unsportsmanlike-conduct/2015/10/27/how-talented-is-nebraska

[husker07]

I never really felt Bo did much with the high star guys he did recruit. There are exceptions, I just feel that was the norm for him.

One of the USC guys hypothesized that perhaps Bo favored the lower ranked guys because that's what he was as a player... Under the radar, scrappy. Pretty farfetched, but interesting nonetheless.

That is such a ridiculous and unfounded proposition. Doesn't surprise me much. While fun to listen to, the USC guys are not the most knowledgeable bunch. Constantly contradicting themselves.

 

[VectorVictor]

Not as good as we thought, not as bad as they've played.

Pretty much the perfect way to put it. Still good enough to win the West.

This is pretty much it. The talent is there to not only win the B1G West, but go undefeated during the non-con schedule and make a good showing in the B1G Title Game.

The fact that we're already out of the hunt in October is a rather damning statement against the current staff and their ability to coach.

 

[QMany]

It is really cool that he put that together. That is fun to look at and compare.

I'd question why Lane Hovey (RS) is listed instead of Stanley Morgan (4*) when they're listed as OR on the depth chart and Morgan has nearly double the targets/catches/yards, but that would only change the results a little.

You asked a good question on twitter and if they answered it, I didn't see it. You asked which 2-deep he used. It's a good question. Is it best possible? Is it coming out of Fall Camp? Is it last week's?

He did answered it a little bit ago; he said the depth chart for Purdue this weekend (so it doesn't include 4* Jonathon Rose). I asked because I noticed Morgan was left off. It lists Reilly OR Hovey OR Morgan, and he used Reilly. I now notice Hovey isn't listed but Taariq Allen is.

Rather than find the ranking of each and every player on the roster of each and every team in the Big Ten West, I went to the players who are contributing for teams right now. I looked up the two-deep depth charts that each team has up on their website for games this week (or last, some have a bye so didn't have their updated depth charts). So this isn't a look at the entire rosters, but rather the players who are actually playing/contributing for their teams going into week nine (or week eight) of the CFB season.

Taariq Allen has 8 targets and 46 yards. Stanley Morgan has 26 targets and 176 yards.

It would only but a small change in the average, but it just struck me as odd not to see Morgan's name.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

Not as good as we thought, not as bad as they've played.

Pretty much the perfect way to put it. Still good enough to win the West.

This is pretty much it. The talent is there to not only win the B1G West, but go undefeated during the non-con schedule and make a good showing in the B1G Title Game.
The fact that we're already out of the hunt in October is a rather damning statement against the current staff and their ability to coach.

Respectfully disagree with your contention that the talent is there to go undefeated in the non-con.

If we are only looking at talent on the roster, Miami is the superior team. If you then argue the coaching affect of Golden, you have to account for the positive coaching affects of guys like bronco. Then byu is no longer on the table.

Further, you would then have to acknowledge that there is some pretty damn good coaching in the b1g ten. Fitz, Kill, Dantonio ALWAYS over-perform. Ferentz always under-recruits, but still over-performs. Wiscy as a program way over-performs.

I agree that we should expect more than we have gotten, even in year 1, but let's not get crazy.

 

[Waterloohusker26]

We're #1 by far when looking at full recruiting classes between 2012 and 2015. But for whatever reason (attrition, guys just flat not panning out, etc.), the players we are putting the field are basically even to the rest of the division (low to mid 3 stars).

Coaching and developing

 

[VectorVictor]

Not as good as we thought, not as bad as they've played.

Pretty much the perfect way to put it. Still good enough to win the West.

This is pretty much it. The talent is there to not only win the B1G West, but go undefeated during the non-con schedule and make a good showing in the B1G Title Game.
The fact that we're already out of the hunt in October is a rather damning statement against the current staff and their ability to coach.

Respectfully disagree with your contention that the talent is there to go undefeated in the non-con.

