Why is it?

[Hunter94]

correct, good teams find a win to overcome adversity and win

[skersfan]

Yea that is great coach speak. But losing 4 top players from the defensive side of the ball, is a major hit. I remember losing Demario Williams and the whole defense looked differently very quickly. These are major players that are not in the line up. Yea sure you can say others have to step up, but when you lose basically four of that level, any team will have problems. We have them. Support the team and understand the game. This is not a time for coach speak. This is time to understand we are not as good as we were going into the start of the season. We do not know how many are playing with injuries, we only know who is not playing. Those hurt. Take Zac, Jackson, Purify and Mann out of the offense and see what happens. We are struggling without Mann. 4 Big Big hits on the D has put us in this situation. I think with the loss of these kids we have done remarkably well. Not saying I am please with the OK State game, but we now know that Q and Octo were not playing to the level we needed. See farther than what you want to happen, but what really happens. Quality depth is our problem, has been for quite awhile.

[vadernation]

I cannot believe how accepting the people on this board are!!! Have all of us forgotten what it means to be a Nebraska Cornhusker??? It means being pre-season ranked Top 10, winning 10-11 games every year, not hoping to play in a New Years Bowl game, but rather wondering which one it would be, and every couple of years, being in the mix for a National Championship. That is what it means - not hoping to win a mediocre division title and playing in the Big 12 Title Game. Not back-to-back Alamo bowl bids and this year, looking like we'll spend Christmas in glorious El Paso. I realize that building this program back up takes time, but we ought to be getting beat by freshman and sophomore athletes being too aggressive and overrunning a play... not a slow senior taking the wrong angle and missing the tackle. There ought to be a glimmer of hope that the glory days will return, but I don't see one. If we had not gotten Sam Keller for next year, and knowing what we know now about the players in the program, what would our expectations be for the 2007 season? I would think nothing better than 7-5 again (I'm hoping Keller gets us to 8 or 9 wins). But again, this is not good enough - not for the program I've grown up with!

[NU fan in Denver]

correct, good teams find a win to overcome adversity and win

 

 

Yea that is great coach speak. But losing 4 top players from the defensive side of the ball, is a major hit. I remember losing Demario Williams and the whole defense looked differently very quickly. These are major players that are not in the line up. Yea sure you can say others have to step up, but when you lose basically four of that level, any team will have problems. We have them. Support the team and understand the game. This is not a time for coach speak. This is time to understand we are not as good as we were going into the start of the season. We do not know how many are playing with injuries, we only know who is not playing. Those hurt. Take Zac, Jackson, Purify and Mann out of the offense and see what happens. We are struggling without Mann. 4 Big Big hits on the D has put us in this situation. I think with the loss of these kids we have done remarkably well. Not saying I am please with the OK State game, but we now know that Q and Octo were not playing to the level we needed. See farther than what you want to happen, but what really happens. Quality depth is our problem, has been for quite awhile.

 

4 top players on the D side of the ball???????? Where did you come up w/ that?????? Bowman is gone for the year. Steve-O while garnering a blackshirt, was/is a backup w/ 4 or so games under his belt and has been rather inconsistent. Shown signs of greatness and signs of mediocrity. He is not lost for the season, just some games. Dillard was also a backup, but was playing well against La Tech or Nich. St or whenever he went down. Q really hasn't missed any significant time. He is gimpy, not injured for the season. I guess I forgot about Fluellen. While he would have helped, he also wasn't a starter. Maybe the 5th or 6th best db. A converted db from wr, he had a learning curve to master. Maybe he would have, we will never know.

 

The O lost Mann and I think Byford has done quite well. I don't think Mann has yet to regain his starting spot. It's not as if Byford is allowing multiple stunts and blitzes through the A gaps constantly. The whole line is not playing super great, but well at times and adequate at others.

 

You want to talk about teams losing their top players, look at OU. First their starting QB, (some considered him the best qb in the conference), and then AP. While they are not having an outstanding season, they are getting it done and found someone to replace AP. I think they put up over 200 yds rushing vs MU.

[rawhide]

Once again, DEPTH and talent.

 

 

 

 

 

GBR

[skersfan]

If you truly believe Nebraska is on a talent level with Oklahoma, then there really is no sense in trying to converse with you.

