Intersting question.

[MVPujols]

Running the option if Solich hadn't ruin'd it?

 

Ill admit, i didnt watch football in 01 so I dont know if what people say is true. But the general thing I am getting is that Solich ruin'd it by basing the offense around Crouch.

 

That plus his not-so-great recruiting.

 

So the question I ask all of you - if a guy that knew what he was doing had taken over for TO, rather then Frank, would we still be running that same offense with success?

[billdozer15]

Running the option if Solich hadn't ruin'd it?

 

Ill admit, i didnt watch football in 01 so I dont know if what people say is true. But the general thing I am getting is that Solich ruin'd it by basing the offense around Crouch.

 

That plus his not-so-great recruiting.

 

So the question I ask all of you - if a guy that knew what he was doing had taken over for TO, rather then Frank, would we still be running that same offense with success?

 

If TO was still coaching we would have two more national titles and we would still be running the option.IMO

[I Bleed RED]

Running the option if Solich hadn't ruin'd it?

 

Ill admit, i didnt watch football in 01 so I dont know if what people say is true. But the general thing I am getting is that Solich ruin'd it by basing the offense around Crouch.

 

That plus his not-so-great recruiting.

 

So the question I ask all of you - if a guy that knew what he was doing had taken over for TO, rather then Frank, would we still be running that same offense with success?

 

If TO was still coaching we would have two more national titles and we would still be running the option.IMO

 

I think we would be running a spread offense similar to W. Virg and Utah.....oh and the national Champion gators.

[junior4949]

Running the option if Solich hadn't ruin'd it?

 

Ill admit, i didnt watch football in 01 so I dont know if what people say is true. But the general thing I am getting is that Solich ruin'd it by basing the offense around Crouch.

 

That plus his not-so-great recruiting.

 

So the question I ask all of you - if a guy that knew what he was doing had taken over for TO, rather then Frank, would we still be running that same offense with success?

 

 

First of all, I don't think Solich ruined the option. He was hit with a string of bad luck in regards to running backs. With all the hype around Thunder Collins, I thought he was a God until I actually saw him play. David Horne was a big time recruit that sucked. Deangelo Evans caught a case of wooseitis. In order to run the option and not have the QB carry the brunt of the attack, you have to have a competent running back to pitch the ball to.

 

No, I don't think we'd be running the option. Even when TO was coach, there was a lot of disgust especially in bowl games when we got blown out by Miami, FSU, etc. by the pass. For 20+ years, the fans have wanted more of a passing team. The biggest problem is that everyone has caved into the hype that you have to have some miracle passing offense in order to get the big time recruits. In todays day and age of college football, all we hear about is the recruits and how they want to be in a passing offense. I would say this is true of wide receivers and QB's, but I don't think it's the case with RB's and OL. In fact, NFL coaches love OL that can and do run block effectively. The wide receivers are kind of a wash because in the option they mainly block. I still remember the "itty bitty" committee. We don't exactly need 5 star WR's to block on option plays. It all comes down to the QB. I would assume that there are fewer and fewer option QB's in high school due to high school football caving into the same hype. Any potential outstanding option QB's out there are probably playing receiver, running back, or defensive back. This is where the real problem lies with option football: available great option QB's.

[DJR313]

Solich did have bad luck with some recruits, BUT i-backs should have been stockpiled for the offense, just like they were in the 80s and 90s. They didn't have any dominant rb's, the offensive line started to really slide because of some bad luck in the recruits and the qb position lacked a real successor after Crouch. He may have had bad luck in recruiting, but these positions need to be solid in order for the offense to produce. It's not very hard to stop the option when you know the qb is the best threat running the ball and the threat of pass is lessened when he skips most passes to receivers on one hop. If Nebraska had a kid like Tim Tebow, with stud rb's to rotate in and out and a solid line, there is no reason why the option could not have worked. It is a great offense and a thing of beauty when run with precision.

