The Huskers are fast, quick, and small --- in terms of offensive skill position players and defensive LB'ers and secondary. The B10 skill position players are bigger (not as fast, but bigger). I read that the average starting RB in the B10 is 219 pounds. Next year we'll have Rex at 202 or so and Aaron Green at 185 (maybe Braylon Heard at 190). The average OLB in the B10 is 230 pounds and their MLB are ca. 250. Our LB'ers are, on average, 20-25 pounds lighter. What this might mean...
1) Our offense is designed such that our QB's will take tons of hits. This is much more an issue in the B10 than in the B12 --- again because the size differential of the guys hitting you in the new conference is greater than in the old conference. Michigan had to dial back some of the hits that their running QB takes as the season progressed and his effectiveness is a shadow now of what it was. To have a running QB in the B10 is hard to maintain as the punishment adds up over time. If Tmart is to be expected to last out the season, he will have to take fewer hits in the B10 than in the B12 --- that comes in either ow two ways... either you run him much less per game... or you play him much less per game --- meaning that you have to have a second effective QB that is dual threat who plays 1/3 or so of the snaps... meaning Brion Carnes. Cody Green, as much as I like him and am thankful that he is a Husker, respecting his heart and attitude... well he will not contribute at QB. Thus, Brion Carnes is huge for NU. He needs to be ready --- and not just to step in when Taylor gets hurt (and he will get hurt in the B10 if he takes 20+ hits a game) --- he needs to be depended upon to carry ca. 1/3 of the load --- so as to spread the abuse over multiple bodies.
2) Defensively, if we retain the fast/quick but small motif at LB and at safety, then we need depth and I mean depth where no single LB plays more than ca. 60% of the defensive snaps (that is a 60/40 split with another LB so as to again spread out the abuse) or 75% for a player in the secondary. That is... we need to have a massive array of player substitution going on w/o drop off. Otherwise, our undersized (albeit fast) defense will wear down in the 4th quarter and wear out after mid-season and get gashed (particularly on the ground).
Generally, as I see it... we are not a good "fit" for the B10. Now...our speed will give the B10 people some fits... but over the long haul... unless Bo and company liberally substitute and use many players to spread out the physicality of the play in the B10... well NU might get ripped by teams just pounding the ball on the ground against us and by abusing our small RB's and our QB to the point that they are not so effective anymore (or sidelined with injuries).
Moral of the story... Guys like Brion Carnes, Braylon Heard, Aaron Green, and a slug of back-up OL (and DL... Moore, Rome, and Guy need to really be ready ... and Sean Fisher, A. Whaley, W. Compton, and E Martin better all step up huge to aid L. David --- these guys are going to make us or break us. We need depth.
I guess my hypothesis is that our success next season will critically depend on the quality of our back-ups and... the extent to which they are played.... certainly much, much more so than is the case now.
Thoughts?
1) Our offense is designed such that our QB's will take tons of hits. This is much more an issue in the B10 than in the B12 --- again because the size differential of the guys hitting you in the new conference is greater than in the old conference. Michigan had to dial back some of the hits that their running QB takes as the season progressed and his effectiveness is a shadow now of what it was. To have a running QB in the B10 is hard to maintain as the punishment adds up over time. If Tmart is to be expected to last out the season, he will have to take fewer hits in the B10 than in the B12 --- that comes in either ow two ways... either you run him much less per game... or you play him much less per game --- meaning that you have to have a second effective QB that is dual threat who plays 1/3 or so of the snaps... meaning Brion Carnes. Cody Green, as much as I like him and am thankful that he is a Husker, respecting his heart and attitude... well he will not contribute at QB. Thus, Brion Carnes is huge for NU. He needs to be ready --- and not just to step in when Taylor gets hurt (and he will get hurt in the B10 if he takes 20+ hits a game) --- he needs to be depended upon to carry ca. 1/3 of the load --- so as to spread the abuse over multiple bodies.
2) Defensively, if we retain the fast/quick but small motif at LB and at safety, then we need depth and I mean depth where no single LB plays more than ca. 60% of the defensive snaps (that is a 60/40 split with another LB so as to again spread out the abuse) or 75% for a player in the secondary. That is... we need to have a massive array of player substitution going on w/o drop off. Otherwise, our undersized (albeit fast) defense will wear down in the 4th quarter and wear out after mid-season and get gashed (particularly on the ground).
Generally, as I see it... we are not a good "fit" for the B10. Now...our speed will give the B10 people some fits... but over the long haul... unless Bo and company liberally substitute and use many players to spread out the physicality of the play in the B10... well NU might get ripped by teams just pounding the ball on the ground against us and by abusing our small RB's and our QB to the point that they are not so effective anymore (or sidelined with injuries).
Moral of the story... Guys like Brion Carnes, Braylon Heard, Aaron Green, and a slug of back-up OL (and DL... Moore, Rome, and Guy need to really be ready ... and Sean Fisher, A. Whaley, W. Compton, and E Martin better all step up huge to aid L. David --- these guys are going to make us or break us. We need depth.
I guess my hypothesis is that our success next season will critically depend on the quality of our back-ups and... the extent to which they are played.... certainly much, much more so than is the case now.
Thoughts?
