National perception of Bo Pelini

[FLU]

However, I will say this -- some NU fans need to learn how to accept criticism. Sometimes it may be warranted, sometimes not, but contrary to some of your beliefs, it's not all roses all the time. I think it's sad (and quite pathetic) how some of you are such followers, and will simply join in with the crowd or "popular" choice just to be part of that crowd, even if it's against a fellow Husker fan. In the end, we all want this team to be successful, even if we express it in different ways or our opinions differ. Even if I don't agree, I respect every other fan's perspective/opinion and I would appreciate that same respect.

[NoLongerN]

We barely crack the Top 25 in recruiting every year, and we barely finish in the Top 25 in the polls, and yet you people complain and act surprised. (?)

 

I don't have a problem with these kinds of statements FLU ... or your original post. I guess what you are saying is ... the reason we lost to UCLA the other day is that over past 25 years we "barely crack the Top 25 in recruiting every year". I sincerely disagree. The issue in the loss had nothing to do with talent.

 

Secondly, the bigger problem I have with your statement and the original post is that it comes a day or so after a loss. To me, I owe it to my team which is now two games early into the season to support them as they try to figure it out. The last thing they need to hear from me is how the reason they are losing is because they are not Top 25 talent and they don't have an "elite" coach.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

From what I understand Callahan was a good recruiter and got pretty good talent here, Marlon Lucky stands out to me, but he was a terrible coach. He did nothing to coach the kids up to play on a high level in college and you got the product we seen on the field. A good coach can recruit kids, talented or not, and coach them up to be great players. I believe Bo is/will do that, but I think his major down falls are the following:

 

1. Stubborness, will not change his defensive philosophy from the 2-gap defense as the players we have can't perform in that defense.

2. Very green defensive coordinator that isn't probably willing to stand up to Bo and say this isn't working. (just a hunch)

3. Green offensive coordinator that is stubborn and believes we are a pass first offense when we don't have a pass first QB.

4. Know the defense and the offense or it doesn't matter how talented you are, you simply won't see the field.

 

He needs to address all of these matters and fast or this defense is going to drive this team into the dirt. The offense is the offense right now and will be fine if Beck stops it with his bone headed play calling at times. Ride Abdullah, Heard, Cross and Rex when he gets back, when the defense starts playing the run you've got several receiving threats to choose from in Turner, Reed, Cotton, Bell, Enunwa, and several more depending on the package you put out there. Personally, and I know it's been beat to death before, but why aren't we seeing the diamond formation more? It puts a ton of speed on the field, you'd have Burkhead, Heard, and Abdullah in the backfield with Taylor and depending on whether you have a tight end out there anywhere from Cotton and Reed with either Turner and Enunwa on the outside of take the tight end out, put Cross or Marrow in there and have them lead block for one of the I-backs. So many possibilites there.................

[StPaulHusker]

If everyone thinks that Bo is such a bad coach and recruiter, give me 5 coaches/coordinators that would be available at the end of this season that you could replace him with and really feel that in 2 years we would be competing for a National Championship. I couldn't think of 3.

[huskered17]

The one problem I have is, why isn't this defense good enough to get the job done. All I ever read on here is we have a new coach at the helm. The defensive coach has been here with Bo for awhile now, and knows what he wants from his defense. Bo is well respected as a top defensive coach. There should not be this kind of drop off, this quick from one year to the next, I wouldn't think. We go out and get one of the most respected d-line coaches from Iowa, and still no pressure up front. Is he being allowed to run the d-line the way he wants, or do we still not have the right players, or good enough ones. I saw on some plays that some of the d-line just standing there watching the q/b till he threw the ball, just standing there a couple of feet from the line of scrimmage. Is that by design to keep him in the back field?

