From the accounts that I heard, Bo was in love with the Florida/Oregon spread attack before he became the coach. Why didn't he demand to run his plan on the offensive side of the ball? West Coast was never Nebraska and Watson had almost zero play calling experience as the last two coaches he worked under had done virtually all of the play calling. Also, TO seemed to reference the Florida spread attack in the early days of the Bo era as well. It seems certain that Beck will call the plays now, because of his experience with the spread, and it also seems certain that we will have at least some growing pains. Considering Beck's experience and his recruiting moxie, why didn't we just go with him as the OC from the start? The whole system would have been installed and well-oiled by now. Just saying.
Why wait?
- Thread starter tmfr15
- Start date
eoltmer
Five-Star Recruit
Old argument but to sum it up....continuity after all the offense wasn't the problem THE D WAS!!! Osbourn suggested that keeping the offensive staff would help with the transition during a very turbulent time for Husker Nation.
druski_2k5
Five-Star Recruit
For sure we are heading towards a power-Spread option game, which Osborne even said he would probably run today if he were still coaching.
Bo had to revamp the defense too much, and to install what he wanted as a philosophy for a first time head coach, it would be too much to change the offense and defense in the same off-season coming off of a 5-7 year at a Top 5 college football program, it would be risky, so we went the safe route, keep the same offense, recruit for the future, and fix, fix, fix the defense.
The defense was fixed, and the offense seemed to thrive. So why not keep it for 09?
Then 09 came, we heard of the injuries, opted to give them a pass. Watson was supposedly able to start looking for another job, but never went anywhere and we all gave 09 offense a pass.
Then 2010 came, and we sputtered against defenses with a heart-beat, had little depth, an O-line coach mixed with a West Coast offense passing game wasn't a good mix it seemed, and we are where we are, but Pelini respects Watson's knowledge and as a coach in general to not out-right fire him, they are hired to be fired, but it's a fraternity to take care of one of your own.
It's probably a mutual thing. Watson is in love and married to "his" West Coast offense, Bo wants to go Power-Spread Option offense, which is what Watson is not accustomed with, so it's a mutual thing to take another job instead of be outright fired, it's the classy and the right thing to do for both parties, but it will be over-looked because of the national media perception of Bo, which is sad and almost always blown out of proportion.
Bo had to revamp the defense too much, and to install what he wanted as a philosophy for a first time head coach, it would be too much to change the offense and defense in the same off-season coming off of a 5-7 year at a Top 5 college football program, it would be risky, so we went the safe route, keep the same offense, recruit for the future, and fix, fix, fix the defense.
The defense was fixed, and the offense seemed to thrive. So why not keep it for 09?
Then 09 came, we heard of the injuries, opted to give them a pass. Watson was supposedly able to start looking for another job, but never went anywhere and we all gave 09 offense a pass.
Then 2010 came, and we sputtered against defenses with a heart-beat, had little depth, an O-line coach mixed with a West Coast offense passing game wasn't a good mix it seemed, and we are where we are, but Pelini respects Watson's knowledge and as a coach in general to not out-right fire him, they are hired to be fired, but it's a fraternity to take care of one of your own.
It's probably a mutual thing. Watson is in love and married to "his" West Coast offense, Bo wants to go Power-Spread Option offense, which is what Watson is not accustomed with, so it's a mutual thing to take another job instead of be outright fired, it's the classy and the right thing to do for both parties, but it will be over-looked because of the national media perception of Bo, which is sad and almost always blown out of proportion.
Danimal
All-Conference
We'd have been a worse team in '08, no doubt about it, but we'd have been a better team in '10. I think we should've went ahead and cracked those eggs back in '08. The plan was always to move away from the WCO and towards spread-option. The program could be rolling now rather than in a state of flux.
junior4949
All-American
Considering we've had a different field general each and every year under Bo, I'm not sure going to the spread in 08' would have made us better in 10'. I'd venture to guess that we'd have been better in 10' had our starting QB been practicing playing QB his redshirt year rather than playing receiver.
Count 'Bility
Banned
I dont think we'd a been any worse in 08. I think we'd a been better. We had hands to pose threat downfield. Ganz wasnt exactly a statue, and he/they ran some of the zone anyway.
