Where do you see Nebraska Football in five years?

[Mierin]

My living room.

 

[JJ Husker]

1 or 2 conference championship appearances. I have to ask, what makes Nebraska fans think they will be any better with Riley? I just don't see it but I do like the optimism.

Experience

Dedication to recruiting

Bringing in the fanbase for a greater product.

Better QB development

Better coordinators who aren't piss boys or yes men

And in addition to those, we'll be better, if for no better reason than optimism. Pelini proved he was taking us nowhere. Now we at least have hope that things can be better. That really is a huge thing even if it is fairly arbitrary at this point in time.

 

[JJ Husker]

I see us all living in the mountains at high altitude.

Maybe we could just say a prayer and drink to world peace.

 

[NebraskaShellback]

No National Championship in 5 years folks, I do not see it and/or getting to the B1G CC: I do not see it either.

 

[NUpolo8]

I see us all living in the mountains at high altitude.

Maybe we could just say a prayer and drink to world peace.

Provided there's no white chocolate. I hate white chocolate.

 

[walksalone]

I hope your eyes aren't flash burnt by those white hot takes.

-put your uv protection on and make your takes be strong.

Holy sh*t, you're Jim Rome, that explains EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, I'd rather see at least one year with Riley at the helm before making some wild a$$ guess, but going with what he's done before the battle cry will go from "#9wins" to "#10wins"...

 

[hskrNmo]

Another interesting dynamic they talked about on Unsportsmanlike Conduct yesterday was the lack of championships won by our new staff over the years. Now while that may be somewhat concerning, I like to look at the positive of that. We've got a lot of guys that have been in the game for a LONG time and to never have won a major championship for any particular level of football says that the motivation factor for such a group has to be sky high. Obviously Riley has to see an opportunity for him to take such a job this far away from his home where he was thought to be engrained for the life. And to be bringing back guys from various places that have been with him in the past who had left him at one point or another says to me they see it too. For a lot of these guys, it has to be the last opportunity for a life's work in a field to pay off for something incredible. So I look at the motivational factor of it all.

And see, I am a horrible pessimist. I see the lack of championships and the knowledge that many of them have spent the majority of their career at OSU or other small programs as a lack of Fire. At least that was my initial thought as to why Riley turned down some big name jobs In the past, bc he maybe he didn't have the heart of a champion.But I am probably and hopefully way off base there.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Another interesting dynamic they talked about on Unsportsmanlike Conduct yesterday was the lack of championships won by our new staff over the years. Now while that may be somewhat concerning, I like to look at the positive of that. We've got a lot of guys that have been in the game for a LONG time and to never have won a major championship for any particular level of football says that the motivation factor for such a group has to be sky high. Obviously Riley has to see an opportunity for him to take such a job this far away from his home where he was thought to be engrained for the life. And to be bringing back guys from various places that have been with him in the past who had left him at one point or another says to me they see it too. For a lot of these guys, it has to be the last opportunity for a life's work in a field to pay off for something incredible. So I look at the motivational factor of it all.

And see, I am a horrible pessimist. I see the lack of championships and the knowledge that many of them have spent the majority of their career at OSU or other small programs as a lack of Fire. At least that was my initial thought as to why Riley turned down some big name jobs In the past, bc he maybe he didn't have the heart of a champion.But I am probably and hopefully way off base there.

hometowns have a strong hold on some folks. Of course that defense raises more to the question "why Nebraska? Why now?" And yes i do understand the anxiety of the situation from some. I just happen to not agree.

 

[B1GRED]

I know it's not the point of the thread but to me it's eye popping and I had to do a double take when I realized 2020 was only FIVE YEARS AWAY! Good lord I am old.

If we don't win a title in Riley's first 4 years... it will have been 2 decades since our last Conference title.

It's going to be tough to do. Our schedule increases in difficulty significantly after next season. Here is the schedule:

2016: at Ohio State, at Wisconsin, at Iowa (Oregon non conference)

2017: Ohio State, Wisconsin at home. At Minnesota and at Penn State (at Oregon non conference)

2018: at Michigan, at Wisconsin, at Ohio State, at Iowa. Michigan State at home. (Colorado non conference)

2019: Ohio State and Wisconsin at home. At Minnesota, at Maryland. (at Colorado non conference)

I tried to list the tough conference games on paper. It's impossible to know how good a team might be in the future, however, the conference schedules after next season are tough, particularly 2018. So, I don't think it's likely Nebraska will end the conference title drought within a two decade time frame.

How does scheduling work that we can see a cross division tOSU team 4 years in a row?

 

[skersfan]

Hope, I see hope for the future. To me that is all that is important. I had no real hope from the time the past staff/coach was hired. I knew what he was and what he would be.

I know Coach Riley does not have the stellar past that some are looking for. Maybe we all are or were, but I see a man that has knowledge of college football. Maybe being satisfied with being in his home, to coach out his final days. But something changed, he is welcoming this with open arms, running into the hell that can be "The head Coach of Nebraska". He wants the challenge, left home to come here, to take on that challenge.

Could we win a lot more games, maybe, maybe not. But Nebraska is about more than winning games to me. Honest, hard working, love of country, god, and just doing things right. I see him fitting that mold to a tee.

I make no predictions on his results, but for the first time in 7 years I have hope that things, in every aspect will get better, that I can watch the game and not be embarrassed by a low class display on the sidelines or on video tapes.

I see a man that is happy to be here, not looking at it as a stepping stone. He has reached the highest pinnacle of his career, and he will give us everything he has. We will not be worried (some were) that he is interviewing at the next big gig.

We have a class act, and I will wait for what he brings us. I think we will be very happy with the results.

 

[JJ Husker]

Looking at Riley's track record, I don't see any reason to believe we will be any better than we are right now. Career .500 coach with one ten win season thrown in there.

