PJ Smith talks about Wisconsin blowout

[NUpolo8]

And this is the exact reason I still support Bo. We had a horrible game in that CCG, he made fundamental changes to how he runs the team after the fact that showed on the field the next season. There is a chance that in the future we will look back on that game as the turning point that brought the program back. Our rock bottom (well, as rock bottom you can get with a 4 loss team).

It must all be a matter of perspective, I guess. The "next season" after that CCG was actually a worse season.

 

There are reasons to be optimistic, but the results of this so-call turning point have not been fully revealed yet.

 

Saying Bo made wholesale changes a little bit of a stretch as well. He stubbornly held to his scheme in 2013 so Wyoming and SDSU could stack yards, and UCLA could blow his D out.

 

After his job seemed to be in jeopardy,meh finally switched. Which is in now way proactive but at least he did it, I guess.

[Branno]

And this is the exact reason I still support Bo. We had a horrible game in that CCG, he made fundamental changes to how he runs the team after the fact that showed on the field the next season. There is a chance that in the future we will look back on that game as the turning point that brought the program back. Our rock bottom (well, as rock bottom you can get with a 4 loss team).

It must all be a matter of perspective, I guess. The "next season" after that CCG was actually a worse season.

 

There are reasons to be optimistic, but the results of this so-call turning point have not been fully revealed yet.

 

I was careful to say in the future we might look on it as a turning point, and would anyone honestly disagree that the defense at the end of 2013 was better than the 2012 squad?

 

Because that's what we are talking about right? How well the players played? Other than UCLA and Minnesota (after which we saw the lights turn on for these guys) the defense never cost us a game. Put in a decent offense and we are talking 2 losses.

[Ulty]

I was careful to say in the future we might look on it as a turning point, and would anyone honestly disagree that the defense at the end of 2013 was better than the 2012 squad?

Yep, you did say in the future. My bad, I hope you're right.

 

If you encapsulate the whole 2012 season in the CCG then, yeah the 2013 D was better, and they were certainly playing great by the end of the season. But neither of those squads were very consistent. If the improvement we saw in the D in 2013 carries over into this year, good things will happen. But we've been down this same road in recent seasons also...

 

Because that's what we are talking about right? How well the players played? Other than UCLA and Minnesota (after which we saw the lights turn on for these guys) the defense never cost us a game. Put in a decent offense and we are talking 2 losses.

Well, other than the CCG, we're all feeling pretty good about the 2012 season too.

[Hoosker]

And this is the exact reason I still support Bo. We had a horrible game in that CCG, he made fundamental changes to how he runs the team after the fact that showed on the field the next season. There is a chance that in the future we will look back on that game as the turning point that brought the program back. Our rock bottom (well, as rock bottom you can get with a 4 loss team).

It must all be a matter of perspective, I guess. The "next season" after that CCG was actually a worse season.

 

There are reasons to be optimistic, but the results of this so-call turning point have not been fully revealed yet.

 

Saying Bo made wholesale changes a little bit of a stretch as well. He stubbornly held to his scheme in 2013 so Wyoming and SDSU could stack yards, and UCLA could blow his D out.

 

After his job seemed to be in jeopardy,meh finally switched. Which is in now way proactive but at least he did it, I guess.

 

Idk if I would blame the blowout to UCLA on the defense. They did very well in the first half (minus the obvious missed sack by Moss) until Mora figured out Taylor wasn't going to run and told his guys to pin their ears back. The defense was put in a lot of bad spots after that.

[Landlord]

Other than UCLA and Minnesota the defense never cost us a game.

 

Other than 2.01 quarters of UCLA and Minnesota*

[Treand3]

And this is the exact reason I still support Bo. We had a horrible game in that CCG, he made fundamental changes to how he runs the team after the fact that showed on the field the next season. There is a chance that in the future we will look back on that game as the turning point that brought the program back. Our rock bottom (well, as rock bottom you can get with a 4 loss team).

It must all be a matter of perspective, I guess. The "next season" after that CCG was actually a worse season.

 

There are reasons to be optimistic, but the results of this so-call turning point have not been fully revealed yet.

 

Saying Bo made wholesale changes a little bit of a stretch as well. He stubbornly held to his scheme in 2013 so Wyoming and SDSU could stack yards, and UCLA could blow his D out.

 

After his job seemed to be in jeopardy,meh finally switched. Which is in now way proactive but at least he did it, I guess.

 

Idk if I would blame the blowout to UCLA on the defense. They did very well in the first half (minus the obvious missed sack by Moss) until Mora figured out Taylor wasn't going to run and told his guys to pin their ears back. The defense was put in a lot of bad spots after that.

 

They didn't help matters in the 2nd half, but they got NOTHING from the offense then either. I'm still trying to figure out how you go scoreless against a good but not great defense for an entire half. So many passes in the flats and lateral running made my head hurt.

[carlfense]

With all the positive momentum this program has we still have threads like this.

. . . what positive momentum?

[Branno]

Other than 2.01 quarters of UCLA and Minnesota*

 

Idk if I would blame the blowout to UCLA on the defense. They did very well in the first half (minus the obvious missed sack by Moss) until Mora figured out Taylor wasn't going to run and told his guys to pin their ears back. The defense was put in a lot of bad spots after that.

 

That's just me trying to concede that the defense did cost us some games, to avoid the inevitable reply that ignores the entirety of my post to point out that the defense cost us some games so obviously I'm an idiot if I think it was better.

 

I still don't understand where our offense went in the second half of UCLA and all of Minnesota. If we had the defense playing at the MSU game level for those two games we might have pulled em out. They weren't, we didn't. But there was a clear trend that the D was playing much better at the end of the season, and I think we will see a fair bit of carry over from that.

[QMany]

With all the positive momentum this program has we still have threads like this.

. . . what positive momentum?

I believe that our win over Georgia gave us a well-needed boost to end the year.

[carlfense]

With all the positive momentum this program has we still have threads like this.

. . . what positive momentum?

I believe that our win over Georgia gave us a well-needed boost to end the year.

Yeah, sure . . . I guess? I'd argue that the bowl game in 2009 was a lot more impressive . . . and yet we saw virtually the same season in 2010 as we've seen in every other year.

 

I'm kind of tired of potential. I'd like to see some results. We've been fairly consistent (for better or worse) but I can't say that I agree that "all of the positive momentum" is applicable. Show me. Less talk, more action. Etc.

[QMany]

You asked a question. I answered.

 

You didn't ask if the 2009 bowl game was more impressive or how it is related to potential. I don't disagree with your rhetoric, but don't move the goal posts.

[Landlord]

Momentum is momentum.

 

 

Momentum is not results.

[carlfense]

You asked a question. I answered.

 

You didn't ask if the 2009 bowl game was more impressive or how it is related to potential. I don't disagree with your rhetoric, but don't move the goal posts.

It wasn't moving the goal posts. It was pointing out that momentum from a good bowl win doesn't seem to amount to much.

 

(See my next post for why I think that matters.)

[carlfense]

Momentum is momentum.

 

 

Momentum is not results.

If momentum doesn't lead to results why should we care?

[HuskerShark]

CCG vs. Wisconsin was obviously embarrassing blemish on this program's record. Somehow, Bo and his staff have still pulled together very strong recruiting classes since then (IMO), and I have to be honest, something feels different about this team right now. There is a definite sense of urgency, and it seems like the leadership coming from the players is as good as it has been since probably the 90's (from an outsider's perspective).

 

I'm excited and interested to see if that all translates to the field this fall. This program is in dire need of a special season.