Their q/b had a lot of time to look over the field on most plays. I know Bo has to coach the whole team, but he gave that offense to Beck, and it looks like he has them headed in the right direction most of the time. I would like see Bo take over the defense for a while, till the other coaches understand what needs to be done, a little better. No one wants to see him go off on the sidelines, like he used to, but we seemed to play better when he did. jmo

 

GBR!!!

[Husker from Kansas]

I keep seeing Sabans name come up, yea the guy is one hell of a coach and he has won 3 MNC, but how long was he a head coach before he ever even made it to a conference championship game in a major conference? How long was he a coach before he ever won 9 games in a major conference? Better yet 4 consecutive 9 win seasons against the same kinda of competition that Bo has faced?

 

It took him 6 years to make a conference championship game in a major conference.

He was at Michigan ST. from 95 to 99, and only won 9 games once, which was in 99 before he jumped ship to go to LSU.

His last 4 years have been the first years that he has won at least 9 games in 4 consecutive seasons.

 

All in all I think people need to chill out and let Bo continue to grow into his role as a head coach. He is no Nick Saban, but hell either was Saban 5 years in. It takes coaches time to develop and mature into being great coaches. Bo has righted the ship that he was left with, Saban only went 6-6 at Alabama his first season, and I would venture to say he had more talent at Alabama then Bo had at Nebraska. People need to understand if we get rid of Bo after 4 consecutive 9 win seasons, we will never get an accomplished coach to come here, because more often then not it takes time to truly build a program (the right way, and not cheat) that fits your coaching style, and if Bo was to get let go then it would prove that Nebraska's biggest fault is that the program has ZERO patience. Lets not forget how long it took Dr. Tom to win a MNC and he inherited a program in a lot better shape than Bo.

[beanman]

toms osborns recurting classes were not top 10 classes if i remember...seemed like he had lot of 15 or 16 ranked recruiting classes...tom gave a kid a chance, were other schools would not, got to give him credit for that, even though some of em turned out sour later in life... i just don,t understand why nu,s defense gives up some many yds....the defense basically lost the game for nu, not the offense.

 

He had some top ten classes, not many but there were some. He was typically between 10-20. He ran a system that worked for the players he recruited.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

If everyone thinks that Bo is such a bad coach and recruiter, give me 5 coaches/coordinators that would be available at the end of this season that you could replace him with and really feel that in 2 years we would be competing for a National Championship. I couldn't think of 3.

Bo isn't a bad coach, he's just stubborn, and he wants to build a legacy by allowing all these youngs guys to learn from him and giving them "their shot." One day it'll click for him as a head coach and he'll keep things going in the right direction without all these ups-and-downs. He missed the boat in Stoops, but it sounds like that wasn't only his fault.

[knapplc]

I couldn't care less about the national perception of Bo Pelini. I care about the product he puts on the field. Saturday's woeful defensive effort concerns me 1,000x more than how anyone "out there" views our coach.

[Verin]

Look at Bama and LSU and USC -- those are great recruits. And don't give me any BS about how hard it is to get kids to come to Lincoln, because neither Baton Rouge nor Tuscaloosa have anything that Lincoln doesn't have. The difference is that their programs have coaches who kids want to play for, and they don't care where the school is located. I have no doubt that if Saban began coaching in Alaska, he'd still finish in the Top 5 for recruiting.

Hahaha. If you honestly believe what you said right there.... I must respectively say you might be kinda stupid... respectfully of course.

 

Please let me know what Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa have that Lincoln doesn't. Please tell me.

 

Inbreeding, higher rate of illiteracy, more mosquito and flies.

 

Top five states for recruiting are (by the amount of BCS level talent) are.

 

1. Texas

2. Florida

3. California

4. Georgia

5. Ohio

 

It's hard to get kids out of the southeast. Besides all the reasons already mentioned, a lot of these kids have grown up wanting to play for the in state school. Georgia hasn't won a NC since 1980 and their 2013 class is top ten, which tells you something. Don't get rid of Pelini, you might end up with Terry Bowden. I think Bo's anger has a certain creative appeal, much like Spurrier's visor tosses. Luckily Ohio state is in the other division, so there's a chance to make it to the Big Ten championship game every year. That's something to build off of. Success will bring recruits. At least Nebraska has California connections, and I doubt the UCLA game will change that. If you really must have another coach, maybe someone can coax T.O. out of retirement (again).

