WHAT IF?? Alternative Husker History

runningblind said:
Frost had no $%&%$!# clue what he was doing.  He was going to be fired regardless. The only what if I wonder about is if he'd have turned us down, and if we'd actually be in a better spot because we had to hire literally anyone else.
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But would we?  If Frost had gone 7-6 or even 8-5 and we went with another coach, I think eventually the Frost traits that we saw at Nebraska would have eventually shown through.   Perhaps we give Frost too much credit for his 13-0 team.  He did it primarily with the previous coach's players.  In saying that I don't want to distract from what he accomplished, and I was on the bandwagon to get him here because of the season 2  results at UCF.  But the proof would later be seen in the pudding - he had 6 losing seasons out of 7 years as a HC. He wasn't ready for prime time. 

 
TGHusker said:
What if...... he accepted the job offer to coach at Colorado :bluffs in 1977?
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I want to address this one.  Most of us probably cannot remember who might have been available to coach Nebraska if Tom had left.   If Tom left, would it had been Colorado who would have had the great run through the 80s and 90s or would that have been a steeper hill to climb as they had less history - not having the Devaney years prior to build off of.  

My speculation is that Tom would have been looked at as 'that coach that follows a legend' who is set up to fail.  He would have been Frank 1.0.   Tom goes off to Colorado and then the next great coach comes in without the pressure of the legend on top of him - kind of like where Matt Rhule is at now. Much easier to follow a Scott Frost than a Tom Osborne.  Nebraska unfortunately has had too many coaches with the Osborne shadow on them - all trying to get out from underneath it.  I think we've finally broken the 'Osborne Curse' if you will.  The curse of following a legend.  That is why I have hope in Rhule's take it slow, and build methodically approach. 

Back to the original "What If" - I can't remember who might have been available back in 1977 if Tom had left. 

Perhaps Bobby Bowden - however he went to FSU the year before.  Too late 

Lou Holtz:  Went to Arkansas in 1977

Danny Ford - became interim HC of Clemson in 78 and went on the win the NC vs Nebraska in 81

 
  This What If is a tough one:  What if.... Frank had beaten Texas  :hookerhorns  in 1999 (lost fumble crossing goal line on what would have been the winning TD) and won the NC, would that have prevented his firing 4 years later?

I think it would be pretty difficult for Peterson to have fired Frank in 2003 if he had one the NC in 1999.  If we had not fumbled against Texas, I think we beat either VT or FSU in the NC game.  Perhaps that also elevates Frank's image nationally and we get better recruits and we never experience that 7-7 year in 2002.  And maybe we don't get blown out by Colorado in 2001.   Regardless, Peterson was wrong to have fired Frank when he had a 9-3 team.  Maybe Frank doesn't win another NC but he is able to maintain the program for 8-12 more years and sets up Bo to take over the program without the BC stain on it. 

 
TGHusker said:
  This What If is a tough one:  What if.... Frank had beaten Texas  :hookerhorns  in 1999 (lost fumble crossing goal line on what would have been the winning TD) and won the NC, would that have prevented his firing 4 years later?

I think it would be pretty difficult for Peterson to have fired Frank in 2003 if he had one the NC in 1999.  If we had not fumbled against Texas, I think we beat either VT or FSU in the NC game.  Perhaps that also elevates Frank's image nationally and we get better recruits and we never experience that 7-7 year in 2002.  And maybe we don't get blown out by Colorado in 2001.   Regardless, Peterson was wrong to have fired Frank when he had a 9-3 team.  Maybe Frank doesn't win another NC but he is able to maintain the program for 8-12 more years and sets up Bo to take over the program without the BC stain on it. 
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I don't think Bo would have taken over the program if the bolded happened. I think it really turned away quality coaches when the university showed they weren't willing to be patient or reasonable if a coach had a couple of rough seasons. Who the hell wants to coach for a university that fires a coach after a 9 win season? 

 
Gorillahawk said:
I don't think Bo would have taken over the program if the bolded happened. I think it really turned away quality coaches when the university showed they weren't willing to be patient or reasonable if a coach had a couple of rough seasons. Who the hell wants to coach for a university that fires a coach after a 9 win season? 
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But yet Bo did come back when Tom called.  He saw this as his opportunity to be a HC moving up from DC.   Too bad we didn't get the other DC when Tom retired -- Bob Stoops

 
knapplc said:
What if Matt Davison doesn't catch the TD against Missouri in 1997? Does Osborne still retire? Osborne waited until after the regular season, when Nebraska was assured of playing for a share of the national championship, before announcing his retirement. Does he reconsider, knowing the talent he had on the roster, to try for another title in 1998? 
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Honestly, in that scenario, he probably waits until '99; with all others being equal, if TO's on the sideline in '99, we have another national title. 

 
Cdog923 said:
Honestly, in that scenario, he probably waits until '99; with all others being equal, if TO's on the sideline in '99, we have another national title. 
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I agree 100% with this.   Probably our best team to not win the NC - that or the 82 team.  83 - great offense but very suspect D. 

 
Another What If:   What if Tom hired Turner Gill instead of Bo back in 2007?   As it was, Turner was doing well at Buffalo- pretty much improving each year - winning CC in his 3rd year - but digressed his 4th year.  He did end up getting a P5 gig at Kansas - that lasted only 2 seasons.  I think Kansas gave up on him too soon.  He then did decently at Liberty. 

At the time of Bo's hiring - the defense was the top need but many fans were hoping to bring back a Husker fan favorite.  

Personally, I don't think Turner was ready for big time Nebraska coaching.  Bo wasn't ready either.  Turner's overall coaching record ended up being 72-84.  I think the program got more milage out of Bo than what we would have gotten out of Gill.   Maybe Gill could have been a good OC for us.   :dunno

 
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