Watson...what's your opinion now?

[REDSTEEL]

One successful foray is not enough (yet) to change my negative opinion of him.

 

1. We should have seen some of this before the bowl game, like say......against Texas.

2. He had 3 weeks to prepare for this game. What if he had only one week to prepare?

3. One game's worth of offense does not a redemption make.

 

I just heard mention about Zac Lee's arm, so I can't comment on it. I'm unaware of how long it has had issues. If he's been playing injured all season, then I obviously need to reassess my opinion of him.

 

I'm ecstatic about everything that transpired last night. I just haven't seen enough to change my opinion of Watson. If his success continues from this point on through next season and beyond, then I'll be a believer. I first have to see that he's an OC than can produce a competent offense through an entire season, year-in and out, through personnel changes that are both expected and unexpected. Yeah, that's a high bar, but that's what we'd come to expect for the better part of 40 years at NU.

 

1. I love how everyone thinks you can just fix sh#t real nice like in the middle of the season. This is college football, ffs. You have one week, maybe two if you're lucky, before the next game and you have student athletes who are required to spend a good deal of their time with school work. While you can tweak and work on problems throughout the season, unless it's an experience issue, most of your problems will remain problems throughout the season. That Watson and company managed to reinvent the offense in the middle of the season and still win games is a testament to his abilities and those of our players.

 

2. If we had one week? You probably wouldn't have seen the advances you saw in the game. Why? See above. They improved when they should have improved.

 

3. Of course not, I'm sure your posts will still be complaining when we are winning BCS bowls with Watson. I'll be enjoying it, though.

 

Lee's been injured most of the season.

 

Funny I thought the same thing I guess well just have to disagree.

[billdozer15]

The O-line is still suspect. They had some crucial false starts last night that should not be happening. Watson finally called a competent game with some creativity. I dont know why it took this long to come up with a creative game plan. I am hoping it was personel issues and we will have the offense resolved by next season but part of me is unwilling to think that. IMO, Wats gets another year and if we have success then i will back off, but his seat is still warm and Cotton's is even warmer. I dont think there will be any changes this year but if we have a repeat next year, look out because heads are gonna roll.

[Paul in WI]

One successful foray is not enough (yet) to change my negative opinion of him.

 

1. We should have seen some of this before the bowl game, like say......against Texas.

2. He had 3 weeks to prepare for this game. What if he had only one week to prepare?

3. One game's worth of offense does not a redemption make.

 

I just heard mention about Zac Lee's arm, so I can't comment on it. I'm unaware of how long it has had issues. If he's been playing injured all season, then I obviously need to reassess my opinion of him.

 

I'm ecstatic about everything that transpired last night. I just haven't seen enough to change my opinion of Watson. If his success continues from this point on through next season and beyond, then I'll be a believer. I first have to see that he's an OC than can produce a competent offense through an entire season, year-in and out, through personnel changes that are both expected and unexpected. Yeah, that's a high bar, but that's what we'd come to expect for the better part of 40 years at NU.

 

1. I love how everyone thinks you can just fix sh#t real nice like in the middle of the season. This is college football, ffs. You have one week, maybe two if you're lucky, before the next game and you have student athletes who are required to spend a good deal of their time with school work. While you can tweak and work on problems throughout the season, unless it's an experience issue, most of your problems will remain problems throughout the season. That Watson and company managed to reinvent the offense in the middle of the season and still win games is a testament to his abilities and those of our players.

 

2. If we had one week? You probably wouldn't have seen the advances you saw in the game. Why? See above. They improved when they should have improved.

 

3. Of course not, I'm sure your posts will still be complaining when we are winning BCS bowls with Watson. I'll be enjoying it, though.

 

Lee's been injured most of the season.

 

When you clicked on this thread, you knew that you might find an opinion or two that you didn't agree with.

I believe the OP asked not to turn it into a urinating match. My opinion stands, and I believe the grounds that I based it on to not be flawed. I'm sorry if I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon when the guy called one good game. I'll stand by 1, 2, and 3.

 

I'm not complaining. As I said, I was ecstatic. I haven't felt that good about a win since '96. Don't tear me down because I'm not going to pump a bunch of sunshine up your arse when our OC has good game. As I said, when I see more of these games, I'll change my opinion. I'm looking for consistency in this program--not one-shot wonders. Sorry if I chapped ya.....

