FIRE CALLAHAN!
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Published Tuesday
January 2, 2007
Tom Shatel: Callahan's program missing something
BY TOM SHATEL
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST
DALLAS - Happy Next Year!
The Nebraska football team returns all of its running backs in 2007. All of its receivers. Most of its offensive line. Three linebackers. A big-time corner. It has a big-name quarterback with an NFL arm. And this will be the fourth year in the vaunted "system."
So it should be a big year, right? This will be the year to cash in, the return to the top of the Big 12 heap and national spotlight, right?
Right?
It's hard to say. It's hard to trust Bill Callahan's program. Reasons for optimism abound. But something is missing.
We saw it, yet again, in Monday's Cotton Bowl. Nebraska played with, and at times outplayed, ninth-ranked Auburn. The Huskers, at times, looked like a top 10-caliber team.
Did we mention Auburn won the actual game, 17-14?
This morning, Auburn remains in the top 10. And the Huskers likely will drop out of the rankings.
They're close. But the closer they get, the further away it looks.
If Callahan were a car salesman, he would go hungry. He can't close the big game. His teams can't finish. They are so close. But what matters is they are 9-5 when they easily could have been 11-3 and carting a Big 12 trophy home on the way to the desert.
It's always something. A fumble when they're trying to run out the clock to beat Texas. A fumble that sets up Oklahoma with a 7-0 lead and takes the wind out of their Big 12 title sails. It wasn't one play at USC, rather an attitude to be content to play it close.
Sometimes, like in Monday's Cotton Bowl, Callahan gets in his own way. Callahan is a gambler. Gamblers go hungry, too.
Right now, this program is starving for a big win. The Huskers looked poised to get it early.
They pushed the Tigers and their SEC speed all over the turf on a beautiful opening-game touchdown drive. Auburn tied it after intercepting a Zac Taylor pass that was deflected. It happens. Early in the second quarter, NU still had the upper hand in this game. Auburn couldn't move.
So why, on fourth-and-one from his own 29, does Callahan attempt a fake punt? And not just any fake punt, but a reverse off a fake punt?
Where does he come up with these things?
The Tigers weren't fooled. They busted through the line, hit fullback Dane Todd, who had taken the snap and was poised to pitch the ball to Andrew Shanle. Yes, a safety.
Todd's pitch was off, Shanle never had it and Auburn recovered at the NU 14. Four plays later, the Tigers were up 14-7.
There may have been a time and place to run that fake-punt-reverse, but this was not it. Not when the Tigers aren't moving the ball. Not when you are matching them blow for blow. And definitely not so deep in your own territory. What's the upside? Nebraska ball on its own 30 or 35?
Ballgames are made up of many big plays, plays that change momentum. But this was an unnecessary self-inflicted shot in the foot.
"My call," Callahan said. "It didn't work, obviously, but nonetheless, it was still early enough in the ballgame that if it didn't work, we were in good position to come back. But things got discombobulated there."
It's hard to discombobulate and spot a team like Auburn - or Oklahoma - early points and expect to climb back. Why bother?
"My fault," Callahan said. "I take total responsibility for that."
It's good to hear the coach fall on that proverbial sword. It would be better if he didn't have to fall on it at all.
Can Callahan get this program over the hump? Can he get out of his own way?
"It happens," Todd said.
But these things keep happening to Nebraska in big games, the "measuring tape" games. Little things. Frustrating things. The difference between teams that win championships and those that dream of them.
"We're close," said defensive end Jay Moore. "We're oh, so close."
But the Huskers showed there are things that need cleaning up. For instance, kicking. If you want to win a championship, you have to be able to make a field goal. Right now, NU won't even try.
The Blackshirt defense, which played brilliantly all game, forced and recovered an Auburn fumble at the Tigers' 42 with 5:24 left and the Huskers down three. Taylor moved the offense to the Auburn 27, and it looked like the Huskers were in good shape to at least try a game-tying field goal.
Then NU lost 3 yards on two rushes. And on fourth and 11 at the 30 - which would have been a 47-yard field goal - Taylor overthrew a sideline pass to Frantz Hardy. It was a tough play to make and a frustrating way for the drive to fizzle.
Jordan Congdon was recruited as an accuracy kicker, but he had good range. Now, apparently, 47 yards is too much.
"It was beyond his cutoff point," Callahan said.
Callahan and Co. still can't get beyond their cutoff point. This program has made progress this year. But there are so many little things the Huskers still don't do or have. A kicker is one. A punt returner is another. NU forced Auburn to punt with less than a minute left but didn't even send anyone back to return the punt.
Wouldn't you try to set up a last gasp with a punt return?
Next year is huge. Callahan's fourth year. The Huskers are loaded at a lot of positions, but there are questions, too, even at quarterback. Maybe Callahan will trust Sam Keller to throw downfield more, throw it to Maurice Purify. Taylor has been a champ. But he looked like he ran out of gas.
