It seems like John Butler is getting a pass, the secondary has regressed as much if not more than any other position group. Quinton Newsome was underrated for years and Tommi Hill has been overrated big time after an admittedly a really good November of 2023. That position IMO has been the main cause of defense going from really really good to just good.
Are we just overthinking this whole thing? Is it as simple as having a true freshman quarterback in the big 10 is not a good formula for winning?
I haven't written about it yet, but I share your sentiment here on the secondary. I don't know how much of it goes straight on Butler's tab, and how much of it can be explained by the terrible timing of that switch. NU didn't just lose a coach at an inconvenient time, Cooper was one of NU's highest-rated coaches, too.
As for overthinking football, that's pretty much all I do. The counterpoint to this newsletter would be, yes, Rhule might be a little off schedule, but they've taken steps to address the offense, Raiola will be better as a sophomore, there's good young talent and things will pop for Rhule eventually just like they did at his previous stops. That's not a crazy outcome.
I actually agree with the sentiment of the article , when k said “we” I meant all of Husker nation and that I hope I’m wrong I really do because right now I just don’t see it working out , I really really hope I’m wrong
I wonder how much synergy there is between how well the wide receivers perform and how well the defensive backs perform. If iron sharpens iron, is the reason our wide receivers can't get separation because they are lead-footed? I really wonder how Cignetti's ELO will look after year two?
This is the game I have been dreading the most. My wife is a badger. It has been a brutal decade plus. Absolutely brutal.
I didn't include for-2024 hires in the above because they only have one-year on the books, but right now Cignetti's +530 (+40%) gain in Elo is the biggest year-one jump at a power conference school since at least 2007.
Not knowing how IU's season ends up, what they'll lose or what they'll retain/add in the offseason, I'd guess its rating goes down year one to year two.
Bonus track for anyone who's curious: These are the top-five power-conference coaching changes by biggest two-year Elo gain since 2007:
Sanders, CU, +698 (in progress)
Elko, Duke, +652
Harbaugh, Michigan, +554
Franklin, Vanderbilt, +523
Heupel, Tennessee, +516
It seems like John Butler is getting a pass, the secondary has regressed as much if not more than any other position group. Quinton Newsome was underrated for years and Tommi Hill has been overrated big time after an admittedly a really good November of 2023. That position IMO has been the main cause of defense going from really really good to just good.
Are we just overthinking this whole thing? Is it as simple as having a true freshman quarterback in the big 10 is not a good formula for winning?
I haven't written about it yet, but I share your sentiment here on the secondary. I don't know how much of it goes straight on Butler's tab, and how much of it can be explained by the terrible timing of that switch. NU didn't just lose a coach at an inconvenient time, Cooper was one of NU's highest-rated coaches, too.
As for overthinking football, that's pretty much all I do. The counterpoint to this newsletter would be, yes, Rhule might be a little off schedule, but they've taken steps to address the offense, Raiola will be better as a sophomore, there's good young talent and things will pop for Rhule eventually just like they did at his previous stops. That's not a crazy outcome.
I actually agree with the sentiment of the article , when k said “we” I meant all of Husker nation and that I hope I’m wrong I really do because right now I just don’t see it working out , I really really hope I’m wrong
I wonder how much synergy there is between how well the wide receivers perform and how well the defensive backs perform. If iron sharpens iron, is the reason our wide receivers can't get separation because they are lead-footed? I really wonder how Cignetti's ELO will look after year two?
This is the game I have been dreading the most. My wife is a badger. It has been a brutal decade plus. Absolutely brutal.
I didn't include for-2024 hires in the above because they only have one-year on the books, but right now Cignetti's +530 (+40%) gain in Elo is the biggest year-one jump at a power conference school since at least 2007.
Not knowing how IU's season ends up, what they'll lose or what they'll retain/add in the offseason, I'd guess its rating goes down year one to year two.