All Hail Herbie

The best offense is a great defense so yes, let's stick to that plan.

What a development! In the span of two days we have transitioned from meandering Big Ten West bottom feeder to unstoppable. And who says message boards don't have value. The Kool Aid evidently comes with a free Xanax these days. Today we theoretically lay waste to Iowa and Wisconsin, tomorrow...look out Ohio State! We will dominate you with our collective imaginations!

Saturday appears to have been a mixed bag, but what else does this fanbase have but the intangibility of optimism. On the tangible side, the game looked familiar; penalties, special teams errors, etc. and a loss as a result. With the great defensive effort, this should have been an upset. More than anything, I was happy for our fans who got to travel to Norman this weekend to renew a rivalry with a familiar opponent. Really nice to see those two schools together on the playing field once more. I sure do dislike what re-alignment has done to the game.

Of course I presume this statement is simply missing an asterisk, for penalties. The self-inflicted wounds continue to be the issue.

While I was pleasantly surprised by the final score of Saturday's game, it appears that the same structural issues remain with this team. A great defensive effort was squandered and again, the coaching is responsible. For those of you who remain optimistic about this staff, I would say this counts as a signature "moral" win. Similar to our game against OSU in 2018 it marks a true program-changing moment. In lieu of a bowl game this year, we can celebrate this achievement in December when other teams are preparing for their New Year's contests. Raises and contract extensions are in order!

He absolutely deserves praise and credit for that terrific season at UCF. That said, sometimes you just catch lightning in a bottle. None of the other seasons in which he has been a head coach reflect that level of success. I maintain that it appears to be more of an aberration at this stage.

Realism is a cold shot my friend. However, we can say that we gave this a try and wish he and his family well. I gave up Kool-Aid cold turkey following the 2005 mega-recruiting class. My suggestion: switch to bourbon. Authentic and no artificial aftertaste.

As I have maintained for the past year, this staff will get a full 5 years for a variety of reasons. Missing a bowl for the 5th consecutive season this year will merely trigger a countdown to an end of tenure in November, 2022 (barring an unforeseen, and frankly miraculous, turnaround in Year 5). We appreciate all that Coach Frost has done for this program as a player, coach and ambassador. While I believe his tenure will indeed end in November, 2022, I recognize that there are many in this fanbase prepared to grant him even more time. For those that feel that way, I would only point to his career record as evidence that the 13-0 UCF team was indeed an aberration, and not evidence of any future success. He has predictably been a 0.500 coach throughout the remainder of his career and we should not expect any more at this stage.

This is a bit like debating how well the gear shift is functioning when the tires are completely flat. As I have said many times, Adrian is not the primary issue with this team. His decision-making has improved, his passing statistics support efficiency, and he has improved in the turnover department. All told, he makes many more good plays than not and still gives us the best chance for success. If the issues plaguing this team were so simple to fix (i.e. QB change) it would have been done. Assign scrutiny to line play (on both sides), mental mistakes, turnovers, and poor assignment discipline. These are structural issues that we can assign to coaching and arevnot related to a single position.

Clever....but is this savage?

Right you are, for the moment... Following a short respite, we officially reclaim our position as a 0.500 or worse team beginning this weekend. Out of curiosity, how will the uniforms look this weekend? Hopefully no wrinkles.

Not too bad for a first shot. Given your name, I would have expected something with much more machismo. At any rate, I would say I would be listed under the definition of "misery averse". By definition a fair weather fan only has a rooting interest in a team when that team finds success. At minimum by my participation in this Board and in spite of our continued losing, I would not be considered fair weather. I guess my question is, "Is there virtue in masochism each and every Saturday?"

Completely agree. And keep in mind that Illinois has looked like a conference bottom feeder in the two games since playing NU. Sitkowski is not in Spencer Rattler's league and that spells big trouble this weekend.

I concede that I was overwhelmed. Bottom line, the IB situation is like many the last 4 years, one where we were less than prepared and frankly not agile enough to deal with. If we accept that there are two foundational dynamics to football; personnel and play selection, than why not simply alter the play calling to fit the new personnel (i.e. a 175 pound slot receiver)? Why subject him to a game plan suited to a larger back? In other words, being the best option at IB does not necessarily translate to between the tackles rushing. Wandale is far better off in his current situation and our team is now unburdened with his presence and loaded with a stable of accomplished IBs.

