2 Fateful Decisions

[Stickney]

Although there are many, many questions that I would like to ask Bo, there are two decisions I think that may end up deciding Bo's future at NU.

 

1. Hitching his wagon to T-Mart at QB.

2. Placing Baker Steinkuhler on the D-Line.

 

 

1. T-Mart remains an average to above average QB. Unfortunately, he does have some significant liabilities. But, despite them, the problem for Bo was not simply T-Mart's limitations, it was that Bo hitched his wagon to T-Mart for (possibly) 4 seasons. This obviously could have a happy ending, let's hope.

 

2. I realize the Defense is weak. I realize Baker has been ok on D-Line. I just happen to think that having a 4 year starter at left tackle would have had cascading benefits. An anchor there would have greatly improved the O-line AND helped the defense by KEEPING them off the field. It also would have made the staff recruit replacement d-tackles. I will be interested whether Baker is drafted as a d-lineman or auditioned for the O-line in the NFL.

 

The season is still young and the B1G is weak.

[junior4949]

Name one QB on the team that would be doing better than Martinez. Martinez is just fine, and isn't the reason we lost to UCLA. Our offense generated enough yards and enough points to win if the defense would have showed up. Moving Baker Steinkuhler to the DL was more or less out of necessity. We had absolutely zero depth on the DL. The biggest loser here is more than likely Steinkuhler as he gained the majority of his recruiting status as an OL. It's likely he'll never play a down in the NFL, and it could very well be because he's playing on the wrong side of the ball.

 

The only questionable part in these two things is whether or not Bo should have gone with Martinez in 2009. We will never know the answer to this one. The Big 10 is weak, and we should be able to compete. The thing that bothers me most is where is our speed on the defensive side of the ball?

[zoogs]

I don't think decision #2 comes even close to importance as decision #1.

 

Still, I think Taylor's junior season turnaround is looking like nothing short of a pretty good success story.

[maskershake]

Although there are many, many questions that I would like to ask Bo, there are two decisions I think that may end up deciding Bo's future at NU.

 

1. Hitching his wagon to T-Mart at QB.

2. Placing Baker Steinkuhler on the D-Line.

 

 

1. T-Mart remains an average to above average QB. Unfortunately, he does have some significant liabilities. But, despite them, the problem for Bo was not simply T-Mart's limitations, it was that Bo hitched his wagon to T-Mart for (possibly) 4 seasons. This obviously could have a happy ending, let's hope.

 

2. I realize the Defense is weak. I realize Baker has been ok on D-Line. I just happen to think that having a 4 year starter at left tackle would have had cascading benefits. An anchor there would have greatly improved the O-line AND helped the defense by KEEPING them off the field. It also would have made the staff recruit replacement d-tackles. I will be interested whether Baker is drafted as a d-lineman or auditioned for the O-line in the NFL.

 

The season is still young and the B1G is weak.

 

Taylor can be an extremely dynamic QB if used properly. I still think he could be very good for us. He's not a drop back 30 times a game quarterback though, as much as we want to make him that he is a runner. That's the team we are, we run the ball! Run it! ARGH! haha

[Count 'Bility]

The Martinez hate is absolutely ridiculous. I knew it was a matter of time before the T-tragicers were gonna show. I knew it was coming. You oughtta be ashamed of yourselves. There are far greater issues right now.

[Stickney]

Actually I am not hating on T-Mart, but I am stating what I think is pretty clear, he is likely a 4 year starter that is good, not great. Name other schools that have had 4 year starters that were merely good. The issue isn't simply T-Mart's effectiveness it is the fact that it is, potentially, a 4 year commitment.

 

We've seen alot of film of T-Mart in big games and though there has been improvement I would hardly consider his big game record an accomplishment.

 

 

But if Baker was on the O-line, he might make T-Mart look more than just good and perhaps great simply by having that left side locked down.

[Stickney]

The thing that bothers me most is where is our speed on the defensive side of the ball?

 

One critique I have had with Bo is the lack of seeing many Safeties turn into LBs, and LBs into DEs. You can't always do that, but looking at the roster there seem like a lot of reasonably touted guys sittin on the bench.

 

I understand the practice well theory, but honestly, there are many great players that practiced abysmally but you play them anyway because they are gamers.

 

Sat night did not set an optimistic tone for this season that is for sure.

[FLU]

Martinez is going to be the QB this year and next; you can bank on that. When he gets decent protection, he is lethal. When he doesn't, he reverts back to his old ways and crumbles.

[Stickney]

Martinez is going to be the QB this year and next; you can bank on that. When he gets decent protection, he is lethal. When he doesn't, he reverts back to his old ways and crumbles.

 

Any QB is prone to that. One more reason having Baker on the O-line would have helped.

[Enhance]

Martinez - is - not - the - issue. He's just not. Think of our offense like a car. The line = the engine, the quarterback = the driver, the skill position players = the tires. You wouldn't replace the driver if the engine is broken down, would you? Just like you wouldn't replace the engine if you had four flat tires. Or, just like you wouldn't replace the engine if your driver had no idea what he's doing.

 

I think Martinez has a great idea what he's doing, and there are a lot of issues around him making his job more difficult. And even though they're somewhat exclusive, the defense is doing him no favors at all.

[Seriously?]

1. Barney Cotton

 

2. Not having anyone on the staff knowing how to recruit Div1 top 25 type athletes

[VA Husker Fan]

Actually I am not hating on T-Mart, but I am stating what I think is pretty clear, he is likely a 4 year starter that is good, not great. Name other schools that have had 4 year starters that were merely good.

 

 

Chris Leak comes to mind. I don't think anyone considered him great, but he led Florida to a championship his senior season, with Tebow coming in for a few spot situations, mainly goal-line or short yardage.

 

Russell Wilson could also fit. He started at NC State as a redshirt freshman and 2 more years. He was just good, and not great enough for NC State to lock him in as starter his final year if he wouldn't play spring ball. He played very well at Wisconsin last year.

 

I really don't see that much difference between Martinez, Leak and Wilson at the start of their junior years. That doesn't mean he'll lead us to a national or B1G championship next year, but that's as much more on the rest of the team as it is him.

 

If there had been another viable option behind Martinez, I doubt Bo would've "hitched his wagon" to Martinez. When Martinez went down, we were as likely to use the Rex-cat as our backup QBs. That tells me that it wasn't a decision, but more of facing reality.

 

How would we be any better off if Bo had started Lee 2 years ago, and now we had Martinez with one less year of experience?

[nhuskers5]

CAN WE ALL SHUT UP ABOUT MARTINEZ. THE DEFENSE GAVE UP SIX HUNDRED YARDS

[BigRedBuster]

CAN WE ALL SHUT UP ABOUT MARTINEZ. THE DEFENSE GAVE UP SIX HUNDRED YARDS

 

Amen.....

 

If our defense has an average game, we win this game fairly easy.

 

Our defense (especially the pass coverage) was absolutely awful. I don't know if I have ever seen a game where Nebraska defenders missed more tackles. Many times the players were in position to make the play only to fail to finish it off.

[SandhillshuskerW]

1. Barney Cotton AGREE 2. Not having anyone on the staff knowing how to recruit Div1 top 25 type athletes This just isn't right at all. I can honestly say that our recruiting needs to get better, but to say that they don't know how to recruit Div 1 top 25 athletes is ridiculous. I am just going to mention Burkhead for one, but I know that I could take the time to mention a lot more. We may not have the talent that LSU and Alabama does this year, but we do have talent on our team.