TemporarySaint

Christ that video was depressing, and like others have said, shows how long we have to go before we are ready to compete for mNCS. That was a complete team breakdown. Maybe the defense was tired, but we still gave up most of our points in the first half with some big defensive breakdowns. A Bo Pelini blackshirts defense should not give up 17 points in one quarter, especially with some atrocious pass defense at points (the coverage on the Kenny Stills near touchdown was just awful). Of course the offense deserves a fair share of the blame. 5 turnovers is inexcusable. Martinez stuck out most to me in the video. It made me remember exactly why I'm worried about him being a starter next year. Whether it's just because he was a freshman, he just makes awful decisions. I've heard some talk about his ability to improvise, and I'm not exactly sure where this idea has come from, but Martinez is awful when he goes off script. If he doesn't run across the field twice only to lob a pass into a crowd of OU defenders for an INT, I'm not sure we lose the game. Though the line had some terrible blocking at times, it's stil on Martinez to learn when to throw the ball away. All too often when Martinez shuffles in the pocket, he makes plays worse instead of better. Injuries may have affected his ability to make plays with his feet, but they have nothing to do with his ability to make better decisions.

He's not. He just gets credit as such because of the talent the Jets have on the offensive line (when healthy). When they're not healthy, he doesn't look so hot. BS. BC is roundly considered to be one of the best o-line coaches in the business. I don't see how this matters much either way, Wags was the primary guy in charge of the line regardless. While our lines weren't anything at all special during the BC years, our pass blocking has deteriorated quickly in the last couple years. I would give anything to see tackles forming a decent pocket this year or at least not being repeatedly beaten by simple speed rushes.

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation. Oregon does this quite a bit. We did this against Idaho last year HTH. You are correct! I remember that! I believe Niles was the trailing pitch option, correct? I believe we ran it at least once with niles as a trailing pitch man and another time with both Rex and Roy.

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation. Oregon does this quite a bit. We did this against Idaho last year HTH.

Good to see another UW student on the board!

Kiffin went after Gilmore a couple years ago and Gilmore turned down the job, so given that he's coming after him again it would seem that Kiffin has high respect for Gilmore's abilities. Certainly they mesh from a schematic standpoint. I think the development of our receiver's blocking has had more to do with the offensive direction taken in the last two years (where our receivers have been called on to do little more than block) rather than Gilmore's specific abilities. He's a much better guy in a WCO environment. We saw improvement in our receiver play when he gave in '05 and he should definitely be given credit for his work with Swift/Peterson/Purify. Big move for Gilmore, an upgrade really, and I'd expect him to do well.

I don't think anyone was really expecting a Gruden level hire. Scott Frost would only be splashy because of the Nebraska connections, I don't think he's necessarily a big name. Other guys like Warriner and Phillips were reasonable hires for a team competing for a national championship. There's a difference between a big, splashy hire, an expected hire, and what we got. I would be shocked if a single team in the top 15 has hired a coach who has no previous experience (Garrison). Of course most programs aren't filled with splash hires, there aren't that many splash hires to go around, but simply reducing them to "solid coaches." Isn't exactly accurate. The top programs are largely filled with guys with extensive pro and college experience. Guys who've spent the last decade winning BCS bowls and coaching all-americans. Not coaching pop warner. Compare our situation with Texas and LSU for instance. In order to revamp their offenses LSU and Texas both go out and get guys who've been coaching at top 10 programs and winning BCS bowls. LSU hires a guy like Kragthorpe. Texas gets Harsin from Boise. They get guys who are some of the best in the business, while we settle for unproven gambles because they're Bo's buddies.n Milt actually recommended Garrison for the job as one of the best young technicians in the game. I'll take that. We'll just have to disagree. The secondary coach at Bama was a student assistant promoted to video guy to coach as an example where your wrong. You point out those two examples I'll use Bamba , Ohio State U, OU, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Oregon for examples where they built quality staffs from GA's guys at mid majors, high school coaches etc. Its way more common even at top programs to have guys like Bo hired than ones like Florida or Texas hired. Take the time to examine the staffs. Hell just follow football scoop and watch who's getting hired. You'd be very surprised. I think you've confused my point and I have examined staffs. I'll restate what I said earlier. Most top staffs are largely filled with guys with extensive pro and college experience. Guys who have coached from BCS teams and in big bowl games. The guys who come from mid-majors are usually guys who have spent a significant amount of time coaching. I don't think we're too divergent in opinions, but guys taking Fisher/Garrison paths straight to assistant coaching positions at top programs is far more rare than you contend. Both Ohio St. and Bama follow the paradigm I've outlined. Almost all of the guys at Bama have coached in the NFL (many with Saban) or at other SEC schools. Ohio St. is similar: guys with NFL experience, guys with experience at other BCS schools (when they had an opening in the off-season they tapped Drayton, one of the top position coaches in the country), and the guys coming from mid-majors have been cutting out their place there for years. There are no straight from golf-instructors/straight from high school or first time coaching experience guys on this staff. Oregon is somewhat anomalous in that most of their coaches have been there for 15+ years (honestly if we were going to follow the Oregon model we would have retained every coach, they've shown incredible continuity/loyalty). Even then the guys who are newer hires come from other BCS schools or guys with extensive experience at mid-majors, with experience being consider either way. Wisconsin is similar. Again, Garrison/Fisher types are more exception than rule. Nebraska's current staff is extraordinarily unique compared to other top programs in that we only have 2 coaches that have BCS asst. coach experience outside of Nebraska.