A win here wouldn't have meant a jog through next season's gantlet of Wake Forest, USC, Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M. But it would have thrown a psychological bone to a team starving for a breakthrough win.
So far, this year looks a lot like last year.
"We're getting close," Callahan said. "We're getting there. It won't be long."
He said it like a man who's on the clock.
January 2, 2007
Tom Shatel: Callahan's program missing something
BY TOM SHATEL
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST
DALLAS - Happy Next Year!
The Nebraska football team returns all of its running backs in 2007. All of its receivers. Most of its offensive line. Three linebackers. A big-time corner. It has a big-name quarterback with an NFL arm. And this will be the fourth year in the vaunted "system."
So it should be a big year, right? This will be the year to cash in, the return to the top of the Big 12 heap and national spotlight, right?
Right?
It's hard to say. It's hard to trust Bill Callahan's program. Reasons for optimism abound. But something is missing.
We saw it, yet again, in Monday's Cotton Bowl. Nebraska played with, and at times outplayed, ninth-ranked Auburn. The Huskers, at times, looked like a top 10-caliber team.
Did we mention Auburn won the actual game, 17-14?
This morning, Auburn remains in the top 10. And the Huskers likely will drop out of the rankings.
They're close. But the closer they get, the further away it looks.
If Callahan were a car salesman, he would go hungry. He can't close the big game. His teams can't finish. They are so close. But what matters is they are 9-5 when they easily could have been 11-3 and carting a Big 12 trophy home on the way to the desert.
It's always something. A fumble when they're trying to run out the clock to beat Texas. A fumble that sets up Oklahoma with a 7-0 lead and takes the wind out of their Big 12 title sails. It wasn't one play at USC, rather an attitude to be content to play it close.
Sometimes, like in Monday's Cotton Bowl, Callahan gets in his own way. Callahan is a gambler. Gamblers go hungry, too.
Right now, this program is starving for a big win. The Huskers looked poised to get it early.
They pushed the Tigers and their SEC speed all over the turf on a beautiful opening-game touchdown drive. Auburn tied it after intercepting a Zac Taylor pass that was deflected. It happens. Early in the second quarter, NU still had the upper hand in this game. Auburn couldn't move.
So why, on fourth-and-one from his own 29, does Callahan attempt a fake punt? And not just any fake punt, but a reverse off a fake punt?
Where does he come up with these things?
The Tigers weren't fooled. They busted through the line, hit fullback Dane Todd, who had taken the snap and was poised to pitch the ball to Andrew Shanle. Yes, a safety.
Todd's pitch was off, Shanle never had it and Auburn recovered at the NU 14. Four plays later, the Tigers were up 14-7.
There may have been a time and place to run that fake-punt-reverse, but this was not it. Not when the Tigers aren't moving the ball. Not when you are matching them blow for blow. And definitely not so deep in your own territory. What's the upside? Nebraska ball on its own 30 or 35?
Ballgames are made up of many big plays, plays that change momentum. But this was an unnecessary self-inflicted shot in the foot.
"My call," Callahan said. "It didn't work, obviously, but nonetheless, it was still early enough in the ballgame that if it didn't work, we were in good position to come back. But things got discombobulated there."
It's hard to discombobulate and spot a team like Auburn - or Oklahoma - early points and expect to climb back. Why bother?
"My fault," Callahan said. "I take total responsibility for that."
It's good to hear the coach fall on that proverbial sword. It would be better if he didn't have to fall on it at all.
Can Callahan get this program over the hump? Can he get out of his own way?
"It happens," Todd said.
But these things keep happening to Nebraska in big games, the "measuring tape" games. Little things. Frustrating things. The difference between teams that win championships and those that dream of them.
"We're close," said defensive end Jay Moore. "We're oh, so close."
But the Huskers showed there are things that need cleaning up. For instance, kicking. If you want to win a championship, you have to be able to make a field goal. Right now, NU won't even try.
The Blackshirt defense, which played brilliantly all game, forced and recovered an Auburn fumble at the Tigers' 42 with 5:24 left and the Huskers down three. Taylor moved the offense to the Auburn 27, and it looked like the Huskers were in good shape to at least try a game-tying field goal.
Then NU lost 3 yards on two rushes. And on fourth and 11 at the 30 - which would have been a 47-yard field goal - Taylor overthrew a sideline pass to Frantz Hardy. It was a tough play to make and a frustrating way for the drive to fizzle.
Jordan Congdon was recruited as an accuracy kicker, but he had good range. Now, apparently, 47 yards is too much.
"It was beyond his cutoff point," Callahan said.
