Is Bo an upper-echelon coach?

[deedsker15]

in 2007, Nebraska was 5-7. In Bo's first year or 2008, we had 9 wins including the bowl win. Last year, we got to double digit wins with the obvious stomping of Zona in the Holiday Bowl. Next year, I don't see us winning anything short of 11 games (could be lowballing it). So say we win 12 games? Win the Big 12? When is Bo considered among the great coaches? Let me remind you Nick Saban took a 6-7 Bama team to 7-6, 12-2, and then 14-0 as national champs.

 

Remember that we went 8-4 and 9-5 after Callahan had a year in the system. It looked like things were picking up; we came off a 21-7 loss in the Big 12 CCG against Oklahoma, followed by a close loss in the bowl to Auburn. We were thinking we could've been a 10, even 11 win team that year. And everyone was thinking...okay, 8-4, 9-5. Now it's 10+ win territory. We're going to win 10-12 games this year and challenge for the NCG yearly.

 

Instead...everything fell apart.

 

It's dangerous making projections like that.

 

We're in 9 win territory right now. From here, it's much easier to fall back down than to improve or even just to hold steady. Don't take that as granted, as much as Bo's regime is in its infancy. Sustained long term success will always be hard to find...if we keep making unrealistic predictions, we'll always be disappointed.

but with callahan there were times where we just didn't compete. I remember when we blew a double digit lead to okie st, after that it became a joke of how are we gonna lose this one. With bo it feels like we are gonna win no matter how it looks. Even during the tech game this year i still felt like we were just a play away from clawing back in. With callahan i was never happy even with a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter

I couldn't agree more with you.

 

I remember sitting in my buddies living room during the '06 Texas game, and telling everyone that we were going to find some way to blow our lead. Everybody said I was being pessimistic and not having faith. Next thing you know, Nunn fumbles.

 

With Pelini, I never have the urge or thought to say something like that. I feel pretty good (most of the time) even if we have just a one point lead. I always feel like we are going to win.

 

Haha, good points. Bo now has me believing again that we can play and hang with ANYBODY, and that's something that I haven't felt for a while.

 

On the other hand, after the VT loss, and the Texas loss as well, it's been just crushing...I remember after that long pass play Tyrod had against us, I was basically throwing things and screaming in my head, "WHY CAN'T WE HAVE NICE THINGS??"

 

 

Yeah, tell me about it! I went to go take a leak when VT had the ball and was stuffed. I thought we had the game locked up. When I came back it was like 2nd and goal. Unreal...I guess going to the bathroom saved me the agony of actually watching the play unfold as it happened.

the worst part was watching o'hanlon make a hustle play and tackle him...i was like no!!!!!!!!!!!!! let him score!!!!!!!!! :hellloooo :hellloooo

[Danimal]

in 2007, Nebraska was 5-7. In Bo's first year or 2008, we had 9 wins including the bowl win. Last year, we got to double digit wins with the obvious stomping of Zona in the Holiday Bowl. Next year, I don't see us winning anything short of 11 games (could be lowballing it). So say we win 12 games? Win the Big 12? When is Bo considered among the great coaches? Let me remind you Nick Saban took a 6-7 Bama team to 7-6, 12-2, and then 14-0 as national champs.

 

Remember that we went 8-4 and 9-5 after Callahan had a year in the system. It looked like things were picking up; we came off a 21-7 loss in the Big 12 CCG against Oklahoma, followed by a close loss in the bowl to Auburn. We were thinking we could've been a 10, even 11 win team that year. And everyone was thinking...okay, 8-4, 9-5. Now it's 10+ win territory. We're going to win 10-12 games this year and challenge for the NCG yearly.

 

Instead...everything fell apart.

 

It's dangerous making projections like that.

 

We're in 9 win territory right now. From here, it's much easier to fall back down than to improve or even just to hold steady. Don't take that as granted, as much as Bo's regime is in its infancy. Sustained long term success will always be hard to find...if we keep making unrealistic predictions, we'll always be disappointed.

but with callahan there were times where we just didn't compete. I remember when we blew a double digit lead to okie st, after that it became a joke of how are we gonna lose this one. With bo it feels like we are gonna win no matter how it looks. Even during the tech game this year i still felt like we were just a play away from clawing back in. With callahan i was never happy even with a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter

I couldn't agree more with you.

 

I remember sitting in my buddies living room during the '06 Texas game, and telling everyone that we were going to find some way to blow our lead. Everybody said I was being pessimistic and not having faith. Next thing you know, Nunn fumbles.

 

With Pelini, I never have the urge or thought to say something like that. I feel pretty good (most of the time) even if we have just a one point lead. I always feel like we are going to win.

 

Haha, good points. Bo now has me believing again that we can play and hang with ANYBODY, and that's something that I haven't felt for a while.

 

On the other hand, after the VT loss, and the Texas loss as well, it's been just crushing...I remember after that long pass play Tyrod had against us, I was basically throwing things and screaming in my head, "WHY CAN'T WE HAVE NICE THINGS??"

 

 

Yeah, tell me about it! I went to go take a leak when VT had the ball and was stuffed. I thought we had the game locked up. When I came back it was like 2nd and goal. Unreal...I guess going to the bathroom saved me the agony of actually watching the play unfold as it happened.

the worst part was watching o'hanlon make a hustle play and tackle him...i was like no!!!!!!!!!!!!! let him score!!!!!!!!! :hellloooo :hellloooo

 

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

[Jeremy]

Yes. And how.