Texas hired Applewhite as an assistant when he had no previous coaching experience. How is hiring Garrison any different? At least come at me with facts. Applewhite coached at Syracuse, Rice, and Alabama before being hired at Texas. Plus, before being hired by Syracuse he'd at least worked as a GA at Texas whereas as an intern Garrison couldn't even be on the practice field.

I don't think anyone was really expecting a Gruden level hire. Scott Frost would only be splashy because of the Nebraska connections, I don't think he's necessarily a big name. Other guys like Warriner and Phillips were reasonable hires for a team competing for a national championship. There's a difference between a big, splashy hire, an expected hire, and what we got. I would be shocked if a single team in the top 15 has hired a coach who has no previous experience (Garrison). Of course most programs aren't filled with splash hires, there aren't that many splash hires to go around, but simply reducing them to "solid coaches." Isn't exactly accurate. The top programs are largely filled with guys with extensive pro and college experience. Guys who've spent the last decade winning BCS bowls and coaching all-americans. Not coaching pop warner. Compare our situation with Texas and LSU for instance. In order to revamp their offenses LSU and Texas both go out and get guys who've been coaching at top 10 programs and winning BCS bowls. LSU hires a guy like Kragthorpe. Texas gets Harsin from Boise. They get guys who are some of the best in the business, while we settle for unproven gambles because they're Bo's buddies.

Barney Cotton hate isn't anything new here, so I won't dwell on it. However, some have argued (and I tend to agree with them) that the o-line play was spotty all year. It seemed to really be feast or famine, either huge gains with proper blocking or crash and burn. I don't remember an awful lot of sustained drives this past year and the overwhelming number of our tds came from 1. long runs from taylor 2. long runs by helu 3. bombs to Reed. Our line execution was iffy all year and a lot of this was covered up by Taylor's atheletic ability. Once he was injured it just further exaccerbated problems we'd had all year IMO.

LOLOLOLOL at the attempted comparisons from Leach/Kelly to Fisher/Garrison. Kelly had worked as college assistant, albeit lower division, for 16 years with 8 extremely successful years as an OC at New Hampshire. Leach was a collegiate OC for 10 years and had two record setting years at Kentucky (enough to get Tim Couch drafted no. 1 overall). Both were definitely rising stars, at least had experience coaching CFB (looking at you Garrison) and compared to Fisher and Garrison's resumes they're not sparkling, they're blinding. What. A. Joke.

Next year our defense will be five times better than this year.

TBF, classic Wats would be WCO. I'm still curious to see if we can get a confirmation either way. Even if it resembles what we've run this year that doesn't mean anything. See the 2002 game against Ole Miss when Turner called the plays and it didn't look a thing different from what Frank called all year.

There's a rumor going around that Beck was responsible for playcalling last night. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Three years into the pelini regime. Well I'm pretty sure callahan could've gotten killed by a 6-6 team.

We have the worst line in college football

Attention Watson haters. Please watch the awful oline play. That is all.

I know this has been the eternal debate, but I point most of the blame at the offensive line. Our blocking was horrific. Our blitz pickup was awful. I don't care what scheme you run. It won't work with the OL play we saw tonight.

Outside any personal feelings regarding Callahan or Gill, I have a hard time finding fault with Callahan in this story. There is definitely a problem when a receivers coach can't get his guys lined up properly that long into camp. I assure you our coaches now here way worse from Pelini in practice every day. ¿Que? Are you referring to some other part of this thread? Because if you're referring to the part you quoted, I have a hard time understanding how you could fail to find fault with this. I'm referring specifically to really the only part Callahan is mentioned in the story. He coached wide receivers in his only season under Callahan. I cringe every time I recall Callahan, during a preseason practice, barking, “Day 19, Turner, and you still can’t get them lined up right!”

It's more than that. Even if Cally was a success, his style would of been hard to swallow. His arrogance, lack of respect for or history, and tradition. A college coach is more than that, they are first and foremost molders of men. 95% of your guys will never go pro, never even think about it, as the coach you are there to help them become stronger in life, not just on the field. After Cally was fired, it really came out how cold he was towards the players. I guess in the end I will always look to the interviews of players from our Nat Champ years under TO. You see some of the hardest men to ever play the game start to well up as they talk about what TO meant to them in there lives, and the respect they still have for him, no one will ever shed a tear for Callahan.... Outside any personal feelings regarding Callahan or Gill, I have a hard time finding fault with Callahan in this story. There is definitely a problem when a receivers coach can't get his guys lined up properly that long into camp. I assure you our coaches now here way worse from Pelini in practice every day.

Haven't they done the play once already this season? I could have sworn I saw it in the first or second game, but I could be mistaken. Definitely run already once against Idaho.

I'd assume we've really only just scratched the service in everything we have drawn up in this new system. We've pretty much been relying upon alternating between the inside and outside zone read. I'd assume there are a ton more plays involving getting both Rex and Roy involved (especially when both are on the field) not to mention motion involving Marlowe and Paul. With as good as our counter has been it's just begging for the defense to overcommit, letting Martinez roll out and find a wide open receiver downfield. This offense is going to be nightmarish for d-coordinators to scheme for in the future. Good stuff.

We're pointing fingers at the OC (who's called a good game today IMO) when our offensive line can't generate any push against Idaho? Wrong coach to be under fire.

Ricky Henry is just a completely undisciplined player. Guy needs to get his head in the game.