JJ Husker

That rules out every single coach out there. They all have aspirations of being a head coach somewhere. Yep. If they don't want to move up to a HC or aren't good enough to be considered for HC positions, that would mean they're doing a p!ss poor job of being our DC. The days of really good long term coordinators are a thing of the past.

Reading through this thread something struck me about one of the main points of contention; some want a proven commodity from outside the program because they will bring more immediately but may move on sooner and some want a newbie who can be groomed and hopefully be a longer term part of the team. IMO it doesn't make much difference. Any DC who has success here, whether they are currently a big name or not, will be on HC short lists in the near future. The only issue to consider is who will do the best and quickest job for us in that position. So with that, I feel a Stoops or Zook type would be fine as long as they and Bo think they can work together, or if Bo wants to take back a more active role in the defense, I'm ok with that too. I don't get the feeling Bo is contributing much on the offensive side of the ball anyway.

I guess I don't remember the part about ever believing Clownahan was good at any point. Maybe it's just me.

Really? Every 3 years? This seems like a reasonable expectation. Maybe we should think outside the box and imagine what it would take to win it EVERY year. And heck, not only win it always, but shutout every opponent in the process, limit them to negative yardage, you know, more rational possibilities.....

Not sure what your odds were on that bet but, if I had placed that same bet, it would definitely be the stupidest thing I had ever done. Maybe you should mortgage the house and put it on Ohio State to win next season. Have you heard that they hired Urban Meyer?

I think the similarities end with the records. It did appear in 2003 that the program was in decline and IMO that is not the case in 2011. I am in no way defending canning Solich when and how Pederson did or the ensuing fiasco but, if he had fired Solich at the end of the previous season, I think there would have been a lot more buy-in from the fans. And, who knows, we might've been lucky enough to not acquire Clownahan 1 year earlier and possibly Pederson gets hit by a train before having the opportunity to dismantle everything..... Personally, I sense no similarities between the 2003 & 2011 seasons or the trajectory of the programs at those times. Talk of getting rid of Bo at this time is, and should be, reserved for a few on the irrational radical fringe. The records were basically the same. I'm not sure how you can say the program was in decline. Solich overhauled his staff after the 02' season. We either led the nation or were very close to leading the nation in takeaways in 2003. The defensive side of the ball looked very bright during the 03' season. How does the defensive side of the ball look this season? If Solich was fired for his coaching ability, he should have been fired after the 02' season. It made absolutely zero sense to fire him for his coaching ability after the 2003 season when some of his assistants were in their first year. We had some great young players especially on the defensive side of the ball going into the 2004 season. I just don't get the program in decline argument when you factor in that BC inherited more top three round NFL draft picks from Solich than Solich inherited from TO. I pretty much agree with everything you just said. In fact I think you basically repeated what I was trying to say. I do not in any way, shape, or form think that Frank should have been fired when or how he was. I misspoke on the decline statement. I meant to say the "perception" of many was that the program was in decline and I believe much of that was due to the prior season and the season ending debacle in Boulder. I don't necessarily think the program was in "decline" at that time but, there is no arguing that it was "down" from the mid to late 90's heyday. It is a lot easier to put it in the proper perspective 8 years later than it was at the time. And, for full disclosure, I was not much of a Solich fan at the end of the 2002 season. I could've accepted his firing at the end of 2002 but not when they did. I probably can't expain my feelings any better but I simply sense no similarities between 2003 and 2011. Might just be that I am just more hopeful with Bo than I was with Frank. Is the reason you're more hopeful with Bo than Frank have anything to do with Frank followed TO and Bo followed BC? If we base the current state of the program to the mid-90's, Nebraska's program will always be down. I highly doubt we ever see a run like that again. Yes, I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. When TO retired we also lost a brilliant Offensive play caller. Frank probably would've been ok as a head coach but it seemed he didn't figure out quite quick enough that he couldn't handle all that TO did. It isn't realistic to judge/compare anyone against Tom or Clownahan. Something about opposite ends of the spectrum. I do feel Bo has more of a competitive fire than Frank displayed and that more than anything probably contributes to my differing views-might be as simple as demeanor and stature. 3 in 4 years, with all the near misses leading up to it, would be quite the feat in todays environment. If that is what we really desire, it isn't going to be a less than 20 year project to get there. That is one of the reasons I get so frustrated with people acting like 4-5-6 years is the time horizon for a full return to dominance. I can handle a bunch of 9-10 win seasons as long as I sense things are getting on track to stay there. Sprinkle in the occasional 8 win or 11 win season and sit back and wait for the stars to perfectly align again. Coaches can create the environment to allow a run like that but they can't directly cause it happen. It takes a near perfect combination of factors, that was not easy to come by in the mid 90's and would be much tougher today. I will still get frustrated and complain every single time I feel the coaches or players are not functioning up to their potential, much the way I felt most of this season.

