Quint said:

Again, it’s not static.

Winning 10 with our ’24 or ’25 schedules likely leaves us outside the playoffs.

Click to expand...

Maybe. I have to see what other craziness happens by seasons end. SEC last year whole landscape changed drastically next to last weekend. Depth on top teams is thinner than ever. An injury can change a teams expectations instantly. Lower teams now often have more than a punchers chance in games against higher ranked teams. Go 11-1 this year though and don't have to worry about it. 10-2 is still a maybe for me. I agree year three Rhule narrative needs to die, but you want to see improvement each year. 10 or 9 wins is that improvement. Doesn't mean that's his ceiling at all.

Dawgsauce said:

Maybe. I have to see what other craziness happens by seasons end. SEC last year whole landscape changed drastically next to last weekend. Depth on top teams is thinner than ever. An injury can change a teams expectations instantly. Lower teams now often have more than a punchers chance in games against higher ranked teams. Go 11-1 this year though and don't have to worry about it. 10-2 is still a maybe for me. I agree year three Rhule narrative needs to die, but you want to see improvement each year. 10 or 9 wins is that improvement. Doesn't mean that's his ceiling at all.

Click to expand...

Zero argument from me.

Dawgsauce said:

Maybe. I have to see what other craziness happens by seasons end. SEC last year whole landscape changed drastically next to last weekend. Depth on top teams is thinner than ever. An injury can change a teams expectations instantly. Lower teams now often have more than a punchers chance in games against higher ranked teams. Go 11-1 this year though and don't have to worry about it. 10-2 is still a maybe for me. I agree year three Rhule narrative needs to die, but you want to see improvement each year. 10 or 9 wins is that improvement. Doesn't mean that's his ceiling at all.

Click to expand...

Totally agree. Winning in college football is harder now than it’s ever been. Between the transfer portal, NIL, and constant roster turnover, maintaining depth and stability is almost impossible. Every week feels like a toss-up, and even mid-tier programs have enough talent to challenge the top teams. The margin for error has never been smaller.

In today’s college football landscape, going 9–3 or 10–2 is a significant accomplishment. With so much parity and movement across rosters, winning consistently requires more than just talent — it takes adaptability, culture, and a little luck.

What’s frustrating is how many Husker fans can’t seem to grasp that reality and remain stuck in the past. The game has completely evolved, and 9 or 10 wins today carry far more weight than they ever did before.

My mood is pretty much take a deep breath, shake my head, and take the W.

If we can keep finding a way to win ugly, I'll take that over another seven years of close losses...

Winning 8-9 would be a breakout in my mind for a program that hasn’t done it since 2016.