the best thing Bo could do for this team

[Billyball]

And if you get outraged about offensive predictibility, you really shouldn't worship at the alter of Tom Osborne, whose play calling was among the most predictible in college football but happened to be backed by superior strength and execution. (Except for those wild trick plays of his, which often popped up during losing efforts in big games when the bread and butter plays weren't working.)

 

If you can be successful with it, it doesn't matter if you're predictable or not. The difference is: Osborne was successful and Watson is spotty at best. Until we see that kind of success from Watson, he can't afford to be predictable with the offense.

 

I would be absolutely delighted to take my chances with another OC, and I'll bet you that unless this team makes a sudden turnaround, we will be seeing a new OC next season. He doesn't fit with Bo Pelini's football philosophy. By all means, let Shawn Watson's wine & cheese offense on another team try to beat the Pelini brothers' lunch box defense. I know who I'd be putting my wager on.

 

I'd like to touch on one thing about Tom Osborne or any other person that has people reporting to him or her. What do you expect him to say publicly about someone (Watson) that resides on his current staff? In any business, you don't come out and tell the public that you don't support someone on your current staff (whether you do or don't). That's not what employers do with their employees. As you may recall, he "supported" BC right up to the day that he fired him.

 

It is funny how many fans were so concerned that "Wats" would become HC at Ohio State, and some fretted that he would go take over Colorado, when we were beating up on the mid majors. He was a genius then.

 

The thing is perhaps he complicates things too much but he doesn't have the horses. Our offensive players are not up to Big 12 competition right now. It is a shame in a year that we have perhaps the most dominant player on D, that our offense totally sucks. Perhaps Green will help some. But we still don't have recievers, we don't have wideouts that likely could start on any team we play since the patsies. Our running game for all the preseason hype is just not there. The OL isn't up to the task and our backs are banged up but healthy, they are good, not exceptional.

 

Although I'm not a Wats fan, it does show you how fans are quick to over rate their team when they beat teams that are clearly inferior, and quick to blame the coordinators or HC when they play teams that beat them.

 

We need more players. It will likely take us 2 or 3 more years even with good recruiting to be in any way competitive with the teams of the Big 12 South--and I'm talking about Okie lite and TT more than OU and TU which are likely to still have athletes far above our pay grade. Our program like the economy took a big dive and it's not coming all the way back in a year or two. Let's beat the cyclones and keep this season as a possible step forward!!! Then take em one at a time and not crow about how we are gonna beat the best until we can get by those in the North.

[Guy Chamberlin]

The notion that the WCO is an over-complicated, pass-happy wine and cheese offense also misses the point.

 

The WCO worked by introducing a low-risk/high percentage passing component where running backs could get the ball on the other side of the d-line, wide-receivers ran short crossing patterns and turned them long by running after the catch , tight ends and even fullbacks could go deep, and the QB could run a naked bootleg every now and then. And you still ran a smashmouth running game. The actual playbook doesn't have to be huge. Just enough variety to drive the linebackers nuts and let you exploit what a defense is willing to give you.

 

Bill Walsh worked it perfectly and figured out that Nebraska players were ideally suited for the system. He had the closest thing in the pros to a running QB in Steve Young, but with a college player like Cody Green who can add a dozen designed QB rushes a game the WCO can be a bitch to defend.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Watson is playing chess at a level of football that plays checkers.

 

fyp

 

He is overcomplicating and overthinking things... thus playing chess when everyone else is lining up and playing football (checkers).

 

the old KISS theory (keep it simple, stupid)

 

 

I see your point and thank you for the correction.

 

Now I'd love to hear your reasons why the T.T. loss hangs at the feet of Shawn Watson but not Bo Pelini.

[AngryHusker88]

I'd be shocked if he and Watson haven't already.

Right now, theres nothing that Watson could do that would shock me - except putting a productive offense on the field. I'm hoping he shocks me

[Paul in WI]

And if you get outraged about offensive predictibility, you really shouldn't worship at the alter of Tom Osborne, whose play calling was among the most predictible in college football but happened to be backed by superior strength and execution. (Except for those wild trick plays of his, which often popped up during losing efforts in big games when the bread and butter plays weren't working.)

