ESPY

If nothing else, take it from a compliance analyst. Broad interpretations are a good thing, especially in a message board like this.

I have confidence the offense will improve next season. Of course they couldn't do much worse. Sure, injuries and inexperience were a part of that, but what NCAA football team doesn't face those situations? I'm typically a believer that a team with as many healthy returning starters as NU will have next season will improve ten-fold if the same offensive system stays intact. HOWEVER, I'm not so sure that's the case with these players and the system they're under with Watson at the helm. Don't get me wrong, there's a decent chance the Husker offense will perform much closer to the tune of that AZ game, but I think Watson's numbers as an offensive coordinator are too daunting to overlook. On Dec 6, 2009, Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald provided the following: "Since 2000, Watson has been an offensive coordinator nine seasons in the Big 12. At Colorado (2000 to ’05), and at Nebraska (2007 to ’09). His standing in the Big 12 offensive rankings: • ’00: 8th in total offense, 10th in scoring offense • ’01: 2nd, 4th • ’02: 9th, 9th • ’03: 9th, 8th • ’04: 9th, 9th • ’05: 8th, 9th • ’07: 5th, 8th • ’08: 6th, 6th • ’09: 11th, 8th" With the entire 2009 season under our belts, the final rankings were 11th in total offense and 8th in scoring offense, and that includes the bowl game. That said, I think Watson has a lot riding on this season. The expectations are higher then they've been in a long time, and he simply must get this offense moving, regardless of personnel issues.

Yahtzee! I totesmagotes agree that Cotton has to get better results. He's far closer to losing his spot than any other coach. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we should give the Jets O-line coach another shot. He seems to have found his calling with that capacity

I'm thinking Prince & Crick will be on this list next year.

I watch football for the excitement. Regardless of the outcome at the end of the year, if it was a fun ride it was worth it. I'd rather get pumped up for 6 huge games a year than 1 or 2. One thing to gain would be that we'd always have one of the hardest schedules in the nation, and that would always help us in the BCS, even if we drop one or two. Honestly though, I'm not for that because we already play in one of the top conferences, and it's those games that matter most. Regardless of how good or bad our North Division counterparts are, we need to do well in conference games to get to the conference championship, and that's our ticket to the BCS, more so than even the toughest non-conference schedule.

The next 2 years we have Washington U. The following 2 years we get UCLA. Then starting in 2014, the Canes show up on the sched. After 2 vs Miami U, Tennessee is on the 2-year plan. So there you go. Each of these games will be nationally televised b/c Nebraska always schedules at least one top non-conference school per season. If you're doing the math on each of the 2-year deals mentioned above, and you add Boise St to the mix in 2015 & 2016, we're looking at the following: Canes & Boise St in '15, then Vols & Boise St in '16. If the Broncos can maintain the level they're playing the last 5 years, there's potentially two top 10 opponents for the Huskers in 2 consecutive years b/c Miami & Tenn should be back to where they've been as traditional powerhouses. Oh & the Huskers played and dominated Iowa in '99 and '00. In 2000, we beat the Hawkeyes & Notre Dame before conference games started in 2000. That was a big reason our 2000 squad was able to get the Nat Championship that year.

Obviously the offense has a lot of work to do to consistently produce numbers like they did vs AZ. But, I think that game had to be as much of an eye-opener for those guys as it was for the fans.

Thank you Enhance89. It's like you took the words right out of my mouth. Roy is explosively quick and elusive; he hits holes in a heartbeat (eg VaTech and MZ), and he has the speed to distance himself on long runs. Rex is a north-south runner with similar quickness and more toughness, evidenced by the 3 extra yards he got at the end of every run vs CU & AZ. Both have great vision and should succeed next season, especially if Watson uses the wildcat as often as he should (8-12 snaps per game). Rex is made for the wildcat, & Roy would do some damage in that formation with him. Plus, Rex will get 5-10 carries from other formations, which should match Roy's load. I see each getting 15-20 carries per game. Bottom line I think Roy and Rex are both going to have a great 2010. My prediction is that Roy runs for 1100 while Rex hits the 800 mark. I also think both are equally potent as receivers, so tack on another 150+ for each. Here's some more food for thought. Will Lee's performance as a passer be as anemic as it was in '09? I seriously doubt it. I know WRs need development to help him out in that area, but just imagine how much more dangerous Roy & Rex will be if the passing game clicks. Defenses will respect the pass, and that will make them more susceptible to our running game. Advantage - Roy and Rex.

