Osborne vs. Callahan

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

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.

Coach Osborne record against AP ranked teams (top 20 then) was 61-37-1 or 62.1 percent. Definately not bad.

[junior4949]

That is definitely better than I thought it would be. However, go back and take off 1993-1997. Over the 5 year span, we had the best record of any team ever. Just use the first 20 years of his career. I think the average will dip below 50 percent pretty fast.

 

His bowl record prior to 1993 was 8-12 in that time frame. Even over his entire career, he had a losing record in bowl games. I'm assuming most if not all of these opponents were ranked.

 

I'm not saying T.O. was a bad coach. I'm just saying he got outcoached in big games, noteably bowl games which are usually the biggest games of the year. T.O. finally figured it out after several years of losing to quality opponents what he needed. He needed a lot of speed on defense, and he needed a big strong running QB that could pass at least good enough to keep defenses honest. Anyone remember the days of Mickey Joseph, Mike Grant, etc.

[skersfan]

I think the point being made is what they started with.

 

Osborne inherrited a NC team. He lost to UCLA in the same stadium that year if I remember correctly. But the talent was there to run his offense

 

BC came into a situation where we had major talent problems, moral problems and strief between the fans, and not the correct talent to run his offense.

 

It is not a fair comparisson by any means. Starting on top and starting all over again is a different deal

 

I will not compare BC to Coach Osborne. But I do believe down the road a few years the comparissons will be favorable.

 

Trust me after a few years of Tom, there were an awful lot of fans that wanted him gone. Plus he played in the Big 2 and little little six.

 

It took Tom 20 plus years to get to where he (and the fans) wanted to be, some are only giving BC 3 and are demanding to win NC in a much much much tougher time to do so.

 

Give the guy the time he needs.

[Touchdown Tommie]

Well if history is repeating itself then we have a good thing going at NU. No coach will ever be TO, but they can try to build some consistency and possibly, just possibly another dynasty. People who are calling for BC to be fired and calling him out on his game plan need to just take a breath and settle down a bit. Could you imagine what we would be saying if he dropped back to pass the ball every play and ZT was getting sacked and throwing picks all game?? Keep the faith....BC will lead NU back to prominence again!!!

[junior4949]

It's a different era. There is no way he gets much time. There is talk Miami will replace Coker at season's end. He's won the title, and the graduation rate is the highest among football players ever. However, he very well is gone at the end of the year. Fulmer at Tennesee also has the hardware. He was on the hot seat before the beginning of the season. There are rumblings Franchione's job is in jeapardy at A&M. Some say we're different here at NU, but I don't think so. We joined the rest and became just like the rest 3 years ago. 20 seasons of 9-2 or 9-3 isn't going to cut it anymore.

 

I remember this website a couple of years ago. The faithful kept saying it just takes time, we'll be back in 3 years. Now, it's we'll be there in 5 years. We'll lose 3 games this year counting the Big 12 Championship game. Next year, it will be more of the same. After next year, I expect Pud to make BC fire some coaches. The year after or 2008 gets interesting.

[indianahusker]

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.

Actually, Oz switched to a more power running game in the mid to late 70's...

[skersfan]

Well it sure better. Because a coaching staff rotating continously will fail. Look at Alabama for guidance

 

Some on here said three and some said 4-5 to start with. We do not get the top freshman that can play, That is the story of Nebraska. It takes time to get the kids and it takes time for them to hit the field.

 

Miami has talent, and it comes in every year. Florida State has talent and it comes in every year. A&M is in the same boat as Nebraska. We get what we need but never the top of the list. We do not get the top for depth.

 

BC is not going anywhere. He will be here at least another 5 years if he gets to the 9-2 level.

 

If everyone is firing coaches that go 9-2 where are they going to get the replacements. It just is not going to happen.

 

Nebraska most likley will never return to winning 3 in 4. I truly doubt anyone will. We have to learn to be realistic about our future, some are just way to far out there.

[Nigel87]

I have Tom Osborne's 250th Victory poster framed on my wall.

Will we see something like that for Cally?

 

I don't think so.

[DJR313]

I have Tom Osborne's 250th Victory poster framed on my wall.

Will we see something like that for Cally?

 

I don't think so.