 

If you can be successful with it, it doesn't matter if you're predictable or not. The difference is: Osborne was successful and Watson is spotty at best. Until we see that kind of success from Watson, he can't afford to be predictable with the offense.

 

I would be absolutely delighted to take my chances with another OC, and I'll bet you that unless this team makes a sudden turnaround, we will be seeing a new OC next season. He doesn't fit with Bo Pelini's football philosophy. By all means, let Shawn Watson's wine & cheese offense on another team try to beat the Pelini brothers' lunch box defense. I know who I'd be putting my wager on.

 

I'd like to touch on one thing about Tom Osborne or any other person that has people reporting to him or her. What do you expect him to say publicly about someone (Watson) that resides on his current staff? In any business, you don't come out and tell the public that you don't support someone on your current staff (whether you do or don't). That's not what employers do with their employees. As you may recall, he "supported" BC right up to the day that he fired him.

 

It is funny how many fans were so concerned that "Wats" would become HC at Ohio State, and some fretted that he would go take over Colorado, when we were beating up on the mid majors. He was a genius then.

 

The thing is perhaps he complicates things too much but he doesn't have the horses. Our offensive players are not up to Big 12 competition right now. It is a shame in a year that we have perhaps the most dominant player on D, that our offense totally sucks. Perhaps Green will help some. But we still don't have recievers, we don't have wideouts that likely could start on any team we play since the patsies. Our running game for all the preseason hype is just not there. The OL isn't up to the task and our backs are banged up but healthy, they are good, not exceptional.

 

Although I'm not a Wats fan, it does show you how fans are quick to over rate their team when they beat teams that are clearly inferior, and quick to blame the coordinators or HC when they play teams that beat them.

 

We need more players. It will likely take us 2 or 3 more years even with good recruiting to be in any way competitive with the teams of the Big 12 South--and I'm talking about Okie lite and TT more than OU and TU which are likely to still have athletes far above our pay grade. Our program like the economy took a big dive and it's not coming all the way back in a year or two. Let's beat the cyclones and keep this season as a possible step forward!!! Then take em one at a time and not crow about how we are gonna beat the best until we can get by those in the North.

 

At the beginning of the season, I was worried about losing Gantz and our better receivers. However, I'll be the first to say that I over-rated this team after the VT loss. After seeing this as many times as I have, I should know better.....but I began to let my heart rule over my head. As a fan, we tend to want to see the good things and downplay the flaws (me included). That said, I do think that the test of games against higher-caliber competition is really starting to expose the weakness in our offense.

 

At this point, I will be happy to win the games that we are supposed to win and not to be blown out by OU. I hope that we can get some recruits around Green, because he appears to be the type of high-quality recruit that the program needs. It will be a terrible waste if we can't get him a supporting cast.

[NU41SB]

And if you get outraged about offensive predictibility, you really shouldn't worship at the alter of Tom Osborne, whose play calling was among the most predictible in college football but happened to be backed by superior strength and execution. (Except for those wild trick plays of his, which often popped up during losing efforts in big games when the bread and butter plays weren't working.)

 

If you can be successful with it, it doesn't matter if you're predictable or not. The difference is: Osborne was successful and Watson is spotty at best. Until we see that kind of success from Watson, he can't afford to be predictable with the offense.

 

I would be absolutely delighted to take my chances with another OC, and I'll bet you that unless this team makes a sudden turnaround, we will be seeing a new OC next season. He doesn't fit with Bo Pelini's football philosophy. By all means, let Shawn Watson's wine & cheese offense on another team try to beat the Pelini brothers' lunch box defense. I know who I'd be putting my wager on.

 

I'd like to touch on one thing about Tom Osborne or any other person that has people reporting to him or her. What do you expect him to say publicly about someone (Watson) that resides on his current staff? In any business, you don't come out and tell the public that you don't support someone on your current staff (whether you do or don't). That's not what employers do with their employees. As you may recall, he "supported" BC right up to the day that he fired him.

 

It is funny how many fans were so concerned that "Wats" would become HC at Ohio State, and some fretted that he would go take over Colorado, when we were beating up on the mid majors. He was a genius then.