Pedro Guerrero
Team HuskerBoard
What is a “power/spread option” offense? The only “spread” teams I have ever seen run any “power” game were Florida with Tebow and Auburn this year with Newton. If you ask me that had more to do with personnel then it did with philosophy. Tebow and Newton were both big, strong runners that lowered their shoulders and delivered the hammer. Everything else out of those offenses was based off of speed, timing and finesse. Last time I checked, unless Bubba comes we don’t have any QB’s that fit that mold.
I don’t wonder why they didn’t change coming into the 08 season; I wonder more why if Beck is the answer they just didn’t give him the responsibility this year when things went south. Nobody had to be fired and the changes could have played out like they are. Why allow Watson to continue to call plays when everyone supposedly knew a change was a coming?
I don’t wonder why they didn’t change coming into the 08 season; I wonder more why if Beck is the answer they just didn’t give him the responsibility this year when things went south. Nobody had to be fired and the changes could have played out like they are. Why allow Watson to continue to call plays when everyone supposedly knew a change was a coming?
kchusker_chris
All-American
For the same reason a coach like Shannahan (sp?) didn't want to come in and coach the redskins mid-season even though we all knew he was going to be the HC. He didn't want any negative things from the current season lingering into his next year. This way Beck gets a fresh start, and no one is saying "well he didn't do crap those last 5 games he was calling plays". No negative attitudes on the team will carry over, he'll be able to implement everything fresh this spring/fall.
Bubba doesn't fit that mold either, too skinny. Cody Green is the closest we have to the Tebow/Newton mold, where he could be sort of a fullback on 3rd and 2. It'll be interesting to see what they do, because they've been recruiting more towards Oregon's philosophy, which is similar to Auburn and Florida's except their skill position players are smaller and faster. The only thing that makes Auburn and Florida's offense more "power-based" than Oregon's, as far as I can tell, is the size of the guy carrying the ball.
As far as making a change in the 2008 season, remember that Watson's offense carried us for most of that year. Without his offense, who knows? Maybe we go 5-7 or 6-6, and maybe as a result guys like Suh leave early for the NFL, or Rex Burkhead doesn't come to Nebraska, or maybe Martinez doesn't come to Nebraska, etc. Who the heck knows what might have happened with one extra bad year after 2007.
junior4949
All-American
Florida ran a completely different scheme with Tebow than it did last year and Urban's first couple of years. Leak and Brantley are/were drop back passers. When Florida won the NC in 2006, Tebow played a very limited role. It's pretty difficult to put a box around Florida's offense considering they've won a NC with a drop back passer at QB in 2006. I think Florida likes to run a power based spread which is why they recruited both Tebow and Newton. However, they for the most part still were quite successful utilizing a drop back passing QB.
Overland Park Husker
Starter
You're basing the "power" aspect on the QB only. Florida has never run a "power" offense. Tebow lining up in the backfield and running a draw is not power football. Same with Newton.
Actually, I would argue that under Tebow Florida ran a power/spread running game. Just because you're in the shotgun doesn't mean it isn't power. If you line up with five linemen, one tight end on the right side, another blocker behind the tight end, and the quarterback hands the ball to the running back and has him run off right tackle, I'd still call that power running. And Florida did a lot of it.
They also ran a pretty effective option game out of the shotgun formation relying minimally on the zone read.
And if you look at their statistics from the Tebow era, they were a very balanced offensive attack as far as yardage in both rushing and passing.
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Pedro Guerrero
Team HuskerBoard
Then what team has ever run a “power/spread option” attack. Oregon is far from “power” running.
So Tebow and Newton barreling ahead, shoulder down running over people on short yardage situations wasn’t “power” football?
When people throw the terms “power” and “spread” together I guess I draw a blank as far as examples go.
:dunno
So Tebow and Newton barreling ahead, shoulder down running over people on short yardage situations wasn’t “power” football?
When people throw the terms “power” and “spread” together I guess I draw a blank as far as examples go.
:dunno
ADS
Heisman Trophy Winner
Even if Bubba does for some reason stay at UNL to play football, he will not be too skinny. He weighs around 200 pounds right now, and with Dobson working with him he could easily be 220-230 when all said and down.
junior4949
All-American
Isn't he 6'5? Even at 220 with that height he'll still be pretty skinny.