What are your minimum requirements for a successful season?

[hskrpwr13]

Barring critical injuries, to me 8-4 is the floor. Can see them losing to Ohio State, USC, one of Wisconsin or Iowa, and some other random team, like Indiana, just because they collectively take off a week. 

On the flip side, every team on the schedule is legit beatable, sans Ohio St. 

 

[Vince R.]

Barring critical injuries, to me 8-4 is the floor. Can see them losing to Ohio State, USC, one of Wisconsin or Iowa, and some other random team, like Indiana, just because they collectively take off a week. 

On the flip side, every team on the schedule is legit beatable, sans Ohio St. 

I agree and if Will Howard isn't a world beater, throw in Ohio St.

 

[teachercd]

And to add, while we haven't gone bowling in some time, it's not a bench mark that programs in the P4 are all the enamored with. The bowl games have lost importance. 6-6 has no meaning and once we go bowling this year, our fans will come to grips with that.

It is like I have said, lowering expectations to what Iowa and PU and Minny fans shoot for is the death of the program as we know it.

I would rather have high expectations...instead of "hoping for a bowl game"

 

[Vince R.]

It is like I have said, lowering expectations to what Iowa and PU and Minny fans shoot for is the death of the program as we know it.

I would rather have high expectations...instead of "hoping for a bowl game"

And while I know people will scoff at this, everyone in CFB knows Nebraska has a bowl game team and roster. It's unfortunately a program where someone other than the players gets in the way of that. Matt Rhule has to own the fact that his team didn't make it because of his horrible judgement on Sims. I like Rhule a ton but that's on him. 

 

[teachercd]

And while I know people will scoff at this, everyone in CFB knows Nebraska has a bowl game team and roster. It's unfortunately a program where someone other than the players gets in the way of that. Matt Rhule has to own the fact that his team didn't make it because of his horrible judgement on Sims. I like Rhule a ton but that's on him. 

100%

With the recruiting that NU does, just on name and resources alone, they are going to bring in top 25 classes year in and year out.  

All Matt had to do was either keep Casey or get ANY OTHER QB out there and NU would have been "fine".  I liked Sims at GT and he is a freak athlete but he doesn't even fit the system that NU is running, it was a clear bad call.  Sims in the TO scheme, killer, Sims in the old Urban Meyer offense, killer.  He is a runner first.

NU, with someone other than Sims (I don't mean HH, he is brutal) goes 8 maybe 9 wins last year.  

 

[Mierin]

We lost to Maryland last year in the exact same way we lost to Minnesota. Tied 10-10 late in the game, Nebraska has the ball and is looking for a game-winning score. Instead, we turn it over and the opponent kicks a field goal as time expires to win 13-10.

Thanks, the site I went to wasn't up to date and I blocked out most of our games.

 

[Mierin]

And while I know people will scoff at this, everyone in CFB knows Nebraska has a bowl game team and roster. It's unfortunately a program where someone other than the players gets in the way of that. Matt Rhule has to own the fact that his team didn't make it because of his horrible judgement on Sims. I like Rhule a ton but that's on him. 

I would add... on the 3 points thing, the ideal solution is to not have as many close games, but our end of game management was pretty horrible at times last season.

 

[teachercd]

Thanks, the site I went to wasn't up to date and I blocked out most of our games.

I blocked most of them out of my mind!  Haha

 

[runningblind]

It is like I have said, lowering expectations to what Iowa and PU and Minny fans shoot for is the death of the program as we know it.

I would rather have high expectations...instead of "hoping for a bowl game"

You're not wrong, and I want high expectations also, I simply don't right now watching this sh!+ show for the last decade.  We are closer to the death of the program than a lot realize, unless Rhule is the guy.  

And while I know people will scoff at this, everyone in CFB knows Nebraska has a bowl game team and roster. It's unfortunately a program where someone other than the players gets in the way of that. Matt Rhule has to own the fact that his team didn't make it because of his horrible judgement on Sims. I like Rhule a ton but that's on him. 

Exactly.  Rhule has done a lot of good things, but he also brought in Sims.  Yes he has the potential to win a lot more, so do the players, but show me.  Until then, 6 wins is all I can see on that schedule. 

 

[teachercd]

I would add... on the 3 points thing, the ideally solution is to not have as many close games, but our end of game management was pretty horrible at times last season.

