Tim Griffin picks Bo Pelini as Big XII post-season C.O.Y.

[Nexus]

Steve Russell of Loveland, Colo., writes: Tim, quick question for you. If you were picking a conference coach of the year including the bowl games, who would you select?

 

Tim Griffin: After the regular season and conference championship game, I picked Mack Brown because of his 13-0 record. But including the bowl results, I would lean to Bo Pelini, with Brown closely followed by Paul Rhoads of Iowa State.

 

I think Pelini was able to get a lot out of a team that struggled offensively for much of the season. The Cornhuskers had one of the most imposing defenses in recent Big 12 history with Ndamukong Suh, Jared Crick, Prince Amukamara, Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard and Co. They had a 10-4 record, but the Cornhuskers were very close to a couple of more wins. With a fortunate break or two, the Cornhuskers could have ended up winning the Iowa State and Virginia Tech games during the regular season and the Big 12 championship game. They came legitimately close to a 13-1 record this season. Pelini deserves much of the credit for getting them into the championship game and for their victory over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.

 

And as far as Rhoads, I think he did a masterful job with his team. The fact he was able to go to Nebraska and beat the Cornhuskers while starting a backup quarterback and running back while Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson were out of the lineup was one of the biggest upsets in the nation this past season. Capping the season with an Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota and finishing with a winning record completed a strong first season for the Cyclones.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/10049/big-12-mailbag-why-pelini-is-my-post-bowl-big-12-coach-of-the-year

[mmmtodd]

freakin' iowa state

[jimindallas]

freakin' iowa state

 

freakin 8, count em' 8, turnovers.

[jimindallas]

freakin' iowa state

 

freakin 8, count em' 8, turnovers.

[WVhuskerXX]

freakin' iowa state

 

freakin 8, count em' 8, turnovers.

Every time I think of that game I do this --->

[CENTEXHUSKER]

Yeah, with 4 of them coming inside the ISU 5 yard line...

[illnino]

Yeah, with 4 of them coming inside the ISU 5 yard line...

 

I get sick every time I think of this game

[ESPY]

And Carl should have gotten the post-season Defensive Coordinator of the Year award!

[Fuzzy]

Steve Russell of Loveland, Colo., writes: Tim, quick question for you. If you were picking a conference coach of the year including the bowl games, who would you select?

 

Tim Griffin: After the regular season and conference championship game, I picked Mack Brown because of his 13-0 record. But including the bowl results, I would lean to Bo Pelini, with Brown closely followed by Paul Rhoads of Iowa State.

 

I think Pelini was able to get a lot out of a team that struggled offensively for much of the season. The Cornhuskers had one of the most imposing defenses in recent Big 12 history with Ndamukong Suh, Jared Crick, Prince Amukamara, Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard and Co. They had a 10-4 record, but the Cornhuskers were very close to a couple of more wins. With a fortunate break or two, the Cornhuskers could have ended up winning the Iowa State and Virginia Tech games during the regular season and the Big 12 championship game. They came legitimately close to a 13-1 record this season. Pelini deserves much of the credit for getting them into the championship game and for their victory over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.

 

And as far as Rhoads, I think he did a masterful job with his team. The fact he was able to go to Nebraska and beat the Cornhuskers while starting a backup quarterback and running back while Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson were out of the lineup was one of the biggest upsets in the nation this past season. Capping the season with an Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota and finishing with a winning record completed a strong first season for the Cyclones.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/10049/big-12-mailbag-why-pelini-is-my-post-bowl-big-12-coach-of-the-year

 

 

Tim Griffin trying to suck up to the Husker fans i see.

[Enhance]

Bo definitely had the best showing of any Big 12 coach.

[husker rob]

1 less fumbles against ISU, 1 less broken defensive play, and 1 kick off staying inbounds and NU is 13-1 but on the other hand how many close games could have gone the other way of the ball bounced toward the opponents instead

[BleedHuskerRed]

freakin' iowa state

 

freakin 8, count em' 8, turnovers.

Every time I think of that game I do this --->

 

Well, on the bright side, the season could have come off the rails at that point. Back-to-back home loses followed by a tricky match-up at Baylor, than Oklahoma. Bo & co. did a great job moving forward, keeping the team focused and positive.

 

And they never did that moronic walk-out-of-the-tunnel-arm-in-arm TunnelWalk business again. Good call there.

[husker B-rent]

ugh, i get crap about that game every freaking day!!!

 

granted they shut up when i tell them that they beat us once every ten years!!!

[Enhance]

1 less fumbles against ISU, 1 less broken defensive play, and 1 kick off staying inbounds and NU is 13-1 but on the other hand how many close games could have gone the other way of the ball bounced toward the opponents instead

Good point.. Kansas almost took a pretty big lead on us had Gomes not forced a fumble in O'Hanlon's arms.

[Danny Bateman]

1 less fumbles against ISU, 1 less broken defensive play, and 1 kick off staying inbounds and NU is 13-1 but on the other hand how many close games could have gone the other way of the ball bounced toward the opponents instead

Specifically, in the ISU game, one less play where Niles loses posession TWICE and we win.