Goal-line

If you cannot block and cannot tackle, you cannot win. In order to do those two things, we need better athletes at those positions. End of story.

This!

Option football requires offensive line blocking, which in turn requires athletes that can actually have the talent to do that, speed, agility, smart, and agressive. I recently watched some clips with the teams of the 90's. The simple difference between this current Husker offensive line and the line in the 90's is light years apart. None of the current players could have started on those teams. Football is a rather simple game. If you cannot block and you cannot tackle, you cannot win no matter what kind of super stars you have at the skill positions.

Are you kidding me? Dude, a little reality check here! Pelini hires? John Papuchis as defensive coordinator? Hell he could not even coach the special teams. Just look at the bowl game, (essentially, those were his guys), a missed extra point (resulting in a two point swing for the opponent), a long kick off return, and a missed field goal. Also, what about our receivers coach, Rich Fisher? What the hell is it that NU cannot catch and hold on to a pass? Marlow's dropped ball ring a bell? Something has been critically missing in the receiving corps the last couple of years under Pelini's hires. Moving your receivers coach to a position, (running backs coach), who has never coached that position before? What the hell is up with that? All these things are meaningful, substantiated, and related to winning the damned game. Pelini's hires? And, this does not even address the ineptness of Barney Cotton as the Offensive Line coach. They are weak at best.

Crouch should be the QB/running back coach at NU. Then, we could learn to run the option like it is supposed to be done.

Well, I am surprised that we are ranked, also. However, there was only one game that we should have lost and that was Wisconsin. All the rest we simply peed down our leg. We could have beaten any of the other three teams, especially Northwestern and the bowl game. 12 and (1 actually 13-1 if we would have played in the Big 10 Championship game and won) would have had us in the top 10 and most likely in the top 5. Oh, well!

Because he was pissed at the player, not the ref?

What do you notice about this clip? The receivers are actually catching the ball. Makes a difference, don't ya think? And one other thing! The O line also does an awesome job of blocking! Another strange concept we have been missing in recent years.

What do you notice about this clip? The receivers are actually catching the ball. Makes a difference, don't ya think?

Ron Brown should join Turner at Liberty University.

Wowza. Edit, I see you added more in your post. I tend to agree with a couple things he said, but he is basically publicly saying they aren't talented. Not sure how I'd feel about my coach saying that. Hopefully it motivates them but knowing our guys it will probably have the opposite effect. The proof is in the pudding. They messed up pretty bad. Nothing like calling it for what it is. The coach is correct and so what if the players don't like it. Either do your job or find a bus out of town.

I just wish we could find someone who could consistently catch the damned ball. Dropped passes have cost NU a number of important games. Catching the ball and holding on to it should be a relatively simple task, especially if it hits you in the hands or on the numbers.

You are correct! This is not mediocrity. It is abject failure. Top programs do not go 9-4, they win conference championships and they compete on a high level for national championships.

The media sells for itself, not for the actual facts. On the other hand, maybe Bo needs to be a little kinder to the press, as well as to the fans. Then, writing negative spew would not take place.

Exactly! Jason Peter knows what the hell he is talking about. I would put him up against any one of the D line we have now. He would kick their Azzzzes.

Six points against Missouri, 14 against Okie Lite, and 14 against Texas A&M. Offense definitely wasn't the problem that year, but those three games were still pathetic performances. Cactusboy, you're quite clearly ignorant to the Bill Callahan era, and there's truly no nicer way to say it. The state was divided and in an uproar, our players flat out gave up on the season, there was little unity and the program was in shambles. There is no bone in my body that things Callahan remaining on as HC would have been a good thing. All that "talent" brought in was underutilized and poorly developed, and there's absolutely no argument to be made against that. You're just wrong. Flat out, undeniably, inconceivably wrong about this. Colorado 65-NU 51 bring back any memories?

