Xmas32

This should be a pretty interesting game. UCLA has a pretty decided edge at the offensive skill positions but they're pretty banged up on the O-Line and NU is about as healthy as they've been all year on the D-Line so that should play to our advantage. That being said, Rosen, Perkins and their WRs could make things a long day if our secondary doesn't come to play. TA has said all the right things coming into the bowl game, I hope our offensive game plan plays to UCLA's weakness (their front 7 w/ the exception of Clark who is a monster) and we get some stuff going. UCLA's secondary is the real deal and if TA reverts to 'chuck it and pray' Nebraska is going to have a lot of difficulty putting points on the board.

 

 

I think we can contain their RB, but I fear their QB may run for 300 yards against us.

 

Any word on who is missing because of grades?

 

I would love to bet the under with you on the 300 yards - I will also spot you 200 yds.

 

It is nearly guaranteed that the UCLA QB gets 100 yards. He is probably the best running QB we have seen, has a very good RB to support him, and he can pass. Here is what other running QBs did against Nebraska.

 

T. Hill: 83 yards on 9 carries

C. Thorson: 139 yards on 9 carries

D. Blough: 83 yards on 10 carries

 

Have you know...actually watched any UCLA games this year? If you have then you would know the bolded statement is false. Taysom Hill is the best running QB Nebraska faced this year AINEC.

Josh Rosen has rushed for....wait for it....SIXTEEN yards this year.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/3886377

Feel free to see for yourself.

Murray is crazy athletic but damn he looks so slight out there on the field. I feel like he's gonna get broken in half if he takes a big hit. I could easily see him sliding in nicely at Houston.

 

If he failed a drug test and had used up is chances, he is gone! right now. If the coach has a rule, it has to be firm and clear to the rest of the team that the same will happen to them if they break said rule. Its all about deterrent.

 

 

The utility is "We're not going to let it ride for your benefit if you keep breaking the rules." That's a message to send to the rest of the team. It's not a soft message meant to try to keep the peace, but I think it is appropriately firm.

 

It's pretty bummy for a player to not be able to finish his Husker career on his own terms, or to get to partake in the bowl trip with all its swag, etc, along with his teammates.

 

But the guy apparently messed up twice already this season, and they're not going to just give it to him to be nice, considering the circumstances. I don't know if that's harsh or not, since we all have no idea what sort of teams rules violation this was. Maybe there wasn't much of a judgment call to this.

 

To be clear, I don't disagree with having rules and enforcing them, lest the coach be seen as soft and lose control of his team. But the thing that both of you seem to be taking for granted is that whatever Rose did was public knowledge. My point is simply that it may not have been known until Riley announced it, in which case it might have been better to just keep it under one's hat for a couple weeks and just let the problem solve itself when he graduates.

 

But reasonable minds may differ. I'd just never heard of a senior being dismissed from a team a couple of weeks before the season was over.

 

Your point is all well and good but how do you suggest the coaching staff approaches it when the media constantly asks every practice why Rose wasn't practicing or making the team? Sure, you can just say, 'No comment' and try to move on but it just seems far easier to take the route Riley & Co did. I do agree with you on the timing being odd and I can't remember off the top of my head a senior being let go before a bowl game (that played for NU). But, players being held out of bowl games and sent back home for team violations is nothing new. I remember Texas suspended some players for a bowl game (I want to say it was against either Oregon or Oregon State) a few years ago. If I remember correctly, the incident surrounded some kind of sexual misconduct.

In 2003, a year the Huskers only lost three games, Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich, and stated that he would not let the huskers slip into mediocrity. Since then, the Huskers have lost more than three games every year. When will the Huskers return to the same level as the year Solich was fired, and when will the Huskers exceed the 2003 season results? I predict three losses for the Huskers in 2019, and less than three losses in 2020. I see the current staff at Nebraska for two additional years, then a new AD finally hires a coach that believes in an attacking D and a strong running game based on homegrown linemen. In 2018, a new staff makes improvements, and in finally returns to a three loss season in 2019. The improvement continues with a single loss season in 2020 which ends with a BCS bowl win.

So this is what having too much time on your hands looks like? Well, I guess things could certainly be worse.

 

 

For any of you guys....would you want your NFL team to use a 1st rounder on Maliek? Not sure I would

I would take him in a second. He is super hard working, has great quickness, and the d-line position is so important in the NFL.

