Learning Bo's Defense

[Saunders]

Bo won't escape all blame for having one of the worst Nebraska defenses in history last year.

 

1. Those were all his guys. In year five, it's all your recruits.

2. Your the HC, recruiting is a big part of your gig. If the recruits suck, that means you didn't do a good job.

3. The guys looked lost out there repeatedly

4. If the guys look lost, it's your job to help them figure it out or put players out there that can.

5. If you had players that can, then f'ing PLAY THEM! They aren't here to warm the f'ing' pine.

6. Repeated games in Bo's tenure where you can see a failure to make adjustments.

7. Bo Pelini "points the thumb", so if Bo truly practices what he preaches, then who am I to blame those players. If Bo is pointing the thumb at himself, then I'll gladly let him accept the blame. It's his job to get players out there who can execute his scheme. If nobody on this roster can execute the scheme, then change the f'ing scheme. PERIOD.

Oh, I completely agree. I just think the "scheme is too hard" talk is bunk.

[The King]

Bo won't escape all blame for having one of the worst Nebraska defenses in history last year.

 

1. Those were all his guys. In year five, it's all your recruits.

2. Your the HC, recruiting is a big part of your gig. If the recruits suck, that means you didn't do a good job.

3. The guys looked lost out there repeatedly

4. If the guys look lost, it's your job to help them figure it out or put players out there that can.

5. If you had players that can, then f'ing PLAY THEM! They aren't here to warm the f'ing' pine.

6. Repeated games in Bo's tenure where you can see a failure to make adjustments.

7. Bo Pelini "points the thumb", so if Bo truly practices what he preaches, then who am I to blame those players. If Bo is pointing the thumb at himself, then I'll gladly let him accept the blame. It's his job to get players out there who can execute his scheme. If nobody on this roster can execute the scheme, then change the f'ing scheme. PERIOD.

 

1) Hasn't everyone already criticized the recruiting of the staff? Hasn't the staff made changes to improve recruiting over the last 2-3 years?

2) Isn't this the same as #1? Anyway, he's already admitted to failures in recruiting.

3) They looked lost huh? I see a team that is put in position more often than not to make the play but fail to do so, often because they fail to properly tackle or are too slow. I'd agree they didn't have any answers, because they did what they were told to do, but they weren't lost. They were too slow. Is it coincidence Raymond said we needed better athletes to keep up with the speed of the SEC? And guess what the first thing other teams did against us the next year was? Take advantage of our lack of speed to the sides.

4) Once again, I do not believe they were "lost". Obviously, there were some communication issues in a game or two, but I think the defense communicated pretty well. Watch the CCG film, again. We were in position, we just sucked. Now where I do agree is that you need to put players out there that have a chance to run with guys running 4.4s or close to that. That would be playing our youth - in which Bo admitted he shouldn't of redshirted some people and that he kept some of the better athletes on the bench so they could figure out the D completely. I think Bo learned this the hard way, and is making changes accordingly - even telling plenty of recruits that they need them NOW.

5) Refer back to #4. However, if the other players cannot trust them to do their jobs, then we see overcompensation happen and that is when we get hit with a CCG like loss or OSU.

6) I'd say that we adjusted pretty well last year, seeing as we shut down most offenses so we could come back and win the game....

7) Or, instead of changing your entire defensive philosophy that got you to the point of being head coach at Nebraska you fix the source - which is recruiting. You are correct, it is his job to get those players here, and he hadn't. I had been more than vocal about our recruiting up until the last couple years. Bo has taken his lumps regarding his attitude, his recruiting, amongst other things. If you seriously expect Bo Pelini, of all people, to blame his players and not himself, you don't know very much about the guy. He isn't going to throw his "family" under the bus. He'll take his lumps because he isn't a 18-22 year old kid.

 

EDIT - Not to say Bo is the greatest coach of all time, but he is learning on the job, and I'd say more than a few people saw what was coming because of those failures in recruiting. Hell, even on this board people were questioning the DL openly. Recruiting is Bo's fault, but he has addressed it. I'd be more concerned if next year or the year after that we had serious issues on defense, because that would be after he supposedly "figured out" recruiting.

[The King]

I'm beginning to think Bo mortgaged last year to better the program for this year and next.

 

I don't think he knew exactly what he had in store for him. I think he trusted his scheme a little too much. I think last year it really bit him in the ass, because he probably thought he could float out some players that were seasoned and knew the defense and get by with it - saving the younger guys until they knew exactly what they were doing. By the time he realized what he had gotten himself into, it was too little too late.

