"I wish I knew." -Bo Pelini 10/6/12

[The Dude]

Callahan is a good coach, but wrong for this organization. His skill set is best for being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In fact, he's in his first year as the O-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, where I expect him to do well. He coached the Raiders to an AFC Championship. But he was absolutely the wrong fit for Nebraska football. Hiring a head coach is about much more than finding someone who's talented. It's about finding someone who's a good fit for the organization.

When he's an abysmal failure in Dallas, like he is everywhere else he goes, can we finally put this myth to bed?

He's off to a great start. Fielding arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL with his own hand-picked guys.

 

[Big Red 40]

1. Ohio State was a better team than us. Maybe not 25 points better, but you cant go on the road give them 21 easy points and expect to beat ANYBODY.

2. Taylor doesn't respond well when pressured, never really has probably never will. Still an above average QB when given the proper play calls and blocking. Hes not the problem

3.No way Bo gets fired , and he shouldn't either. Especially in the middle of the season! NO guarantee anybody else does any better no matter how much money we throw at them.

4.Sunshine pumper or not, we have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to win the rest of our games. OSU was the best team we will face in the conference. IMO

5. As a person who's played sports most of my life and had my a$$ handed to me many times. :grr The only thing you can do is shake it off and move on. Prepare/practice hard , keep spirits up, and give er hell the next time you take the field. I have no doubt that the players and the staff will do just that! In the end, it was a sloppier loss than it should have been , but a road loss to a really good team is no reason to write the season, or the team off.

 

[druski_2k5]

Callahan is a good coach, but wrong for this organization. His skill set is best for being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In fact, he's in his first year as the O-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, where I expect him to do well. He coached the Raiders to an AFC Championship. But he was absolutely the wrong fit for Nebraska football. Hiring a head coach is about much more than finding someone who's talented. It's about finding someone who's a good fit for the organization.

When he's an abysmal failure in Dallas, like he is everywhere else he goes, can we finally put this myth to bed?

He's off to a great start. Fielding arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL with his own hand-picked guys.

This Tennessee Titans fan disagrees with you on "worst offensive line in the NFL" that belongs to my Titans.

Now that I've had time to think about it and let my emotions cool off, I can make a coherent post.

I like Bo. I want Bo to be the guy. I can take losing to a more talented team/team with a great quarterback. However, what I cannot take, and most of you will agree, are the meltdown loses. Say we lose by 7 or 10 or 14, I don't think any of us thought we would go into Columbus and win unless we played 100% perfection. But Bo's teams have the ability to make a respectable loss into a complete meltdown disaster.

I thought we had a chance if we did a few things: Contain Miller, which we didn't do after the first quarter. No turnovers, which did not happen. Minimize penalties and do not put us in bad positions, which we did not.

Bo's first few recruiting classes were crap and it's showing now. I know the guys are giving their hardest effort, at least I hope, and I want them to succeed, and I try not to rail on the players but it just isn't working. We got some good players on the sideline and in the recruiting wings, so there is hope for the future. We can take loses. Just look at Nebraska from 1972-1993. 1998-2001. It's okay, we don't expect to go undefeated every year, or every 2 years or go 60-3 in five years.

But we DO expect to at the very LEAST win the division, compete for the Conference title, which gives us a BCS Bowl game shot and an outside shot at the National Title. Those are my expectations at least.

I want Bo to be the guy, but the inability to hire experienced coordinators and the combination of crappy first two recruiting classes are REALLY showing this year and in a bad way. I can take losses. But what I cannot take are the meltdowns on national TV. Those have got to stop. It's just a joke. That and the penalties, mental errors, and Mr. Turnover bug.

The offense has made improvements. Taylor showed heart while having a terrible night. Kenny Bell has amazing hands and the running backs are impressive. We have play-makers on offense but the offensive and defensive lines are terrible. We are too slow on defense and have been for two years. I knew we were in trouble when I saw the Southern Miss game, too slow on defense. We don't tackle well and we can't keep guys in front of us.

