icedavis
New member
Given the current turmoil, I am curious to know:
When Pelini was hired on, what were your short term expectations? Long term expectations?
As seasons have passed, how have those expectations changed?
Did you expect a national title every year, conference titles and a bowl win (50/50 bowl win-loss?), just conference titles and bowl appearances with no determination of W/L, perennial top 10 ranking, etc?
I expect snarky responses but at least put an honest response too. I am interested to hear where people had set the bar when Pelini took the helm. I feel like this season specifically people have had high expectations which may not have been entirely realistic or had reasonable expectations but as the season progressed and the awfulness ensued that people maintained those high expectations when it wasn't as obvious the team could reach them anymore. It's one thing to support the team to that level, thats fine but it's another to entirely ignore the situation at hand. I feel like people have rightly criticized the team but also kept that bar at that high level when it should be brought down a little. Might just be my perception of the discussions between people I have talked to though.
I have always been dis-interested in the "Fire x-coach" talk because I think it frequently is an over-reaction. So, with that I present some statistics that may be of interest.
In 5 complete seasons, plus one partial, (1st head coaching job)
Bo Pelini's stat line: 54 Wins 22 losses. 31-22 conference record. 0 conference titles, 4 Division titles. 6 Bowl Games with a 3-3 record. 0 National titles, 1 Unranked season (with potential for another this season). Highest ranking 14th with an average ranking of 20th.
In his first 6 full seasons (first head coaching job)
Tom Osborne stat line: 55 Wins 16 losses 2 ties. 30-11-1 conference record, 2 conf titles, 6 Bowls with a 4-2 record, 0 National titles, 0 unranked seasons, highest ranking 7th with an avg of 9th.
In his first 6 full seasons (second head coaching job):
Bob Devaney stat line: 53 wins 12 losses 2 ties, 34-8 conference record, 4 conference titles, 5 Bowl games with a 2-3 record, 0 National Titles, 2 unranked seasons, highest ranking 3rd with an avg of 5/6th.
While its not complete apples to apples because of conference alignment, existent/nonexistent divisions, etc, you can still see that Bo is not far off from the "Holy Ones". I am sure I could have left off names and certain statistics like #of conf titles or whatever and many wouldn't be able to quickly identify which stat line belonged to which coach. That is not to mention that it took Devaney 3 more seasons and TO another 16 seasons to get that National title ball rolling.
So this is why I guess I am curious of everyone's previous expectations for success and where you all set the bar.
Obviously hindsight is 20/20 and people can BS but I am being honest here when I say I thought that the Huskers could have been a perennial conference title contender and say a once every 5 year top 5 team (maybe national title appearance) and while I am disappointed with how it turned out in 6 seasons so far, I am also not in the fire-pelini camp...yet, because I tend to be more impatiently patient and I think that while setting a bar is good, the season is so dynamic that it can be really hard to reach that bar. Maybe that is my "tough season, we'll get them next year" mentality showing through after going through so many terrible seasons in support of MN Twins baseball.
What say you?
When Pelini was hired on, what were your short term expectations? Long term expectations?
As seasons have passed, how have those expectations changed?
Did you expect a national title every year, conference titles and a bowl win (50/50 bowl win-loss?), just conference titles and bowl appearances with no determination of W/L, perennial top 10 ranking, etc?
I expect snarky responses but at least put an honest response too. I am interested to hear where people had set the bar when Pelini took the helm. I feel like this season specifically people have had high expectations which may not have been entirely realistic or had reasonable expectations but as the season progressed and the awfulness ensued that people maintained those high expectations when it wasn't as obvious the team could reach them anymore. It's one thing to support the team to that level, thats fine but it's another to entirely ignore the situation at hand. I feel like people have rightly criticized the team but also kept that bar at that high level when it should be brought down a little. Might just be my perception of the discussions between people I have talked to though.
I have always been dis-interested in the "Fire x-coach" talk because I think it frequently is an over-reaction. So, with that I present some statistics that may be of interest.
In 5 complete seasons, plus one partial, (1st head coaching job)
Bo Pelini's stat line: 54 Wins 22 losses. 31-22 conference record. 0 conference titles, 4 Division titles. 6 Bowl Games with a 3-3 record. 0 National titles, 1 Unranked season (with potential for another this season). Highest ranking 14th with an average ranking of 20th.
In his first 6 full seasons (first head coaching job)
Tom Osborne stat line: 55 Wins 16 losses 2 ties. 30-11-1 conference record, 2 conf titles, 6 Bowls with a 4-2 record, 0 National titles, 0 unranked seasons, highest ranking 7th with an avg of 9th.
In his first 6 full seasons (second head coaching job):
Bob Devaney stat line: 53 wins 12 losses 2 ties, 34-8 conference record, 4 conference titles, 5 Bowl games with a 2-3 record, 0 National Titles, 2 unranked seasons, highest ranking 3rd with an avg of 5/6th.
While its not complete apples to apples because of conference alignment, existent/nonexistent divisions, etc, you can still see that Bo is not far off from the "Holy Ones". I am sure I could have left off names and certain statistics like #of conf titles or whatever and many wouldn't be able to quickly identify which stat line belonged to which coach. That is not to mention that it took Devaney 3 more seasons and TO another 16 seasons to get that National title ball rolling.
So this is why I guess I am curious of everyone's previous expectations for success and where you all set the bar.
Obviously hindsight is 20/20 and people can BS but I am being honest here when I say I thought that the Huskers could have been a perennial conference title contender and say a once every 5 year top 5 team (maybe national title appearance) and while I am disappointed with how it turned out in 6 seasons so far, I am also not in the fire-pelini camp...yet, because I tend to be more impatiently patient and I think that while setting a bar is good, the season is so dynamic that it can be really hard to reach that bar. Maybe that is my "tough season, we'll get them next year" mentality showing through after going through so many terrible seasons in support of MN Twins baseball.
What say you?