 

Unfortunately most do not understand that Rawhide. Talent is down overall on the Nebraska teams since 1999. Not that we did not have talent, just not enough of it. Full recruiting classes were needed and we very seldom had them until BC got here. But to be honest his classes have not faired to well coming through.

 

We are in trouble on the recruiting side again this year. We have one top 100 athlete. SC, Texas, Oklahoma, and host of others have way more. We need wins to get the top kids. No matter how much we think history and tradition and facitilies make an impression, it is only winning quickly or playing instantly that make the final decession. I know recruiting stars make no impression on most. But if you look at the top teams, they all have been in the top of the recruiting wars for the last 5 years. We have one and it has fallen apart rather quickly.

 

We are still sucking hind tit on recruiting. I had hoped it would improve way more than it has.

 

But what is way more important is the attitude of the fans. If we are divided and calling for the removal of the coach, the kids shy away. They want stability. This staff needs to be here for at lesat another 3 years to see if they can pull it all together. We need to endorse them no matter the cost. Fans can cost this program recruits, we need to put a stop to that.

[Pedro Guerrero]

Have all of us forgotten what it means to be a Nebraska Cornhusker??? winning 10-11 games every year,

 

This is only true if you grew up during the TO times. Because since Devaney took over we have 23 10+ win seasons and 22 less then 10 win seasons. So if you grew up in the Devaney times you could say that you are just as used to non 10 win seasons.

 

 

 

not hoping to win a mediocre division title and playing in the Big 12 Title Game.

 

Since we haven't won the North since 1999 and have only won it 3 times in the 10 years the Big 12 has been around thhis should be one of our Top Goals. CU has won it more then us.

 

People around here talk about how bad the North is and say we should win it every year. So couldn't you say NU is used to playing in bad conferences? The Big Eight was terrible a side from OU, CU in the latter years, and maybe KSU the last two years. Besides those teams during TO's run must of teh teams were on teh level of Troy. That is a fact. KSU was the worst team in football, ISU was down near the bottom as was KU.

[indianahusker]

If you truly believe Nebraska is on a talent level with Oklahoma, then there really is no sense in trying to converse with you.

 

Unfortunately most do not understand that Rawhide. Talent is down overall on the Nebraska teams since 1999. Not that we did not have talent, just not enough of it. Full recruiting classes were needed and we very seldom had them until BC got here. But to be honest his classes have not faired to well coming through.

 

We are in trouble on the recruiting side again this year. We have one top 100 athlete. SC, Texas, Oklahoma, and host of others have way more. We need wins to get the top kids. No matter how much we think history and tradition and facitilies make an impression, it is only winning quickly or playing instantly that make the final decession. I know recruiting stars make no impression on most. But if you look at the top teams, they all have been in the top of the recruiting wars for the last 5 years. We have one and it has fallen apart rather quickly.

 

We are still sucking hind tit on recruiting. I had hoped it would improve way more than it has.

 

But what is way more important is the attitude of the fans. If we are divided and calling for the removal of the coach, the kids shy away. They want stability. This staff needs to be here for at lesat another 3 years to see if they can pull it all together. We need to endorse them no matter the cost. Fans can cost this program recruits, we need to put a stop to that.

 

Well said. As usual, I agree.

However, playing Devil's Advocate, wasn't this staff hired (at least in part) because of its recruiting prowess? They were terrific in their second year. What the heck has happened since then?

The talent is, IMO, obviously better than it has been since about 2001.

While 8-4 wouldn't be a better year than last year according to the record, a B12 North title certainly would be. I would take 8-4 and an early December game!

I haven't given up on the coaches totally. Just Coz and Elmo. You can count on at least one loss per year just because of them.

I don't dislike Cally's offense, either. Maybe he didn't call the greatest game in the world last week, but 29 points should be enough to win any game, especially on the road.

Coz and Elmo need to go!

Keep Blake, tho...he does a pretty good job with recruiting and fundamentals, IMO.