I really hate to bump up this thread but I can't contain myself on a few issues. IMO you got this backwards. During the time period Bo has been here he has done very good at a decent program. We haven't been a "very good" program since the day Pederson took over and Clownahan showed up. I think Badgerfan & BigRedPowerWagon have the best intel. Bo goes to the Royals, starts going by "Ho", bats behind Bubba and in front of some guy named Tep. Bubba Ho Tep takes KC to World Series. How long until the next fire Bo or Bo is leaving thread based on more hypothetical delusions? I'll give it another ten minutes.

To answer the thread title question; No, it won't be easy. But I would agree that we should be much improved over this years version and graduation wise, things could be worse. Losing Lavonte & Fonzie will hurt but I believe some new standouts will arrive on the scene and the holes they leave will be suitably filled. Those guys were awesome but we will be fine without them. I anticipate vast improvement on both sides of the ball if for no other reason than I felt both sides performed below ability this year.

All I know is that if there is any chance in hell of LSU slipping down to meet us in the Cap One Bowl, I will be cheering wildly for LSU to beat Georgia. I can accept Arky, Georgia, or SC but don't wanna see our boys go up against LSU this year. That would redefine the word ugly.

I think the similarities end with the records. It did appear in 2003 that the program was in decline and IMO that is not the case in 2011. I am in no way defending canning Solich when and how Pederson did or the ensuing fiasco but, if he had fired Solich at the end of the previous season, I think there would have been a lot more buy-in from the fans. And, who knows, we might've been lucky enough to not acquire Clownahan 1 year earlier and possibly Pederson gets hit by a train before having the opportunity to dismantle everything..... Personally, I sense no similarities between the 2003 & 2011 seasons or the trajectory of the programs at those times. Talk of getting rid of Bo at this time is, and should be, reserved for a few on the irrational radical fringe. The records were basically the same. I'm not sure how you can say the program was in decline. Solich overhauled his staff after the 02' season. We either led the nation or were very close to leading the nation in takeaways in 2003. The defensive side of the ball looked very bright during the 03' season. How does the defensive side of the ball look this season? If Solich was fired for his coaching ability, he should have been fired after the 02' season. It made absolutely zero sense to fire him for his coaching ability after the 2003 season when some of his assistants were in their first year. We had some great young players especially on the defensive side of the ball going into the 2004 season. I just don't get the program in decline argument when you factor in that BC inherited more top three round NFL draft picks from Solich than Solich inherited from TO. I pretty much agree with everything you just said. In fact I think you basically repeated what I was trying to say. I do not in any way, shape, or form think that Frank should have been fired when or how he was. I misspoke on the decline statement. I meant to say the "perception" of many was that the program was in decline and I believe much of that was due to the prior season and the season ending debacle in Boulder. I don't necessarily think the program was in "decline" at that time but, there is no arguing that it was "down" from the mid to late 90's heyday. It is a lot easier to put it in the proper perspective 8 years later than it was at the time. And, for full disclosure, I was not much of a Solich fan at the end of the 2002 season. I could've accepted his firing at the end of 2002 but not when they did. I probably can't expain my feelings any better but I simply sense no similarities between 2003 and 2011. Might just be that I am just more hopeful with Bo than I was with Frank.

I have no idea how Meyer will do at Ohio State but my gut instinct is that it will be no where near as impressive as anything he has done prior or near the dominance some people are anticipating. I am concerned that he knows too much about the nuances of the BELLY OPTION though. I went back and re-watched that game with some buddies and we took a shot everytime he said "belly option"; had to make 3 extra trips to the liquor store, 2 of us are still in detox, and poor poor Wilford.....the funeral is tomorrow.

I think the similarities end with the records. It did appear in 2003 that the program was in decline and IMO that is not the case in 2011. I am in no way defending canning Solich when and how Pederson did or the ensuing fiasco but, if he had fired Solich at the end of the previous season, I think there would have been a lot more buy-in from the fans. And, who knows, we might've been lucky enough to not acquire Clownahan 1 year earlier and possibly Pederson gets hit by a train before having the opportunity to dismantle everything..... Personally, I sense no similarities between the 2003 & 2011 seasons or the trajectory of the programs at those times. Talk of getting rid of Bo at this time is, and should be, reserved for a few on the irrational radical fringe.

