What NU used to be

[JJ Husker]

I agree with the OP. I would also like to see us get back to controlling the LOS and having a power run game and speedy nasty D. There hasn't been a time ever that I didn't want that. Unfortunately, Pederson, Osborne, Eichorst, Callahan, Pelini and Riley haven't had the same desires. I haven't much enjoyed Nebraska football for quite awhile because of the alternate bs they've tried to go with instead. It is what it is at this point. When they make the next coaching change, maybe we'll get what we want. These should be the criteria for any coach that is selected. I could care less about getting the next "hot" coach if those aren't his priorities. Tired of getting prison raped in the trenches and not knowing how to get a first down when it's 3rd and 2 or 3 or 4. The pink lockerroom Iowa has for visiting teams has been way too fitting for us.

[InOmaha]

I was around when Osborne was average and couldn't win a big game or bowl game. The teams are actually better now given scholarship limits and changes in the holding and targeting rules.

 

Osborne would have left NU after 10 years in the current environment and lots of fans would have been happy about it.

[Elf]

I agree with the OP. I would also like to see us get back to controlling the LOS and having a power run game and speedy nasty D. There hasn't been a time ever that I didn't want that. Unfortunately, Pederson, Osborne, Eichorst, Callahan, Pelini and Riley haven't had the same desires. I haven't much enjoyed Nebraska football for quite awhile because of the alternate bs they've tried to go with instead. It is what it is at this point. When they make the next coaching change, maybe we'll get what we want. These should be the criteria for any coach that is selected. I could care less about getting the next "hot" coach if those aren't his priorities. Tired of getting prison raped in the trenches and not knowing how to get a first down when it's 3rd and 2 or 3 or 4. The pink lockerroom Iowa has for visiting teams has been way too fitting for us.

With a quality offensive line we can run whatever offense we want. It all starts in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. I'm sure our coaches are aware of that.

 

Still, we are 9-3 in our regular season and going back to MSU last year we are 12-4 in our last 16 games. And we still have the opporunity to go 10-3 this year after the bowl game. Heck, even if we lost the bowl game, 9-4 is a far sight better than the 6-7 we did last year.

 

We're making progress but we still have a ways to go.

[Scratchtown]

"What NU used to be"

 

[Scratchtown]

I agree with the OP. I would also like to see us get back to controlling the LOS and having a power run game and speedy nasty D. There hasn't been a time ever that I didn't want that. Unfortunately, Pederson, Osborne, Eichorst, Callahan, Pelini and Riley haven't had the same desires. I haven't much enjoyed Nebraska football for quite awhile because of the alternate bs they've tried to go with instead. It is what it is at this point. When they make the next coaching change, maybe we'll get what we want. These should be the criteria for any coach that is selected. I could care less about getting the next "hot" coach if those aren't his priorities. Tired of getting prison raped in the trenches and not knowing how to get a first down when it's 3rd and 2 or 3 or 4. The pink lockerroom Iowa has for visiting teams has been way too fitting for us.

This is all reason why Dave Rimmington or whoever "insert NU dominant player with admin exp here" that should be the AD. Now that Pearlman is gone, when Eichorst leaves, NU can get back to that. Question is, who is THAT guy as a coach who takes NU back to that style of offense?

 

I think that answer is Troy Calhoun.

[Scratchtown]

 

I agree with the OP. I would also like to see us get back to controlling the LOS and having a power run game and speedy nasty D. There hasn't been a time ever that I didn't want that. Unfortunately, Pederson, Osborne, Eichorst, Callahan, Pelini and Riley haven't had the same desires. I haven't much enjoyed Nebraska football for quite awhile because of the alternate bs they've tried to go with instead. It is what it is at this point. When they make the next coaching change, maybe we'll get what we want. These should be the criteria for any coach that is selected. I could care less about getting the next "hot" coach if those aren't his priorities. Tired of getting prison raped in the trenches and not knowing how to get a first down when it's 3rd and 2 or 3 or 4. The pink lockerroom Iowa has for visiting teams has been way too fitting for us.

With a quality offensive line we can run whatever offense we want. It all starts in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. I'm sure our coaches are aware of that.

 

Still, we are 9-3 in our regular season and going back to MSU last year we are 12-4 in our last 16 games. And we still have the opporunity to go 10-3 this year after the bowl game. Heck, even if we lost the bowl game, 9-4 is a far sight better than the 6-7 we did last year.

 

We're making progress but we still have a ways to go.

 

Progress from where? Last season? Not progressing past the last 8 years if NU goes 9-4.

[InOmaha]

"What NU used to be"

 

You forgot 1992 Iowa State. That was a good one.

[alwayshusking]

 

It's a coaching issue. We out recruit these teams most years.

It was coaches that whiffed on multiple O-Line players in consecutive years that has put us behind the 8 ball.

