ajt1970

Good info. Which leads me to my original question - if there had been no "promise" and Solich was simply content to stay on as an assistant indefinitely (like Tenopir, Mcbride, etc.) and waited until TO REALLY wanted to retire before taking over as head coach, might NU be looking at a few more national championships with TO still at the reins in '98,'99, 2000, 2001? That's the biggest issue I have with Solich. His impatience with wanting to be a head coach, which lead to this promise between he and Osborne back in 1991, ultimately ended an outstanding head coaching career of the best of all time in TO.....and way too soon, in my opinion.

Was Solich the reason Osborne retired early? I believe from what I have read a while back, Solich wanted to pursue a head coach position, but Osborne saw him as his successor so he told Solich he would retire in 5 years and make way for Solich to take over the program (this was around 1991, I believe). Osborne has stated before that he could have kept on coaching and did indeed miss coaching in the years following his retirement. So if Solich had been content to stay as running backs coach, then would Osborne have still retired in 1997 or would he have continued on for at least a few more years (and perhaps more championships)? Does anyone know how exactly this went down? In a sense, is Solich the reason TO retired (way too early, in my opinion) from coaching? Also, I have read many suggest transgressions on Solich's part when he got fired. I was not up on the day to day going-ons with NU at that time. What all did he do off-the-field that was problematic? I have no ill-feeling towards Solich as I can definitely appreciate all that he did for NU as a player and assistant and head coach. But I am genuinely curious about the above two things.

Check out Broderick Thomas, LDE, take on the FB block. From a standstill...he hits and lifts the FB up in the air before making the tackle.... Now that is power! vlc-record-2018-04-18-16h52m52s-1986 Nebraska at Illinois 1 of 1 [360p].mp4-.mp4 Edit

I've ALWAYS preferred the nickname Cornhuskers vs. Huskers. Glad someone in Nebraska feels the same way. :-) Hope NU gets back to that as far as branding and marketing...It's hard to find anything to buy (shirts, hats, etc.) with the full name Cornhuskers on it. Be who you are, be proud of the corn.

I hear the points everyone is making. However, I was more pointing out the fact that Osborne did it all....what I would call a Supercoach. He was not just a figurehead or a non-active participant in games like a lot of the old coaches from back in the day who didnt even wear a headset and stay connected to what was actually going on during the game...x's and o's-wise. Think of Bear Bryant, Paterno, Bowden, Switzer, Woody Hayes, etc. Especially Bear Bryant who always gets the accolades of being some great supercoach of all time. My opinion, if you dont have a headset on, you shouldnt even be considered to be the best of all time. You're just not dialed in enough to now what is happening on each and every play. Sure, If the decision needs to be made to go for it on fourth down, ask Bear. Other than that, he's not actively involved. Which brings me to Osborne and Saban. Yes, they both have headsets on, but Osborne was his own OC and playcaller. Saban is not. Saban delegates that responsibility to other coaches. Doesnt mean Saban is not offering input into what plays should be called (he does have a headset on and uses it...unlike Mike Riley who never seemed to say anything in his headset to his assistant coaches)......I'm sure he is....but Saban is not the one sticking his neck out and making all the playcall decisions. Osborne was. He was dialed in. This is the point I was making as far as comparing coaches. Track record speaks loudly, of course, but HOW they did it speaks just as loud, in my opinion. And nobody did it like Osborne did it. Seriously, just think about it......what head coach EVER ...besides Osborne...was his own OC (or defensive coordinator for that matter) over the ENTIRE time of his head coaching years?..... AND add on top of that how successful Osborne was in doing so (over a lng period of time, and very successfully)......it is just simply way beyond amazing...and no other coach can compare. Ask the question ....who was their own OC or DC for their ENTIRE head coaching career over a long period of time? I am genuinely interested if anyone can think of somebody who was anywhere near as successful over a long period of time while doing both roles as head coach and OC/DC.

