Does NU have a chance in the B1G West?

[Savage Husker]

Another thing, most of the big ten teams are run heavy because you can find lineman and it’s a b!^@h to throw the ball starting in late October and November.  Run heavy teams are never going to fare well in generalized offensive stats that tends to favor points, yards and various stats that are largely ranked off quantity in descending order.

Build a dome stadium instead of renovation

 

[gossamorharpy]

Not roasting you at all.

But, that would explain why B1G west teams can't compete with teams in the East, South and West.  But, how come the offenses can't produce against defenses from other B1G west teams?

feels like in recent history (past 5-10 years) no one in the west besides us and Purdue try to do anything explosive on offense. Everyone for the most part is playing field position game and limiting mistakes. I’m interested to see how fickell’s experiment in Madison will work out given what he’s expressed.

using Wisconsin- I think they’ve actually put up some great offenses the past decade (before Christ really implemented his style) but they don’t always appear explosive if purely looking at stats. They had some filthy offenses around those lines and backs. Didn’t they take down Oregon and a few other teams in new years bowls in some high scoring affairs? 

 

[Red Five]

it’s a b!^@h to throw the ball starting in late October and November

I don't buy into this.  I think its just old school thinking from the 70s and 80s.  Weather has to be complete s#!t for it to effect the game.  There is maybe 1, at most 2 games a year where weather causes problems throwing the football.  Ohio St constantly throws for 250+ yards in Oct and Nov.  The winningest all time coach at Purdue ran the spread.

 

[gossamorharpy]

I don't buy into this.  I think its just old school thinking from the 70s and 80s.  Weather has to be complete s#!t for it to effect the game.  There is maybe 1, at most 2 games a year where weather causes problems throwing the football.  Ohio St constantly throws for 250+ yards in Oct and Nov.  The winningest all time coach at Purdue ran the spread.

Throwing for 250 yards is not what I would consider a high powered offense. We will never have the depth and quality of athletes of Ohio state so there’s no point in using them as a peer example.

I already mentioned purdue

 

[Undone]

Throwing for 250 yards is not what I would consider a high powered offense.

Those are just their passing numbers, though. Last year Ohio State averaged 192 rushing yards per game, so if we add those two numbers together and then look at Ohio State's record over the last decade we're going to say they're not "high powered?"

 

[gossamorharpy]

Those are just their passing numbers, though. Last year Ohio State averaged 192 rushing yards per game, so if we add those two numbers together and then look at Ohio State's record over the last decade we're going to say they're not "high powered?"

Of course they have a high powered offense, I never said they didnt.  My response was to a poster saying the perception that its tough to throw in oct/nov in the midwest is an overblown stance from the past.  Having been at countless games at memorial and across the big ten/big 12 come late fall and the wind is whipping with a crisp cool air, i couldnt disagree more. 

 

[soup]

Doesn't the BIG historically have very good records in bowl games against those West, South, and East teams? 

I'm still of the belief that the BIG is and always will be a "3 yards and a cloud of dust" type conference.  If you aren't the defenses in this league will eat you alive. (See Scott Frost, "they'll adjust to us") The only way you are pulling off anything other than that type offense consistently is if you have major league talent. ie Ohio State.

 

[Enhance]

I do tend to believe Nebraska' position in the CFB landscape, as well as the climate and weather patterns, lend itself more towards having a high powered rushing attack. Columbus, OH, isn't a hugely different from Lincoln, NE, in regards to weather (probably a bit windier in Lincoln), but tOSU also does tend to have better athletes who I think are in a better position to make a passing attack more consistently successful.

It reminds me of Green Bay of all places and their ability to have Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Green Bay's weather sucks in the fall/winter, but it's also the NFL where you get the best of the best talent, so they're able to make some of those things work consistently. I've never been particularly convinced that Nebraska can compete at a high level in a passing attack because of all of those factors, which was something that made me nervous about Frost's hiring and if he decided he wanted to be heavily pass oriented. That's not to say Nebraska could NEVER do it, I just don't think they're in a strong position for it.

 

[runningblind]

I do tend to believe Nebraska' position in the CFB landscape, as well as the climate and weather patterns, lend itself more towards having a high powered rushing attack. Columbus, OH, isn't a hugely different from Lincoln, NE, in regards to weather (probably a bit windier in Lincoln), but tOSU also does tend to have better athletes who I think are in a better position to make a passing attack more consistently successful.