[EbylHusker]

Other then the same couple bubble screens he usualy calls what else did he run that was even close to the West Coast offense that he wants to run in this game?

 

Why did it take him a whole season to try these kind of plays and will he go back to West Coast next year.

 

Having a QB with a bad arm the whole season when you had at least three different QB's that could have done the same handoffs (just maybe they would have gotten better with more game time). does not make much of an excuse IMO.

 

Well, I will go ahead and break this down to you, though I don't know why I'm wasting my time. Guess I just want another post tally.

 

To the first point...we don't know for sure. He wants to run a hybrid spread with some power mixed in, I believe. The I-formation runs will stay, as will the shotgun look with the immediate handoff to the RB. QB option read from the shotgun will probably stay, along with the designed QB runs (Lee does well enough north/south). Bubble screens, etc. I think a fair amount of what we saw will be in the offense, just not in the proportions we saw last night.

 

To the second... He will move towards a hybrid spead/power next season. That has been his goal all along, I believe. They just couldn't run it this season. Why did it take him all season to do this? Well, when you are forced to reinvent the offense in college football, it doesn't go smoothly. See my previous post about the time demands on student athletes in college football. You don't just fix major sh#t in the middle of the season most of the time.

 

Third... Well, we threw something like 30% of the time in the second half of the season I believe (assuming TV announcers were right). When you have the offense set to just manage the game, eat clock, and not create turnovers, you want your most experienced guy in there who will not turn the ball over. We didn't just run all the time. They felt Lee gave us the best chance to win so we stuck with Lee. Is it really that hard to see?

[EbylHusker]

One successful foray is not enough (yet) to change my negative opinion of him.

 

1. We should have seen some of this before the bowl game, like say......against Texas.

2. He had 3 weeks to prepare for this game. What if he had only one week to prepare?

3. One game's worth of offense does not a redemption make.

 

I just heard mention about Zac Lee's arm, so I can't comment on it. I'm unaware of how long it has had issues. If he's been playing injured all season, then I obviously need to reassess my opinion of him.

 

I'm ecstatic about everything that transpired last night. I just haven't seen enough to change my opinion of Watson. If his success continues from this point on through next season and beyond, then I'll be a believer. I first have to see that he's an OC than can produce a competent offense through an entire season, year-in and out, through personnel changes that are both expected and unexpected. Yeah, that's a high bar, but that's what we'd come to expect for the better part of 40 years at NU.

 

1. I love how everyone thinks you can just fix sh#t real nice like in the middle of the season. This is college football, ffs. You have one week, maybe two if you're lucky, before the next game and you have student athletes who are required to spend a good deal of their time with school work. While you can tweak and work on problems throughout the season, unless it's an experience issue, most of your problems will remain problems throughout the season. That Watson and company managed to reinvent the offense in the middle of the season and still win games is a testament to his abilities and those of our players.

 

2. If we had one week? You probably wouldn't have seen the advances you saw in the game. Why? See above. They improved when they should have improved.

 

3. Of course not, I'm sure your posts will still be complaining when we are winning BCS bowls with Watson. I'll be enjoying it, though.

 

Lee's been injured most of the season.

 

When you clicked on this thread, you knew that you might find an opinion or two that you didn't agree with.

I believe the OP asked not to turn it into a urinating match. My opinion stands, and I believe the grounds that I based it on to not be flawed. I'm sorry if I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon when the guy called one good game. I'll stand by 1, 2, and 3.

 

I'm not complaining. As I said, I was ecstatic. I haven't felt that good about a win since '96. Don't tear me down because I'm not going to pump a bunch of sunshine up your arse when our OC has good game. As I said, when I see more of these games, I'll change my opinion. I'm looking for consistency in this program--not one-shot wonders. Sorry if I chapped ya.....

 

Uh, it's an internet message board...it's an amusing waste of time. Chapping does not happen, don't flatter yourself.

[junior4949]

Does anyone remember the banter about Watson that was going on after the 2008 season? The banter then was what school was he going to go to for a head coaching position. This season the banter changed to when should we fire him. No wonder Urban Meyer has stress related health problems.

[EbylHusker]

Does anyone remember the banter about Watson that was going on after the 2008 season? The banter then was what school was he going to go to for a head coaching position. This season the banter changed to when should we fire him. No wonder Urban Meyer has stress related health problems.

 

That's what I find so amusing. It was at the start of this season that Watson was being called one of the best OC's in the country. You couldn't pull all the leg humpers off him even if you had Suh trying to help you!

