I had a thought today.

[HuskerInSecLand]

I'm not really ready to say much yet about the game today. Hell I don't know what I think except today we lost to Purdue. Purdue, thee bottom feeder of the Big Ten. We lost to a team whose only previous conference win under their current staff was Illinois. And yes they have beaten us also. We are the bottom feeder of not only the Big 10 but quite possibly of Div 1-A Football.

We not only lost today we got our ass kicked in a pillow fight. I can't find any hope for this team right now but the one gleam of hope I drew today is this thought came to me. Maybe this staff will be the staff that provides the incentive for Nebraska to get the check book out and hire a home run. Think about it. It took Alabama 10 years before they got sick of this shit and got out the checkbook. Oklahoma about the same and now we see Michigan got sick of being laughed at after only 7 or so years.

Well we are at 12 years since Solich was fired. And yes i purposely chose transition because Solich was Nebraska. Solich knew our traditions. Hell he was a part of them and Husker blood ran through his veins and I firmly believe given time Solich would have continued the proud traditions of Nebraska.

Anyway regardless of the politics or the reasons he was let go and since we have had two previous staffs who have poisoned the well and now it appears a third that very well may place a plug on the well.

So my thought, will this be the one that triggers the hire so many thought was coming last year?
I know I was a Riley backer from the start and I still think with the right circumstances he'd be a success. Hell he still could, though what I saw today makes me wonder how the hell anyone would be able to turn this around.
Whichever position we held this hire has divided the fan base far more than Pelini ever thought of but the fact is each and everyone of us feel the way we do because we care about this program and to use an addicts term, if this staff makes this program hit rock bottom perhaps that is what is needed to end the purgatory we have lived in. Perhaps this is indeed the staff that will turn this program around, even though it will not be them that takes us back to the glory land.

 

[it'sHuskers4me]

Good post HSECL, sorry to see some guys jumping you and Zorbie for pointing out the things they can't possibly fathom.

 

[popeyecv64]

I'm not really ready to say much yet about the game today. Hell I don't know what I think except today we lost to Purdue. Purdue, thee bottom feeder of the Big Ten. We lost to a team whose only previous conference win under their current staff was Illinois. And yes they have beaten us also. We are the bottom feeder of not only the Big 10 but quite possibly of Div 1-A Football.

We not only lost today we got our ass kicked in a pillow fight. I can't find any hope for this team right now but the one gleam of hope I drew today is this thought came to me. Maybe this staff will be the staff that provides the incentive for Nebraska to get the check book out and hire a home run. Think about it. It took Alabama 10 years before they got sick of this shit and got out the checkbook. Oklahoma about the same and now we see Michigan got sick of being laughed at after only 7 or so years.

Well we are at 12 years since Solich was fired. And yes i purposely chose transition because Solich was Nebraska. Solich knew our traditions. Hell he was a part of them and Husker blood ran through his veins and I firmly believe given time Solich would have continued the proud traditions of Nebraska.

Anyway regardless of the politics or the reasons he was let go and since we have had two previous staffs who have poisoned the well and now it appears a third that very well may place a plug on the well.

So my thought, will this be the one that triggers the hire so many thought was coming last year?
I know I was a Riley backer from the start and I still think with the right circumstances he'd be a success. Hell he still could, though what I saw today makes me wonder how the hell anyone would be able to turn this around.
Whichever position we held this hire has divided the fan base far more than Pelini ever thought of but the fact is each and everyone of us feel the way we do because we care about this program and to use an addicts term, if this staff makes this program hit rock bottom perhaps that is what is needed to end the purgatory we have lived in. Perhaps this is indeed the staff that will turn this program around, even though it will not be them that takes us back to the glory land.

