ssfranny

From what I've been told all along was that Watson wanted out. Part of the reason his name came up for so many jobs was because of the feelers he put out for each and every job that came along. I don't think Bo fired him, and/or even wanted him to leave. Watson made up his mind sometime during the season that he didn't want to be here come the 2011 season. The gray area in all of this is what the agreement was between Watson and Bo with regards to Watson not getting picked up anywhere else. Obviously, it would have been better if Watson would have been picked up months ago. The timing thing of all this really isn't very good anymore.

 

The timing is awful, especially if Scott Frost is coming over. I have several Duck Fan buddies, and they're up in arms over the rumors in Eugene that Frosty is headed back to Lincoln. They are (justifiably so) upset that Frost had a hand in the recruiting of several players, only to bolt afterwards. They're upset that players may reconsider their choices to Oregon (which they can't after the LOI is signed, but whatever). Bottom line is, they're pissed we may come "steal" Frost from them.

 

I really, really hope we were up-front with all of our recruits about what was going on. If not, it looks bad for us.

 

WWWWWoooooowwww!!!! I have been out of the loop for a couple of days (cpu issues). I know this will come as a SHOCK to Jackson and his parents because I spoke to them yesterday during the Signing Ceremony. If Bo did not tell them Sanders may not be at NU, IMO that's not cool. They like Sanders.

 

 

If it's for some type of legal infraction like the rumor that's going around.....The school has no choice. If in fact that is why Sanders possibly/is leaving.

Isnt the speculation Sanders pulled a "Solich"?

We "finished" this utterly disappointing game 8 of 21 for 77 yards passing with 0 TDs. We dropped 8 catch-able balls or we could have finished a good solid day with 16 for 21 in the air for at least twice as many yards and 3 passing TDs. If our receivers caught just the majority of the passes they dropped today and it likely would have made up for ALL of the other team mistakes or weaknesses we displayed. Execute these plays and I think we would all be drunk and happy and swaggering in front of our TVs watching OSU get beat by Wisconsin and booking accommodations in Dallas in December.

 

I wish someone could figure out the psychology that is behind such epic human failures like this. If you are a skill player at this level of competition, you should be able to catch 99 out of 100 (NOT 50 of 100) balls that are thrown over the defender and within your reach. It should be AUTOMATIC! The HARD part of being a pass receiver is learning from your coaches and experience how to be a good run blocker and how to run good enough routes to get open and then do the EASY part that a good receiver can do in his sleep-- CATCH IT!

 

I played all sports up through HS and it's clear even in HS who the guys are that have the necessary hand to eye coordination to catch almost any thing and every thing that is thrown their way. There's not much left to coach once you are born with the innate physical ability necessary to catch stuff with your hands. You either have it or you don't.

 

1. 
    
   
2. Watson called several pass plays that successfully put several skill players in position to make a big play in the air to overcome Texas undisputed victory in the ground game.
   
3. Taylor and Zak both EXECUTED the called play and put the ball away from the defenders and into the catch-able range of the pass receiver.
   
4. The receivers EXECUTED the hardest part of what they are coached to do and they ran a route that put them in a wide open or advantageous position to catch the ball.
   
5. After so much good work by so many of their teammates, they had one little easy thing left to EXECUTE, the part that they could do already when they were 6 years old-- and they all CHOKED and cost us another big game and any shot at the MNC this year...
    
   

 

The fans and the players will all get over this in our own time and in our own way, but the bottom line biggest difference maker in the game today was that we called the number of several skill players who forgot their hands somewhere on the way to the Big Game. I sure hope they find them soon, because Texas and SDSU proved T-Mart and our run game can be stopped.

 

And as I finish this post, the clock hits zero as Wisconsin upsets OSU and we all just puke our guts out as the college football gods pour salt into our wounds...

I think some guys with crooked noses from Vegas paid a visit to Kinnie and Paul this week.

I blame Bo Pelini. Terrible coaching. Anyone else?

Kinnie and Paul made a lot of money from the game.....that 4th and 18 pass was on the money... my 5 yr old neice could've caught that. "REDemption" bet those shirts will sell for a nickel.

