I'll Start the Fire Watson Thread

[Count 'Bility]

I give Watson some love because while he was here, he was at least making attempts at change and getting it to work. Whether it was demand from bo or his own intuition, the drastic offensive simplificatoin in '09 and the pistol looks and zone reads in '10 showed that we trying to adjust. The thing is, especially after 2009, he knew as well as anyone he wasnt appreciated here anymore and like any job in the world, how hard are you going to work if you know youre gonna be overwhelmingly hated.

I wanted Watson gone as well as anyone. It was just obvious to me that his strenths as a playcaller and coordinator did not match well with what Nebraska as a program has to do to get the necassary athletes. Like Osborne using the option until the end, we have to do something unique to get those great players that not a lot of poeple want becuase they run a more familiar/conventional system. Like Tommie Frazier coming here cuz we were one of few that wanted him as a qb. I think Bo quickly understood that we had to start developing a uniqueness on offense with athletes playing qb rather than qb's playing qb. It became pretty evident from the major inconsistencies in 2010, that the direction we were going that Watson just didnt fit well.

I agree with most of your post except the part about our offense we're running now being unique. It is true that TO ran an offense very few did which is why we got a player like Frazier. However, we aren't doing this anymore. A lot of teams run something similar to what we do. Even in the B1G, there are QB's that could step in and run our offense like Miller at OSU and even Shoelace at Michigan. We may have different wrinkles, but a lot of teams now are in search of a dual threat QB. As more and more dual threat QB's have success in the NFL, it's going to get even more competitive recruiting them to Nebraska.

I see our offense as pretty unique. We do a little bit of everything. Multiple-or as some like to call it, "jack of all trades, master of none". We can go spread option/zone read on one play, then come back with conventional I PA pass the next. Use the ISO toss and then go back to spread gun for a deep pass. Then throw in that we do it all at a very fast tempo with all the freedom in the world for the qb to make checks and changes at the LOS, and I consider it pretty unique. I think it allows us to utilize the different types of players we have. Here at Nebraska, when we have the chance to nab a high talent recruit, we have to get him, regardless how well he fits the system. I think our multiplicity makes good use of this. Look at our TE situation this year. Ben Cotton was more of a conventional, big blocking type TE and Kyler Reed was more of a spread look, athletic type of TE. I dont see many, if any at all, other teams doing the numerous different things we do in a single game and then proceed to do it at the tempo we run.

While all being true, you could run our offense with several QB's just in the B1G. Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Michigan all have QB's that could step right in and run our offense. When Frazier was running our offense, there were very few teams nationally let alone in the conference that had QB's that could step in and run the same offense. Can you think of any other QB in the country that could have taken the ball to the house like Frazier did against Florida in the NC game? We ran power option football when the west coast and such were the flavor of the month. There's a lot of teams running the spread and zone read today. The dual threat QB's we have gotten have primarily occurred because they were seen as being too raw by other programs. Cody Green missed a year of high school ball due to injury. Turner and Carnes are now receivers. Even Martinez was used as a receiver on the scout team his redshirt year.

I'm thinking unique because of how many different things we do as opposed to just hanging our hat on the the spread option, or spread air attack or whatever it is-conventional pro style, etc. We do a little of everything, literally. To me I guess, that's unique. I dont see anyone doing much of that.

 

[kchusker_chris]

I'm not gonna lie....I definitely prefer Beck over Watson. Watson is a solid OC, no doubt about it, but I can tell you this....that more than 50% of the time....I believe NEB could and would score 33 points or more against this year's Florida defense. Yes, I just made that statement. NEB's offense is THAT good. As we all know, the aspect that holds this offense back is turnovers. Period.

Limiting the turnovers and penalties, and our offense gives Oregon's a run for the money. Yes I said it. I just went full retard. we'd average well over 40ppg.

Sam Mckewon said that same thing about NEB's offense before the season started. He stated that if TMart gets better (which he did in most areas, not all) and if the offensive line holds up (did more times than not) that NEB would have a scary offense. An offense that averages 40ppg. This offense WILL MORE THAN LIKELY get SCARIER next season and I can't wait.

You both remember a thread I started about two months ago, where I stated I thought we had one of the best offenses in the nation and the harping I got? I think we would fare VERY well with Oregon offensively. Defensively is another story, but their defense isn't the best either lol.

This year's offense is the best I have seen in a VERY long time, if ever. What made us win our Championships and Conference Championships, was defense.

you'd still get the same harping today. The offense was again (just like UCLA), dormant for almost the entire 2nd half. Taylor can talk about how we ran all over them...but top offenses don't lead the nation in turnovers, and they can operate for 4 entire quarters of football. Out of 56 quarters of football, I'd say this offense sat out at least 12 of them. That's 20% of the season. They can be SOOO much better than they are.