Expecting CCG and playoff caliber teams requires a belief that Riley will suddenly preform better than he has his entire career. Possible? Of course, but I don't expect it.

I would buy the "but he was in Corvalis, just wait until he gets to Lincoln" argument if the coach that replaced him in Corvalis didn't outperform him.

Toss in Urban in the process of building a monster program, Michigan hiring a coach with Orange Bowl wins and SB appearances, mich st. Only losing three games the last two years, the two this year are playing for the title. I see tough times.

He is a nice guy, can't argue with that.

I hate to even try to respond to your pessimistic bullsh#t but, it doesn't take a belief that Riley will suddenly do better than he has for his whole career. It only requires believing he will do better than Bo. IMO, he already has done better at selecting a staff, recruiting, being appreciative of the fans and the position he holds, and knowing that he will never be caught on tape or on the sidelines embarrassing the Nebraska brand. Winning our ccg will be tough in the next few years but I am confident we will at least get to play in it and even more confident that we will not get blown out embarrassed. Those are all vast improvements in my book. I don't know what your smoking that prohibits seeing it.

 

[SLHusker]

I would like a conference championship with a playoff bid

 

[walksalone]

I hate to even try to respond to your pessimistic bullsh#t but, it doesn't take a belief that Riley will suddenly do better than he has for his whole career. It only requires believing he will do better than Bo. IMO, he already has done better at selecting a staff, recruiting, being appreciative of the fans and the position he holds, and knowing that he will never be caught on tape or on the sidelines embarrassing the Nebraska brand. Winning our ccg will be tough in the next few years but I am confident we will at least get to play in it and even more confident that we will not get blown out embarrassed. Those are all vast improvements in my book. I don't know what your smoking that prohibits seeing it.

So if he goes 6-6 for the next 3 or 4 years, it will be ok because he's gone about the process better than Bo?

If you hired a coach for congeniality, then you've got your guy, but I want a coach that will win, and the jury is still out on whether or not he'll be able to do that...

 

[JJ Husker]

I hate to even try to respond to your pessimistic bullsh#t but, it doesn't take a belief that Riley will suddenly do better than he has for his whole career. It only requires believing he will do better than Bo. IMO, he already has done better at selecting a staff, recruiting, being appreciative of the fans and the position he holds, and knowing that he will never be caught on tape or on the sidelines embarrassing the Nebraska brand. Winning our ccg will be tough in the next few years but I am confident we will at least get to play in it and even more confident that we will not get blown out embarrassed. Those are all vast improvements in my book. I don't know what your smoking that prohibits seeing it.

So if he goes 6-6 for the next 3 or 4 years, it will be ok because he's gone about the process better than Bo?

If you hired a coach for congeniality, then you've got your guy, but I want a coach that will win, and the jury is still out on whether or not he'll be able to do that...

Do you just make up strawman so you have something to argue about? Where did I say 6-6 would be ok? Do you know how bad we would have to be to go 6-6 in this conference? If Pelini, Beck, and Paps can coach em to only 4 losses, yeah I'm very confident Riley and crew can and will do better. And yes that does remain to be proven on field. Are you naysayers suggesting we shut down HB and all football discussion until Riley has a season under his belt? Pretty sick and tired of being reminded that he hasn't actually coached a game yet at Nebraska. For f#*k's sake, can't we enjoy some hope that the guaranteed 4 loss era might be over and, possibly gone with it, the uninspired performances, near misses, unprepared and incomplete games, and the stomach turning blowouts? Is that too f'ing much to ask from some of you?

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I hate to even try to respond to your pessimistic bullsh#t but, it doesn't take a belief that Riley will suddenly do better than he has for his whole career. It only requires believing he will do better than Bo. IMO, he already has done better at selecting a staff, recruiting, being appreciative of the fans and the position he holds, and knowing that he will never be caught on tape or on the sidelines embarrassing the Nebraska brand. Winning our ccg will be tough in the next few years but I am confident we will at least get to play in it and even more confident that we will not get blown out embarrassed. Those are all vast improvements in my book. I don't know what your smoking that prohibits seeing it.

So if he goes 6-6 for the next 3 or 4 years, it will be ok because he's gone about the process better than Bo?

If you hired a coach for congeniality, then you've got your guy, but I want a coach that will win, and the jury is still out on whether or not he'll be able to do that...

Do you just make up strawman so you have something to argue about? Where did I say 6-6 would be ok? Do you know how bad we would have to be to go 6-6 in this conference? If Pelini, Beck, and Paps can coach em to only 4 losses, yeah I'm very confident Riley and crew can and will do better. And yes that does remain to be proven on field. Are you naysayers suggesting we shut down HB and all football discussion until Riley has a season under his belt? Pretty sick and tired of being reminded that he hasn't actually coached a game yet at Nebraska. For f#*k's sake, can't we enjoy some hope that the guaranteed 4 loss era might be over and, possibly gone with it, the uninspired performances, near misses, unprepared and incomplete games, and the stomach turning blowouts? Is that too f'ing much to ask from some of you?

I personally require a little bit more than hope when it comes to my expectations for Husker football. I can, however, base my expectations on a decade and a half of history from Mike Riley. I can also examine a decade and a half of history from the Husker program itself, which hasn't won an important game in that time span.

So by all means, hope away. If we all hope hard enough maybe 15 years of history from both parties will magically change. Sure, access to resources might allow the new staff to accomplish things the new staff has never accomplished before, but I won't hold my breath.

I will say this much, Mike Riley seems like a genuinely good person. I scoffed when I first heard reports that he "is the nicest guy in college football", as I assumed it was a general heap of praise that could be thrown on any coach from a small school. He actually probably is the nicest guy in college football.