Yes, that is what made it so annoying.

It is so easy to lose games you should win and when it is (sort of) on the staff, it is even more annoying.

Pick in the endzone vs Minny right before half, even though the play before was a TD.  

The MD game...the Iowa game...

 

[teachercd]

You're not wrong, and I want high expectations also, I simply don't right now watching this sh!+ show for the last decade.  We are closer to the death of the program than a lot realize, unless Rhule is the guy.  

Exactly.  Rhule has done a lot of good things, but he also brought in Sims.  Yes he has the potential to win a lot more, so do the players, but show me.  Until then, 6 wins is all I can see on that schedule. 

I look at it like this...

Higher expectations are MUCH better than apathy.  

I know people are like "What, why fire the coach, he has only been here X seasons" Well, you fire the coach in the hope that the next guy is better.  You keep doing that until you strike gold.

I am not saying to fire Matt, I am saying that if he is not "the guy" then you go find the next guy that is going to be "the guy"

Had Frost got canned a year earlier...NU could have had The Oregon Coach, Danny something?  I think he is from the area...or that coach from Washington that took the Bama job after everyone else turned them down.

It is crazy to think that one year MIGHT have changed NU so much.  Lanning would have killed it here.  

 

[runningblind]

I look at it like this...

Higher expectations are MUCH better than apathy.  

I know people are like "What, why fire the coach, he has only been here X seasons" Well, you fire the coach in the hope that the next guy is better.  You keep doing that until you strike gold.

I am not saying to fire Matt, I am saying that if he is not "the guy" then you go find the next guy that is going to be "the guy"

Had Frost got canned a year earlier...NU could have had The Oregon Coach, Danny something?  I think he is from the area...or that coach from Washington that took the Bama job after everyone else turned them down.

It is crazy to think that one year MIGHT have changed NU so much.  Lanning would have killed it here.  

Lanning.  He is a good coach.  Freaking Frost man, pisses me off.  That and the continued love affair with former Huskers, that sh!+ needs to stop. 

 

[Vince R.]

I would add... on the 3 points thing, the ideal solution is to not have as many close games, but our end of game management was pretty horrible at times last season.

Thank you. How about scoring ten more points a game so your kickers don't feel the weight of the world on them every game. Forget all these close games. That't the anomaly. 

 

[Mavric]

I'm surprised at the large amount of fans that seem to be okay with only a one-game improvement over last season.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own definition.

But I think it's about more than just one year.  We haven't won six games in the past seven seasons.  We have the longest (second-longest?) bowl drought in the Power 4.  That is a pretty clear milestone for progress.  Walk before you can run and all that.

I won't argue that it probably won't feel all that great if we're 6-6.  But it would be undeniable progress.  And - in the grand scheme of things - "progress" really all we're looking for this year.  Yeah, it would be great to have a great year and be in the playoff conversation.  But the difference between 7-5 and 9-3 is largely going to be a couple of bounces and who got hurt.

Honestly, some people will be pretty disappointed if we win the first seven and lose the last five.  They'll say we just beat the bad teams and lost to the good teams, so the only difference is the schedule.

So there are really only two true benchmarks: making a bowl and making the playoffs.  (OK, technically making the B1G Championship Game but we'll definitely be in the playoff if we do that.)  I don't think we have to make the playoff to be successful.  The the minimum for success is a bowl, even if I think we can do better.

 

[Vince R.]

100%

With the recruiting that NU does, just on name and resources alone, they are going to bring in top 25 classes year in and year out.  

All Matt had to do was either keep Casey or get ANY OTHER QB out there and NU would have been "fine".  I liked Sims at GT and he is a freak athlete but he doesn't even fit the system that NU is running, it was a clear bad call.  Sims in the TO scheme, killer, Sims in the old Urban Meyer offense, killer.  He is a runner first.

NU, with someone other than Sims (I don't mean HH, he is brutal) goes 8 maybe 9 wins last year.  

Yup. The rumor is that some players just didn't like Casey and that played heavily in not keeping him. Absolutely criminal. Not liking the best QB you have had in a decade is not enough of a reason. He just needed him for one year to keep the offense stable and opposing defenses honest. The dude beat Iowa with a broken down body.