McKewon: It's time for Bo to shake things up

[Guy Chamberlin]

Like I said, the Huskers went into a prevent defense, apparently forgetting we were behind at the time.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I'm starting to flip like a politician on this whole blackshirt thing. I may be starting to see the light. College football is a lot about psychology.

 

And during the 1990s, we had one of the best Sports Psychologists helping the team, and we lost him during the early 2000s to retirement during Frank's reign, if memory serves.

 

You're right that there is a lot of psychology that goes into college football...or sports...or life in general. I wonder if we have another sports psychologist on staff, and if we're using that resource to its full extent...or if that resource is doing an adequate job?

Dr Stark didn't retire. He left to pursue other ventures and is still heavily involved helping in NASCAR.

[OldGoldKnights]

I believe it was our gameplan. Braxton was being stifled all day - but when he ripped one for 70 yards, we got scared on defense and tried to just keep him in check.

 

I tend to agree with this the most.

 

I keep hearing that there is not enough talent on defense to stop anyone. I just don't see how this is true. Pelini's first two classes were a little short on talent but not as much as what is showing on the field IMO. There might not be as much talent as one would hope but the "cupboards are not dry." The defense gave up more yards to the Buckeyes then UCF, Cal, UAB, and MSU did. The defense also gave up more yards to UCLA then Rice (not much), Houston, OSU, CU and Cal. Now some of those teams have arguably more talent than the Huskers on defense, but not many of them.

 

Hopefully Pelini can find "It" again, keep the faith, GBR

[4skers89]

I'd venture to guess it was Urban Meyer that made the adjustment rather than Braxton Miller. Meyer was more than likely hoping he could beat us without his QB taking a pounding running the rock. When he found himself down 17-7, he turned his stallion loose. Little did he know by Miller becoming the entire offense that he wouldn't take a beating at all. In a lot of cases, he never even got touched.

 

That was the change I noticed. Meyer has been trying to get his passing game going which played into our defense the first quarter. Once he turned Miller loose as a running threat it opened up the passing which opened up their run game with their backs. This is going by memory from watching the game live. I don't feel like watching a replay to confirm

[4skers89]

Lets not just look at the players. Why did the coaches change up from the pressure they were putting on Wilson in that first quarter? It was working, the kids were playing like they did in the second half of the Wis game. I think we have all seen it by now, no lead is safe. You are going to get beat every once in awhile. You don't have to panic, and stop what was working. The coaches opened up the flood gates, by changing the way the kids had started off. They were confident, they were into it, they were steam rolling through OSU 0-line. After that you could see we were being undone by their coaches decisions

 

GBR!!!

 

We opened with a good defensive game plan and intensity. It was Braxton Miller who made the adjustment. We simply didn't have the athletes to stop him, regardless of scheme.

 

In fairness, Braxton Miller is pretty damned good.

 

 

 

In other news, UCLA's Brett Hundely who looked so good against us threw 4 interceptions against Cal last week.

 

Not suprised. There is a lot more game film on UCLA's offense now so teams know how to stop them. Our game is a good example of what doesn't work.

[zoogs]

Honestly, UCLA's crumbling season is embarrassing to us at this point. Yikes!

 

UCLA attacked us and figured it out. Ohio State built on that, attacked us, and figured us out. We gotta get it together, man. </jongrudenvoice>

[Count 'Bility]

I believe it was our gameplan. Braxton was being stifled all day - but when he ripped one for 70 yards, we got scared on defense and tried to just keep him in check.

 

I tend to agree with this the most.

 

I keep hearing that there is not enough talent on defense to stop anyone. I just don't see how this is true. Pelini's first two classes were a little short on talent but not as much as what is showing on the field IMO. There might not be as much talent as one would hope but the "cupboards are not dry." The defense gave up more yards to the Buckeyes then UCF, Cal, UAB, and MSU did. The defense also gave up more yards to UCLA then Rice (not much), Houston, OSU, CU and Cal. Now some of those teams have arguably more talent than the Huskers on defense, but not many of them.