I just had a listen to Adam's latest. While I agree on his assessment that Osborne is the best, I feel he missed a very important reason for why Osborne was the best. Osborne was his own offensive coordinator and playcaller. For 25 years (plus more as an assistant), he called EVERY offensive play, which meant he studied all the film (both of his opponents gamefilm PLUS his own team's practices....which amounted to 30+ hours a week just on this one task alone of film study)....he formulated gameplans from this - figured out what plays might work and which ones might not, etc. It's a HUGE task for any OC, but to do it as a head coach....for 25 years.....and to be as successful as he was....this is unheard of (in the past or present) and simply an outrageously incredible accomplishment! He was an Xs and Os genius head coach, not a figurehead. To me, this BY FAR makes him the best coach of all time. He was an ACTIVE PARTICIPANT in all the games, each and every play dialed in - what's the opponent's defense doing? what's going to work against this defensive front? Will 42 countersweep work here or should we go with 38 option? etc.......He was not just standing on the sidelines watching the game like a spectator in the crowd like so many other head coaches (Bryant, Paterno, etc.) Name one head coach who did what Osborne did...own OC, wore the headset, called every play...AND did all the other typical figurehead head coach duties (handle the press, recruiting, etc.) AND was as successful as he was..... Answer: NOONE. Osborne DID IT ALL! Nobody did anywhere close to all that Osborne did and accomplished. Not even Saban (who wears the headset but is not his own OC and playcaller). This one major reason (own OC/playcaller for the entire time he was head coach), amongst all the other reasons Adam stated, makes Osborne the greatest coach in college football....and there is not even a close second.

Farmington Hills has 3 high schools and with decreased enrollment and budget issues in the district, and since Harrison high school is in the middle of the city (as opposed to the 2 opposite end schools), Harrison was chosen as the school to close. It's really a shame.

Yeah, Coach Herrington and his staff are awesome. 48 years at Harrison high school, ever since the school first opened in 1970. Unfortunately the school is closing after next year so he only gets to coach one more season and then will retire.

http://www.hometownlife.com/story/sports/high-school/2018/01/06/harrisons-dave-thorne-makes-football-coaches-hall-fame/1002588001/ The first 20 seconds in the video from this article has a Michigan high school football powerhouse team saying the Nebraska prayer. A very nice surprise to see in my local paper in a land of Wolverines and Spartans.

