College Football: 7 contenders that could backslide in 2015

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

When the Nebraska Cornhuskers brought in Oregon State’s Mike Riley to replace Bo Pelini, many fans were (rightfully) perplexed. For all his off-field faults — and there were many — Pelini was a winner at Nebraska, ripping off nine-win seasons like it was nothing. Riley, on the other hand, spent 14 years leading the Beavers and managed a lone 10-win season during that time.

From a PR standpoint, the switch from Pelini to Riley makes sense. Pelini was brash, wild, crude, and obnoxious. Riley is soft-spoken and tame, the type of guy who has his players chant “hip hip hooray” after big wins, who unironically uses words like “gosh” and “golly.” He’s a safe hire, someone who won’t embarrass the program with an expletive-laced rant.

But look: for as great of a guy as Riley seems to be off the field, he doesn’t exactly set the world aflame on Saturdays. Riley, who grew up in Corvallis, was almost untouchable at Oregon State. He was considered beyond criticism, and anyone who questioned his play calling or his outdated pro-style offense was quickly silenced. He was sheltered by narratives: You can’t recruit to Corvallis and Oregon, with their gobs of Nike money, is just down the road being the two popular ones. Perhaps those narratives had some merit, but at some point they became more excuses than anything.

With Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell gone, and with a dual-threat quarterback in Tommy Armstrong Jr. who doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional Riley-system QB (a pocket passer with limited athleticism — think Derek Anderson and Sean Mannion), the transition from Pelini to Riley could be a rough one. The Cornhuskers have a favorable schedule — BYU, Wisconsin, and Michigan State all have to travel to Lincoln — so don’t expect the team to utterly tank, but don’t be surprised to hear some grumblings of frustration out of Nebraska fans this fall.

Next: 5. Colorado State Rams