 

Hopefully Pelini can find "It" again, keep the faith, GBR

I dont think it's that we aint got talent to stop anybody, but rather we aint got the talent to stop Braxton Miller. Not too many do. Ohio St. did not utilize his full set of skill in that 1st quarter either. When they got down by ten, they set him loose, and our D went "fuehhhhk"

[Comish]

I believe it was our gameplan. Braxton was being stifled all day - but when he ripped one for 70 yards, we got scared on defense and tried to just keep him in check.

 

I tend to agree with this the most.

 

I keep hearing that there is not enough talent on defense to stop anyone. I just don't see how this is true. Pelini's first two classes were a little short on talent but not as much as what is showing on the field IMO. There might not be as much talent as one would hope but the "cupboards are not dry." The defense gave up more yards to the Buckeyes then UCF, Cal, UAB, and MSU did. The defense also gave up more yards to UCLA then Rice (not much), Houston, OSU, CU and Cal. Now some of those teams have arguably more talent than the Huskers on defense, but not many of them.

 

Hopefully Pelini can find "It" again, keep the faith, GBR

I dont think it's that we aint got talent to stop anybody, but rather we aint got the talent to stop Braxton Miller. Not too many do. Ohio St. did not utilize his full set of skill in that 1st quarter either. When they got down by ten, they set him loose, and our D went "fuehhhhk"

This ^^^

I believe, as other posters have stated that Meyer hoped to protect Miller from too many hits early. Once, he figured out that wouldn't work, he turned Braxton loose. It's an indictment of our D that he even thought he could win with the complementary players alone.

[zoogs]

I think I disagree with that, which was what I was trying to say up there. Braxton kept at it until he *broke* loose once. After that, our defense plan of attack changed. A panic moment by Bo that proved to be a disastrous decision.

 

Well, only someone with more qualified sets of eyes than me can corroborate, or condemn, that characterization of events.

 

But it's the one I think I favor the most. A little trust in the team to bounce back from mistakes goes a long way, and it's how Ohio State kept plugging away until they dominated the game: by not overreacting to getting hit in the mouth early.

 

We, on the other hand, changed after Braxton broke loose the first time and compensated so hard in the other direction that we couldn't stop anything. Again, bear in mind the caveat above of 'I hope somebody more qualified to offer analysis can corroborate this.'

[Count 'Bility]

It was a product that Ohio St. happened to find the click against us. They'll probably run the table now and scorch everyone just as bad. A sleeping giant is all they were. Urban is smart enough to understand that he needs to finish the year our strong to set them up high in the ranks to start next year.

[Count 'Bility]

I think I disagree with that, which was what I was trying to say up there. Braxton kept at it until he *broke* loose once. After that, our defense plan of attack changed. A panic moment by Bo that proved to be a disastrous decision.

 

Well, only someone with more qualified sets of eyes than me can corroborate, or condemn, that characterization of events.

 

But it's the one I think I favor the most. A little trust in the team to bounce back from mistakes goes a long way, and it's how Ohio State kept plugging away until they dominated the game: by not overreacting to getting hit in the mouth early.

 

We, on the other hand, changed after Braxton broke loose the first time and compensated so hard in the other direction that we couldn't stop anything. Again, bear in mind the caveat above of 'I hope somebody more qualified to offer analysis can corroborate this.'

That'd be me of course. Hence, see above.

[4skers89]

I believe it was our gameplan. Braxton was being stifled all day - but when he ripped one for 70 yards, we got scared on defense and tried to just keep him in check.

 

I tend to agree with this the most.

 

I keep hearing that there is not enough talent on defense to stop anyone. I just don't see how this is true. Pelini's first two classes were a little short on talent but not as much as what is showing on the field IMO. There might not be as much talent as one would hope but the "cupboards are not dry." The defense gave up more yards to the Buckeyes then UCF, Cal, UAB, and MSU did. The defense also gave up more yards to UCLA then Rice (not much), Houston, OSU, CU and Cal. Now some of those teams have arguably more talent than the Huskers on defense, but not many of them.