It didn't look bad on TV but it was noticeable that there were more visiting fans than usual. Based on the colors in the stadium, I would say 6k-8k Iowa fans. Nothing like what we do to visiting stadiums so I wouldn't feel too bad. I do feel it is a Husker fans duty to try to get their tickets into other red hands though. It's one thing if your Iowa friend goes with you but if you're just selling them, it wouldn't take much extra effort to see they get to the "right" people.

CHATTANOOGA W 40-7 FRESNO STATE W 42-29 WASHINGTON W 51-38 WYOMING W 38-14 WISCONSIN L 48-17 OHIO STATE W 34-27 MINNESOTA W 41-14 MICH. STATE W 24-3 NORTHWESTERN L 28-25 PENN STATE W 17-14 MICHIGAN L 45-17 IOWA W 20-7 3 blowouts all year, and Carnes played in all 3. Do risk losing a game to develop one player? Exactly. And not 1 of those 3 would've been considered "put in the backups" secure by Tom Osborne. Possibly UT Chat but definitely not the others. But the same people would complain about not putting the game away as are complaining about no experience for backups. Crying about Carnes not getting reps is code for "I don't like Taylor much" So you know what I mean moreso than I do? I think I've been one of the more vocal ones on here who has changed my opinion of TM, I think he has improved tremendously, and I've said that numerous times. So that blows your "I don't like Taylor much" idea right out of the water. And there were also two blowouts that we were on the other end of that were golden opportunities. And some of the shots TM took on the last series of the Michigan game were the type that could have had you calling to the sidelines for #2. And the Iowa game was not as close as that score indicated, yes if they score once more and then they recover a onside kick....yada, yada, yada. They scored one late TD with the help of numerous questionble calls, that game was not in doubt in the fourth quarter. I've never complained about not putting a game away. But it doesn't matter what I think, Taylor will most likely continue to take every snap, and if something does happen to him we'll send in a QB who has zero experience. I did not mean to imply that you specifically do not care for Martinez. But, many who have been championing the "Bo sucks because he didn't play Carnes more" line often are the ones who are overly critical of TM and Bo in general. Sorry if you felt I aimed that directly at you. I will use names when I am not just generally speaking. Heck I thought Carnes should've seen action at wiscy and michigan but not in any game we were only ahead by 30ish. Unlike some people (not necessarily you) I actually give Pelini a little credit for understanding the game and knowing his players better than some fans whose only qualifications appear to be having an internet connection and time for second guessing.

CHATTANOOGA W 40-7 FRESNO STATE W 42-29 WASHINGTON W 51-38 WYOMING W 38-14 WISCONSIN L 48-17 OHIO STATE W 34-27 MINNESOTA W 41-14 MICH. STATE W 24-3 NORTHWESTERN L 28-25 PENN STATE W 17-14 MICHIGAN L 45-17 IOWA W 20-7 3 blowouts all year, and Carnes played in all 3. Do risk losing a game to develop one player? Exactly. And not 1 of those 3 would've been considered "put in the backups" secure by Tom Osborne. Possibly UT Chat but definitely not the others. But the same people would complain about not putting the game away as are complaining about no experience for backups. Crying about Carnes not getting reps is code for "I don't like Taylor much"

My source inside the program says that none of these 3 guys is planning to transfer and he isn't aware of any who are. He says that at least one of these players is actually quite po'd that these types of rumors seem to have any credibility. He thinks too many people have way too much spare time

If you have to win a CC, BCS game, or NC to make the top 10 list, within 4 years, then the OP's posted list just got even shorter and not by only Bo. There is nobody on that list who I would rather have right now instead of Bo. A lot of that has to do with simply not wanting ANY big program changes made because of the detrimental effect of change but plenty of it has to do with thinking Bo will get us there. I don't care what number rank people want to put on Bo, he's our coach so he's number 1 in my book. People complain about his demeanor and treatment of the media but those same people and that same media behave in ways that fuel that same demeanor issue. Give the guy some friggin support. We're 9-3 our first year in a new conference and we'll be playing in one of the better non-BCS bowls against a very good opponent. I have some concerns but nothing approaching the seismic change some people seem to be clamoring for. It really is quite sad. It's as if many people are totally incapable of learning anything from the past. Learn from the amount of time Tom was given and what that allowed to develope. Learn what our program looked like when Frank was fired. And for Godsakes learn what happened with the acquisition of Clownahan. If you can't grasp that then, IMO, you're too stupid to be a Husker fan.