(how much of that is because of our defensive issues I have no idea)

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I'm perfectly happy with Beck, but I think Watson would have ended up running something similar as the offensive personnel emerged.

I think we're quick to overlook what a clusterf**k the 2009 and 2010 seasons were, as we were forced to play without three of our top running backs, then with two quarterbacks who weren't quite the passer (Lee) or runner (Green) that had been advertised, then with the freshman revelation (Martinez) who was forced to play hobbled, all while transitioning the offense out of what Callahan had envisioned and recruited for. With a month to prepare, Watson unveiled the offense he had in mind at the 2009 Holiday Bowl against a highly touted Arizona defense and it looked pretty damned good. It looked even better the next year when Martinez was getting 70 yards on the options reads that had netted Zac Lee 6 yards in the Holiday Bowl. When Martinez ran, he ran wild. When they dared him to pass, he threw 5 touchdowns. When Martinez got hurt against Missouri, Roy Helu set the Nebraska rushing record. When they insisted on trotting out an injured and severely limited Taylor Martinez for the rest of the season, the jig was up.

Shawn Watson was hired by Bill Callahan. That's all some fans needed to know. But if you judge by the statistics, the same people should be calling for the head of whoever is in charge of the Nebraska defense. Which, if we're being honest, is Bo Pelini.

 

[zoogs]

Bill Callahan is a good offensive coach, and so is Shawn Watson. I don't see any need for gripes here, though, because Shawn is enjoying some good success at a program like Louisville and we have a pretty good offensive coordinator in Beck to succeed him.

Watson wasn't going to be left alone to run his own offense here at Nebraska, under Bo. Clash of styles, so Louisville seems like the right place for him. Good coach and a good part of the staff while he was here, I wish him the best, and am happy with what we've got right now.

 

[knapplc]

I don't know if it was so much that Watson's preferred offense is different than Bo's. I think it has far more to do with the fact that Bo wanted "his guy," like most CEOs when they take over. Watson is not gone from Nebraska because he was a bad guy (he wasn't/isn't), or because he's a bad coach (he wasn't/isn't), or because his system wouldn't work here (it would). He's gone because he's not the guy Bo hired.

Bo did everything in his power to help Shawn Watson get that Louisville job. There's no animosity between the two, and from what I understand, they got along quite well, philosophical differences in offensive style notwithstanding.

 

[Vizsla1]

Ah the memories and to re-read some notes of reason. That was a great game last night. The SEC isn't all that we thought it was, if we use the bowl games as guides, but at the same time they consistently have lots of play makers on both sides of the ball.

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Beck>Watson.... For Nebraska, anyways....

 

[zoogs]

I think it has far more to do with the fact that Bo wanted "his guy," like most CEOs when they take over.

I think you could be right on that. When Beck was brought in he was probably viewed as waiting in the wings for that position from the start.

 

[junior4949]

I give Watson some love because while he was here, he was at least making attempts at change and getting it to work. Whether it was demand from bo or his own intuition, the drastic offensive simplificatoin in '09 and the pistol looks and zone reads in '10 showed that we trying to adjust. The thing is, especially after 2009, he knew as well as anyone he wasnt appreciated here anymore and like any job in the world, how hard are you going to work if you know youre gonna be overwhelmingly hated.

I wanted Watson gone as well as anyone. It was just obvious to me that his strenths as a playcaller and coordinator did not match well with what Nebraska as a program has to do to get the necassary athletes. Like Osborne using the option until the end, we have to do something unique to get those great players that not a lot of poeple want becuase they run a more familiar/conventional system. Like Tommie Frazier coming here cuz we were one of few that wanted him as a qb. I think Bo quickly understood that we had to start developing a uniqueness on offense with athletes playing qb rather than qb's playing qb. It became pretty evident from the major inconsistencies in 2010, that the direction we were going that Watson just didnt fit well.

I agree with most of your post except the part about our offense we're running now being unique. It is true that TO ran an offense very few did which is why we got a player like Frazier. However, we aren't doing this anymore. A lot of teams run something similar to what we do. Even in the B1G, there are QB's that could step in and run our offense like Miller at OSU and even Shoelace at Michigan. We may have different wrinkles, but a lot of teams now are in search of a dual threat QB. As more and more dual threat QB's have success in the NFL, it's going to get even more competitive recruiting them to Nebraska.

I see our offense as pretty unique. We do a little bit of everything. Multiple-or as some like to call it, "jack of all trades, master of none". We can go spread option/zone read on one play, then come back with conventional I PA pass the next. Use the ISO toss and then go back to spread gun for a deep pass. Then throw in that we do it all at a very fast tempo with all the freedom in the world for the qb to make checks and changes at the LOS, and I consider it pretty unique. I think it allows us to utilize the different types of players we have. Here at Nebraska, when we have the chance to nab a high talent recruit, we have to get him, regardless how well he fits the system. I think our multiplicity makes good use of this. Look at our TE situation this year. Ben Cotton was more of a conventional, big blocking type TE and Kyler Reed was more of a spread look, athletic type of TE. I dont see many, if any at all, other teams doing the numerous different things we do in a single game and then proceed to do it at the tempo we run.

