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So I made a thread, or at least a post, like this in 2015.  I can't find it now unfortunately.  We sit 3-3 on the year, or .500 if you prefer, with Ohio State looming on the horizon before a mercy bye week.  My plans for Saturday night?  I picked up a bottle of Glenlevit Founders Reserve a month ago.  I am going to crack it open during kickoff and pour myself a nice glass over ice and take in what pretty likely could not only be our coaches final game donning Husker gear but final game period.  This is a team that smeared us by almost 60 points last year, I don't expect a W or even to be THAT conpetetive.  Hence the lonely scotch drinking game plan.

I bring this up because I saw something this morning I hadn't seen since 2 years before, it was after the Purdue loss in 2015 I believe.  In my small town of 2,200 there is a gentleman who has a sign out front every Fall.  It showcases his prediction for the game every week.  He ALWAYS predicts a Husker win, even when we are super dogs he predicts a 1 point dog fight win.  After the Purdue loss, the sign was gone.  He took it down mid season, that's how disgusted this super fan was.  Today, it was still there.  But today it read:

Nebraska 13

Ohio State 49

That's where we are.  Year 3 of a staffs tenure right back where we were in year 1.  I have a source who sends me some info time to time and he is really an optimistic guy that loves this staff.  I won't lie, I like Riley and what he is building.  Problem is you can't throw results to the side and build Nebraska up for years and years before the results start pouring in.  That goes double if you're as old as Riley.  That goes quadruple if you're coaching at Nebraska during an almost 20 year conference title drought.  Maybe he finishes the year and retires.  Maybe he is gone this Sunday.  Maybe we announce the AD and he gives Riley one more year.  I have no idea.  I only know that Saturday is going to be a milestone game for one reason or another.  My emotion for this season is basically gone, my fandom is in idle.  I'm at the point I was before I became a fanatic, I'm indifferent towards football Saturday.  Fans can only take so much disappointment after being spoiled.  I just want to see something I can be proud of again.

 
No matter what happens, I highly doubt we can Riley after the game. We don't want to somehow get stuck with Diaco as our head coach for a year. Make sure we have the right guy lined up before we pull the trigger. 

As as for the game, I'm sorry you feel this way. My fanaticism is at full strength! GBR LETS GRAB THE UPSET!!

 
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I don't see a mid-season firing barring some bizarre occurrence like a player revolt.  

Here's what I see happening.  Riley finishes sub .500 (or possibly even at 6-6) and he's fired by the new AD.  Finish 7-5 of better and he stays.

I would also say there's about a 0.5% chance of him finishing 7-5 or better.  Especially if tOSU tees off on his team like I suspect they will.  IOW, I'm about 99.5% certain Riley will not be on the sidelines of Tom Osborne field in 2018.

 
I feel like Riley's last chance was against Wisconsin and we lost 38-17. If we beat Ohio State I honestly won't feel any better because I know its another Riley special and nothing more. Unless Wisconsin has a collapse we have no chance at winning the division even with a win Saturday. 

 
I feel like Riley's last chance was against Wisconsin and we lost 38-17. If we beat Ohio State I honestly won't feel any better because I know its another Riley special and nothing more. Unless Wisconsin has a collapse we have no chance at winning the division even with a win Saturday. 
The season itself definitely ended on Saturday night. Even if our only other loss is to Ohio State, Wisconsin would have to lose three games for us to go to Indy. Won't happen.

I think Riley keeps his job if he goes 8-4 because that's going to mean a win against Penn State. But, that won't happen either. 

It's unbelievable that we're on the verge of repeating the 2007 season, but here we are...

 
I want MR gone now, because I believe we can have a winning season if he is gone. But we need a decent interim HC to get that winning season, and I am nearly certain that Langs and Diaco would be worse than MR.

 
I want MR gone now, because I believe we can have a winning season if he is gone. But we need a decent interim HC to get that winning season, and I am nearly certain that Langs and Diaco would be worse than MR.


If he is fired after Saturday, our coach is probably Bob Diaco for a year and a half.  Someone has to be the PATSY for 2018's nasty schedule, nobody wants that person to be Scott Frost.  See Luke Fickell in 2011 before Urban Meyer.

 
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If he is fired after Saturday, our coach is probably Bob Diaco for a year and a half.  Someone has to be the PATSY for 2018's nasty schedule, nobody wants that person to be Scott Frost.  See Luke Fickell in 2011 before Urban Meyer.


I agree that it's unlikely Rike gets fired before the season is over, or at least until the new AD is hired. I also agree that if, big if, Riley was fired, then Diaco would be the interim head coach.

But why do you think Diaco would then be the head coach in 2018?

 
I feel like Riley's last chance was against Wisconsin and we lost 38-17.


Nebraska seems to be in a similar place as in 2011.   

From this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Pelini:

"Nebraska was defeated by the Wisconsin Badgers in the Cornhuskers' first Big Ten Conference game. The Cornhuskers came out strong tying it up at 14–14 with four minutes to go in the 2nd quarter, but Wisconsin's offense dominated Nebraska in the 2nd half and ending up winning the game with a score of 48–17." 

The description of that game from 2011 is remarkably similar to the game Nebraska just played vs Wisconsin in 2017...

 
Nebraska seems to be in a similar place as in 2011.   

From this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Pelini:

"Nebraska was defeated by the Wisconsin Badgers in the Cornhuskers' first Big Ten Conference game. The Cornhuskers came out strong tying it up at 14–14 with four minutes to go in the 2nd quarter, but Wisconsin's offense dominated Nebraska in the 2nd half and ending up winning the game with a score of 48–17." 

The description of that game from 2011 is remarkably similar to the game Nebraska just played vs Wisconsin in 2017...
Wisconsin won the B10 that year and went to the Rose Bowl. We also were 9-3 during the season. I'd say slightly different times 

 
I agree that it's unlikely Rike gets fired before the season is over, or at least until the new AD is hired. I also agree that if, big if, Riley was fired, then Diaco would be the interim head coach.

But why do you think Diaco would then be the head coach in 2018?


Why setup your too target to fail in year 1.  That schedule is brutal.  I've heard more than once that Diaco is backup coach if Riley were suddenly fired.  If your top choice isn't ready, let the interim navigate the shark infested waters.

This.  Rimington was not brought in to fire anyone, and Green/Bounds are not going to fire anyone.


Yup.  Team may look bleak, but it would take a pretty massive failure to oust Riley before seasons end, or even before next year honestly.

 
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