TheSker

Pretty big talk considering what Pelini has accomplished. Feel free to let me know when Pelini has a losing season and (or even "or") misses a bowl. Shawn Watson's offenses were pretty good three of the four years he was our Offensive Coordinator and he was shown the door. A winning or losing record isn't the only reason a coach may be let go or encouraged to move on. Coordinators are a different ballgame than head coaches. In addition to his W-L record, Pelini runs a good program, and Eichorst is a smart guy. You want problems......try revisiting 2003. I've got confidence we are nowhere ready to do that.

Pretty big talk considering what Pelini has accomplished. Feel free to let me know when Pelini has a losing season and (or even "or") misses a bowl.

I think what Pelini didn't anticipate was Martinez committing two turnovers, which might be the most anticipatible thing in football. I'm being sarcastic of course, but this offense needs to hum early and often. The defense had severe talent issues the past two seasons (which is on Pelini) and early indications show improvement in talent level.

You might have missed the Wyoming game.....the mashed potatoes are in the microwave.

Some good stuff here and some good sets we saw in the second half. Anyone notice that once Smith ran for that long one up the middle we changed the way we defended the five wide set? Instead of our LB shifting with the RB, our outside DE (Either Moss or Gregory don't believe it was ever McMullen or Ankrah) shifted outside and they would guard the RB until he ran his drag pattern across to the MIKE? That really helped secure the middle of the field from a five wide set. Are you accusing our coaching staff of making defensive adjustments?

So in other words it's fine to be very optimistic by the fact that the final 6 or so minutes of ridiculous nonsense is covering up a decent body of work by the defense (or the whole team for that matter) the other 54 minutes of the game, yes? We didn't play lights out on defense at all all game except a brief time in the third. they ran on us at will the entire game and Smith doesn't throw that crummy pass in the endzone, or the hb/wr pass doesn't happen (both in great field position), are we really saying our D played well all game? He didn't say "lights out". Unless my vision is bad, it says "decent body of work". But it sounds like you saw us playing some "lights out" defense for a brief time in the third.

My guess is Charlie remembers well when his job was being called for and is enjoying being retired.

They said SJB's pick on Brett Smith ended Smith's streak of over 180 pass attempts without an interception.

I would agree. It's what comes with a high risk/high reward quarterback on offense and a lack of generating them on defense.

Actually, the "probability" would be that we win at least 9.

Did Michael Rose play? If not, why not? Let me first say it seems odd you are engaged in debate here and you don't know if Rose played. But the answer to your why or why not question is LBs playing time in the Wyoming game had much to do with the ability to defend the passing game.....that according to Pap.

Even with the busts, I think what we can take away is the ability and athleticism. Two specific examples.......the first is Gregory actually getting to the quarterback. Yes, it was technically a penalty and not a sack, but he got there. Sacks from the DE spot have been horribly absent the past couple of seasons. The other is Gerry disrupting that pass. Gerry had the speed to get there and just as importantly, didn't whiff. The past couple of seasons, we whiffed a lot or couldn't get off blocks. It will also be nice to have DTs who don't get blown 3 yards off the LOS.

Looks like you are having a discussion with yourself.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game). It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game. Oops, thank you for that correction.....it was Corby in '97 for Mizzou. It's not like Mizzou ran up and down the field on our D. They didn't even hit 400 total yards in that game. They got in the endzone enough to put up 38 points.

It doesn't have to turn into a stars issue. Here's a recruiting trail example I'll use from two Pelini era recruits at LB..."Hi Will Compton, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".........fast forward four years later....."Hi Josh Banderas, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?". Not sure I follow you there, Sker. ? Banderas is supposed to be better than Compton, right? Bando is faster, so his chances of being better than Compton at LB are good.....and the point is it doesn't have to be a star discussion.

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game). It was Corby Jones for Missouri in 1997, but it's exactly the same point. Smith destroyed Pelini's defense in the 2003 NU-Mizzou game. Oops, thank you for that correction.....it was Corby in '97 for Mizzou.

It doesn't have to turn into a stars issue. Here's a recruiting trail example I'll use from two Pelini era recruits at LB..."Hi Will Compton, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".........fast forward four years later....."Hi Josh Banderas, you have some good high school numbers at the LB position.....let me ask you, what's your time in the 40 and the 100?".

Another example involving a Smith was in 1997.....a championship year for us. We destroyed Peyton Manning and the Vols in the bowl game, but Brad Smith gave our defense fits in that Missouri game (the Flea Kicker game).

Exactly my point. When a team has an outstanding defense, do you remember the scheme they ran, or do you remember the players who made it happen? Both. Seriously, I'm having deja vu back to '07 and the "Coz Dialogues". Same ol', same ol'. They're gonna get it fixed, you know they are. If they recruited the guys who can get it done, it will be fixed. If they didn't recruit the guys who can get it done, it won't be fixed.

I think our DL in 2009 was Turner, Suh, Crick and Allen. In my opinion, Meredith never put up the numbers you need from that DE spot once he started.

He will. Pap said Anderson didn't play because he struggles in the passing game.

Exactly my point. When a team has an outstanding defense, do you remember the scheme they ran, or do you remember the players who made it happen?

I think there's one significant difference and we'll see if Pelini is going down the right road now. It's talent level. Take the DL for example from that mid 90's crew. Peter bros, Tomich, Wistrom each made it to the next level. Crick and Suh did the same for Pelini......and Pelini might have even looked better that season with more productive DEs. Xs and Os are important....Jimmys and Joes are more important.

Based on Pelini's comments, I think we'll see them let Valentine loose a bit more now. With Valentine the unknowns were his in game conditioning and how he'd do at game speed once things went live. I think Pelini and Pap were pleased. Randle needs to step it up, but he may just not be physically able to and I'm certain Pelini and Pap will use a lot of depth at that position. It's still better than Stein and Meredith, neither of whom are natural DTs....both undersized to play DT. They got pushed around.

Pretty good description of the bowl game too. I've never seen Bo's blitz's to be effective, they always wiff or get picked up by the RB and what not. Sometimes Pelini's blitzes are ineffective. It's about talent.....Demorrio Williams for example had some memorable blitzes. That's why speed is crucial at the LB spot. We didn't have speed or talent there the past couple of seasons. That's recruiting, and yes it's on Bo. Charlie McBride went from hot seat to a legend because of on field talent.