Epley's comments on Talent

[knapplc]

We had a one-score loss to Iowa and a one-score win against Michigan State this year. Talent-wise, we can compete with the best teams in the league.

We lack consistency, and "same-page-ness," for lack of a better way to put it.

On a national level, we're not ready for consistently being a top-ten team with the talent we have. But there's no reason we can't be consistently in the top 20, with the occasional up or down year.

I honestly think we're one or two more Smithsons and one or two fewer Schmekies away from being pretty good.

 

[Mavric]

It'd be interesting to see a comparison of our metrics to other programs. Until then all we can say is that we "think" we have the players to bring home titles.

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

Demonstrably not false. We don't need any metrics from any other teams. We have results on the field. We beat the team that won the B1G this year. We completely dominated the other CCG participant save for our QB being their MVP. We have the talent to complete, beat and even dominate conference opponents.

And if you want to go back farther than this year, I agree with this, although most of the questioning of our talent came about this year's team:

I agree to an extent. Between Callahan and Pelini, we went to what 4 conference title games? And 2 of those were losses by 4 points.

I think we have the talent. I am not sure it is developed into a winning group.

 

[Saunders]

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

The recruiting data says there's quite a few teams have won a conference championship with lesser talent.

Probably false but you provided no evidence.

Quite a few huh? That sounds very convincing.

Won a conference huh? Who cares. The topic is NU's talent NOW (not 2009 or whatever) and the conference is the BIG with Urban's team.

1. It's been posted quite a few times. http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite

2. Off the top of my head: Michigan State, Wisconsin, West Virginia, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Stanford all recruit at or below our level, and have won a BCS/P5 conference title in the last 10 years.

3. I said for quite a while, so we can just say 10 years. Also Iowa was 6 inches from winning "Urban's" B1G.

 

[Sargon]

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

The recruiting data says there's quite a few teams have won a conference championship with lesser talent.

Probably false but you provided no evidence.

Quite a few huh? That sounds very convincing.

Won a conference huh? Who cares. The topic is NU's talent NOW (not 2009 or whatever) and the conference is the BIG with Urban's team.

We're not going to consistently beat OSU with the talent level currently on the team.

Right. It appears some posters don't understand that.

 

[Mavric]

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

The recruiting data says there's quite a few teams have won a conference championship with lesser talent.

Probably false but you provided no evidence.

Quite a few huh? That sounds very convincing.

Won a conference huh? Who cares. The topic is NU's talent NOW (not 2009 or whatever) and the conference is the BIG with Urban's team.

We're not going to consistently beat OSU with the talent level currently on the team.

Right. It appears some posters don't understand that.

You're welcome to believe that but that doesn't make it true.

 

[Mavric]

And we don't have to consistently beat tOSU anyway. We wouldn't have had to beat them to win a championship this year. We wouldn't have to consistently beat them to win any conference titles. We only have to beat them in one game.

 

[StPaulHusker]

And we don't have to consistently beat tOSU anyway. We wouldn't have had to beat them to win a championship this year. We wouldn't have to consistently beat them to win any conference titles. We only have to beat them in one game.

Thank goodness for the Big Ten West division, amirite?

 

[cm husker]

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

The recruiting data says there's quite a few teams have won a conference championship with lesser talent.

Probably false but you provided no evidence.

Quite a few huh? That sounds very convincing.

Won a conference huh? Who cares. The topic is NU's talent NOW (not 2009 or whatever) and the conference is the BIG with Urban's team.

We're not going to consistently beat OSU with the talent level currently on the team.

Right. It appears some posters don't understand that.

Is that a realistic goal? Before 1992, Osborne was 8-13 against Oklahoma. Even worse if you look at his first 10 years (4-8).

Oklahoma was very similar to OSU in that being a couple of hours outside of Dallas and other talent rich areas, they had an inherent recruiting advantage and were, arguably, consistently more talented as a result.

