So is Nebraska also not in the same universe as Virginia Tech, Penn State and Minnesota or is the universe just not as big as you'd like to make it seem?
OSU early had some injuries and was trying to figure out who they would be without Braxton Miller, they figured it out. Look at the championship game and playoffs when they hit their stride. And they are getting better and deeper.
OSU has lost just 3 games in the last 3 years
With Meyer at the helm- one of the top 3 coaches in the country AND him being one of the top 3-4 recruiters in the country in talent rich Ohio- OSU can be like the Nebraska 93-97 dynasty when we blew out pretty much everyone that was less talented than us.
Meyer has a very effective recruiting machine set up and plans on doing a bunch of very well attended satellite camps, they are great at it
NU right now is in the same ballpark as Minnesota, Penn State and Iowa, a step behind Wisconsin. The goal for now is to consistently beat those we have better talent than, which wasn't done under Pelini and find a way to steal a win or two away from some that we are within striking distance of like a Wisconsin. Things, NU hasn't been able to do of late, in fact it took some very lucky ball bounces to make some of those wins happen. To think we will be able to compete. let alone beat OSU in at least the next few years is a longshot at best.
I like Riley and hope he can help us get more competitive- but a guy like Meyer has won every place even teams with no players and no facilities, Bowling Green, Utah, then turned around a floundering Florida and went what 37-3 at a scandal riden Ohio State. Meyer is the proven commodity he's on his home turf a skip and a hop from Ashtabulah and he knows SEC country like the back of his hand.
Floundering Florida? Florida was a heck of a lot less floundering when Meyer took over than the mess he left. Zook can't coach, but he can recruit. Florida was pretty stacked when Meyer took over. Ohio State is very similar where the cupboard was already loaded before Meyer even got there. Meyer is a very opportunistic coach. He goes where he sees instant success. He passed on his dream job at Notre Dame to go to Florida for one simple reason: Florida had the players and Notre Dame didn't. The SEC was primed for the taking when Meyer went to Florida. There really wasn't a team in the conference that was great. The five seasons prior to Meyer going to Florida there was rarely ever more than one SEC team in the top 10 by year end. It sounds kind of familiar with the Big 10 before Meyer doesn't it?
Meyer's last year at Florida was 2010. It was the first time since 1989 that Florida finished the season unranked. Zook handed Meyer three top 20 ranked recruiting classes with two of those finishing in the top 10. Again, Florida was less floundering before Meyer than after.
Yes Florida was floundering under Zook- he was 37-23 there after taking over from Spurrier Zook was 7-4 his last year. Meyer went 9-3 year one 13-1 in year 2.
Meyer went 65-15 at Florida- won at better rate MUCH better than both Zook and Spurrier
Meyer not as good a recruiter as Zook? Left the cupboard bare?
Meyers last 3 classes have been ranked 9th, 2nd and 4th - very good recruiter, one of the very best. His classes were better than the sweater, out recruited him.
Florida recruiting classes under Meyer: 15,
2, 1, 3, 11 and
2
Zook- 20, 2, 10
Meyer average recruiting class ranked 6th, Zooks was 11th
As to his coaching acumen:
Took 2-9 Bowling Green to 8-3 in year 1
Took 5-6 Utah to 21-2 his 2 years there
Won National Titles at Florida and OSU
He's consistently won at every stop, like him or not. I don't care either way, but he's in the top 3 right now nationwide.
