Sportingnews Ranks the B1G Coaches

6. Bo Pelini, Nebraska

Age: 44

2011 record: 9-4, 5-3 Big Ten

At Nebraska (4 years, plus one game as interim coach in 2003): 39-16

FBS career: Same

Huskers fans aren’t satisfied with Pelini’s results—four consecutive four-loss seasons—nor should they be. But Pelini has won nine games twice and 10 games twice, and his 5-3 debut in Big Ten play was more good than bad. Perhaps more slowly than anticipated, Pelini is reviving top-quality defense in Lincoln. If quarterback Taylor Martinez is a better player in

2012, as Pelini swears he is, the Huskers could be back in the BCS mix at last.

Trending: Flat. No one confused Pelini with Tom Osborne when he was hired, and no one confuses them now.

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Unsurprisingly, their list is topped by Urban Meyer and Bret Bielema - a coach with two national championships (albeit at another school) and the coach who won the Big Ten last year.

EDIT - merged GM_Tood's thread with mine, hence the seemingly repetitive first posts.

 
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This makes me wonder again how long Pelini has to win something . . . anything.

Our program trajectory seems to be flat.

And, no. I'm not saying fire Pelini. And, yes. He is much better than Callahan. The question is whether or not he is good enough for Nebraska.

 
I think the honeymoon ended WITHOUT QUESTION after the Holiday Bowl loss in 2010. Last year we saw a program that had plateaued. Sam McKewon in yesterday's OWH chat stated repeatedly - and it's hard to argue with him - that we need a talent infusion across the board (although I felt differently about which position needed it most).

We seem to be able to expect a bowl game.

We seem to be able to expect nine wins, maybe ten.

We seem to be able to expect at least one stirring victory.

We seem to be able to beat top-ten teams (depending on the matchup)

But...

We seem to be able to expect at least one blowout loss.

We seem to be able to expect at least one loss to a team we should not lose to.

We seem to be able to expect that guys we thought would blossom have average years.

We have high expectations. But that corner has yet to be turned. Maybe Bo hasn't figured out how to turn it yet, and we'll just have to wait until he gets it figured out. I'm willing to give him that time, but there needs to be a realization that the clock is ticking. At least SAY that you understand the urgency Husker fans feel. That's important.

 
^ we seem to have switched conferences in the middle of Bo's "process". i'm doing my best to write off last year. but pressure is on.

 
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I would have put Fitz at #4, Bo at #5, then Frentz, then Hoke. Hoke is overrated as a coach IMO. Hoke's staff however is not. He put together a top notch staff, so he doesn't have to be the best guy on the field. I guess that goes into his ranking as an HC but if we're just talking about the man at the top, Hoke isn't above Bo.

 
kchusker_chris said:
^ we seem to have switched conferences in the middle of Bo's "process". i'm doing my best to write off last year. but pressure is on.
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Agreed, and I've given that caveat myself in past conversations. It's legit - but that doesn't mean progress is allowed to stop.

We're starting walk-ons while scholarship athletes ride the bench. Again stealing material from Sam's chat yesterday - we've probably offered schollies to several guys who should not have scholarships in the last couple of years. We need bodies, but we need to get better bodies.

This time last year we heard all about how much depth we had across both lines. We didn't have depth, we had bodies. They're not terrible players, but they're not Conference Championship players, and we need to get those guys to make the next step up. Even if we'd have stayed in the Big XII we wouldn't have had the horses last year.

 
kchusker_chris said:
I would have put Fitz at #4, Bo at #5, then Frentz, then Hoke. Hoke is overrated as a coach IMO. Hoke's staff however is not. He put together a top notch staff, so he doesn't have to be the best guy on the field. I guess that goes into his ranking as an HC but if we're just talking about the man at the top, Hoke isn't above Bo.
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How overrated is Dantonio in that ranking? The single most glaring thing I saw was Dantonio at #3. Do Not Agree.

 
It really seems that Nebraska's issues stem from its Offense. Defense seems to continue to do an admirable job of keeping it close, but the offense can't close the deal. I really can't believe there isn't a better QB on campus than Martinez. He just strikes me as incredibly....average.

 
Our defense hemorrhaged points and yards quite alarmingly last season. We have systemic issues, not just on one side of the ball. Martinez is actually one of the least problems we have.

 
knapplc said:
kchusker_chris said:
I would have put Fitz at #4, Bo at #5, then Frentz, then Hoke. Hoke is overrated as a coach IMO. Hoke's staff however is not. He put together a top notch staff, so he doesn't have to be the best guy on the field. I guess that goes into his ranking as an HC but if we're just talking about the man at the top, Hoke isn't above Bo.
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How overrated is Dantonio in that ranking? The single most glaring thing I saw was Dantonio at #3. Do Not Agree.
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Michigan St. is a tough job, and he's had some great seasons in the last couple of years. He's recruiting against Michigan/Ohio State, and he won't win those battles too often. Wisconsin is way up...so his territory is very limited. I see Dantonio and the MSU program very similar to how I view Gundy and the Okie State. Only difference is Dantonio doesn't have hundreds of millions of dollars backing him.

 
knapplc said:
Our defense hemorrhaged points and yards quite alarmingly last season. We have systemic issues, not just on one side of the ball. Martinez is actually one of the least problems we have.
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Guess I didn't play as close attention as I needed to...

Too many games in College Station why my wife was at Husker watch parties! (For some reason, she kept refusing to go with me, unless NU had a bye week!)

 
Why is there this universal infatuation with Ferentz?

Every year he is listed as a hot candidate for every pro and college opening.

Just what has he accomplished to warrant such idolizing and positive press?

I don't see it.

 
My only bone to pick with this list is ranking Kirk Ferentz above Pelini at #5. Ferentz is the posterboy of mediocrity. Pelini will eat his lunch every year until Ferentz is fired.

 
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