Chatelain's column - 2003 all over again

[EZ-E]

The mix of sarcasm and my thought of you missing the context of my post had me confused.

 

[EZ-E]

Osborne won his first conference title in year 8

Actually we were conference co-champions i/e we tied for 1st in Osborne's 3rd and 6th year in the Big 8.

Yes. But counting those is like counting every time we played for it as a conference championship.

How so? Why did the final standings not reflect this, and why weren't we selected to play in BCS bowls?

Im missing the point of your post.

 

[irafreak]

To me the difference between 03 was we were 2 years removed from the National Title game. How do you panic and pull the plug like that. Pelini's teams have accomplished nothing. 9 wins means nothing today. They play 12-13 games! We've won our division 4 times. Okay great the weak big 12 north with the only real competition being missouri and the Big 10 with michigan state being the big threat....a team that was 0-7 against Nebraska (so not a powerhouse). The best thing Bo has accomplished in 6 years is an almost win over texas in the title game and blanking an average arizona team in the bowl. That was the peak...almost 4 years ago! So there's the big picture.

Here's the microscope. Turnovers...tons of them. Penalties...lots of them. Players admitting they weren't focused in big games. A defense that struggles to tackle. A glaring lack of leadership from players (although we seem to have a few stepping up now). How do you defend all this stuff...year after year?

Again, it was Solich's off the field stuff that got him fired. Had that not been the case I'm pretty sure he would have had another year for sure. Do I think he would have turned things around? Probably not considering who his offensive coordinator was.

I still don't buy that Solich was terminated for off the field problems. In this day and age it's hard to keep stuff a secret and the information is NOT out there...

 

[Blackshirt39]

To me the difference between 03 was we were 2 years removed from the National Title game. How do you panic and pull the plug like that. Pelini's teams have accomplished nothing. 9 wins means nothing today. They play 12-13 games! We've won our division 4 times. Okay great the weak big 12 north with the only real competition being missouri and the Big 10 with michigan state being the big threat....a team that was 0-7 against Nebraska (so not a powerhouse). The best thing Bo has accomplished in 6 years is an almost win over texas in the title game and blanking an average arizona team in the bowl. That was the peak...almost 4 years ago! So there's the big picture.
Here's the microscope. Turnovers...tons of them. Penalties...lots of them. Players admitting they weren't focused in big games. A defense that struggles to tackle. A glaring lack of leadership from players (although we seem to have a few stepping up now). How do you defend all this stuff...year after year?

You don't defend it. You accept it. This is Nebraska and with all the disadvantages we face, we can never be an elite program again.

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm or not, but if it's not, that's just wrong. We have top notch facilities, a fanbase that always shows up, we are in a great conference with it's own network, an athletic department that doesn't operate in the red, no in state competition, and good academics. If a coaching staff can't turn that into success, there is a problem. Does location hurt us? Not that much. Location is working against about 85% of schools out there. Kids commit to the situation more often than location. We should never drop out of the top 25, and we should FINISH in the top 15, if not top 10, more often than we don't.

Maybe the school isn't helping the staff enough, maybe the staff is just inadequate(spelling?), or maybe both. But, everybody is tired of this crap. Changes need to be made and it's time to start fixing the problem. The status quo isn't working, and it isn't acceptable.

 

[EZ-E]

To me the difference between 03 was we were 2 years removed from the National Title game. How do you panic and pull the plug like that. Pelini's teams have accomplished nothing. 9 wins means nothing today. They play 12-13 games! We've won our division 4 times. Okay great the weak big 12 north with the only real competition being missouri and the Big 10 with michigan state being the big threat....a team that was 0-7 against Nebraska (so not a powerhouse). The best thing Bo has accomplished in 6 years is an almost win over texas in the title game and blanking an average arizona team in the bowl. That was the peak...almost 4 years ago! So there's the big picture.
Here's the microscope. Turnovers...tons of them. Penalties...lots of them. Players admitting they weren't focused in big games. A defense that struggles to tackle. A glaring lack of leadership from players (although we seem to have a few stepping up now). How do you defend all this stuff...year after year?

You don't defend it. You accept it. This is Nebraska and with all the disadvantages we face, we can never be an elite program again.

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm or not, but if it's not, that's just wrong. We have top notch facilities, a fanbase that always shows up, we are in a great conference with it's own network, an athletic department that doesn't operate in the red, no in state competition, and good academics. If a coaching staff can't turn that into success, there is a problem. Does location hurt us? Not that much. Location is working against about 85% of schools out there. Kids commit to the situation more often than location. We should never drop out of the top 25, and we should FINISH in the top 15, if not top 10, more often than we don't.

Maybe the school isn't helping the staff enough, maybe the staff is just inadequate(spelling?), or maybe both. But, everybody is tired of this crap. Changes need to be made and it's time to start fixing the problem. The status quo isn't working, and it isn't acceptable.

Location doesn't work against 85% of schools and location absolutely is a big part of where kids sign.

 

[True2tRA]

To me the difference between 03 was we were 2 years removed from the National Title game. How do you panic and pull the plug like that. Pelini's teams have accomplished nothing. 9 wins means nothing today. They play 12-13 games! We've won our division 4 times. Okay great the weak big 12 north with the only real competition being missouri and the Big 10 with michigan state being the big threat....a team that was 0-7 against Nebraska (so not a powerhouse). The best thing Bo has accomplished in 6 years is an almost win over texas in the title game and blanking an average arizona team in the bowl. That was the peak...almost 4 years ago! So there's the big picture.
Here's the microscope. Turnovers...tons of them. Penalties...lots of them. Players admitting they weren't focused in big games. A defense that struggles to tackle. A glaring lack of leadership from players (although we seem to have a few stepping up now). How do you defend all this stuff...year after year?