I'm not sure we are going to ever consistently beat OSU with a level of talent that can be legally obtained at Nebraska. The goal should be to win at least 1/3 of those games, with an opportunity to go on a "rush" of wins if the talent stars align (like they did in the 90s when a bumper crop of home grown Nebraska talent flowed through the University).

And I really don't even consider thinking about what it takes to beat OSU and the other top 3 or 4 teams in the conference when we have a staff that took this current roster and lost to some of the worst teams in the B10.

 

[Sargon]

Getting lucky and pulling off 2 upsets en route to rare championships is not exactly a recipe for success. The best and most consistent recipe is the Jimmy's and Joe's recipe.

When NU is 1st-3rd ANNUALLY in all-conference first and second teamers and in NFL drafts, weighted by draft order, that will be when NU is good enough to REALISTICALLY EXPECT to Win SOME conference championships. Until then NU will need to rely on lucky breaks, working harder, or having a coaching staff that can go +20 in results compared to recruiting which a few teams do (Wisky did...might be ending now though, MSU still is, Oregon TCU Baylor. Boise. It's not the way to go but it's better than underperforming the "talent."

 

[Sargon]

And we don't have to consistently beat tOSU anyway. We wouldn't have had to beat them to win a championship this year. We wouldn't have to consistently beat them to win any conference titles. We only have to beat them in one game.

Thank goodness for the Big Ten West division, amirite?

I for one am thrilled to be in the BIG West

Were NU in the SEC or the BIG E I don't think as many folks would be arguing that NU has championship talent in 2015.

 

[cm husker]

Well, other than the fact that NU beat the team that won the B10E... And don't get me started on an average Florida team playing for an SEC championship.

NU has a talented roster.

 

[StPaulHusker]

And we don't have to consistently beat tOSU anyway. We wouldn't have had to beat them to win a championship this year. We wouldn't have to consistently beat them to win any conference titles. We only have to beat them in one game.

Thank goodness for the Big Ten West division, amirite?

I for one am thrilled to be in the BIG West

Were NU in the SEC or the BIG E I don't think as many folks would be arguing that NU has championship talent in 2015.

Hey! We were 2-0 against the B1G East this year.

 

[Husker Psycho]

I'm referring to what Saunders said, that our prior recruiting rankings lends to the idea that we have the talent to win championships. I'm not disputing that, simply mentioning that recruiting rankings are no better than assumptions and that they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Legitimately, who knows the kind or quality of training the last staff put them through.

Nevertheless, I think we have the talent (just from watching the games) to have done better than 5-7.

I agree to a certain extent. Most of the players on this years team AND next years team came from recruiting classes from 2012 and 2013.

Recruiting class rankings:

2012: 25th

2013: 17th

After next year most of the players will be from recruiting classes from 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Recruiting class rankings:

2014: 32nd

2015: 31st

2016: 43rd (currently- before Quayshon Alexander de-commitment)

The current coaching staffs best chances at success was this year and next year account that is when they had the best athletes (2012-2013 recruits). We certainly had the chance this year... maybe our best chance... to have a better record than we did.

After next year the talent on the team drops off substantially and if we don't improve our recruiting this year then that will be 3 consecutive years of very poor recruiting which does not bode well for the future. As bad as our recruiting was in the past... it's only getting worse... not better.

 

[Sargon]

And we don't have to consistently beat tOSU anyway. We wouldn't have had to beat them to win a championship this year. We wouldn't have to consistently beat them to win any conference titles. We only have to beat them in one game.

Thank goodness for the Big Ten West division, amirite?

I for one am thrilled to be in the BIG West

Were NU in the SEC or the BIG E I don't think as many folks would be arguing that NU has championship talent in 2015.

Hey! We were 2-0 against the B1G East this year.

Well duh me I'm wrong again by failing to notice the supreme relevance of 2 game outcomes. I'll try to clean up my analytics

Let me try. Here goes. Purdue thrashed us this year therefore Purdue's athletes are better than ours, but ours are better than MSU's.

 

[knapplc]

We have had the talent to win a conference, for quite a while.

False

Does Iowa have the talent to win a conference title?