Athlon: Big Ten Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2016

[Landlord]

and got NU bowl eligible in 2015 even after he'd been fired

what?

 

[Husker Psycho]

All this is about is where a programs believes it stands in terms of pecking order. I have no problem with Nebraska still feeling like it's among the elite and acting as such in dealings with coaches etc. Why not? 93-97 wasnt some flash in the pants fluke era. Nebraska has consistently been at the top for 50years. Jeebus. If programs like Oregon and Mich St and Clemson and Baylor can make hay, why not Nebraska again? Just like OU, Bama, USC, etc. "oh but we dont have the recruiting bla bla bla" bullsh#t. niehter did Clemson, Mich St, Baylor, etc prior to these past few years. And they had NOTHING to sell. So enought with the excuse making horsesh#t. If you wanna make excuses for a failure and be mediocre, go for it. See you in Ames. But theres no room for that crap in Lincoln. Which is why we've fired 3 guys since the last time we had a guy get it figured out. And we'll continue doing so until we get the right guy. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS IN BIGTIME SPORTS. And as god as my witness I'll never get why it's such a hard concept to understand. Like Nebraska is some unique place that doesnt take part in the hard a$$ business antics of college sports. LOL whatevs.

WOW... 100%

 

[Saunders]

What are these unrealistic expectations?

 

[Mavric]

I really ... and I mean REALLY hope everyone gets this out of their system in the two threads currently going on.

Because if future threads devolve into this - nearly making my head explode - I don't know what might happen to the unfortunate soul who happens to be standing too close to the Ban Hammer® when that happens.....

 

[cm husker]

and got NU bowl eligible in 2015 even after he'd been fired

what?

NU would not have been eligible at 5-7 but for the performance of Bo's teams during the prior years.

 

[knapplc]

I really ... and I mean REALLY hope everyone gets this out of their system in the two threads currently going on.

Because if future threads devolve into this - nearly making my head explode - I don't know what might happen to the unfortunate soul who happens to be standing too close to the Ban Hammer® when that happens.....

 

[Count 'Bility]

Ppl try to use Osborne as some magical case of patience and such. yet forget-or dont know-about the ultimatum after the '77 reg season. Win the liberty bowl or youre gone. The seat was hot. They won it. Then in 1978, finally beat OU. Was in the NC hunt. And went to the Orange Bowl. Then considered bolting for Colorado. This stuff is all documented on multiple,easy to access, NETV documentareis on youtube. One about Osborne. One about Husker football in general. So quite acting like he was always safe. Like someone had some majical crystal ball that he was going to orchestrate some uniquely insane amounts of success a quarter century down the road. This is the definition of revisionist bullsh#t. He had bought himself some more time. .

That's one of the best comments I've ever read concerning that era. *****

​The only thing I might add... concerning revisionist history... is that Osborne's National championships obviously came AFTER the pressure was put on him to perform at a higher level (ultimatum) and the criticism. No one ever talks about that... all we ever hear is how he threatened to leave for Colorado as if he was some sort of aggrieved soul. The ultimatum was probably the best thing that ever happened to Osborne. Football and sports in general is something where the participants respond in a positive way to pressure and criticism-critique. You have to expect and in fact demand performance at all levels.

Thanks again for your honest recount of that era of Nebraska football.

And it's not a recount. I was born in 1983. My hardcore attention to Nebraska football didnt begin until the Washington game in 1991. I dont even remember the big turning point. The Kenny Walker bear hug at the 1990 (91) Citrus Bowl. But I study stuff. I study history. Why? Cuz I like to know what I'm talking about when I'm arguing. I watched videos. Read books. Memorized the play by play of the game of the century by the time I was ten. Now I'm fortunate as hell. Why? My 8 year old son, when he goes to the library every week, is bringing home DVD's of past Husker games and seasons from the 90's. So just like me lookin into the 70's, maybe we're on the brink of another special time in Husker football. I only hope. it's all I got.

 

[Husker Psycho]

I really ... and I mean REALLY hope everyone gets this out of their system in the two threads currently going on.

Because if future threads devolve into this - nearly making my head explode - I don't know what might happen to the unfortunate soul who happens to be standing too close to the Ban Hammer® when that happens.....

Mavric... I'm asking this as an honest question.

