Nebraska's Identity Crisis

[Kiyoat Husker]

Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me.

You know what's like eating comfort food? Winning.

Winning was our identity. Whether it was the wishbone under Devaney/the early Osborne years, or the option, winning was our identity. I don't think anybody would be saying stuff like this if we were hanging up conference title banners on campus.

Winning was part of our identity, that is correct. So was playing smash mouth football.

Correct me if I am wrong, (because I wasn't alive then), but weren't TO's championship offenses of the early 1970's pretty pass-heavy? (as O-coord)

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me.

You know what's like eating comfort food? Winning.

Winning was our identity. Whether it was the wishbone under Devaney/the early Osborne years, or the option, winning was our identity. I don't think anybody would be saying stuff like this if we were hanging up conference title banners on campus.

Winning was part of our identity, that is correct. So was playing smash mouth football.

Correct me if I am wrong, (because I wasn't alive then), but weren't TO's championship offenses of the early 1970's pretty pass-heavy? (as O-coord)

Osborne's offense for most of the 70's was very pass-heavy/pro-style. It wasn't until the early 80s when TO decided to go more power-run game with a mobile QB. Turner Gill was the key recruit for Osborne in that era, especially considering that Switzer coveted Gill so much.

 

[I am I]

Because

 

[Red Five]

Paul Johnson's offense is nothing like TO's offense. They both run the option, but that is about it.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Some people thought Bo Pelini was the obvious choice to succeed Solich in 2003. Supposedly savvier heads thought Houston Nutt the more obvious choice, but Houston declined.

When Callahan was fired, Bo Pelini of National Champion LSU was a more obvious choice than ever, although some people wanted Turner Gill for obvious reason.

Obvious can be a tricky word.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Paul Johnson's offense is nothing like TO's offense. They both run the option, but that is about it.

I would agree 100% with that. Also, I don't get why people think TO ran so much option. The TO I remember was mainly power running with a lot of traps, counters, and then options and play-action passes sprinkled in. I think people think that TO ran a lot of option because those option plays resulted in a lot of big plays for the Huskers. Osborne said mainly times that he would treat option plays as "passes" in his offense as a way to get big chunks of yardage.

 

[Count 'Bility]

tearing it up? LOL

Yeah, now. I guess. 9-4 is tearing it up. Until this little run dies out and they go 7-6/6-7 for a few years in a row.

That style is serviceable. But when Paul Johnson wins what we want with that style, ANYWHERE, I'll bite. I could also argue that blindly reminiscing and sticking with such an identity as long as we did is why were in the situation we are in today. Why we fell behind the fast changing world of college football to begin with.

 

[Count 'Bility]

TO Stated at the time that he thought the offense we were running was good (and it was). The denfense was in shambles, so he reasoned that a Defensive guru would be a good choice (and it was, at least for a while). Remember, Pelini was the DC on a NC team in LSU. Plus, it was a very popular choice among fans at the time, and TO understood the value of uniting the fan base and giving them what they wanted. I am willing to bet you approved of the hire at that time as well... especially after 2009. hindsight is always 20/20.

I think BC broke us in to thinking that it might be OK to try a different offensive philosophy here, thus making it easier for Riley to bring in a WCO without the extreme shock value that Callahan had.

TO seemed to be open to believe that a WCO can work in Nebraska, why can't you.

a fanbase shouldnt need to be broke into something. When X style isnt working, you try something different. Solich's stuff wasnt workin anymoore. Even 2003 with a solid defense, showed an abysmal offense.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

...

I think BC broke us in to thinking that it might be OK to try a different offensive philosophy here, thus making it easier for Riley to bring in a WCO without the extreme shock value that Callahan had....

a fanbase shouldnt need to be broke into something. When X style isnt working, you try something different. Solich's stuff wasnt workin anymoore. Even 2003 with a solid defense, showed an abysmal offense.

So you don't agree that there was more skepticism about a WCO at Nebraska in 2004 than in 2015?

 

[True2tRA]

I was reading this story on yahoo and it brought back some thoughts I have had.

Eight years ago, when BC was fired we had a chance to hire Paul Johnson. TO chose to go another direction with Bo, which seemed a bit odd to me. If there was any style of football out there that matched our identity, Paul Johnson was running it. Now he is tearing it up down there at Georgia Tech. I doubt he was even looked at as a serious candidate after Bo was fired and MR was hired. My question is why did we not go with the obvious choice that matched our identity twice?

I know Johnson has had a few mediocre years at GT, but I don't think that happens if he is here. Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me. I am hoping that Mike Riley will be able to change that here soon.

I love watching them too, although I was recently accused of never watching them because I claimed they run the option.

I would've loved the choice of Paul Johnson as HC at the time.

I like the Riley hire a lot, I think we are going to work towards establishing that identity. I think they're trying to now, but it will be more evident when their recruiting classes are on the turf. I think we will be (the dreaded word) multiple, but it will be a different multiple than Becks definition. We will be very good at a couple things, like the power run and the intermediate and short passing game. We won't be mediocre at the five wide, three wide, trips left, trips right, power I, toss sweep, zone read, zone read, zone read, zone read, play action pass, short game, intermediate pass, diamond formation, option, read option, ...........

Riley will hopefully learn from the past a bit here and understand how vital it is to establish the run game. Osborne learned over time that the climate can influence the things you can and can't do quite a bit.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Hats off to Paul Johnson. He's showing there's still a place for a power rushing offense in college football.

Just want to double check how patient Nebraska fans would be with this succession of season records for Johnson at G-Tech:

9-4

10-3

6-7

8-5

7-7

7-6

11-3

Four division titles, zero conference titles (2009 ACC title was revoked for NCAA violations)

G-Tech is always a team worth watching and never to be taken lightly.

But conventional wisdom says Nebraska fans would sh#t bricks over that record.

And Johnson did inherit a winning team and a supportive program, even if it did include a touch of sanctions.

 

[NUinID]

Paul Johnson is a southern guy, I am not sure he was even considered. When his offense is going it is a thing of beauty. I have no doubt that he would be able to get top of the line offensive guys for his system at Nebraska, but his defenses are what usually fall short.

I would have been happy with TG or BP when the hiring process came around. TG was doing great things at Buffalo at the time of the hiring. TO earlier offenses of the 70's were probably much closer to what MR runs now than. Still lots of power running, but more passing.

You still have to understand throwing the ball 25x a game in the seventies was considered a lot. So it wasn't like they were super pass happy. TO just knew he wanted more athletic QB's that could run better. He sacrificed passing for a better option game.

 

[NUance]

This is our *real* identity crisis:

or

 

[Landlord]

Johnson might have inherited a winning team, but don't kid yourself - Ga Tech is similar to Oregon State in a lot of ways (as far as being the little brother to the big show in the state an hour away), and also has the added burden of being a very academically prestigious school, with very specific academic focuses.

Not at all easy to be successful there - Johnson has done a hell of a job in that role.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Georgia Tech is still a heckuva lot closer to Nebraska than it is to Oregon State.

Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas are the winningest college football programs ahead of Nebraska. They have the resources and expectations to hire the best available candidates in the college profession. But like Alabama, Ohio State, Miami, USC, etc. before them, they will still hire guys who don't win enough and spend years out of championship contention.

I'm not sure it's easy to win anywhere.