You don't defend it. You accept it. This is Nebraska and with all the disadvantages we face, we can never be an elite program again.

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm or not, but if it's not, that's just wrong. We have top notch facilities, a fanbase that always shows up, we are in a great conference with it's own network, an athletic department that doesn't operate in the red, no in state competition, and good academics. If a coaching staff can't turn that into success, there is a problem. Does location hurt us? Not that much. Location is working against about 85% of schools out there. Kids commit to the situation more often than location. We should never drop out of the top 25, and we should FINISH in the top 15, if not top 10, more often than we don't.

Maybe the school isn't helping the staff enough, maybe the staff is just inadequate(spelling?), or maybe both. But, everybody is tired of this crap. Changes need to be made and it's time to start fixing the problem. The status quo isn't working, and it isn't acceptable.

I'm a sarcastic a$$ and absolutely nothing I said there has any ounce of my beliefs behind it. I just can't take this team,or this program serious anymore. I think there is a serious lack of commitment to winning and I won't invest my whole heart and my emotions into something that I feel a lot of guys on this team don't give a sh#t about.

 

[The Dude]

Osborne won his first conference title in year 8

Actually we were conference co-champions i/e we tied for 1st in Osborne's 3rd and 6th year in the Big 8.

Yes. But counting those is like counting every time we played for it as a conference championship.

How so? Why did the final standings not reflect this, and why weren't we selected to play in BCS bowls?

Im missing the point of your post.

Tom's first two conference championships resulted in top 10 finishes and invites to major bowls. Why weren't Pelini's division titles met with similar accolades if they're comparable achievements?

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Because they are no the same regardless of what a poster tries to say to make themselves feel like we are relevant as we were then.

 

[roadrat]

Please explain why we have to see Dirk's columnn on the huskerboard every Sunday. (Unless he's the one posting it). I am capable and prefer to do my own thinking. This team was loaded offensively when it took the field in the fall, now the offense is a shell of it's former self. Remember all those articles about the scoring explosion in Dirk's own newspaper? Should Bo have been prepared to lose Martinez, 60% of his offensive line and many of his receivers during at least for portions of games? Aside from Frazier's issues with blood clots, what NU team ever had to deal with this many injuries? Should Bo have recruited better? Possibly, we could have a little more depth, but look at these kids you recruit these days. As soon as they don't start, they wanna transfer. How many guys have left (and I don't mean tossed off the team) that might have helped with depth yesterday?

NU was once a mecca, but that was before all the other schools rose to prominence. NU put the blueprint in place to spend money on football and everyone followed. I don't see how we can ever have the advantage we had in the 70's & 80's.

 

[EZ-E]

I am not claiming that our division titles mean as much as a conference championship. Just pointing out that TO didn't win an outright conference title till his 8th year.

 

[Blackshirt39]

I'm a sarcastic a$$ and absolutely nothing I said there has any ounce of my beliefs behind it. I just can't take this team,or this program serious anymore. I think there is a serious lack of commitment to winning and I won't invest my whole heart and my emotions into something that I feel a lot of guys on this team don't give a sh#t about.

I completely understand how you feel. I really don't like the attitude surrounding the program right now.

Location doesn't work against 85% of schools and location absolutely is a big part of where kids sign.

My math may be off, but the point is that location hurts more schools than it helps. There are places that have a lot worse locations than ours and have found consistent success. Location plays a factor, but the best recruiting tool available is winning trophies.

 

[MichiganDad3]

Osborne won his first conference title in year 8

Actually we were conference co-champions i/e we tied for 1st in Osborne's 3rd and 6th year in the Big 8.

Yes. But counting those is like counting every time we played for it as a conference championship.

Not really, because we may have played the CCG with a worse record than the opponent. Still, it is tougher to win a CCG with 12 teams in the conference than 8.

 

[EZ-E]

I'm a sarcastic a$$ and absolutely nothing I said there has any ounce of my beliefs behind it. I just can't take this team,or this program serious anymore. I think there is a serious lack of commitment to winning and I won't invest my whole heart and my emotions into something that I feel a lot of guys on this team don't give a sh#t about.

I completely understand how you feel. I really don't like the attitude surrounding the program right now.

Location doesn't work against 85% of schools and location absolutely is a big part of where kids sign.

My math may be off, but the point is that location hurts more schools than it helps. There are places that have a lot worse locations than ours and have found consistent success. Location plays a factor, but the best recruiting tool available is winning trophies.

Where?

 

[EZ-E]

Osborne won his first conference title in year 8

Actually we were conference co-champions i/e we tied for 1st in Osborne's 3rd and 6th year in the Big 8.

Yes. But counting those is like counting every time we played for it as a conference championship.

Not really, because we may have played the CCG with a worse record than the opponent. Still, it is tougher to win a CCG with 12 teams in the conference than 8.

With tOSU ineligable last year, under the old Big 8 or even the old Big 10 format we win the conference.

 

[MichiganDad3]

To me the difference between 03 was we were 2 years removed from the National Title game. How do you panic and pull the plug like that. Pelini's teams have accomplished nothing. 9 wins means nothing today. They play 12-13 games! We've won our division 4 times. Okay great the weak big 12 north with the only real competition being missouri and the Big 10 with michigan state being the big threat....a team that was 0-7 against Nebraska (so not a powerhouse). The best thing Bo has accomplished in 6 years is an almost win over texas in the title game and blanking an average arizona team in the bowl. That was the peak...almost 4 years ago! So there's the big picture.

Here's the microscope. Turnovers...tons of them. Penalties...lots of them. Players admitting they weren't focused in big games. A defense that struggles to tackle. A glaring lack of leadership from players (although we seem to have a few stepping up now). How do you defend all this stuff...year after year?

+1

and don't forget pathetic special teams (ignoring great kickers)