WayUpAbove

Mark Pelini

No one expects MNC but 6 years after Tom told us we were hiring Pelini to fix Nebraskas defensive woes we should probably be higher than #109 defense, not hands on hips exhausted in first quarter of FCS game, regularly getting completely outmatched to embarrassing statistical drubbings, handing schollies to obvious walk-ons ( if that ) and hiring golf buddies as staff members let alone anyone from Iowa to work on our problem areas. We get it takes time, but you should see some improvement somewhere, at some point in 6th year

So we're sticking to three teams instead of the whole schedule since we didn't go to a bowl and will flush USC and Florida even though USC was a cheating Dynasty? Bowls are rewarded for records and the 2007 schedule was rewarded well for not going 1-6 and 2-5, 3-8 like the 1995 schedule was packed full of. That 2007 Texas Tech game sure was a tough one. Doesn't matter if we played TT or not, the rest of our schedule did which made them tougher opponents, just like OU. Unlike 95 where Nebraska helped the other 3 teams up their game while 4 teams were.....well.....terrible. The entire BigXII south kept our schedule tough in 2007 and really the entire Callahan era

When was the interior/culture dismantled? 6 Years of systematic rot eh? It's no wonder this guy still has his job when this is actually believed by people. The Culture and systematic rot started long before 6 years pre Pelini. Bad recruiting, lazy coaching, terrible game planning relying on the athleticism of 1 player, big time blow outs on National TV, firing of Husker legends to save one selves bacon to the tune of still getting blown out in easy schedules was all happening well before 6 years pre Pelini. Instead of broad sweeping statements can you please elaborate? My definition of systematic rot would be this - Continually throwing players under the bus for bad coaching, terrible recruiting/conditioning, buddy hire staff which I will admit was part of the previous problem but this new regime has taken this to ridiculous extremes, giving schollies to walk ons which I get is supposed to emulate the past but we all know the truth here would fill an entire thread by itself, owning 11 of the worst defensive performances out of top 20 and the previous coaching staff come in at #10 behind 1996 Texas and 2001 Colorado, the other 8 belong to Bo, 2 others are pre Devaney, coach continuously looking for another job knowing he's out of his league and stating so in a vulgar display of obscenities now attached to the Nebraska Brand where he tells the fans, media and the state to "F" off. Do we need to cover what he says about/to former Husker legends that are stating glaring facts about the program, the handing out of Blackshirt tradition really doesn't surprise just because when your defenses are as pathetic as his (#109 and second only to 0-4 New Mexico State in plays of 10 yards or more allowed) We also don't have to mention his sideline buffoonery because supposedly it shows passion, not maturity. I must go or we could go on and on but since we're on an uptick you are right about that, heres the uptick 2007 averages vs Non-conference (Nevada, USC, at Wake Forest, Ball State): 29.0 points, 407.0 yards, 68.8 plays, 5.92 yards per play 2013 averages vs Non-conference (Wyoming, Southern Miss, UCLA, South Dakota State): 27.0 points, 463.8 yards, 70.8 plays, 6.55 yards per play hopefully this answers yours and KChuskers questions. I'll keep it pretty simple. my dad was a coach and player for nebraska in the 70s and 80s. He wasn't a top dog or anything near it, but when solich, mcbride, osborne, tenipor, etc. were cutting their teeth so to speak my dad was either playing for them or coaching along side them, so let's just say my dad had a few friends in the program. A couple years before solich got fired the program was starting to get into some turmoil (not just on the field stuff, and no, not NCAA stuff either), then 1 year after another during the whole stretch of cally years, the program was (or i should say, the program as WE knew it) was dismantled. the rats were spreading: laziness, unaccountability, softness, firings of anyone associated w the old regime (think: secretaries, janitors, etc), anyone who had loyalty and passion for the program as WE knew it. HS coaches who sent their kids as walk-ons, out. long standing recruiting ties built up over 30 yrs, out. Everything that took 2 generations to build up was gone in less than 5 years. I said i would keep it simple so i'll stop. the program was left in shambles, and there was no way, absolutely NO WAY callahan was going to get better. the fact that Bo restored some ties to old players and coaches and friends of the program while getting rid of the rats while still getting 9 wins a season and a bowl game every year speaks VOLUMES to where we were in 06-07ish. I freaking love nebraska football and maybe am a glass half full kinda guy on the program. but unless you know the people, heard the stories, really really knew how bad it was--i think you'd think we are on an upswing too. now, bo: fix the penalties and turnovers and blowouts, thank you very much Well it's good you realize that the recruiting ties ( high school coaches, loyalties, etc and firings of the old regime) died before Callahan was even a whisper. There were more than one tumultuous turns and some started well before we even sniffed any National Championships but you stated the problems were 06-07 and nothing could be further from the truth. They started the day Osborne named Solich and started to gain speed with Gillispie hiring and after the rumors of laziness from coaching legends who actually established those ties you speak of ( Tenopir, Darlington, Young, Barnes etc.) You imply that Callahan imposed the turmoil when he and ex coaching legends actually had great repoir like Tenopir. You say Callahan in NO way would ever get it done, had it not been for Cosgrove, I have to strongly disagree and some of my favorite Husker players of all time came out of that era including Zac Taylor. The fact you associate Callahan with laziness has me questioning everything you say when you say Pelini who may be even more lazy than Solich has returned us to glory. You do understand it was Callahan recruits mixed with patty cake schedules that got Pellini to where he supposedly is. I sort of get it, the whole Osborne saved us and gave us Pelini thought process but I look at the state of our program in every single aspect and recognize nothing. You say Callahan handed Pelini shambles, what do call what Callahan received. I would say Callahan left a lot more for Pelini to work with than the next guy will get if we are lucky enough to get an actual head coach and decent staff soon