 

[popeyecv64]

ice plorst sir
and I totaly agree

 

[HuskerInSecLand]

Good post HSECL, sorry to see some guys jumping you and Zorbie for pointing out the things they can't possibly fathom.

oh I would say I've been on the other side of the fence. I want to give Riley every chance but I just don't see turning this around.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

I'm just curious for those that are jumping off the "Riley can be successful" as to what exactly has changed these last few weeks. Since Minnesota (when most in the pro-Riley camp felt as if we were going in the right direction) we got beat by 2 vs. NW, a game many people had as a toss-up coming into the year, and that was BEFORE we realized how shallow the talent on this team was. Then we got beat by Purdue with our backup QB in the game, who threw 4 INTs and lost a snap for a turnover (I know that's on the center, but Tommy has been handling those all season long). We are not a good team, we do not have a good roster, and on top of that, there are all the other issues that have plagued us all year and do not get fixed during the season. Have there been questionable coaching calls at some points throughout the year? Sure. It would be ignorant to say the coaches have been perfect. BUT COACHES ARE NEVER, EVER PERFECT. Coaches, even the top tier ones, make mistakes EVERY game. However, when you have the talent we have to work with, those mistakes are compounded dramatically. This IS a rebuild, like it or not, and I still think, given time, it can be turned around. It was NEVER going to happen this season, though. There is no instant gratification in college football, unless a team has been recruiting at a high level. We weren't, so this is going to take time, and not the "Week 4 to Week 8" sort of time.

 

[HuskerInSecLand]

I don't put any of this on the calls at this point. That may become an issue further down the road but right now imo there is so much more that is wrong. Player discipline is getting worse. Our secondary is getting worse, Our offensively is anemic and the one thing we had, our defensive line appears to be going through the motions.

Now did I jump ship? I said I think he would have done better with different circumstances but you play the cards you're dealt. But I think at this point he has lost this team and I don't see how he will get them to buy in. I would love for him to do so and don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating firing him at the end of the season. He'll have his chance and I will love for him to do it. My guess is he has two more seasons unless next year is a mirror of this year. But if he doesn't perhaps, just perhaps games like this will be incentive to finally take the necessary steps to end this cycle we have been in.
What bothers me is that nothing is getting better and I believe this team has no fight in them for Riley.

I believe it was you that said last week that development can not take place during the season and imo that is just not true. You see teams all the time that start out average or worse and become world beaters by the end of the year. I am not expecting that, just looking for progress but it's not there. We are getting worse.
Two things I bought into Riley on. Development and experience and honestly I don't see either. So jump ship? I don't know if I have done that but I am nervously scanning the horizon for land

 

[oaknightshockey1]

I don't put any of this on the calls at this point. That may become an issue further down the road but right now imo there is so much more that is wrong. Player discipline is getting worse. Our secondary is getting worse, Our offensively is anemic and the one thing we had, our defensive line appears to be going through the motions.

Now did I jump ship? I said I think he would have done better with different circumstances but you play the cards you're dealt. But I think at this point he has lost this team and I don't see how he will get them to buy in. I would love for him to do so and don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating firing him at the end of the season. He'll have his chance and I will love for him to do it. My guess is he has two more seasons unless next year is a mirror of this year. But if he doesn't perhaps, just perhaps games like this will be incentive to finally take the necessary steps to end this cycle we have been in.
What bothers me is that nothing is getting better and I believe this team has no fight in them for Riley.

I believe it was you that said last week that development can not take place during the season and imo that is just not true. You see teams all the time that start out average or worse and become world beaters by the end of the year. I am not expecting that, just looking for progress but it's not there. We are getting worse.
Two things I bought into Riley on. Development and experience and honestly I don't see either. So jump ship? I don't know if I have done that but I am nervously scanning the horizon for land

I appreciate your opinion, because I think you've been very level-headed and able to hold a conversation. Now, this is just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth. It was clear early on that the team was not 100% on board with this staff. I get that, they loved Bo, didn't think he should be fired, etc. What we really needed was some early success to speed up that buy-in process. We were VERY close, but did not get it. That is why I think we are getting worse as the year goes on, because the losses compound and pile up, further preventing the players from buying in, which causes them to not play well, which leads to more losses...etc. For a team that has not shown to be very mentally strong in the past, with no clear leaders outside of Gangwish, that's a recipe for having a hard time turning this thing around this year.

As far as development goes, it goes back to buy in. The coaches can coach all they want during the week, and that's not gonna make a difference if the players don't do what they are being coached to do during the game. In season, I think you are kind of asking for the coaches to make a chicken dinner out of chicken shit. Do some of the players have the potential to be coached up? Certainly, but with the time they have to work during the week, there is simply not enough time, especially given that this year we have been unsure who we are even going to be able to play on a given week with all of the injuries and our lack of any depth whatsoever at key positions.