I thought I would share some thoughts since the season is over and while we're all waiting for NU to sign Frost. Many might not agree with my assessment and that's ok. But I always tend to think outside the box and often challenge the conventional thinking out there, so in this case...I just gotta sound off on how much I despise the forward pass. Everyone that knows me personally knows I can't stand the forward pass in football. Some actually agree. Blocking, tackling, running. It is how football was originally meant to be played. Over time, they have designed the rules to make the game more and more passive (ie. less and less hitting). Now the game is so NON-physical, so NON-rugged, that I can barely watch it anymore. I watch NU (sometimes, but mainly during the TO and Solich era when they ran the ball consistently and frequently)) and mainly now I watch Army, Navy, and Georgia Tech that run the ball most of the time. And in fact, Army has had a few games this year that did not even ATTEMPT a pass all game. Now THAT is football. I also follow ANY team that runs the ball.....like Arizona this year and New Mexico last year. I follow the teams on this website and mainly just focus on teams in the top ten off this list. Notice NU is WAY down the list. http://www.footballdb.com/college-football/stats/teamstat.html?group=O&cat=R&yr=2017&lg=FBS Here's my issues with throwing the ball.... What really happens on a pass play.....linemen backpedal, receivers run their routes, QB drops back and looks for targets...who's actually hitting? Maybe the guy who tackles a receiver (if the pass is complete). Watch the gamefilm on an ALL-22 video. Check out a pass play and ask yourself, who is really aggressively hitting someone? Maybe a DL on a QB if there is a sack, and a cover guy on a receiver, but that is what...potentially 2 guys hitting out of 22...The rest of the time the defensive linemen are merely trying to get to the QB, the offensive linemen are backpedaling to form a nice cushy pocket for their precious (please don't hit him) QB, the rest are running routes or the defenders are chasing and covering them. Sissy football. So on probably at least half the plays of a game maybe a couple guys are hitting...is that really football? I hate it. They have made the rules into such a soft sport...and most fans have bought into it. Now what really happens on a run play? Linemen fire off the ball (no backpedal, unless they're pulling) and look to smash their intended targets (pancake city!). Runners run hard thru the hole (or make their own hole) and then lower the shoulder and try to make more yards after contact. Defenders are fighting off blocks and looking to level the runner. THAT'S football how it was meant to be played! And EVERYONE participates....not everyone but the QB. When was the last time Tanner Lee really blocked or tackled someone? Or ran the ball and lowered his shoulder to run somebody over? Why does he get a free pass and not have to block and tackle and hit like everyone else? No special treatment for QBs (or kickers for that matter). Everyone blocks, everyone tackles! QBs are told that if they must scramble...to slide or run out of bounds rather than take a hit. Wussy football. Lower your shoulder and try to run over somebody, Tanner! No special consideration just because you're a QB! You participate and hit just like everyone else. No prima donnas! Here are some thoughts on the rules as it pertains to passing and running the ball.... Running the ball has become mainly a way for clock management than any strategic or physical means. Why does an incomplete pass stop the clock and a running play for zero gain (or any gain) keeps the clock running? Why are they treated differently? Whether a running play or passing play, why make how it runs the clock any different? A pass is incomplete...keep the clock running (or at the very least, stop the clock until the ball is spotted and then start running it again). Conventional thinking is if you're winning the game to run the ball and milk the clock...and if you're losing to throw the ball more and save on time....my opinion: it shouldn't matter....run or pass, the clock should run the same way! Why after an incomplete pass is the ball spotted back at the line of scrimmage? Why not from where he last had possession of the ball? If the LOS is at your own 30 yard line and the QB drops back and throws from the 20 and the pass is incomplete, why would the ball not be spotted there at the 20 on the proceeding down? Why is that team given those extra ten yards back to the original LOS at the 30 .....considering where he threw that ball (and hence, last had possession of it) 10 yards back. Spot the ball there at the 20....10 yard loss! My suggestion....put toughness, ruggedness, physicalness back into the game and eliminate the forward pass completely. But since I realize it is a pipe dream, I would at least like to see these two rule changes and make it fair and even rules for running and passing plays....... 1) make the clock run exactly the same for running and passing plays. No stopping the clock for one type of play and not stopping the clock for the other, and 2) spot the ball where the ball was in last possession for an incomplete pass....so in other words, back where the QB threw the ball behind the LOS. If he throws the ball 7 yards behind the LOS and it is incomplete, then it is a 7 yard loss. Some would say the game would be boring if there were no forward pass. I say it would become exciting. Look at it this way, if there were no forward pass, it would force offensive coordinators to be much more creative in designing and implementing running plays. It would perhaps create many different formations, running schemes, and have much more QB and wingback run games, etc. BTW - the 1984 Orange Bowl...for those who simply think it was kick the extra point and tie and win a national championship.....Miami still had 48 seconds left (and timeouts) to march down the field and score. Plenty of time. So it is not so cut and dry as just kicking the extra point and winning it all... or getting the two point play and winning the national championship. Miami had time to score! Plus, ties suck. I don't care about any repercussions. I want to win EVERY game. To me, it is a simple and easy decision...go for two and the POSSIBLE win (again, provided Miami can be stopped from scoring in the last 48 seconds). TO did the right thing, in my opinion. Back then, in a world of no overtime.....be aggressive and ALWAYS play for the win. FInal thought: I HATE the forward pass! It takes away the ruggedness of the sport. It takes away the dominate-and-flatten-the-man-across-from-you attitude. I'd rather see a 4 yard power run play than a 50 yard pass play. Unfortunately I don't see the forward pass leaving the game anytime soon. In the meantime, I'll just keep watching NU (been a fan since '82) and hoping for better days of rushing and also continue watching Army, Navy, and Georgia Tech weekly.

