RUN THE BALL!!!

[BRV920]

I knew you would duck answering the Osborne/Riley question guy.

[BigRedBuster]

I knew you would duck answering the Osborne/Riley question guy.

I won't duck the question you posed to him.

 

If TO were Riley's age, I would rather have TO coaching the team. However, he isn't Riley's age so, with as old as TO is right now, I would rather have Riley coaching at Riley's age.

 

 

BTW....TO will be 80 tomorrow (February 23rd).

 

Happy early Birthday Dr. T.

[Guy Chamberlin]

I've never said good teams don't pass. Those are the words you try to put in my mouth. My stance is that you need to be a team that is run first and stays committed to running the ball. Like Alabama. If you look at their stats they are pretty close to 60/40 run pass. That is a run first team. Balanced is 50/50 and the numbers show that it isn't the most successful way to win championship.

 

I'm gonna stick with post #207, which you've done nothing to refute.

 

It's possible we agree on your basic point, but your rationale goes a bit off the tracks.

[Mavric]

Well, it was fun while it lasted:

 

As for the offensive line, it was so-so last season and lost three starters to graduation. It's an especially critical area, considering Riley's stated objective to run the ball more effectively — not necessarily more often, he said, but with greater production and consistency.

 

LJS

[Mavric]

By the way, as to the "UCLA was so small up front that it was easy for us to run against them" argument:

 

UCLA Front Four: Averaged 265 lbs, gave up 187 rushing yards per game (#88 in the nation)

Purdue Front Four: 267 lbs, gave up 215 rushing yards per game (#108)

[cm husker]

 

So the two don't go together? Explain how you can have one without the other? Not to mention over the last 5 years the have turned out several top running backs.

It's not that hard to explain. You can have an elite running game with a decent to good (non-elite) RB if your O-line is dominant. That's why Nebraska could put in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th string RB in the 90s and still get lots of yards. Maybe even 5th. I believe at one point it was Phillips, Benning, Green, Childs, Sims and when Sims was in he got lots of yards.

 

There are also other skill players besides the RB that usually factor into whether the run game is elite.

Those were also 2nd and 3rd string OLs putting up those numbers.

 

Was NU more talented along the OL than the other top 15 or 20 teams those years? Not really.

 

What NU had that lead to production at an almost unparalleled rate was a laser focused, superior system. The production (and sense of dominant players) was mainly a result of that. Not the other way around.

[cm husker]

Well, it was fun while it lasted:

 

As for the offensive line, it was so-so last season and lost three starters to graduation. It's an especially critical area, considering Riley's stated objective to run the ball more effectively not necessarily more often, he said, but with greater production and consistency.

LJS

Coach speak at its worst.

[cm husker]

 

 

So let me ask you this Guy. If you could choose between Osborne and Riley to coach the team next year who would you take? I also disagree with your statement on elite teams. Alabama was not a elite passing team this year. Nebraska never had a elite passing game in 93 to 97.

Tom is nearly 80 and I don't think he could handle the daily grind.

 

I have no idea how you define "elite" in terms of passing. Alabama threw the ball 30 times a game with a 67% completion average, 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. They ran 42/30 run/pass split, and averaged more yards passing than running. On a third and one in the fourth quarter of the national championship game where they were ahead, Alabama called a pass play to seal the game.

 

They passed to set up the run. They ran to set up the pass. They had an elite defense.

 

Alabama is the definition of an elite team. They ran essentially the same play calling scheme that some folks on here deride as "balanced" or "multiple" but executed it with better talent, fewer mistakes and the kind of defense Nebraska can't rely on.

 

If you'd like us to run the ball more, fine, but you don't need to make these kind of stretches trying to prove that good teams don't pass.

Nebraska cannot and will not beat the Alabama's of the world by imitating them.

 

And yes, Bama had a nice offensive run in the playoffs. But overall, they were pedestrian offensively throughout the season, despite having arguably the most talent in the nation.

[Enhance]

 

 

So let me ask you this Guy. If you could choose between Osborne and Riley to coach the team next year who would you take? I also disagree with your statement on elite teams. Alabama was not a elite passing team this year. Nebraska never had a elite passing game in 93 to 97.

Tom is nearly 80 and I don't think he could handle the daily grind.

 

I have no idea how you define "elite" in terms of passing. Alabama threw the ball 30 times a game with a 67% completion average, 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. They ran 42/30 run/pass split, and averaged more yards passing than running. On a third and one in the fourth quarter of the national championship game where they were ahead, Alabama called a pass play to seal the game.

 

They passed to set up the run. They ran to set up the pass. They had an elite defense.

 

Alabama is the definition of an elite team. They ran essentially the same play calling scheme that some folks on here deride as "balanced" or "multiple" but executed it with better talent, fewer mistakes and the kind of defense Nebraska can't rely on.

 

If you'd like us to run the ball more, fine, but you don't need to make these kind of stretches trying to prove that good teams don't pass.

Nebraska cannot and will not beat the Alabama's of the world by imitating them.

 

And yes, Bama had a nice offensive run in the playoffs. But overall, they were pedestrian offensively throughout the season, despite having arguably the most talent in the nation.

