Welcome back, the Pelini way.

[Chaddyboxer]

It has been stated many times that Bo failed to recruit his first couple of years. That he maybe turning the corner, which will be proven one way or another after this year. No need for arguments. When walkons are starting over scholarship athletes, something happened. Moving Olinemen in their senior year to the Dline because we are thin indicates something.

 

I agree he is doing better, but he is going to have to do a lot better to even be remotely close with Ohio State. They are the bell cow for us I think. They are going to be in the hunt every single year for awhile, and have been for awhile. I am not saying he can not do it. Just saying, I think he did not take it as seriously at first as he is now. He is moving in the right direction. Nothing negative in what I meant.

Yeah, with all the LB talent and even potential d-line talent coming in, Bo is definitely recruiting more talent/athletes for the defense. I hope it shows in the coming years. When you look at potential talent....just look at the 3 young LB's.....Brown, Afalava and Love....holey smokes.

[True2tRA]

I'll always remain an advocate of keeping it simple. I also stand by the belief that it is better to be great at one or two things rather than mediocre at multiple things. A college career is just not long enough generally. Most guys have four years to play two. With all things asked of "student" athletes, over complicating the game can be detrimental. It seems some people forget this is not the NFL, these kids aren't devoting all of their time to football like a professional is able to do.

[MichiganDad3]

Upon return from spring break, the D was given a 120 page "book" from the defensive scrimmage melt down prior to break. Circled mistakes and commented on the "fix".

does a defense need to be so confusing that it takes 120 pages to explain everything that went wrong?

I agree it is complicated. Others on this board will disagree. My point being, Bo has taken the lead and painstakingly put every single mistake from that scrimmage on paper and then after showing that mistake, showed the correction. I liken this to learning in any environment. Some learn better from being shown, others from listening etc..... Bo (at least from the article) finally taken the time to show in a clear and concise manner (IMO) how his D is supposed to look and be run. I am hoping that some kids saw this and the light bulb went on and they had their ah hah moment.

 

Like Carl above, I am tired of coach speak and their doesn't seem to be a lot this year. From the staff or the kids. Attention to detail ie FUNDAMENTALS will pay huge dividends. The top teams this year were solid with the basics ie tackling, penalties and ball control. Master these and even an average team would stand a great chance of making a run.

 

Like Al Pacino said, football like life is a game of inches, change inches to details and it is a comparable analogy. Fix the small details and a lot of our issues go away.

This approach is fine is an activity where there is time to think before you act, but football requires split second decisions. With only 1 exception Bo's defenses have had at least one or two games per season when they were gouged, including his national championship at LSU. Unless Bo has superior talent his scheme doesn't work. Last year the NU D broke a couple Cosgrove records. It is time to slim down the playbook and return to an attacking defense. I am tired of hearing how the young guys are better athletes but don't see the field until they are seniors because they don't know the system. With 85 scholarships (17 per year), players have to start playing in their sophomore year to have any chance of competing unless every recruit is a success.

[Fuzzy]

Why is it that Bo says "we" referring to the entire team, but upset fans point the finger and say "you".

[lo country]

Upon return from spring break, the D was given a 120 page "book" from the defensive scrimmage melt down prior to break. Circled mistakes and commented on the "fix".

does a defense need to be so confusing that it takes 120 pages to explain everything that went wrong?

I agree it is complicated. Others on this board will disagree. My point being, Bo has taken the lead and painstakingly put every single mistake from that scrimmage on paper and then after showing that mistake, showed the correction. I liken this to learning in any environment. Some learn better from being shown, others from listening etc..... Bo (at least from the article) finally taken the time to show in a clear and concise manner (IMO) how his D is supposed to look and be run. I am hoping that some kids saw this and the light bulb went on and they had their ah hah moment.

 

Like Carl above, I am tired of coach speak and their doesn't seem to be a lot this year. From the staff or the kids. Attention to detail ie FUNDAMENTALS will pay huge dividends. The top teams this year were solid with the basics ie tackling, penalties and ball control. Master these and even an average team would stand a great chance of making a run.

 

Like Al Pacino said, football like life is a game of inches, change inches to details and it is a comparable analogy. Fix the small details and a lot of our issues go away.

This approach is fine is an activity where there is time to think before you act, but football requires split second decisions. With only 1 exception Bo's defenses have had at least one or two games per season when they were gouged, including his national championship at LSU. Unless Bo has superior talent his scheme doesn't work. Last year the NU D broke a couple Cosgrove records. It is time to slim down the playbook and return to an attacking defense. I am tired of hearing how the young guys are better athletes but don't see the field until they are seniors because they don't know the system. With 85 scholarships (17 per year), players have to start playing in their sophomore year to have any chance of competing unless every recruit is a success.

