SI Article on Nebraska

[knapplc]

It was the morning after, and Nebraska assistant coach Mike Ekeler wanted to gauge the players' mindset. He asked Cody Glenn what the linebacker had been thinking during the previous day's loss to Virginia Tech, how he'd felt when it was over, what lessons he could drawn for the future.

 

The player told the assistant coach about an epiphany. A year earlier, Glenn said, the Huskers would have known going in they were headed for a thrashing. But this time, he said, "we thought we had a shot." It got better. Sometime in the first quarter, Glenn recognized, "Hey, we can play with these guys." By midway through the second half, he knew: "We can beat these guys."

 

Ekeler listened to Glenn depict the Huskers evolving like the Little Engine That Could (ultimately, they couldn't; a late rally fell short and the Hokies won 35-30), and had an epiphany of his own. He homed in on Glenn's newly discovered confidence and optimism and realized: "Oh, boy. We've got a lot of work to do."

 

That was a year ago. If preseason rankings and predictions mean anything, a lot of work has been done. Media are ranking the Huskers near the bottom of various top 25s and projecting them to win the Big 12 North. Second-year coach Bo Pelini and his staff seem to have Nebraska on the right track. But listening to Pelini, it's clear there's still plenty left to do -- and examining a linebacker's exuberance after a tough loss might be as good a way as any to start explaining why.

 

Full Article

 

The rest of the article is pretty good, and well worth the read.

[carlfense]

It was the morning after, and Nebraska assistant coach Mike Ekeler wanted to gauge the players' mindset. He asked Cody Glenn what the linebacker had been thinking during the previous day's loss to Virginia Tech, how he'd felt when it was over, what lessons he could drawn for the future.

 

The player told the assistant coach about an epiphany. A year earlier, Glenn said, the Huskers would have known going in they were headed for a thrashing. But this time, he said, "we thought we had a shot." It got better. Sometime in the first quarter, Glenn recognized, "Hey, we can play with these guys." By midway through the second half, he knew: "We can beat these guys."

 

Ekeler listened to Glenn depict the Huskers evolving like the Little Engine That Could (ultimately, they couldn't; a late rally fell short and the Hokies won 35-30), and had an epiphany of his own. He homed in on Glenn's newly discovered confidence and optimism and realized: "Oh, boy. We've got a lot of work to do."

 

That was a year ago. If preseason rankings and predictions mean anything, a lot of work has been done. Media are ranking the Huskers near the bottom of various top 25s and projecting them to win the Big 12 North. Second-year coach Bo Pelini and his staff seem to have Nebraska on the right track. But listening to Pelini, it's clear there's still plenty left to do -- and examining a linebacker's exuberance after a tough loss might be as good a way as any to start explaining why.

 

Full Article

 

 

The rest of the article is pretty good, and well worth the read.

 

I was just logging on to post this. Great read. I too think Bo "gets it."

[rkhufu7]

It was the morning after, and Nebraska assistant coach Mike Ekeler wanted to gauge the players' mindset. He asked Cody Glenn what the linebacker had been thinking during the previous day's loss to Virginia Tech, how he'd felt when it was over, what lessons he could drawn for the future.

 

The player told the assistant coach about an epiphany. A year earlier, Glenn said, the Huskers would have known going in they were headed for a thrashing. But this time, he said, "we thought we had a shot." It got better. Sometime in the first quarter, Glenn recognized, "Hey, we can play with these guys." By midway through the second half, he knew: "We can beat these guys."

 

Ekeler listened to Glenn depict the Huskers evolving like the Little Engine That Could (ultimately, they couldn't; a late rally fell short and the Hokies won 35-30), and had an epiphany of his own. He homed in on Glenn's newly discovered confidence and optimism and realized: "Oh, boy. We've got a lot of work to do."

 

That was a year ago. If preseason rankings and predictions mean anything, a lot of work has been done. Media are ranking the Huskers near the bottom of various top 25s and projecting them to win the Big 12 North. Second-year coach Bo Pelini and his staff seem to have Nebraska on the right track. But listening to Pelini, it's clear there's still plenty left to do -- and examining a linebacker's exuberance after a tough loss might be as good a way as any to start explaining why.

 

Full Article

 

 

The rest of the article is pretty good, and well worth the read.