What exactly is "this" ?

I see people speaking honestly. Is that it ?

Or is it rehashing the Bo thing ?

 

[Count 'Bility]

Ppl try to use Osborne as some magical case of patience and such. yet forget-or dont know-about the ultimatum after the '77 reg season. Win the liberty bowl or youre gone. The seat was hot. They won it. Then in 1978, finally beat OU. Was in the NC hunt. And went to the Orange Bowl. Then considered bolting for Colorado. This stuff is all documented on multiple,easy to access, NETV documentareis on youtube. One about Osborne. One about Husker football in general. So quite acting like he was always safe. Like someone had some majical crystal ball that he was going to orchestrate some uniquely insane amounts of success a quarter century down the road. This is the definition of revisionist bullsh#t. He had bought himself some more time. The debate will rage on as to whether Solich did. I thought he did. My opinion. Bo DIDNT. What transpired in November of 2014 was another massive failure. ZERO progress was shown in any aspect from 2011 to 2014. Look up stale in the dictionary. There's a picture of Bo Pelini in a gray husker hoodie. It was time.

Who is acting like TO was always safe?

Well, actually, you know what? As long as Devaney was there, he was safe. But I agree that stupid fans have always wanted changes that would set the program back.

I disagree that Bo showed no progress in from 2011 to 2014. He improved on the sideline dramatically and he and his staff were recruiting as well as they ever did (and as well or better than we are now, by the way).

And still melted down on the side lines in the middle of his last season during the Wisconsin game instead of actually coaching the team and rallying the troops to win. The team got demolished. His defense didn't even show up for the last three quarters. Meanwhile, he thought it was more important to cry and yell at the refs and everyone else around him. The assistants and players actually were completely ignoring him while they were trying to coach and play a game.

At that point, it was decided for me that I can no longer defend him as coach. In that game, he was totally worthless and in the way on the side lines.

I know you disagree with me on this because you have said so in the past. But, you are in the minority on that. Nothing wrong with being in the minority. But, just understand you aren't seeing what most others are seeing.

you know what's funny about his meltdown and not coaching? Is that what it wouldve taken to slow down/stop Gordon wouldve been a simple and easy to execute adjustment. Like simple high-school level alignment sh#t. But no. In the words of Tom Banderas, "hulk smash". square peg. chew a$$. throw the fit. meltdown. blowout. rinse. lather. stroke. repeat.

not that time.

 

[Count 'Bility]

All it boils down to is that Bo doesnt have the temperement to handle head coaching. When ALL the responsibility is on your shoulders. hell, he further proved it just last fall at YS. In that popular game where he and Carl threw fits. The opposing radio crew even said, their coaches said all they had to do was keep the game tight to the 4th quarter and the YSU staff will crumble under the pressure like alway? What does it say when youre opposing staff's entire strategy centers around your inability to stay calm and think under diress?

 

[Husker Psycho]

Ppl try to use Osborne as some magical case of patience and such. yet forget-or dont know-about the ultimatum after the '77 reg season. Win the liberty bowl or youre gone. The seat was hot. They won it. Then in 1978, finally beat OU. Was in the NC hunt. And went to the Orange Bowl. Then considered bolting for Colorado. This stuff is all documented on multiple,easy to access, NETV documentareis on youtube. One about Osborne. One about Husker football in general. So quite acting like he was always safe. Like someone had some majical crystal ball that he was going to orchestrate some uniquely insane amounts of success a quarter century down the road. This is the definition of revisionist bullsh#t. He had bought himself some more time. .

That's one of the best comments I've ever read concerning that era. *****

​The only thing I might add... concerning revisionist history... is that Osborne's National championships obviously came AFTER the pressure was put on him to perform at a higher level (ultimatum) and the criticism. No one ever talks about that... all we ever hear is how he threatened to leave for Colorado as if he was some sort of aggrieved soul. The ultimatum was probably the best thing that ever happened to Osborne. Football and sports in general is something where the participants respond in a positive way to pressure and criticism-critique. You have to expect and in fact demand performance at all levels.

Thanks again for your honest recount of that era of Nebraska football.