How about this for the changes we need; Let's work to get a little bit better in all areas, possibly 1 or 2 slight adjustments in position coaches but nothing crazy, tweak the things that didn't work this year, expand on the things that did work, forget the knee-jerk changes, and take one more step towards getting back. Renewed effort and better focus in most games next year and 1 or 2 more wins. Our D slipped a little but the O showed some improvement. The sky is not falling. Everything we need is more than manageable. I wish people would quit thinking wholesale changes equal program improvement. Give it a little time. Be the tortoise not the hare.

They are all fairly arbitrary and could be moved up or down 1-2 grades just based on different people's perceptions. 9 wins is a C in my book because I felt they left a whole lot more potential on the table. If I felt they played up to their potential, then 9 wins could've been a B+. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 doesn't mean as much to me as how good I feel they play the game. I was actually less impressed with a win like Iowa than I was disappointed with the NW loss. NW had our number and we were caught unprepared in a typical trap game but Iowa should've been a major blowout. There is nobody we couldn't/shouldn't have beaten all year but we managed to lose 3. That's a C in my book and I won't argue with anybody that wants to call it a B or a D.

That's the nature of the beast. These know-it-alls almost always look at the criticals of size and speed (with size being paramount)and downgrade/ignore intangibles and inate playmaking ability. They are not always right and never will be. They have to play the odds to keep their credibility so they limit their exposure by holding a very tight line on body type. We know David is a beast but his size will hurt his ranking. Some athletes can overcome the mold and Lavonte is probably one of those players. Just don't expect the "experts" to come out and predict it.

These conjecture/rumor threads are the worst. Let's get all hopped up on partial/incomplete/made up/ some to no truth rumors and then run amuck with it. I could give a flyin F if Bo interviewed for the Ohio State job or not. Actually, I would be quite amazed if they did not consider/offer him. Seems like it would only be proper and dignified to at least raise the issue with him if you were OSU. And it would only be proper for him to respond to such an offer. WTF- he was a captain for that team and he is now a big time college coach. If this freaks anybody out, you are easily unsettled.

I am going to grade the major units and not individuals. It is a "team" sport after all and I just don't focus much on individual players unless they are doing something extraordinarily well or pathetically bad. Offensive Line C- (not a D because they showed signs of improvement and not any higher cuz they have a long ways to go. I grade the line positions the harshest because what they do, or fail to do, impacts everything else) Quarterback B- (he is learning to manage the game and limit mistakes but apparently at the expense of some playmaking ability. I am tempted to trade back some of the stability for some big breakaway runs) Running Backs B (Rex gets an A though for effort & toughness. He may be my all time fav Husker RB and that is elite company. Give him the Pipeline from the 80's or 90's and he could be a 2 time Heisman winner. Love this guy) Receivers C- (blocking and a few individual plays/performances kept this up at a C-, too many dropped passes by too many WR's keep it from being better) Defensive Line D (don't like the grade-tell/show me what they actually did all year. Easily the biggest disappointment) Linebackers B+ (I'm not an easy A but Lavonte gets an A and drags up the average. The unit seemed to improve over the course of the season) Defensive Backs B- (thought about a C+ but decided to go easy on them due to youth and signs of improvement toward end of season. Fonzie kept it from slipping down) Special Teams C- (Maher had some moments with field goals but then he had some "other" moments punting too. Thought this could be an A-/B+ at beginning of the season but they regressed greatly) Coaches C- (they need to figure out how to get the team prepared and focused on games-ALL games and whole games. Excited about Beck, happy with Bo, love Ron Brown, confused about the Def coaches, not enamored with O-Line group) Team Overall C (they got 9 wins, possibly 10, so that keeps it from being a C- or D+ but there is little excuse for the Wiscy performance and no excuse for Michigan, NW is what it was, and most wins were simply partial efforts good enough for the W but not impressive. Could have ran the B1G this year but still a work in progress. Disappointing but showing improvement and not terrible considering first year in a new league)

Some other coaches that never seemed to be enjoying themselves; Tom Osborne, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Woody Hayes, Bo Shembeckler, pretty much anybody from Youngstown OH, ...... I'm not putting Bo in that stratosphere but, come on, do we really need to invent stuff for the aura of doom & gloom?

You're freaking out for no reason. Michigan and OSU have historically been the top 2 programs in the Big 10 since the Devaney era (maybe before-I don't know). In all that time, discounting the last 10 years, what Husker fan worth their salt was ever "concerned" about Mich or OSU or anyone else in the Big 10 for that matter? Rest easy, we are on our way back. We are in that period where we can see the potential in our team but will still experience pitfalls. Still probably have 2 or 3 anxious years awaiting us. That doesn't mean we're destined for 9 win mediocrity forever. Once we make it over the hump, lookout B1G.