admo

Ok I'll contribute. My expectations are that we are pre-ranked in the top 7 every year without question. I expect us to be among the dominating forces in college football every year - bc if Alabama, Oregon, LSU, OU, Florida, and even UT can all play (do that), why shouldn't we? I expect us to be favored to win almost every game even if it's close - and then win. I expect us to have a QB that is a baller. I expect our defense to be the badass Blackshirts that makes the opponents nervous. I expect us to protect our house! We don't lose at home - ever. I expect us to be tough enough that we always find ways to win on the road no matter who we play and the other teams think they "almost had us beat". I expect us to win. When we lose my expectations drop based on how we lose. Sometimes the better team loses in the end. Occasionally we get outplayed and the other team deserved to win. Losing a game by 10+ points is to ask me to lower my expectations. Winning 8-9 games a year does the same. Since we have a 12 game schedule every year plus a bowl game (13 math majors) I expect us to win 11 every year. Which means there are 2 games that we could possibly lose. Which takes weeks to get over the fact. I have not been content in years. I have just been someone who has played all the major sports and excelled and had high expectations from myself and held my teammates accountable and together we have always / mostly won. So in other words, when I see what we see on the widescreen - I just cannot believe how stiff and unsure these guys play (except a handful who make us all proud). And I see the players take on the persona of their sourpuss angry coach that bitches at the refs when the chips are falling. They don't do that when we play Arkansas State. Leaders lead, adjust, stay focused and determined - and bring out the best in their teammates and/or players. So that's what I expect. Now as far as the product we have each week, each year? I just bite my lip and keep my mouth shut. I'd like to just brush off all probables and try to enjoy a game as it unwinds. I have taught myself and learned to tolerate it to some degree because you have to become numb in order to deal with any outcome or else you will just go crazy. Those are my expectations. With all things considered, going 8-4 has been the staff and team's MO for the past several years which makes me think that things will be more the same. Not solely because of the record, but because of what happens on the field. So I just expect them to do that and I roll with it. Content or not.

She is along with my brother in law, sister in law, mother in law, and father in law...and she still won't come with me to any Aggie games if it conflicts with a Husker one! Don't feel so bad...taking a backseat to Husker Nation is the only order the world follows PS. Tell your QB to transfer to N before the nation catches on and realizes that the dude is the real deal

Yes he's had successful seasons and some good wins. Me personally wouldnt say 9-10 wins in a season isnt anything exciting. More like how to camoflauge a four loss season. I think if we played 11 game schedule the results would be around 7-4 each year. A few extra cupcake games that make you sometimes yawn will push the win total up. And if we don't get creamed in some of these loses, we still look respectable for the most part. I don't think Bo is on the hot seat, but he is prolly feeling the heat. And why not? We hate losing, we'll never get used to it. One loss stings and two loses ruin the season in some ways. His job is safe in my opinion. I think he might leave someday and take his OTJ learning experience somewhere else and do an even better job. But he won't get booted unless he goes all bezerk on TV while having a bad year that hovers around .500. I always felt the hire was more of a buffer deal. We had it so bad before him, we just wanted someone to believe in the traditions, play tough defense, be respectful and respected, and be competitive. Some of that has happened, some remains a rollercoaster ride. We just want to see this team represent and hopefully get back into the top 10 constistantly. But unfortunately that's how crummy it has gotten. Have to say "hopefully". Kind of tired of hoping. It should have been done by now. Hey man welcome back btw! Wasn't your wife a Husker fan IIRC?

i agree with you, i think that the players just arent able to go out and play... they have to many reads and progressions they have to go through while the play is going on before they can react and actually make a play I agree with yall. I think it would be ok to scrap the containment style rush, the bend-don't-break style of defense, and the part where guys are constantly running in and out before the play because "ooh ooh we saw that on film - we know how to set up our defense". Nah...just be simple. It's friggin football. Not a contact sport, but a collision sport. Get your toughest 7 guys in the box, be more physical then the other team, disrupt as many plays as possible, and shut the running game down - period. Force teams to be one dimensional and go to the air. The secondary should be physical enough and good enough to hold their own by now. I shake my head sometimes bc I just don't think (as good as these running/dual threat QBs are or can be) that they will beat you through the air time after time. They are more than likely to make more mistakes (INT, force throws, fumble in the pocket, take a sack, get rattled, etc) than they will if you keep the process of the current style. Hit a freakin QB a few times (legally) and let him know you are there. Send 5 guys up the gut - put pressure on them OL and QB. If they make plays, then tip your hat to them. But make them beat you through the air the whole game. Dennard, Martinez, Colter, even Braxton Miller - see what they are really like when you shut the run down and the scramble lanes. They will force it - just watch. And as long as you don't just rush 4 guys and think that will do it. Because that only keeps running lanes open on passing plays (its how they take off when they see an opening that kills us). You don't have to send the house, but geez - send 5 to 6 each time and let them figure out how to block the rush, not panic and or get frustrated and force things. Forget draws, screens, play action and getting burned. With 7 to 8 in the box it will get snuffed out. Put the schemes and super playbooks away and get back to playing tough physical football man. Oh, and if your defense gives up 63 or whatever, don't cry about the process and techniques and execution- give those starters the blackshirts at the start of the season for once and let them have some pride and play with pride. They are the Blackshirts whether you think they are or not. Just my thoughts on it.

Not the biggest Bo fan, but I'm not bothered by what he said. Dude just needs to spend more time with his front 7 of his defense. I think he's made our secondary physical and prepared each week. It's a shame it seems to stop right there. Kind of been like that since day one.

Interesting read. If the score wasn't so jacked up, or if it was a 7-10 point loss, I don't think stuff like this goes into thought.

