NCAA: Mike Riley out at Nebraska

[Gene Parmesan]

The B1G move was just not a smart play but it wouldn't surprise me if Frost went home.

 

[Baxterman]

It is such a minute chance they win that game that it is hard for me to take it seriously. I have nothing against Nebraska, this is just the way it is now. The landscape has changed too much.

I would say they could win that game 2-3 times in a 10 year window. Now the problem is they likely don't make it every year so maybe it is a 1 time shot every 10 years.

I guess I just see so many teams that don't even have that shot, but you are probably right that it is a very small chance, if at all.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

They also have a new A.D. Who brought Mike Leach to Wazzu. There's another name to watch.

 

[Baxterman]

The B1G move was just not a smart play but it wouldn't surprise me if Frost went home.

i would assume they got a ton of money from being in the Big 10 over the Big 12 because from a pure football perspective losing Texas as a recruiting ground would be a huge blow to them.

 

[Alex Jones]

Nebraska was ranked 7th last year in late October btw. Lost a tough game at Wisconsin in overtime and got killed against Ohio State as any rational person would expect. Won 9 games. QB left after that so there was a built in excuse the administration could have made for this season.

Didn't seem to help Riley. The way college football is headed with athleticism and pace, it will only get worse for Nebraska. They are in the wrong location and should not ever have the athletes to beat Michigan and Ohio State, those two programs beat themselves at this point.

Location is their biggest problem. In the past they could recruit a bunch of fat kids from the midwest, stick them in the weight room for a few years, then go smash the ball down peoples throats 50 times a game. Now that the game is so reliant on speed they have to go into other people's territories to get players, and they are struggling to bring in the level of talent they need to compete at the level they want. If they were still looked at as a top five program they would be able to do this, but now that the shine has worn off this is really hard to do against bigger programs.

 

[Live in the Now]

Two things.

I think it was unfair that Mike Riley was on the hot seat at the start of the year.

I don't think it was unfair to fire him at the end of the season. Two losing seasons at Nebraska in three years is not good enough. Yea, losing your QB sucks, but for a good team that shouldn't mean only winning 4 games the next year and getting crushed on multiple occasions.

Doesn't change the fact the next guy is walking into a **** sandwich of a job.

Yep, it's indefensible. It does however illustrate that 9 wins won't buy anyone latitude there.

I think going forward the best thing to do is to play Wisconsin style football there. It suits the conference and even though it's low risk football that isn't exciting, it wins. They can still get those fat kids, but for various reasons they decided to stop doing that. Trying to recruit on the same field as everyone else is a sure way to lose.

 

[Alex Jones]

I guess I get confused by your definition of worst situations in college football. Even what you say above doesn't sound so bad.

I think I would much rather enter a situation where I was paid millions, given resources and (a certain level of) talent than the multitude of programs that lack money, talent, resources or hope. I mean how many power 5 schools are there where you can realistically hope to win 9-10 games a year basically every year.

But it appears I am in the minority in thinking Nebraska is a fine job and since I am not even a fan of the team I will step away and let everyone get their kicks in.

The problem is you're going to get fired and be seen as a failure. I don't mean that it's a bad job in terms of the number of games you're going to win, but rather what it's going to do to your career.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

They also got a ton of speed and athleticism from Texas and California. They can still get talent. You just have to work harder to find it.

 

[Alex Jones]

Yeah, they didn't understand. Just like Tennessee fans don't understand when they lose to Alabama. I had to stop making bets with a friend who seems to hold the delusion that Tennessee will win every year, I felt guilty about taking his money after a while.

It's been 2002 since Nebraska played in a big bowl. This is the new reality.

That game in 2002 was also right after getting wrecked the game before. (They also got destroyed in that bowl by the 'Canes)

I think most people agree Nebraska died as a dominant power once they gave up 62 points.

 

[Live in the Now]

Another thing that changed was that 10 or more years ago Jalen Hurts would have been their QB because nobody else would have wanted him to play QB and he was a natural fit with them. From a Big 12 state too. His high school would have played a different offense and everything. They would have gotten the benefits from that. Now, no.

 

[Alex Jones]

The B1G move was just not a smart play but it wouldn't surprise me if Frost went home.

They were kind of in a shit sandwich. Texas is insane and out of control and was on a one man mission to wreck the B12. (Mission accomplished, BTW) They had to get out and the B10 is probably a better fit than the SEC. It was a bad situation for them regardless.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Yes they have a very weak region for recruiting but are Iowa or Wisconsin any better?

