Discipline key for Husker's success

[Enhance]

I blamed our deficiencies earlier in the season on poor talent - our seniors right now were Pelini's first class, and for all intents and purposes, it wasn't a great class.

 

But, as I assess the college football landscape and analyze the issues keeping Nebraska from conference and national championships, our talent seems to be one of the least objectionable issues. Discipline is our problem, and it's a trickle-down system starting with the guy up top - Pelini.

 

To further explain the point, look at Kansas State. The last four years, their recruiting classes have ranked 58, 68, 63, and 92 (average 70). Basically, they're below average talent. But when you watch them play, you see discipline and poise. They may not be faster than the other guys, but they play just as smart if not smarter. West Virginia was a far more talented team offensively than KState was defensively, but KState played disciplined football and embarrassed WVU. They've beaten three ranked teams on the year including a huge road win against #6 Oklahoma.

 

And then you look at Nebraska who has what we can easily consider above average talent. Yet, we're -8 in turnover margin, rack up penalty yards and have scraped wins this year we probably shouldn't have (namely Wisconsin and Northwestern). And last night, I think we saw evidence to further support our discipline conundrum. We had some pretty iffy calls thrown our way, but we always dodged a bullet several times with bone-headed plays. And then to make matters worse, Pelini adds his own 15-yard penalty. How can Pelini ask his players to play disciplined football if he can't stop himself from being undisciplined? I'd be OK with the fire and passion if it resulted in wins, but it's those kind of mistakes on Pelini's part which illustrate why our team struggles to play disciplined football. It starts at the top, and works it's way down.

 

So, while this isn't a fire Pelini thread by any stretch of the imagination, I think it's safe to say this is the area Nebraska needs to improve to win championships. Talent is important and will always be important, but there's no substitute for great coaching. Pelini needs to make huge strides in this area, and I think this is what his job hinges on over the next few years.

[Branno]

I think the problem with the refs will work itself out as we get used to how the B1G refs call games. Having stability in our staff will help out even more. Especially with turnovers. Instead of working on learning a new system every other year they can focus on other things.

[BartonHusker]

Bingo! Bo and his staff control their fate or how their team plays. I think his job is firmly safe now but going forth he needs to clean up the teams miscues and his own. Having KSU so close by allows us to see how things should be done from a discipline perspective. We still remember how Coach Osborne did things as well (well possibly not the younger fans).

 

We play smart/clean football and we will be tough to beat. Staff experience/cohesion will help also.

[Bowfin]

Discipline is definitely a problem. We seem to make the same mistakes over and over. Mistakes can be eliminated by first, coaching them away. If a player is a chronic repeat offender of the same mistake, then that player needs to be replaced by one who doesn't make that mistake.

 

Part of Pelini's (our) problem is that we don't have the depth to seat a guy when he repeatedly makes the same mistake, especially if the guy behind him will be making the same mistake while showing less talent and experience. That goes back to coaching them away...or not. Pelini's coaching approach to penalties is to try to brow beat the refs into not calling them, rather than keeping them from happening in the first place.

 

Nebraska is a good team, but not even close to good enough to overcome our propensity to kill our own drives and extend the opponent's drives a half dozen times a game with penalties. Osborne needs to sit Pelini down and tell him that penalties:

 

1. Are real, and

2. They are bad for you

[Eric the Red]

Discipline is definitely a problem. We seem to make the same mistakes over and over. Mistakes can be eliminated by first, coaching them away. If a player is a chronic repeat offender of the same mistake, then that player needs to be replaced by one who doesn't make that mistake.

 

Part of Pelini's (our) problem is that we don't have the depth to seat a guy when he repeatedly makes the same mistake, especially if the guy behind him will be making the same mistake while showing less talent and experience. That goes back to coaching them away...or not. Pelini's coaching approach to penalties is to try to brow beat the refs into not calling them, rather than keeping them from happening in the first place.

 

Nebraska is a good team, but not even close to good enough to overcome our propensity to kill our own drives and extend the opponent's drives a half dozen times a game with penalties. Osborne needs to sit Pelini down and tell him that penalties:

 

1. Are real, and

2. They are bad for you

 

good points