Thanks for the nice greetings. Cheers and good luck

Thanks Chaddy. These things are pretty cool to hear. As far as OSU - they can be tough all they want against the run, and they can try all they want to stop us. They must have missed the memo. We run AND pass. When we manage yards on the ground and through the air, we can move the chains and wear a defense down. Or as UW saw - score quickly. Plus we are nowhere near they're hated rivals Michigan in comparison. We don't just jack up 30 yard passes and hope a reciever gets it (when they stop the running game). And we are not like Sparty who has an ho-hum average offense when you game plan against the run. If our QB stays calm and collective as he is capable of, our WRs, TEs and RBs will help him along and move the chains through the air and on short quick strikes. It's too late when they try covering that - bc Burkhead, TM, Ameer will then keep running north and south....getting first downs and eventually wear defenses down. That's what this Husker offense is SO capable of. We just need TM to keep it together AND for Beck to be smart and not get rattled either. Amen.

Good. Glad you're feeling not so confident. Neither are we. That's why it's such a great matchup. Either team could win and be justified. They're pretty even to this point. Both teams have confidence. The game can go back and forth all day, but it only takes a play or two to kill or take over momentum and it's over right then. I think going on the road gives OSU the obvious edge. Both teams coming off good wins. Can Urban State lose at home? Glad yall beat Sparty bc I don't see the Ohio Meyers losing 2 in a row. Plus yall have the revenge factor going in. Kind of like what we have/had this year against UW, Northwestern, Michigan. Cheers!

Good to see him play good. He really kept it together. He is capable of that. The main drawback is doing it consistently, and that will come. Good opportunity this week to string along a few good games together, or its back to ------- (insert any valid point).

Don't know if it was challengeable or if the upstairs ppl knew the rules. Yes it was a catch. Ball hits the ground from stretching for yards and the far end zone ref who emphatically called incompletion must have been from Eau Claire....Winnesota-peeka... or Hacken-chewaka...

To me it was pretty obvious. Pick your poison. They game planned on Rex. Sans the fumble he fought hard and picked up gutsy yards after getting swarmed each carry. Once he left the field, the Badgers were besides thereselves. Fourth quarter he dragged them for first downs. UW Basically took him out and let TM and everyone else try to beat them. Ameer played great (even though he coughed it up).

Pretty much hindsight at this point. We didn't forsee Abdullah becoming legit after limited carries in his first year. Braylon has been able to run more aggressively as well. Would love to see Rex remain healthy the rest of the season. I like that they are giving Cross some snaps. Gives them confidence so when they are called on, no matter how big the game is, they won't have jitters.

I hope Cam revisits his old aggressive all-out style that made him a favorite. Somewhere it disappeared into the black-shirt hole. Kind of reminds me of Corey McKeon. They both bursted onto the scene playing wild and crazy and got after it. Then over time they both kind of regressed. I still believe he can be a force. But that's up to him.

Appreciate the researching, but I can't stand when people adjust/alter facts in order to make a point, or relay a certain mood in their message. When it is on the road, wins are wins... Good research.... Haha it's all good in da hood That's not how I justify...that's how I avoid making bets Word. Didn't realize it, but I was a bit of a debbie downer. I'll take this now and regroup!

I would def toss out all rankings at any point. If a team can run and throw equally well, then yes our hands will be tied. That's the combo that has been killing us. Not to mention since '08 we are like 15-11 on the road (including neutral field games). And if you take out the road wins vs ISU (twice), Baylor, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Colorado, we are subpar, sub .500 on the road. That's just FWIW :/

Thanks for link MAUD I'm with Zoogs, I really liked JP's stance. Especially his reaction and response towards the jackwad. Sucks, but it did take a jackwad in order for me to see that. Now I don't have to be on full ninja mode this weekend

Good point BRI. Looked at the list again and saw no events for alcohol and HB hugs on it. Do we just do that when we win?? D'awwwww

"number of points we surrender on defense- 21" Over 100 yards rushing by an ASU RB:

I remember. I missed you.

Sucks eggs. Ya it was swallowed in the Chase Rome thread before it got hijacked.

But I do agree with the screen pass. The only time it had a little success was Zac Taylor to Porkchop up the gut.

Word.

You would be correct. Thanks I am shocked there are no "tweets" about who/what the 3-4 might look like. I would honestly be surprised to see a 3-4. I haven't heard any of the coaches say anything about switching to a 3-4, only a few posters on this board who have speculated about it. If anybody has a quote/vid/audio clip of Bo, Papuchis, or any of the coaches saying anything about switching to a 3-4, I would love to hear it. I don't know if you will find the quotes, but if you look at the shift in the heights/weights/speed of the guys that we recruited last year and this year and compare these guys to previous years, it's pretty obvious to see that the defensive priorities, at least in the front 7 have shifted. This is especially true at DT where you can easily deduce that we are going from traditional 4-3 dts, to true 3-4, pile-creators. As far as Anderson goes, I hope that people don't get too excited before the game or even if he plays well against Ark St. and assume that he is going to be the second coming of LD. Those are tough shoes to fill and I would honestly be satisfied if he a. looks athletic b. can tackle. Both of those qualities together would be an upgrade from what was out there the first two games. Nah I don't think anyone is going to give him the Lombardi or Butkus before he takes the field. But I hear ya and I agree. I think people will be more in tune this week to watch what guys are doing on the defensive side. As oppose to following the leather ball around and yelling at the Big Screen. Something needed to be altered on defense. So this is a wait and see type of deal for us fans, and an opportunity for ZA. Hope it works out.

Thought 2 Pelinis are better than one... It's too soon to tell. But I liked Carl.