84HuskerLaw

My recollection is Tony White did not coach the Orange defense in the bowl game. In fact I believe neither did their off coordinator. I may be mistaken but ? That might mean one may need to take that into account in the analyses. Again, I could not quickly find that info. If I recall the stats favored Syracuse in that game. Ibrahim did not exactly run all over them either.

Not having a top notch QB may have been his biggest problem in the NFL. Describe the ‘identity’ of Pelini’s teams. What was Frost’s team identity? What do you think Rhule wants his team identity to be? I’d say, he wants his team to play harder than everybody else. He wants his team to very athletic. Speed is the first and foremost physical requirement. Aggressive. I think Rhule will be a risk taker at times - a bit of a riverboat gambler in all three phases. He will have a few surprises up his sleeve. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. He will certainly demand full devotion and 110% effort. No slackers allowed.

I don’t know that reporters focus of Simms being a superb runner. His film shows it. I don’t see his passing skills as much different than Casey T. He had minimal running skills (at least he declined to use them). Casey was a good passer, certainly worth retaining as compared with Purdy (thus far) and HH as well. Purdy and HH both run better than Casey. That suggests a QB that can run is important or essential for 2023 in the coaches’ minds. With three, it only seems sensible that our QBs won’t be ducking for cover and racing for the sidelines too much. I tend to see around 6-8 QB designed runs and perhaps that many more scrambles to avoid sacks/roll out run options. That is NOT excessive for someone Simms’ size. He’s a Lb size-wise. It is not the numbers of carries - it’s the threat that is demonstrated a few times that keeps defenses honest or guessing.

If Neb was only the #16 audience draw, it’s only because of the very recent win/loss records. The minute NU wins a few games, than ranking will spike upwards. Neb has a national fan base/following. It is perhaps sleeping right now but it will awaken. Unlike quite a few programs in the top tier. Imo. There is (see Rhule & Co) reason to be hopeful that a turnaround is happening. Odds are it is a matter of time at this point. I’d feel better had Casey T stuck around but the fact he chose not to is the single best evidence that our QB under Simms will surprise quite a few people. Rhule & Sat must see more in Simms than they saw in Casey’s film. That is my suspicion anyway. All signals since spring started that Simms has impressed the staff. Of course, Frost thought Adrian was the best QB prospect in the country too. Lol. But these coaches are different. Simms offers legit running and scrambling ability that we haven’t seen since Taylor M. Imo. Defenses will have to defend this all the time. That makes a big difference. I expect our conventional run game and conventional pass game will both benefit greatly from having a gifted truly DUAL threat QB. It can benefit O line blocking as well. Defenses must play honest when offenses have that 11th man that must be accounted for every snap. I add all this because it suggest to me that wins will outnumber losses a lot more frequently and that restores fan draw nationally. Imo.

Well, there may come times this fall when Rhule may be too honest for fans to appreciate. It’s been a long time getting to the bottom tier of football and it’s a long climb back to the top tier. The new Bigger 18. Is a gauntlet. There are no gimmes in this league. Even OSU and MI will be wise to take the season one game at a time. The additions are not going to bottom dwellers for long. West coast has lots of talent and the newbies get the cream of that crop as the proclaimed BIG dogs out there. As time passes, the new power 2 schools will increase their take of recruiting top talent. I do think it will feel like NFL lite. Tough.

Perhaps the more interesting thing may be - what will happen to the Big Ten going forward. ? How much will this change Big Ten football (the brand if you will) with the influx of all this west coast football. I think there has been some evolution already as the conference as a group has been slowly adapting from the traditional ‘blue collar” ground n pound, smash mouth, trench warfare style into something more ‘all purpose’ and ‘multiple’ perhaps. Apparently, Wiscy is going something Frost might like offensively. Ugh. Ohio State has been more run and gun than it was back in the day. It seems like you can find it all if you look around the conference. Of course, championships have been won with ‘old style’ football. Michigan is a perfect example. But adding 4 new programs with above average recent stature, coupled with the caliber of talent and coaching across the entire conference, the Big Ten can be clearly shown to be the new and improved, modernized league. No, this won’t be your grandfather’s Big Ten. This is now the 21st century league (conference doesn’t seem quite adequate now)! Add in a couple more brand name teams (e.g. ND, FSU, Clemson, VA, etc), and the BIg Ten is now the BIGGER 20. Powerful. National. Diverse. Strong. Dominant. Arguably adding two more of these and I think it surpasses the mighty SEC. This group could represent half or more of the top twenty in the rankings. Teams with only three losses will be contenders at times.

