If we lose the bowl game, it won't be the defense's fault

[PaulCrewe]

 

Having said that, I would agree that pass blocking this year left something to be desired. Some of the play by our WRs in games even masked a lot of the pass blocking issues we have had.

 

And I will go as far as saying the BLOCKING by those said WRs and TEs on run plays masked a lot of inefficiencies of the OLine

[Guy Chamberlin]

Shwa?

 

By the time the WRs and TEs make a block, it's because the play is taking place away from our down lineman.

 

Man, you really have to have a pathological aversion to logic to pursue this agenda.

[JJ Husker]

If you can watch the Huskers' losses this season and blame the offensive line instead of a defense that achieved almost Cosgrovian levels of panic and ineptitude then....

 

.....I honestly don't know how to answer that.

 

It's insane.

 

This +1.

 

We need this thread like most people need another hole in their head. It's not enough that we are facing what I would consider one of the top 3 teams in the nation and a highly likely disappointing result in our bowl game, but someone saw fit to already blame one unit of our team prematurely. No amount of facepalms would begin to cover this one.

[Fuzzy]

If our defense gives up too many points to the Bulldogs, then it should be the defenses fault. In my opinion, if they give up more than 35 points to the Bulldogs, win or lose for the Huskers. The defense didn't play well.

[Goal-line]

I see this game playing out similarly to our game against South Carolina. Our D will keep us in the first half to third quarter of the game but the downfall will be a complete crapping of the bed by the husker O-line. That defensive line is going to toy with our O-line. They might blitz a little bit but Jarvis J. is going to make Sirles his you-know-what, just like Clowney and Melvin Ingram wrecked shop last year. The Husker O will largely manufacture 3-and-outs or turnovers because they can't keep D-linemen out of Taylor's face or let Rex even grab the handoff. In the 3rd-4th quarter the defense will have been on the field so long they will cave in, and that is when you will see the floodgates open with Gurley and Marshall running all over us. But they will be set up for failure because of shoddy O-line play.

 

I know being a Barney hater is a tired subject but it's true. I felt he should haven't been coaching after his God-awful performance in his first game as NU coach, the 2003 season opener against Oklahoma State. That offense was pretty horrid and you'll recall at the end of the first half where we scored a grand total of 3 points with Barney as Offensive coordinator, the supposedly "greatest fans in college football" were booing the team as they went into the locker room.That was the same game where I fell in love with Bo (also his first game as an NU coach), to the point that I still am 100% supportive of him. Barney's lines crap the bed against most good d-lines. I'll give him the MSU game this year, that D-line is nasty. Yes our O-line turns in great performances here and there, but this is big-time college football. You're paid a premium for consistently excellent job performance.

 

It kills me that, since Bo has been here, we'd have already had 2-3 BCS bowl appearances if we just had consistently good O-line play like the 90s. A dominant offensive line destroys the will of the other team. Our defenses get tired because the Offense can't stay on the field long enough to give them a break, because the O-line can't allow our skill guys to make plays consistently, and like any defense, they get tired as the game goes on.

 

I think Bo will recognize this and make some changes with an assistant or two. He did with Watson and Gilmore and I'd say Watson and Gilmore turned in better overall bodies of work than Barney Cotton. Being a Husker O-lineman and understanding the tradition doesn't mean you'll automatically be successful. Steve Pedersen was trumpeted when he was hired for his Nebraska roots.

Evaluation of coaches is the job of the head coach. Making changes is the job of the head coach. The head coach is responsible. The head coach makes the decisions. Any redundancy here? Now, do you see the problem?

[junior4949]

In all reality, I thought the OL played the best they've played since Bo has been HC. We have two glaring deficiencies at tackle, but I'm guessing they're just the best we have. In terms of the blitzes, a lot of times it's not the core OL responsibility to pick these up. It's either a RB or FB job to pick up the blitzing defender especially on passing plays. This is one of the biggest reasons why during the Clownahan era we saw limited action of Brandon Jackson because it took him a while to come around to the blocking aspects of the game. I've been as big of Barney basher as there is on here, but this year's losses do not land in his lap. While I don't have the stats to back this up, I'd be willing to bet we had fewer OL penalties this year over any of the past five years.

[Count 'Bility]

In all reality, I thought the OL played the best they've played since Bo has been HC. We have two glaring deficiencies at tackle, but I'm guessing they're just the best we have. In terms of the blitzes, a lot of times it's not the core OL responsibility to pick these up. It's either a RB or FB job to pick up the blitzing defender especially on passing plays. This is one of the biggest reasons why during the Clownahan era we saw limited action of Brandon Jackson because it took him a while to come around to the blocking aspects of the game. I've been as big of Barney basher as there is on here, but this year's losses do not land in his lap. While I don't have the stats to back this up, I'd be willing to bet we had fewer OL penalties this year over any of the past five years.

This is also the reason we do not see as much of Braylon Heard as we should, and it has been re-iterated on coach speak shows on Sports Nightly numerous times this season.

[walksalone]

We lose this game and...

