I know this will get torn apart by a few of you miserable assholes and I’m okay with that. I also know that TPB has perhaps the highest percentage of rational thinking, non douche bags of any Husker message board. That’s what makes TPB the greatest Husker fan outlet around and that’s why I’m going to post it anyways. Warning: it’s pretty long.
I’m pissed about these losses and I’m even more pissed about how we have been losing. It sucks. I got good and drunk enjoying the game last night and then stared at the TV in dismay when that final sequence of events happened.
As I sat there asking why I put myself through this shit year after year, I began thinking what a lot of you have been saying: Maybe we need to burn it down and start over.
That lead me to thinking about the last time we burned it down and start over. The year was 2017. We squeaked out a win over a terrible Arkansas State team, lost to an Oregon team that turned out to be terrible, and lost to MAC Northern Illinois. And most unforgettable, at the end of the season, we got boat raced by an average Cockeyes team and a terrible Minnesota team. Everyone knew what had to happen after that season.
Riley had to be fired because what we had was without a doubt, unfixable. There was no light at the end of the tunnel and it was obvious however you look at it.
Fast forward to this season.
We are 2-3 with a team that could/should be 4-1 or even 5-0. (Should have beat Illinois because we are vastly more talented and could have beat ranked OU and MSU if we hadn’t shot ourselves in the foot.
2/3 of our losses have been nail biters against ranked teams on the road.
For me, it comes down to this: the difference between what we have endured this season and what we endured in 2017 is that the games have been FUN to watch and we have proven thus far that we belong on the field with any team.
The issues that have plagued this team are FIXABLE.
-Our punter returner making a stupid mistake to give up a safety is fixable.
-Giving up a scoop and score before halftime is fixable.
-Our punter kicking it to the wrong side of the field is fixable.
Frustrating. But fixable nonetheless.
That’s a far cry from Riley getting boat raced by terrible teams. Losing by 33 to a bad Minnesota team is not fixable. Losing to an average Cockeyes by 42 is not fixable.
Losing sucks but if you are ready to tear it down and start over when we are unequivocally “close” to being a good team you are delusional. And I get that we have had the same issues for 4 years. But everything else besides those issues has vastly improved over the last 4 years. It’s taking too long to fix and Frost is largely to blame for that, but again, we are close to being a good team no matter how you slice it. You couldn’t say that in 2017, but you can now. If we get blown out multiple times to end the season and finish 3-9, I’ll be on board to fire Frost, but as it stands right now, it’s fixable and we are close. You simply do not fire a coach when the team is close and the issues are fixable.
Let’s say we do fire him though.
Nebraska IS NOT an attractive job right now. Nobody proven will want to come here. I’m sorry to break it to many of you but Matt Campbell is not “proven” and even he probably wouldn’t want to come here.
The odds of us hiring a coach who has us competing for B1G titles in 4 years if we fire Frost is exceedingly low.
The odds of Frost competing for B1G titles in 4 years is up for debate, but I don’t think any rational thinker can say that they are worse than any realistic alternative.
And to be clear, I am not happy about our losses and they way we lose. Frost has made a lot of mistakes. He is to blame for many of our losses and many of our shortcomings. I’m not saying he will for sure turn it around. I’m saying that even after the shit show that we’ve seen the last 4 years, I believe there is a better chance of him turning it around than any realistic hire if we fire him.
Just for shits, here is what I think needs to happen this off-season:
- Verdu out.
- Frost coaches QB’s.
- Austin out and replaced.
- Full time ST coordinator to fill Verdu’s open spot.
As it stands right now, I would anticipate us being in nearly every remaining game in the 4th quarter. I don’t think you’ll see many Vegas point spreads of +10 or more if we continue on this trajectory.
I’m personally choosing to remain hopeful that we find some ways to win a few of those games because… the fixable can be fixed.
Love you guys.