 

The thing is perhaps he complicates things too much but he doesn't have the horses. Our offensive players are not up to Big 12 competition right now. It is a shame in a year that we have perhaps the most dominant player on D, that our offense totally sucks. Perhaps Green will help some. But we still don't have recievers, we don't have wideouts that likely could start on any team we play since the patsies. Our running game for all the preseason hype is just not there. The OL isn't up to the task and our backs are banged up but healthy, they are good, not exceptional.

 

Although I'm not a Wats fan, it does show you how fans are quick to over rate their team when they beat teams that are clearly inferior, and quick to blame the coordinators or HC when they play teams that beat them.

 

We need more players. It will likely take us 2 or 3 more years even with good recruiting to be in any way competitive with the teams of the Big 12 South--and I'm talking about Okie lite and TT more than OU and TU which are likely to still have athletes far above our pay grade. Our program like the economy took a big dive and it's not coming all the way back in a year or two. Let's beat the cyclones and keep this season as a possible step forward!!! Then take em one at a time and not crow about how we are gonna beat the best until we can get by those in the North.

 

At the beginning of the season, I was worried about losing Gantz and our better receivers. However, I'll be the first to say that I over-rated this team after the VT loss. After seeing this as many times as I have, I should know better.....but I began to let my heart rule over my head. As a fan, we tend to want to see the good things and downplay the flaws (me included). That said, I do think that the test of games against higher-caliber competition is really starting to expose the weakness in our offense.

 

At this point, I will be happy to win the games that we are supposed to win and not to be blown out by OU. I hope that we can get some recruits around Green, because he appears to be the type of high-quality recruit that the program needs. It will be a terrible waste if we can't get him a supporting cast.

 

I would for one have no hard feelings hearing commentators say "And Green hands off to Green." in a couple of years. Hopefully people know what I am referring to.

[Vince from ShamWOW]

Watson is playing chess at a level of football that plays checkers.

 

fyp

 

He is overcomplicating and overthinking things... thus playing chess when everyone else is lining up and playing football (checkers).

 

the old KISS theory (keep it simple, stupid)

 

 

I see your point and thank you for the correction.

 

Now I'd love to hear your reasons why the T.T. loss hangs at the feet of Shawn Watson but not Bo Pelini.

 

 

Well, Kevin cosgrove, that's simple. How many points did the NU offense score and give up?

[Paul in WI]

The notion that the WCO is an over-complicated, pass-happy wine and cheese offense also misses the point.

 

The WCO worked by introducing a low-risk/high percentage passing component where running backs could get the ball on the other side of the d-line, wide-receivers ran short crossing patterns and turned them long by running after the catch , tight ends and even fullbacks could go deep, and the QB could run a naked bootleg every now and then. And you still ran a smashmouth running game. The actual playbook doesn't have to be huge. Just enough variety to drive the linebackers nuts and let you exploit what a defense is willing to give you.

 

Bill Walsh worked it perfectly and figured out that Nebraska players were ideally suited for the system. He had the closest thing in the pros to a running QB in Steve Young, but with a college player like Cody Green who can add a dozen designed QB rushes a game the WCO can be a bitch to defend.

 

I agree with you, but trying to instill literally what seems like the whole WCO playbook for college kids makes it "wine and cheese" in my book. The dude needs to learn how to simplify. I'd rather have our offense run a few things really well than a lot of things poorly. I'm not saying it can't work--I'm saying that unless he changes his offensive approach to the level of the players in his arsenal, it won't work.

[Vince from ShamWOW]

Bill Walsh worked it perfectly and figured out that Nebraska players were ideally suited for the system. He had the closest thing in the pros to a running QB in Steve Young, but with a college player like Cody Green who can add a dozen designed QB rushes a game the WCO can be a bitch to defend.

 

While he was running the WCO with the 49er's he had a lot more than 20 hours a week to get his players to learn and know it. When he was at Stanford his playbook was minimal compared to what he brought to the NFL.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Well, Kevin cosgrove, that's simple. How many points did the NU offense score and give up?

 

Well there was that opening Tech drive that immediately put us in the hole.

 

Why did Watson allow that to happen?

 

And why he instructed Niles Paul to kick a fumble like a sullen schoolboy, I'll never know.

 

Watson should have known not to trust college players in only their sixth game of the season to understand snap counts and clock management.

