An analysis of OC Tim Beck.

[zoogs]

I agree. We need to be worried about the guys who might not be pulling their weight on the staff, not the guy who clearly is and then some - though Beck didn't have a good game last Saturday, along with a lot of other guys.

What about our position coaches? Garrison, Fisher, Cotton? -- Beck isn't the guy choosing to hire or replace the staff in place to teach his offense. Same with position coaches on the defensive side, although I think most are quite high on Warren and Kaz.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Really? The offensive coordinator who ran the offense that made Ameer Abdullah the most prolific player in Nebraska history, suddenly drafted a new scheme that netted Ameer less than two yards a carry?

No. He kept using the old one and couldn't find a fix when the wheels fell off because Michigan schemed to stop it. Any semi-competent coach can take away one aspect of a game to the exclusion of all other concerns, and any semi-competent coach can burn him for doing so...and then we have Beck and what we saw last Saturday...

Are you sure that if Tim Beck had adjusted by calling more pass plays earlier, and stopped giving Abdullah his ineffective touches, you wouldn't be screaming for the head of Tim Beck? Maybe just out of habit?

Do you remember that Beck actually didn't rely on one aspect of the game, ran our multiple offense, and found that a wide variety of plays didn't work so well with an offensive line on its heels?

Were you one of those guys who cringed at the world "multiple" craved the word "identity" and now want an OC willing to shift gears the moment something doesn't work?

I don't know about semi-competent coaches, but it's always entertaining how guys sitting on couches have so many simple solutions for totally vexing the likes of Mark Dantonio.

Again, Tom Osborne had offensive days like Tim Beck's Saturday. Actually, some of TO's were much worse. The common denominator was an opposing defense that was physically superior.

I wish we could upset a superior team one of these days. Wish we were that superior team. But until we are, I'm not convinced Nebraska is just a diamond formation or outlet pass away from "burning" a team like MSU.

Wait a minute. We did almost burn them.

WTH?

 

[True2tRA]

I agree. We need to be worried about the guys who might not be pulling their weight on the staff, not the guy who clearly is and then some - though Beck didn't have a good game last Saturday, along with a lot of other guys.

What about our position coaches? Garrison, Fisher, Cotton? -- Beck isn't the guy choosing to hire or replace the staff in place to teach his offense. Same with position coaches on the defensive side, although I think most are quite high on Warren and Kaz.

Why is there such a refusal to discuss these other guys much? Weve heard about Cotton quite a bit in the past, but since his move to TE coach, weve been equally as inefffective in that area. This was the offensive lines disaster, not Becks. Like you said, Beck didn't hire those guys. Which leads me to a question I've asked before, and I'd love to hear some actual responses to it.

Does Cotton or Garrisons coaching experience match Becks offensive scheme? What is Garrisons experience? From what I know of Barney Cottons experience, I can't see why he would know a hell of a lot about this complicated zone blocking scheme. Am I wrong? How about Garrison, does he have a lot of experience in this scheme?

Why would we have offensive line coaches who aren't highly effective in teaching the needs and designs of the offensive scheme we are running?

Another question. Why is center at Nebraska lately been undersized? Is the center making the calls for the offensive line assignments? Who is? Why do we seem to miss so many blocks completely? I mean play after play there are guys on this line who don't even block anybody.

These are real questions, not complaining, I simply don't have the answers for these questions.

 

[Bowfin]

Wait a minute. We did almost burn them.

...and I did almost run a four minute mile once...

...only it wasn't a whole mile...

...and it took longer than four minutes...

 

[BigRedBuster]

News flash, anyone below the head coach isn't required to talk to the media or the fans or explain anything. That is the head coaches job. Now, the HC might choose to have the coordinators talk to the media. But, choose to NOT have them talk.

When an adult asks you a question, you should answer them politely. That's what I expected out of my Cub Scouts and my own children when they were growing up, that's what I expect out of Beck. It's called acting like a decent human being and being sociable. If Beck would join Tiger Cubs, I could work with him on that. "Boys learning to become men."

And, for the record, you telling me I'm being dramatic is pretty laughable when you are the one all worked up

No, I just stated that I think Beck is acting like a child and you fell to pieces. Ever thought of joining the Tiger Cubs?...

I'm all in one piece...but thanks for the concern. I'm not the one calling for someone's job simply because they won't come out and talk to you.

 

[Bowfin]

Are you sure that if Tim Beck had adjusted by calling more pass plays earlier, and stopped giving Abdullah his ineffective touches, you wouldn't be screaming for the head of Tim Beck? Maybe just out of habit?

I think Tim Beck should be night watchman at Morrill Hall, guarding the mammoth skeletons. Then he could still work for the University, wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and he wouldn't have to worry about the mammoths changing things up on him faster than he could cope.

That's all I have on this subject, you can have the last word.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Are you sure that if Tim Beck had adjusted by calling more pass plays earlier, and stopped giving Abdullah his ineffective touches, you wouldn't be screaming for the head of Tim Beck? Maybe just out of habit?

I think Tim Beck should be night watchman at Morrill Hall, guarding the mammoth skeletons. Then he could still work for the University, wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and he wouldn't have to worry about the mammoths changing things up on him faster than he could cope.

That's all I have on this subject, you can have the last word.

Thank you!

 

[clyde40]

I don't feel like Beck does enough to prepare for a specific opponent or a scheme. It just feels to me like the philosophy is "this is what we do, and are gonna do every week, regardless of who is lined up". And that manifests itself in game management as a lack of specific adjustments.

I guess I had hoped that we had had something planned for Michigan State, perhaps a wrinkle we hadn't seen. Instead it seemed more vanilla than usual. I don't really like the "vanilla" excuse.... to me it seems like a justification for an inflexible, undynamic game plan.

