Osborne vs. Callahan

[iahuskerfan]

First off let me say I think Osborne was a great coach and a class guy but let's step back for a moment and think about this.

 

Osborne inherits a National Championship caliber team and takes 20 years to win the National Champoinship, yes I know 83. He regular was whipped by Oklahoma, Colorado improved and started winning, and seemed to always be "outcoached" in a bowl game. I'd say go look at some of the bowl performances over the year. Until he started winning the titles I think most of Husker Nation could have been on the sideline to call the plays as we all knew what was coming. Our Blackshirts really only applied to our front 7 as our defensive backfield was routinely thrashed by the passing game. I know I remember a few calls for Osborne to get the boot throughout his tenure also.

 

In 04' Callahan took over a team that was going to the level of Missouri in my opinion. He's had calls for his head, criticized he's passing to much, criticizes he's running to much, criticized for being predictable, not being able to gameplan, not being able to adjust during the game. These are all honestly things I've heard about Osborne during his years! There is no question we are a better than than we were in any year from 1998-2003 (yes I know 2001 was a National Title shot but take away Crouch and we were crap). Things are going the right direction and I actually have faith in Callahan.

 

I will say the loss last night was dissappointing but I must be in the minority in thinking we had the right game plan but did not execute. We make mistakes! I don't care what the gameplan was our boys needed to be flawless, and they weren't and I still love them. For those of you saying Callahan played not to lose I think that's horsesh**. He put togethor a gameplan to try and keep their offense off the field and give our VERY thin defense a chance to rest and not be in a track race that we were going to lose.

 

Step back and think of the mistakes we made and then the mistakes they did not make! They had "0" turnovers which we needed!

 

Okay I'm stepping down and Go Big Red!

[DJR313]

I will say the loss last night was dissappointing but I must be in the minority in thinking we had the right game plan but did not execute. We make mistakes! I don't care what the gameplan was our boys needed to be flawless, and they weren't and I still love them. For those of you saying Callahan played not to lose I think that's horsesh**. He put togethor a gameplan to try and keep their offense off the field and give our VERY thin defense a chance to rest and not be in a track race that we were going to lose.

 

Step back and think of the mistakes we made and then the mistakes they did not make! They had "0" turnovers which we needed!

 

Okay I'm stepping down and Go Big Red!

you may be in the minority, but I agree. The gameplan was sound. Run to set up play action pass. Play ball control. Don't give them enough time on offense to get in a rhythm. Turnovers, penalties, and the inability to run the ball effectively really hurt. That game was a measuring stick of sorts. It showed USC is a top 3 team and Nebraska is a top 15-20 team. Doesn't mean we aren't any good, but still aways from beating a team of USC's caliber. We have a good team though. I look for this game to help in the long run and make them a better team. We have now shared the field with the elite of College Football, didn't really get blown out and we have the rest of the season to pick up steam and improve.

[Hunter94]

ok, less assume for a minute that this was the "right game plan", run 3 times and out, run 3 times and out, run 3 times and......so it is obvious to me that the o line is still nowhere near where it needs to be......and they had a better pass rush then we did, cause we seldom blitzed.......we took no chances on the d or o side of the ball...when you play a team with superior speed and talent, you take chances to win....or play it close with no chnace at all......and hope the other team self destructs......i understand the plan, just thought we might make 2nd half adjustments when the outcome was clear......

 

 

hunter

[Axl_sued_me]

I would still pick Callahan for governor.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

ok, less assume for a minute that this was the "right game plan", run 3 times and out, run 3 times and out, run 3 times and......so it is obvious to me that the o line is still nowhere near where it needs to be......and they had a better pass rush then we did, cause we seldom blitzed.......we took no chances on the d or o side of the ball...when you play a team with superior speed and talent, you take chances to win....or play it close with no chnace at all......and hope the other team self destructs......i understand the plan, just thought we might make 2nd half adjustments when the outcome was clear......

 

 

hunter

Good points Hunter!

[Eric the Red]

First off let me say I think Osborne was a great coach and a class guy but let's step back for a moment and think about this.

 

Osborne inherits a National Championship caliber team and takes 20 years to win the National Champoinship, yes I know 83. He regular was whipped by Oklahoma, Colorado improved and started winning, and seemed to always be "outcoached" in a bowl game. I'd say go look at some of the bowl performances over the year. Until he started winning the titles I think most of Husker Nation could have been on the sideline to call the plays as we all knew what was coming. Our Blackshirts really only applied to our front 7 as our defensive backfield was routinely thrashed by the passing game. I know I remember a few calls for Osborne to get the boot throughout his tenure also.

 

In 04' Callahan took over a team that was going to the level of Missouri in my opinion. He's had calls for his head, criticized he's passing to much, criticizes he's running to much, criticized for being predictable, not being able to gameplan, not being able to adjust during the game. These are all honestly things I've heard about Osborne during his years! There is no question we are a better than than we were in any year from 1998-2003 (yes I know 2001 was a National Title shot but take away Crouch and we were crap). Things are going the right direction and I actually have faith in Callahan.

 

I will say the loss last night was dissappointing but I must be in the minority in thinking we had the right game plan but did not execute. We make mistakes! I don't care what the gameplan was our boys needed to be flawless, and they weren't and I still love them. For those of you saying Callahan played not to lose I think that's horsesh**. He put togethor a gameplan to try and keep their offense off the field and give our VERY thin defense a chance to rest and not be in a track race that we were going to lose.

 

Step back and think of the mistakes we made and then the mistakes they did not make! They had "0" turnovers which we needed!

 

Okay I'm stepping down and Go Big Red!