[vadernation]

We are seeing that talent does not always equal wins. In addition, the talent is not hitting the field soon enough, and that is a coaching and development flaw. We have good "X's and O's" guys on the offensive side of the ball, and thus our offense has shown improvement. But on defense, we have one excellent recruiter (Blake), a very good recruiter (Busch), and two pretty good recruiters (Cos & Elmo). We need to get rid of Cos and Elmo and replace them with great defensive minds and technicians. People that can adjust on the fly and make worthwhile halftime adjustments. I was not the biggest fan of Pelini and Sanders, but they seemed to be able to make such adjustments. Blake and Busch can bring in the players - we need people who can properly coach them.

[skersfan]

Indiana,

 

The key is winning on all sides.

 

I think we are doing a better job at that than some that have went through this. Look at Oklahoma and Alabama. It took them a while to overcome the problems. The Alabama program is still struggling. Some think they will never recover.

 

I agree some games are Duh, what is going on and others are pretty good. But match ups are the key. We do not and have not played well against what most people call a mobile QB. That normally has to do with schemes, but it also has to do with quickness and athletic ability. We are having short falls on that, and our depth has been hurt. We had a pretty good level of talent with starters this year, but alot of them have not played to their ability or have been injured. The difference is the depth and their talent and experience level. Until numbers 2 and 3 are mirrors of the top team or very close to it, we will have problems. That is a recruiting issue.

 

I agree the recruiting has been better, but it is not nor is it close to what we need to be a player on the National scene. We have to start winning the big games to open the recruiting doors. Texas helped, but Ok State did damage I think.

 

I will give the staff at least another year, before I will grumble. I think they are doing the best with what they have, and with those numbers being depleted every game it could get worse.

 

I think we have the ability to get by Missouri and Colorado. But we are in real trouble with A&M. Of course I thought we would get by Ok State too.

[junior4949]

Why is it everytime we win a football game we are praising everything about the coaches, and players. But when we lose everyone says how much the coaches suck, and how the players are not good enough, or too slow. Why can't you just admit that some teams out of the other 118 in the country are just better than us? Is that to much to ask? Are the husker fans, that most teams in the country admire, really just a bunch a bandwagon cry babies? I'd like to think not. So stop whining about how bad you think the coaches/players did, and talk about how BJ had a hell of a game, and how we all hope that Austin is ok, and how Taylor played pretty ok for being on his butt the whole game. Show some pride.

 

GBR

 

It's called fans and I use the term loosely that only started watching Nebraska during the early 90's. In other words I like to label them "fareweather fans"!

 

Now I have to disagree there because I started watching the Huskers when I was 13 years old and that was in '93. I'm going to stand behind this team regardless and if you look at my posts you'll see what I mean. It just comes down to standing behind your team and that's a lot harder than just turning you back on your team and bad mouthing them. IMO

 

 

Point taken. I was raised in a Nebraska fan family. No I am not 60 I am only 36. I remember packing around the radio with my family and listening to the games. All I am saying is it took Dr Tom many years to actually get his team up to par to win a NC. He didn't even win his first until he was on the down side of his career. Some on here seem to forget that. It takes time to dominate in college football. The thing other big name schools have that we don't is stability. Hell we have been through 3 HC's and 3 DC's in the past 8 years here! That's tough for any school to have. Plus....we go from a option based team to a more balanced type of Offense. With that, we haven't had the luxury to constantly recruit big, fast, WR's or a QB who's mind set is to throw first, run second. On the defensive side of the ball, we NEED to recruit players and have them work into the defense. The problem is, we don't have time to do that. Especially in our secondary where our DB's are horrible. I WILL NEVER give up on my Huskers. I just don't fly off the handle and scream "FIRE HIM" after we lose. College isn't like the NFL where a team can go and pick up a player to fill a hole via Free Agency. We have to play the hand we are dealt and trust the coaching staff to recruit the players we need to win. On BOTH sides of the ball.

 

 

 

It takes time to dominate? The big name schools winning have stability? Go back and look at USC's record and stability a decade prior to Carroll. Go back and look at OU's stability prior to Stoops. Go back and look at LSU's stability. Pete Carroll won a share of the NC his 3rd season. Bob Stoops won a NC his second year. Both coaches came into programs that had several years of losing records.