Callahan and Co. still can't get beyond their cutoff point. This program has made progress this year. But there are so many little things the Huskers still don't do or have. A kicker is one. A punt returner is another. NU forced Auburn to punt with less than a minute left but didn't even send anyone back to return the punt.
Wouldn't you try to set up a last gasp with a punt return?
Next year is huge. Callahan's fourth year. The Huskers are loaded at a lot of positions, but there are questions, too, even at quarterback. Maybe Callahan will trust Sam Keller to throw downfield more, throw it to Maurice Purify. Taylor has been a champ. But he looked like he ran out of gas.
A win here wouldn't have meant a jog through next season's gantlet of Wake Forest, USC, Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M. But it would have thrown a psychological bone to a team starving for a breakthrough win.
So far, this year looks a lot like last year.
"We're getting close," Callahan said. "We're getting there. It won't be long."
He said it like a man who's on the clock.
NU fan in Denver
Starter
BC isn't getting fired because it was SteveP's move to axe the old regime and bring him in. SteveP won't do that because that would involve him admitting he was wrong. It's going to take a lot more pressure from high up alumns, supporters, and people with $$$$$ before that is going to happen. It might take an axe to fall on SteveP's neck before BC gets the axe.
BIGREDIOWAN
Mods
This thread makes me want to go and SMASH something!!!! :madash This after a loss call for Callahan's head talk is bullsh#t!!! Who are we going to hire??? Who would actually want to come and coach here knowing that if they don't win a Big XII Title and go to a BCS bowl game in 3 years they will be fired??? Oh I know......................NO ONE!!!!
Exactly. I'm not content with 5 loss seasons either. And yes, we very well could be 11-3 with better calls on the field this year. It's tough, but to call for Callahan's head is asinine. Are we not making progress? Maybe not as soon as everyone wanted to, but I honestly think that we're slowly but surely headed toward consistent top 10 seasons again. Callahan is growing as a head coach, he's very young and very inexperienced, but he knows his crap. He has to get better at several areas of his in-game coaching. If we have another season like this next year, then yes, maybe it's time we start worrying. But at least we aren't losing games that we're supposed to win anymore (besides maybe Okie State, but I knew that would be a tough one headed into the season).
This is funny, because I don't remember signing up for a 5 year tear down and rebuild plan. I remember SP saying he refused to let this program gravitate toward mediocrity, and we're not going to surrender the Big XII to Texas and Oklahoma. The way I interpreted that was Callahan was coming in to take us to the next level, not destroy our program and take his sweet a$$ time rebuilding it. Now, was I a fool for thinking that? Obviously so.
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California Husker
Starter
TO beat five ranked teams, two top ten teams his first season
He beat two ranked teams his second season
How many ranked teams did we beat this year?
TO finished ranked in the top 10 his first 15 seasons.
How many top 10 for BC so far? How many top 20?
You are right, it is apples and oranges. Comparing TO to BC is like comparing a Mercedes Benz to a Yugo. It’s not fair. But hey, I did not bring up the comparison…that was done by an earlier poster. I also did not call for BC to be fired. I just think BC is, and should be, open to criticism. He is not the devil, but he is not God (or Tom Osborne) either.
California Husker
Starter
BIGREDIOWAN
Mods
Do you think he's going to be the savior and win us a Big XII title and take us to a BCS bowl in the next three years...................
Yes. That was a stupid, stupid play. I would have said, "Who in the hell runs a fake punt that deep in his own territory? Thank god it worked, but that was stupid."
A coach will always assume that there is a risk in the exectution of any play-- trick plays more so. Then he'll think "Gosh, this is a particularly risky play with a questionable chance of success even if it goes fairly well. And golly gee, we're deep in our own territory." Look, running those sorts of plays early in the game is the BEST time to do it. Everyone expects an onside kick or a fake late in the game if you're down. But points are points no matter when they come and I love that callihan plays with that knowledge. However, that was totally retarded. No question, succeed or fail, that was stupid.
Yo, you Edited by Mods to remove personal attack who are calling for Callahan's firing--you guys don't have the slightest clue how to run an organization. You don't fire someone for something like that! You hire head coaches to provide vision and direction for the team. He's a great leader. Even though his assistants may make mistakes, he takes the blame. Edited by Mods to remove personal attacks
Everything about our program is great; its going in the right direction. Things need corrected, no program is perfect; and BC has proved that when he sets his mind of fixing things, it gets fixed.
Everything about our program is great; its going in the right direction. Things need corrected, no program is perfect; and BC has proved that when he sets his mind of fixing things, it gets fixed.
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Oh, and so did TO take over from a struggling program, 6 years removed from a NC and going downhill? 20 years ago you would have been saying the same thing about a comparison between TO and the Bobfather.
To be technically correct in the sense of establishing goals--The goal should be to win the NC. We should have OBJECTIVES along the way to achieve the goal--ie win the B12N...win the B12...no losses, etc.