16 rays of sunshine. Out of curiosity, do you have anything, one thing, good to say? Ever? Excuse me while I go slash my wrists. About this staff and the current state of Nebraska Football? Ummmm, well.....let me think, no. Theres not one iota of a resemblance to anything Cornhusker now

I'm saying you're being very optimistic there I think they may have handled ISU and Ball st. Maybe, we really don't know how terrible we are yet considering we don't play anymore decent teams this year and I'm basing that on where our schedule will end up at the end of the season which I'm guessing might have 1-2 top 25 teams via the sympathy vote

Its difficult to get in a bowl when you're 1-6 and 2-5 (the other half of the Big 8 1995) and 3-8 WSU....etc. Remember I'm talking schedule which included Texas, Texas A&M, Leach coached Texas Tech not easy drubbings like 75% of 1995 schedule

Just supports my point that people will twist things to make it work out for them, despite the fact that it the statistic lacks a lot of validity. Exactly, don't let facts get in the way

So we're sticking to three teams instead of the whole schedule since we didn't go to a bowl and will flush USC and Florida even though USC was a cheating Dynasty? Bowls are rewarded for records and the 2007 schedule was rewarded well for not going 1-6 and 2-5, 3-8 like the 1995 schedule was packed full of.

2007 schedule vs 1995 Ok lets look at where the opposition ended up in bowl games shall we, no need to let opinions get in the way - 2007 Kansas /Orange bowl ...... 1995 Kansas/Aloha bowl 2007 Texas Holiday bowl ..........1995 K-state same 2007 Missou Cotton bowl........... 1995 Colorado same 2007 Texas tech Gator bowl.....Ummm, MSU getting throttled in Shreveport Independence bowl equal? 2007 Wake forrest 9-4 ............Meineke Car bowl since we find those numbers relevant for some reason especially in weak conference 2007 Texas A&M Alamo bowl ..................I should add that the rest of the 1995 Huskers schedule were 1-6 and 2-5 Big 8 and 3-8 WSU and........ So lets not just grab 4 teams, I said schedule which includes all the games which it appears voters weren't as impressed with 95 Kansas either considering they played in a 50% weak conference 99% of 2007 Husker schedule was .500 or better and in bowl games including Nevada Shall we continue. Also most of our conference competition that year had to go through and around Fiesta Bowl OU to get their rankings