Hi Everyone, I am looking for some old VHS tapes by the NU coaches from 1996. Does anyone have them or perhaps know where I can find them? Quarterback technique in the option game with Turner Gill Running back drills & fundamentals with Frank Solich Running game fundamentals for the offensive line with Milt Tenopir Dominate the perimeter : blocking and catching skills development for receivers with Ron Brown Anthony

Link Frost was a guy who orchestrated such an identity as a player. I imagine if he were to run his own program, he would make his team play with intensity and a physical prowess that Lincoln hasn't seen in years. While I support splash hires and guys who are successful right now in CFB, its hard to imagine getting anyone on the outside to come here. Since we're in "rebuilding mode" according to Shawn Eichorst, this just leaves me flabbergasted as to why he chose a 62 year old who is in over his head and not a young rising coach like Scott Frost. Agreed FTW. I like the way you think. I'd be all for Frost as I do think he would bring back the tenacity, physicalness, and viciousness of past NU teams. He'd also bring a lot of energy to the job, much more so than a 62 year old on his last legs as far as coaching. I recall reading about just how tough Frost was by the poundings he used to take by likes of the Peter brothers, Wistrom, etc. in his first couple years in Lincoln. Plus, just his sure running tenacity is clearly evident they way he challenged the tacklers and even tried to be the one giving out punishment on contact rather than taking it. Check out any 1997 game of him running the option, the way he instantly flips that ball out there to the trailing I-back is a thing of beauty. There is no hesitation of backwards step back towards to the I-back like they do now in option football....it was BAM - instant flip to the back. It was awesome.

B1GBrutus - Heck yes I would take Paul Johnson and his offense at Nebraska, especially over what is there now (Riley), and I think it would work. Like you said, NU will probably never get the top tier talent in typical pro style offenses, so why not have a unique niche and recruit to that. I love the running game and would highly welcome any opportunity for Nebraska to get back to that hardnosed physical style of play.

In the running game there are so many subtle differences to each play. The run blocking schemes, etc. For instance, most fans probably see one run up the middle as the same as the next. But it's not. Isolation plays are different than inside zone blocking, which is different to trap plays, counters, etc. So when someone like myself says it is HOW they are running the ball, I am saying that based on what I am seeing, this coaching staff does not have what it takes to understand and implement the SUBTLE DIFFERENCES in each play to 1) call the right play, 2) have an audible sytem in place to check out of dead running plays and into good running plays based on the defensive front at the line of scrimmage just prior to snap, 3) be able to make adjustments as the game goes on to collaborate with the coaching staff to figure out what running plays will work and what won't, to adjust on the fly during the heat of a game. To do all this you must be TECHNICIANS of the running game, not just casual dabblers in it, which is what Riley and Langsdorf do....dabble in it but are definitely not true technicians. It's one thing to run it up the gut on a simple inside zone and go nowhere and say "see, I run the ball" It's another to be an expert technician and run it up the middle (or outside) and be effective and creative and do it right.

True2tRA - I see your points. Yes, NU should be able to line up and smashmouth up the middle to get a few yards. However, in the running game there are so many subtle differences to each play. The run blocking schemes, etc. For instance, most fans probably see one run up the middle as the same as the next. But it's not. Isolation plays are different than inside zone blocking, which is different to trap plays, counters, etc. So when someone like myself says it is HOW they are running the ball, I am saying that based on what I am seeing, this coaching staff does not have what it takes to understand and implement the SUBTLE DIFFERENCES in each play to 1) call the right play, 2) have an audible sytem in place to check out of dead running plays and into good running plays based on the defensive front at the line of scrimmage just prior to snap, 3) be able to make adjustments as the game goes on to collaborate with the coaching staff to figure out what running plays will work and what won't, to adjust on the fly during the heat of a game. To do all this you must be TECHNICIANS of the running game, not just casual dabblers in it, which is what Riley and Langsdorf do....dabble in it but are definitley not true technicians. It's one thing to run it up the gut on a simple inside zone and go nowhere and say "see, I run the ball" It's another to be an expert technician and run it up the middle (or outside) and be effective and creative and do it right.