MWahahah! That was excellent! Nothing like watching the Blackshirts rippin' heads off. Suh's gonna be missed for sure, but I'm anxious to see what the D can do w/ the guys coming back in 2010. Anyone hyped for next season owes a huge debt of gratitude to this dominant force. I'm glad you summed up the final NCAA defensive ranks too...makes it all that much more impressive. And it all makes ya wonder how the hell the Bama DefCo won Assistant Coach of the Year doesn't it? Kirby Smart, you should be ashamed to accept that trophy over Carl Pelini!

Dwayne Bowe is on a totally different level than Niles Paul, I agree. It takes a lot more than just improved focus for Paul to come close to Bowe's level. Sure, Paul's size & athleticism are similar to Bowe, but his route-running and ability to catch the ball on the run are atrocious by comparison. Paul has had a couple big games (MZ & AZ), but when you put him up against top DBs, he hasn't done a thing (see Texas, TxTech, VaTech games). If you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of Paul. His big play ability is great (& much needed on this team), but he has to be the most unreliable Husker WR1 I've seen. How many WR1s have you seen who can't catch a ball while running a crossing pattern at full speed? If you remember the CU game, Paul would've had 2 TDs if he didn't have to fall to his knees on crossing patterns just to ensure he catches the ball securely. Unless Paul gets tough across the middle of the field, he stands no chance of breaking his current mold. My opinion - he'll be nothing more than a punt & kickoff returner in the NFL.

Why the order change with different QBs? Paul has proven he is Lee's go-to guy (Kinnie is close, but Lee likes to go deep, hence Paul). For Green, I tend to believe he'll rely more on the short & middle pass patterns, and it's obvious Kinnie is better in those areas than Paul (Kinnie's not afraid to get hit b/c he's big and he has better hands). Plus, Green & Kinnie are younger and have probably worked together a lot more than the Green-Paul duo.

WRs don't get the ball unless the QB throws it their way. I think much of this discussion depends on who's at the helm. If Lee is playing, we're looking at this order - Paul, Kinnie, Cooper. If Green is in, we're looking at Kinnie, Paul, Cooper.

Callahan never would've been a "legend." That's a huge stretch. And even with a good def coordinator, he would not have succeeded like real Husker legends Devaney and Osborne. Sure, he could recruit and he was a mastermind with the WC offense, but therein lies the problem. The WC offense generally does not win national championships. Running attacks do, and that was the one area Callahan's offense did not emphasize enough. Look at the offenses of the most recent national champions and who they've beaten in the title game, & you'll notice the WC never finishes on top. The vast majority of the time it's the team with the best running attack that takes the trophy.

1) How long have you been a member of Husker Nation? 25 years 2) What/who led you to The Nation? My pops 3) Where are you from originally? Chicago 4) Where do you live now? Lincoln 5) Favorite Husker memory? Huskers coming back in the 4th to beat Miami for '94 National Championship 6) Worst Husker memory? Pederson era...yes, the whole thing was a shamockery 7) Number of home games attended? 20+ 8) Number of away games attended? 1 9) Favorite Husker memorabilia/apparel? 1997 shirt stating "Temporary Washington State Fan" 10) Favorite place to watch a Husker game? Student section of Memorial Stadium (South Stadium) 11) Favorite all time player? Scott Frost 12) WCO or Option? Option 13) Stevie Pederson or Billy Byrne? Byrne 14) Lil Red or Herbie Husker? Lil Red 15) Favorite Husker play? Black 41 Flash Reverse (went crowd-surfing in the North Stadium b/c of that play) 16) Favorite game-day beverage? Ice cold beer 17) How did you find HuskerBoard? Google