Phil Steele Predicts a NEB vs. Oregon Rose Bowl Game

[RedDenver]

I am not saying we are going to lose 4 games. I am saying if we play good sound football and lose, so be it. This is not the most talented team in the conference, and seems to be falling farther behind every day in that. So the coaching has to make up for the shortfall. We truly have not seen that from Bo. He has a very tough job this year with the defense. The battle cry is defense wins championships, name another team out there, that has a similar situation, that you would be predicting a BCS game for. I think some are putting too much on Bo this year.

I agree with your sentiment, but not entirely with NU being behind in talent. tOSU is ahead of us, but who else? And even tOSU isn't that far ahead since we beat them 2 years ago. Really, Braxton Miller is the difference between them and us. Not that great of a difference IMO.

We beat all the other teams just last season. Michigan looked good but not great - about even with us. MSU has a great D and little else. NW plays very hard and has tremendous coaching, but not great talent. Wisky has been solid with a couple great players, but I'd still put us ahead of them by pure talent. (And I think their lack of talent showed early last year.)

 

[skersfan]

I think their lack of coaching showed last spring, possibly team unity, but progressed steadily during the year.

Michigan is again recruiting at a much higher level than Nebraska, so is Penn State, Ohio State. Michigan State has a 5 star freshman QB that they are ranting about in Spartydom. Northwestern flat out has superior coaching and they play every game as the underdog, the bullied. I do not know if Bo is on the level of Pat or not. So far I do not think so. Nebraska needs to develop that idea. Not the best, but you are going to get our best every single second of every minute, every game. We act entitled compared to Northwestern I guess is what I am saying.

We won some games last year, that could have gone either way. UCLA fits the opposite.

I do not think Braxton Miller beat us last year, Ohio State and Urban Meyers beat us last year. He has their depth talent growing as does Hoke. For Nebraska to win these big games, we have to out coach, and out work the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Bama, LSU, Georgia and South Carolina. Bo is intense and I am hoping this year he truly figures out how to coach college football. We have to remember he is just learning his job. That he gets these young, not so respected players to play like it is their last game every game.

I have never called for him to be fired, I never really liked him much either. But this year, there just can not be any curb stompings. That has to end. If it does not, I think he will be gone.

 

[desertshox]

We act entitled

yes many of our fans do.

 

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

Porn star Phil Steele likes the huskers to go to the Rose Bowl!

 

[RedDenver]

Michigan is again recruiting at a much higher level than Nebraska, so is Penn State, Ohio State. Michigan State has a 5 star freshman QB that they are ranting about in Spartydom. Northwestern flat out has superior coaching and they play every game as the underdog, the bullied. <snip>

I do not think Braxton Miller beat us last year, Ohio State and Urban Meyers beat us last year. He has their depth talent growing as does Hoke.

So you're talking about potential talent. Yes, those teams potentially have more talent than we do. So does every team everywhere. That's the nature of potential - it's based on a future we haven't seen yet. By that measure, UM, tOSU, and PSU have had more talent than us for decades. Nothing has changed there. And I expect them to always be perceived as having more potential except a few years here and there. I could argue about "much higher level", but I won't. If that's your argument, then I agree.

However, I have yet to see that potential materialize into more talent for those teams than NU on the field. That's what I'm getting at. As long as we can compete, I'm happy as a fan.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Brady Hoke hasnt done jackshit with his "talent" yet. Not a damn thing.

 

[skersfan]

Well then Mr. I guess curb stomping Nebraska 45-17meant nothing. To most of the college football world that is the case. We are not considered elite any longer, just the team with the raving idiot as a head coach. I am not saying that, just repeating what is said.

Bo will get his chance to show off this great defensive talent this year.

Following rankings from the recruiting sites, Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State and others have a considerable amount more talent. I know that means nothing, but to win the MNC finishing in the top 5 for the last 10 years has been required. The only exception was Ohio State over Miami if I remember correctly.

Our talent level/depth is not on par with top programs. If it were, we would not be giving up 600 yards a game and losing by record points. Is the talent better than his first two years, we do not know, we kept them secret last year, now the fan base expects them to be these defensive giants. Questionable at least.

But that is the reason we play the game.

I did read that one of our recruits is doing quite well at the opening. That is great to hear.

