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

[knapplc]

https://www.youtube....h?v=iCQ0vDAbF7s

[Landlord]

I guess I'm confused as to your point... That I forgot that in 2009 the blowout was at home rather than on the road, my entire statement has no merit? I have no interest in arguing semantics with you. If you want to have an actual, rational discussion about the football team, lets do. If you want to say "HA! I caught you getting a detail wrong, that means I'm right!", then I really don't have interest in the debate. Regardless of where the 2009 Texas Tech game was played, my point still stands.

 

 

I think fans (at least this fan) are excited for the season from the standpoint of "you never know..." but don't expect a huge season. The program under Pelini has dictated what fans should expect. Some nice wins, an ugly loss to a team we shouldn't lose to, and a blowout or two on the road. That's the history from 2008 to now. I see no reason to expect a change.

 

So, I'm excited to watch some football this fall, and I'll yell really loudly... but in this offseason, I'm finding it hard to be super excited for another year without a conference championship.

 

 

Your point still stands.....what was the point, again? As mentioned, your point here is that every season under Bo has been the same, with three distinguishing elements (nice wins, ugly loss to a team we should beat, and one or two road blowouts). We've already broken down how this point is incorrect, but have you revised your point into something else? I might have missed it, but have you actually made any kind of statement since then? What is the point you are trying to make?

 

MY point is that we don't know what to expect. There have been some common themes from 2008 until now, sure, but there have plenty of differences also. 2008 was an outlier as a first year, climbing out of the deepest pit imaginable. We didn't lose to anybody that we shouldn't have that year, being the underdog in all four losses, and three of them being against the #4, #4 and #7 ranked teams in the country (going into OT against #7). 2009 was a pretty dependable unit, at least after bringing back the reigns on the offense, and had a number of gutsy performances, and no blowout losses on the road. Those are two brief examples.

 

The state of our football program is like any other. There are some things that are trends (for good and bad), and there are some things that are inconsistent (for good and bad). The only way we'll have any idea how 2013 will shape out is by looking in hindsight after it's over.

 

 

Fine, there will be a loss to a team we shouldn't lose to, a blowout loss (home, road, or neutral site), and some decent wins. Feel better now?

 

 

 

Which loss in 2010 was a blowout? I know you mentioned Washington pt. 2, but seriously? That's quite a bit of a reach, my man.

[beanman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQ0vDAbF7s

I'm with Knapp. We all need a group hug.

[True2tRA]

That should be the Huskerboard theme song. At the next Huskerboard get together, we'll blare it while singing and dancing together.

[True2tRA]

Okay plus one me if you actually played the video and watched it the whole way through.

 

 

 

I expect no plus ones. (I watched it, but I can't plus one myself)

[StPaulHusker]

Okay plus one me if you actually played the video and watched it the whole way through.

 

 

 

I expect no plus ones. (I watched it, but I can't plus one myself)

You should only plus one yourself in the privacy of your own home.

[EZ-E]

Can't really quote it Red, but here goes:

 

1) The Staff

 

Beck > Watson (No contest)

Fisher >>>>>>Gilmore (Hands down)

Garrison > Cotton (Will be more evident this year)

Joseph > Raymond (It will be tough to keep Joseph here next year. There are more circumstances behind why CCR left)

Els I am on the fence about being better than Ekeler. I don't think Ekeler was great and the jury is still out with me and Els.

Papuchis - A good friend of mine talked to Coach Ekeler and Coach Sims at the JuCo playoffs, lets just say JP is very well respected and I have confidence he figures it out. We were able to make due last year and we will be more athletic on that side of the ball this year. We will see. But I think you get my point.

 

2) Kenny Bell, AA, Lavonte David, Joshua Mitchell, David Santos, QE, Jamal Turner were all from 2010 and on. Do I need to go further???? Gosh I don't believe so but I could if you'd like me to. You can't be serious. I stated from the later half of 2010 and on we have brought in better football players.

 

3) Not worried about the facilities anymore. We will always have top notch stuff.

 

On my phone, if I missed something, let me know.

[EZ-E]

Oh. We have also really gotten after the walk on program. We bring in around 20 a year.

[Enhance]

A balance has to exist between the talent and scheme. I think even with a simplified scheme, Nebraska wasn't going to have a stand-out defense the last couple of years. It's because Pelini and his staff aren't capable of making up for a lack of talent at this point. They could get there in time, but until then, I think talent is going to be of paramount importance.

 

Bill Snyder and Co. can make up for a lack of talent becaues of the experience and savvy Snyder brings to the table. We don't have that luxury, which is why I think talent is going to be fairly important until Pelini and the staff get better.

 

Great point. It makes you wonder what Snyder and staff focus their time in teaching compared to us as a staff. I'm not gonna lie, I hate Kansas state but to me coach Snyder is the second best coach I've seen in my lifetime.

