It's an attitude problem.

[Enhance]

Completely agree, knapplc, and it's something many of us have been saying for years. These players and coaches blame so many things on a lack of focus. How many close calls games, embarrassing losses and proverbial "wake-up calls" does one team need in order to realize that they're not who they think they are nor executing as they should?

 

You play how you practice, you practice how you're coached and that all goes back to the coaching staff. They are the ones incapable of creating a culture here that focuses and understands the challenges ahead of them. Consistency is just out the window and it's extremely disappointing to see. When was the last time Nebraska played well against a good team and lost? Our losses almost exclusively come in blow out fashion or to teams we should beat.

[Fuzzy]

Maybe we should strap up and take the field as fans. I mean we make up Nebraska don't we?

[Karsaire]

It is on the coaches though, the attitude is being coached out of them, just like it has been coached out of Bo Pelini. This PC don't yell, don't celebrate, don't do anything but be a robot and play football bs atmosphere that is being fostered through administrations and the NCAA has taken the passion out of the game. The most telling quote for me came from this article last week. In this article. http://www.omaha.com...SKERS/131029000,

 

"Jean-Baptiste celebrated by flexing his muscles, first toward the Purdue bench and then back toward the field.

“We don’t need that,” Joseph said at the Big Red Breakfast. “The hit was part of football, but taunting is not what we’re about on defense. He does enough with physical play that we don’t need that. So that’s what I was disappointed in.”

 

What!!!!!????? Could you imagine the 90's without the Peters bros. and Wistrom throwing the bones? You look for a big play to change the tone of the game, to get players motivated, to bring the fire, then you criticize and penalize them for celebrating it? Then you wonder why the sidelines are dead, why the players play flat... that's what they are being coached to do. Approach the game businesslike, take all emotion out.

 

Just like what we've done to our coach... and now you (by you, I mean all fans complaining about this, not one in particular) cry because the team reflects that "new Bo" attitude. Guess what? You got what you asked for, thanks fans, thanks espn and your camera constantly waiting for any show of emotion from our coach, and thank you Perlman. You've neutered our coach and in doing so, our team as well.

 

I sure miss the bones being thrown after a great play too. I see where you're coming from, however there is a difference to me in flexing muscles at the sideline of Purdue over their player, and just getting up and throwing the bones to the crowd. Maybe I misinterpreted it, I'm not sure.

 

I agree with the original point about attitude. I feel there is a lot of this going on, but I can't help but wonder what makes them feel worthy of this feeling? What has been done in the last 3 years to suggest that this is applicable? Which brings me to the post about the locker room....that probably actually has some validity. There will be arguments about what is needed to grab recruits, but I believe that a team that plays well, plays tough, wins their games and ignites the fandom across the lands will be much better for recruiting than any Ipad, pool table or crap. (I can hear the "can't win without good recruits) But no doubt is that crap distracting.

[Danny Bateman]

Completely agree, knapplc, and it's something many of us have been saying for years. These players and coaches blame so many things on a lack of focus. How many close calls games, embarrassing losses and proverbial "wake-up calls" does one team need in order to realize that they're not who they think they are nor executing as they should?

 

You play how you practice, you practice how you're coached and that all goes back to the coaching staff. They are the ones incapable of creating a culture here that focuses and understands the challenges ahead of them. Consistency is just out the window and it's extremely disappointing to see. When was the last time Nebraska played well against a good team and lost? Our losses almost exclusively come in blow out fashion or to teams we should beat.

You're dead on.

 

It's a systematic failure of the coaching staff to adjust the way they teach players to combat adversity in game. Bo continues to try to throw the same crap against the wall over and over again, and bless him for trying so hard, but his methods of preparation, whatever they may be, just aren't effective. He does not have a grasp on how to get the team ready every single week, manage ALL facets of the team, and get them to adjust better and swing the tide back, so to speak, when things aren't going our way.

 

Thank you Coach Bo, I appreciate your effort. Best of luck wherever you may wind up, but the University of Nebraska needs to look in another direction.

[lo country]

Here is a question, IIRC correctly Bo got his start in the NFL as did Cally. They both seem, IMO, to have brought a professional style of practice and performance to NU. One that is void of emotion and predicated on precision or execution. Schiano, now at Tampa, seems to have a mutiny on his hands. Unsure if he finishes the season.

 

Maybe we need, if Bo is let go, is to try and find a coach from the college ranks who realizes the importance of attitude and that emotion, at least at this level, ofetn trumps execution and precision. The NFL has guys doing this for a living. They play for the money. IMO, very few play on emotion, rivalries etc.....

 

I watched as Shaw led SC from 17 down to beat the Kitties in 2 OT. Raw emotion. Shaw begged to come in and it sparked the team. Emotion and attitude. We, and our staff, IMO are missing this invaluable component.

 

Again, back to NU's glory days, those practices, while organized, appeared to be like gladiator academy per the players.

[Husker_x]

Every day that goes by makes this entire situation seem more and more unsustainable.

[zoogs]

I don't know if the team is just bad at sending out the right, politically correct messages and soundbites after a tough loss or what, but how many times have we heard about underestimating the opponent and so on? It's hard to believe.

[HuskerTed]

Knapp,

 

You just went yard my man.

 

Best thing I have read in some time.

[Karsaire]

Knapp,

 

You just went yard my man.

 

Best thing I have read in some time.

 

Second'd

Knapp: elequent, well put and with heart as always.

[True2tRA]

Where does this attitude come from? I believe it does exist, and I believe it is a problem. I also believe that any player on this team that thinks like that is a fool. What have these guys done to earn it? And why don't we hear these things from Alabama, Georgia, or Florida or the likes. While Ohio State is smacking everyone in the mouth and running this conference, WE ARE Nebraska, and nobody cares.

[Danny Bateman]

Where does this attitude come from? I believe it does exist, and I believe it is a problem. I also believe that any player on this team that thinks like that is a fool. What have these guys done to earn it? And why don't we hear these things from Alabama, Georgia, or Florida or the likes. While Ohio State is smacking everyone in the mouth and running this conference, WE ARE Nebraska, and nobody cares.

Again, it's another thing that simply boils down to Bo's responsibility to fix. Still hasn't happened.

 

The madness continues...

[robsker]

I am only guessing here but... if you have ever worked for a failing organization with poor leadership before you might relate to this. When a unit is struggling and the workers no longer have confidence in the management, what often happens is the workers lose interest, do not work hard, do not expect much of the unit or themselves in terms of contribution to the unit. They tend to not really care much anymore. Certainly no one enjoys being there. Bitterness and in-fighting often result.

 

Perhaps the NU team has a good subset of the players who have lost hope, who do not have confidence in their teammates and/or the coaches (or, at least a subset of the coaches). When that happens focus is lost, intensity is not there, no one is having fun and bitterness prevails. You add a sense of entitlement that another subset of players may have (thinking we'll win because we are NU) and the "shock" that comes from getting rolled by weaklings and the false bravado of that group of players leads as well to lack of confidence (and focus).

 

Its just a mess. A fresh start for the program is needed.

[Count 'Bility]

I think this all goes full circle back around to the perception of the complication of schemes and the playbook. I used to think that it wasnt that way, but the last two years of head scratching performances have kind of turned my opinion a bit, and it just seems to me that the staff has made this way too much of a thinking game.