Baker Steinkuhler giving the NFL another go as an Offensive Lineman
- Thread starter Saint Boseph
- Start date
QMany
All-American
It certainly did have to do with our safeties, but I think it had to do with the front four as well. Baker goes down and we have DE playing DT. We are pinching in to help which puts your safeties on islands out wide. Smith/Stafford missing tackles and taking bad lines isn't the only reason we gave up 56 yards rushing in September v. Wisconsin (with Baker) and 539 yards rushing in December (without Baker).
The Dude
Heisman Trophy Winner
The biggest factor, by far, of course is Wisconsin's dramatic improvement running the ball as the season went on. They couldn't even run it on mid-major and FCS teams at the beginning of the year (the first time we played them), and were one of the best rushing teams in the nation towards the end (the 2nd time we played them).
Stein might have made some sort of difference, but based on our struggles against the run the 2-3 years previous, it's open for debate how significant that difference may have been. It's not like he would have suddenly became an all-american level defensive tackle for that game. It's entirely reasonable to suspect we still would have been gashed on the ground.
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QMany
All-American
Hence the debate.
I tend to think replacing our senior, captain, three-time all-conference DT in the middle with a 255 lb. DE made a considerable difference in our run-stopping ability. Certainly I am not arguing it was the only difference.
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The Dude
Heisman Trophy Winner
We have to consider there wasn't any discernible difference in the Iowa game a week before. It's difficult for me to draw any strong conclusion with a small, somewhat conflicting bit of evidence.
2-3 years of pretty consistent evidence on the other hand . . .
Edit: since I think we're just sort of going to disagree on how good of a DT Stienkuhler was, we might as well bring it back around to the main point. I don't think Bo planned on not having any DTs in 2012 back when the decision was made in 2008. He probably thought he was going to bring in a few quality guys, but still went along with what Stein wanted. Not to say that it's necessarily a bad thing, because there's no telling if he would have lived up to his 5 star potential on offense.
And to the original point of the topic, I think we can both agree it would be rad if he became an NFL offensive tackle.
2-3 years of pretty consistent evidence on the other hand . . .
Edit: since I think we're just sort of going to disagree on how good of a DT Stienkuhler was, we might as well bring it back around to the main point. I don't think Bo planned on not having any DTs in 2012 back when the decision was made in 2008. He probably thought he was going to bring in a few quality guys, but still went along with what Stein wanted. Not to say that it's necessarily a bad thing, because there's no telling if he would have lived up to his 5 star potential on offense.
And to the original point of the topic, I think we can both agree it would be rad if he became an NFL offensive tackle.
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Saint Boseph
Five-Star Recruit
It definitely was Baker's decision. I was in favor of him on the DL too at the time since our O was pretty good and the defense was terrible. On top of that Bo was considered one of the best defensive minds in the game at the time and Baker was the #8 ranked recruit in the country. Couple that with the fact that Bo had just turned Glenn Dorsey into one of the best college DL's of all-time, my mind danced with the visions of Baker being one of the all time great DT's
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QMany
All-American
Late in the season, just before the CCG, they played Michigan State (19 yards, 0.5 per carry), Ohio State (206 yards, 3.7 per carry including OT), and Penn State (158 yards, 3.7 per carry including OT). They didn't improve that much as the season went on, they just got to play Purdue (467 yards, 8.2 per carry) and Indiana (564 yards, 8.8 per carry).
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Yeah but Wisconsin wasn't even trying the last three weeks of the season, remember, they were spending all their time getting ready for Nebraska and developing the super-secret jet sweep that they hadn't run a single time all season!
Stien was a good DL he probably would have been a better OL, but we will never know. NU missed big time on d-linemen, but I am not sure if it was that they recruited poorly all were 3* or better, they just didn't pan out. A lot of it had to do with injuries. If a couple of those guys steps up and plays even average that is a big help in 2012. It just didn't happen.
Thanks_Tom RR
All-American
@Hillustrated: Former Husker lineman Baker Steinkuhler received a tryout invite from the Eagles: http://t.co/W9xMx2qJ4L #Huskers #bolts
Savage Husker
All-Conference
I told my brother at the end of Stein's senior year I bet he transitions back to OL for a chance in the NFL. 2-3 years ago Seahawks converted NC St DT JR Sweezy into a G and last season he started all 15 games he appeared in, gave me hope Stein would follow suit. I'm glad to hear this news and wish that Husker good luck!
Joe_5700
Starter
Blackshirt96
Starter
You do know he was the back up for Suh & Crick as a RS Fr? He made that choice to play D when we had one of the best units of all-time.
That would be 2009 - after he had already been on defense for two years. He was class of 2008 meaning we were coming off the atrocious defense of 2007 when the decision was made.