All the Pelini news made me wonder. Can they ever return to the Osborne days or has the changing landscape of college football made them a 10-2 type program at best?

great question. My hunch would be probably not, but their division in the Big Ten is one they could easily dominate along with Wisconsin. But then, it's been 10-11 years since they've been really elite.

Nebraska is in the same boat as Tennessee...time will tell.

(09-17-2013 02:24 PM)stever20 Wrote:  great question. My hunch would be probably not, but their division in the Big Ten is one they could easily dominate along with Wisconsin. But then, it's been 10-11 years since they've been really elite.

The bolded part is why Nebraska will still be a great opportunity for its next head coach.

Nebraska seems to have lost its identity when it left the B12. I don’t think it will ever find it in the B10….

(09-17-2013 02:27 PM)LSUtah Wrote:  Nebraska is in the same boat as Tennessee...time will tell.

I wouldn't say that. Tennessee has a number of very good recruits every year. Nebraska doesn't - and in the B1G they have little access to good recruiting areas...

(09-17-2013 02:27 PM)LSUtah Wrote:  Nebraska is in the same boat as Tennessee...time will tell.

Agreed. Turns out the Osborne/Saban/Carroll/Switzer type eras are more of an anomaly than the norm. Remember, Minnesota would be in this conversation, too, if it is all about a stupendous era.

I think the current Bob Stoops and Mark Richt eras at Oklahoma and Georgia should be what a true blue blood should expect during a typical run with the occasional championship and once a generation streak of excellence. Nebraska and Tennessee are not there right now, but both can and will be if they invest and strategize properly.

I really like Stewart Mandel's pecking order article on the subject. Last year, he moved Tennessee down from a king because of an extended period of mediocrity. Nebraska is getting pretty close to that level now. For those who are curious, Mandel lists the following schools as kings as of last summer. He did note that Penn State is at the most risk of losing this title if it proves that the Joe Pa era was a one time deal for that school:

Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas and USC.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/wr...z2fBFRwgi9

they are a school thats still in transition.

however if you have as many wins & as many fans as nebraska has, you will ALWAYS be an elite program because what they can do in 3 years will take a middle of the pack p5 school 10 years to do. they will always have an advantage getting talented players/coaches to come to their school

first they need to rebuild their recruiting grounds which got shattered when they left the b12. then time will tell what happens from there

(09-17-2013 02:30 PM)Underdog Wrote:  Nebraska seems to have lost its identity when it left the B12. I don’t think it will ever find it in the B10….

I think you could go so far to say they lost their identity when they left the Big Eight.

Nebraska isn't elite on the field. Can they rip off some 11-12 win seasons, doesn't look like it right now.

nebraska has always lacked a true rival

they need a true rivalry game with an opponent of equal program history. and it would be even better if that said program had no true rival either.....and it would be perfect if it was a fellow b10 team with a natty dispute between the two and a mutual respect gained after the way both schools handled the biggest scandal in NCAA history.

does anyone NOT KNOW which school im talking about?

ive never seen something so obvious.

They use to pound you to death with those huge lineman. The game has changed to a speed game, and Nebraska will have a hard time keeping up with it.

Pelini's record at Nebraska (5 years):

9-4
10-4 (lost 13-12 to Texas in B12 champ game)
10-4 (lost 23-20 to Oklahoma in B12 champ game)
9-4
10-4 (lost 70-31 to underdog Wisky in B10 champ game)

2-3 in bowl games with the 3 losses coming the last 3 yrs

Only three other FBS schools have 9+ wins in each of the past five years. Alabama, Boise State and Oregon. Good company. Not winning titles, however. The Wisconsin game, Cornhuskers were favored, and the last 3 bowl games are the reason for this tape to see the light of day two years later.

In those same five years, Tennessee is 6 games below .500. The comparison between the two is not close.

They have the classiest fans in the land but like Miami, their time as an elite program is over(for now). They are a top 15-25 team but not a top 10 team. But if Michigan or Alabama has taught us anything is that you can return to the top at any time.[/i]

(09-17-2013 03:02 PM)john01992 Wrote:  nebraska has always lacked a true rival

They haven't always lacked a rival. They had Oklahoma for a very long time. Classic games throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Their 1971 game was one of the best college football games ever.

Going forward, Nebraska's best fit for a rival is Wisconsin. Nebraska and Wisconsin will be the big dogs in their west division. They should play that game every year on Thanksgiving weekend; the B1G could schedule the game on Friday (which was the traditional Oklahoma-Nebraska game day) or on Saturday as a doubleheader with Michigan-Ohio State.

they get the "Big B1G Paycheck"

(09-17-2013 04:09 PM)TyBull Wrote:  they get the "Big B1G Paycheck"

Nebraska needs OU. Until they are reunited someway, Nebraska is below the old elite level. Now they are just top 25, but no, not elite.

(09-17-2013 03:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(09-17-2013 03:02 PM)john01992 Wrote:  nebraska has always lacked a true rival

They haven't always lacked a rival. They had Oklahoma for a very long time. Classic games throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Their 1971 game was one of the best college football games ever.

Going forward, Nebraska's best fit for a rival is Wisconsin. Nebraska and Wisconsin will be the big dogs in their west division. They should play that game every year on Thanksgiving weekend; the B1G could schedule the game on Friday (which was the traditional Oklahoma-Nebraska game day) or on Saturday as a doubleheader with Michigan-Ohio State.

OU always was texas's biggest rival, then okie states, 2nd biggest rival. calling OU a true # 1 rival for UNL is a joke cuz OU has 2 other major rivals.

a real rivalry should have equal importance for both schools. what ou-unl had died with the b8

OU, games played
texas 107
okie st. 107
mizz 96
ksu 93
nebraska 86

UNL, games played
KU 117
ISU 105
OU 86

since the formation of the b12 ou-unl met in the regular season only 6 times

yeah that looks like a true rivalry

(09-17-2013 03:02 PM)john01992 Wrote:  nebraska has always lacked a true rival

In recent decades, until recently, it was OU, as posted above. But long term it was KU -- we had the longest football series west of the Mississippi.

(09-17-2013 04:24 PM)PlayBall! Wrote:  

(09-17-2013 03:02 PM)john01992 Wrote:  nebraska has always lacked a true rival

In recent decades, until recently, it was OU, as posted above. But long term it was KU -- we had the longest football series west of the Mississippi.

i pointed that out and beat ya too it