Blackshirts

[chamrocck]

While OL needs to continue to get better, to me the success of next season depends on the defense. We know we are going to get some new players on defense. Will we see a new scheme?

 

Of all the new players on defense who do you think is going to make the most impact?

Valentine? Rose? Brown? Afalava to do some damage? Anderson will be back. Santos will play more. What about Curry, Moss, and McMullen? Can Seisay emerge? Charles Jackson or Harvey Jackson? Cooper to be the player we all thought he would be? Roach or Pirman anyone? Any true freshman...Bando? Juco Gregory can help now.

 

Looking forward to the New Breed.

 

[Decked]

One of the DTs. Probably Valentine.

[Count 'Bility]

The success of this season depended on the defense as well, and lets be honest, in 6 of our 7 conference wins, it was our defense that kept us in the game when the offense got off to slow starts or struggled. Though, yes, in our 4 losses, the defense was an epic failure, I know. Just sayin, it's pretty much again same scenario as it was looking forward to 2012.

[gossamorharpy]

One thing is for sure, if Bo and co are hesitant to play younger players, there is no way he is changing the scheme. If he's too stubborn to let more athtic players seethe field then I highly doubt he's going to change his defensive philosophy in terms of scheme and formation.... His early years his defense was able to get the job done. Difference between those teams And this one? The quality of athletes on all 3 levels of the defense.

 

Suh accounted for a big part as did the style of play inthe big 12 compared to B1G but I guarantee you that defense from a few years back runs circles around this years squad

[WAHusker]

DTs, LBs, OL and TE are all concerns.

[chamrocck]

Compton was somewhat solid this season but against quick players he was outgunned. We really missed Lavonte David...that guy made critical stops. Are we going to get that out of any of these new LB's?

[Atbone95]

People don't need to worry about the secondary next year. The athletes that will be starting there next year are ridiculous. Book it.

[icedavis]

Afalava.

 

Fun to say.

 

Afalava.

[StPaulHusker]

Speaking of Blackshirts and identity. I sure wish they would go back to handing them out to the starters at the beginning of the season instead of halfway through or whatever. I think it would be good for the morale of the team and give them an identity heading into the season.

[SUPERBUNNY]

If we're going to honor the tradition of the Blackshirts, they are given when earned. Do they ever get taken away after a bad performance? After the UCLA, OSU, and Wisconsin debacles I thought they should have the shirts taken away and given Blackskirts. Sad thing is the game with Georgia didn't bother me. Hell, we only gave up 45!!! We're a long way from anything resembling a true Blackshirt defense.

 

Thank God Pelini is a defensive wizard or we'd have had a hundred hung on us a couple times! At some point you have to start at the top and change the whole culture. Is now that time? I don't know. I want Bo to succeed but the fact is there has been minimal performance improvement combined with very lopsided losses.

 

SUPERBUNNY

[StPaulHusker]

It's a matter of opinion as to when they earn them. I believe the starters earn them when they become starters. That's the way Osborne did it. I feel it does something psychologically for the starters to get them earlier. It gives them an identity. It gives them a swagger. It makes the 2nd string work that much harder to get one of their own. And I think that carries into the game.

 

If you look back to when the shirts are finally given out by Pelini, there is sometimes a letdown the week after.

 

After everything that went wrong with this years D, it can't hurt to go back to the old way of doing it and see if it gets a spark.

[NUance]

I sort of like the way Pelini has been handing out Blackshirts. But if there is a letdown the week after they're awarded (Is there?), then Bo is going to need to figure out a fix.

[JJ Husker]

My preference would be that the starters earn them going into the first game. This whole debate/problem revolves around the fact that our defenses have not performed like historic blackshirt defenses. It's a real catch 22; give em out early and you risk tarnishing what they have come to symbolize or wait for them to be earned and give them out too late in pity. For me, the issue is not when they hand them out as much as they simply have not been worthy of the tradition for quite some time.

[Mavric]

One thing is for sure, if Bo and co are hesitant to play younger players, there is no way he is changing the scheme. If he's too stubborn to let more athtic players seethe field then I highly doubt he's going to change his defensive philosophy in terms of scheme and formation.... His early years his defense was able to get the job done. Difference between those teams And this one? The quality of athletes on all 3 levels of the defense.

 

Suh accounted for a big part as did the style of play inthe big 12 compared to B1G but I guarantee you that defense from a few years back runs circles around this years squad

Interesting to find out when our perceptions don't match up with reality. For example, everyone was having a fit last year when Cassidy was always on the field while "more athletic" players such as PJ Smith were on the bench. Not trying to bash on Smith but I think we found out he wasn't nearly as athletic as we hoped he was.

[billdozer15]

I'm honestly to the point of saying to hell with it. It's has become a joke. Every time we get lit up on national TV and the announcers say blackshirts, it's embarrassing. I'd rather they retire the tradition than see the tradition turn into some satirical joke every time they give up 50+.