It reminds me of Green Bay of all places and their ability to have Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Green Bay's weather sucks in the fall/winter, but it's also the NFL where you get the best of the best talent, so they're able to make some of those things work consistently. I've never been particularly convinced that Nebraska can compete at a high level in a passing attack because of all of those factors, which was something that made me nervous about Frost's hiring and if he decided he wanted to be heavily pass oriented. That's not to say Nebraska could NEVER do it, I just don't think they're in a strong position for it.

You don't have to be heavily pass oriented to have success, you just need to be competent with a smart and capable QB. We can still focus on the run, but do well passing to complement.  It is so limiting to be one dimensional and that is something we've long struggled with.  We can get plenty of good enough athletes, don't need first round draft pick WR, to keep teams off balance and be able to pass when we need to.

It absolutely takes better/consistent line play, and a solid quarterback.  Doesn't have to be a 5 star like CJ Stroud, but why not a Brock Purdy or a Kenny Pickett? We can get guys like that and make this happen. 

 

[Husker in WI]

You don't have to be heavily pass oriented to have success, you just need to be competent with a smart and capable QB. We can still focus on the run, but do well passing to complement.  It is so limiting to be one dimensional and that is something we've long struggled with.  We can get plenty of good enough athletes, don't need first round draft pick WR, to keep teams off balance and be able to pass when we need to.

It absolutely takes better/consistent line play, and a solid quarterback.  Doesn't have to be a 5 star like CJ Stroud, but why not a Brock Purdy or a Kenny Pickett? We can get guys like that and make this happen. 

Kinda depends on what you mean by guys like Brock Purdy and Kenny Pickett. Do you mean mid 3-star QBs that no one else is really going after? We can do that, but most of them are not Kenny Pickett or Brock Purdy. If it was easy to tell, they wouldn't be random mid tier 3 stars.

As a side note, Matt Rhule's Temple Owls were Kenny Pickett's first offer, at least according to 247sports. He obviously chose Pitt and was in the 2017 class after Rhule had left, but was offered by Temple back in the Spring of 2015. So if there is a secret to identifying these guys Rhule would appear to have a clue.

 

[runningblind]

Kinda depends on what you mean by guys like Brock Purdy and Kenny Pickett. Do you mean mid 3-star QBs that no one else is really going after? We can do that, but most of them are not Kenny Pickett or Brock Purdy. If it was easy to tell, they wouldn't be random mid tier 3 stars.

As a side note, Matt Rhule's Temple Owls were Kenny Pickett's first offer, at least according to 247sports. He obviously chose Pitt and was in the 2017 class after Rhule had left, but was offered by Temple back in the Spring of 2015. So if there is a secret to identifying these guys Rhule would appear to have a clue.

I'm saying find guys who can throw the ball on a similar level, or teach them how.  Someone who already had the mechanics and feel.

 

[Husker in WI]

I'm saying find guys who can throw the ball on a similar level, or teach them how.  Someone who already had the mechanics and feel.

I mean I can't speak to mechanics but it does seem like that's the plan at least. Who knows how they'll do, but Kaelin and the 2025 guys we're after (Manske) are more throw-first if that's what you're getting at.

 

[Enhance]

You don't have to be heavily pass oriented to have success, you just need to be competent with a smart and capable QB. We can still focus on the run, but do well passing to complement.  It is so limiting to be one dimensional and that is something we've long struggled with.  We can get plenty of good enough athletes, don't need first round draft pick WR, to keep teams off balance and be able to pass when we need to.

It absolutely takes better/consistent line play, and a solid quarterback.  Doesn't have to be a 5 star like CJ Stroud, but why not a Brock Purdy or a Kenny Pickett? We can get guys like that and make this happen. 

I agree with your premise. More or less, my point was that I don't think Nebraska is in a strong position to have a high caliber passing attack to consistently compete with some of the places that recruit at a higher level. I'd much, much prefer they have a QB whose true strengths are in the passing game. Like you said, to be able to illustrate a competency. And if he's mobile/talented enough to run 3-5x per game then that's fine and probably helpful in a college offense.

Of course, that requires some better pieces around them, as well. I think people sometimes take for granted all that goes into having an effective passing attack (particularly when it comes to route running and pass blocking). The program has spent too many years where all those things don't line up enough consistently on any given play.

 

[Red Five]

[No message]

 

[nic]

NU becomes bowl eligible against MSU.

Maryland is imploding and the NU D is good enough to win that game.

NU turns the ball over too much to beat Iowa. Since that is the only way Iowa scores, I think Iowa wins that one.

I don’t think NU can take Wiscy, yet.

The answer is still No, but 7 wins is a good start.