Husker_x
New member
I realize there's a lot of Fire Watson threads out there already, but I thought this might be a change of pace to reframe some of the discussion. I'll say up front, I have not reached a conclusion as to what I think about Wats and what his future ought to be with this team. Not that it's my decision in the first place, but as a supporter and paying customer of Huskers Inc., we all know that money talks in college football.
The issue I have with the head hunter crowd is that Watson, since Callahan's firing, has had one good season and one miserable one. Usually I would be adamantly opposed against firing a coach for one bad season. That being said, the sheer depth of the offensive hole is staggering. I don't think anyone would have predicted a collapse so complete this season that it mirrors the defensive meltdown of 2007. Our offense took what could have been a legitimate national championship run and instead puked up 9-4, pissing down the leg of the greatest defense in a decade here at Nebraska. The way I think the fans and administration need to approach this is to ask yourselves a few questions.
1. What does this offense do well? The short answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing. We neither run nor pass with any efficiency. No player at any position would get a glance from top-tier teams. But most importantly, they don't score touchdowns. Alex Henry can kick all the field goals he likes. The bottom line is you have to get in the end zone, and we can't.
2. Is the scheme itself sound? This would be easier to answer if we knew what it was. Two times in two seasons Watson has had to completely revamp the offense. Why is that? Down at Texas Tech Mike Leach has no issues with plugging in new players every season, young or old, and producing yards by the bucket. What is our coaches' excuse? We also notice a strange absence of passes to tight ends, arguably our greatest threat in terms of talent and depth.
3. Do the players show improvement? This is the one that almost prompts me to pick up the pitchfork now. Over the course of a season, 13 games, against varying degrees of competition, we have failed with regularity. Most noticeably the quarterbacks––of which the starter has been in the program/system since 2007––show no improvement at all. 13 games should be enough time for a junior quarterback to find a way to get into the end zone, develop some chemistry with his receivers, and figure out what he's most comfortable doing. Zac Lee has done none of those things.
4. Is there reason to suspect it's going to get better? Here is the tricky one, the point that makes the first three less relevant. The season's all but over. But what about the future? My deep concern here is that the offense literally does nothing well at ANY position. They can't block, catch, break runs, open holes, or even get the plays in in a reasonable amount of time. The issue here goes all the way from management to execution, and my faith in Barney Cotton and Ted Gilmore could not be any lower.
Again, still undecided, but this is how I approach the issue. What do you think?
The issue I have with the head hunter crowd is that Watson, since Callahan's firing, has had one good season and one miserable one. Usually I would be adamantly opposed against firing a coach for one bad season. That being said, the sheer depth of the offensive hole is staggering. I don't think anyone would have predicted a collapse so complete this season that it mirrors the defensive meltdown of 2007. Our offense took what could have been a legitimate national championship run and instead puked up 9-4, pissing down the leg of the greatest defense in a decade here at Nebraska. The way I think the fans and administration need to approach this is to ask yourselves a few questions.
1. What does this offense do well? The short answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing. We neither run nor pass with any efficiency. No player at any position would get a glance from top-tier teams. But most importantly, they don't score touchdowns. Alex Henry can kick all the field goals he likes. The bottom line is you have to get in the end zone, and we can't.
2. Is the scheme itself sound? This would be easier to answer if we knew what it was. Two times in two seasons Watson has had to completely revamp the offense. Why is that? Down at Texas Tech Mike Leach has no issues with plugging in new players every season, young or old, and producing yards by the bucket. What is our coaches' excuse? We also notice a strange absence of passes to tight ends, arguably our greatest threat in terms of talent and depth.
3. Do the players show improvement? This is the one that almost prompts me to pick up the pitchfork now. Over the course of a season, 13 games, against varying degrees of competition, we have failed with regularity. Most noticeably the quarterbacks––of which the starter has been in the program/system since 2007––show no improvement at all. 13 games should be enough time for a junior quarterback to find a way to get into the end zone, develop some chemistry with his receivers, and figure out what he's most comfortable doing. Zac Lee has done none of those things.
4. Is there reason to suspect it's going to get better? Here is the tricky one, the point that makes the first three less relevant. The season's all but over. But what about the future? My deep concern here is that the offense literally does nothing well at ANY position. They can't block, catch, break runs, open holes, or even get the plays in in a reasonable amount of time. The issue here goes all the way from management to execution, and my faith in Barney Cotton and Ted Gilmore could not be any lower.
Again, still undecided, but this is how I approach the issue. What do you think?
