Today's Presser

[kchusker_chris]

^ at this point I expect the class to end up being a decent size, depending ont he finish. bigger than the projected anyways. i see a couple transfering.

 

unfortunately I think it will be like the 08' class...where we're grasping for players late.

[kchusker_chris]

Here's how I would look at it if I were a recruit. If I'm going to play on the defense, I'm salivating at becoming a Nebraska recruit. The defense has been rather dismal this year, so it means I might very well get a lot of playing time next year. Also, Bo has a knack of getting defensive players into the NFL which is the ultimate goal for most high powered recruits. If I'm going to play offense, I'd be very relunctant at coming to Nebraska unless I'm an OL recruit. Nobody has not only been able to unseat Martinez, but they haven't garnered any legitimate playing time either. The RB position is stacked unless there's transfers. The WR position should scare the ever living crap out of any incoming recruit.

because so many freshman have contributed to past defenses? Look at the depth chart...freshman don't play defense at nebraska - they redshirt. If they aren't playing this year, in a year when we are switching WR's to help shore up our CB depth...then they don't stand a chance next year when we return 8. We lose Moore, David, Cassidy (addition by subtraction), Dennard.

[tab-neb]

I think Bo's got it in him to lead us back to relevance, but at this point I'm just frustrated with the lack of growth we've seen from the team. Hell, this team has regressed.

 

1. Discipline

2. Heart

3. Fundamentally sound football.

 

We haven't seen any of that. Furthermore, Bo is NOT learning from his mistakes. He hasn't developed depth this season and half our roster is in the doghouse. It's time for Bo to man up, look in the mirror, and fix what's wrong. If he doesn't do that within the next year or two he's not going to last.

[irafreak]

maybe Bo has hit his ceiling as a HC. All I could think about reading the first comments he made in that article was "I've done an excellent job in all areas"

[True2tRA]

Well, this thought just popped into my head:

 

In one area, I believe Callahan actually trumped Pelini during his time at NU. Yeah, you read that right.

 

Callahan, at the end of his fourth year, at least had achieved one thing: consistency. Albeit consistency in the way we sucked, bad, but the same team showed up every week. At least we knew we were going to lose.

 

One thing that is so damn frustrating about Pelini is that it's really beginning to feel like we have to worry as fans about what NU squad is going to show up on a weekly basis. The good, grind it out, solid team, or the horrible, mistake prone, "we gon' get rolled" team.

 

The multiple personalities of our team is hard to deal with as fans.

Many have used the words bi-polar. I have to agree. This team has definitely taken the mentality of their head coach. When they are up, they are way up, when they are down, they are wayyyyy down. They hate everyone, and don't really have any answers.

[lo country]

Here's how I would look at it if I were a recruit. If I'm going to play on the defense, I'm salivating at becoming a Nebraska recruit. The defense has been rather dismal this year, so it means I might very well get a lot of playing time next year. Also, Bo has a knack of getting defensive players into the NFL which is the ultimate goal for most high powered recruits. If I'm going to play offense, I'd be very relunctant at coming to Nebraska unless I'm an OL recruit. Nobody has not only been able to unseat Martinez, but they haven't garnered any legitimate playing time either. The RB position is stacked unless there's transfers. The WR position should scare the ever living crap out of any incoming recruit.

because so many freshman have contributed to past defenses? Look at the depth chart...freshman don't play defense at nebraska - they redshirt. If they aren't playing this year, in a year when we are switching WR's to help shore up our CB depth...then they don't stand a chance next year when we return 8. We lose Moore, David, Cassidy (addition by subtraction), Dennard.

 

Ding, Ding, Ding. What recruit ie true fresh has come here on O or D and immediately contributed? Two maybe 3? Rex comes to mind.

I thought the same thing after 2007 on D. I thought the same thing about the O after 2009 and 2010 ie I am all world, RB, WR etc....I will start immediately. The O can't run out of bread in a snow storm and the receivers cant catch a cold. Then they arive, reality sets in and they burn a shirt for special teams, or ride the pine behind an injured player, or get no developmental time in blowouts. yea, I am a recruit and look at how long it takes to "contribute", the fact we lost so poorly last year at the end and are again on that downward spiral, I really look at my options.

 

Winning changes everything. All things being equal, facilities, fan base, traditions etc.... It all comes down to schools that are winning. Our schizo O definitely doesn't help getting guys there. The inability of Martinez to consistently get the ball to the receivers would make me (as a receiver) look elsewhere. If I am a pass blocking lineman, I am unsure if I want to go to a team that plays the spread or zone read or option. Same with a road grader, I don't want to come to a team that is trying to use elements of the WCO or throws 30 times like Wisky.

 

Consistent identity (on both sides) and consistent performance will assist recruiting more than anything.

[AFhusker]

Here is something that is interesting:

 

Frank Solich:

1998 - 10-4: Losses to #18 Texas A&M(21-28), #20 Texas (16-20), #2 K-State(30-40), #5 Arizona(20-23)

1999 - 12-1: Loss to #18 Texas(20-24)

2000 - 10-2: Losses to #3 Oklahoma(14-31), #16 K-State(28-29)

2001 - 11-2: Losses to #14 Colorado(36-62), #1 Miami(14-37)

2002 - 7-7:...

