking at Nick Saban's .585 at MSU and drawing a conclusion about him. That number doesn't tell a person anything about the level of competition, changes in staff, changes at key positions on the team, injuries, etc . . .

I know that even though Osborne wrote the book, "More Than Winning," it's really all about winning.

 

[Huskerfan2000]

No. Wiki doesn't show the whole picture. I wanted to see WHY he went .500 at OSU. There are some pretty understandable reasons. It is similar to looking at Nick Saban's .585 at MSU and drawing a conclusion about him. That number doesn't tell a person anything about the level of competition, changes in staff, changes at key positions on the team, injuries, etc . . .

I know that even though Osborne wrote the book, "More Than Winning," it's really all about winning.

Mike Riley hasn't been .500 at just OSU, he has been .500, or below, every place he has been and actually, it is not similar, in my opinion, to Nick Saban at MSU. Nick was just starting his head coaching career at that level and went .585, Mike has been under .585 over many many years.. IMO, apples to oranges.

Ok, ok, ok, I am done arguing about Mike Riley's coaching career. We see different things.