Interesting Conversation at the game..

[Enhance]

Also...beating a team you are supposed to beat usually doesn't get guys all that pumped up.

True, but we also let up when we're doing well against opponents of equal substance. No matter who they're playing, there's a disconnect.

 

It was refreshing to hear Bo say in his press conference today that the attitude and mentality is totally off.

 

Now it's time to fix it.

[skersfan]

Does he know that, or did he read it on here?

[husker07]

That's the look of a team that's out to take care of business. Sometimes the smallest dogs bark the loudest. There's been some guys over the past 10 years that were subpar players but you could bet if they ever made a play they'd be posturing all over the place.

 

 

Give me a break. There's no external, visual difference in how that 1995 team looked (and all those mid-90's teams that weren't raging and walked through the tunnel stoic and calm) compared to how the 2013 team looked.

 

The only difference is that we know how good that team was and we know how bad this team is. Take away that foreknowledge and compare the videos and you can not tell any difference just by outside observation in their composure, thoughts or ability to play.

I think the whole "quite, focused confidence" applies to the that 95 team. Other than that, my comments aren't really so much about the tunnel walk than certain players we've had recently who seemed to be more interested in celebrating a play than making one. It's also just a personal belief of mine that playing with composure is the best way to go about things. In no way shape or form do I think how we come out during the tunnel walk has any affect on how we play.

[DrunkOffPunch]

Forgive me for not remembering, but there once was an army/militia (Maybe someone good with history can help me out with this. I want to say it was Rome or Sparta and although I'm not exactly sure who it was, I do know it was around that or the medieval time period.) that listened to soothing violin/classical music to calm the mind before battle. Their idea was it wasn't about charging in a mad rage but rather to be able to think with a clear mind.

[husker07]

Forgive me for not remembering, but there once was an army/militia (Maybe someone good with history can help me out with this. I want to say it was Rome or Sparta and although I'm not exactly sure who it was, I do know it was around that or the medieval time period.) that listened to soothing violin/classical music to calm the mind before battle. Their idea was it wasn't about charging in a mad rage but rather to be able to think with a clear mind.

Saving Private Ryan? But ya I think I heard something about that too. New tunnel walk music:

[JTrain]

I'm 98% convinced that this team simply doesn't care as much as many of the past great teams. I can't prove this and you can't disprove it. I base this on my observations along with numerous interviews with past players detailing their observations. I know my memory is not perfect and these past players are biased to an extent, but I think they are reliable enough to trust.

 

At the Big 10 CCG last year, I was only a few rows behind the Nebraska bench. Of all the players, PJ Smith was the only one I saw that was noticeably angry when they started to fall behind by more than two scores. At the UCLA game last week, when they cut the lead to 21-17, it felt like were losing the game. I kept looking for one of the players to start rallying the troops, sparking some emotion-- anger or urgency or something-- and I didn't see it. I was pretty sure that we would lose the game at that point.

 

That's not to say their aren't a bunch of guys on this team that are very passionate about being great, but I certainly don't see it pervading the entire team culture, which I think is a foundation of most teams that win championships.

[In the Deed the Glory]

We got beat pretty good and after the game they were all playing friends with the opposition....I was PISSED!

 

Maybe the kids really WERE friends...like neighbor kids, go to the same school, in Scouts together or attend the same church.

 

But being friends is no excuse for being friendly. You should have set an example for your team by walking over and sucker punching one of the opposing players' moms right in the face. Let your players know how important winning that game was to you them.

 

I coach also, and this is a problem. I played against my high school best friend every year in college and I wanted to kick his ass every time.

 

Empathy is running rampant in today's young people.

 

EDIT: also, Bowfin, that is a comment that isn't needed. If you don't have something constructive to add, maybe just sit that one out. Comments like that make you sound very ignorant.

[blessed2bahusker]

With the high speed offenses running 85 plays a game, the only way to celebrate is when you get into the endzone. So much energy is conserved between plays a lot of the joy of playing has been sucked out.

Players getting calls from the sideline after lining up and looking to the bench for defensive calls right up to the snap, to get into "perfect" alignment has taken away from the players relying on themselves and each other.

Football is still an awesome sport, but it's gotten so technical, plus the wussification of it, that players on all levels are more machine like and robotic.

I hadn't really considered that. I think you are right about that, at the college level at least.

[mwj98]

With the high speed offenses running 85 plays a game, the only way to celebrate is when you get into the endzone. So much energy is conserved between plays a lot of the joy of playing has been sucked out.

Players getting calls from the sideline after lining up and looking to the bench for defensive calls right up to the snap, to get into "perfect" alignment has taken away from the players relying on themselves and each other.

Football is still an awesome sport, but it's gotten so technical, plus the wussification of it, that players on all levels are more machine like and robotic.

I hadn't really considered that. I think you are right about that, at the college level at least.

