One problem OU has right now is recruiting. LR is coming for his guys, who they hire only has a small window unless he has his guys he can pull away. Pulling MAC level players for OU to play in the SEC plus losing some current players to LR could make a rough start for them. If OU is arrogant and doesn’t recognize this issue, they could fire a coach in a few years and make it harder and harder to get back.
One other issue was Osborne always looming over everything, sounds like bobby may be doing some of the same here. May want one of his guys at the helm. Your guys may be great assistants but not necessarily good HCs.
Like any coaching change there are short term recruiting issues, but with a good, quick hire that can shore up pretty quickly.
Long-term recruiting should be just fine for OU. They are in the biggest brand conference and will still be able to recruit the hell out of Texas given the two big Texas brands are in the same league.
Given the divisions and at least current scheduling by the SEC, OUs going to win plenty of games. OUs problem is going to be that they are most likely going to end up in a division with a few programs that are as good or better, and overall in the SEC there are several programs as good or better.
People talk about Nebraska losing recruiting regions, but it simply hasn't been a problem. Their footprint has changed, but talent coming in hasn't. Until this coming class they have recruited as well or better than they did in the Pelini days. Their schedule hasn't gotten more difficult, in fact they got dropped into the division that has been the worst or second-to-worst in power conference football since its inception. Their cross-overs have done them no favors, but it's not like they are losing the west by one or two games, so it's not really a factor.
Nebraska dropped from the Osbourne days because all of their advantages are gone from that time - being the only one in the league always on TV, hoarding players when scholarship limits were much higher, way better facilities, and accepting partial qualifiers.
Nebraska dropped from the Pelini days because Riley and Frost aren't as good as coaches as Pelini. That's it.