Tom Osborne did a great job. OU and Nebraska were in the same spot, a great football program but in a smaller TV market. Osborne had the guts to stand up to Texas a find a better deal, Joe C. at OU is still on his knees in Deloss Dodds office. Good luck to you guys.

I'd love to see Oklahoma and A&M go to SEC and tell Longhorns to suck it! I hope Nebraska and Oklahoma can play each other every other year though. That would be perfect!!!!

This is absolutely hilarious. However, the sad part is that while the three talking heads on Soundoff know that this is a huge joke, the rest of Iowa probably thinks that about Nebraska.

 

Oh well, that hick made some pretty good points about National Championships though!

I can't wait to knock those elitist liberals d*cks in the dirt. This will rival NU OU at some point

The Big Ten network is on Cox in Omaha

Channels 233 or 750 for High Def

SWEETTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!

Would a jump to the conference where OSU resides make Pelini less apt to be poached by them in the future? (Assuming that he turns out to be a great coach over time.) I've been wondering about that through all of the current events. What do you think?

I think Bo pushed for the move to the Big 10 and yeah makes it less likely he would leave to go to OSU. This was done for TV money and to keep Bo in place!

Sorry if this topic has been brought up before, but I haven't visited this part of the site in a while. If we continue to ascend in future years as we have in the previous two, can NU afford to keep HC Pelini? Can we keep up with the Texas's, OU's,LSU's, Ohio St.'s, Alabama's of the college world as far as paying their coaches top dollar?

Yeah we have one of the top 10 revenue generating programs in the country and with donors like Buffett, Walter Scott and David Sokol and ol Get er Done will pay whatever to keep him here. Right now he makes less than Gill. My guess is that will change shortly.

OK just went back and watched this game again for the first time in 14 years. I was kinda tipsy during that Fiesta Bowl and didn't really fully appreciate what that Husker team did.

In that championship game you had an undefeated Florida team led by Danny Wuerffel who had best passing efficiency season in college football (210 completions-325 attempts-3266 passing yards-35 TD passes) He was absolutely shut down by the Blackshirts of Wistrom, Peter brothers and Farley.

Tommie Frazier really should've won Heisman that year he was the best player in college football. Had 199 yards RUSHING in game vs Florida and Lawrence Phillips had close to 165 yards rushing.

In the end Nebraska set school records in a bowl for total yards of 629, rushing yards of about 520, individual rushing yards in a game by both Frazier and Phillips and most points scored. People argued that Osborne shouldn't have played Phillips but his backup Ahman Green had a great NFL career with the Packers so I really don't think that was the factor.

25-0 during that 94/95 back to back National Championship season and if it was wasn't for a missed FG at the last minutes of the game in 1994 Orange Bowl against Florida State in their 18-16 loss we would've been THREE PEAT champions.

Now USC back to back championship teams a few years back with Linehart and Reggie Bush were one of the best ever but that stretch in the mid 90s by Huskers I don't think will ever be surpassed.

The 1997 Huskers beat the Tennessee Vols against one of the best NFL QBs ever in Peyton Manning. They put up 42 points and 534 total yards against them and had to share the national title which was a joke.

So if not for a missed FG in 94 Orange Bowl the Huskers would've had national titles in 93/94/95 and 97 season. Had 36 wins in that 93-95 team stretch.

Ok so I made my argument so who else was that dominant other than USC a few years ago?

It may all be for a reason, but it still sucks

 

I agree. It was certainly not fun going through it, but in the end I believe it will pay big dividends much like the FSU game in '93 did.

Byron Bennett wide right... I still have nightmares over it!!!

Colin Cowherd just said that the Husker D is the best in the country and that the team as a whole belongs in the top 5. Not sure that we are that good but we are certainly on the right course.

 

In Bo we trust.

 

T_O_B

Huskers looked as good as I have seen them in 10 years last night. We had that offense all year and we're playing Alabama for NC! I think we can hang with anyone in the country this year!!

Knowing what we know now (Lee has been playing with a bum arm, Helu apparently has not healed completely and our O-Line CAN play ball), what is your opinion on Watson and whether he should stay or go?

He runs this offense like in the bowl game with Burkhead and we're gonna ROLL next year. If we had this offense all year, we're playing Alabama for NC this year!!!

