How Nebraska Can Return to College Football Greatness

[r06ue1]

A return to the option sure sounds great to me.

How Nebraska Can Return to College Football Greatness

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-marshall-crotty/how-to-get-the-nebraska-c_b_8668948.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nebraska-cornhuskers-football

AD won't ever hire anyone that fits that style of offense though.

 

[NUance]

When people wax nostalgically overs the 90's Huskers, why don't they ever remember the awesome defenses we had back then? The Blackshirts had as much to do with[SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE]no, more to do with[SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE]those championships than our offense did. It's perplexing.

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[KazLong]

Should be mandatory reading. However hate Huff post, also disagree with throwing arm-so-strong under the buss, hes not a bad player, but agree not the right athlete for this system.

Still like the picture I saw today of a 1990 UNL student newspaper with the headline FIRE T.O. WE ARE CAPPED AT 9 WINS FOREVER!

Agree with NUance on defense comment however.

 

[junior4949]

I read this article on yahoo news earlier today. I agree with some, but most of it is nothing more than nonsense. Here's an idea if we want to return to greatness: recruit elite OL and DL. Win the trench war, win the game!

 

[Hunter94]

first things first, new chancellor, new AD.......but still got to be the right guys........Harvey and Shawn will need to be out the door first and take grandpa MR with them.......bastards can find a beach somewhere and count their money...

 

[Jeremy]

When people wax nostalgically overs the 90's Huskers, why don't they ever remember the awesome defenses we had back then? The Blackshirts had as much to do with[SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE]no, more to do with[SIZE=12pt]—[/SIZE]those championships than our offense did. It's perplexing.

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Agreed. Those defensive squads were fast, hard-hitting, and mean; very fun to watch. There were several drives Iowa had that this years' blackshirts started to look like that - flashes of it at least.

Things are different now, for sure, but there's no reason a run-based offense with option and play action couldn't work at a P5 program. Osborne was very methodical and no-nonsense in how he approached things. He gave kids a chance, but if they couldn't cut it, he went with someone else. For instance, remember Tony Veland? Wasn't he recruited to play QB? Well, the coaches decided his athleticism would be much better suited on defense, and they were right.

I would also argue that they recruited much more athleticism on defense, or made sure it ended up there. I believe it's one of the ways he closed the talent recruiting gap we always face here: recruit speed and talent, find a place for most of it on defense. Keep the offense simple, and put the defense in a good position. Move the chains on the ground and with play action, and give the destroyers on D a little rest before they go out and do their thing.

Can we return to the promised land the way we're doing things now? Maybe. But, I will always stick with the argument that in these 16 and 17 year old minds, beach babes and party schools will win out too much for us to get enough 4 and 5 star OL, QBs, RB's and WRs to beat the Oregons, USC's, Florida States, Alabamas, and Ohio States of the world.

Iowa wins because they are very basic in their approach. Beathard is given very simple instructions on simple plays - they take the pressure off him and put it on everyone. Their OL has to block to get the running game going, and in turn set up their crossing TE's being wide open over the middle like they were so many times. He gets a couple looks, and if it isn't there, he takes off or throws it away. They tell him NOT to try to do it all, like armstrong.

Hopefully the new kids coming in play as a team, and not as individuals.