 

Hopefully Pelini can find "It" again, keep the faith, GBR

I dont think it's that we aint got talent to stop anybody, but rather we aint got the talent to stop Braxton Miller. Not too many do. Ohio St. did not utilize his full set of skill in that 1st quarter either. When they got down by ten, they set him loose, and our D went "fuehhhhk"

This ^^^

I believe, as other posters have stated that Meyer hoped to protect Miller from too many hits early. Once, he figured out that wouldn't work, he turned Braxton loose. It's an indictment of our D that he even thought he could win with the complementary players alone.

 

I was going to mention what you put into italics but didn't want to be too negative. Now that you mentioned it , the Wisconsin game probably gave Urb the idea that it might be a good time to let Miller work on his passing game. The good news is we got at least one coverage sack that I can recall so maybe we fixed something. Sad to think that our defense makes a good practice D but they are really struggling this year.

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

I believe it was our gameplan. Braxton was being stifled all day - but when he ripped one for 70 yards, we got scared on defense and tried to just keep him in check.

 

I tend to agree with this the most.

 

I keep hearing that there is not enough talent on defense to stop anyone. I just don't see how this is true. Pelini's first two classes were a little short on talent but not as much as what is showing on the field IMO. There might not be as much talent as one would hope but the "cupboards are not dry." The defense gave up more yards to the Buckeyes then UCF, Cal, UAB, and MSU did. The defense also gave up more yards to UCLA then Rice (not much), Houston, OSU, CU and Cal. Now some of those teams have arguably more talent than the Huskers on defense, but not many of them.

 

Hopefully Pelini can find "It" again, keep the faith, GBR

I dont think it's that we aint got talent to stop anybody, but rather we aint got the talent to stop Braxton Miller. Not too many do. Ohio St. did not utilize his full set of skill in that 1st quarter either. When they got down by ten, they set him loose, and our D went "fuehhhhk"

This ^^^

I believe, as other posters have stated that Meyer hoped to protect Miller from too many hits early. Once, he figured out that wouldn't work, he turned Braxton loose. It's an indictment of our D that he even thought he could win with the complementary players alone.

 

I was going to mention what you put into italics but didn't want to be too negative. Now that you mentioned it , the Wisconsin game probably gave Urb the idea that it might be a good time to let Miller work on his passing game. The good news is we got at least one coverage sack that I can recall so maybe we fixed something. Sad to think that our defense makes a good practice D but they are really struggling this year.

It was a hell of a coverage sack! Like 8-10 seconds IIRC!

[BartonHusker]

I may be brand new to this board (somehow just now found this board) but junior4949 brought up one of my biggest stinks of Coach Pelini and his defense.

 

I can't stand the 2-Gap system we are using with our defensive front. The system itself only works when you have the proper personnel to run it. Suh and Crick are not walking through that tunnel. It was also a system that may work great at OU and LSU but they are able to recruit the cream of the crop from the south and Texas along the DL. You add on top of that blue-chip recruits do not want to come in and play in a 2-Gap system. It isn't fancy and glorifiying to say the least. These elite kids want to go to a 1-Gap system that will showcase their speed and pass rushing skills. As we know DT/DE's do not rush the QB in our system.

 

We are lucky to get the likes of Peat and Valentine but to be a big time program you need a lot of quality depth along the DL. Right now it doesn't seem like we have that and the best DL talent imo are red-shirting or still quite young. These same kids would make excellent 4-3 1-Gappers also.

 

One of my major gripes about Bo is his unwillingness to adapt to the personnel he has. He is so dang stubborn! I think this is the reason we have Beck and Paps as our coordinators. They may be up and coming big time coordinators that are two of our best recruiters but they are very much green in the playcalling department. They were selected and not others from the outside with much better resumes due to the fact he wanted yes men and coaches that would run exactly what he wanted.

 

Bo needs to make changes or he is going to lose his job. He will have no one to blame for the continual down turn of his program but only himself.

[Hayseed]

I was surprised when they moved Turner to receiver after he'd broken half the Texas highschool records. I'm not trying to start a QB controversy, it just made me wonder what they're thinking down there as far as utilization of talent. Don't tell me ,...no, don't even try to tell me the other potential QB's are not as smart as Taylor. Every fan of another team that I talk to says we have an athlete at QB. Now we have Armstrong in the mix......will they decide to move him to receiver? Someone tell me their reasoning.