 

I don't actually know what Shawn Watson did to piss off the refs, but his play calling is the most likely culprit. As always.

 

Somehow that Pelini defense allowed another seven, making it 21 - zip. Damn you, Watson!

 

Then when the offense salvaged a sliver of pride with a late first half field goal, that Pelini defense let Tech march right through and get those three points back in seconds. And again in the second half when Nebraska actually racked up a 7, Tech walked right back through Pelini's defense to negate it, clearly hoping to get Watson fired.

 

Most observers noted an entire team out of synch, executing poorly and lacking motivation. Those are problems that go directly to the head coach who led the team out of the locker room.

 

Know who agrees with me?

 

Bo Pelini.

 

So nyah.

[Paul in WI]

Well, Kevin cosgrove, that's simple. How many points did the NU offense score and give up?

 

Well there was that opening Tech drive that immediately put us in the hole.

 

Why did Watson allow that to happen?

 

And why he instructed Niles Paul to kick a fumble like a sullen schoolboy, I'll never know.

 

Watson should have known not to trust college players in only their sixth game of the season to understand snap counts and clock management.

 

I don't actually know what Shawn Watson did to piss off the refs, but his play calling is the most likely culprit. As always.

 

Somehow that Pelini defense allowed another seven, making it 21 - zip. Damn you, Watson!

 

Then when the offense salvaged a sliver of pride with a late first half field goal, that Pelini defense let Tech march right through and get those three points back in seconds. And again in the second half when Nebraska actually racked up a 7, Tech walked right back through Pelini's defense to negate it, clearly hoping to get Watson fired.

 

Most observers noted an entire team out of synch, executing poorly and lacking motivation. Those are problems that go directly to the head coach who led the team out of the locker room.

 

Know who agrees with me?

 

Bo Pelini.

 

So nyah.

 

In my new world of fuzzy math, i just had a Eureka Moment! If Pelini's defense would have held Tech scoreless for the game, we would have actually won the game 10-7! It is clear that it is the defense's fault for losing. You just can't allow 259 yards of total offense to teams like Texas Tech and expect to win football games.....

 

Knowing how he likes to point fingers at everyone but himself, I'm really surprised that Pelini took the blame. Being the spineless coward that he is, I would have thought that he would have blamed the loss on someone else and then said that he was excellent in every area.

[beanman]

Well, Kevin cosgrove, that's simple. How many points did the NU offense score and give up?

 

Well there was that opening Tech drive that immediately put us in the hole.

 

Why did Watson allow that to happen?

 

And why he instructed Niles Paul to kick a fumble like a sullen schoolboy, I'll never know.

 

Watson should have known not to trust college players in only their sixth game of the season to understand snap counts and clock management.

 

I don't actually know what Shawn Watson did to piss off the refs, but his play calling is the most likely culprit. As always.

 

Somehow that Pelini defense allowed another seven, making it 21 - zip. Damn you, Watson!

 

Then when the offense salvaged a sliver of pride with a late first half field goal, that Pelini defense let Tech march right through and get those three points back in seconds. And again in the second half when Nebraska actually racked up a 7, Tech walked right back through Pelini's defense to negate it, clearly hoping to get Watson fired.

 

Most observers noted an entire team out of synch, executing poorly and lacking motivation. Those are problems that go directly to the head coach who led the team out of the locker room.

 

Know who agrees with me?

 

Bo Pelini.

 

So nyah.

 

In my new world of fuzzy math, i just had a Eureka Moment! If Pelini's defense would have held Tech scoreless for the game, we would have actually won the game 10-7! It is clear that it is the defense's fault for losing. You just can't allow 259 yards of total offense to teams like Texas Tech and expect to win football games.....

 

Knowing how he likes to point fingers at everyone but himself, I'm really surprised that Pelini took the blame. Being the spineless coward that he is, I would have thought that he would have blamed the loss on someone else and then said that he was excellent in every area.

 

Amen.

[beanman]

Well, Kevin cosgrove, that's simple. How many points did the NU offense score and give up?

 

Well there was that opening Tech drive that immediately put us in the hole.

 

Why did Watson allow that to happen?

 

And why he instructed Niles Paul to kick a fumble like a sullen schoolboy, I'll never know.