I can't say with 100% certainty that this staff will work out. I certainly do NOT think that this year can be used as a sign of the way things will be from here on out. Dealing with everything this staff has dealt with, I don't think there is a coach in the country that could have come in here and been successful in year 1.

 

[AHFox]

Well I think Riley and his staff will have to do some soul searching this offseason. This team will not win another game. I just don't see it happening. They need to find out what the causes are for this team not buying into his philosophy on what they both do on offense and defense next year. Changes will have to be made in Riley's philosophy they can not do what they done this year and beat a square peg in a round hole mentality it's the same type of shit that led to Bo being fired! If Riley will not adjust then a 62 year old coach with a 93-80 record at Oregon State and now here at Nebraska being 3-6 for a total record of 96-86 shouldn't be here. He may just need to ride off into the sunset and do the best thing for his family, Nebraska and retire. Riley and this staff need to go back and look at the history of Nebraska and talk to individuals and find out why they were so successful at Nebraska. The need to have both ears open and listen to what they tell them. T.O. told Riley early on he needs to run the ball at Nebraska but yet they give excuses to why they run away from the running the football instead of having a commitment to throwing the football. Tommy Armstrong or any QB on Nebraska's roster right now should not be throwing the football more then 30 times a game really only 25.

If Riley and this staff are not willing to make the changes to get these kids to buy in then he will fail. I do remember when Eichorst gave the reason why he fired Bo. Nebraska was not good enough in the games that mattered! What does statement say about Eichorst, Pearlmen, Riley and his staff and why was he hired in the first place with a record of 93-80 at Oregon State. Nebraska is not good enough in any game and all games matter!

 

[Neb4life]

IMO I would like to see us run the ball more but I understand that is not this coaching staffs game plan. I have watched some of the games over and over and it is frustrating to see us gain yards on the ground and then throw it and then punt. I know a lot of people are calling for Riley's head and some of those people have a bigger voice than others.
I myself watched the game Saturday and had little emotion, trying to keep my blood pressure down. No matter how good you are it is hard to win games with all the mistakes we made.
I know everyone is having a hard time with this because I see how much passion y'all have. I hope that Riley and company can find a way to win a few games here at the end and we go into next year with some momentum.
Hang in there y'all and GBR !!!

 

[oaknightshockey1]

They need to find out what the causes are for this team not buying into his philosophy on what they both do on offense and defense next year.

You think they don't know why the team isn't buying in? There will be changes in the offseason, and it won't be the philosophy. It will be the players.

Changes will have to be made in Riley's philosophy they can not do what they done this year and beat a square peg in a round hole mentality it's the same type of shit that led to Bo being fired!

Why would a coach move away from what he believes is a sound offensive/defensive philosophy? He shouldn't be forced to change what he wants to do because the previous coach hates recruiting.

Riley and this staff need to go back and look at the history of Nebraska and talk to individuals and find out why they were so successful at Nebraska. The need to have both ears open and listen to what they tell them. T.O. told Riley early on he needs to run the ball at Nebraska but yet they give excuses to why they run away from the running the football instead of having a commitment to throwing the football.

This is the biggest fallacy that is just repeated over and over again. We need the right personnel, but we do NOT need to be a run first, run second team like we saw in the 90s. It's just not going to happen. The game of football has changed drastically since then, and Nebraska fans need to wake up.

Tommy Armstrong or any QB on Nebraska's roster right now should not be throwing the football more then 30 times a game really only 25.

So the fact that we don't have a true QB on the roster is MR's fault? And the fact that we have an O-line that can't run block for shit, combined with not so great RBs?

 

[Nate]

You think they don't know why the team isn't buying in? There will be changes in the offseason, and it won't be the philosophy. It will be the players.


Why would a coach move away from what he believes is a sound offensive/defensive philosophy? He shouldn't be forced to change what he wants to do because the previous coach hates recruiting.


This is the biggest fallacy that is just repeated over and over again. We need the right personnel, but we do NOT need to be a run first, run second team like we saw in the 90s. It's just not going to happen. The game of football has changed drastically since then, and Nebraska fans need to wake up.


So the fact that we don't have a true QB on the roster is MR's fault? And the fact that we have an O-line that can't run block for shit, combined with not so great RBs?