With Gill getting $2 million and Mack Brown signing for $5 mil a year I'm guessing the university is going to have to kick up the money to keep Bo in chewing gum!!

Scott

That and my eternal disdain for texass lead me to say ROLL TIDE! Enjoy your title game and please feel free to utilize every scheme the pelini brothers drew up for your opponent.

I hope that we can disrupt McCoy the way Suh and company did. If McCoy has a down game, there is very little Texas can do to win. This, of course, is easier said than done. Alabama has a great defensive line, but not such a dominant player like Suh. He is truly special.

You guys will THROTTLE Texas!!! ROLLLLLL TIDEEEEE

this is from a golf website www.4gea.com and its a Heisman poll

Non-Golf (Non-Political) » Vote for Heisman

Who Do You Think Should Win the Heisman?

Colt McCoy

4 Votes (14.81%)

Toby Gerhart

5 Votes (18.52%)

Mark Ingram

6 Votes (22.22%)

Nadamukong Suh

11 Votes (40.74%)

Tim Tebow

1 Votes (3.7%)

27 users and no guests have voted.

You voted for 'Nadamukong Suh' on 9 Dec

This is directly related to football revenue.

 

Top 10 schools in football revenue for 2008

1. Texas $87.6 million

2. Ohio State $68.1 million

3. Florida $66.15 million

4. Georgia $65.2 million

5. Alabama $64.6 million

6. LSU $61.9 million

7. Penn State $61.7 million

8. Auburn $58.6 million

9. South Carolina $57.1 million

10. Notre Dame $56.9 million

 

Nebraska is #2 in the Big 12 at $55.2 million. Oklahoma is at $42.6 million.

 

Texas is so far ahead of everyone else it is ridiculous.

 

Yes, the salaries are insane but unlike the NFL they are not handing out multi-million dollar contracts to players so this is where the arms race lies in college football. Until people stop buying tickets, they will price them as high as they can. It sucks but fans don't seem to be speaking with their pocketbooks so this is the result.

I wonder how much of that salary increase is going to the refs for getting him in the BCS Championship. That utterly ridiculous for a college coach to make that kind of $$$

Not sure if this has been posted yet. Article from Fox Sports is below. Lots of people coming up to me because they know I am a Husker fan in So. CA asking for my reaction to the game. I would say about 80% of the people I talk to think we won and got jobbed. Yes, people want to talk about our horrible plays kicking the ball out of bounds and the horse collar (yes, I agree those were horrible plays and I was screaming when we did them). At that time I thought we were giving the game away. But then you know what? Texas gave the game back by horrible clock management and lost the game...it was over...clock at 0:00. Everyone expected Texas to win because they were within FG...but you know what they are human and made a bad play just like we had done earlier in the drive. No one wants to talk about that now...it was the biggest meltdown in clock management I have ever seen! But we all know what happened...refs bailed them out. I really have never had anything against Texas (honestly) and have never much liked Alabama...but if Alabama and Texas goes down, I hope Alabama completely destroys them.

 

Amen to this article.

Link:

 

The voters should do what the Big 12 game officials didn't have the guts to do.

 

That is, put Texas Christian (or Cincinnati, for that matter) into the BCS national championship game.

 

It's too bad it won't happen. The referees have an excuse: They work for the Big 12 Conference, which desperately needed Texas to avoid an upset by Nebraska.

 

The voters have no excuse. They still get to choose among undefeated teams to put in the national championship game against Alabama. But chances are, they will choose Texas.

 

Four times over the years, the Big 12 has screwed itself out of the national title game with a huge upset in the conference championship game. They weren't going to allow that to happen again, no matter how dominant Ndamukong Suh was for Nebraska.

 

Look, I don't hate the Longhorns. And I don't root for TCU, or Cincinnati ... or Nebraska. I don't hate the BCS, and I don't necessarily even crave a playoff tournament.

 

But that ending of the Big 12 championship game was just wrong.

 

Here's exactly what happened: There were 24 incomplete passes in the Texas-Nebraska game. On every one of them — every single one (I know, I went back and checked in slow motion) — the game clock ticked off that second, and sometimes another. That's how it always works in this and every other game: There's a bit of a human element (the eye sending the message to the brain, the brain relaying it to the finger on the clock button, the electronic impulses prompting the clock to stop).