 

It also depends where my team had their draft pick in the first round. I think Collins has good value in the 20-40 range.

 

 

I know he was double teamed most of the year and didn't get any help from his ends. For a DT to go in the first round he has to absolutely be dominant at the college level and you just didn't see that out of him this year.

 

I don't quite agree with you here Waterloo. I was actually curious about this myself so I took a look at the last 5 NFL drafts where DTs were taken where taken in the mid to late 1st round (pick #16 and back) I think the results will surprise you a little bit.

2015 Draft:

#32 pick--Malcom Brown (Texas) drafted by NE

2014 Draft:

#29 pick--Dominique Easley (Florida) drafted by NE

2013 Draft:

#23 pick--Shariff Floyd (Florida) drafted by Min

#29 pick--Sylvester Williams (UNC) drafted by Den

2012 Draft:

No DTs taken in the mid to late 1st round

2011 Draft:

#18 pick--Corey Liuget (Illinois) drafted by SD

#21 pick--Phil Taylor (Baylor) drafted by Cle

2010 Draft:

#26 pick--Dan Williams (Tennessee) drafted by AZ

#28 pick--Jared Odrick (Penn St) drafted by Mia

I think you could argue that Collins stacks up pretty well against all of these guys with the exception of Floyd, who dropped a lot because of a positive drug test, Brown who was a consensus AA and Nagurski finalist and Odrick who was a consensus AA, Big Ten defensive POY and a bunch of other awards. It will all depend who is drafting late in the 1st round. As a Seahawks fan, I would have little issue with them taking Collins in the 1st round.

 

2015 Contract info... http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/draft/

 

He needs to decide how likely it is he can move up a round by staying. If he can move into the 1st or 2nd round by staying, he should stay. Note the huge drops in guaranteed money for last the picks of rounds 1 and 2 and the first picks in rounds 2 and 3. The money differential between pick 32 and pick 65 is massive.

I agree that there is a pretty big difference in rounds 1, 2, and 3.

 

However, if Collins has a good first 3 years, he will be able to sign a big 2nd contract and make huge money. He would also be getting that 2nd contract a year earlier than he would if he stayed at NU for his senior year. I think that's the point people are missing with guys coming out of college. Basically, Collins would be making a bet on himself to progress and get better. I think a guy progresses more with a year in the NFL, where his only job is football, instead of doing it part-time in college.

 

Agreed.

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/2015/eichorst-says-possible-contract-extension-is-premature-irrelevant/article_30c87d46-9262-589e-8aff-343fc880393b.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

 

 

 

Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst said he’s respectfully asked Chancellor Harvey Perlman to cease discussing the contract of the athletic director or any possible extensions.

 

It’s not the time or place,” Eichorst said. “The focus needs to be on our kids, on our coaches, on our staff and on our fan base, and I’m 100 percent committed to that. I’m good with where I’m at from an employment perspective, because I know we’re doing great things in the organization.

 

 

Eichorst earned a little respect from me after this article. Glad he told Perlman to pipe down

Eichorst is at least smart enough to know that Perlman won't be able to shield him in a few months, so better to cozy up to the fans now and save his bacon by saying the right things instead of really being screwed when Harvey is done.

 

Solid PR move by Eichorst. Still wouldn't shock me if an extension gets done after football season ends....especially if it ends favorably. I guess I don't see how Eichorst would be 'royally screwed' once Perlman leaves if he signs an extension. All he would be doing is increasing his buyout if he gets wacked early.

That kick was scorched...the guy from MSU looked like a Gold Glove SS spearing that thing out the air. I don't have any problem with the play call. MSU dude made a play, that's what good teams do.

It's a nice win, but it's still 4-6

jfc, your life must be a joyless existence.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I still think he's a nice guy. He's not screwing us with his buddies on purpose or maliciously. He probably thinks they're good at what they do. He would just be wrong and that makes him inept not the a-hole you portray him as. Might be a case of some misdirected anger. Might be time to relax a bit.

Explain the lies. He said he wasn't going to force his system on these players. So explain the 50+ passes a game. He's an A-hole. He doesn't care what anyone thinks or says, he's like every coach that ever coached, he has an agenda and he's going to push that agenda come hell or high water and he will NEVER admit he's wrong. There is no misdirected anger. I'm not angry at him. I'm just tired of being told something that's not true. I bought all the nice guy crap at first, I wanted to believe it, but he's not a nice guy, he just plays one on TV.

