Power-I

WHAT KIND OF STUPID QUESTION IS THIS, YOU'VE SEEN THE GAMES, WHAT DO YOU THINK -Bo

I have no issue with him calling out the fans, personally. I think most of the fat ass people who sit there watching the game, screaming at people "down in front!" like they are in their living room are the worst. The issue I have is he is stupid enough to do it with live mics around. Does he need to be fired because of the actual words? Not at all. Does he need to be fired because he's an idiot that needs to face consequences? Probably. Does he need to be fired because he's a defensive guru whose scheme doesn't work without superstars? Definitely. Use this opportunity for what it is. A free chance to get Pelini out of here for cause, and hire a coach who can build a scheme that works.

Interesting username with comments like these.

Now I may be a staunch Bo hater, but I can agree with this. He took a sinking ship and got us floating again. The question fans have to ask themselves is, is just floating enough?

Lol, you gotta love message boards. For some reason, I feel like you are really emotionally invested in this conversation we're having. So, 2 years ago, I'm told by this board to f*ck off, that I don't know what I'm talking about in regards to criticism of Pelini. I'm told to come back in a few years when Pelini has all his guys fully entrenched. And so I return for my comeuppance, and am told to f*ck off again, I'm an a$$hole for being right! Haha, even I gotta admit. That's pretty good. I guess I'll f*ck off again for another 2 years and see where we are. Keep up the fun circle jerking, its fun to witness every few years.

Well thank god you showed up now to remind us... whew... I agree that its a good thing I showed back up. Because all the people who were calling me out a few years back are wondering why Pelini is still coaching here now. geez Mister, then maybe you should coach the team, because you seem to be really good at this football thing... Never said I should be coach, but I should certainly be in charge of making hiring and firing decisions.

And I've bet you've sat around secretly pulling against Bo and Nebraska just so you can come back here today and gloat about being right. I know some others who are the same way. Just remember one thing. It's not quite over yet. The book isnt finished yet. Just remember. If for some reason Bo somehow turns it around, you better have your ass right back here to take the hits of being wrong. Cuz right now, I'm one of the wrong ones, and it's been a tough day, but I've frequented it and took my licks. Let's see if you would grow a sack. Your comment would really strike a chord if you were right, but that's not the case. I am a season ticket holder and pay a $1500/seat donation. Not the kind of thing someone who doesn't support the program or coach does. When i reached the age of 30, and started having real responsibilities in life, I put away the fan glasses and put on the reality glasses for Husker football. I don't care how or who we get it done with. We just need to get it the hell done at this point. And Pelini has had 6 years. So you can keep up the blind faith if you need to, but while this program might not be Alabama-level now, it certainly isn't Colorado level, and we should have much higher expectations. And your comment would hold more weight if you didn't come across as somebody to appear from thin air as another of the "I told you so" horde... Well I thought people could see my past posts, but as I look now it conveniently cuts history off in Sep. 2012. With that bit of evidence, I can see what a whack job I must sound like, since you can't see my past posts. Carry on.

Well thank god you showed up now to remind us... whew... I agree that its a good thing I showed back up. Because all the people who were calling me out a few years back are wondering why Pelini is still coaching here now.

And I've bet you've sat around secretly pulling against Bo and Nebraska just so you can come back here today and gloat about being right. I know some others who are the same way. Just remember one thing. It's not quite over yet. The book isnt finished yet. Just remember. If for some reason Bo somehow turns it around, you better have your ass right back here to take the hits of being wrong. Cuz right now, I'm one of the wrong ones, and it's been a tough day, but I've frequented it and took my licks. Let's see if you would grow a sack. Your comment would really strike a chord if you were right, but that's not the case. I am a season ticket holder and pay a $1500/seat donation. Not the kind of thing someone who doesn't support the program or coach does. When i reached the age of 30, and started having real responsibilities in life, I put away the fan glasses and put on the reality glasses for Husker football. I don't care how or who we get it done with. We just need to get it the hell done at this point. And Pelini has had 6 years. So you can keep up the blind faith if you need to, but while this program might not be Alabama-level now, it certainly isn't Colorado level, and we should have much higher expectations.

Dunno. You can ask this question about a dozen or so players over the last few years who looked to be playing well, only to inexplicably disappear like the Lindbergh baby. The smart ones end up transferring.