 

That doesn't bother me, though. In my opinion, having a great defense will always be the single greatest influential factor in winning a championship, and it will always put you in a position to win. 2009 Nebraska is probably the best example - they lost two games by one point, one game by two points and another game by 21 points. However, the largest margin of loss (against Texas Tech) was due in large part to the offense turning the ball over and setting up TT with short fields. The defense still played pretty well, though not great, that day. That team was in a position to win every single game, and if the offense had been just a little better that year, Nebraska has a conference title.

 

Nebraska hasn't really come close to a conference title since they had good defenses in '09 in '10, and I think that says a lot.

[knapplc]

However, the largest margin of loss (against Texas Tech) was due in large part to the offense turning the ball over and setting up TT with short fields. The defense still played pretty well, though not great, that day.

Not to mention their WRs made several highlight-reel catches against very good coverage.

[Guy Chamberlin]

 

 

So let me ask you this Guy. If you could choose between Osborne and Riley to coach the team next year who would you take? I also disagree with your statement on elite teams. Alabama was not a elite passing team this year. Nebraska never had a elite passing game in 93 to 97.

Tom is nearly 80 and I don't think he could handle the daily grind.

 

I have no idea how you define "elite" in terms of passing. Alabama threw the ball 30 times a game with a 67% completion average, 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. They ran 42/30 run/pass split, and averaged more yards passing than running. On a third and one in the fourth quarter of the national championship game where they were ahead, Alabama called a pass play to seal the game.

 

They passed to set up the run. They ran to set up the pass. They had an elite defense.

 

Alabama is the definition of an elite team. They ran essentially the same play calling scheme that some folks on here deride as "balanced" or "multiple" but executed it with better talent, fewer mistakes and the kind of defense Nebraska can't rely on.

 

If you'd like us to run the ball more, fine, but you don't need to make these kind of stretches trying to prove that good teams don't pass.

Nebraska cannot and will not beat the Alabama's of the world by imitating them.

 

And yes, Bama had a nice offensive run in the playoffs. But overall, they were pedestrian offensively throughout the season, despite having arguably the most talent in the nation.

 

 

So just to summarize, Nebraska could and would beat the Alabama's of the world by returning to a power option offensive filled with less talented players.

 

And that's our only hope right now, correct?

[cm husker]

 

 

 

 

So let me ask you this Guy. If you could choose between Osborne and Riley to coach the team next year who would you take? I also disagree with your statement on elite teams. Alabama was not a elite passing team this year. Nebraska never had a elite passing game in 93 to 97.

Tom is nearly 80 and I don't think he could handle the daily grind.

 

I have no idea how you define "elite" in terms of passing. Alabama threw the ball 30 times a game with a 67% completion average, 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. They ran 42/30 run/pass split, and averaged more yards passing than running. On a third and one in the fourth quarter of the national championship game where they were ahead, Alabama called a pass play to seal the game.

 

They passed to set up the run. They ran to set up the pass. They had an elite defense.

 

Alabama is the definition of an elite team. They ran essentially the same play calling scheme that some folks on here deride as "balanced" or "multiple" but executed it with better talent, fewer mistakes and the kind of defense Nebraska can't rely on.

 

If you'd like us to run the ball more, fine, but you don't need to make these kind of stretches trying to prove that good teams don't pass.

Nebraska cannot and will not beat the Alabama's of the world by imitating them.

 

And yes, Bama had a nice offensive run in the playoffs. But overall, they were pedestrian offensively throughout the season, despite having arguably the most talent in the nation.

So just to summarize, Nebraska could and would beat the Alabama's of the world by returning to a power option offensive filled with less talented players.

 

And that's our only hope right now, correct?

That's an odd way of framing it. NU should and always has tried to land the best kids for its system that are willing to sign.

 

With the level of talent that NU recruits year in and year out, as demonstrated now by 5 coaches during the past 30 years, trying to win with an Alabama type offense is a recipe for mediocrity. There are no guarantees or silver bullets but there's a mountain of evidence that the "pro style of balanced offense" leads to poorer results and consistency than power systems that utilize the option in place of a 50% of its passing attack. This conclusion is demonstrated by the failure of programs surrounding NU on its borders who've chased the "balanced" approach to offense.

 

Facts are facts and it appears that NU will never consistently recruit at the level of the Alabama's of the world (and never have). We need to do innovative things offensively to offset the talent differential that will exist in most years and then enjoy the ride when we happen to land the key pieces for special runs.

 

Going toe to toe with programs that have so many more important advantages is foolhardy.

 

Side note: 5 coaches during the past 30 years - that's depressing for a program that once understood the value of continuity

[Mavric]

[Mavric]

Assuming this is in response to a radio discussion...

 

 

 

Alabama: 4.67 yards per carry - #46 in the country

Nebraska: 4.72 yards per carry - #44 in the country

 

Alabama: 199.9 yards per game - #32 in the country

Nebraska: 180.0 yards per game - #52 in the country

[BigRedBuster]

Assuming this is in response to a radio discussion...

 

 

 

Alabama: 4.67 yards per carry - #46 in the country

Nebraska: 4.72 yards per carry - #44 in the country

 

Alabama: 199.9 yards per game - #32 in the country

Nebraska: 180.0 yards per game - #52 in the country

That is not a huge difference that is all of a sudden going to make us a championship team.

 

Now, do that and not turn the ball over constantly and we would have a pretty dang good offense. Couple that with a great defense and...now we're talking.