[StPaulHusker]

If everyone thinks that Bo is such a bad coach and recruiter, give me 5 coaches/coordinators that would be available at the end of this season that you could replace him with and really feel that in 2 years we would be competing for a National Championship. I couldn't think of 3.

Bo isn't a bad coach, he's just stubborn, and he wants to build a legacy by allowing all these youngs guys to learn from him and giving them "their shot." One day it'll click for him as a head coach and he'll keep things going in the right direction without all these ups-and-downs. He missed the boat in Stoops, but it sounds like that wasn't only his fault.

My point exactly. There is no one better to get to coach this team.

[ladyhawke]

Like I said before, some people just don't get it. It's not that hard to understand. I know that we are at a disadvantage talent-wise and location-wise. The point is, if we are forced to look for another coach somewhere down the road, we need to find someone who has the appeal/respect/notoriety to help us overcome those obstacles and make recruits want to come to Lincoln. If we have to open the pocketbook in order to find such a coach, then open it. However, some people feel that there's nothing we can do to attract such a coach, and so basically we are just stuck where we are and this is as good as it's going to get.

You know, we did that. We opened the pocketbook far and wide-we hired Bill Callahan. NFL coach-won a super bowl. Well, you know the rest. It's always interesting to me that right after we lose a 'game we shouldn't have lost' (I'm still not convinced we 'shouldn't have lost' that game. UCLA may go on to win the Pac-10. If they do we won't feel so badly about this lost) people start talking about a coaching change. It happens every single time! AND THEN these same people (not saying that you are one of those people in particular) get all bent out of shape when other really good teams have Bo on their list as Head Coach material!! So, while I respect your opinion, FLU, I disagree with it.

[FLU]

It's fine if you disagree with me, but there's no reason for the sarcasm/lack of respect shown by some people -- I'm not a Texas or Oklahoma fan for God's sake. As a matter of fact, some of the statements I've read have made me look at things from a different perspective. While I might not agree with some others' opinions, I still respect them, because like me, they are Husker fans.

[StPaulHusker]

Like I said before, some people just don't get it. It's not that hard to understand. I know that we are at a disadvantage talent-wise and location-wise. The point is, if we are forced to look for another coach somewhere down the road, we need to find someone who has the appeal/respect/notoriety to help us overcome those obstacles and make recruits want to come to Lincoln. If we have to open the pocketbook in order to find such a coach, then open it. However, some people feel that there's nothing we can do to attract such a coach, and so basically we are just stuck where we are and this is as good as it's going to get.

You know, we did that. We opened the pocketbook far and wide-we hired Bill Callahan. NFL coach-won a super bowl. Well, you know the rest. It's always interesting to me that right after we lose a 'game we shouldn't have lost' (I'm still not convinced we 'shouldn't have lost' that game. UCLA may go on to win the Pac-10. If they do we won't feel so badly about this lost) people start talking about a coaching change. It happens every single time! AND THEN these same people (not saying that you are one of those people in particular) get all bent out of shape when other really good teams have Bo on their list as Head Coach material!! So, while I respect your opinion, FLU, I disagree with it.

Flu: Give me 5 names that you think would come here next year and be better than Bo. Also, how far do you open the checkbook? Bo is at 3M/year. How much furhter past that do you go? Also, what happens if that does not pan out? Do we go further into the wallet and look for someone else? It took Osborne 23 seasons to win a NC and he had ALOT of losses he wished he could have back. Give this time. They are still winning the vast majority of their games and until that stops this shold not even be a conversation.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

FLU, I have to ask, how many hours of sleep did you get last night?