So back to "big scary internet fan" it is.
Edit: what are your expectations for a successful season anyway? How about what would be a successful string of three seasons? Or five?
I am not going after you, but your post is convenient.
Earlier in the year after the loss to ISU, I posted that as long as PF is coach, NU will never win the B10. The only home game I missed this year was Duke due to a wedding. I even went down to Purdue. Not a single thing occurred this year to dissuade me of this opinion. Frankly, I do not see a West Division crown as long as PF is the coach.
A good football coach does not always mean that person will be a good college coach. There is the consistent complaint of academic disadvantages, since other schools can admit goats, that justifies NU giving PF a long leash. I completely understand the academic limitations, but a look at JJTBC and CT shows that NU can get talent. I have seen backs since Mike Adamle and can not evaluate talent, but JJTBC is the best back I have ever seen at NU in running, picking up blitzes, and catching passes. John Moten will be very good. We have good athletes in the secondary which shows the talent can be found and admitted. Further, NU should be able to get good o-line personnel since they tend to be better students. The peformance in that departemetn has been disconcerting. I think NU will have seasons like last year on occasion and some down years, but NU will be the definition of mediocre for the foreseeable future with PF at the helm. Nice guy. Good face of the program; but after 10 years, we know what we have.
Further, a critical look at the other teams in the West Division offers the explanation of why these two events will not occur:
1) Wiscy. They have a better coach. They develop talent. I look forward to someone who will tell me that Wisconnsin is a gold mine for football talent. This gives Wiscy a disadvantage. Stability of coaches will help;
2) Nebby. Mike Riley is a better coach. Dearth of local talent and it is Nebraska for goodness sake. Have you been to that state? Ugh. If Armstrong could throw, much better results would have occurred. Program had a number of coaches and stability will help. Please tell me Nebby is a better state than Illinois for recruiiting which should be our recrutiing base;
3) Iowa. We get our wins against them, but Ferentz is a better coach. Dearth of local talent in Iowa, but they develop it. We may leapfrog Iowa when Ferentz leaves No better geographically than Nebby;
4) Minny. Better coach. Geez, they won more than 7 games with Leidner at QB. Their touughness mirrors Wiscy. If they get some talent, watch out. I think they jump NU;
5) Illini. Lovie is a good coach, but can he translate that to college? Jury out; and
6) Purdue. It will take a long time for anything to occur.
Based on what I have seen, I see NU fighting to get into the top three, but PF's conservative mantra and game management brain farts will keep NU in the mmiddle of the pack. I am sure I will get blasted for this submission, but PF's prior hssitory and NU's commitment pegs it as mediocre. I do not think the practice facility will mae that much of a difference since it is no different than the other schools have.
3) Iowa. Dearth of local talent