I remember a quote from McBride that was posted on here a while ago that summed it up as "if you don't have a defensive [or offensive line] you can go home."

We need: Speed on defense, speed on defense, and more speed on defense. Improve the lines and we are where we need to be. Competing for the Conference title, giving us a shot at a BCS bowl, and an outside chance of a National Title.

But it has to start with Bo admitting faults and make changes whatever it maybe. Scheme, personnel, players on the field, take over the defense completely, make drastic changes in the off-season, or just play the best athletes on defense and hope for the best.

Do we put Stafford at linebacker? Change up the safeties? Where is Andrew Green at? Where is the zone defense? Zone blitzes? Cortney Osborne? Younger athletic linebackers? The defensive line is a mess and I don't think it can be cured during the season. Where are the JUCOs that can make an immediate impact? Seisay anyone?

I don't know what we can do on the defensive line. Martin shows flashes, but no one else really does. Compton can get to the quarterback but he has problems finishing off the play. We need speed on defense and sure tacklers. We continually give up 5 or 6 yards a pop on a run. We get pushed back. We are timid and do too much reading and not enough attacking.

I never thought we'd see a Bo Pelini defense look so inept. But when you don't have the horses, you can't be competitive. I figured at worst, we would be in 2003 mode under Bo. Below average offense but a great defense to keep us in EVERY game. That is not the case anymore. We have talent in some spots, but not enough to be where we need to be. And we have to fix that as soon as possible.

I just hope Bo is the guy that can get it done because if not we will be rebuilding for even longer.

We cannot afford to fire Bo for anything less than consecutive losing seasons or NO ONE will want to come here. That is a fact.

Bo is the guy until we have back to back losing seasons. I just hope he can get it figured out so we don't have to go through it again.

Unless someone has a crystal ball and knows all the answers....

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Callahan is a good coach, but wrong for this organization. His skill set is best for being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In fact, he's in his first year as the O-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, where I expect him to do well. He coached the Raiders to an AFC Championship. But he was absolutely the wrong fit for Nebraska football. Hiring a head coach is about much more than finding someone who's talented. It's about finding someone who's a good fit for the organization.

When he's an abysmal failure in Dallas, like he is everywhere else he goes, can we finally put this myth to bed?

He's off to a great start. Fielding arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL with his own hand-picked guys.

This Tennessee Titans fan disagrees with you on "worst offensive line in the NFL" that belongs to my Titans.

Disagree, as a Rams fan Sam Bradford has been the most hit QB in the league the past two years and that's continued this season as well.

 

[zoogs]

Callahan remains one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the NFL, and that's not my opinion. I guess those NFL personnel don't know what they're talking about, though. Yeah, it's his first year with the Cowboys and he's hand selected everybody on the line, so they're all his guys now and he didn't inherit that situation at all.

 

[Redman]

Yes, we are f'ing Nebraska. And we've created such insatiable expectations that no seasoned, established exceptional coach wants anything to do with us. So what's wrong with these guys learning on the job for a few year while we rattle off some 9 and 10 win seasons. I dont see the issue yet. It's a talent gap right now. This year is lead by his first couple of recruiting classes that were not very good(in comparison to what they need to be). That aspect has gotten better. As far as comments at a post game presser, statements like "I wish I knew" I dont lead into too much. I'll wait for the monday presser when he's had time to view film on what actually happened.

That is BS, in my opinion. LSU and Bama and other top-tier teams have the same expecatations (if not higher) and any coach would jump at the chance to coach at those schools. We have to stop making excuses for our shortcomings. Money talks.

The lim-fac IMO is finding a good coach who won't come in and change the entire culture of the program. Callahan tried it and look how that turned out for him.

That's because the good old boy system (Tom and the former players) acted like spoiled kids that didn't get what they wanted and undermined him. I hope they do not do that to the new AD and whoever he picks to replace Bo.

Incorrect. Callahan failed for the same reason Bo is failing now. Too much blind loyalty. If Callahan had fired Cosgrove after the '06 season, and brought in a good DC, and let the DC pick his assistants, he may still be here. But his loyalty to Cosgrove cost him his job.