Always good to bring this up...it's true

[CoachKevin]

There is a differance. Osbourne was always in the Top 10 for one and was a National Championship contender several times in the 80's. You also need to look at the Teams he lost to. How many were the National Champions? Oklahoma not sure how many times, Miami 2 times, Washington, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Colorado. A high percentage of them were National Champs. A bad year for Osbourne was a 9 win season. He did not lose to everage Teams. His losses were to Top tier ranked teams.

 

What took Osbourne from a Top 10 Team to a National Power wasn't his offensive game plans. They never realy changed. He always had a high scoring team. The differance was made prior to the 93 season. Osbourne and McBride visited Bowden at Florida State several years in a row. They started recruiting speed on Defense and made a switch from the 5-2 to the Florida states version of the 4-3.

 

I realy can't believe someone is comparing Callahan to Osbourne. Osbourne is in an Elite group of College Coaches. There is only 3 or 4 Coaches in all of College Football history that can be compared.

[AR Husker Fan]

I don't think the comparison was of coaching ability so much as to demonstrate that the fire Callahan is taking is perhaps unfair - and as proof, look at the fire a Hall of Fame coach took. That sort of thing.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

There is a differance. Osbourne was always in the Top 10 for one and was a National Championship contender several times in the 80's. You also need to look at the Teams he lost to. How many were the National Champions? Oklahoma not sure how many times, Miami 2 times, Washington, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Colorado. A high percentage of them were National Champs. A bad year for Osbourne was a 9 win season. He did not lose to everage Teams. His losses were to Top tier ranked teams.

 

What took Osbourne from a Top 10 Team to a National Power wasn't his offensive game plans. They never realy changed. He always had a high scoring team. The differance was made prior to the 93 season. Osbourne and McBride visited Bowden at Florida State several years in a row. They started recruiting speed on Defense and made a switch from the 5-2 to the Florida states version of the 4-3.

 

I realy can't believe someone is comparing Callahan to Osbourne. Osbourne is in an Elite group of College Coaches. There is only 3 or 4 Coaches in all of College Football history that can be compared.

Another change implemented after 1992 was to keep practicing prior to the bowl game. Nebraska endured that string of 7 straight bowl losses. During that string and prior to that the team took 2-3 weeks off after the last regular season game.

 

Coach Callahan has a long way to go to be spoken in the same breath as the legendary Coach Osborne. Maybe someday....

[Huskerfan55]

If you would pick Cally for Govenor my guess is your voiting for Heinemann too. Heinemann is the scary guy in my mind!

[gin_32]

Well, if you put Callahan in the same sentence as Osborne, then I hope to think that you are refering to professional careers. Callahan coached the Raiders and Osborne did play for the 49's. As for putting them on the same level as College Coaches........don't even go that way. Don't get me wrong...I'm going to stick with Callahan, he has the Huskers in the right direction. But come on....Osborne did inherit a team that was a powerhouse but he earned it as well. After several years losing to Oklahoma. He worked hard to earn it. After losing to Florida teams. Osborne earned it. Callahan needs to earn it....and hopefully he will be as sucessfull as Osborne was.

[Blackshirtsguru]

Well, if you put Callahan in the same sentence as Osborne, then I hope to think that you are refering to professional careers. Callahan coached the Raiders and Osborne did play for the 49's. As for putting them on the same level as College Coaches........don't even go that way. Don't get me wrong...I'm going to stick with Callahan, he has the Huskers in the right direction. But come on....Osborne did inherit a team that was a powerhouse but he earned it as well. After several years losing to Oklahoma. He worked hard to earn it. After losing to Florida teams. Osborne earned it. Callahan needs to earn it....and hopefully he will be as sucessfull as Osborne was.

But the older fans also remember that Coach Osborne used to catch living hell for not being able to beat those Florida teams! Funny how history and the fans have a way of repeating themselves!

[junior4949]

I think it's easy to compare the two. We're gonna have a 9 win season this year because we're pretty much only playing 2 quality opponents. Yeah, we're going to lose to them. However, we'll beat the other crappy teams we play. Osbourne played some really crappy teams with KState not only the Big 8 bottom feeder, but they were the NCAA Div. 1 bottom feeder. All the teams were bad except for OU. Then OU was put on probation and they went bad in a hurry. In comes CU. Osbourne lost to the good teams. I bet his record against ranked teams wasn't very good. I mean we had a stretch in the bowl games where we lost like 6 or 7 straight. If any other team had similar talent to NU, we typically lost those games under Osbourne. Anyone remember the 1996 Big 12 Championship game? I've never seen anyone get outcoached as bad as Osbourne did. This game cost us a shot at the NC game that year.

 

However, we're not in the same environment as we were when Osbourne was coach. Steve Puderson killed that notion 3 years ago. It's a win at all cost situation now. You now get one contract to get it done. If you don't, then don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. BC gets 5 years. Anything else is unacceptable. Solich got 5, so I don't expect BC to get anymore than that. In the next two years, we'd better make a BCS bowl or BC is as good as gone. This is just my opinion.

[gin_32]

Yeah...Osborne did catch hell....almost through out his coaching career....but my point is that he found a way to win against the Oklahomas and Florida teams. He earned his name in Nebraska history and paid his dues. I'm saying that Callahan isn't even close to Osborne....I just hope he can be as successfull as Tom.

[Nigel87]

I realy can't believe someone is comparing Callahan to Osbourne. Osbourne is in an Elite group of College Coaches. There is only 3 or 4 Coaches in all of College Football history that can be compared.

Even though it's not a direct comparison, Cally is not Osborne. I don't think Cally could be Tom if he wanted to (although he's trying).