2003 - 10-3: Losses to #10 Missouri(24-41), #16 Texas(7-31), #18 K-State(9-38) (Bo coached last game)

 

Bill Callahan:

2004 - 5-6

2005 - 8-4

2006 - 9-5

2007 - 5-7

 

Bo Pelini:

2008 - 9-4

2009 - 10-4

2010 - 10-4

2011 - 8-3 (as of 11/20/2011) We'll either end up at worse 8-5, or best case scenario 10-3...

 

Sorry, I really just hate seeing Bo compared to Bill Callahan.

 

Mizzou wasn't ranked in 2003, they finished 8-5 that year. Frank had MNC talent handed to him for his first four years and didn't replace it.

[phess3813]

I keep hearing about all the talent we have, Which I think we have. I just like it sitting on the bench. (doghouse) Not getting developed.

[HuskerGT]

If you look at the average stars and not the total points we are a lot better than # 49.

[melscott62]

We aren't having "poor recruiting." That's a myth, and I'm not sure where people are coming up with this. Bo's recruiting ranks so far:

 

2008 - 30

2009 - 28

2010 - 22

2011 - 15

 

At the moment we're ranked 49th by Rivals (where the above numbers came from), but this class is tiny and was always destined to be ranked lower.

 

Recruiting isn't the problem. It's coaching/developing talent, with a side order of getting the talent you recruit to produce on game day. We are clearly getting kids that should have us competing with pretty much anyone in the nation. We are simply not getting the results out of them.

 

It's the coaches. Not the recruits.

 

Considering you said this, does this make Bo much different in that regard than BC? While I know it must be noted that Bo is doing a lot better than BC, this was always everybodies biggest gripe about BC. He could recruit with the best of them, but he didn't develop what he got. The thing I still find odd in all of this was how Bo did a terrific job of developing BC talent, but he isn't having near the success developing the talent he's brought into the program. I still think he needs at least another five years to really get a feel for what he can do. However, I can't argue with those wanting to see immediate progress given the fact that neither FS or BC got that amount of time I believe Bo needs.

 

Bo wins more?

[Skull&Bones]

I'm not confident about landing any recruits right now, to be honest with you. There's the things Bo says, all of which sound good and right. But then there's the way Bo's teams play, and it's horrifying.

 

If I'm a recruit, I don't know how I justify those two things. And I don't know how I commit to a coach that is so all-over-the-place.

 

Knapplc you crack me up. I started off by reading how busy you were and thought damn he is to busy for HB? But After reading your 4th reply I realized your priorities have not changed. Good for you man...you're a true HB connoisseur.

Back to topic I think Bo needs to get his priorities straight. I observe a team with no leader, no identity and no passion. Every Saturday the question isn't who we're playing...the question is what Nebraska team is going to show up.

Ask Forest Gump about this team and he'll tell you...this team is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

And as much as I think Bo is the right guy for the job, it's on him. Fix it!!

[Peoriahusker]

We aren't having "poor recruiting." That's a myth, and I'm not sure where people are coming up with this. Bo's recruiting ranks so far:

 

2008 - 30

2009 - 28

2010 - 22

2011 - 15

 

At the moment we're ranked 49th by Rivals (where the above numbers came from), but this class is tiny and was always destined to be ranked lower.

 

Recruiting isn't the problem. It's coaching/developing talent, with a side order of getting the talent you recruit to produce on game day. We are clearly getting kids that should have us competing with pretty much anyone in the nation. We are simply not getting the results out of them.

 

It's the coaches. Not the recruits.

 

pretty difficult to get much out of the kids you recruit when you don't play them!

[Landlord]

My biggest gripe with recruiting is that every year is a super small class because we redshirt everyone and hold on to everyone.

[schuhbdoo]

80 scollies and we dont have a legit QB.

[Enhance]

If anybody listened to Sports Nightly tonight, Matt Davison made a point that I'm tending to agree with right now.

 

Jeff Culhane asked Matt how to build consistency in a team, and Davison said one of the biggest things is holding players accountable. If there was ever a time where the offense wasn't holding up their end of the bargain or wasn't performing as they should, guys like Jason Peter, Mike Brown, Grant Wistrom, etc., would walk down to the offense on the sidelines and let them know what they thought, whether it was nice or not. Davison said one reason many of those 90's teams were so good, among many other reasons, was because of their commitment to accountability.

 

Davison went on to to say he didn't notice anybody - from the offense or defense - walking towards each other and trying to hold one another accountable. That doesn't mean it didn't happen, of course, but it was just one man's observation. And I gotta say that to some degree, what Davison is saying makes sense. Who can we definitely say is a leader on the defense? Who, from both sides of the ball, is trying to make players accountable for their actions? Coaches can only do so much. At some point, the players are responsible for what happens on the field.

 

Outside of talent, coaching, execution, etc., the players have to be responsible for one another's actions. If one fails, everybody fails.