Of Bo Pelini. Look, people are in varying stages on the "oh sh#t, what do we do now?" meter. I've been off the Pelini bandwagon for a little longer than most people, but have been giving a lot of thought lately to why exactly he does, and doesn't make sense to continue as our coach. Here is what I've come up with. Pros 1. Good guy. Protective of his players. I know three players over the last few years, and all of them say they are a huge family, and everyone supports everyone beyond a shadow of a doubt. (although the way he throws his players under the bus in post-game pressers really has me questioning this lately) 2. Cares about NU and our traditions. Sure, he has his own spin on them sometimes (blackshirts and captains, etc.) but he respects and preserves them. 3. When he has an other-worldly talented DT and 1st round draft picks in the defensive backfield, his defensive scheme is almost untouchable. We've all seen that in '09 and some of the time in '10. 4. No scandals. With Pelini as our guy, I'm supremely confident that we will never have cheating scandals, diddling scandals or academic scandals on his watch. Cons 1. The severe beatings we have come to expect on a regular basis. This is numero uno for me. I don't care about losses where we are competitive (I mean I care, but I understand you don't win them all). With the program and talent we have, it is absolutely inexcusable to not be competitive in ANY games we play against top competition. Off the top of my head, the last time we were even remotely competitive against a top team was Missouri in 2010. Michigan State in 2011 was a nice win too, but definitely didn't have the cache and national attention that the 2010 Missouri game did. Not being competitive is unacceptable. The only thing Pelini is consistent at is the fact that we are going to suffer at least one, and many times multiple blow outs on national TV on a yearly basis. These games are so important for us, because kids in Texas and Florida have no freaking clue about Nebraska anymore, or any of our traditions. All they know is, they get a letter from Nebraska to come here, and turn on the TV and see us getting blown out by 30 points while announcers are making fun us and ESPN writers mock us. 2. Lack of killer instinct. I don't know what it is, but when we get up big, there is no sense of urgency to keep the foot on the gas pedal. This has always been a problem, and ironically enough, was a problem in that 2010 Missouri game as well. We got up 24-0 in that game IN THE FIRST QUARTER and let them hang around eventually settling for a 31-17 win. Talent is too even these days across the board in college football to get conservative when you get up a few points against someone, especially against top teams. Why we continue to have this problem is a mystery. Tim Beck couldn't even answer it himself in the press conference last night. 3. Lack of discipline and self control. The lack of discipline shows itself in the penalty problems over the last few years. How many times have we been flagged in crucial moments just because a guy wanted to get a last shot in. I don't care how talented you are, if you can't control yourself in pressure situations, that is always going to rear its ugly head at the most inopportune times. 4. Inability or lack of care in adjusting your defensive scheme to the offense you are playing and players you have on the field. Again, Bo knows his defense works with the right pieces. We all know his defense works with the right pieces. The problem is, he always thinks he has the right pieces, when he hasn't had them since 2010. So what does any sane coach do when he doesn't have the right pieces? He changes his scheme to get the most out of the pieces he has. This just befuddles me to the max. I know it is an ego thing, but shouldn't that go out the window when you have to explain how your scheme is still amazing as you are doing post game pressers after losing by 20 and 30 point a couple times a year? 5. A crew full of yes men. Pelini seems more interested in surrounding himself with yes-men who will not challenge him than hiring the best person for the job. Now some guys have worked out brilliantly (Fisher and Joseph off the top of my head), but the majority of guys who have positions that underperform seem to have a lifetime contract under Pelini. Again, just like with his defensive scheme, unwilling to make necessary changes and adjust to a changing landscape. All of these cons I listed are even somewhat forgiveable, if you don't take into account this is YEAR 6!!! Is this what we want for the next decade? How many top programs over the last few years have been somewhat down programs, only to make the right hire at head coach and become outstanding teams again almost over night??? Bama was a sh#t show in the late '90s and early '00's before Saban came along. Texas A&M was garbage before they hired Kevin Sumlin. Notre Dame was sliding for years before Brian Kelly comes in and takes them to a national title in his first few years. Michigan was down in the dumps, and then Brady Hoke comes in and they are recruiting like animals and are on top of everyone's list to become dominant going forward. Yes, we have a special problem some of these schools don't have, in being in a mostly talent-less state where we have to go out and work hard nationally for recruits. That is going to be a whole lot easier when we aren't losing by 30 and 40 points on national TV 3 times a season. At the end of the day, its time to get some fresh ideas in here at the head coaching spot. Six years is enough of an audition at a historic program like we have to see if your ideas work. They didn't.

You would not do well as a Kansas football fan All I can say is, it is one game. Firing coaches during the season never works out and once the word is out, recruiting dips too. I would recommend trying not overstate the importance of a single game. You guys got to the BIG championship last year (can't explain what happened in that game), but being a top team in a 14 team conference shows all is not lost. Hopefully they learn from the experience. Until the season ends and the body of work is comprehensive, I would step away form the ledge... No it's not one game. That is the whole point of the uproar. Pelini loses 2-3 games a year like this. Spectacular blow ups on national TV, where we look like an average mid major team at best. If it was one game, it wouldn't be as big of an issue. But we systematically can not compete at all against any team with half a pulse.

