Analysis: For Nebraska, Bo Pelini, is good good enough? - USA Today

[zoogs]

Hell, if 2011, 2012 and this year play out EXACTLY the same, that win probably assuages all of the angst on this board.

You really believe that?

I believe it. NU has a 12 win season under Bo and a BCS bowl victory, we can be more understanding about the early recruiting letdowns that led us into the past couple of down years to start with. Instead, at a place where the standard is beyond just conference championships, we don't have a single one yet in six years and most of the time have been hovering on the edge of the Top 25 when the dust settles.

Then again, there have been a high number of blowout losses in the last three seasons under Bo Pelini. For a program with the standards as stated, that has to be hard to swallow, three years in a row.

 

[carlfense]

Eichorst's refusal to speak out publicly in support of Bo is mind-boggling in my opinion, but it speaks volumes as well.

I think it's a very smart move. Don't commit to anything (or back yourself into any corners) before the season is over.

Wasn't Bill Callahan given a raise during the season when he lost his job?

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Eichorst's refusal to speak out publicly in support of Bo is mind-boggling in my opinion, but it speaks volumes as well.

I think it's a very smart move. Don't commit to anything (or back yourself into any corners) before the season is over.

Wasn't Bill Callahan given a raise during the season when he lost his job?

I suppose so. No doubt it is a very strategic move. I just don't understand why Bo wouldn't have his support. There are faults in this program, but a level-headed, professional, highly intelligent individual (which Eichorst seems to be) should see that this program doesn't need a new head coach at this point. Now, I'm not saying that Bo is the right man for the job long term, but he hasn't done anything to prove that he "definitely" isn't neither. Like I said, I believe Bo deserves a chance to see this through through with his last couple recruiting classes.

1 of 4 schools to win 9 games in the last 5 years.... You can't fire a guy for that! You just can't.....

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

There are also ADs, owners, CEOs and politicians who loudly offer their support in public while sharpening the knife behind the scenes.

 

[Landlord]

Why do you say that? Look at the tape objectively. There was 1 second left.

I agree with you, but find me one single other instance since then where the same thing has happened and the officials have overturned it. In any game. I don't think you can.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Hell, if 2011, 2012 and this year play out EXACTLY the same, that win probably assuages all of the angst on this board.

You really believe that?

I believe it. NU has a 12 win season under Bo and a BCS bowl victory, we can be more understanding about the early recruiting letdowns that led us into the past couple of down years to start with. Instead, at a place where the standard is beyond just conference championships, we don't have a single one yet in six years and most of the time have been hovering on the edge of the Top 25 when the dust settles.

Then again, there have been a high number of blowout losses in the last three seasons under Bo Pelini. For a program with the standards as stated, that has to be hard to swallow, three years in a row.

How did we get to 12 in your scenario?

 

[Redux]

Had we beaten UT in 09 we may have run the table in 10 based off confidence alone. But alas here we are. So to answer the question in the thread; Nobody is good enough for Nebraska.

Is this to infer that Bo Pelini should be retained because Nebraska was good enough to run the table in 2010? Because the fact at they lost four games with a team that good gives evidence to the latter.

The loss to Texas in 2010 wasawful. Had we hung on the year prior they may not have come in with the same mindset and we wouldnt have had the revenge factor.

Against aTm........lord. who kows if the game wouldve been clean.

Against OU we may have not let off the gas up 17-0

All tuis is moot really. Doesnt matter now. Just an opinio of what couldve been.

 

[carlfense]

There are faults in this program, but a level-headed, professional, highly intelligent individual (which Eichorst seems to be) should see that this program doesn't need a new head coach at this point.

1 of 4 schools to win 9 games in the last 5 years.... You can't fire a guy for that! You just can't.....

I wouldn't worry about that. He wouldn't/won't be fired because he won 9 games.

 

[NUpolo8]

Had we beaten UT in 09 we may have run the table in 10 based off confidence alone. But alas here we are. So to answer the question in the thread; Nobody is good enough for Nebraska.

Is this to infer that Bo Pelini should be retained because Nebraska was good enough to run the table in 2010? Because the fact at they lost four games with a team that good gives evidence to the latter.

The loss to Texas in 2010 wasawful. Had we hung on the year prior they may not have come in with the same mindset and we wouldnt have had the revenge factor.

Against aTm........lord. who kows if the game wouldve been clean.

Against OU we may have not let off the gas up 17-0

All tuis is moot really. Doesnt matter now. Just an opinio of what couldve been.