David is a prime example of a guy getting his shot before he "knew" the system. IIRC, his first game in 2011 he had like 15 tackles and Bo said he was basically out of position. His athleticism allowed him to simply get the NU all time tackle record in a mere 2 yrs, not to mention IMO, he won OSU and Penn St in 2011.

 

I hope that Bo is getting the more athletic types who can run ie more what we had in 2009. Same D as now, but with stars at all 3 levels. Get the talent that Cally had (Bo appears to be getting it right with the lst 2 classes) and we will see a D comparable to 2009 IMHO.

[Haspula]

 

http://www.huskermax.com/games/2009/files/depth12_01_2009.pdf

 

Depth chart from 2009's championship game. Need to get players that match the defensive starters, except for suh since that's impossible.

 

Just looking at that defense is scary: prince, crick, dennard,suh

[skersfan]

I guess because the buck stops there. He is responsible, win or lose.

[Husker66]

I'll always remain an advocate of keeping it simple. I also stand by the belief that it is better to be great at one or two things rather than mediocre at multiple things. A college career is just not long enough generally. Most guys have four years to play two. With all things asked of "student" athletes, over complicating the game can be detrimental. It seems some people forget this is not the NFL, these kids aren't devoting all of their time to football like a professional is able to do.

 

 

just look south to Manhattan Kansas....ill bet their playbook didnt have 10 plays in it last year...

[lo country]

I'll always remain an advocate of keeping it simple. I also stand by the belief that it is better to be great at one or two things rather than mediocre at multiple things. A college career is just not long enough generally. Most guys have four years to play two. With all things asked of "student" athletes, over complicating the game can be detrimental. It seems some people forget this is not the NFL, these kids aren't devoting all of their time to football like a professional is able to do.

 

 

just look south to Manhattan Kansas....ill bet their playbook didnt have 10 plays in it last year...

They also played incredibly sound disciplined football with a great grasp of the fundamentals. Something we really need to hammer out. The missed tackles, fumbles and penalties have probably cost us at least one game per year. Last year I think about the fumble against UGA (momentum killer) as one. Throw in the INT's against Michicken in 2011 etc.... You get the picture.

 

The lack of consistent play has got to change. If not, we are still a 4 loss team regardless of talent or scheme IMO.

 

Between this book, the towel drills and Bo commenting this week that starters will also play ST means that he is seriously addressing these issues (at least I hope!).

[The Dude]

Why is it that Bo says "we" referring to the entire team, but upset fans point the finger and say "you".

 

I admit it, it's my fault the team muffed all those punts.

[Husker from Kansas]

I'll always remain an advocate of keeping it simple. I also stand by the belief that it is better to be great at one or two things rather than mediocre at multiple things. A college career is just not long enough generally. Most guys have four years to play two. With all things asked of "student" athletes, over complicating the game can be detrimental. It seems some people forget this is not the NFL, these kids aren't devoting all of their time to football like a professional is able to do.

 

 

just look south to Manhattan Kansas....ill bet their playbook didnt have 10 plays in it last year...

 

They also have one of the best coaches in NCAA history, that has done more with less than probably any coach ever, not to mention orchestrated probably the best program turnaround ever. As much as I support Bo he is no Bill Snyder, hell idk if there is another coach as good as Snyder coaching currently right now, except Saban.

 

As much as I believe and support Bo, Idk if he will ever come close to being the coach that Snyder is. With that being said I do think he is on the right track to correcting his flaws. At least it seems that way. It appears his recruiting is getting better, he has dramatically improved his offense, and I think that he will get his defense back on track, will we ever see the defenses we had with Suh, Prince, Denard, Hagg, etc. but I think with the talent we appear to have on defense we will see his teams get better and better.

[clyde40]

K-State also got manhandled a couple time last year.

[LumberJackSker]

K-State also got manhandled a couple time last year.

neither of their losses were as bad as the OSU and second wisconsin game

[Landlord]

K-State also got manhandled a couple time last year.

neither of their losses were as bad as the OSU and second wisconsin game

 

 

Their loss to Baylor was far worse than our loss to OSU.

[HuskerNationNick]

K-State also got manhandled a couple time last year.

neither of their losses were as bad as the OSU and second wisconsin game

 

 

Their loss to Baylor was far worse than our loss to OSU.

 

Baylor had the worst defense in the nation, right behind Colorado at that time. I agree with Landlord on this one. Now if it would have been a shootout, rather than K-state being shut out, then I would disagree. Baylor's offense was pretty legit last year, and that is why they won the games they did.