 

And so, when Colt McCoy inexplicably decided to run a play with six seconds remaining instead of calling timeout or, well, showing any sense of urgency, he rolled out and threw the ball away, way out of bounds, as the clock ticked down to 0:00.

 

Nebraska rushed the field, Bo Pellini's team seemingly in possession of a sensational 12-10 triumph.

 

But since Texas coach Mack Brown wanted a second placed back on the clock, and because the Big 12 wanted to have a second placed back on the clock, and because all of the six major BCS conferences HAD TO HAVE a second placed back on the clock, and because the referees figured they might never have a chance to work for the league ever again if they do this wrong ... that's how it went.

 

So, unlike every other similar play in the game, the officials overruled the clock and put 0:01 back up on the scoreboard, and Texas ran the field goal team out there and Hunter Lawrence kicked it through.

 

So, since the refs felt the need to overrule the clock, the voters can always overrule the game officials. It ain't right: Texas has no business being in the title game.

Colt McCoy and especially Texas is overrated and this will be shown in BCS championship game. Alabama will OBLITERATE Texas and it could be sweet revenge if SUh goes to NYC and wins Heisman over McCoy and they show the play where he threw him on the turf like a rag doll. ROLLLLLL TIDE!!!!!!

Haha, not sure I'd like to see Crouch doing some coaching...Frost, that would be nice.

 

And jeez, knapplc, it's like you've met EVERYONE! Wow.

Frost I could see being a part of coaching staff in a few years......but Crouch? Hes not exactly a member of Mensa

Chatelain: Watson adjusts, the offense returns to form and a white-haired wizard waves his wand

Source: Big Red Today

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Maximize the few playmakers you do have: Roy Helu and Niles Paul.

 

Scrap that shotgun spread and commit to the power formation: I-back. Fullback. Wide receiver. Two tight ends.

 

This was the strategy Shawn Watson should've employed as soon as his offense collapsed in October.

Advertising

 

This was the ticket to a Big 12 North title. This was beautiful.

 

And then, on first-and-10 from the Kansas 46 early in the second quarter, something very fishy happened.

 

Zac Lee took the snap and dashed left behind the line of scrimmage. Another option?

 

No. Lee pulled up, pivoted, set his feet and found Paul wiiiiide open behind the safeties for 37 yards.

 

Tom Osborne, you can sit high above the field in a cozy suite. You can shake hands and stroll around in a red sport coat, looking like a senior citizen without a care in the world.

 

But you don't actually expect us to believe you didn't have something to do with that play, did you?

 

Sure enough.

 

About two weeks ago, Osborne gave Watson a tape of old plays. You know, Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost, the glory days.

 

One of the clips was an option pass — the same one you saw Saturday. Watson credited Osborne — “He's a beautiful human being.”

 

For a moment, Watson teared up. Then he continued.

 

“All those twists, he's helped enhance us. Coach (Osborne) gets the credit for those …

 

“He's been in there hacking away with us.”

 

Osborne isn't exactly OC in disguise.

 

The A.D. stops by Watson's office about once a week. He had seen Watson transitioning to more power sets the past month, so Osborne offered a few pointers.

 

The message: You may want to try some of this old stuff.

 

The past two weeks, Watson — with a major assist from Ron Brown — has searched the old tapes for a little of the old magic. He has identified a few wrinkles this offense can use.

 

Finding anything that works this season has been a chore. The frustrating part: It didn't seem like Watson recognized what he had — or didn't have.

 

He entered fall camp believing he had “something special” with the spread. He thought his new quarterback and new receivers could thrive, just as Joe Ganz and Co. did last year.

 

But as October wore on, it became clear that NU doesn't have four worthy wideouts and Lee needs a safe pocket with plenty of blockers. He needs one or two reads. He needs to throw downfield off play-action.

 

Force him to scan under duress and hit short targets and he struggles. Mightily.

 

Strangely, it seemed Watson was the last to see the ills, or was he just stubborn. Either way, could he adapt? Could he coach to his strengths?

 

It took a while — and a little help from a white-haired wizard.

 

Watson and the offensive staff went back to the drawing board a few weeks ago.

 

“We've had to get out of all of our comfort zones,” Watson said.