Well...from what I can observe....his teams are quite disciplined....esp. as of late. He lacks the talent...but makes up for it in disciplined players that play their asses off and play focused within the game (ie, position duties, don't create penalties). This is no pun on Bo and the Huskers....but I believe disciplining your team and having STRONG leadership helps to bring a mediocre team to become a great team. I still can't get over the amount of penalties and fumbles the Huskers create...yet I have seen the penalties go down in the past couple of years...which is something great to see.

The interesting thing about Snyder is he's working with recruiting classes with an average ranking above 70. All things considered he is coaching below average "talent." Of course, as TTRA...A and you point out, what they lack in talent they make up for in discipline and execution. His players may not be as athletically gifted as half the other teams in college football, but they put themselves in the right positions to make plays which suggests a high level of mental understanding.

 

It's frustrating to see Snyder do so much with so little, but he's also significantly more experienced than Pelini and clearly has the capacity to make up for talent shortcomings.

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.

Pelini's hire was always going to be a long haul. He was a young coach with experience but also a lot of questions, and he's still a young coach. He took over a team that had more talent than his previous two teams. He excelled with the talent that wasn't his and, despite winning nine games each season, hasn't hit the expectations many had for him.

 

My point is what you're saying is something that often gets lost in the shuffle. He's a young coach that doesn't quite have the ability to make up for talent shortcomings with great coaching. He has all the potential in the world to get there, but it was always going to take some time.

[True2tRA]

Can't really quote it Red, but here goes:

 

1) The Staff

 

Beck > Watson (No contest)

Fisher >>>>>>Gilmore (Hands down)

Garrison > Cotton (Will be more evident this year)

Joseph > Raymond (It will be tough to keep Joseph here next year. There are more circumstances behind why CCR left)

Els I am on the fence about being better than Ekeler. I don't think Ekeler was great and the jury is still out with me and Els.

Papuchis - A good friend of mine talked to Coach Ekeler and Coach Sims at the JuCo playoffs, lets just say JP is very well respected and I have confidence he figures it out. We were able to make due last year and we will be more athletic on that side of the ball this year. We will see. But I think you get my point.

 

2) Kenny Bell, AA, Lavonte David, Joshua Mitchell, David Santos, QE, Jamal Turner were all from 2010 and on. Do I need to go further???? Gosh I don't believe so but I could if you'd like me to. You can't be serious. I stated from the later half of 2010 and on we have brought in better football players.

 

3) Not worried about the facilities anymore. We will always have top notch stuff.

 

On my phone, if I missed something, let me know.

 

 

EZ-E don't get me wrong buddy, but you project quite a bit. You talk about guys based on what they might do, or may accomplish where as I talk about what they have accomplished. What have they done....not what can they do. Although I like optimism, and I too am optimistic about some of these coaches and players, this conversation has been wholly based on the what is, not the what ifs. You can't just say, "I think so and so will pan out, or so and so will be good, THEREFORE HE IS GOOD". That's just not how it works.

 

Garrison hardly has any resume' to back up you being so optimistic. And if you want to label coaches with "respect factor" like you did with JP...well, I'd say Cotton has much more respect and has a much more established reputation than Garrison does. THAT IS AS OF YET.

 

Terry Joseph has been here one year right? Let's slow down before we go calling him a HUGE UPGRADE over Raymond. Raymond was hired away from here for a reason. He did a pretty damn good job with our secondary when he was here. I hate to remind you how pathetic our safeties looked last season. But THIS IS AS OF YET, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE. And as far as what he did last year, I'd say those safeties were under his tutelage and looked pretty sh**ty.

 

I'll take Ekeler over Els any day of the week! The LB'ers were terrible last year? Are you joking me right now?

 

Papuchis? What? He hardly has a resume as a Division 1 coach at all, let alone the Defensive Coordinator position. Considering the defenses national ranking at the end of the year, especially in the run game, I'd say it's a year he would want to forget, NOT BE APPLAUDED FOR.

 

Your words were the we upgraded coaching and literally there's holes in that entire argument. Please bud, give it up and don't be afraid to admit you were wrong in that statement, because you were wrong. NOW MAYBE IN THE FUTURE...........we'll see.

 

Now on to the talent. Do you need to go further? Hell YES YOU DO?! Are you nuts? Bo has had what......5 recruiting classes. Let's say roughly 20 players each, some less some more than 20. So let's call it 100 players or near that above or below....it really doesn't matter let's just call it 100. You named SEVEN! Need you go further? Ha! Two of the seven you named haven't even played enough I hardly even know who the hell they are? Josh Mitchell and David Santos? Who the hell are they and what have they done that made you put them on a list with Kenny Bell, AA, L.D., and JT. SEVEN GUYS was all you named and you ask if you need to go further. C'mon man! Your better than that.