When was the interior/culture dismantled? 6 Years of systematic rot eh? It's no wonder this guy still has his job when this is actually believed by people. The Culture and systematic rot started long before 6 years pre Pelini. Bad recruiting, lazy coaching, terrible game planning relying on the athleticism of 1 player, big time blow outs on National TV, firing of Husker legends to save one selves bacon to the tune of still getting blown out in easy schedules was all happening well before 6 years pre Pelini. Instead of broad sweeping statements can you please elaborate? My definition of systematic rot would be this - Continually throwing players under the bus for bad coaching, terrible recruiting/conditioning, buddy hire staff which I will admit was part of the previous problem but this new regime has taken this to ridiculous extremes, giving schollies to walk ons which I get is supposed to emulate the past but we all know the truth here would fill an entire thread by itself, owning 11 of the worst defensive performances out of top 20 and the previous coaching staff come in at #10 behind 1996 Texas and 2001 Colorado, the other 8 belong to Bo, 2 others are pre Devaney, coach continuously looking for another job knowing he's out of his league and stating so in a vulgar display of obscenities now attached to the Nebraska Brand where he tells the fans, media and the state to "F" off. Do we need to cover what he says about/to former Husker legends that are stating glaring facts about the program, the handing out of Blackshirt tradition really doesn't surprise just because when your defenses are as pathetic as his (#109 and second only to 0-4 New Mexico State in plays of 10 yards or more allowed) We also don't have to mention his sideline buffoonery because supposedly it shows passion, not maturity. I must go or we could go on and on but since we're on an uptick you are right about that, heres the uptick 2007 averages vs Non-conference (Nevada, USC, at Wake Forest, Ball State): 29.0 points, 407.0 yards, 68.8 plays, 5.92 yards per play 2013 averages vs Non-conference (Wyoming, Southern Miss, UCLA, South Dakota State): 27.0 points, 463.8 yards, 70.8 plays, 6.55 yards per play

1995 says hello. Played four teams that finished ranked in the top ten. Three of those games were on the road, one at a neutral site (Tempe vs. Florida). Save that overused line for when someone says something that's actually wrong. He already said that Osborne had a couple of tough schedules. The statement was that Osborne "only faced maybe 2 that were in the ballpark." Mine was an apropos reply. 1995 wasn't "maybe" "in the ballpark." It blew the doors off 2007. At best it was a massive understatement. Correction was justified. Actually it didn't blow the doors off 07 in the least, like I said we created those inflated Big 8 rankings. There was no Big XII like 07 and Kansas/KSU basically rode our coat tails to their Ranking. 2007 #1 USC after their dominance ( and cheating) alone brings 95 into the "ball park" 07 USC vs 95 Florida, like I said ballpark Florida and the SEC were not the SEC they are today, how many 07 Big XII teams were fighting for BCS bowl bids and 95 was just the beginning of parity

Everyone got this, even those who weren't emailing praise. Shawn E is also sending out the "cut and paste carbon copy thank you for your support" emails to those of us that emailed him during the Wisconsin game, then again after UCLA, and again after we were told to "F" off and again after quarter 1 of last week and..............