If we are only looking at talent on the roster, Miami is the superior team. If you then argue the coaching affect of Golden, you have to account for the positive coaching affects of guys like bronco. Then byu is no longer on the table.

Further, you would then have to acknowledge that there is some pretty damn good coaching in the b1g ten. Fitz, Kill, Dantonio ALWAYS over-perform. Ferentz always under-recruits, but still over-performs. Wiscy as a program way over-performs.

I agree that we should expect more than we have gotten, even in year 1, but let's not get crazy.

I disagree with the BYU assessment, but I see your point on the Miami one...

...but still, 7-1 was the expectation with this team and a staff that stated they would adjust their plans for the people they had on the roster and was touted as being experienced. It's not unrealistic to hold them accountable for failing to achieve that, considering the teams we've played and the talent on hand.

 

[NUinID]

I never really felt Bo did much with the high star guys he did recruit. There are exceptions, I just feel that was the norm for him.

One of the USC guys hypothesized that perhaps Bo favored the lower ranked guys because that's what he was as a player... Under the radar, scrappy. Pretty farfetched, but interesting nonetheless.

That is such a ridiculous and unfounded proposition. Doesn't surprise me much. While fun to listen to, the USC guys are not the most knowledgeable bunch. Constantly contradicting themselves.

Favoring lower ranked guys probably not. One thing that BP did favor was knowledge of scheme over athletic ability. Not saying that really athletic guys can't or aren't as good at scheme, but the more athletic guys will, in my experience, rely more on their athletic ability than a less athletic guy. BP wanted guys that knew what they were doing on defense and would in most instances play the guy that is more knowledgeable. You also have to practice well. Some very athletic guys have poor practice habits coming into college because they have not had to practice hard to play.

That is the type of player that he was, and that is great, but you still have to have your best players on the field.

 

[junior4949]

Not as good as we thought, not as bad as they've played.

Pretty much the perfect way to put it. Still good enough to win the West.

This is pretty much it. The talent is there to not only win the B1G West, but go undefeated during the non-con schedule and make a good showing in the B1G Title Game.

The fact that we're already out of the hunt in October is a rather damning statement against the current staff and their ability to coach.

I don't think this is what is shows at all. Considering Iowa is more than likely going to win the West and is near the bottom in talent, one can easily conclude that coaching retention is key. Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin all have new coaches. The Iowa staff has been around the longest. Their players have played within the same scheme their entire college career. One would assume they'd be able to play to their scheme the best.

 

[Sargon]

Not as good as we thought, not as bad as they've played.

Pretty much the perfect way to put it. Still good enough to win the West.

This is pretty much it. The talent is there to not only win the B1G West, but go undefeated during the non-con schedule and make a good showing in the B1G Title Game.
The fact that we're already out of the hunt in October is a rather damning statement against the current staff and their ability to coach.

Respectfully disagree with your contention that the talent is there to go undefeated in the non-con.

If we are only looking at talent on the roster, Miami is the superior team. If you then argue the coaching affect of Golden, you have to account for the positive coaching affects of guys like bronco. Then byu is no longer on the table.

Further, you would then have to acknowledge that there is some pretty damn good coaching in the b1g ten. Fitz, Kill, Dantonio ALWAYS over-perform. Ferentz always under-recruits, but still over-performs. Wiscy as a program way over-performs.

I agree that we should expect more than we have gotten, even in year 1, but let's not get crazy.

I disagree with the BYU assessment, but I see your point on the Miami one...

...but still, 7-1 was the expectation with this team

Season betting line was 8-4 with odds tipped to less than 8. Second, people with forecasting skill knew this NU season had a high variance meaning a significant deviation from 8-4 will not be a surprise. NU is 3-5 rather than 6-2 or 5-3 because NU has had the misfortune of losing 5 of 5 games that they had a good chance of winning. Anyone, such as yourself, hell bent to attribute the 3-5 record to a few people would be wrong, and even more wrong if one particular *player* wasn't at the top of the list.