 

 

+10000000

 

Look, you don't have to be jumping through the rough during the tunnel walk.....someone mentioned earlier that if they saw a team all hyped up, they new it was a win. I disagree. If you take a look at some of the husker footage, obviously the 90's, after a big play, there was emotion. Lot's of it. Now, it's about having fun. The refs have really impacted the game. I did see one of our players get grabbed by the ref after a nice play due to celebration. But really?? Kenny Bell, celebrates after a score. Sometimes I think he may draw a flag. But on defense, there is nothing wrong with, after a big hit, guys getting amped up. Who knows....but when I watch an SEC game.....completely different.

[Enhance]

On a related note, I heard an analyst comment the other day that he believed the days of really dominating defense may be gone, or at least, becoming significantly more rare. With how fast and intelligent offenses have become, defenses are giving up just huge chunks of yards between the 20's and really tightening up in the red zones (or at least trying to). He said the days of holding a team to 150 yards passing and 100 yards rushing just aren't very likely anymore.

 

I don't know if I completely agree with it, but he has a point. High speed offenses are the norm and defenses appear to be getting worse and worse, at least from face value. I'd be very interested to see the average number of yards Top 25 defenses gave up 20 years ago and compare them to now.

 

A good example would be Alabama. They've been so good defensively, but Texas A&M just blew the doors off that completely. Obviously, they have Manziel, who is just ridiculous, but it was still a very interesting sight to see.

[NUinID]

I completely agree that dominating defenses are gone for now. MSU right now is averaging under 200 yards per game, but other than ND haven't even played a team with a pulse. Sure there will be exceptions. Alabama has a great defense, but they still can and do get lit up. I think the key to defense anymore is limiting points.

[Count 'Bility]

The thing is now there are so many rules favoring offenses. cant hit high-or cant hit at all if you wanna go that far-has pretty much opened up the entire field, especially over the middle, for offenses. That lack of an intimidation factor for slot guys has given the qb's so much more leeway in types of throws that have to be made. Than you throw in the multiplicity and the technicality of the offenses today and the defenses have had to follow suit by scheming things up as well. What has developed is something that I believe is a major problem with our own defense, and that is that it's become too much of a thinking game. Then, the offenses combatted that with up-tempo. They know where their going, and theyve taken away from the defense to do any processing pre-snap, and the way offenses are ran, 1 step for a receiver is all he needs. Now, for every type of offense that has come and gone over the history of football, there has always been a style of defense that has evolved to combat it. At this, I just dont know that there will ever be anything to handle the up-tempo spreads. What we're seeing in the NFL is basically defenses resorting to a full blown guessing game. How many times do you see an NFL D line up in a 3-4, put all 4 backers AND a safety right at the line of scrimmage. 8 guys right at the line. It becomes a guessing game for o-lineman and Qb's. "Who's comin, who ain? Where can I get the hot route? Can this guy be picked up if he vacates his zone?" And so on. If you guess right, it's a 1st down. If you guess wrong, the defense wins the play.

 

Now, I'm not saying that the sub-300 yard defensive performance are completely obsolete, but but theyre not nearly performed as consistent as they used to be. Yards get gained. At lot of defenses are now predicated on kind of a "bend dont break" philosophy. Give some ground and hold tight in a red zone for a field goal. Or force the offense to be patient and wait for a penalty or mistake to set them back or wait for a turnover. And so on and so on.

 

Obviously, a large talent gap from a defense to particular offense will erase all gimmicks, but if the two are equal in talent and speed and experience, the offenses now a days have a huge advantage in scheme and rules.

[Mavric]

Also, I think some of it goes back to high school. Teams seem to be putting their best athletes on offense more so there are more, better athletes to go around on the offensive side of the ball than there are on the defensive side.

[Joe_5700]

Forgive me for not remembering, but there once was an army/militia (Maybe someone good with history can help me out with this. I want to say it was Rome or Sparta and although I'm not exactly sure who it was, I do know it was around that or the medieval time period.) that listened to soothing violin/classical music to calm the mind before battle. Their idea was it wasn't about charging in a mad rage but rather to be able to think with a clear mind.

 

I think if they were around back then the soldiers would have preferred Metallica's Enter Sandman being played before battle if given the choice.

[Guy Chamberlin]

It wasn't just the SDS game. I was at the UCLA game in Pasadena. Big game. Big plays. Big momentum shifts. Lot of loud Husker fans. Thought I could catch some candid reactions on the Husker sidelines with my binoculars. Somebody throwing his helmet. Somebody barking encouragement. Some pad slapping. Maybe just some nervous pacing. But there was nothing. I was genuinely struck by how much nothing there was.

 

I see a lot more passion, anger, cameraderie and fun in the NFL every Sunday, so I don't think it's entirely on the wussification of the game.