Who? Everybody we sent to the NFL in the last couple of years was a Billy C recruit. Not supporting this thread at all, but it's the truth. Yeah but, I'm just trying to remember both of them...Suh and Bowman?.. Slassen? Sam Keller? Suh, Slauson, Hagg, Amukamara, Dillard, Gomes, Helu, Potter, Nicks, Henery. Probably a couple others I missed. How about Josh Freeman and Blaine Gabbert who both bailed on NU?

You have to admit one thing, Billy C's offense could score points. The problem was with the defense. And, I might add, he recruited some top notch talent. I have only agreed one time in my life with Lou Holtz. (Actually, I cannot stand the man.) That is when he said (referring to Bill Callahan's defense), "The most difficult thing for a head coach to do is to fire his friends, even if it costs him his job." I do not think Bill Callahan was the man for Nebraska because he did not belong to this culture. He was a "no connect" to the fans and players. I wish Pelini could recruit the talent that Callahan had here because I believe he could coach them. Callahan could not.

I have always liked Jason Peter. He does not mince words and tells it like it is. I respect him for that. I have personally met him and even though he has had some difficulties in his life, he has his act straightened out. I often thought he should be coaching our D line. Unlike most of the folks on this board, he actually knows what it is (what it takes to compete) for and win Conference/ National Championships. He was on a team that kicked rears and took names. The teams he was on at NU competed at the highest level. And believe me, they competed on every play. It is what we lack on our recent and current team. He told me once that when you put on that helmet with the block "N" on the side, you were all in, completely committed. We could use a heavy dose of that immediately.

A lot of people on your train, Thor!

The fuss is about the reason you play the game,----------- to win! Getting beat in a hard fought battle and the score is 20-17 vs getting pummeled 45-10 with lack luster effort, inferior talent and coaching, are two different animals. October 1 Nebraska vs Wisconsin Nebraska 17 Wisconsin 48 November 19 Nebraska vs Michigan Nebraska 17 Michigan 45 January 2 Nebraska vs South Carolina Nebraska 13 South Carolina 30 Winning all the games is a tough assignment, but it also the goal. If you go out on the field expecting to win 8-9 wins, that is what you will achieve. The goal is to win them all. Any goal less than that is not acceptable to an athlete or program that is a legitimate national contender. It makes it a lot easier to pay $450 for a season ticket if you have an high quality undefeated team vs a 9-4 team of perpetual mediocrity. Winning is the only goal, the only option!

Pelini set the table for himself when he went off on Taylor Martinez, on national TV, for a matter that was not even connected to the game. He should have handled that in his office, after the game. He is the one responsible for his own image, (which is not good). It will take a long time for him to rectify the situation and clean up his perceived hot tempered persona. You reap what you sew. I have coached various sports from little leagues to high school head coaching assignments and I can tell you with out a shadow of a doubt that your players will take on the demeanor of the coach, both as players and as citizens. If you use the excuse of blaming the referees for your own teams' inability to perform, then you are playing right into the hands of the opponent. The downward spiral happens quickly. Officials are part of the game. Do they always get the subjective calls correct? Not all the time. Can they do a better job? Yes, they can. Will they respond to a hot headed coach or player with a positive outcome? No, they will not. Discipline is crucial in any sporting event. Staying focused is paramount. When you don't do those things, even in the face of adversity, then you are simply asking for trouble. Pelini needs some anger management classes. He definitely needs some PR instruction. People treat you like you treat them. If you want to make your own problems, you will sustain those problems. It never ends well.

Analysis/Summary Not enough quality players. End of story!

The simple fact is that we do not have the athletes to compete at a top level. Most complain of mediocrity, but we have dipped even below that level. Until we recruit better players, expect the same as we are currently accomplishing . Recruiting is a coaching responsibility. We also need better position coaching. Get rid of the dead wood. Hire quality assistants who have proven track records.

Cotton is dead wood (no pun intended). He should be kicking rocks down the road.