 

Watson should have known not to trust college players in only their sixth game of the season to understand snap counts and clock management.

 

I don't actually know what Shawn Watson did to piss off the refs, but his play calling is the most likely culprit. As always.

 

Somehow that Pelini defense allowed another seven, making it 21 - zip. Damn you, Watson!

 

Then when the offense salvaged a sliver of pride with a late first half field goal, that Pelini defense let Tech march right through and get those three points back in seconds. And again in the second half when Nebraska actually racked up a 7, Tech walked right back through Pelini's defense to negate it, clearly hoping to get Watson fired.

 

Most observers noted an entire team out of synch, executing poorly and lacking motivation. Those are problems that go directly to the head coach who led the team out of the locker room.

 

Know who agrees with me?

 

Bo Pelini.

 

So nyah.

 

Do you seriously think he'd single out the offense? Nyah. Doesn't mean he agrees with you, just means he's a team player. I personally was satisfied with the D. Remember that first drive Tech got a lucky break to keep that drive going...

[Guy Chamberlin]

 

In my new world of fuzzy math, i just had a Eureka Moment! If Pelini's defense would have held Tech scoreless for the game, we would have actually won the game 10-7! It is clear that it is the defense's fault for losing. You just can't allow 259 yards of total offense to teams like Texas Tech and expect to win football games.....

 

Hey Paul? I wasn't blaming the defense. Merely suggesting there was so much blame to go around that it was ludicrous to lay it all on the OCs play calling. And actually a bit weird that people think throwing Watson under a bus will keep Pelini's nose clean. He's our firey head coach. And the team wasn't fired up. For the whole. Damn. Game.

 

If there was a Eureka Moment in Husker nation, it should be that the same plays we loved when the Taylors & Ganzs and Swifts and Purifys were pulling them off simply weren't working as well on a team of Lees and Pauls.

 

(in fairness, these were also plays we loved only five quarters ago when the resilient Husker offense struck for four TDs against Missouri, putting the entire college football media on the Husker bandwagon. A lifetime ago, eh?)

 

If adjustments are not made, it could get ugly.

 

I predict adjustments will be made. And Watson and Pelini will agree on them.

 

Knowing how he likes to point fingers at everyone but himself, I'm really surprised that Pelini took the blame. Being the spineless coward that he is, I would have thought that he would have blamed the loss on someone else and then said that he was excellent in every area.

 

Yeah. Hard to figure out where the sarcasm ends and your point begins, but we seem to agree that Pelini was justified in taking the blame himself, leaving only Internet second guessers with extremely short memories to start screeching for Shawn Watson's head.

[Paul in WI]

 

In my new world of fuzzy math, i just had a Eureka Moment! If Pelini's defense would have held Tech scoreless for the game, we would have actually won the game 10-7! It is clear that it is the defense's fault for losing. You just can't allow 259 yards of total offense to teams like Texas Tech and expect to win football games.....

 

Hey Paul? I wasn't blaming the defense. Merely suggesting there was so much blame to go around that it was ludicrous to lay it all on the OCs play calling. And actually a bit weird that people think throwing Watson under a bus will keep Pelini's nose clean. He's our firey head coach. And the team wasn't fired up. For the whole. Damn. Game.

 

If there was a Eureka Moment in Husker nation, it should be that the same plays we loved when the Taylors & Ganzs and Swifts and Purifys were pulling them off simply weren't working as well on a team of Lees and Pauls.

 

(in fairness, these were also plays we loved only five quarters ago when the resilient Husker offense struck for four TDs against Missouri, putting the entire college football media on the Husker bandwagon. A lifetime ago, eh?)

 

If adjustments are not made, it could get ugly.

 

I predict adjustments will be made. And Watson and Pelini will agree on them.

 

Knowing how he likes to point fingers at everyone but himself, I'm really surprised that Pelini took the blame. Being the spineless coward that he is, I would have thought that he would have blamed the loss on someone else and then said that he was excellent in every area.

 

Yeah. Hard to figure out where the sarcasm ends and your point begins, but we seem to agree that Pelini was justified in taking the blame himself, leaving only Internet second guessers with extremely short memories to start screeching for Shawn Watson's head.

 

Next time I'll draw you a picture if it will help.