And it's not a recount. I was born in 1983. My hardcore attention to Nebraska football didnt begin until the Washington game in 1991. I dont even remember the big turning point. The Kenny Walker bear hug at the 1990 (91) Citrus Bowl. But I study stuff. I study history. Why? Cuz I like to know what I'm talking about when I'm arguing. I watched videos. Read books. Memorized the play by play of the game of the century by the time I was ten. Now I'm fortunate as hell. Why? My 8 year old son, when he goes to the library every week, is bringing home DVD's of past Husker games and seasons from the 90's. So just like me lookin into the 70's, maybe we're on the brink of another special time in Husker football. I only hope. it's all I got.

I lived through those times... and I can tell you that your telling of the events, and interpretation of the events, is the most accurate thing I've ever read on a Nebraska football chat board.

Sometimes being removed from the actual events allows a person the have a more realistic assessment.

 

[Redux]

Fine, if Bo wins 1 more game a season/loses 1 less game a season maybe he is retained.

He is still the same guy that swung hats at refs, cussed out our fanbase, called his boss a c**t, got embarassed by Wisconsin 3 times in 4 tries, and managed to lose 3 CCG's with the final one being one of the biggest sh#t shows in Nebraska history.

But yes, lets gloss over ALL of that and other things and just focus on the fact he was right there on the red line of "proper W/L etiquette".

Smh...

You literally can't stick to facts, huh? Maybe improvement will come with some age.

A. He swung a cap once. not "times"

B. HE didn't cuss out the fanbase. He cussed out some fans who deserved it for the way they behaved at the game. And, in fact, he didn't even cuss them out. He made comments in private.

C. The name calling regarding Eichorst was after he'd already been fired, so it couldn't have been a factor in the decision.

How can you take such a rosey view of Riley and then turn around and frame things as "managed to lose 3 CCGs"? Heck, at least two of Riley's losses in 2016 were worse than the loss to Wisky in the CCG.

By the way, Bo is also the guy who had record academic performance from his team, had great community involvement, resurrected a program left in shambles by Callahan and got NU bowl eligible in 2015 even after he'd been fired, along with his fairly strong (though not spectacular) on field record.

A) And that makes it acceptable??????
B) And that makes it....oh nevermind.

C) Right, he had no issues or altercations with him before being fired. If a tree falls in the woods....

None of our losses last year were evn close to as embarassing as the 2012 title game. No, no noooooooo.

Here's the thing. Bo the man, I'm a big fan. He has a really good track record as a humanitarian and I personally think he deserves more credit for his charity work. Bo the coach, spin it however you want dude. He ended up fired for multiple reasons, not just W/L record. You're like the only person who can't see that or doesn't want to because you invested yourself in him as a fan. I get it, I was there once too.

But he's gone and he will never come back. So it's probably time to move on. I gave you several reasons his tenure ended here and you STILL tried justifying all of them like it would magically bring him back by convincing us all it was an unjust firing. Like all those things were acceptable because of some special technicality you want to assign to each one.

Honestly, I hope we can go 9-3 this season so you will be as big a fan of Riley as you are of Bo since you keep saying 9 wins is somehow the bar he needs to reach to win you over.

Can we move the hell on now? Or do you REALLY feel compelled to turn EVERY friggin thread into a Bo thread?

 

[Saunders]

I really ... and I mean REALLY hope everyone gets this out of their system in the two threads currently going on.

Because if future threads devolve into this - nearly making my head explode - I don't know what might happen to the unfortunate soul who happens to be standing too close to the Ban Hammer® when that happens.....

Yup. We've got two weeks left of offseason, then the kid gloves come off, and sh#t's gonna get real. This repeated hijacking of threads and devolving into a turd fest isn't going to continue.

 

[Elf]

We definitely have unrealistic expectations.

and

Bo was justly fired.

Frank wasn't, but likely would have been eventually.

Imo, Frank was justly fired. Look at the quality of NU football at the end of '97 when Tom retired and then look at the product quality when Solich was fired, vastly different and deserving of being fired.

 

[TAKODA]

I really ... and I mean REALLY hope everyone gets this out of their system in the two threads currently going on.

Because if future threads devolve into this - nearly making my head explode - I don't know what might happen to the unfortunate soul who happens to be standing too close to the Ban Hammer® when that happens.....

I must say, today's fans, have dramatically improved when performing the "wave"!