[Igetbored216]

I still am not fond of him, but I really liked the looks the offense gave Arizona and this is probably an indication of what the Husker offense will look like in the future.

 

One good game amongst a bunch of turds isn't good enough for me. If the offense can consistently turn out games like this next year, my opinion will definitely change.

[zoogs]

I'm ecstatic about everything that transpired last night. I just haven't seen enough to change my opinion of Watson. If his success continues from this point on through next season and beyond, then I'll be a believer. I first have to see that he's an OC than can produce a competent offense through an entire season, year-in and out, through personnel changes that are both expected and unexpected. Yeah, that's a high bar, but that's what we'd come to expect for the better part of 40 years at NU.

 

For the better part of 40 years at NU, we have not had OL coaches like Barney Cotton.

 

I understand having high expectations, but what you are asking is literally impossible for any coordinator in the nation. Coordinators scheme and call plays utilizing the component parts they are given by the position coaches. Whether the parts given are solid or complete crap, they have little control over.

 

If there's something to be not sold on yet, it's the O-line. A mostly solid performance that also had its share of Keith Williams lying on his back while Lee gets hammered in the backfield, and Mike Smith holding and false start penalties.

 

What we can take from this year, I think, is that Watson took some complete junk spare parts and made the most of it. The best OCs in the country would not be able to do much better. They may even have been stubborn and unyielding and we'd still be slinging it down to a 6-6 record. People who are upset about the offensive production this year shouldn't direct their anger at the schemer, but at the parts suppliers who handed him so little to work with in terms of line and receivers.

[SaturnDrew]

Knowing what we know now (Lee has been playing with a bum arm, Helu apparently has not healed completely and our O-Line CAN play ball), what is your opinion on Watson and whether he should stay or go?

 

I have been a Watson supporter throughout the season, and like I've said in other posts, I'm willing to give him a "pass" this season simply because of the QB situation this year and numerous injuries. I will say though that the play calling has been frustrating at times, but that could be because we simply didn't have the offensive personnel. Remember, last season we were a Top 10 offensive team. I think the offense will rebound nicely next season and we regain our offensive swagger.

[Never Skerd']

YES clearly it is the OL-- Did you guys notice the LT was just gutting dominated all night? The only thing he has going to him was Lee getting rid of the ball just before he destroyed him.

 

I think to an extent Watson should learn to open it up every game considering the destruction one game(Loss0 has in terms of the National title...

[Malth]

Do all the people still naysaying Watson understand that like half our offense was injured throughout the season? There's only so much you can do when you're having to rely on a 4th string RB, a QB with a gimp arm, etc.

 

 

 

We looked good because they were healthy.

[Hunter94]

with 3 weeks off, they looked better, unfortunately we don't get those kind of byes during the season.....better depth will help, tough to keep everyone fresh through the whole season......Helu continues to look suspect/fragile, glad Burkhead is here.

[Nebraska Alum]

Watson should absolutely remain our OC. The offense will be much better next year too.

[Lonestar_Husker]

I never thought he should be canned. Does he get any credit from last year? or is it just what have you done for me lately? His playcalling earned 450yds/game in 2008. 281 passing and 169 rushing. 919 plays totaling 5860 yds. 6.38 yds/play.

 

2009(pre Holiday bowl): 317yds/game. 141 rushing and 175 passing. 803 plays totaling 4123 yds.

5.13 yds/play.

 

Both seasons represent 13 games.

 

Passing went way down(torn tendon anyone?) Rushing went up, marginally. over 100 less plays in 13 game span.

 

I think our whole coaching staff did a good job of finding ways to win, getting the players to buy in and believe and give maximum effort. Va Tech, Ia St. and UT all could have(should have?) been Ws. I saw plenty of mistakes in those games that cost us those wins. I don't think blame can be laid at Watson's feet for Va Tech(blown coverage late) or Ia St. (fumblerooski gone awry). Big 12 championship? I've been keeping my eye on the grassy knoll, somethings up there.(puff of smoke) Possible nefarious conference shenanigans? There was one second left, but so many other things missed(I think Suh is still being clutched by UT center), to have an eagle eye on that raises my bullsniffometer.

 

Anyway, long post longer, I think Mr. Watson should be retained and believe that our offense next year will be more akin to 2008 than to 2009. A healthy and deeper O-line will solve many issues.