I think there are several different levels of "being back." Being back in the Pelini level gets us maybe
8-4 or 9-3 each year, but nothing that threatens the top 2 or 3 or 4 perennial BIG teams. Many Husker fans will be happy and maybe 25% will always want more. (We know who we are).
Going 7-5 with this years' schedule would be disappointing and a decent but not a good year. Again, the same folks happy at 8-4 would be happy at 7-5, but not beating Iowa would sting again. Personally, my position all year has been "prove it", and I say on a 7-5 year all NU has proven is they are in the second tier of league teams with 5 or 6 better teams STILL.
No doubt beating Iowa is more important, because its on nationally with a likely huge audience, and it propels NU into the bowl game with some momentum, rather that a coming off a potential 2 game skid.
I think some of us see the same handful of teams being able to contend for the national title, and I ask, why not us? NU has proven in years past, we have the facility, the NIL continues to grow, and to repeat, we KNOW what it looks like. To go 8-4 or 9-3 every year would not equal success in my view.
NU is gonna potentially f**k around another year with a statuesque QB that will lead us to a "maybe" an 8-4 season, then we can get to the reality of having that dual-threat QB that can actually throw which at least gives us a chance to do something special.
Those days of a team like BAMA winning 2 of 3 national titles, or GA doing the same, and now OSU only a point away from having repeated, and they certainly are in the hunt again this year. I still say, who says it can't be done?
NU went from 1972 to 1982 building towards winning it all and missed, then from 1984 till 1993 being close but just missing, to finally the dominant 93-97 seasons and then a short visit in 2001 before getting drilled by a better team. Now, other than 2009 NU has been nothing more than a team that is not considered even a threat to do something big.
I don't fault those "die-hard" Husker fans, but the more the program asks for more money, the more important the winning becomes. We just can't let Rhule think that 9-3 and a visit to a decent bowl game is where many Husker fans will be, because we've seen that sh*t for almost 50 years.
I will say, should NU beat both PSU and IA, then beat a quality opponent in the bowl game, that yes, there is visual progress and I would have some hope for the future.
But, next year, the schedule looks like the BIG PTB are gonna be in a position to slap us right back to where they want us to be and that's by not taking the headlines away from OSU, IND, ORE, MU, PSU and USC (although I think PSU takes a giant step back for several years if they get the wrong coach) and USC is coming.
If this post was TLDR, sorry about that. But, yes or no answers just don't apply here.