 

[RedDenver]

Well then Mr. I guess curb stomping Nebraska 45-17meant nothing. To most of the college football world that is the case. We are not considered elite any longer, just the team with the raving idiot as a head coach. I am not saying that, just repeating what is said.

Nobody beat us 45-17, so I'm not sure what you're referencing. Doesn't really matter what anyone thinks - it doesn't affect our talent at all.

Bo will get his chance to show off this great defensive talent this year.

Following rankings from the recruiting sites, Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State and others have a considerable amount more talent. I know that means nothing, but to win the MNC finishing in the top 5 for the last 10 years has been required. The only exception was Ohio State over Miami if I remember correctly.

I've already addressed the difference between potential and on field talent. The MNC is a change in topic. I'm disagreeing with your statement that the Huskers are somehow behind the rest of the conference in talent.

Our talent level/depth is not on par with top programs. If it were, we would not be giving up 600 yards a game and losing by record points. Is the talent better than his first two years, we do not know, we kept them secret last year, now the fan base expects them to be these defensive giants. Questionable at least.

Which teams are we not on par with? We've beaten every team that's beaten us over the last 2 seasons except UCLA (whom we've only played once). Whether we gave up a billion yards to Wisky or only 5, we're 2-1 in the W-L columns. They're leading and gave us a couple stompings, but we beat them just last season. And we're 1-1 against tOSU, Mich, and NW - that's exactly on par. And we're 2-0 against MSU. I just don't see where we are not keeping up.

But that is the reason we play the game.

I did read that one of our recruits is doing quite well at the opening. That is great to hear.

Agreed.

And I'm not disagreeing with your general point that we need to eliminate the blowouts. But I don't think the blowouts are because those teams are much more talented than us.

 

[walksalone]

If we lost to UCLA and Michigan, there's still the possibility we would make the championship game against (likely) OSU.

We could easily lose that game. Then, we'd end up playing in the Rose or Capitol One Bowl again, against a top 10 opponent. Another game that would not be easy by any stretch.

So yes, I think 4 losses is livable, if they're close and competitive and tough battles.

But that is one big "if"...

4 loses will still cause the board to go completely Chernobyl, and it will go full on Hiroshima and Nagasaki if one or more of those four loses is a blow out...

 

[skersfan]

If it is not a talent issue, what is the problem. Lack of coaching, low pride, taking more than giving? Character issue? When you get killed like we have the past few years something is wrong.

2011 Michigan 45 Nebraska 17. That is within your two year window. Do not know how you put it out of your memory, man I wish I could.

Again, wins and losses to me are not what sets the program standard. How we play, is far more important.

Our average recruiting with Bo is in the Mid 20's is my guess. Where as MNC championship teams, recruit continuously in the top 5 to 10. That would indicate their talent level is better. Our results against the better teams would indicate their talent is better. See Ohio State, Wisconsin, Georgia, UCLA, South Carolina.

I do not buy this we are trapped with Big 12 talent, and none of you did when we were moving. After two years I still do not believe it. We have above average talent with average to below average coaching, motivation.

If Bo gets this group of kids to play like he says they will, then I will give him all the credit in the world. We have a weak schedule, that should help. But if we give 600 yards, lose by 30 points he is not going to be here anyway. Putting all this on these young inexperienced kids is just not fair.

 

[EZ-E]

If it is not a talent issue, what is the problem. Lack of coaching, low pride, taking more than giving? Character issue? When you get killed like we have the past few years something is wrong.

2011 Michigan 45 Nebraska 17. That is within your two year window. Do not know how you put it out of your memory, man I wish I could.

Again, wins and losses to me are not what sets the program standard. How we play, is far more important.

Our average recruiting with Bo is in the Mid 20's is my guess. Where as MNC championship teams, recruit continuously in the top 5 to 10. That would indicate their talent level is better. Our results against the better teams would indicate their talent is better. See Ohio State, Wisconsin, Georgia, UCLA, South Carolina.

I do not buy this we are trapped with Big 12 talent, and none of you did when we were moving. After two years I still do not believe it. We have above average talent with average to below average coaching, motivation.

If Bo gets this group of kids to play like he says they will, then I will give him all the credit in the world. We have a weak schedule, that should help. But if we give 600 yards, lose by 30 points he is not going to be here anyway. Putting all this on these young inexperienced kids is just not fair.