 

[3rd and long]

I am also in the camp of we scored ample points to win, but also question the offensive line. I'm sure there is no way to know, but I would be curious to know what percentage of our rushing yards were on the perimeter as opposed to tackle to tackle. It seems like many of our big plays rushing were tosses where the back made people miss, or TM scrambling out of the pocket or hitting a crease on the zone read. I know the OL is partially responsible for all these runs, but I think quite often, the big gain was much more due to an exceptional effort by the ball carrier. It seems like Rex has made more "great" one or two yard runs than anyone I've seen in a long time. Initial contact was often in the backfield, he would make the first defender miss and turn a lost yardage play into something positive. All in all, I believe the gaudy rushing numbers are more attributable to our skill position people than the big guys up front.

[Guy Chamberlin]

If we can think all the way back to just a few months ago, the Husker offensive line threatened to derail a potentially great team.

 

Then we lost Rex Burkhead, the untested Husker running backs had to step in, and our running attack got even better.

 

A lot of that was between the tackles.

 

Our passing game improved, too.

 

Come on, guys. Credit where credit is due.

[Guy Chamberlin]

p.s. admitting this does not mean you don't see room for improvement.

[junior4949]

In all reality, I thought the OL played the best they've played since Bo has been HC. We have two glaring deficiencies at tackle, but I'm guessing they're just the best we have. In terms of the blitzes, a lot of times it's not the core OL responsibility to pick these up. It's either a RB or FB job to pick up the blitzing defender especially on passing plays. This is one of the biggest reasons why during the Clownahan era we saw limited action of Brandon Jackson because it took him a while to come around to the blocking aspects of the game. I've been as big of Barney basher as there is on here, but this year's losses do not land in his lap. While I don't have the stats to back this up, I'd be willing to bet we had fewer OL penalties this year over any of the past five years.

This is also the reason we do not see as much of Braylon Heard as we should, and it has been re-iterated on coach speak shows on Sports Nightly numerous times this season.

 

I just don't get why we're blaming the OL when blitzing LB's come in and get a sack. More often than not, either the FB or RB is supposed to pick up the blitz. The OL can only do so much. I don't want to say the OL was one of the bright spots on the team, but when you compare them to specials teams and the rush defense then yeah I guess that's exactly what I'm saying.

[junior4949]

If we can think all the way back to just a few months ago, the Husker offensive line threatened to derail a potentially great team.

 

Then we lost Rex Burkhead, the untested Husker running backs had to step in, and our running attack got even better.

 

A lot of that was between the tackles.

 

Our passing game improved, too.

 

Come on, guys. Credit where credit is due.

 

Remember when the Denver Broncos could just plu any old RB into the backfield, and they'd have the top rusher in the league? Then, they'd go on to trade that said RB for way over value and bring in top notch players? I'm not saying our OL is quite there, but you bring up a rather good point. We seem to be able to plug several different guys in there and get as good if not better results. We have some deficiencies on the OL, but it would probably be one of the last places where I'd start an overhaul.

[knapplc]

 

Remember when the Denver Broncos could just plu any old RB into the backfield, and they'd have the top rusher in the league? Then, they'd go on to trade that said RB for way over value and bring in top notch players? I'm not saying our OL is quite there, but you bring up a rather good point. We seem to be able to plug several different guys in there and get as good if not better results. We have some deficiencies on the OL, but it would probably be one of the last places where I'd start an overhaul.

 

The OL was much improved this year. We need another Justin Jackson to show up next year. Whether that's Pelini, Pensick or someone else doesn't matter to me. Jackson was nails all year.

[Count 'Bility]

In all reality, I thought the OL played the best they've played since Bo has been HC. We have two glaring deficiencies at tackle, but I'm guessing they're just the best we have. In terms of the blitzes, a lot of times it's not the core OL responsibility to pick these up. It's either a RB or FB job to pick up the blitzing defender especially on passing plays. This is one of the biggest reasons why during the Clownahan era we saw limited action of Brandon Jackson because it took him a while to come around to the blocking aspects of the game. I've been as big of Barney basher as there is on here, but this year's losses do not land in his lap. While I don't have the stats to back this up, I'd be willing to bet we had fewer OL penalties this year over any of the past five years.

This is also the reason we do not see as much of Braylon Heard as we should, and it has been re-iterated on coach speak shows on Sports Nightly numerous times this season.

 

I just don't get why we're blaming the OL when blitzing LB's come in and get a sack. More often than not, either the FB or RB is supposed to pick up the blitz. The OL can only do so much. I don't want to say the OL was one of the bright spots on the team, but when you compare them to specials teams and the rush defense then yeah I guess that's exactly what I'm saying.

It's a perception spoke of by folks who do not fully understand the nuances and checks in a blocking scheme. I dont either. But I also know that probably 4 out of 5 times a guy comes through the line-or around the line-unblocked, it's because it's part of the scheme in one way or another, whether he's supposed to be read, or picked up/trapped by a back or pulling lineman, etc. It's one of those things it looks bad on the part of the oline when the second guy does NOT do his job.

 

You go back to the safety against UCLA. That defender was supposed to be unblocked but Taylor made the wrong read and kept the ball. The exact play was called earlier in the game, the defender chased the back, Taylor read it and scored on a 94 yard td run.