[True2tRA]

Well if talent really is a huge issue, it won't be the excuse this year. Also, although these players don't have a lot of game experience, which shouldn't be under appreciated, still they do have time in the program learning the system. So again, no excuses. We should really have a hell of a defense.

[EZ-E]

Well if talent really is a huge issue, it won't be the excuse this year. Also, although these players don't have a lot of game experience, which shouldn't be under appreciated, still they do have time in the program learning the system. So again, no excuses. We should really have a hell of a defense.

 

This year, it'll be the youth on defense.

 

I had a good PM convo with Mr. A and a very similar one with OregonHusker about rebuilding this program and how it hasn't been a small task.

 

For those of you who have had the opportunity to speak to someone that played in the 90s or the Solich era ask them what it was like when Cally and Pedy were here.

 

Bo has had to rebuild more than anyone of us will know or even imagine. It hasn't been a small task. Whenever you have multiple guys from the 90s cancel their season tickets because of the way they were treated during that era you have an issue.

 

For you Red who is always bringing up Osborne and McBride (which I have no issue with), you should know it is about the process and the journey. Isn't that what Osborne would say? Remember? I wouldn't know. I don't even know what it means to be a BlackShirt according to some.

[Kiyoat Husker]

I agree with the above sentiments about talent being the major issue, and here are some more examples to chew on. Remember the 2003 season and how well our defense suddenly became? Craig Bohl was not a bad coach (b2b D1AA champs) but there is something about Bo's affect on the elite players that is just different. I remember some of the players saying that Bo kind of "freed them up" to just play instinctively and the results were great for guys like Super Demorrio, etc.

 

Also remember Suh's progress under Bo, and how he said the previous staff had told him he was doing fine, but Bo pushed him to find his full potential? I think the collective potential of the defense was just a bit better in 2003 and 2009.

 

JMO

[EZ-E]

 

Also remember Suh's progress under Bo, and how he said the previous staff had told him he was doing fine, but Bo pushed him to find his full potential? I think the collective potential of the defense was just a bit better in 2003 and 2009.

 

JMO

 

They are currently trying to find the right buttons to push with VV. He's got the potential to be a monster.

[NUinID]

Ok my 2 cents

 

BP is a big scheme guy, he thought he can out scheme teams. I think he has learned he also needs more talent to execute his game plan.

 

When he has equal or almost equal talent defense vs. offense, the d performs well. The defense played pretty well in all of its wins, and poorly in three loses because they didn't match up talent wise. Against OSU, AGA, and UCLA they had some bad match ups.

[strigori]

Not buying the scheme is too hard to learn stuff either. Barrett Ruud said its not hard to learn, but Pelini is a stickler to detail, and doesn't let players BS their way through it.

[Kiyoat Husker]

 

Also remember Suh's progress under Bo, and how he said the previous staff had told him he was doing fine, but Bo pushed him to find his full potential? I think the collective potential of the defense was just a bit better in 2003 and 2009.

 

JMO

 

They are currently trying to find the right buttons to push with VV. He's got the potential to be a monster.

Well, I don't know how to post animated gifs, but if I did....

 

<some gif with an awesome famous dude nodding his head slowly>

 

That would have been sweet.

[Mavric]

 

Also remember Suh's progress under Bo, and how he said the previous staff had told him he was doing fine, but Bo pushed him to find his full potential? I think the collective potential of the defense was just a bit better in 2003 and 2009.

 

JMO

 

They are currently trying to find the right buttons to push with VV. He's got the potential to be a monster.

Well, I don't know how to post animated gifs, but if I did....

 

<some gif with an awesome famous dude nodding his head slowly>

 

That would have been sweet.

[Kiyoat Husker]

perfect.

[waylanm]

Bo won't escape all blame for having one of the worst Nebraska defenses in history last year.

 

1. Those were all his guys. In year five, it's all your recruits.

2. Your the HC, recruiting is a big part of your gig. If the recruits suck, that means you didn't do a good job.

3. The guys looked lost out there repeatedly

4. If the guys look lost, it's your job to help them figure it out or put players out there that can.

5. If you had players that can, then f'ing PLAY THEM! They aren't here to warm the f'ing' pine.

6. Repeated games in Bo's tenure where you can see a failure to make adjustments.

7. Bo Pelini "points the thumb", so if Bo truly practices what he preaches, then who am I to blame those players. If Bo is pointing the thumb at himself, then I'll gladly let him accept the blame. It's his job to get players out there who can execute his scheme. If nobody on this roster can execute the scheme, then change the f'ing scheme. PERIOD.