 

Then the fact that you stated "I stated from the later half of 2010 and on we have brought in better football players." That's almost completely reiterating what I said. I mean, that would be Bo's second or third class right? So his first two were failures is what your saying? So let's take like I said earlier his 2011 and 2012 classes. Those guys are what now, freshmen and sophomores? What the hell do we know about any of them. Most of them will be seeing the field for the first time this year, at least in any significant role? So again, back to paragraph one where stating just because you like a guys potential, much like the coaching staff, doesn't mean they've done a damn thing. Until they do, it means absolutely nothing. They don't keep score, or stats in practice......at least not any that count for anything.

 

 

 

3) Not worried about the facilities anymore. We will always have top notch stuff. Yep. No debating that. I hope you didn't get the impression somewhere that I said we didn't have the best. We are clearly among the best, always have been and always will be. There's too much money invested in this program to let it slide. As I told you before though, those facilities mean nothing to people who never see them or never use them. We got to get the kids here to use that state of the art weight room, that training table. We got to keep the program on the elite level to fill all those nice new seats and stare at the giant big screen. I don't think we disagree on that at all, how could we? I think the disagreement was, what level does Nebraska have to compete at to keep those things happening? Will four loss seasons do it for the up and coming recruits? Will it be enough to keep butts in those seats? I just don't know. As I've said before, Nebraska is a unique place, lot's of history and a winning tradition. But there are challenges to keeping it that way. Usually WINNING GAMES can make those challenges seem a whole lot less daunting.

[EZ-E]

1) if you can honestly tell me that you didn't see a huge improvement in our OLine as soon as Garrison was actually on the staff I don't know what to say. There is a reason he's now our OLine coach.

 

Raymond and Joseph both coached one year here. Joseph coached the number one rated pass defense in the nation last season??? There was a reason after the Wisconsin game in 2011 Bo spent half his time with the secondary at practice. That's because Raymond's coaching theories of this hands off bull sh#t wasn't what we were used to. Am I saying CCR was a bad coach? No. But he got a ton more production out of basically the same players. Granted, a year older, but the physical play in the secondary was much more apparent in my opinion this year than last.

 

Ekeler gave the compliance department fits when he was here. People in the know also give more credit to Doug Coleman producing Phillip Dillard than they do Ekeler. Thus why I stated I'm on the fence about Els vs Ekeler. After Dillard, their body of work is basically the same. To be honest, I can't say I wasn't disappointed when we didn't hire Doug Coleman. I thought that was a no brainer.

 

There's a reason that I just said what I've heard JPs peers say. I'm not on the fence about him, but right now, it wouldn't be right to say he's an upgrade from Carl. I think it was good to get Carl off of our staff though. There were issues there.

 

Every staff member but one (I was told this but I'm going to conclude it was Barney) was offered a job at another BCS university this past off-season. This is why they got a bump in pay. There were Big 12 and SEC schools calling for Coach Garrison. That I have on a very good account. Coach Joseph will be able to pick which SEC school he goes to next year if they need a secondary coach. That I will bet you a pitcher of beer on and you know I'm good for it.

 

2) My thoughts on the 2008 and 2009 recruiting class are well documented and I'm tired of repeating myself. For the last few months the only thing I've said about our defense was we will be more athletic. Reasons I say that is because when you look at the football players we have brought in; for example Afalava, Brown, Rose, Santos, and Anderson; they are MORE ATHLETIC than Fisher, Compton, and Whaley. That really isn't up for debate. They were BETTER football players than those three COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. It's just really not up for debate. Sure, do I project some things? Absolutely. Doesn't everyone here? If the only things we said here were "wait and see" this place would be boring. I've seen more negative projections than positive ones here lately. Guess what? It's easy to give a negative one because if you are wrong, nobody cares. You can say "glad I'm wrong." It takes more balls to be positive and predictions that way. I hear things from people that actually see these guys everyday. Not what the coaches say to the press and base some of my projections on those things I hear. The physical ability is there this year, Damn is it there, for us to win 12 games. Ultimately what it is going to come down to is guys working hard to provide us with depth, and how hard they have been studying the play book. If you'd like to know my source on that one, PM me.

 

I like you Red. We've met on multiple occasions now. I do enjoy the heated discussion. Sorry, but I see more things to be excited about right now based on the above than critical about.

[EZ-E]

When my boss leaves ill respond more specifically to your points. Hard to do on my phone

[Moiraine]

it's tooken recruiting 3-4 years to pick up some steam.

 

This sounds like a Lord of the Rings character name. "Tooken's feet were so hairy he put Bilbo to shame."

[The Dude]

Tooken son of Thalionthonion.

[True2tRA]

Number 1 pass defense is a bit misleading don't you think. The defense will be faster and more athletic next year. I hope Garrison is the man that gets this offensive line figured out....especially the penalties that seem to kill us at times. Joseph is a good coach just not sure about his ability to teach run support. Secondary play is not purely all about the passing game, I don't need to tell you that.

 

I believe you know a thing or two, and I've enjoyed talking to you personally when we've been able to. Good discussion. Have a great day.