This is very true, but we must not forget the way that Callahan treated former players. He lost the support of many followers for this reason.

 

[Ringer02]

This is very true, but we must not forget the way that Callahan treated former players. He lost the support of many followers for this reason.

He lost support because he couldn't win games, no one said a word about how he was treating former players until 2007. If he had us in the top 10 right now he would still be the most popular man in the state.

 

[The Dude]

Callahan remains one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the NFL, and that's not my opinion. I guess those NFL personnel don't know what they're talking about, though.

Meh. That reputation is about 3 years out of style. It was wildly overblown to begin with. You can find somebody to blow smoke up just about anybody's a$$.

 

[Jeremy]

People are still bringing up Callahan? Disaster. End of Story.

Pelini looked like an idiot last night. Football's all we got in this state, and with everything UNL offers those kids, it's a wonder we can't get some that know how to tackle more than a couple times a game. LaVonte David might be his best defensive recruit, and that was lucky - wasn't even a starter until someone went down.

It all comes down to coaching philosophy, really. Osborne made it work because he shortened the game, wearing defenses down. Simplify the offense; recruit athletes at QB, trucks in backfield, and dedicated road-grader linemen. A couple big tight ends with soft hands and receivers that care about the running game more than getting theirs.

It worked because we were then able to focus on getting athletes on defense, a lot of times guys that were recruited to play RB or WR ended up on D, and thrived. We can't be 'multiple.' Just won't work. If we can't average more than 4 yds a carry, we will continue to miss even playing for a conference title. Been a tough decade, but we're still here. In red, selling out that flipping stadium.

 

[Husker_x]

I want to add something. I'm not a big "get mad and demand coach X gets fired" person just because we lost. I'm not even mad. Or calling for heads. I expected this season would suck, and lo and behold, it does. The people who think we're about to win out I'm not even going to address. They're too far gone.

For the rest of us, I think Bo knows he's boxed himself in. I hope he has the clarity to look past friendship and see that his method is failing. When that happens sometimes staying the course is a bad decision, maybe even the worst of all possible decisions.

The season sucks because we're 1-1 in the big ten after losing on the road to a team 10 ranks higher than us and in the other division?

Was hoping to see some perspective and the realization that we're not in a bad position Big 10 wise, except for a relatively tough schedule. Ohio State also beat MSU, making our job easier. We showed we have strength, talent, and can make big plays as well as big mistakes, but this was not a must win game nor were we favored.

I suggest we come back down from the edge, stop acting like Iowa fans- who actually have something to really complain about, and just breathe into a paper bag for 2 weeks.

I'm sorry you apparently missed the game and the press conference afterwards. In your conveniently coy Football-For-Dummies version of what actually happened last night, you forgot to mention that our quarterback 'improved' from bad to miserable, our defense was Cosgrovian in the non-hyperbole sense of the word, and afterwards our coach looked like a guy who just came out of the trenches in World War 1.

Forget winning the division. There's no logical reason to think it will happen. Forget the title. That won't happen either. What did happen (or is happening, I should say), is Nebraska has been completely exposed. Every minor fault and crack many decided to ignore in favor of fantasies of a psychologically matured, disciplined football team split into canyons. We have massive systemic issues within the program and no amount of excuse-peddling or sunshine-pumping is going to alter that fact. It will continue to prove itself over. . .and over. . .and over. . .until the issue is addressed. It's Groundhog Day at Nebraska as long as self-delusion is the modus operandi.

My feeling is, this staff as it stands is completely incapable of addressing its problems. Pelini is largely responsible for this. Now, finally, after last night, I think he's beginning the process of coming to terms with it. We're not on the ledge. We've fallen off it. Recognize it. Admit it. If you don't, I hope Bo does, else I fully believe we are sunk.

You're sunk. Gone! I suggest you follow Alabama this year since they're the only team that won't lose a big game under pressure. Any of the other top 10 can and likely will.