Fan attendance IS the best indicator of public interest generally. The reason PAC 12 (er 6 ?) is disintegrating is lack of fans. When the crowds are small, tickets are not selling, it’s evidence of lack of interest. Yes, there are lots of people on the west coast in the urban areas anyway, but do they take the time to watch cfb ? Presumably the Big Ten office has good info to suggest the answer is YES! Otherwise, this acquisition is a big miscue. Time will tell. The biggest issue with adding west coach teams will be time zones. It will be awkward at a minimum to have eastern zone teams play on the west coast at 8:00 PM pacific (11:00 PM eastern time!!). And vice versa when teams cross from west to play in the east. USC, UCLA, etal will not be playing ‘after dark’ much. They realize this. But desperate times require desperate measures. These schools are desperate no doubt.

I’d think FSU would want that $300 million up front. Negotiate a lower buy out AND not want to spend half their BIG ten $ to pay for the past. They’ll need it going forward just to compete in the new league. Ten years being cash strapped is a long time with a dramatic schedule upgrade. A new Big Ten with about half the top 30 teams in the country will be incredibly hard to compete without any $$ disadvantages. Im guessing they’ll need more money for facilities before ten years elapsed.

I just don’t get the desire to get rid of players and cut the squad down to 115. 150+ might be too high but assuming a typical 5 years to play 4 system, that’s 25 new per year x 5 years = 125. Only 5 walk-ins per year? Half the walk ons and probably 10% of scholarships won’t stick around for more than a couple years (quit fb, transfers, failing academics, just failed at fb, injuries, legal, personal problems, etc.). This is normal attrition and has been historically Id say. Rhule seems to be recruiting some dam good athletes. Hopefully, with luck, 65% of them end up sticking and developing into starter caliber guys. This roster is revolving fast. Roughly 35 juniors and seniors I believe. Considering Covid added a bunch which is fast washing out, the current gross numbers are not excessive imo. I’d expect another 10-15 guys to drop off by season’s end, excluding those graduating / exhausting eligibility. Changing systems, coaching, rules, $$$, etc. There will always be ‘turbulence’ of some sort. It’s the nature of the beast but hopefully after 2024 season, the roster is more balanced and distributed across positions by age and experience and an identity and schematics are much more settled down. Seasons are trending a bit longer and offenses and defenses more complex with packages and personnel groupings. Today’s game seems to be where there are more like 32 ‘starters’ on each side of the ball. You need at least 4 deep all over to be competitive and to fill the development pipelines. Finally, you need competition all over and you can’t get that with just a couple guys ready to play at most spots. Injuries could derail the whole season.

I expect to see a bunch of contributors this fall who weren’t of last year’s roster. Wouldn’t be surprised to see 6 or 8 “starters be newbies. I also will be disappointed if we don’t see about all the two-deep play a lot. Obviously it depends on the actual difference between Simms and the other QBs in the QB spot but elsewhere. Rhule is in year one of a rebuild so getting real reps to youth is extra important this fall. Win or lose, I expect them to rotate and shuffle and develop for future years.