If you peel back the layers of that Michigan game, it spiraled out of control around the start of the 4th quarter. We were down by two TDs and were going to get the ball back with 14mins to play when I witnessed the worst roughing the kicker penalty that I have ever seen was called. That took the wind out of our sails and we were done. If you remember HOW WE PLAYED THE GAME, it was not like we had no chance to win.

I am tired of repeating myself and it appears people can't understand this:

Our top linebackers coming into 2012 were Fisher, Compton, and Whaley. In the Big 12 we didn't use them really rather hybrid DBs/LBs. Go back and read Carl Pelini's comments after the 09 Colorado game about how we struggled because we had to play a lot of 4-3 instead of what we were use to which was a DB heavy gameplan. Go back and watch that 09 Texas game. We weren't planning on using many linebackers in the Big 12 so we didn't recruit many. Instead of using that scholly for a LB we would just grab an extra DB. What is the deepest spot on our defense right now????? It isn't that we have inferior talent by any means. It's simply the fact that you recruit different types of football players in different leagues. That isn't up for debate.

What measuring stick are you using to compare our recruiting classes to the ones you did? Did you watch the film on all of those guys?

 

[skersfan]

So we do not have the ability to adapt our coaching/talent. It amazes me that other programs have the ability to recruit what is needed. Do you think, if Bama, LSU, South Carolina, Georgia, Oregon were dropped in the Big 10 they would be getting the same treatment that we do.

I do not buy that, and if that is true, then we have no chance of being able to compete with the top level programs if their approach to the game is different. My guess is top teams, that have competent coaching, adequate talent adapt and win with what they recruited.

I say we barely scraped by with some wins last year, but the common response is we came back and won. But if we lose to Michigan by nearly 30 points it was due to a bad call. Amazing, swim both ways much?

I think we have a good season this year, but to think that this group of kids, that have played very few minutes of actual college football, will be the reason we make steps forward is hopeful.

Until the UCLA game we have no idea of what these young kids are capable of. If we win fantastic, but if we lose and play them close, I have no problem with it. UCLA is a very talented team according to some. If we give 600 plus yards and look lost from the coaching side, I have problems with it. I do not expect world beaters, not even at the end of the season. I just want to see them line up, have a clue as to what the offense is trying to do and on occasion stop it. I truly think that is fair for the youth on this team. You seem to think we will dominate with what we have. But as I recall you normally do. Nothing wrong with only seeing bright spot. And I am hoping you are absolutely correct, and that I have to say you were absolutely correct. But history has not shown that. We have endured some of the worst beatings in the last three years this program has seen in 100 years, worse than the previous 5 years.

 

[EZ-E]

So we do not have the ability to adapt our coaching/talent. It amazes me that other programs have the ability to recruit what is needed. Do you think, if Bama, LSU, South Carolina, Georgia, Oregon were dropped in the Big 10 they would be getting the same treatment that we do.

I do not buy that, and if that is true, then we have no chance of being able to compete with the top level programs if their approach to the game is different. My guess is top teams, that have competent coaching, adequate talent adapt and win with what they recruited.

.

I just can't read any more of your post past this point. I hope you didn't put much thought into it, because it wasn't worth it.

We have adapted our coaching in order to win a lot of games in the BIG. We have not had the personel, but a ton of credit has to be given to the staff in order to make up for the lack of depth at LB and DT to win ten games with the way they schemed to do so.

You named four teams that are in recruiting hot beds. I'm sorry, but if we were pumping out as much in-state talent as those first four teams you named I would really be on your side.

Oregon recruiting is about where we are. Their defense would get raped in the BIG. They have 220? Pound LBs.

 

[husker_99]

We will end up with 4 losses. Wisconsin proved you can make it with 5 losses, so we have a shot.

If Ohio St wasn't on sanctions we would have been playing Ohio St not Wisconsin. Last I looked we don't have 2 teams in our division that are being sanctioned. So no we can't make it to the conference championship with 5 losses.

 

[Coqui]

I think we play vs OSU with a natty berth on the line for both teams.

Depends on where they rank you guys to start the season. Even undefeated, it's going to be hard to get there thanks to the ESPiN - SEC network. We just got lucky that we should be in the top 5 when it starts.