And while we debate this subtle and dated point, I congratulate Wandale on his success to date at UK. May he have much success this season. The one positive that comes out of this debate is at least our fans are interested in winning again, debates not games, but winning nonetheless. Moving in the right direction.

Great note and agreed. Coach Lombardi told his Packers teams that they would "relentlessly pursue perfection, knowing full well that they would never be perfect. However, in the process of pursuing perfection, they would catch excellence."

I do enjoy the game, but do not miss the stress and frustration that accompanies watching a cherished program fall to such depths. I know this program means a lot to the state and to the fanbase, because it meant so much to me. Best memories of Husker football were pre-television broadcasts when I listened to the play by play each week on radio. Nothing better on a cool Saturday afternoon than listening to Mr. Pavelka call a game. For their tireless devotion, this fanbase deserves a return to those times of success.

I agree that the backfield was thin at times the past couple of years, but criticism for using a 175 pound slot receiver to fill the role is not a "shot", but a legitimate and warranted critique. One could easily argue that even in Year 4, we still lack a reliable, well-developed option at IB. Coach Held may be a terrific recruiter, and a great leader of men, but to date his record on personnel development remains a bit questionable.

While I will avoid a score prediction, I think the game will get away from us quickly for two reasons; 1.) OU maintains a superior personnel edge and most importantly 2.) NU will remain the undisciplined group we are accustomed to seeing (turnovers, penalties, etc.). Recipe for a big win by OU. I just hope our traveling contingent enjoys being in Norman again as this is a rivalry that has sadly been lost to re-alignment. In terms of your prediction of the late touchdown, and per yesterday's thread, the backups are due for one of those.

I have watched a fair amount of UK football this year and it is good to see Wandale thriving in their offense. In fact, I found myself cheering when he broke loose on an end around against Mizzou last weekend. While I agree that there were personal dynamics that played in his decision to ultimately return to the Bluegrass State, I do think our misuse of his talent played a role. UK is utilizing him in a manner consistent with talents. NU misused his skillset by running him between the tackles and exposing him to repeated punishment from 300+ lb. defensive lineman. In Year 3 (last season), we should have developed at least one IB to shoulder the rushing attempts and not left that burden to a sub-180 lb. slot receiver. Very happy that he has found a good offensive home to showcase his talents. And a winner no less.

Correct again. In addition to highlights (or lowlights) and box score, I can reliably count on the best college football fans in the country to keep me informed courtesy of this board. Of course, let's not forget our wonderful and enterprising journalists at the LJS or OWH! There's that sarcasm again.

Regardless of score, or first half mishaps, did you feel comfortable that the outcome was settled and the game in hand as we entered the 4th Quarter? If not, would a consistent and bruising rushing attack throughout have given you more comfort? That was part of my prediction last week; that we lack that physical identity to pound the ball and wear the opponents down late in games. Mix in mental lapses, execution errors, and poor play calling, and voila, we are just hanging on against a subpar opponent. Agreed on OU, they will not be caught napping. In terms of MSU, I agree that they look far ahead of the team that was fielded last year. Very impressed with their line play and their commitment to a strong rushing attack.

Correct. I only watch post-game highlights (or lowlights) and read the box score. I no longer watch live game action. You might also consider the fact that I mix in a little sarcasm from time to time.

I try to avoid score predictions, but I stand by the assertion that this would be a close game. Uncomfortably close for many as the game was 14-3 entering the 4th Quarter. In terms of Coach Tucker, he bested us while at CU and that was absolutely a coaching meltdown for a team seemingly in complete control in the First Half. MSU is the more physical team right now and that will ultimately prove true in two weeks.

No disagreement about being due for a marquee victory, but it will need to be earned. I think your view, and that of many, is that a win such as this is much like the lottery, one simply falls into it and as a result, there is a wellspring of success thereafter. The same structural problems exist today as they did 3 years ago and those are not simply going to disappear.