The single biggest area of improvement needed is, imo, the game play. Play even harder, play even smarter, play every snap as though it’s for the championship. Cause it is. Last season the trend line was up but there were about 10% of the snaps where the effort, the focus, the intensity, the tough physical play just lapsed. Some of this was fatigue (mental and or physical), at least partially due to a lack of depth at too many positions. Lapses occurred cause too many guys were tired and didn’t get breaks thru rotations. Backups weren’t prepared or coaches didn’t believe so. Depth has been shored up across nearly every group. Quality depth to boot. Using four game duration saving redshirts, the coaches can build depth and experience without big drop off in performances.

I think Rhule finishes out the current class with a couple / three more quality guys. I think he starts filling the 25s but assuming he finds a way to 6-9 wins this fall he will load that group too. His receivers look great to me. I think many are gonna be shocked at the improvement of the team overall. Effect: With 13 months of his arrival, he will have transformed the roster - with quality players across all positions. He will be at least 2 deep with winning caliber players that are relatively young and gaining experience with good developmental prospects. By year 3, he will have made Neb FB respected and nobody will look past them. Some teams will fear us. I was fairly happy with his hire (thot he was the best we could get). Now, I’m very impressed. He is doing well. X&O coaching is very important to me as I love the strategy and gamesmanship of the game coaches. We know very little firsthand on this. But, seemingly from outside looking in, he is doing GREAT things. I grade him a 9.0 out of 10 so far. If he coaches on the field as he does everything else, he could get a 9.8 !! That’s TO territory. A long way to go but he is RED hot so far. GBR.

Ultimately it doesn’t make much difference whether the throws were perfect or not. The result is all that matters. Tommie F was the best QB probably, ever, not because he was the biggest, strongest, fastest, best pinpoint passer or any other measure. It’s mostly about leading his team to championships vs any and all opponents. The results are the most important factor. QBs are one of eleven that all need to do their respective jobs well. Leaders lead. Lots of QBs throw the ball well enough to win most games. It’s the rest of their game that typically decides how good a player they are. Imo.

Maybe just have them forfeit 4 conference games. He lied to investigators over recruiting violations to cover them up of his involvement and over Covid limitations. Nobody fired. Maybe a 5 million dollar personal fine. These coaches need to pay a penalty that means something.

Why bother? He’s been there probably a hundred times before. He is not interested and is putting his dad in a rather awkward position I’m guessing. He wants to make his pathway along another trail. Otherwise he’d be tickled to join the team. Let it be.

I like Frazier too. Trifecta! Lol. Let’s run the Bone!

No wonder Belichick was so successful, he time traveled so he could call the games on the rewind. Lol

Sooner rather than later Utah will join the pipeline project!

Decent PLUS!!!

Sounds like the game plan being suggested is the Frost attack. Quick passes to the wings and tackle for -3 to +3 yards. Hope not. Better run the damn ball. If u can’t block out side, run right at them. Play action passes. Jmo.

How many ranked teams has NU won against in the last ten years ? Not many. 10% at most Id guess.

I’m not sure that Neb is all that much different in circumstances as Temple and Baylor in year 1. Perhaps the only difference is the historical difference in the schools. That might mean more if Rhule were following Pelini or Solich. But one winning season in the past 8? No, Nebraska is at this time a perennial loser probably in the bottom third of FBS ala Baylor and Temple. Fan base is top ten but they don’t play one snap. Frost was a media favorite that was obviously in way over his head. This program is starting a long term rebuild from ground up. That takes time but recruiting limits and transfers allow a more rapid transition. But building a balanced, experienced and mature and laddered roster still takes 4-5 years. I believe Rhule is targeting the areas of biggest need but as we see now, areas of need are almost across the board. Frost emphasized skill offensive positions. Even there, rebuilding is front and center. Rhule is finding some apparent gems but only on field results truly measure how much improvement there actually may be. The cupboard was not bare but it was a lot less than half stocked for Rhule. We were oversold on Frost recruits and we will see as to Rhule. I like the recruits so far but I somewhat felt that way under Frost so maybe it’s more wishful thinking and I’m just wanting these recruits to be much better so I see them as such.

