When was the last off season that was this lackluster among fans

[Guy Chamberlin]

Well now you've made me go back and look this up, when I could have been surfing for porn.

 

2003 - Solich's Last Year

#11 Total Defense

#2 Scoring Defense

#24 Rushing Defense

 

2006 Callahan's Third Year

#56 Total Defense

#24 Scoring Defense

#37 Rushing Defense

 

2007 Callahan's Debacle

#112 Total Defense

#114 Scoring Defense

#116 Rushing Defense

 

2009 Bo's Second Year

#7 Total Defense

#1 Scoring Defense

#9 Rushing Defense

 

2010 Bo's Third Year

#11 Total Defense

#9 Scoring Defense

#63 Rushing Defense

 

2011 Bo's Fourth Year

#37 Total Defense

#42 Scoring Defense

#64 Rushing Defenese

 

2012 Bo's Fifth Year

#35 Total Defense

#58 Scoring Defense

#90 Rushing Defense

 

We could debate the definition of pretty good and average, but to my eye Nebraska had a history of top flight defense through Solich/Pelini's 2003 season, it fell off a cliff under Callahan and Cosgrove, rebounded in spectacular fashion for the 2009 season, then started sliding back to an average or worse national ranking. No matter how the game has changed, that's how we rank against our competition and #42 and #58 in scoring defense is pretty unfamiliar save for a couple Callahan seasons (and worse that a couple of those Cosgrove defenses). While we've made a little sunshine out of our passing efficiency defense of late, it might be a bit skewed by how easy it has been to run through recent Husker defenses.

 

Let's just say I see room for improvement.

[Count 'Bility]

Nice work Guy. It's appreciated.

 

I am of course just going off memory. If you go back to the last time we had a consistently dominating D to the standard that we as a fanbase became accustomed to, to me it was 1999. Since then, starting with 2000, my perception were made. I remember the 2000 unit having serious issues at times. The 2001 and 2003 defenses were very good for the most part, yes. But it's glaring that in each of those seasons, in games that "mattered", they were not very good and pretty much got ran off the field. This is fact, and is pretty much indisputable. It's really no different than the defensive performance of 2012 as a whole througout the season.

 

My point was simply that you mentioned the past 50 years originally, but outside of '09 and some of '10, we have to go back to 1999 and beyond to find defenses that fit that standard on a consistent, year to year basis. That's 14 years ago, hence, that perception has really taken a hit, if it even exists at all anymore.

 

You bet there's room for improvement. Heck, in ways, it really cant get much worse can it?

[Guy Chamberlin]

Heck, in ways, it really cant get much worse can it?

 

This is the source of my optimism.

[knapplc]

Heck, in ways, it really cant get much worse can it?

 

This is the source of my optimism.

 

 

This quote and Guy's response are the answer for the question in the OP.

 

The last two seasons have ended on dull notes. Bowl losses, combined with ugly regular-season losses, the ongoing problems on defense with no real reason to think that anything will change or be better this year all combine to make this a pretty blah off season.

 

 

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Well now you've made me go back and look this up, when I could have been surfing for porn.

 

2003 - Solich's Last Year

#11 Total Defense

#2 Scoring Defense

#24 Rushing Defense

 

2006 Callahan's Third Year

#56 Total Defense

#24 Scoring Defense

#37 Rushing Defense

 

2007 Callahan's Debacle

#112 Total Defense

#114 Scoring Defense

#116 Rushing Defense

 

2009 Bo's Second Year

#7 Total Defense

#1 Scoring Defense

#9 Rushing Defense

 

2010 Bo's Third Year

#11 Total Defense

#9 Scoring Defense

#63 Rushing Defense

 

2011 Bo's Fourth Year

#37 Total Defense

#42 Scoring Defense

#64 Rushing Defenese

 

2012 Bo's Fifth Year

#35 Total Defense

#58 Scoring Defense

#90 Rushing Defense

 

We could debate the definition of pretty good and average, but to my eye Nebraska had a history of top flight defense through Solich/Pelini's 2003 season, it fell off a cliff under Callahan and Cosgrove, rebounded in spectacular fashion for the 2009 season, then started sliding back to an average or worse national ranking. No matter how the game has changed, that's how we rank against our competition and #42 and #58 in scoring defense is pretty unfamiliar save for a couple Callahan seasons (and worse that a couple of those Cosgrove defenses). While we've made a little sunshine out of our passing efficiency defense of late, it might be a bit skewed by how easy it has been to run through recent Husker defenses.