 

 

Yup. While we all like to use rankings before they get here, once they are here you have to reassess them and Pelini whiffed big time on OL recruits and QB recruiting.

 

Pelini's OL recruiting in 2012-2013. Classes of guys that should be upperclassmen

 

Thurston

Whitaker

Hannon

Knevel

Finnin

Kondolo

Johnson

 

Not much to work with here. Knevel is probably the best of the bunch and he looks more like a backup type player to me.

 

Pelini's QB recruiting from 2012 until he was fired

 

Armstrong

Darlington

Bush

 

This is why the Huskers are handcuffed on offense. Sort of a miracle we even won 9 tbh

[JJ Husker]

I suppose if a person just looks at the W-L record, 9 or 10 wins doesn't seem too bad. Problem is when you look at who those wins came against and the manner in which we've played and how we've lost games against decent opponents. It becomes clear very quickly that Nebraska football is stuck in middling mediocrity. The only progress we've made is that now we're doing it without a raving lunatic on the sidelines. Same meaningless results, nicer coach. Should we celebrate? I think I'll bitch about it instead.

[alwayshusking]

I suppose if a person just looks at the W-L record, 9 or 10 wins doesn't seem too bad. Problem is when you look at who those wins came against and the manner in which we've played and how we've lost games against decent opponents. It becomes clear very quickly that Nebraska football is stuck in middling mediocrity. The only progress we've made is that now we're doing it without a raving lunatic on the sidelines. Same meaningless results, nicer coach. Should we celebrate? I think I'll bitch about it instead.

 

There's probably a middle ground to find. A lot of the problems this team has aren't a result of this coaching staff. If this were year 4 or 5 I think people would be in the right to be disappointed.

 

This season had a 2013 feel to it. Just weren't very good but won some close/ugly games and got blown out a couple times. Not particularly satisfying but I think given the overall talent level and being year 2 of a coaching staff, it's not a bad season.

 

Expectations will continue to rise for me.

[chamrocck]

I don't really care if we run it or pass it...but we need an OL. Look at really good passing teams...they have OL's that protect their QB and give the QB time to throw (Washington's OL has made Browning a Heisman contender). So run or pass I could really care less...just move the ball and keep drives going.

 

I think where we have really regressed is defensive football. The losses were not acceptable under Solich, the blowouts got to be consistent under Cally...let's bring in the defensive genius with Pelini...still getting blown out. The defense has been bad for several years. It starts up front. We cannot pressure the QB (fix this crap already...recruit several damn elite pass rushers and change the culture of the defense) because when you can't play downhill you will continually get punched and knocked back into the end zone by the other team. We have played defense on our heels for several years and it shows. We should have one of the fiercest defenses in the country but have become a joke. Blackshirts, Lockdown U...what the hell? These things need to be earned. Coaching, players...I am not sure what it is but good teams don't get consistently blown out. Maybe someone could do some research with say the top 20 teams from the last 5 years. How many blow outs did these teams suffer? And then how many times did we get blown out? I suspect NU would be up there.

[clyde40]

 

I agree with the OP. I would also like to see us get back to controlling the LOS and having a power run game and speedy nasty D. There hasn't been a time ever that I didn't want that. Unfortunately, Pederson, Osborne, Eichorst, Callahan, Pelini and Riley haven't had the same desires. I haven't much enjoyed Nebraska football for quite awhile because of the alternate bs they've tried to go with instead. It is what it is at this point. When they make the next coaching change, maybe we'll get what we want. These should be the criteria for any coach that is selected. I could care less about getting the next "hot" coach if those aren't his priorities. Tired of getting prison raped in the trenches and not knowing how to get a first down when it's 3rd and 2 or 3 or 4. The pink lockerroom Iowa has for visiting teams has been way too fitting for us.

This is all reason why Dave Rimmington or whoever "insert NU dominant player with admin exp here" that should be the AD. Now that Pearlman is gone, when Eichorst leaves, NU can get back to that. Question is, who is THAT guy as a coach who takes NU back to that style of offense?

 

I think that answer is Troy Calhoun.

 

I would love to see that. I remember watching one of their games last year where the defense was keying on the FB dive, so in the second half they ran all the dive/options plays between guard and tackle instead of right up the middle and the defense had no answer. Gotta love a coach that can and will adjust the entire base of on offense to get the upper hand.

[CheeseHusker]

Dominant. Offensive. Linemen. Multiple all-conference guys. One or two All-Americans. An Outland finalist nearly every season. Steinkuhler, Rimington, Shields, Wiegert, Graham, Taylor.

 

Haven't had anything even remotely close for 15 years.

[Savage Husker]

I don't care what offense they run, just get the defense right and an OL to be proud of. The rest will take care of itself.

[chamrocck]

I don't care what offense they run, just get the defense right and an OL to be proud of. The rest will take care of itself.