[zoogs]

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

 

If I recall the TD pass went through Prince's arms by about two inches and into the receiver's hands on a wild scramble by Taylor. It was a real close call.

[deedsker15]

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

 

If I recall the TD pass went through Prince's arms by about two inches and into the receiver's hands on a wild scramble by Taylor. It was a real close call.

the problem was we didn't rush at taylor...he had about forever in the pocket before suh came after him because we were trying to contain

[junior4949]

If if's and but's were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day. Eventually, we'll start winning those nail bighters rather than losing them. Once that happens, Bo transforms into an upper echelon coach.

[GMoose]

If if's and but's were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day. Eventually, we'll start winning those nail bighters rather than losing them. Once that happens, Bo transforms into an upper echelon coach.

+1. Excellent post.

[Danimal]

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

 

If I recall the TD pass went through Prince's arms by about two inches and into the receiver's hands on a wild scramble by Taylor. It was a real close call.

the problem was we didn't rush at taylor...he had about forever in the pocket before suh came after him because we were trying to contain

 

This, I think O'Hanlon was supposed to bring heat too but he ended-up covering the motion-guy. Thorell ended-up doing his own little zone-D with nobody in his zone, basically leaving the D a guy short and with little pressure on Taylor.

[ADS]

A couple things (he is awfully close to them)

 

1. Win the Big 12

2. Win agianst a top 10 team

3. Beat Texas

4. Pull in a top 10 recruting class

5. Win a MNC

 

[huskerjack23]

Bo is an upper-echelon coach based on potential. I remember a Shatel article after the national title game last year saying that Bo coached circles around Mack Brown in the Big 12 title game and that Saban did no better than Brown did in the MNC. Without rose colored glasses, I could see the point he was making.

 

Two straight years, Bo and company had to make due with what they had and they rattled off 5 and 6 game winning streaks. With a potential to have a great hand, the hustler will most likely bring home all the chips.

[zoogs]

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

 

If I recall the TD pass went through Prince's arms by about two inches and into the receiver's hands on a wild scramble by Taylor. It was a real close call.

the problem was we didn't rush at taylor...he had about forever in the pocket before suh came after him because we were trying to contain

 

This, I think O'Hanlon was supposed to bring heat too but he ended-up covering the motion-guy. Thorell ended-up doing his own little zone-D with nobody in his zone, basically leaving the D a guy short and with little pressure on Taylor.

 

Well, if he was doing what he was supposed to, can't really blame him. I mean, if he leaves, then his area of the field is left completely open, right? Too many if's though, you're right.

 

To be clear, I wasn't blaming Prince...he had that play perfectly, it just slipped through.

[Apathy]

Bo Pelini has been a blessing to the Nebraska Football program and has brought back a lot of faith in Husker Nation. I'm a big Bo supporter and have been ever since 03' and when he left to coach at OU and LSU but with that said I don't think that he's an upper-echelon coach just yet but he'll get there and it will be here at Nebraska.

 

He's proven that we can hang with the big boys (VT, Texas, OU) and came a few plays from beating VT and Texas last year. He's a great motivator and can coach any player and make them better as an athlete and as an individual. He's brought back the fire and intensity into the players and fans that has been lost the past couple years. Bo is doing a hell of a job right now and if we're getting beat I know that Bo is going to motivate those players and keep their heads on straight to pull out the W something that I couldn't say the same with Callahan.

 

What I think Bo needs to accomplish here at Nebraska to be the next great coach are these things because obviously Devaney, Osborne and even Solich did these things:

 

- 9+ wins a season every year

- Every year be in the spotlight of the National Title race

- Win the Big 12 Championship game

- Win a Nation Championship

- Be involved in the Husker community like doing charities, attending other Husker sporting events, golf tournaments, etc (which he has done an outstanding job so far)

[huskertim]

Bo is already regarded as one of the best defensive coaches in football. This year Carl is supposed to take on the DC role to allow Bo to act as head coach. It will be informative to see how well Bo's leadership and philosiphies are transmitted through his OC and staff. This, IMO, is the year Bo transends the DC role and truely becomes head coach. Time will tell how good he can be, but to me he seems to have matured as a coach exponentially from his first year and that is exactly what we want to see.

 

 

[Danimal]

Probably still would've still stopped VT if not for Thorell's blown-assignment on the td.

 

If I recall the TD pass went through Prince's arms by about two inches and into the receiver's hands on a wild scramble by Taylor. It was a real close call.

the problem was we didn't rush at taylor...he had about forever in the pocket before suh came after him because we were trying to contain

 

This, I think O'Hanlon was supposed to bring heat too but he ended-up covering the motion-guy. Thorell ended-up doing his own little zone-D with nobody in his zone, basically leaving the D a guy short and with little pressure on Taylor.

 

Well, if he was doing what he was supposed to, can't really blame him. I mean, if he leaves, then his area of the field is left completely open, right? Too many if's though, you're right.

 

To be clear, I wasn't blaming Prince...he had that play perfectly, it just slipped through.

 

You forget one thing, Thorell was supposed to be blitzing into the VT-backfield. In terms of coverage we didn't expect him to be there and had accounted for that. Thus Thorell didn't end-up doing much.

[Blackshirt316]

He's already proven with the turnaround he put forth that he's an upper echelon coach... the difference is that he has yet to prove he is an ELITE coach. That will be determined with his next two years.