Yeah, because Callahan most likely won't be coaching here till he is 75.

[DaveH]

I have Tom Osborne's 250th Victory poster framed on my wall.

Will we see something like that for Cally?

 

I don't think so.

Yeah, because Callahan most likely won't be coaching here till he is 75.

[Hunter94]

It's a different era. There is no way he gets much time. There is talk Miami will replace Coker at season's end. He's won the title, and the graduation rate is the highest among football players ever. However, he very well is gone at the end of the year. Fulmer at Tennesee also has the hardware. He was on the hot seat before the beginning of the season. There are rumblings Franchione's job is in jeapardy at A&M. Some say we're different here at NU, but I don't think so. We joined the rest and became just like the rest 3 years ago. 20 seasons of 9-2 or 9-3 isn't going to cut it anymore.

 

I remember this website a couple of years ago. The faithful kept saying it just takes time, we'll be back in 3 years. Now, it's we'll be there in 5 years. We'll lose 3 games this year counting the Big 12 Championship game. Next year, it will be more of the same. After next year, I expect Pud to make BC fire some coaches. The year after or 2008 gets interesting.

junior, your whole theory here could be pretty dam close to reality......only time will tell......

 

hunter

[Benard]

I would still pick Callahan for governor.

I would to, that way he didn't have to be our coach.

[Nigel87]

 

That would keep him busy, but my vote would still go to Tom... and I have the shirt to prove it.

[junior4949]

LOL, where do we go to replace 9-2 coaches? Well, look where we went last time. Look where about every college goes. They go to either some washed up NFL head coach, or they go to some unproven assistant NFL coach. Coker at Miami could very well end up losing only 2 this year and getting fired for it. Hell, we replaced a coach that went 10-3.

 

The same alumni that give lots and lots of $$$$$ to the program didn't like the direction the program was going in 2003 are the same ones that didn't like the outcome in year 3 of the game last Saturday. IMO, the heat is on. If we lose to USC and Texas this year and we do the same next year, heat is put on Pud which in turn makes heat on BC. Things are gonna change. This isn't your daddy's Huskers and it sure as hell ain't your granddaddy's huskers anymore. It's win, win often, and win at all costs or else. We've already shown that.

 

Anyone ever wonder if TO would have lasted if numbnut Pud was AD back in 78? It is definitely a different era in college football, just ask Ty Willingham. Urban Meyers better make a run in the next year or so or he'll be the next coach on the hot seat. Carroll and Stoops set the bar way too high for programs. They came in and won the whole bag of marlbes way too fast. Now, every program out there is expecting the same results. You say that 3 out of 4 won't/can't be done, you must have slept through the last 3 seasons. USC is proof in the pudding. Oklahoma is pretty much the same other than they lost 2 of them instead of winning them. Fortunes come and forutnes go. I just can't believe we've actually lowered ourselves to moral victories. I have no idea what the future holds, but I know winning better be a part of it or BC's hourglass will quickly run out of sand!

[TrueHuskerFan]

The same alumni that give lots and lots of $$$$$ to the program didn't like the direction the program was going in 2003 are the same ones that didn't like the outcome in year 3 of the game last Saturday. IMO, the heat is on. If we lose to USC and Texas this year and we do the same next year, heat is put on Pud which in turn makes heat on BC. Things are gonna change. This isn't your daddy's Huskers and it sure as hell ain't your granddaddy's huskers anymore. It's win, win often, and win at all costs or else. We've already shown that.

Anyone ever wonder if TO would have lasted if numbnut Pud was AD back in 78?

 

So is it, "numbnut Pud's" fault or is it the boosters and alumni? You want to have it both ways. Now I've heard everything, it's Pederson's, Callahan's, the alumni's and the booster's faults. Don't forget about the players! Lucky, the entire secondary and the d-line and I'll just throw the ball boys in there for good measure. They should all be fired!

 

Why can't we just see this game the way it really is? A good old fashioned whoopin by a better and more talented team? Is that the state of Nebraska football nowdays, that we can't lose one game without spiraling into these conversations? It only took about an hour after the loss until someone had already suggested a name for a replacement for BC. And you wonder why SP starts feeling on the hotseat, it's because of fans like you all! Don't you realize that? Whatever, I think we are well on our way to .