Man, you COULD have Bo's job. You said "execute" at least twice in one paragraph!:-)

 

by the way.....I hate hearing that f'ing word in all of the post game press conferences!

[Count 'Bility]

Well if talent really is a huge issue, it won't be the excuse this year. Also, although these players don't have a lot of game experience, which shouldn't be under appreciated, still they do have time in the program learning the system. So again, no excuses. We should really have a hell of a defense.

 

This year, it'll be the youth on defense.

 

I had a good PM convo with Mr. A and a very similar one with OregonHusker about rebuilding this program and how it hasn't been a small task.

 

For those of you who have had the opportunity to speak to someone that played in the 90s or the Solich era ask them what it was like when Cally and Pedy were here.

 

Bo has had to rebuild more than anyone of us will know or even imagine. It hasn't been a small task. Whenever you have multiple guys from the 90s cancel their season tickets because of the way they were treated during that era you have an issue.

 

For you Red who is always bringing up Osborne and McBride (which I have no issue with), you should know it is about the process and the journey. Isn't that what Osborne would say? Remember? I wouldn't know. I don't even know what it means to be a BlackShirt according to some.

Or read this new book, Anatomy of an Era. I know i preach that a lot too. But seriously, want some perspective and insight on the things it takes for Nebraska to be great outside of x's and o's and stars on rivals? Just read the book. I'm 200 pages in, and it's mind boggling what these former players, trainers, nutritionists, weightroom secretaries, etc etc etc have to say. And all the special stuff was completely thrown out the window in 2003. Even Boyd Epley talks about how Callahan brought in some Kennedy fellow for strength and cond, and he screwed up 30 years of Boyd's work. Completely changed everything to what you DONT do when training for football, and it showed on teh field. And so on and so on.

[HuskerUnity]

 

 

1) Hasn't everyone already criticized the recruiting of the staff? Hasn't the staff made changes to improve recruiting over the last 2-3 years?

2) Isn't this the same as #1? Anyway, he's already admitted to failures in recruiting.

3) They looked lost huh? I see a team that is put in position more often than not to make the play but fail to do so, often because they fail to properly tackle or are too slow. I'd agree they didn't have any answers, because they did what they were told to do, but they weren't lost. They were too slow. Is it coincidence Raymond said we needed better athletes to keep up with the speed of the SEC? And guess what the first thing other teams did against us the next year was? Take advantage of our lack of speed to the sides.

4) Once again, I do not believe they were "lost". Obviously, there were some communication issues in a game or two, but I think the defense communicated pretty well. Watch the CCG film, again. We were in position, we just sucked. Now where I do agree is that you need to put players out there that have a chance to run with guys running 4.4s or close to that. That would be playing our youth - in which Bo admitted he shouldn't of redshirted some people and that he kept some of the better athletes on the bench so they could figure out the D completely. I think Bo learned this the hard way, and is making changes accordingly - even telling plenty of recruits that they need them NOW.

5) Refer back to #4. However, if the other players cannot trust them to do their jobs, then we see overcompensation happen and that is when we get hit with a CCG like loss or OSU.

6) I'd say that we adjusted pretty well last year, seeing as we shut down most offenses so we could come back and win the game....

7) Or, instead of changing your entire defensive philosophy that got you to the point of being head coach at Nebraska you fix the source - which is recruiting. You are correct, it is his job to get those players here, and he hadn't. I had been more than vocal about our recruiting up until the last couple years. Bo has taken his lumps regarding his attitude, his recruiting, amongst other things. If you seriously expect Bo Pelini, of all people, to blame his players and not himself, you don't know very much about the guy. He isn't going to throw his "family" under the bus. He'll take his lumps because he isn't a 18-22 year old kid.

 

EDIT - Not to say Bo is the greatest coach of all time, but he is learning on the job, and I'd say more than a few people saw what was coming because of those failures in recruiting. Hell, even on this board people were questioning the DL openly. Recruiting is Bo's fault, but he has addressed it. I'd be more concerned if next year or the year after that we had serious issues on defense, because that would be after he supposedly "figured out" recruiting.

Excellent post. I agree with everything you you said here. We have a lot of speed on both sides of the ball this year, and I think our D will be much improved because of it. Yeah they are young, but all the elite teams out there are playing true freshman and RS freshman and winning. I'm really excited to see these young bucks in action