Easy. Those aren't lies, he just doesn't know how to do the job better. They think they can't run the ball so they throw it 50 times. They legitimately think they are doing the right things. Not lies. Not malicious. Not an ahole. Just extremely over matched for the job at hand. Might seem passable in a place like Corvalis with a lot lower expectations but not here. I like the guy, I really do and hope he can get it turned around. But my brain tells me that just ain't gonna happen. His loyalty to Banker and Langsdorf will be his undoing. No need to demonize the guy or start a hate fest. He is just out if his league. And I hope he proves me wrong about that.

 

I want Nebraska to win. I agree with that. If he goes 12-0 next year I will sing his praises. But, I will still have my opinion that the whole "nice guy" persona is just an image for the cameras. I agree that what he does isn't to screw Nebraska fans, but he has no loyalty to Nebraska fans and no real concern for us either. And since he's wasting a tremendous amount of our money on these incompetent coaches (and he would have to be mentally retarded not to know they are incompetent), it shows that he is more concerned with his buddies' well being than the fans who are paying his salary. I think that makes him an A-hole. He knew Banker was bad at OSU and he could have hired any number of good D-coordinators, hell Ed Orgeron was practically begging to come to Nebraska, but Noooooo, he went with his buddy Banker, to the detriment of Nebraska fans everywhere. Not a good guy.

 

Nor should he. There shouldn't be single Power 5 head football coach on the planet that gives two f%&k** what the fans think. They have too much stuff on their plate as is. Also, you aren't paying the coaches' salaries, the university is. Quit sounding like a delusional mouth-breeder.

 

Yeah! When it comes down to it, it's just the coach and the players who need to pull together against the whole....wait...awww sh#t.

 

Haha, nicely done there sir. That being said, I do think it's possible to be respectful and appreciative of the fans while still paying them zero mind.

 

Cook is a 1st round lock at QB.

Probably not. Completion percentage across the spectrum doesn't correlate between college and NFL success, but completion percentages under 60% do, and therefore has become a key indicator.

 

Connor Cook is a 57% passer this year, never a season over 58%.

 

The list of sub 60% passers drafted in the first round since 2010:

 

2011 Jake Locker

 

 

Not exactly a long list. It should also be noted that while 60% is the traditional number, for reasons listed above, the number is closer to 65% in recent years.

 

I'd be stunned if Cook dropped out of the 1st round, mostly due to the fact that there doesn't seem to be that many good draft eligible QBs this year and it seems like there are always 3-4 teams taking QBs in the first round. You've got Cook, Lynch @ Memphis, Goff @ Cal, Hackenberg @ PSU (if he leaves early) and that's really it. Well, you've got Jacoby Brissett (sp?) from NC St as well.

Sam's BFRU updates are straight fiya.

Texas seems quite a bit similar.

 

Royal was Devaney/Osborne. Not exactly, but definitely The Legend.

 

Akers was Solich. Almost Osborne, in that he was a younger assistant coach somewhat unexpected promoted to the top. Not sure if he faced the same challenges Osborne did with the early staff, but he didn't overcome the challenges and it became more like Solich. Some very good seasons, some not so good, and eventually let go for not living up to The Legend.

 

McWilliams was Solich extended. Another former assistant. One good season but less successful overall.

 

Mackovic was Callahan. The Outsider. Some early successes but didn't fit in. I moved to Austin for a few years a couple years after he was gone and they hated him, but he didn't seem to wreck the program.

 

Brown was where they diverged. He was what we hoped Pelini would've been, at least for awhile. No ties to the program. A lot of success and a championship, though he got fat and the program grew soft and complacent and struggled at the end.

 

Strong is Riley, but only in lack of success. A bigger name hire, more excitement but he's running out of time. People who want Herman or Fuente now would've drooled over Strong from his Louisville record. Did the OU win buy him another season to get his system and his way in? It is different in some ways because Strong has to rebuild from the malaise that Brown left the program in. Riley should have been able to build on Pelini's record without overhauling it. Apparently he does have to rebuild brick-by-brick, but I'm not seeing a plan like Strong has. But Strong may be another guy who just never fits in at Texas.

i sometimes wonder (mostly when I'm tremendously bored) in how many extra years Vince Young got Mack Brown at Texas. Both when he was playing and after winning the MNC.