Tressel got fired otherwise he never would have left Ohio St. He had ties to Ohio. If he came here, he would certainly be looking to advance his career from Nebraska, IMO.

When we were up 21-3 with about 5 min. left, and the offense went into "protect mode" instead of going for the jugular, I got mad. I didn't think we'd get blown out like we did, but right there I said this game was going to come down to the wire. My friends thought I was nuts. How could i be angry, up 21-3 about to go into the half (of course they would prove my point on the next drive by scoring before going into the locker room). Pelini's teams have ALWAYS lacked killer instinct. That is shocking considering his attitude and the way he coaches. It is a major disconnect that is always there. While we have the ability to come back on anyone, no lead of our own is ever safe with Pelini is coach. I believe it all comes down to that, and that is 100% coaching. This fact makes Pelini constantly throwing his players under the bus after games ("it's all their fault, you saw the game" is his constant refrain) particularly disheartening. Pitiful. Not becoming of Nebraska football. Pelini is a good guy, and I think he wants the best for Nebraska, but he isn't capable of instilling the killer instinct, or making the necessary adjustments to function in games against high quality opponents. That's really the crux of it. So where do we go from here? Hopefully to Scott Frosts doorstep with a bag full of money and a mea culpa. Because while he is inexperienced, we need to take a chance on a guy who can recruit, adjust a gameplan as needed and no doubt wants to be here. We are basically back to square one in 2004, IMO. Let's build this thing up right, and not use a big name rent-a-coach (Tressel, Mangino, etc.) who will be looking for the next big thing.

Lol, I remember getting blasted a few years back on this board for basically saying Pelini was not the guy for us. Glad to see many have come around to reality.

Oh come on. This is a message board. About football. You can’t expect everyone to step in line and agree with everything you have to say. If you don’t like the responses you are getting, then put on your big boy pants and show them the error of their ways. Instead of threatening to storm out in a huff. For what it’s worth, I agree with some of what you’ve said above. And I doubt that there are any HB posters who would hold Pelini up as a perfect coach. He has flaws. But he seems to have the team generally headed in the right direction. I hope. Oh yeah, welcome to the HB. : Well I've been lurking here for 5 years, but thanks for the welcome anyway. Where did i say I expected everyone to agree with everything I said? I made a few critiques of Pelini and was given the wrath of the message board. It appears you've been here for a couple years yourself, surely you know how message boards work. Do you really think some facts supporting a dissenting view (uh, which I presented in my very first post in this thread, btw) are met with clear thought and intelligent retort? Hilarious.

I've tailgated in Lot 12 (the "U" lot right next to the Coliseum) for the last 15 years, and I can tell you that some of those corporate tailgates get so big that if you are confident, you can just walk up to their tailgate and get in line for some food. No one will know the difference, or probably really care even if they did! This lot is also a good place to see some ex-Husker stars/coaches. I regularly see and chat with Eric Crouch, Tommie Frazier, Milt Tenopir and a couple other lesser knowns. My tailgate is typically a smaller one toward the back of that lot, but we always welcome the random passerby who asks for a beve or brat. If you don't want to "risk" that, the Embassy Suites has a nice outdoor beer garden with live music that is a quick walk to the stadium. Also, indoors at the Embassy Suites gets pretty rowdy leading up to games. Additionally, checkout Barry's, which is now under new management and is supposed to remain a solid pre-game destination. One thing I never see anyone mention, but I think is pretty cool and "outsiders" should see is, just prior to the game, most of the band plays a set for thousands of people right outside the Westbrook Music Building (just south of the stadium). It is loud, awesome and always gives me goosebumps. As for carrying alcohol around, the general rule is: Have it in an inconspicuous container, and DONT leave the tailgate areas with it. No cops or campus cops are going to give you a hard time at all in the main tailgating areas. But I have seen it with my own eyes, cops are on the lookout for people once they leave a tailgate area to go to another tailgate area, or to head toward the stadium, they will nab and ticket you if you have a can of beer or a cup.

What anger are you referring to? Nothing about my post was demeaning or rude. I gave my impressions on why I believed your stance to be misguided - what's wrong about that, exactly? It isn't sunshine pumping, it's being a "realist", which is what you suggested so many of us do. Furthermore, I don't see a single person here who won't admit that Pelini has flaws, but exactly are you expecting? Your post I replied to was mostly negative in nature, so I merely pointed out why I think Pelini has those flaws you spoke of, which naturally means were were having an "honest discussion about his pros and cons". I did not say you were wrong. If you want people to understand your opinions, then you need to substantiate them better. You said we've regressed and Pelini needs to be better - I agree with you, but spoke about why he might have regressed the last couple seasons. This isn't turning a blind eye, and I don't appreciate your insinuation. Sorry, i quoted you since you were the last response, but I should make clear most of my post was not pointed directly at you, but at the thread as a whole. Look back at some of the responses.