Thanks for posting that, I knew that 2007 was one of our toughest schedules we have ever played as there were 10 bowl teams on it, but geez talk about bad luck or just bad timing for Bill with that being his 4th year and the Senior class was basically the 5 guys that Frank left him and about 7 last minute guys just to bring bodies into the program. Of course that doesn't absolve him from the crappy results, but for as much crap as that staff continues to get for that record, Bo has never had a schedule in the same stratosphere as that one. And he probably won't as we are in a much crapier conference now. And our defense looks just as bad if not worse by getting trunkmonkeyed by lesser teams on a weekly basis. Absolutely 2007 was light years ahead of any schedule Pelini or Solich ever faced and Osborne only faced maybe 2 that were in the ballpark but only because we were dominant and raising the rankings of the Big 8 to ourselves sort of like Bamma and Oregon do these days. Urban might be able to do this with the B1G but it's always been such a weak conference it's doubtful and no other B1G coach even holds a candle to Meyer. Tressel gave it a good shot but the B1G adding Nebraska, Cuse and Rutgers didn't help it's football prowess since PSU's fall from grace and Michigan being a perennial turd as much as the Huskers these days. Worse Pelini losses, so many it's hard to fathom the worst since so many were just that bad but as far as completely inept and void of any coaching ability are 1. Texas in Lincoln- Suh is gone, and let the journey of irrelevant begin. At least Texas beat someone that year in their house even 2. Wisconsin CCG- Once again Pelini shows he can take a dump to another .500 team, go ahead and throw the other Wisconsin loss at 3-4 3. Wisconsin/Washington bowl- I know the Husker excuse train is rolling along for this but yikes 4. Washington bowl/Wisconsin 5. UCLA 2 weeks ago, shows just how far we have fallen 6. Michigan, more of the same, could have been worse but Michigan stopped trying 7. tOSU, let Urbans Dominance begin, this one could have been in the hundreds but Meyer called off the dogs 8. #60 something Iowa State in Memorial, even Osborne lost to Iowa State so Pelini gets a pass even though it was a normal Pelini failure we are accustomed to 9. - 21. I guess Northwestern should start this list and just shuffle the disappointment around to suit your needs, Suh and the Callahan recruits couldn't single handedly win them all, the SEC games were a given and they didn't even try, even chokester Stoops hammered Bo and called off the dogs on his friend Pelinis best 1. I would say Zona but I felt OSU (Okie State) was probably his best 2. Zona, Good Bye Mr. Suh and Callahan recruits........... Bo thanks you! 3. even though it was a loss - Texas CCG- Suh/ Callahan recruits and Shawn Watson take a shot 4. I think there was an OU game in there somewhere but the disappointing losses probably masked it and Stoops is pretty much the same as Pelini, Youngstown hype

TO had Bo's back. Let's face it. Once Shawn and Harv heard Tom was coming out in support, they had no choice but to follow suit. Tom Osborne just has the effect on the entire state like that. He's just a calm blanket over everything. I truly believe in my heart that without Tom to all but save the situation last week, Bo wouldve been fired midweek. Exactly, we are stuck with this crapfest until Osborne quits shoving his nose in the Universities business. Now we're stuck with terrible staffs and getting blow out on National TV leaving any rational recruit staying far away from this mess which is reflected on the field. Call it Solich Part Two ......Return to more irrelevent than ever before. Hopefully boosters right this ship before we spend another 1.5 decades of being embarrassed and laughed at by the entire country. I'm not saying it's a bad thing bud. TO has this mysterious power to rally the whole state. He spoke. Everyone was instantly calmed. All I'm saying it, without TO in this situation, Bo wouldve most certainly been shown the door. Happening at midseason, that wouldve been a total disaster. You woulda been able to kiss Nebraska football goodbye as we know it. I wouldnt have been about firing a coach with 9-10 wins every year. It wouldve been seen as us being the most delusional fans in football where we go around secretly recording things coaches say in private so we can oust their asses cuz they "cant win the big one". That's how it wouldve been spun. We'd be screwed. They didnt back Bo for Bo. They backed Bo for the program. TO has the mysterious power to calm people that see him as some sort of deity, many of us see him for what he has really done to Nebraska Football. We all know this whole Pelini experiment was done as a continuation of the Solich experiment where people wanted Pelini kept after the MSU bowl game. If we erase the Callahan years we erase Suh and Shawn Watson and replace them with the cards Callahan was dealt (Dailey and a Cotton offense) how do you really think Pelini would have faired playing the schedules Callahan did without Suh and other Callahan recruits. Basically take last year and this year and watch what happens in 2007. Bo is hiding in a weak conference and still getting blown out or losing to below average teams (Wisconsin) and while still in the Big XII to the likes of Texas in Memorial. Michigan vs Akron takes any shine of this years pathetic schedule and we will have to wait and see how UCLA fairs but my guess is they will end around #20 if they are lucky, they're not that good, we're just that bad as we learned last weekend where an FBS shredded us until a certain player left the game, sort of like Pelinis luck that a certain QB left a game just before he stated " F "the fans, the state, I'm F'ing outta here first chance I get" The problem is, no one wants him nor his baggage, he's been exposed in defensive scheme, recruiting, staff selection, and players constantly giving up not to mention not conditioned well to the point where Eric Crouch comments on how tired they look in a 1st quarter against the mighty Jackrabbits. Disastrous he gets fired after he labeled the Nebraska Brand as the "F you, F This, F that"? Sorry, but hopefully young kids weren't paying attention to what standards their highest paid role models are held to, obviously it's not their game planning where they consistently field a terrible product. Getting fired would have been the best thing for Nebraska, make Ron Brown interim to keep the certain "fans" happy and get on with a search for a real coach before Texas, USC grab the good ones. The sooner the fraud is ousted the better

