I have been a palini support until now, we have no talent at all the the defensive side of the ball! We are not good and will be lucky to win 7 games this year!
The problem with the defense is only in part due to lack of talent. Yes... it is a factor. But far more the problem is the coaching. The schemes are too complicated --- on 40% of the snaps NU has 2 or more players trying frantically to figure out where they are to line up. Never, ever have I seen such confusion on any college defense --- over and over again, the ball is snapped when we have several guys not even lined up or facing the play. The communication system and/or the schemes are not working. As such, with multiple players not knowing their assignments and others just barely getting set --- playing aggressively and physically is not possible --- they are having a hard time figuring out what the assignment is and cannot focus overly on executing the assignment. AND the players do not wrap up --- they have as a unit worse mechanics in terms of tackling than some high school teams. That is coaching too.
Then there are the half-time adjustments that our opponents far more often than not do better than does NU.
Face it folks... last night should have surprised no one. We have had, have now, and will continue to have a very, very, very poorly coached players. This is not over-reacting to a single loss. This is responding to a pattern that has been in play for years now --- a team that is poorly prepared, plays flat, gets out hustled, gets out physicalled (is that a word?), plays with poor technique, and panics when pressed.
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No... the player talent level is somewhat limiting --- but this team, if properly coached (which it is not) could be vastly superior to what we see week in and week out.
Finally, my pre-season prediction of 8-4 or 7-5 regular season still stands. Last night was not at all surprising... anyone watching the past few years would have seen this coaching debacle not as unlikely but pretty much as expected.
They will rebound and play at times well... and again will repeat last night. This is and has been NU football under Pelini. As long as NU is under Pelini... it will remain NU football. We are no better nor any worse now than two years ago. We are headed nowhere... unless recruiting tanks... and then we head the wrong way.