 

Watson and Brown each compared the brainstorming session to the scene in “Apollo 13,” when the minds at mission control pondered creative techniques to bring the troubled space shuttle home.

 

“You really find out how good of a coach you are when you have injuries and setbacks and trials and things don't go the way you planned,” Brown said. “You've got to figure out a way to go move the ball and win football games. That is the mark of a good coach.

 

“Shawn, he's the guy that's been humble enough to throw it all out on the table and say, ‘You know what? Let's see what we've got here. We can't put in what we don't have, so let's do what we can do.'

 

“It took humility to do that as a coordinator.”

 

Why not sooner?

 

“We were trying to figure it out,” Brown said. “It doesn't just happen overnight. You evolve to it, because you realize, ‘Oh, this is where we're at right now.'”

 

Having a healthy Helu has enabled the transition. Could NU have relied upon power formations without a workhorse at I-back?

 

Would've been tough, Watson said.

 

But power football doesn't require the same precision as the spread.

 

You just need feisty blocking and a few threats. And it doesn't hurt to have an offensive coordinator willing to change.

 

He'll never let his pride get in the way of winning a football game, Watson said.

 

“I love what I know, but I'm not afraid to open my box.”

Gee scrap the shotgun and WCO and go to power football and play action with Helu and Paul. I think most of us could've figured that one out!

Some people probably thought I was joking when I said the Huskers defense would kick the Sooners butt all the way back to Norman !! It was no joke !! Was I wrong?? I don't think so !! Yeah Baby GO HUSKERS !!

I don't know about you but I don't think 10-3 is exactly a "butt kicking"

In all honesty, that fact that Cody was named starter last week should give you your answer this week. I don't think you start the kid this late in the season unless you are willing to ride his shoulders to the end of the road. Going by what the coaches have been saying about players having to beat each other out to earn PT, CG beat out Zac Lee last week. If he has really made that much progress since January, then he will definitely be starting Saturday.

 

Besides, given our lack of offensive prowess we need all the playmakers out there we can get. CG may not be the Matt Leinart of the college football field but he is still pretty solid and a good downhill runner. I'm 99.9% positive he is your starter on Saturday.

 

I agree 100%...

 

so give the kid all of the reps in practice. At this point, do you really think Zac needs half the snaps in practice to be a serviceable backup?

 

I don't understand this thinking, but I'm also not in practice everyday or a Division 1 football coach so I will leave it at I don't understand. Not that they are wrong.

 

Unless Cody stunk it up so bad that they don't think they can continue with him yet.

 

He had some good plays, but we also scored zero points in the second half and he accounted for 7 of Baylor's points.

All things considered with our sucky O line and WRs with hands of stone it really makes no difference who the starter is. All things considered, if the QB needs to scramble Cody Green can run and get yards.

He should be put on team probation IMO, and he should practice without his blackshirt for the rest of the year.

 

For swerving to miss a dog? Are you kidding me? Please tell me WHY in gods name he would go on probation?

 

This is the most irrational comment I have heard in a while... and saying that on THIS board, is pretty impressive.

 

Not legal probation, just with the team, like a warning system. Just let him know he was lucky to get away with this, but that this kind of behavior is not acceptable for a team leader, or any team member.

What is "this kind of behavior." there is a team policy for impeccable driving? what next, punishing players for returning movies late?

 

Hitting 3 parked cars, at 2:30 in the morning after havng been out drinking the night after a game kind of behaviour.

Please on any given Sat night about half the campus has a .035 BAC haha Thats nothing. For him it probably would be about a 12 pack though

Fill in the blank

disown him for irreconcilable differences!

Statistically Paul had a pretty big game but that one play and the loss overshadowed it. I was disappointed with his lack of effort on the last "non" drive at the end of the game. Lee threw one deep and it seemed he didn't even want to go up and try to take the ball and the defender just knocked it down. Some may disagree but I thought it was a catchable ball similar to a rebound.

I actually think Paul is afraid of getting hit......

all of our recievers suck. This isnt even worth posting about. He lost us the momentum early against TT, with the worst play i have ever seen effort wise from a team, and then he looses the ball pretty much by himself. Do the team a favor, find a warm spot on the bench.

McNeil is a good TE we need to utilize him more