College Football Dynasty: Will Nebraska ever be an elite team again?
Tom Osborne
Legendary Nebraska Football Coach Tom Osborne
When you talk about programs that have achieved college football dynasty status at one time or another, Nebraska surely comes to mind. As someone who was there during the Huskers glory days when they were one of the juggernauts of college football under Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, it looked as though this program could do no wrong.
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4 thoughts on “College Football Dynasty: Will Nebraska ever be an elite team again?”
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MAXIMIZE YOUR EDGE
I doubt Nebraska ever achieves dynasty status again. Especially with Pellini as coach.
Kiel….I also have my doubts about Pelini. But I never say never with schools like Nebraska, who has 5 national championships, the rabid fanbase, money, facilities and name to be a dynasty again.
But the game is much different now than what it was in the mid 90’s when Nebraska was still a dynasty. The biggest difference is coaching. Back in the old days, a school could hand out schollies like they were candy when they had the 30/95 limit. Nebraska could promise schollies to literally ALL of their walk-on’s, and still have plenty left over.
But when the 25/85 limit rule started influencing the game in the mid 90’s it changed college football forever. Especially the way Nebraska did things. It put more emphasis on coaching because they had less overall talent to work with. Hell, back in the end of the 95 schollie era even Lloyd Carr won a national championship because he could stockpile all of the talent he wanted.. But a mediocre coach like that wouldn’t have a chance in today’s game. That’s why new coach hires now involve paying out some big $$$ if schools want the best out there.
I think the ONLY chance somebody like Pelini has is if he can somehow bring in a dynamic offensive coordinator (coach in waiting) who is familiar with and can recruit the Big 10.. Otherwise I think he’s going to have some problems competing against the likes of Urban Meyer. And it didn’t help Pelini this year that he lost his DC brother, who took the FAU job. If the Huskers can’t at least win their division this year or next, I think Tom Osborne will start looking elsewhere for a new coach that is on the same level as the other blue bloods in the conference.
GS, I believe the scholarship reduction to 85 really had an effect on Nebraska and other schools. It didn’t allow the Nebraska’s, OU’s, USC, Alabama’e etc to stockpile (as much) talent that just sat on the bench. Instead those players end up going to “fringe” schools like Michigan State or Oklahoma State, who in turn are able to raise their level of play.
This in turn makes your coaching argument all the more important. If 10 or 15 kids that you would normally have available for your practice squad or depth chart are now going to your competitors, than you better have a good coach. I don’t believe Pelini is a bad coach, but I also don’t believe he is an elite coach either (ala Saban, Stoops or Chip Kelly). His personality and sideline antics reminds me more of a coordinator than a HC.
Lastly, I agree with your assessment that right now Nebraska has recruiting concerns. They are competing for recruits in a new “neighborhood” against two traditionally elite schools (Ohio State & Michigan), two schools who have recently, if only temporarily, risen to near elite status (Wisconsin & Michigan State) and I am not sure where to even categorize Penn State right now. Nebraska seems to currently be on the Iowa, Illinois level.
I agree that because they still have a valuable “brand” name, they will always have some advantages. But a slightly better than average coach and their new recruiting environment does not appear to be the winning combination for a return to elite status.