It's MR's fault that he tries to be pass happy with a non-pass happy QB. You need to play to your player's strengths. Coaching 101.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

It's MR's fault that he tries to be pass happy with a non-pass happy QB. You need to play to your player's strengths. Coaching 101.

And what strengths is he supposed to be playing to?

 

[Nate]

And what strengths is he supposed to be playing to?

Armstrong's strengths, i.e. the spread option.

 

[HuskerInSecLand]

Never took coaching 101 but I have coached soccer and I used a mixed zonal defense using pressure and support, which was uncommon in our area but it works when you don't have the talent. I know it works. I prefer zone to man and even though a player might be familiar with man marking I would not change.

Because of this I do not hold it against Riley for not changing his philosophy. He has used it for years and was hired knowing this is his style. Why hold it against him for doing what you knew he would do?

Back to my experience, when players moved up I often heard "That's not the way we used to do it." and I would always tell them "But it is now. If you listen to me you will see it works."
Then they played it or someone else did.

Perhaps that is part of my problem with what we have going on now. Players are not buying in but they are still playing. We're losing these games anyway so if you have someone who is not buying in, not getting it or just lazy bench them.
You may put someone in who doesn't have the same talent but if they believe the effort will take you a lot further in the long run.

Like Charlie Strong did. If you want to change a culture you have to change the environment.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

Never took coaching 101 but I have coached soccer and I used a mixed zonal defense using pressure and support, which was uncommon in our area but it works when you don't have the talent. I know it works. I prefer zone to man and even though a player might be familiar with man marking I would not change.

Because of this I do not hold it against Riley for not changing his philosophy. He has used it for years and was hired knowing this is his style. Why hold it against him for doing what you knew he would do?

Back to my experience, when players moved up I often heard "That's not the way we used to do it." and I would always tell them "But it is now. If you listen to me you will see it works."
Then they played it or someone else did.

Perhaps that is part of my problem with what we have going on now. Players are not buying in but they are still playing. We're losing these games anyway so if you have someone who is not buying in, not getting it or just lazy bench them.
You may put someone in who doesn't have the same talent but if they believe the effort will take you a lot further in the long run.

Like Charlie Strong did. If you want to change a culture you have to change the environment.

Yep. I think MR is trying to hold the team together and if he benches the ones that are not buying in but are the "leaders" in the locker room, he's afraid he will lose the team. Granted, I don't think it worked out. I think he was trying to balance the demand for immediate success with doing things his way, and it didn't work. My biggest complaint about MR is that he tried in vain to keep these kids around and didn't put his foot down and say this is the way it's gonna go, and there's the door if you don't like it. I'm hoping we can see a youth movement for the rest of the year, with the kids that want to be here and want to play for him.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

Armstrong's strengths, i.e. the spread option.

So undertake an entirely new offensive system he has never run before? This isn't an Xbox game.

 

[antone112]

I don't think Riley was the right coach to come into this year's situation. I'm not saying he can't be successful here in the future.

After the obvious descent following the last guy's firing, a "my way or the highway" attitude was probably in order for THIS season. He seems like the "never give up on a kid" type.

 

[oaknightshockey1]

I don't think Riley was the right coach to come into this year's situation. I'm not saying he can't be successful here in the future.

After the obvious descent following the last guy's firing, a "my way or the highway" attitude was probably in order for THIS season. He seems like the "never give up on a kid" type.

My thoughts exactly. I have a feeling there will be quite a few players not around next year.

 

[HuskerInSecLand]

Yep. I think MR is trying to hold the team together and if he benches the ones that are not buying in but are the "leaders" in the locker room, he's afraid he will lose the team. Granted, I don't think it worked out. I think he was trying to balance the demand for immediate success with doing things his way, and it didn't work. My biggest complaint about MR is that he tried in vain to keep these kids around and didn't put his foot down and say this is the way it's gonna go, and there's the door if you don't like it. I'm hoping we can see a youth movement for the rest of the year, with the kids that want to be here and want to play for him.

I agree but I think that might of been his downfall. We (the fans) knew the situation he inherited and if he cleaned house I think 95% would of understood. I definitely would of rather then appearing like the nice guy that just wants everyone to like him while they all run roughshod over him.