I agree with you. NU was that good that year. But they lost four, which calls into question Bo's ability, was my point.

 

[admo]

There are faults in this program, but a level-headed, professional, highly intelligent individual (which Eichorst seems to be) should see that this program doesn't need a new head coach at this point.

1 of 4 schools to win 9 games in the last 5 years.... You can't fire a guy for that! You just can't.....

I wouldn't worry about that. He wouldn't/won't be fired because he won 9 games.

I feel that way too. If they part ways.

 

[Redux]

Actually lets face it, had we won against Texas in 09 we wouldve played OSU in Fiesta Bowl, with Suh, we likely wouldve won. That puts us at 12-2 on the year with a Conf. Title and a BCS Bowl win. Bo wouldve gotten a mamoth rais. 2010 say we have the same season as what happened and we still bolt for the Big Ten. But if we would have beaten OU and trounced UConn in Fiesta we would have sat at 12-2 again. Another conf title and BCS Bowl win. Bo's record sits at 33-8 3 bowl wins 2 BCS appearances and 2 Big 12 Titles.

Would we have left for the Big Ten? My money is on no. In all I think we would still be winning 12 games a year in the Big 12, because thats where Bo was successful defensively and he wouldve been landing some big time Texas recruits. Again, just my opinion.

 

[Mavric]

Perception is the key word. It's all perception. People perceive that Bo is going to get us there, he just needs more time, more OJT.

People perceive that Bo's had enough time and that if he hasn't gotten it done by now he likely never will. Cut our losses and move on.

Really, the difference between the two "sides" is pretty minimal. Some simply just don't like Pelini and some simply just like him, and neither will ever see the other side, but I think both opinions are in the minority.

I think most people don't want to fire him, but also don't want to continue in this good-but-not-good limbo we've been in. I'm pretty much in that camp.

Although if we had some knockout hire lined up, I'd be far more likely to be happy that we moved on. It's not like I'll really miss Bo the Coach. He's OK... he has flaws. There's a lot to deal with, with Bo.

This is the whole key. We're all arguing over the perception of the program. College football is such a fickle game. Exhibit A: Auburn can go from 14-0 National Champs to 3-9 in two years based in no small part on one player getting in some trouble and getting shown the door at Florida a couple years earlier who happens to end up at Auburn. You can't take away the results - records, conference championships, bowl games and national titles - but they don't always tell the entire story, either. Louisville last year was only good enough to be in a four way tie for the top of the sixth best conference in the country but they play one great game against Florida and suddenly they're the golden boy.

Keeping with the discussion about the 2009 CCG vs. Texas, up to the point where we went ahead 12-10 with 1:44 to play, we had held a Texas team that averaged 400+ ypg to under 200. The same Texas team that later gave currently unrivaled dominant Alabama all they wanted for 3+ quarters in the national championship game, most of it with their backup QB. Then we had three crazy things happen: KO out of bounds, horse collar tackle and having another second put back on the clock. None of the coaches had any control over any of those three events. Even though they combined to change that game and with it the records, conference championships and bowl game appearances of both teams, they did nothing to actually change how good or bad either team was. It only changed how each team was perceived.

Thus, those who perceive that that is an example of how Pelini can't get us over the hump and comes up short in big games point to that game as one example (directly or indirectly). Those who perceive that it is only taking more time that expected for Pelini to get us back to the top point to that game as an example of how close we have been to knocking down some of the most-talked-about shortcomings of our program over the last decade or so.

As knapp said, the difference in the arguments isn't that far apart. only in which side of the coin at which you choose to look.

 

[sd'sker]

i think what is worse than failing to win a ccg is continually being out of the top 25. i think bo's teams have failed the eyeball test. they just do not play well. i think he keeps doing enough to give us hope, so maybe one more year is the best decision. i just do not know. all i know is that this year is sub-par and we have been under-performing for awhile.

 

[knapplc]

i think what is worse than failing to win a ccg is continually being out of the top 25. i think bo's teams have failed the eyeball test. they just do not play well. i think he keeps doing enough to give us hope, so maybe one more year is the best decision. i just do not know. all i know is that this year is sub-par and we have been under-performing for awhile.

This is true. There is a decidedly ugly quality to many of our wins the past few years. We get it done almost despite ourselves. We out-talent our propensity for self-inflicted wounds (mostly).

 

[carlfense]

This is true. There is a decidedly ugly quality to many of our wins the past few years. We get it done almost despite ourselves. We out-talent our propensity for self-inflicted wounds (mostly).

Yes. It's tough to watch at times.