Wyoming and UCLA are tough non conference opponents Yeah they are, we will see when Oregon has a shot at them with their 1st year coach, not 6th year coach

TO had Bo's back. Let's face it. Once Shawn and Harv heard Tom was coming out in support, they had no choice but to follow suit. Tom Osborne just has the effect on the entire state like that. He's just a calm blanket over everything. I truly believe in my heart that without Tom to all but save the situation last week, Bo wouldve been fired midweek. Exactly, we are stuck with this crapfest until Osborne quits shoving his nose in the Universities business. Now we're stuck with terrible staffs and getting blow out on National TV leaving any rational recruit staying far away from this mess which is reflected on the field. Call it Solich Part Two ......Return to more irrelevent than ever before. Hopefully boosters right this ship before we spend another 1.5 decades of being embarrassed and laughed at by the entire country.

Like many others, I too have questioned why some guys continue to start over other players on our defense. But, the coaches have shown they will bench a player if he's not performing up to expectations. Case in point - David Santos started game one. By game two, he lost his blackshirt and wasn't starting. Randle and Ankrah may not be playing that well, but if they're starting, it stands to reason the coaches have a good explanation as to why. Those players must be doing something the coaches like, or, the players behind them aren't performing consistently enough to take the spots. I don't disagree with your ideas, just giving an alternate way to view the situation. This takes into consideration that this staff is even capable of determining talent, remember Shawn Watson was run off because he didn't want Martinez or the offense he was having shoved on him. Get him away from this staff and AD and well...................

It appears it will take back to back .500 seasons which would be impossible even for Pelini in this conference considering Jamrogs scheduling of non conference even though he said it appeared the last regime "scheduled for wins" As long as Bo has his guardian angel, he's safe. It was proven that Shawn E will not act accordingly in restoring the Nebraska Brand

Wait, what? You're comparing Martinez and his offensive line to Frazier and Berringer and their offensive line? Or what is it you're trying to say here that because Turman performed OK against KSU somehow that translates to now?

You have to remember our offense practices against our defense. Our defense, that is actually close to the being the worst in Div. 1. The same defense that'd can't stop anyone's running attack. The same on that allowed an FCS RB rush for 200+ yards. It is no wonder that the coaches think that Taylor is better. I would hate to see how he eats up our own run defense at practice! This. Our defense is not a good gage to test our offensive prowess. Defensively, we currently rate, IIRC 105 or 109. That sucks no matter how you try and spin it. I am sure that anyone on O looks pretty stellar against them. I really think this is what throws our staff for a loop. They see our O (or D) being successful and think it translates to game time. Going against Martinez probably gives them a false sense of security as he is not really mobile, makes mistakes and runs as soon as pressure appears. In the open field, he is easy to tackle as he has no shake or bake. They want to start Martinez, great. The staff will do what they want. BUT to improve our D, let them go against TA evert day. he has accuracy, pocket presence and can actually run like a dual threat QB. I would almost guarantee an improvement if the staff did this. Go against a real dual threat QB. This is exactly the problem and has been for years now including the Callahan and Solich years except now we don't really have enough talent/conditioning in key spots (O/D Linemen) to ever elevate anyone to a Top 10 level. Thankfully we're in a completely weak conference with Urban being the only coach who will hover around the top 5/10 and allow us to have a peak at the top 25 here and there until we get a real staff/strength and conditioning