Nebraska Football: Big Ten coaches worried about ‘sleeping giant’ Huskers waking up
The Nebraska football team is considered a sleeping giant that just might wake and start burning the place down under new head coach Matt Rhule.
While the Nebraska football team has been going through a serious rough patch, there are some who feel the Huskers might just be on the cusp of turning things around. Since arriving in Lincoln, Matt Rhule has done and said everything in a way that it seems like he might be the person to turn things around.
Speaking to anonymous coaches around the Big Ten, Athlon Sports got some rather interesting quotes. It appears more than a few other coaches have called the Nebraska football team a “sleeping giant” that is going to wake at any moment. It seems those same coaches are afraid that when it wakes, it’s going to take out its rage on the rest of the conference.
"“Matt Rhule is a legitimately good college coach. Fans who are talking about the Carolina Panthers don’t get it. He changed the culture at places that were in really, really bad situations, so he’s got an even better shot than an alumnus of woking up the sleeping giant. … This is a talented offense, but we don’t know if they’ll click. They need a solid, proof-of-concept year with both schemes on both sides of the ball, otherwise, it’s all about recruiting. They’re a sleeping giant because every other staff in the league knows what they’re building in NIL. They’re scary. If they do it the right way and strike deals with players who can be foundational pieces, they’re going to be really good down the line.”"
Nebraska football wakes?
There has been quite a bit of talk about culture in Lincoln over the last five or six years. Scott Frost often said he had to change it because the winning could really begin. The problem is that he never really had the follow-through.
Matt Rhule’s comments and actions have come across as a bit more honest and trustworthy. He’s doing things like old-school training camps in order to try and get the most out of his team.
The rest of the Big Ten is going to get a look at the Nebraska football team early. The Huskers take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in both teams’ season opener. We’ll have to see if the giant answers the wake-up call.