 

The bar was set extremely high by the above mentioned coaches. I'm sure if you ask the Board of Regents and the Alumn that were calling for Solich's head, they'd say they expected similar results here especially considering the bowl streak we had and not having the losing records that USC and OU had. Here we are in year 3 and one thing is certain. We will not win a NC this year.

 

One thing is for sure, winning and losing brings out the best and the worst in fans. When we lose, we get the same guys saying it takes time it takes time. When we win, we're the best thing since beer in a can. Excuses are like rectums, they all stink. We fired a coach we gave 5 years and he did play for a NC. Whether you agree or disagree, I think it's naive to think BC gets any longer than 5 years. It's not just a Nebraska thing, it's a college football thing. Look at Florida firing Zook. Look at Miami who will more than likely fire Coker. Nobody cares about taking time to recruit, taking time to build a team, etc. They all just look at 2 guys coming into once heralded programs that were losing and losing often who turned those teams around with the talent they had and won a NC.

 

It's fine to stick by your guns and say we need to give BC 25 years. But let me tell you, it simply won't happen any longer. NU has gone by the wayside as we once knew it. If we're highly successful, we'll have assistant coaches bail for head coaching opportunities. The days of having a staff that's been at the same place for a decade or longer are dead. If a staff doesn't get it done in 5 years or less, he'll be terminated.

[indianahusker]

Indiana,

 

The key is winning on all sides.

 

I think we are doing a better job at that than some that have went through this. Look at Oklahoma and Alabama. It took them a while to overcome the problems. The Alabama program is still struggling. Some think they will never recover.

 

I agree some games are Duh, what is going on and others are pretty good. But match ups are the key. We do not and have not played well against what most people call a mobile QB. That normally has to do with schemes, but it also has to do with quickness and athletic ability. We are having short falls on that, and our depth has been hurt. We had a pretty good level of talent with starters this year, but alot of them have not played to their ability or have been injured. The difference is the depth and their talent and experience level. Until numbers 2 and 3 are mirrors of the top team or very close to it, we will have problems. That is a recruiting issue.

 

I agree the recruiting has been better, but it is not nor is it close to what we need to be a player on the National scene. We have to start winning the big games to open the recruiting doors. Texas helped, but Ok State did damage I think.

 

I will give the staff at least another year, before I will grumble. I think they are doing the best with what they have, and with those numbers being depleted every game it could get worse.

 

I think we have the ability to get by Missouri and Colorado. But we are in real trouble with A&M. Of course I thought we would get by Ok State too.

 

Once again, I completely agree.

GOOOOO BIIIIIIG REEEEEEED!!!

[hack]

Why can't you just admit that some teams out of the other 118 in the country are just better than us?

 

GBR

 

...

 

 

...

 

>_>

 

NOOO!!! NEVER!!! YOU HEAR ME?!? NEVARRHHHHH!!!

 

*ahem*

 

okay, next question?

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I cannot believe how accepting the people on this board are!!! Have all of us forgotten what it means to be a Nebraska Cornhusker??? It means being pre-season ranked Top 10, winning 10-11 games every year, not hoping to play in a New Years Bowl game, but rather wondering which one it would be, and every couple of years, being in the mix for a National Championship. That is what it means - not hoping to win a mediocre division title and playing in the Big 12 Title Game. Not back-to-back Alamo bowl bids and this year, looking like we'll spend Christmas in glorious El Paso. I realize that building this program back up takes time, but we ought to be getting beat by freshman and sophomore athletes being too aggressive and overrunning a play... not a slow senior taking the wrong angle and missing the tackle. There ought to be a glimmer of hope that the glory days will return, but I don't see one. If we had not gotten Sam Keller for next year, and knowing what we know now about the players in the program, what would our expectations be for the 2007 season? I would think nothing better than 7-5 again (I'm hoping Keller gets us to 8 or 9 wins). But again, this is not good enough - not for the program I've grown up with!

Amen! That is the school of thought I subscribe to.

 

There are too many red smurfs out there tra-la-la-ing along in their status quo trance and they get miffed if anything in "their" universe gets questioned. As you referenced in a previous post there are educated fans that may have higher expectations because we know there can be better. There is nothing wrong than holding the team to a higher standard.