Why I'm Not Depressed

[Guy Chamberlin]

Just to be clear, my excitement and optimism lasts exactly one more season.

[suigeneris]

At least one more season for Bo Pelini, whether you like it or not.

 

So try to like it and have some fun.

 

+1. I think Bo has plateaued but I also think the NW and Michigan wins saved him. Since I don't think a change will be made this year (at least at HC), I can't get worked up over the latest round of hand-wringing. Might as well enjoy the ride and hope I'm wrong about Bo.

[suigeneris]

It's a really tough situation right now. You're either on one side of the fence or the other. You're either viewed as a pessimist, or viewed as somebody you lives off moral victories. The worse part is no matter which side of the fence you're on, you have blinders on. There's no reason to think that a new coach will magically fix everything and there's no reason to think that a new coach would set the program back ten years. It's ridiculous to think that the football program is a cesspool right now, but it's ridiculous to think that everything is fine as well. The young players on the team are starting to turn the corner, but the same problems that have plagued the team under Bo are still there. Clearly something needs to change, but it's hard to know what the right answer is.

 

That's a good post. My theory is that someone looked at Bo the wrong way back in 2003 when he got off the plane in Lincoln and his entire tenure here has been an elaborate ruse on his part to torment us in this netherworld

[kchusker_chris]

Great post. This is the type of loss than I can stomach. Sure there were a baffling amount of turnovers and a couple of series where Beck might have been able to hear me yelling at him from KC. But, the team played hard, showing max effort all the way to the end. That wasn't there against Wyoming, or UCLA, or SD State, or Minnesota. The effort we've seen on D recently is a nice improvement.

 

We can all take a loss, most of us can take 4 a season and not be upset. What we can't take are showings like we've seen the last couple years - where the team quits. That's when you get blown out. When you get embarrassed. That was becoming a regular occurrence. There was nothing embarrassing about the Michigan State game. Just didn't go our way. We shot ourselves in the foot, which we do too often. But no one slumped to the end. They gave 100%, and that's all you can ask of the team. Continue to give 100%, and with the talent we have...we're going to win a whole lot more than we lose. Give 100%, and we blow out Wyoming and SD State. 100% and we don't lose to Minnesota. But you won't get them all, we know that. I took this loss much better than the previous couple.

[teachercd]

I do wish that they could find starters, its like every week they mix it up. But, I am not depressed but I am upset that I wont have one extra game that I can party for!

[Redux]

Just to be clear, my excitement and optimism lasts exactly one more season.

 

Season or first loss of the season? Loving the optimism but if we have a close loss in the first 6 games will it dissapear?

[Count 'Bility]

I do wish that they could find starters, its like every week they mix it up. But, I am not depressed but I am upset that I wont have one extra game that I can party for!

That's one of the growing pains of having pretty much exclusive first year players accross the board at multiple levels of the D. Not only coaches, but players as well are still trying to determine which combinations against whatever certain scenarios will work the best.

[crouchingzebra]

nothing to hang our heads on. We could be 3-7. Defense is getting better. We will still win 9 games and Ill say it now win the bowl game to go 10-3. Perfectly fine for me..

 

 

The losses can't be the embarrassing kind.

Embarrassing losses on National TV are hard to take but I haven't seen a truly embarrassing loss this season.

[HuskerNationNick]

Bo needs to sit down with Beck this offseason (if Beck is still here) and they need to go back to basics. They need to give this offense an identity. This year, and only this year, we have no identity. This isn't good. IMO, we have a HELL of a TE in Cethan Carter. I see him on the field and open quite a bit, but we don't utilize him. I also don't see us using Janovich or Zimmerer like I expected. As TO said before, winning a football game hasn't changed, the speed of the game has though. You still need to play a FB, TE and have a good OL to succeed on getting down the field. Of course having great receivers are a bonus, and that is exactly what we have. I just don't understand how we have every single piece of the puzzle, but can't produce on a consistent basis. I understand 5 turnovers don't help, but one score down in the 4th quarter, you stick with the basics and you give your best player (Abdullah) the ball and let him carry his team to a victory. Especially when he has been working them all night long. Just saddens be because with our 5 turnovers, we still had the opportunity to turn the game around. We turned into a pass happy team and it went downhill from there. Beck can not coach a 2nd half under pressure, and it shows time and time again this year.

 

I love this team, love the fight and love where Bo is taking us. We have a solid defense, and they have proved it, with 3 straight games in a row. Went from the worst defense in the nation to being top 50 to 30th in the country.

[You]

Just to be clear, my excitement and optimism lasts exactly one more season.

 

I have 2 seasons left.

[HuskerNationNick]

nothing to hang our heads on. We could be 3-7. Defense is getting better. We will still win 9 games and Ill say it now win the bowl game to go 10-3. Perfectly fine for me..

 

 

The losses can't be the embarrassing kind.

Embarrassing losses on National TV are hard to take but I haven't seen a truly embarrassing loss this season.

UCLA was a complete embarrassment IMO. Especially when your up 21-0 and allow 35 consecutive points.

