you are correct that husker fans do not want ISU to get him. he would instantly upgrade your coaching situation. NU just re-expanded their walkon program to include up to 200 kids, some of those 200 are D1 quality players when they arrive on campus having turned down other colleges scholarships and some are D1 quality by the time they are seniors. Gill would have enough of an NU presence to get those kids to accept the scholarship from ISU and not walk on at NU. you are correct, we do not want that.....
However, like i said before that is not why i dont think he is going to come to ISU. I follow ISU football relatively closely as i live in ames and know several ISU fans including a good amount on this board, and it is quite easy to see the difficulties that would arise if Gill took over (or any coach for that matter). Facilities-Facilities-and did i say Facilities? Everything that is currently here is no bigger than some high schools in Texas including the stadium, if you come from one of those big high schools and come to ISU for a visit you look around and think, "isnt this the same as high school....uggghhh".
Now clearly Gill has proven he can turn around a program, in fact one of the historically worst programs. But does he want to do it again? He has proven that he can coach so he doesnt need to take another rebuild project. If his success continues at buffalo bigtime jobs will open up. However, if he takes the ISU job and turns it around he would be the MOST sought after coach in America with the pick of any school he wants guaranteed.
is it worth the risk? maybe, maybe not........
A couple of differences of opinion in your post. You state that many high schools in Texas have stadiums that hold 50,000. FYI, Jack Trice Stadium is a moderate sized football stadium but is on a par with many of the stadiums in the Big XII. Upgrades are being done. Facilities are being improved. And from what I have read, some of the biggest and nicest stadiums in Texas high schools seat around 20,000 maybe 30,000 tops.
Gill has done a fantastic job at Buffalo. They are vastly improved. But his 8-5 record this year includes several close wins. They go the other way and he is not such a hot commodity. Going to ISU affords him the luxury of TIME to build a program. And even if it doesn't work, then ISU takes the hit to the reputation instead of the coach. Otherwise how can you justify the Auburn hiring of Chizik.
Your logic in staying at Buffalo makes little sense. He has interviewed for other HC positions. It is pretty obvious that he wants to make a move up. The ISU HC job is clearly a big move up. It is by no means a lateral move. A HC job which will increase your salary by 5X. An intensely loyal fan base that is starving for a winning team but still manages to pretty much fill their 50,000 seat stadium. A roster of players that includes the highest number of freshman and sophomores with substantial playing time on the two-deeps in the nation. You keep saying that he should stay put until a better job opens up. So which powerhouse is looking for a HC? Washington is in a state in which Turner Gill has NO contacts and NO ties. Turner Gill has been a presence in Nebraska for years. I am not sure, but is his wife from the Midwest? Ames, Iowa makes so much sense that it is ridiculous. Hiring Turner Gill has some risks for both parties. But ANY job that would be available would carry some risks. I am sure Oklahoma is not going to dump Stoop, or Nebraska dump Pellini, or LSU, Florida, Alabama, or USC dump their coaches. So I really don't get this "Wait in Buffalo for a better job to open up" mentality. I think that in reality you are thinking, "God, I hope they don't get Turner Gill. They could become a threat to Nebraska some day if they get Gill. In combination with Pollard's vision if Gill has some success then ISU could become a force in a weak Big XII North.
We are not that far away from turning the corner. Auburn may very well have taken a "Bill Callahan" type of coach off our hands with us NOT paying financial consequences. It was a given that season ticket sales might be down (99.9% probability IMO). But the hiring of Turner Gill might stop the bleeding. Maybe I am wrong, but I really think that Gill will be a great hire. And Pollard can be given the chance to "sell ice to us ISU eskimos" again. If nothing else, Pollard will sell it as a "Let's show Chizik what he left" type of deal.