OSU is a better team, and Braxton Miller is a better QB. There was no way we were coming out of that stadium with a win unless those two factors didn't bother showing up. Since they did, our turnover problems only made a loss into an embarrassing one. Who the hell cares? I suggest you let go of your personal, posterior pain and sandy nether-region affliction and realize that we're 1-1 in our division, it's early, and the worst game is probably over. I'll admit that our program has its challenges but there is no reason to expect, even hope for out of spite, the same kind of result in any of our remaining games.

This is borderline pathetic. Pelini was hired for the sole purpose of fixing the defense. In the fifth year of his tenure with eight seniors in the unit he had 60+ points hung on him by a completely mediocre team in a pitiful, laughably weak conference. On national TV. A national embarrassment--one in a string, by the way, long enough to wear them like a necklace. What's Jimmy's insight?

Ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not: "Who the hell cares?"

Not you, obviously. Fortunately you're completely beside the point. The question is about Bo. Not whether he cares, but how much. Does he care enough to look inside at his core and see the nepotism that has brought us to this point? Will anyone not named Taylor Martinez be given a legitimate shot to lead this team? Is he capable of examining his defensive scheme and realizing that it's failed? And more importantly than any of those three, if he does find his flaws, is he willing to look for help, and will be the money be there to bring in the people who are actually capable of helping him put this program back on the map? God I hope so.

 

[zoogs]

Nothing mediocre about Braxton, and let's be clear, it wasn't 60 points. It was 42, with one of those TDs coming in garbage time with a minute to play. Another one of those coming after a Martinez INT set up the Buckeyes in the red zone.

Still a really bad showing - but not quite 60 points.

I do agree with your last paragraph though X - and I love the Michael Corleone analogy.

 

[kid nickels]

All I gotta say is, we have TWO weeks to prepare for Northwestern and their mobile QB. Two weeks. That game will tell a lot. If we come out flat yet again and can't contain Colter and self-destruct yet again, with the fumbling and turnovers and same old BS (and I really have no reason not the believe that this won't be the case), then I'll be at a complete loss. Then again, I guess it doesn't really matter -- Pelini has had 5 years to prove that he can recruit elite talent, and he hasn't been able to do it. I don't see that changing. Until we get an established recruiter who can lure kids to NU, then we will be stuck with mediocrity and disappointment. We need a coach that kids nationally know of and actually WANT to play for.

 

[kid nickels]

Callahan is a good coach, but wrong for this organization. His skill set is best for being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. In fact, he's in his first year as the O-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, where I expect him to do well. He coached the Raiders to an AFC Championship. But he was absolutely the wrong fit for Nebraska football. Hiring a head coach is about much more than finding someone who's talented. It's about finding someone who's a good fit for the organization.

When he's an abysmal failure in Dallas, like he is everywhere else he goes, can we finally put this myth to bed?

He's off to a great start. Fielding arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL with his own hand-picked guys.

This Tennessee Titans fan disagrees with you on "worst offensive line in the NFL" that belongs to my Titans.

Now that I've had time to think about it and let my emotions cool off, I can make a coherent post.

I like Bo. I want Bo to be the guy. I can take losing to a more talented team/team with a great quarterback. However, what I cannot take, and most of you will agree, are the meltdown loses. Say we lose by 7 or 10 or 14, I don't think any of us thought we would go into Columbus and win unless we played 100% perfection. But Bo's teams have the ability to make a respectable loss into a complete meltdown disaster.

I thought we had a chance if we did a few things: Contain Miller, which we didn't do after the first quarter. No turnovers, which did not happen. Minimize penalties and do not put us in bad positions, which we did not.

Bo's first few recruiting classes were crap and it's showing now. I know the guys are giving their hardest effort, at least I hope, and I want them to succeed, and I try not to rail on the players but it just isn't working. We got some good players on the sideline and in the recruiting wings, so there is hope for the future. We can take loses. Just look at Nebraska from 1972-1993. 1998-2001. It's okay, we don't expect to go undefeated every year, or every 2 years or go 60-3 in five years.

But we DO expect to at the very LEAST win the division, compete for the Conference title, which gives us a BCS Bowl game shot and an outside shot at the National Title. Those are my expectations at least.