All this coaching talk is frankly, completely ridiculous and deep down I think we all know it. That being said...Kyle Whittingham is your answer? I dunno...he hasn't exactly lit the world on fire since Utah switched to the Pac-12 (this season withstanding). Also he's a LDS so that would be a tough pull.

 

You don't pull the level of upsets Riley has over his career without getting your kids to sell out for you.

Then by that argument, what is happening when he's the upset victim?

 

*shrugs* it's alot. The issues have been beaten to death this season. Lack of execution, coaching, effort, etc.

I don't hate MR. I think he is a stand up guy and a nice guy. I also think he knows football. I am not sure he is much of a motivator though. I think his players like him, but I am not sure he has the ability or ever had the ability to get his players to play hard for him. I mean to get them to play and give it there complete all till the end. I don't get the feeling they would run through a brick wall for him.

 

I think that we have had a ton of bad luck on this team this year. Between some games and especially injuries.

 

But with that said Nebraska should not have lost to Illinois, Purdue and a reeling NW. Those three games I put on the coaching end of things. NW is a great example of not being able to put a team away and not getting your players to give t hat little extra to finish the game. How can any team run 30 more plays and have 18 minutes of time of possession on a team and not win the game? How can a coach not get his defense to get one stop, one three and out at the end of a game to give your offense one more shot. There was 4:30 left in that game and they couldn't get a stop them NW just ran out the clock. NW did that but, Nebraska couldn't do that. They couldn't get 1 first down against Wisconsin to win the game. They couldn't get 1 first down to beat Illinois. They couldn't get 1 first down to beat BYU. Sometimes that stuff comes down to how bad you want it.

 

I like MR, but I am not sure he is the guy that should be coaching this team.

I agree with your last paragraph and disagree with your first one. You don't pull the level of upsets Riley has over his career without getting your kids to sell out for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's hard to watch Banderas, I'm starting to think he's never going to have that break out season people claim he will each off season

he hasnt been healthy.

I prefer to see healthy players on the field if the injury involves the lower body. Football players need speed. Maybe a DL can play with a cast on his hand, but a LB needs speed.

We all prefer healthy players, but we literally have no one else to play LB.

Is Ferguson hurt?

isnt he redshirting?

Forgot about ferguson. He's been playing ST.

 

But a true reshman Mike or 2 true freshman LBs would be a recipe for disaster IMO. Maybe if Ferguson went through spring ball like young

Coaches have been saying for 2-3 weeks that he's close to playing at LB.

He's been a MLB but has had to learn OLB in recent weeks due to injuries. Tough to ask a TrFr to learn a new position in a couple weeks time.

 

I remember Bo Jackson finishing baseball season, going to the Raiders and starting with less than a weeks practice. The coaches should be looking at depth and making contingency plans for injuries and suspensions. Every company I have worked for does contingency planning for management positions and high skilled positions at least once per year. We often go three deep for replacements, and even plan for someone leaving and taking others with them. Plans are prepared for the replacements to build their capabilities before they are need in the job.

 

I'm not sure how tying in Bo Jackson makes any sense here? As for your work example, planning for contingencies is nice, that being said your office has the ability to add staff at any time and there isn't a cap as to how many hours in a week you can spend cross training/bolstering skill sets.

 

I mention Bo Jackson because he cam in and stated with NFL complexity with no training camp and less than one week of practice. It is possible to get a starter ready in a short time frame.

 

At the office, the reserve roles are filled when needed. People on staff have been identified for management and high skill positions in case they are needed, and these backups are trained so they will be ready when they are needed. The is definitely a cap on the training. These reserves have their normal job to do. The most difficult thing about the entire process was finding the time to train the backups. A football coach should do the same thing. If you are short on LBs, start changing positions before there is an injury, so you don't end up playing someone that is not 100%.

 

I gotcha. Well, using Bo Jackson in your example isn't a good one in my opinion. Bo was a complete freakshow as an athlete and is supposed to possess off the charts 'football IQ'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's hard to watch Banderas, I'm starting to think he's never going to have that break out season people claim he will each off season

he hasnt been healthy.