[JJ Husker]

The OP pretty much echoes my sentiments also. This loss didn't bother me as much or for the usual reasons. That's not to say it didn't hurt, I mean five turnovers is plenty ridiculous but, the difference, for me anyway, was that it did not seem to be induced by the coaches or lack of preparation/effort/motivation. These kids kept fighting and had opportunity to turn it around until late in the game. Turnovers are bad but, when it's freshmen and guys playing guard that are usually centers etc., I guess it makes it easier to accept. The hardest part about the loss was that I did not feel MSU was a very good team. Their vaunted defense didn't cause those fumbles and the pick. We were able to move the ball on them with relative ease (when we weren't fumbling it away). And, our defense really played a darned good game. It wasn't like they earned those short field scores they got, we gave them to them. So, I guess it hurt because we gave it away on turnovers rather than them being the better team.

 

I will say that there were still two recurring issues dealing with the coaching staff. 1- Special teams is still pathetic and needs attention. We can't keep ignoring such a major part of the game and hope it never factors into outcomes. Not only is it hurting us at times, it is almost never a benefit. I wonder what an actual 20 or 30 yard punt return or a blocked punt even looks like anymore. 2- I think Beck went a little Watson, again. We were having success moving the ball on the ground but that, once again, got abandoned a bit prematurely for some pass happy series. I don't think either one of these two issues changes the outcome of a game where we turn it over 5 times but, there are issues Bo needs to deal with. I guess I am reserving judgment until I see how we do in these next 2 or 3 games and how some of these things that can be directly attributed to preparation and coaching come along. It may matter little if the wheels have already been set in motion but I'm back on the "give it a bit more time" bus for now.

[HuskerNationNick]

1- Special teams is still pathetic and needs attention. We can't keep ignoring such a major part of the game and hope it never factors into outcomes. Not only is it hurting us at times, it is almost never a benefit. I wonder what an actual 20 or 30 yard punt return or a blocked punt even looks like anymore. 2- I think Beck went a little Watson, again. We were having success moving the ball on the ground but that, once again, got abandoned a bit prematurely for some pass happy series. I don't think either one of these two issues changes the outcome of a game where we turn it over 5 times but, there are issues Bo needs to deal with. I guess I am reserving judgment until I see how we do in these next 2 or 3 games and how some of these things that can be directly attributed to preparation and coaching come along. It may matter little if the wheels have already been set in motion but I'm back on the "give it a bit more time" bus for now.

Move Cotton to a recruiting position, hire Stai as TE/Special Teams coach. Problem solved, and let Ross Els worry about recruiting and LB'ers. Lol

[Guy Chamberlin]

Just to be clear, my excitement and optimism lasts exactly one more season.

 

Season or first loss of the season? Loving the optimism but if we have a close loss in the first 6 games will it dissapear?

 

If we lose to McNeese State at home, I'm going to get pretty fretful.

 

Another way to look at this:

 

We are frustrated because we have higher standards at Nebraska. We worry that we are being passed over - maybe permanently - by other programs. We question the relative quality of our players and look longingly at other coaches. Some blame the weather. Others think ESPN is mocking us.

 

While it makes perfect sense to be jealous of Baylor at this particular moment, I think we can afford to be a little more patient. So here's the question:

 

Would you trade the Nebraska football program right now, roster and coaching intact, straight up for:

 

Notre Dame

Florida

Miami

Texas

USC

UCLA

Georgia

Arkansas

Tennessee

Wisconsin

Michigan

Minnesota

Penn State

Washington

Utah

Boise State

Oklahoma State

Kansas State

Va. Tech?

 

Cause there are some high expectations thereabouts that aren't being met. Oklahoma and Stanford are feeling some embarrassment, too.

 

It might be fun to be Louisville or Baylor or Duke or Vanderbilt or Northern Illinois at the moment, but let's check back in five years.

 

It might be more fun to be Auburn this year, but would we have tolerated a 3 - 9 season to get there?

 

Do you still want to be A&M when Johnny Football leaves for the NFL?

 

Do you even want to be Michigan State?

 

 

It's not that bad, Husker Nation. That's all I'm sayin.

[Count 'Bility]

Just to be clear, my excitement and optimism lasts exactly one more season.

 

Season or first loss of the season? Loving the optimism but if we have a close loss in the first 6 games will it dissapear?

 

If we lose to McNeese State at home, I'm going to get pretty fretful.

 

Another way to look at this:

 

We are frustrated because we have higher standards at Nebraska. We worry that we are being passed over - maybe permanently - by other programs. We question the relative quality of our players and look longingly at other coaches. Some blame the weather. Others think ESPN is mocking us.

 

While it makes perfect sense to be jealous of Baylor at this particular moment, I think we can afford to be a little more patient. So here's the question:

 

Would you trade the Nebraska football program right now, roster and coaching intact, straight up for:

 

Notre Dame

Florida

Miami

Texas

USC

UCLA

Georgia

Arkansas

Tennessee

Wisconsin

Michigan

Minnesota

Penn State

Washington

Utah

Boise State

Oklahoma State

Kansas State

Va. Tech?

 

Cause there are some high expectations thereabouts that aren't being met. Oklahoma and Stanford are feeling some embarrassment, too.

 

It might be fun to be Louisville or Baylor or Duke or Vanderbilt or Northern Illinois at the moment, but let's check back in five years.

 

It might be more fun to be Auburn this year, but would we have tolerated a 3 - 9 season to get there?

 

Do you still want to be A&M when Johnny Football leaves for the NFL?

 

Do you even want to be Michigan State?

 

 

It's not that bad, Husker Nation. That's all I'm sayin.

Dont wanna be A&M before Johnny leaves for the NFL. Talk about Cosgrovian football.........