Being a realist means you accurately reflect how things really are, and I feel your view is slightly misrepresented. Consider all the challenges Pelini has had to overcome. -A fan base that was torn, a culture that was partially ruined, and a team full of dejected/poorly coached players. -A couple of months to scrap together the best recruiting class he can. -Conference realignment. -The "reassigning" of your offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and a handful of other coaches. -A hushed up problem with your brother, Carl Pelini. -Constant media, university, and fan base scrutiny. -A parent dying. -Need I say more? These challenges may seem minor when you read them, but some are monstrous if you really think about them. And this is a first time head coach we're talking about. Not a guy who started at Podunk Metropolitan and worked his way up. Pelini was fully aware of some of the hurdles he would face at Nebraska on top of being a first time head coach, but he's not Tom Osborne and he certainly didn't take over the program in a similar fashion. Unfortunately, he and every coach after him will be compared to Osborne. These reasons will not keep Pelini off the hot seat indefinitely, but they're good enough for me to give him some more time to work things out. This board is insane. Not only have I stated that I think Pelini is a tremendous teacher and schemer, my critique of him hasn't even been particularly harsh. If this board is only for sunshine pumpers, I understand, and I won't let the door hit me on the way out. But I don't see why the smallest critique of Pelini is met with anger. OF COURSE he has done plenty right. He also has several questions about his ability to lead a big time program (as many have stated themselves, this is his first head job. We have NO WAY to know if this "process" he is running works AT ALL). But if you want to turn a blind eye to them, so you can sleep better at night, be my guest. I guess I'll go back to being a lurker, because clearly no one wants to have an honest discussion about both his pros and his CONS.

It seemed you suggested the defense Bo inherited (2007 squad) was one of the most dominant of all time. No one is up in arms. No, but I also don't think it takes Buddy Ryan to show Suh, Amukamara and the rest of them to play defense. Just not Kevin Cosgrove. Pelini deserves plenty of credit for developing and getting the most out of that awesome talent that Callahan brought in. But he also deserves questions as to what has happened since.

I think Pelini is an EXCELLENT teacher of technique and schemer on the defensive side of the ball. But there are plenty of people giving him credit for that, he doesn't need me to caress his ego there. But his ability there doesn't mean I have to be completely blind to the obvious flaws that I see.

What exactly have I said that seems to have everyone up in arms? I stated that you can't compare TO's start to Bo's. I don't think there is anything unreasonable about that. I stated facts about Pelini's record and TO's. Nothing to argue about there. I, admittedly, poured on the hyperbole by stating that the '10 Blackshirts were one of the most dominant in history. I've seen that is demonstrably incorrect, but I haven't seen the demonstration. It's not like I said it was THE MOST dominant, but I think top 5 easily. It seems like many here are too emotional about criticizing Pelini. But why? He has proven many times in his comments that he doesn't care what you think, good or bad. And THAT is demonstrable.

I can agree with the fundamentally talented part, but the reasonably well-stocked part is a bit of a stretch. We didn't have much depth on defense even by the time Pelini had them playing lights out. Either way Power-I was very much incorrect, since that's not what he said. He said Bo inherited one of the most dominate defenses ever, which is demonstrably false. Unless you are Mitt Romney, I expect you to actually demonstrate what you say is demonstrably false.

Tom kept the train rolling. Bo is trying to rebuild the entire rail line from scratch. Have people forgotten? The four years prior to Dr. Tom taking the helm Nebraska went: 1968-1971: 39-6-1 with back-to-back national championships in the final two years The four years prior to Bo taking the helm Nebraska went: 2004-2007: 27-22, not even going to a bowl game two of the last three years Nobody disputes that Dr. Tom is a genius, and nobody disputes that Bo's rebuilding project is taking longer than anticipated. But let's not pretend that they inherited similar programs. Tom got a Ferrari. Bo got a parts car on blocks. Really? I didn't know one of the most dominant Blackshirt defenses ever assembled is considered "parts car on blocks". Pelini inherited plenty of underachieving talent that he got to work on, and yes, he got them playing great. But what now? We have regressed since '09. At 5 years, I think we can stop talking about what Pelini inherited as a valid excuse. Time to be a realist.

TO wasn't making 3 million dollars a year, complaining about the attitude of the people who were paying him. He also didn't regularly lose games by 30 points, and drop a game per year to some cellar dweller. In his first 7 seasons, TO lost 4 total games by more than 2 TD's. Pelini lost 3 by more than 2 TD's last year alone. Times aren't the same, and those two coaches certainly aren't the same.