NEBRASKA FOOTBALL: Off the hook, and onto Beck.

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It's fourth down in the Big 12 Championship. Four yards to go. Nebraska wide receiver Brandon Kinnie sprints out to his spot left of quarterback Taylor Martinez with an assignment: Quick slant. It's an easy read for Martinez, and one of the passes he can throw well without patting down the ball with uncertainty. Kinnie knows this. Shawn Watson, the man who called the play, knows this.

 

Just one problem: The OU cornerback knows this, too. He creeps up to Kinnie until he's just inches away. Kinnie hasn't been given the option of a counter move to this coverage. He'll run what he's been told to run. He's Brick Tamland, essentially: He loves slant. He's memorized the play, not the concept.

 

My link

[MinnwiscowaSker]

I've been reading a bunch of articles today about Beck and how he'll be doing a multitude of things differently than Wats. Shouldn't he have brought up a bunch of these ideas in the past? Did he and Wats crushed them? Was Beck keeping ideas on how to better run things to himself because he didn't want to step on Wats'toes or wanted Wats gone?

[knapplc]

I've been reading a bunch of articles today about Beck and how he'll be doing a multitude of things differently than Wats. Shouldn't he have brought up a bunch of these ideas in the past? Did he and Wats crushed them? Was Beck keeping ideas on how to better run things to himself because he didn't want to step on Wats'toes or wanted Wats gone?

 

This was brought up several times in the presser yesterday. The gist of the story is that, while Beck did "have Shawn Watson's ear" the show was Watson's, the system was Watson's, and he called the shots.

 

Watson was the OC. He took the input from his staff and put it into his game plan - or didn't - at his whim. That's the same right Beck has now that he's calling the shots. The OC is not required to use every idea from every assistant, they are required to assess each idea and see how it fits into the system they are running.

 

From what little we're hearing so far, it seems as if Beck's ideas wouldn't have fit into Watson's overall plan very well. That doesn't mean Beck is right and Watson is wrong, just that they had differing philosophies.

 

Of course, that mish-mash of philosophies is why Watson and Gilmore are gone now and why Bo promoted Beck, a guy whose philosophies closely resemble his own. The whole point of the recent coaching moves, aside from the Sanders situation, was to get everyone on the same page. Allegedly that's where we are now.

 

Is this an improvement? We won't really know that until halfway through the season, if not beyond. I anticipate the first few games could be rough, with some low-scoring, error-filled games early. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see.

[bshirt]

I've been reading a bunch of articles today about Beck and how he'll be doing a multitude of things differently than Wats. Shouldn't he have brought up a bunch of these ideas in the past? Did he and Wats crushed them? Was Beck keeping ideas on how to better run things to himself because he didn't want to step on Wats'toes or wanted Wats gone?

 

This was brought up several times in the presser yesterday. The gist of the story is that, while Beck did "have Shawn Watson's ear" the show was Watson's, the system was Watson's, and he called the shots.

 

Watson was the OC. He took the input from his staff and put it into his game plan - or didn't - at his whim. That's the same right Beck has now that he's calling the shots. The OC is not required to use every idea from every assistant, they are required to assess each idea and see how it fits into the system they are running.

 

From what little we're hearing so far, it seems as if Beck's ideas wouldn't have fit into Watson's overall plan very well. That doesn't mean Beck is right and Watson is wrong, just that they had differing philosophies.

 

Of course, that mish-mash of philosophies is why Watson and Gilmore are gone now and why Bo promoted Beck, a guy whose philosophies closely resemble his own. The whole point of the recent coaching moves, aside from the Sanders situation, was to get everyone on the same page. Allegedly that's where we are now.

 

Is this an improvement? We won't really know that until halfway through the season, if not beyond. I anticipate the first few games could be rough, with some low-scoring, error-filled games early. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see.

 

Oh, yea of little faith. Just put in your mind a R. Brown coached greased lightning backfield of Green/Heard/Tmart, a Stai calibrated OLine & a coherent OC who "gets" Nebraska football.

 

God help the Big10.

[knapplc]

Is this an improvement? We won't really know that until halfway through the season, if not beyond. I anticipate the first few games could be rough, with some low-scoring, error-filled games early. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see.

 

Oh, yea of little faith. Just put in your mind a R. Brown coached greased lightning backfield of Green/Heard/Tmart, a Stai calibrated OLine & a coherent OC who "gets" Nebraska football.

 

God help the Big10.

 

My opinion is that the simplified verbiage and holistic method of teaching will be a good thing, but I have no proof yet, and I'm keeping an open mind. That openness includes the possibility that Beck could falter, at which point we're where we were before.

[skersfan]

We have no clue of what Beck will do, how the kids will react or how it work against the B1G. I am not buying any of it until I see us beat a real team, Wisconsin would work.

 

Bo's spring games are a waste of time as to what we are really going to see in the fall. I hope Beck is capable of doing the job, but I have a lot of doubt about it. He has been on the staff and should have had the ability to voice/show his ideas, as Bo supposedly was not impressed with Watson's offense over the last two years.

 

I hope it is not more of the same, but it could very well be. If it is we have real problems along the lines of Callahan/Cosgrove. I do not think that will be the problem, but I am not buying anything until I see it on the field from now on. Been burnt to many times in recent years.

[Hunter94]

We have no clue of what Beck will do, how the kids will react or how it work against the B1G. I am not buying any of it until I see us beat a real team, Wisconsin would work.

 

Bo's spring games are a waste of time as to what we are really going to see in the fall. I hope Beck is capable of doing the job, but I have a lot of doubt about it. He has been on the staff and should have had the ability to voice/show his ideas, as Bo supposedly was not impressed with Watson's offense over the last two years.

 

I hope it is not more of the same, but it could very well be. If it is we have real problems along the lines of Callahan/Cosgrove. I do not think that will be the problem, but I am not buying anything until I see it on the field from now on. Been burnt to many times in recent years.

 

 

[Hujan]

Give it a year. With Bo at the helm of the D and Beck at the helm of the O, we will be great. I can feel it in my bones!

 

[skersfan]

Spoken like a true fan. I just wish I had as much faith in our offensive coordinator as some. Very concerned about the hire or real change so to speak. Hopefully all are right and we develop even a average offense, that would be good to see.

[mmmtodd]

i think its an enormous change. you can kill a fire with too many logs, especially a big hunk of wood that should be able to really light things up. whether or not its all watsons fault, the whole situation with him had negativity written all over it, and it was never going to get better. the tidbits coming out that he wanted to leave says a lot about watson himself, which is respectable, and about his fit in general.

 

am I saying beck is the savior? not at all- but I cant help but believe there is more air flowing to the flames amongst the staff now.