 

Let's just say I see room for improvement.

 

This seems to point to a downward trend... EZ asked for an example, this looks like it to me..

 

I actually have enjoyed reading through the factual things in this post... Looking forward to EZs rebuttal. And I hope it's something different than Callahan brought in talent but couldn't coach it.. and Bo hasn't had that talent yet.. Because we're still waiting on that talent...

[The Dude]

Heck, in ways, it really cant get much worse can it?

Yes.

[Foppa]

I'm predicting a 11-1 or 12-0 regular season and a Big Ten Championship birth. Depending on how that goes, we could see ourselves in a BCS bowl.

 

In the off-season, no news is good news for me.

 

Well...unless you're Avery Moss.

[EZ-E]

Well now you've made me go back and look this up, when I could have been surfing for porn.

 

2003 - Solich's Last Year

#11 Total Defense

#2 Scoring Defense

#24 Rushing Defense

 

2006 Callahan's Third Year

#56 Total Defense

#24 Scoring Defense

#37 Rushing Defense

 

2007 Callahan's Debacle

#112 Total Defense

#114 Scoring Defense

#116 Rushing Defense

 

2009 Bo's Second Year

#7 Total Defense

#1 Scoring Defense

#9 Rushing Defense

 

2010 Bo's Third Year

#11 Total Defense

#9 Scoring Defense

#63 Rushing Defense

 

2011 Bo's Fourth Year

#37 Total Defense

#42 Scoring Defense

#64 Rushing Defenese

 

2012 Bo's Fifth Year

#35 Total Defense

#58 Scoring Defense

#90 Rushing Defense

 

We could debate the definition of pretty good and average, but to my eye Nebraska had a history of top flight defense through Solich/Pelini's 2003 season, it fell off a cliff under Callahan and Cosgrove, rebounded in spectacular fashion for the 2009 season, then started sliding back to an average or worse national ranking. No matter how the game has changed, that's how we rank against our competition and #42 and #58 in scoring defense is pretty unfamiliar save for a couple Callahan seasons (and worse that a couple of those Cosgrove defenses). While we've made a little sunshine out of our passing efficiency defense of late, it might be a bit skewed by how easy it has been to run through recent Husker defenses.

 

Let's just say I see room for improvement.

 

This seems to point to a downward trend... EZ asked for an example, this looks like it to me..

 

I actually have enjoyed reading through the factual things in this post... Looking forward to EZs rebuttal. And I hope it's something different than Callahan brought in talent but couldn't coach it.. and Bo hasn't had that talent yet.. Because we're still waiting on that talent...

 

I have never one time been an advocate of the "Callahan brought in talent" crowd and never will be. So I'm not sure where that comment is from. There are things that I know about the Callahan era that people have told me that make it very evident as to why Pederson and Callahan were fired (minus the on the field performance). The talent on his team was in no way better than what Bo has brought in.

 

We have had to make our defense work without all of the horses we need in the Big Ten. We had the players the past two seasons to be very effective in the Big 12. However there is definitely different personnel you need in the separate leagues. We have continued to bring in solid recruiting classes dating back to the end of the 2010 class and we have added depth where we were bare. Like at Linebacker.

 

I personally believe that we have brought in the kids that have the potential to be elite since the end of 2010. Since we will not be limited athletically at any spot this year or next, we should see the improvement I am hoping for as I have realistic expectations.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

How can an offseason be exciting? It's an offseason.

[GSG]

How can an offseason be exciting? It's an offseason.

 

[Nobody]

Are we really being any more lackluster than usual?

 

And by lackluster do you really mean cautious?

 

And by cautious do I mean pessimistic?

 

I dunno. I'm actually pretty excited for the season. Like I am for every season.

 

But Bo Pelini needs to turn the defense around. I thought it would happen last year because it couldn't get much worse than the season before it, but the defense stayed pretty bad -- lower tier NCAA bad -- and that's unfamiliar territory for anyone who's followed the Huskers for the past 50 years.

 

it just has a much different tone than any other season.... i could be wrong but i feel there is a lot less threads being made this off season. the mood in general (on and offline) that i've picked up is that nobody is gearing up for a possible no-losser this season... not near as many fans at least, and that's irregular.