I prefer to see healthy players on the field if the injury involves the lower body. Football players need speed. Maybe a DL can play with a cast on his hand, but a LB needs speed.

We all prefer healthy players, but we literally have no one else to play LB.

Is Ferguson hurt?

isnt he redshirting?

Forgot about ferguson. He's been playing ST.

 

But a true reshman Mike or 2 true freshman LBs would be a recipe for disaster IMO. Maybe if Ferguson went through spring ball like young

Coaches have been saying for 2-3 weeks that he's close to playing at LB.

He's been a MLB but has had to learn OLB in recent weeks due to injuries. Tough to ask a TrFr to learn a new position in a couple weeks time.

 

I remember Bo Jackson finishing baseball season, going to the Raiders and starting with less than a weeks practice. The coaches should be looking at depth and making contingency plans for injuries and suspensions. Every company I have worked for does contingency planning for management positions and high skilled positions at least once per year. We often go three deep for replacements, and even plan for someone leaving and taking others with them. Plans are prepared for the replacements to build their capabilities before they are need in the job.

 

I'm not sure how tying in Bo Jackson makes any sense here? As for your work example, planning for contingencies is nice, that being said your office has the ability to add staff at any time and there isn't a cap as to how many hours in a week you can spend cross training/bolstering skill sets.

The fact that Baylor isn't in the top 5 of WRs groups makes me treat this with a grain of salt. Actually...put Corey Coleman at #1 and then feel free to start the WR group rankings. The guy only has 16 TDs receptions already...

Wasn't the same being said about Sarkisian before he jetted off for USC? Sark inherited a Washington team that hadn't won a game the previous year and still finished with five wins which was his only losing record while being there. Petersen inherited an eight win team. The culture was already changed before he got there. He's 3-3 to start this year. When you consider the rest of their schedule, there's only one gimme game. It's a flip of the coin whether they're bowl eligible this year. Sark went bowling every year he was there except his first year which again was the result of inheriting a team that didn't win a game the year before.

 

I'm not saying he's going to be a bust. However, history is not on his side. This is one of the biggest reasons I never wanted him considered as Nebraska's next coach.

Petersen inherited an absolute dumpster fire at QB when he took over UW once Keith Price graduated. Cyler Miles makes Tommy Armstrong look like the second coming of Aaron Rodgers. This Browning kid that they have now is going to be pretty good and they're letting him roll as a true FR. He threw for 91 TDs his senior year. I didn't believe it when I heard it but...

http://www.gohuskies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209874589

Which current Huskers will be drafted, and which Huskers wil make an NFL roster? Below are my locks to be drafted in injuries do not come into play:

 

Collins

VV

Gerry

Jano

 

Huskers destined to play in the NFL who may not get drafted

 

DPE - may not get drafted because he is 5'9"

Foltz - punters rarely get drafted, but he has Ray Guy skills

TA - TA has size, speed & toughness, he won't be an NFL QB, but like Frost, if he is willing to change positions, he can make an NFL roster

I'd be really surprised if Janovich gets drafted but I do think he'll be able to carve out a nice career for himself in the NFL if he can stay healthy. I guess if Damion Stafford can get drafted Gerry has a shot right?

 

 

 

 

 

I think Westerkamp will definitely get a shot; he has some of the best hands in CFB. Depending on how he performs at the combine, he should be a late-rounder or will take the UFA route

Cue all the comparisons to small, white slot receivers in the NFL.

Yeah, you're probably right -- I still think he'll get a shot to make a roster, though.

With guys like Welker, Amendola, and Edelman making a name for themselves (less Amendola), if they can get in the right system, he'll have a shot.

No mention of Wayne Chrebet, Steve Largent, or Brandon Stokley?

Just throwing out the few I currently know who are in the league and having success. Can add Jordy Nelson.

 

Yeah....the only thing Westerkamp and Nelson have in common is they are white and play WR. Not even a remotely fair comparison to Westerkamp there. Nelson is a monster.

I'm not sure why you're throwing Boise, Utah and TCU in here as comparison examples. It's significantly easier to build a powerhouse programs when you're playing in a largely crappy conference (none of those schools have been in Power 5 conferences for more than 5 years).

I fully agree with you on Baylor and Art Briles though. He has them absolutely humming.

Has Justin Fuente been ruled out by you all?

If people hated Mike Reilly for passing too much they'll despise Fuentes.