What Bo Pelini taking YSU to a title game means for NU...

[cornstar]

The hot head coaching commodities are always guys who proved themselves by taking downtrodden football programs and turning them around almost immediately. That's what Mike Riley did at Oregon State, one of the weakest and least respected major conference programs at the time. Over the years his aggregate record certainly flattened out into the average category, but he was still operating a program that was second-tier in his own state, and still pulling out the occasional upset of much more talented teams. The year Nebraska hired him, Riley was voted the second most underrated head coach by his college football peers and enjoys a fairly stellar reputation within coaching and recruiting circles. So while I think he has a lot left to do at Nebraska, I think we can give him a little credit for being above average.

He also wanted to be here. And appears to be taking a long-term strategy.

So yeah. Let's check back in two years.

Eh, maybe, maybe not. Two years before Riley got there, they were 4-7. His best year of the first two years he was there was 5-6. Erickson was really the one who turned it around. Riley kept it up for awhile but never got particularly close to Erickson's 2000 season.

That's a bit churlish. The 5-6 record was the best record at at OSU in more than 25 years, and Riley's 8 bowl games (in 12 seasons) doubled the number of OSU bowls over the previous 100 years. Erickson definitely thrived with Riley's recruits, but Riley had a nice run in his second stint. Erickson's 2001 OSU team went 5-6 when the talent graduated, and he went on to have a couple miserable seasons with the 49ers.

I think most college football observers not on Husker bulletin boards don't have a problem giving Riley credit for doing more with less.

Yes, but I don't think getting one more win would necessarily be "turning the program around." And when you start talking about bowl games, that's after he left and Erickson came in, which is what I said.

If you're going to say that Erickson won with Riley's recruits, it would also be true that a decent amount or Riley's success came with Erickson's recruits. And something tells me you're kind of speculating about who got how much talent and when that talent graduated.

All I know is that the college football community has no trouble giving Mike Riley credit for the OSU turnaround -- or sharing some of that credit with Erickson -- but some Husker fans do.

Guys like TJ Houshmandzadeh and Ochocinco were Erickson recruits. Erickson was the one who built that and Riley was able to ride his coat tails for a few years. Ironically, I heard that Erickson said that OSU was the best job he ever had.

 

[cornstar]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"
If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

Is there only one acceptable posting style allowed on the board?

If you don't like my posting style you're free not to read my posts.

 

[Redux]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

Is there only one acceptable posting style allowed on the board?

If you don't like my posting style you're free not to read my posts.

I'm very close to making that decision, deal to place eachother on ignore?

 

[cornstar]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

Is there only one acceptable posting style allowed on the board?If you don't like my posting style you're free not to read my posts.

I'm very close to making that decision, deal to place eachother on ignore?

I have no reason to ignore you but if you wish to put me on ignore you are free to do so.

 

[NoLongerN]

A word of wisdom. The new member usually does better here when he takes a few pointers and hears what the long-term member is saying. FYI, I was a guest for over a year before I started posting. Still, I have little to add in football knowledge so I try not to post too much. I read most every thing written in the recruiting forum and about Huskerfootball. I usually stay away after losses.

Anyways, just two cents I thought I'd throw out.

All the best to you Cornstar.

 

[Redux]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

Is there only one acceptable posting style allowed on the board?If you don't like my posting style you're free not to read my posts.

I'm very close to making that decision, deal to place eachother on ignore?

I have no reason to ignore you but if you wish to put me on ignore you are free to do so.

It's not worth it unless we both commit!

 

[Enhance]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?

If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"

If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

I think this is the plight of all message boards - many posters feign indifference or predict failure. If they're correct, they get to be smug. If they're wrong, they sidestep the issue and either a) don't draw attention to their inaccuracy or b) hide behind a veil of polite shoulder shrugging.

I've never understood pessimism of this nature - what do any of us gain from being correct about how bad someone or something is? I'm guilty of this myself, admittedly. I think we've all been.

 

[Huskerfan55]

Yes make sure you conform to what the "experts" want - what a bunch of crap!

 

[Redux]

Yes make sure you conform to what the "experts" want - what a bunch of crap!

And in this exhibit we see the smug "I predict we suck!" poster. The species has become over populated and they tend to make their presence known only after bad things happen.

 

[hskrfan4life]

Of course it means something for NU.

It shows Pelini as a successful coach who has done well in both of his head coaching jobs while NU is still trying to figure things out.

It could also mean it only took Riley two seasons to master the Bo Pelini season, 9 wins and 2 blowout losses.

Master?If I need to bet, I'd bet that the next 2 years our record won't be as good as this year's.

I'd hope for better from an experienced coach.

If the next 2 years are better: "Boy I'm glad I was wrong about Riley, GBR!"If they aren't: "I told you all Riley was below average!"

THIS is why your style of posting annoys me. I'm not a fan of blind optimism either, but the snarky pessemism for the sake of trying to be the smartest guy in the room really grind my gears.

Is there only one acceptable posting style allowed on the board?If you don't like my posting style you're free not to read my posts.

I'm very close to making that decision, deal to place eachother on ignore?

I have no reason to ignore you but if you wish to put me on ignore you are free to do so.

It's not worth it unless we both commit!

If there is no commitment there is no try.