 

I was just logging on to post this. Great read. I too think Bo "gets it."

NU can't run a spread option/power I combo with 6'3"-4 guards and 6'5-7 tackles? Isn't that what OSU is running in Stillwater?

[The Maudfather]

That was a great article, and I think they are spot on.

 

** Resists urge to respond to rkhufu7**

[skerfan1705]

I think we should be scared of Kansas.....just a little.

 

They cetainly aren't the same team they were five years ago.

 

 

**....and then, if you look at their predictions for the end of the season...they have KU on top? A bit contradictory?**

[knapplc]

I think we should be scared of Kansas.....just a little.

 

They cetainly aren't the same team they were five years ago.

 

 

**....and then, if you look at their predictions for the end of the season...they have KU on top? A bit contradictory?**

Kansas is getting the nod because they think they'll beat us in their house. It's up to us to make believers out of these pollsters.

[Hunter94]

agree, for this team to define a successful season, a win at KU is a must.

and that is just the beginning of the definition.

[huzkerbob]

I think we should be scared of Kansas.....just a little.

 

They cetainly aren't the same team they were five years ago.

 

 

**....and then, if you look at their predictions for the end of the season...they have KU on top? A bit contradictory?**

Kansas is getting the nod because they think they'll beat us in their house. It's up to us to make believers out of these pollsters.

 

Screw the pollsters, they don't play the games. All the players have to prove is that they can win football games. Everything else is hyperbole.

[knapplc]

I think we should be scared of Kansas.....just a little.

 

They cetainly aren't the same team they were five years ago.

 

 

**....and then, if you look at their predictions for the end of the season...they have KU on top? A bit contradictory?**

Kansas is getting the nod because they think they'll beat us in their house. It's up to us to make believers out of these pollsters.

 

Screw the pollsters, they don't play the games. All the players have to prove is that they can win football games. Everything else is hyperbole.

We're talking about people who pick games. You can call them pollsters or prognosticators or writers or whatever, but you really can't "screw" them when they're the subject of the conversation.

[Spooky Tooth]

I look at this question as, "Is NU turning a corner?" and not "Has NU turned a corner?"

 

If the question is like I see it, the answer is clearly yes and one need not look farther back than the CU and KU games last season. NU had just received some good old fashioned curbstompings from MU and OU. If it were the 07 season the team would have folded and been beat down when faced with adversity in the CU and KU games. Does anyone seriously doubt that?

 

Then look at the Gator bowl. NU flat out stunk in the first half. If it were 07, they would have come out in the second half, Joey would have thrown for a bunch of yards, the defense would have packed it in due out of lack of faith in the coaches and NU would have been embarrassed on national tv.

 

Instead, NU came out in the second half with HONEST TO GOD EFFECTIVE ADJUSTMENTS and won against a very good defense and some very good skill offensive players (Spiller, Davis and Kelly).

 

Some will look at our recruiting so far and be concerned. We have a very good class shaping up and fewer schollies to give out. We are not too far off from last year at this time in terms of NUMBER of schollies, and last year we had a lot more to fill out. Having said that, I am concerned at reports that some of the staff are not carrying their share of the water re: recruiting.

 

In balance, I think NU is turning the corner. There are some concerns and there are some really bright signs ahead. The end of this season ought to answer this question.

 

[huzkerbob]

What I'm saying is, it doesn't matter what anyone prognosticates now. As long as the Huskers take care of business on the field, there will be no doubt who the best team in the north is.

[knapplc]

HONEST TO GOD EFFECTIVE ADJUSTMENTS

Good sir, what are these "adjustments" of which you speak? I know not what you mean...?

 

Sincerely,

Bill Callahan

[Spooky Tooth]

HONEST TO GOD EFFECTIVE ADJUSTMENTS

Good sir, what are these "adjustments" of which you speak? I know not what you mean...?

 

Sincerely,

Bill Callahan

 

 

[Apathy]

HONEST TO GOD EFFECTIVE ADJUSTMENTS

Good sir, what are these "adjustments" of which you speak? I know not what you mean...?

 

Sincerely,

Bill Callahan

 

[zoogs]

Oh, I think they definitely pretty much got it right:

 

On the other hand, the division isn't exactly loaded...There's Kansas, but if you're a Nebraska fan, you're never really concerned about Kansas.