[FriendlyLurker2007]

Bo took over a mess of a program, which had a few decent players. He also brought some in. Those players are mostly gone. Its going to take a little time for him to really get this thing going, imo. He is still a fairly new coach, I hope he is trying to do the best he can. We have a chance at a great season this year, which would really help in future recruiting. I dont think anyone wants to lose 4 games, or any games really. However, I think Bo knows what he is doing, its just going to take some time.

[BigRedBuster]

Heck, in ways, it really cant get much worse can it?

Yes.

 

 

As frustrating as certain games were last season, it comes nowhere close to as bad as 2007. That was just plain disgusting.

[True2tRA]

Posted 02 June 2013 - 11:37 PM

Somehow this went from discussing what I thought was a general consensus that Bo needs to adjust the way he is approaching things a bit, to all of a sudden comparing TO and Bo. It's even kind of taken a Bo bashing kind of tone, which was not the intention at all.

 

TO and Bo there is no comparison.

 

Does Bo need to adapt a bit better. Hell yes he does.

True to the Red

 

Do I support him. Damn right I do, But I support Nebraska more, and I want to win games. We can only afford mediocrity for so long. It can really creep up and sting this University as a whole if it goes too far. Just fix it.

 

Last year was hard to watch sometimes. In year five, there's no way in hell the defense should look like that. No excuses.

 

That is all. Off to bed I be.

 

 

 

We can all acknowledge that Nebraska as a state does not produce a lot of football talent. Every sports analyst, writer, and expert can talk about the challenges Nebraska faces in recruiting due to their location. Yet somehow, you won't acknowledge that years out of the spotlight won't hurt the program? Why wouldn't it? It hurts every other program but not ours?

EZ-E

Posted 02 June 2013 - 11:51 PM

These are the comments that frustrate me. What part of the program is trending downwards? We have upgraded the staff, we have brought in better football players than the first two Pelini cycles, we switched to a conference that will prove to be better for us, we updated the stadium and weight room big time, we have an offensive scheme we can now recruit to and it's showing with the interest level of some WRs dual threat QBs and RBs, we are also going to be very athletic and full of potential on the defensive side of the ball.

 

Do we have unfinished business? Have we had some disappointing games? Absolutely. But I'd like to see the support behind why people say we are trending down.

 

 

 

We have upgraded staff? Who? We have a bunch of newby's who are all learning on the job. How can you even possibly state that we have upgraded the staff? Is it simjply because they are better than Callahan? Well forgive me, but being better than Callahan is not exactly tough. Now Beck is doing a great job. But aside from that, which of these coaches is such a huge upgrade?

 

 

 

We've brought in better football players than Pelini's first two cycles? Based on what analysis? We haven't seen any of them play a damn game! The only players we really have seen a lot of were from Pelini's first two cycles considering he's only been here 5 years. The first two years he's played largely with another coaches recruits. Meaning in all reality, 2011 and 2012 even moreso, were the first years we really saw how things went with Bo's players. I wasn't exactly blown away? Were you? And if yes, why?

 

I agree about the conference. No argument. I like the Big Ten. I like how we fit. And for f#*k's sake, with all the sanctions going around and Wisconsin's sorry ass record last year, you would have thought we would have won a CC by now. Hope we get it this year.

 

The upgrades to the stadium and the weight room are all great things. But who are they great for? Here is the part of my comments you seem to be missing. They are great for Nebraska and the people WHO ARE HERE. So when I say things are trending downward it's because the national perspective is that we are trending downward! We are not considered an elite program anymore by some. And the entire point I'm making is, that if a University like Nebraska, which faces so many challenges getting into peoples living rooms, goes too long without putting itself back amongst the elite, we will fade out of people's minds.

 

The last time this program won a NC was 1997. The last Conference championship was 1999. That's plenty long. We haven't been ranked in the final top ten for quite some time. So no, not to sound all doomy and gloomy and boo hoo hooey, but my point has been made already, with every four loss season we have, and the less we leave an imprint on the game, then yes, I feel we are trending downward. We sure as hell aren't trending upward anyway.

[True2tRA]

How does that even happen ^ ^ ^. This site does some strange things sometimes.

 

Edit: Well someone fixed it. Thanks. For a minute I thought it was put in small print intentionally. Probably not worth reading. I try to stick to facts, instead of sunshine pumping and fluffing. That doesn't go over too well sometimes.