Wisconsin has the offensive line pedigree. You could probably create the best line in football with players from Wisconsin who went to Wisconsin

Joe Thomas - Brookfield ------- Kevin Zeitler - Waukesha ------ Travis Frederick - Sharon ------ Ricky Wagner - West Allis ------ Ryan Ramczyk - Stevens Point

There are some underrated skill position players from the state too, mainly from the Milwaukee area (Lance Kendricks, Brian Calhoun, Travis Beckum, Nick Toon.) They've also set up in New Jersey (Ron Dayne, Corey Clement, Jonathan Taylor) and have recently set up in Texas and Florida, not for the top tier guys but the 3 star types that Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M etc. don't want or just miss their talent (Dezmon Southward, Antonio Fenelus, Marcus Cromartie, Aaron Henry, James White, Peniel Jean, D'Cota Dixon, Derrick Tindal, George Rushing, Chris Orr) all those guys came from either Florida or Texas, mostly Florida. They've also recently gone into California and Georgia a little bit. Quintez Cephus is from Georgia for example.

They do the same thing with Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Hornibrook is from Pennsylvania and committed to play for Chryst at Pitt but went to Wisconsin after Chryst took the job. Chris Borland, Danny Davis (probably our top receiver since Cephus got hurt), and Michael Deiter are from Ohio.

We get a lot of guys from Minnesota and also other places in the Midwest like Indiana and Missouri.

Formula is basically offensive linemen from Wisconsin and maybe a couple others from around the Midwest and occasionally out East. Get the undervalued guys from Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania that the big schools aren't really interested in while they're chasing the 4 and 5 star recruits and continue to get running backs from New Jersey because that's apparently our thing.

 

[Alex Jones]

i would assume they got a ton of money from being in the Big 10 over the Big 12 because from a pure football perspective losing Texas as a recruiting ground would be a huge blow to them.

The problem with the B12 (and the reason teams left) is because Texas tries to run everything. You'll notice how the B12 is the last conference to have a TV deal, right? That's because of the Longhorn Network and the fact UT wants special status for everything. UT is as toxic as a program can get. Pretty much every team that could get out did.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Wisconsin also has a great strength and conditioning program. They can take a skinny db from Texas and bulk him up. One of the most overlooked aspects of football programs are the S&C staffs. Its how Chip and Belloti turned Oregon into a brand.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Its also how Clemson has become an elite program. Investing in mental and physical development of your players. He learned that from Saban. If your players buy in, they'll push each other to go harder and to get better. Teams like Tennessee and Texas A&M never had that instilled in them despite top 5 and top 10 classes. It takes more than talent.

 

[Hasbro]

That game in 2002 was also right after getting wrecked the game before. (They also got destroyed in that bowl by the 'Canes)

I think most people agree Nebraska died as a dominant power once they gave up 62 points.

I think the only hold outs have a big red N on their trucks.

I do wonder if the "9 wins isn't good enough" stuff is a tacit admission they pad their record with cupcakes and can't win big games.

 

[GKJ]

I think the only hold outs have a big red N on their trucks.

I do wonder if the "9 wins isn't good enough" stuff is a tacit admission they pad their record with cupcakes and can't win big games.

Right, but they lost to Northern Illinois too.

And they don't play any of these neutral-site season opener games that are en vouge.

 

[Voight]

Is it me or are more top schools firing coaches than last year?

 

[Hasbro]

Right, but they lost to Northern Illinois too.

And they don't play any of these neutral-site season opener games that are en vouge.

Had a close call with Arkansas State too. Like with NIU these were teams they scheduled looking for a challenge.

 

[tony d]

Nebraska doesn't have the lustre it once had but it'd still be a good job if the right coach can get in there and fix things. Be interesting to see who they get to be the new coach.

 

[rangerssharks414]

The problem with the B12 (and the reason teams left) is because Texas tries to run everything. You'll notice how the B12 is the last conference to have a TV deal, right? That's because of the Longhorn Network and the fact UT wants special status for everything. UT is as toxic as a program can get. Pretty much every team that could get out did.

This is exactly why I do not want the Pac-12 to become a "super conference" and get Texas.

i would assume they got a ton of money from being in the Big 10 over the Big 12 because from a pure football perspective losing Texas as a recruiting ground would be a huge blow to them.

Yup.