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

[Guy Chamberlin]

If frank wasn't recruiting well enough, then neither was Callahan, Bo or Riley.

We need to come to grips with the implication of that conclusion.

I don't think there's much argument here.

Recruiting dropped off under Solich and never recovered.

Some of this is on each coach, obviously, but some of it is the changing landscape of college football, bypassing a dynasty that couldn't rest on its laurels.

Dropped off compared to the late 90's championship run, sure, but not compared to what Nebraska was historically capable of.

Well that's kinda my point. A Bo Pelini 9-4 season is just one off the 9-3 seasons Tom Osborne was turning in during his first decade here. Fans grumbled about both.

Except a Tom Osborne 9-3 season still landed Nebraska in the Top 10 in the 1970s. That's part of the changing landscape of college football thing.

IIRC, Nebraska's recruiting classes have been drifting down into the lower 20s and 30s by the not always reliable ranking systems. But not surprisingly, Nebraska has been finishing near the bottom or out of the Top 25 entirely since our National Championship appearance in 2001. I don't think it's fan entitlement to say that's not acceptable for the program.

You can blame individual coaches or the ADs who hire and fire them, but the decline in Husker football surely follows the slow drain of talent for a variety of reasons: this is no longer a program that can stockpile good players at every position.

Maybe we can catch fire with the right guys in a tailored system, and/or slowly build the recruiting pipeline back by making Nebraska relevant again. Getting some coveted Southern Cal recruits to brag on social media about coming to Lincoln, Nebraska is a good start.

My personal beef is that regardless of the "skill position" signings, Nebraska alway put a premium on the offensive line. If you were an offensive lineman anywhere in the country, Nebraska was the big time. You would be appreciated and drafted there. And it turns out a lot of those great offensive linemen were right in state. Good offensive line makes everyone look better.

 

[GBRFAN]

The reason we had such good in state lineman is that 40 would show up and the 5 that rose to the top would be granted starting positions and a scholarship. Now days these same kids are offered scholarships at smaller schools and 8 out of 10 accept those offers. So we get 8 guys walking on with only a couple of them having a realistic chance of making the 2 deep. The talent in Nebraska did not dry up they just chose to accept a sure path to a degree at a reduced price.

 

[NUinID]

The reason we had such good in state lineman is that 40 would show up and the 5 that rose to the top would be granted starting positions and a scholarship. Now days these same kids are offered scholarships at smaller schools and 8 out of 10 accept those offers. So we get 8 guys walking on with only a couple of them having a realistic chance of making the 2 deep. The talent in Nebraska did not dry up they just chose to accept a sure path to a degree at a reduced price.

To a point you are right. Many potential walk ons are now taking scholarships at FBS schools. Nebraska also recruited different body types for their linemen. When you are primarily a run blocking team you put a premium on athletic bodies that can pull and trap. Those attributes are important still today, but they also add in height, arm length, and hand size to the equation. A guy like Aaron Taylor who was about 6' tall wouldn't even get a look at Nebraska. Will Shields most likely would not get a scholarship to NU now. He is about 6'2" and doesn't fit the mold. I think one of the linemen they took last year in recruiting was 6'3 all the others were taller. It wasn't uncommon for NU to start a 6'3 at tackle in the 80's

 

[Count 'Bility]

Development was also much better in them days. An unknown Nebraska guy was developed into a great player. S&C was better than most. Legendary Oline coaching. System continuity, uniqueness, and fit. They all played a roll.

 

[Husker Psycho]

The reason we had such good in state lineman is that 40 would show up and the 5 that rose to the top would be granted starting positions and a scholarship. Now days these same kids are offered scholarships at smaller schools and 8 out of 10 accept those offers. So we get 8 guys walking on with only a couple of them having a realistic chance of making the 2 deep. The talent in Nebraska did not dry up they just chose to accept a sure path to a degree at a reduced price.

To a point you are right. Many potential walk ons are now taking scholarships at FBS schools. Nebraska also recruited different body types for their linemen. When you are primarily a run blocking team you put a premium on athletic bodies that can pull and trap. Those attributes are important still today, but they also add in height, arm length, and hand size to the equation. A guy like Aaron Taylor who was about 6' tall wouldn't even get a look at Nebraska. Will Shields most likely would not get a scholarship to NU now. He is about 6'2" and doesn't fit the mold. I think one of the linemen they took last year in recruiting was 6'3 all the others were taller. It wasn't uncommon for NU to start a 6'3 at tackle in the 80's

That's right.

 

[Husker Psycho]

Development was also much better in them days. An unknown Nebraska guy was developed into a great player. S&C was better than most. Legendary Oline coaching. System continuity, uniqueness, and fit. They all played a roll.

And your right again too.

A lot of good comments on this thread.

 

[ADS]

Development was also much better in them days. An unknown Nebraska guy was developed into a great player. S&C was better than most. Legendary Oline coaching. System continuity, uniqueness, and fit. They all played a roll.

I do like how Cavanaugh has Tenipor at practice and involved in some capacity. Should really pay off with the younger guys needing to play a bigger role this season.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

There are also more bigger bodies to choose from than there were 20 years ago, for both the NCAA and NFL, regardless of offensive scheme.

Many of them are better athletes, too. Always hard to make the argument that bigger isn't better, though smart coaches can make special cases out of guys who don't fit the mold.

Really hard for any quarterback under 6' to get serious consideration, too. And QB's over 6'3" sometimes get more attention than they deserve.

As CM has pointed out, it would be possible to steal undervalued OL recruits if they fit a run-based offensive scheme, but that commitment presents risks as well. If you can't pass block, you are going to have to be content with college football as the height of your career.

Local OL talent has gone on to succeed at other programs with varying offensive schemes.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Development was also much better in them days. An unknown Nebraska guy was developed into a great player. S&C was better than most. Legendary Oline coaching. System continuity, uniqueness, and fit. They all played a roll.

I do like how Cavanaugh has Tenipor at practice and involved in some capacity. Should really pay off with the younger guys needing to play a bigger role this season.

If anything that's a deal of embracing your great past. Im a guy that says "embrace your past, but dont live in it", meaning things have changed. I get that. You have to be in a constant state of evolution in sports-or anything in life really-to maintain success. I think under Solich, Nebraska just got to complacent in all sorts of facets and got "passed by". Then under Callahan and in the later years of Pelini, I got the sense the them two really couldnt find a way to differentiate not living in the past from embracing it, and tended to play on the prior.

 

[StPaulHusker]

“they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

Yep that was why.

That stuck out to me, too.

I would invite that coach to behave the same as Bo, both on the sidelines and at pressers, and see how long it takes for his administration to fire him. Nine wins or not, that kind of behavior will get you canned from nearly every single Big Ten school. It's not what we want representing Nebraska.

I would bet a large sum of money that it was Urb or Fitz that said this.

 

[Saunders]

“they just ran the last guy out for winning nine games a year.”

Yep that was why.

That stuck out to me, too.

I would invite that coach to behave the same as Bo, both on the sidelines and at pressers, and see how long it takes for his administration to fire him. Nine wins or not, that kind of behavior will get you canned from nearly every single Big Ten school. It's not what we want representing Nebraska.

I would bet a large sum of money that it was Urb or Fitz that said this.

I'd bet it was Urban since he said it in '03 too.