Normally the bottoms line for any team is winning but style points in Nebraska’s case matter almost as much. Some fans won’t be happy, even in year 1, with 6 ‘ugly’ wins if there are 3 or 4 ugly losses and the season long trend line is flat or negative. I’m hoping for an organized team with a basic identity and good game planning. That doesn’t mean wins happen immediately nor even often enough. But it does indicate that the coaches are coaching smart football strategy with a system in mind. Year 1 will be an indicator of what Rhule football looks like. Talent level will be at least marginally better in some positions and I suspect much better in some areas. I believe Rhule will put some difference makers on the field this fall. Offense: most likely will be inconsistent and hit or miss. The key will be QB and establishing a decent run game. If we can get 4.0 yrds per carry out of the RBs, that’s a key indicator that offense will, over time, be better. If Simms fails, the season will be very depressing. He’s got to get first downs with his legs to keep drives alive or the punter will be the team MVP. Ugh. If we can hit 50% of the short/intermediate throws, that will help. Throw 4-6 deeper shots and get some power running going, then wins will happen even this first year . A big IF imo. Defense: I expect similar results - hit and miss, get some big stops and give some big plays. Can the defense get 2.5 turnovers a game and give no more than 2.5 TDs a game? If so, then Huskers can compete. The defense will overrun and get out of position more than they should but as time goes on, that will improve. Team speed will be evident and will allow for some mistakes to be contained and damages lessened. Special teams: will start a season with a details coach. We can believe Rhule will pay attention and give STs a good share of time and effort. We saw what happened with some honest coaching and a forethought instead of after thought. Wins will come - over time - with better coaching and smarting recruiting. X & Os remain unknowns under Rhule. At times they were mysterious under Frost imo. He had some good ideas but imo he was mostly a pass game coordinator not a head coach. Some staff helped but not enough. I think Rhule has made some good hires but game management and player development remains unknowns. A season will give some indication. A couple staff adjustments will be almost inevitable. Some succeed, some don’t. Some get hired away, some don’t. Rhule inherits a .333 program with 6 losing seasons in a row. He gets a reasonable time to turn things around and win more. First, get the players and begin teaching them to play the game hard and smart for 4 quarters. Not perfect but at least on average with their peers in P5 and Big Ten. That should be years 1 and 2 for me. By year three try to be above the average. As wins come, recruits and roster guys will experience the results of their efforts.

Quick. Violent, strong tackler. Thumbs up on his video. I prefer DL to be strong and quick over huge bulky types. He attacks. He runs well. Good acceleration thru the tackle. A hitter. Size can be a disadvantage in single RB plays. He can sidestep and split gaps. He will get to the QB if he tries to run up between the tackles on scrambles.

From the outside looking in, I like what Rhule is doing, very much. He’s setting good examples, setting standards for work and commitment to the team. He’s been open to the players and the fans. He has a detailed ‘game plan’ for the program. He’s done the homework and has picked up the Husker way exceptionally. He understands, imo, the Big Ten. I really don’t think I truly know how Rhule actually handles the X & Os and it will take a season or two. He’s blending the old with the new. He appears to be thinking outside the box somewhat in schemes, coaching, recruiting, publicity, etc. He is not media shy. He appears to speak freely and honestly. He addresses difficult questions sincerely. This is the first off season. I’m looking fwd to watching closely as real games and actual football is played. Will it be chess, checkers or candy land? Can he match wits with his Big Ten peers? Can he instill faith and confidence? Can he find ways to develop better play from his roster? He doesn’t have Nebraska FB ( historically) talent yet but I believe he IS improving the roster. If we were ‘close’ to the middle of the Big Ten talent wise, I feel we will surprise some people in 23. I see the range of 4-8 wins as probable IF Simms is a QB. The rest of the team , overall, is a 6-8 win team if they avoid injuries and don’t give up. I was wanting Casey T to stay. Alas it didn’t happen. Maybe that’s a sign Rhule sees the remnants in that QB race to be worthy. I have to see them play enough first. expecting conditioning to no longer be an issue. The guys who play will be better conditioned.