[newenglandhusker]

Guys, let's not forget that Crouch was a very special talent. One of the reasons things went as they did after him was that every other quarterback coming in thought they could perform like him, which wasn't going to happen.

[junior4949]

Solich did have bad luck with some recruits, BUT i-backs should have been stockpiled for the offense, just like they were in the 80s and 90s. They didn't have any dominant rb's, the offensive line started to really slide because of some bad luck in the recruits and the qb position lacked a real successor after Crouch. He may have had bad luck in recruiting, but these positions need to be solid in order for the offense to produce. It's not very hard to stop the option when you know the qb is the best threat running the ball and the threat of pass is lessened when he skips most passes to receivers on one hop. If Nebraska had a kid like Tim Tebow, with stud rb's to rotate in and out and a solid line, there is no reason why the option could not have worked. It is a great offense and a thing of beauty when run with precision.

 

 

I agree to a point, but even under TO we had to use unproven freshmen and sophomores at running back. Lawrence Phillip emerged because of injury. Ahman Green emerged because LP is an :asshat as a freshman. It wasn't like we had a cupboard full of junior and senior running backs. We never had an assembly of talent in the backfield like USC has this year even in TO's NC teams. At QB, who exactly was the stacked cupboard in 1997 behind Frost? We had two true freshmen: Newcombe and Crouch. If Frost gets injured in 1997, we were in a world of hurt. The only reason it appeared we had a stacked cupboard when Frazier was there was because of Berringer. For all practical purposes, Berringer was a walk on. He was given a scholly because of how he performed in a football camp. If Frazier never goes down with a blood clot, you wouldn't even barely have heard from Berringer. I still remember the subpar QB's the great TO had when we were getting shelled in bowl games like Mike Grant, McCants, Mickey Joseph, etc. I don't ever remember being loaded at QB.

[NflaHusker]

There is no way we could be running the option right now in this day of college football. i don't care if we got the best recruits in the country. There is to much speed and the defense we just stack 8 in the box. Now running it like WV is a different story becasue it's in the shotgun and you can mix it up much easier. We waited to long to change the offense and we fell behind in recruiting big time. Callahan's offense is perfect for recruits and it gets them ready for the pro game. Oviously were still behind the elite programs but we'll be back and going for those national championships. We just did not change with the times and it bit us in the butt. Go Big Red!!!!

[Foppa]

Running the option if Solich hadn't ruin'd it?

 

Ill admit, i didnt watch football in 01 so I dont know if what people say is true. But the general thing I am getting is that Solich ruin'd it by basing the offense around Crouch.

 

That plus his not-so-great recruiting.

 

So the question I ask all of you - if a guy that knew what he was doing had taken over for TO, rather then Frank, would we still be running that same offense with success?

 

If TO was still coaching we would have two more national titles and we would still be running the option.IMO

 

What you are about to enter...

[strigori]

Solich never would have got NU to the mess it was in if he was capable of being innovative, and running more of the spread option than the power option he stuck with. Couple that with the lack of skill position recruiting and you have the formula for disaster we got. The one I just can not get past is how THE running team never managed to land the superstar running backs. That alone boggles my mind.

[Foppa]

Solich never would have got NU to the mess it was in if he was capable of being innovative, and running more of the spread option than the power option he stuck with. Couple that with the lack of skill position recruiting and you have the formula for disaster we got. The one I just can not get past is how THE running team never managed to land the superstar running backs. That alone boggles my mind.

 

Bang the student body...try some recruiting...

 

hmmm...I'll take 'Knock up an undergrad' for 400, Alex.

[Hunter94]

well, it looks like evryone is finally over the USC loss, cause we are wasting time talking about Solich again........cheezzzzzzzzzz

 

i know turn my head and look away...but really

[Foppa]

well, it looks like evryone is finally over the USC loss, cause we are wasting time talking about Solich again........cheezzzzzzzzzz

 

i know turn my head and look away...but really

 

 

You are right, I'll give ya that.