Beck doesn't seem to ever have a plan B or a plan C when plan A doesn't work... he just hammers plan A again and again, somehow hoping it will force itself to work.

I hope they have the answers for it should we be able to get a rematch.

I thought that was the whole problem that he takes what the opponent gives them instead of just saying, "This is what we're going to do, now try to stop it".

 

[zoogs]

When it comes to Standard Armchair Coordinator Gripes, there's no reason you can't have it every way at once!

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Are you sure that if Tim Beck had adjusted by calling more pass plays earlier, and stopped giving Abdullah his ineffective touches, you wouldn't be screaming for the head of Tim Beck? Maybe just out of habit?

I think Tim Beck should be night watchman at Morrill Hall, guarding the mammoth skeletons. Then he could still work for the University, wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and he wouldn't have to worry about the mammoths changing things up on him faster than he could cope.

That's all I have on this subject, you can have the last word.

Thank you!

He was talking to me!

(lock the thread! lock the thread!)

 

[BigRedBuster]

Are you sure that if Tim Beck had adjusted by calling more pass plays earlier, and stopped giving Abdullah his ineffective touches, you wouldn't be screaming for the head of Tim Beck? Maybe just out of habit?

I think Tim Beck should be night watchman at Morrill Hall, guarding the mammoth skeletons. Then he could still work for the University, wouldn't have to talk to anyone, and he wouldn't have to worry about the mammoths changing things up on him faster than he could cope.

That's all I have on this subject, you can have the last word.

Thank you!

He was talking to me!

(lock the thread! lock the thread!)

I know...and my "Thank you" still stands.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Good day, sir.

 

[JTrain]

Honest question: given how historicallly bad the Nebraska defense has been the past few seasons, and Bo Pelini's reputation as a defensive guru, why is the bulk of criticism reserved for the Offensive Coordinator?

You mean from this game? Because the offense sucked and the defense was decent.

If you mean overall in the last few years, well then Pelini has gotten a ton of criticism.

Overall. Last few years. Wouldn't dream of suggesting Pelini hasn't been criticized, but the vitriol at Beck seems very different than the vitriol aimed at Carl Pelini or John Papuchis, even though he's delivered a statistically better unit.

Carl - What's not to love? His units

were good statistically, and he loved himself a good stripper and a better cigar.

Pap - I think people are hesitant to criticize him because they suspect his main job is not to spill the the McCafe trays on the way from the car to the film room.

Bo - You'd probably have to get into psychology for this. Bo is like the boyfriend that everyone is pretty sure is a huge a******, but that same, alpha personality actually contributes to the girlfriend being extremely attached. Beck is just the normal boyfriend who, once the lust for his hair wears off and all the good Netflix shows have been watched, doesn't have a hold.

Also, although Beck has put up solid numbers on average, he often freezes up and looks like crap in big games, especially if he doesn't have access a once-in-a-generation-speed QB that can break off an 80-yard run at any moment.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Honest question: given how historicallly bad the Nebraska defense has been the past few seasons, and Bo Pelini's reputation as a defensive guru, why is the bulk of criticism reserved for the Offensive Coordinator?

You mean from this game? Because the offense sucked and the defense was decent.

If you mean overall in the last few years, well then Pelini has gotten a ton of criticism.

Overall. Last few years. Wouldn't dream of suggesting Pelini hasn't been criticized, but the vitriol at Beck seems very different than the vitriol aimed at Carl Pelini or John Papuchis, even though he's delivered a statistically better unit.

Carl - What's not to love? His units

were good statistically, and he loved himself a good stripper and a better cigar.

Pap - I think people are hesitant to criticize him because they suspect his main job is not to spill the the McCafe trays on the way from the car to the film room.

Bo - You'd probably have to get into psychology for this. Bo is like the boyfriend that everyone is pretty sure is a huge a******, but that same, alpha personality actually contributes to the girlfriend being extremely attached. Beck is just the normal boyfriend who, once the lust for his hair wears off and all the good Netflix shows have been watched, doesn't have a hold.

Also, although Beck has put up solid numbers on average, he often freezes up and looks like crap in big games, especially if he doesn't have access a once-in-a-generation-speed QB that can break off an 80-yard run at any moment.

Nice analysis and psycho-graphic.

I'd still argue the whole team freezes up and looks like crap in big games, a crisis of confidence and focus that seems to infect offense, defense, special teams, the sideline and the fans.

And Beck actually lost his once-in-a-generation QB after only 5 games and had to work with damaged goods for another 3 seasons. Given the potentially nightmarish 2011 season, I thought the Martinez/Burkhead dual read-option attack was a pretty good solution.

Basically, Nebraska looks like a team that can put together a #25 recruiting class every year. At which point the coaching staff molds them into the #25 team in the nation.

 

[Enhance]

It's ridiculous to think Beck wasn't trying to make adjustments. We tried a variety of different plays and motions to try and create space and get our playmakers the ball, but, I go back to what I said earlier. If you're getting dominated on the line of scrimmage, it doesn't really matter how creative you are as a playmaker or how nifty you think you can be getting someone into space to make a play. If some players are mentally (or physically) incapable of getting the job done, how do you adjust that? I don't think our problem was physicality, though. That looked like a lack of mental toughness and preparation. I mean, Hell, Jake Cotton created the most ridiculous false start of all time and completely whiffed an assignment on a two-point conversion. That's mental, and those mistakes were happening everywhere.

The most frustrating part about all of this is that it seems to be just what Nebraska does in big games, especially big road games. The players have come and gone, but the results have stayed much the same. That goes down to coaching. I'm not calling for a coach's job at all, but, I do think our inability to win these big games ultimately falls on them. They have to get better too and find a way to get the most of the players when it matters.