I want Bo to be the guy, but the inability to hire experienced coordinators and the combination of crappy first two recruiting classes are REALLY showing this year and in a bad way. I can take losses. But what I cannot take are the meltdowns on national TV. Those have got to stop. It's just a joke. That and the penalties, mental errors, and Mr. Turnover bug.

The offense has made improvements. Taylor showed heart while having a terrible night. Kenny Bell has amazing hands and the running backs are impressive. We have play-makers on offense but the offensive and defensive lines are terrible. We are too slow on defense and have been for two years. I knew we were in trouble when I saw the Southern Miss game, too slow on defense. We don't tackle well and we can't keep guys in front of us.

I remember a quote from McBride that was posted on here a while ago that summed it up as "if you don't have a defensive [or offensive line] you can go home."

We need: Speed on defense, speed on defense, and more speed on defense. Improve the lines and we are where we need to be. Competing for the Conference title, giving us a shot at a BCS bowl, and an outside chance of a National Title.

But it has to start with Bo admitting faults and make changes whatever it maybe. Scheme, personnel, players on the field, take over the defense completely, make drastic changes in the off-season, or just play the best athletes on defense and hope for the best.

Do we put Stafford at linebacker? Change up the safeties? Where is Andrew Green at? Where is the zone defense? Zone blitzes? Cortney Osborne? Younger athletic linebackers? The defensive line is a mess and I don't think it can be cured during the season. Where are the JUCOs that can make an immediate impact? Seisay anyone?

I don't know what we can do on the defensive line. Martin shows flashes, but no one else really does. Compton can get to the quarterback but he has problems finishing off the play. We need speed on defense and sure tacklers. We continually give up 5 or 6 yards a pop on a run. We get pushed back. We are timid and do too much reading and not enough attacking.

I never thought we'd see a Bo Pelini defense look so inept. But when you don't have the horses, you can't be competitive. I figured at worst, we would be in 2003 mode under Bo. Below average offense but a great defense to keep us in EVERY game. That is not the case anymore. We have talent in some spots, but not enough to be where we need to be. And we have to fix that as soon as possible.

I just hope Bo is the guy that can get it done because if not we will be rebuilding for even longer.

We cannot afford to fire Bo for anything less than consecutive losing seasons or NO ONE will want to come here. That is a fact.

Bo is the guy until we have back to back losing seasons. I just hope he can get it figured out so we don't have to go through it again.

Unless someone has a crystal ball and knows all the answers....

I agreed with what you said, except for this part. I think it's pretty much impossible for us to have back-to-back losing seasons, simply because of our non-conference schedule and the other similar teams in the conference. IMO, back-to-back seasons with 8 wins or less would constitute a change. I also don't agree that "no one" would come here -- money talks.

 

[Husker_x]

Nothing mediocre about Braxton, and let's be clear, it wasn't 60 points. It was 42, with one of those TDs coming in garbage time with a minute to play. Another one of those coming after a Martinez INT set up the Buckeyes in the red zone.

Still a really bad showing - but not quite 60 points.

I do agree with your last paragraph though X - and I love the Michael Corleone analogy.

Somehow recalling pick sixes and special teams breakdowns actually makes it worse, not better. Total team failure. Can't just pin it on the defense.

 

[AFhusker]

This is very true, but we must not forget the way that Callahan treated former players. He lost the support of many followers for this reason.

He lost support because he couldn't win games, no one said a word about how he was treating former players until 2007. If he had us in the top 10 right now he would still be the most popular man in the state.

Wrong, Tom and the former players were undermining him in 2005 with "alternate" golf tourney's at the same time and date the athletic department had theirs. The not winning games had more to do with having to get a ton of JUCO's to try to field a competitive team because he inherited a small and slow team that wasn't able to compete. A majority of those guys graduated and then the 12 (or close to it) man recruiting class of 2004 (5 by Solich) reared it's ugly head and there were no upperclassmen on that team that were any good. Kind of what Bo is going through right now, only this is all of his doing since it's his 5th season.