B10 Fit

I think team speed is a neutralizer...in a bowl game. Yes, the speedy SEC does well in Championship games vs. Big 10(tOSU). That's just one game with a lot of preparation. Week in and week out, size will be a factor. Now, if we can maintain some quality speedy depth, that could neutralize getting pounded on week in and week out. The lines will have to be deep and coached well in regards to leverage. You can use one's mass against them if proper leverage and technique are used. Depth will be critical to run the gauntlet that is the 2011 schedule.

 
FWIW, our S&C coach came from a Big Ten institution. I'm confident that he'll have our boys prepared come next season.

 
And what do you do to defenses with great team speed??? You run it right at them. We may be fast but have you seen Univ of Wisconsins O-line, TE's, FB's, and IB's???

Were fast this year but that doesn't equate to good run "D" as we've seen.

Bo's SEC defensive philosphy will not work.

Look at Callahan and Cosgrove, both shared the Big 10 philopshy, big, bigger, and biggest. Didn't work in the Big 12 but they learned it from the Big 10 because that's whats needed.

 
Lonestar_Husker said:
I think team speed is a neutralizer...in a bowl game. Yes, the speedy SEC does well in Championship games vs. Big 10(tOSU). That's just one game with a lot of preparation. Week in and week out, size will be a factor. Now, if we can maintain some quality speedy depth, that could neutralize getting pounded on week in and week out. The lines will have to be deep and coached well in regards to leverage. You can use one's mass against them if proper leverage and technique are used. Depth will be critical to run the gauntlet that is the 2011 schedule.
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Very good point.

 
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Papersun87 is spot on. I understand the concern, MCAT800, but Ohio State lost two consecutive title games to SEC schools. The second title game against an SEC defense coached by none other than Bo Pelini, and Pelini's defense shut them down.

 
Have not taken the time to read through previous posts so if this is repetitive, just ignore. This is my thought process. I think (just as much as hope) that Bo will revolutionize the way football is played in the Big 10. Right now it is more conventional to the "old way" with bigger players. I know what youre thinking now "RichRod's trying to do that at Michigan and it aint working out to well", well RichRod has no defense and his coordinator for that side of the ball is Greg Robinson. However, speed does kill, and we know we have the stamina. I just think back to the 80's and how Miami-as much as i hate em-completely changed the way college football had to be played with their injection of superior speed and athleticism into the game. Tho we have size disadvantages and speed advantages, it will always be how the coaches can adjust and us the players the way they should be used. I BELIEVE we will be just fine.

 
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The Big 10 style is clearly the winning bet. This is why the Big 12 and SEC can't seem to get a championship.

:sarcasm

Ohio State is the most consist team and they also get top end athletic talent.

Seriously, we will need to adjust some but I think that we can get it done, however we don't want to turn into a team that beats other Big 10 teams but can't win the big game against SEC or Big 12 teams (at least the 2 remaining who are good most of the time)

 
While Ohio St hasn't fared well lately in BCS Championship game they did beat Miami for the title which pounded us the year before. While some teams have gotten better in the Big 12 you could say with some accuracy that you were going to win. I see that less likely in the Big Ten. I wouldn't be surprised if we got blown out in a couple of games next year.

 
If the Big 10's old philosophy of strength over speed is sound, why haven't they finished better? Here are their top-ten finishes in the past ten years (Sagarin):

Big 10

2009 - 3

2008 - 1

2007 - 0

2006 - 3

2005 - 2

2004 - 0

2003 - 2

2002 - 3

2001 - 0

2000 - 0

TOTAL - 14

SEC

2009 - 2

2008 - 3

2007 - 3

2006 - 2

2005 - 1

2004 - 1

2003 - 2

2002 - 2

2001 - 2

2000 - 1

TOTAL - 19

Big XII

2009 - 2

2008 - 3

2007 - 3

2006 - 0

2005 - 2

2004 - 2

2003 - 1

2002 - 3

2001 - 4

2000 - 3

TOTAL - 23

The Big XII has been all about speed these past ten years. The SEC is built nearly entirely on speed. The Big 10 - for most of the past decade they've clung to strength over speed for the most part, and their results have suffered. The ACC also showed up quite well, and though I'm not going to go back over this again to catch their numbers, they've at least equaled (and most likely eclipsed) the Big 10.

Speed is the name of the game in college football today. Anyone doubting that is in for a big surprise next year.

 
robsker said:
HuskerJosh said:
I disagree with the entire premise that players are so much "bigger and tougher" in the Big Ten.
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That they are bigger is not an issue for opinion. Their RB's average 219 pounds --- our RB's for next year --- Rex (202), Aaron green (185) are much smaller. The B10 OLB'ers are 230 on average --- we have L. David at 205-210 or so) E. Martin at 215, S. Fisher at what 205? Their MLBers' are 250 on average. Compton is our heaviest and he is perhaps 230. No... there is no doubt that the B10 is a "bigger" conference. No opinion. Fact.

Tougher? Who knows.. But 20 hits a game to your QB when those hitting him are comparable in size up to perhaps 20 pounds heaver versus 20 hits a game against guys weighing 30-45 pounds more than your QB... that is quite a difference.

I think few would logically argue against the notion that the B10 teams that are much larger are more physical than the teams we lined up against, on average, this year.
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Did you pull those numbers from thin air?

Burkhead is 210, David is 210 with only a few months in our strength program, he will pack on 15 lbs of muscle by next year. Compton is around 225 right now, Fisher is 235, Martin is 240, Whaley is 225.

If you look at the top 4 teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State) here are the averages (took top 2 running backs at each school for the average)

DE- 275

DT- 285

OLB- 230

MLB- 227

RB- 218

Here's what NU is looking at next year. Looks pretty close across the board, but we probably need a little more beef at DE. If David packs on 15 lbs our average OLB would be 230. In other words, you are WAY off base.

DE- 263

DT- 288

OLB- 223 (assuming David doesn't add weight)

MLB- 225

RB- 220 (Burkhead and Robinson)

 
Lets look at history shall we. Over the last 15yrs we have played 9 games against Big 10 teams. 3 against Mich. St, 2 against Penn. St, 2 against Iowa, 1 against Michigan and 1 against Northwestern (also played two against the other should be Big 10 team Notre Dame.) We only lost ONE time against Penn St. in Happy Valley. One of those wins was during the Clownahan era when we weren't at our best and Michigan on paper was better than us. In most of those games we destroyed them.

I don't feel the original post is valid, back in the 80's and early 90's we were big, physical and slow. The smaller faster teams would kill us practically every time. See the 7 straight bowl losses we had those days if you don't believe me. It was only when Osbourne finally decided to switch his D to a smaller faster one and recruit SPEED, (and stayed very physical) that we really exploded on the scene in the mid 90's. Bo is quickly getting us back to the glory days and based on recent history we have owned the Big 10 mightily.

With last years Bowl season being one of the few exceptions, the Big 10 usually gets murdered during the Bowl season because they are big and slow. They go up against much faster teams and get creamed (several of which we at the hands of the Huskers, see Northwestern in 2000, Mich. St in 03 and Michigan in 05.)

Yes, next years schedule is a tough one, but I think it's the Big 10 that is in for a surprise and this is based on what we have seen us do to them on the field.

We are back in the Top 10, have a very good shot at winning the conference on the way out and even though it is a long shot, we are even being talked about when it comes to the MNC. With it not even being three years removed from the 07 disaster, I really like our chances. Especially were Bo has this program and what our future holds in the Big 10.

 
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