While all being true, you could run our offense with several QB's just in the B1G. Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Michigan all have QB's that could step right in and run our offense. When Frazier was running our offense, there were very few teams nationally let alone in the conference that had QB's that could step in and run the same offense. Can you think of any other QB in the country that could have taken the ball to the house like Frazier did against Florida in the NC game? We ran power option football when the west coast and such were the flavor of the month. There's a lot of teams running the spread and zone read today. The dual threat QB's we have gotten have primarily occurred because they were seen as being too raw by other programs. Cody Green missed a year of high school ball due to injury. Turner and Carnes are now receivers. Even Martinez was used as a receiver on the scout team his redshirt year.

I'm thinking unique because of how many different things we do as opposed to just hanging our hat on the the spread option, or spread air attack or whatever it is-conventional pro style, etc. We do a little of everything, literally. To me I guess, that's unique. I dont see anyone doing much of that.

While all of this is true, I don't think it addresses the uniqueness in terms of recruiting players based upon it being unique. TO ran an offense that most did not at the time. This is why he could get QB's that few other schools had any interest. There are several schools interested in a running QB these days. The NFL is becoming littered with running QB's. In terms of the skill positions, we run things that are similar to a lot of other teams. If I'm a high profile RB, I'm looking to go to a school that runs the ball a lot. If I'm a high profile WR, I'm looking to go to a school where I'll get the ball thrown my direction a lot. Kyler Reed almost became nonexistent in the offense as did Enunwa.

The biggest problem with trying to be unique on the offensive side of the ball these days is that college football is pretty well balanced. There's a lot of schools that run power football. There's a lot of primarily passing teams. There's also a lot that are very multiple spread type offenses with either a mobile QB or a stationary QB. The defensive side of the ball is the most dumbfounding to me. We're somewhat unique in the amount of defensive players we've sent to the NFL which is a high priority to the four and five star recruits. Originally, I thought top notch defensive recruits would come pouring into the program.

 

[The Dude]

I bumped this thread because two years ago there were quite a few people acting like jackasses, saying that Watson was a total bum. He's not. That should be clear from last night with what his offense did against Florida, shouldn't it?

Not really, no.

Louisville's defense had a pick six to open the game, and Florida's failed onside kick/penalties to open the second half gave Louisville the ball on Florida's 19. Without those two gifts, the 20 points Louisville's offense actually earned wouldn't have been enough to win the game. Imagine if our defense could hold any decent team to 23 points.

We'd be playing Notre Dame in a few days.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I bumped this thread because two years ago there were quite a few people acting like jackasses, saying that Watson was a total bum. He's not. That should be clear from last night with what his offense did against Florida, shouldn't it?

Not really, no.

Louisville's defense had a pick six to open the game, and Florida's failed onside kick/penalties to open the second half gave Louisville the ball on Florida's 19. Without those two gifts, the 20 points Louisville's offense actually earned wouldn't have been enough to win the game. Imagine if our defense could hold any decent team to 23 points.

We'd be playing Notre Dame in a few days.

No we wouldnt. It would still be Alabama. No way does an undefeated Big 10 team pass up a 1-loss sec champ to play for the National title. We might've been in over Notre Dame, but there's going to be an SEC team, if not 2, playing for the National Championship for the forseeable future.

 

[knapplc]

I bumped this thread because two years ago there were quite a few people acting like jackasses, saying that Watson was a total bum. He's not. That should be clear from last night with what his offense did against Florida, shouldn't it?

Not really, no.

Louisville's defense had a pick six to open the game, and Florida's failed onside kick/penalties to open the second half gave Louisville the ball on Florida's 19. Without those two gifts, the 20 points Louisville's offense actually earned wouldn't have been enough to win the game. Imagine if our defense could hold any decent team to 23 points.

We'd be playing Notre Dame in a few days.

No we wouldnt. It would still be Alabama. No way does an undefeated Big 10 team pass up a 1-loss sec champ to play for the National title. We might've been in over Notre Dame, but there's going to be an SEC team, if not 2, playing for the National Championship for the forseeable future.

OK, he was using some poetic license there. His larger point is still valid, though - we're in a BCS bowl as B1G champs if our defense was remotely competent against Ohio State and in the CCG.

 

[junior4949]

We were in a BCS bowl if our defense was remotely competent in the CCG.

 

[HuskerNationNick]

I think people are giving Louisville's offense too much credit and their defense not enough credit. Florida's offense isn't as superior as many may have thought, and I have told this is a conversation, myself and my LSU buddy have had for a while. I thought they had a good enough offense to torch Louisville, but their Louisville's defense showed otherwise. Their defense is what set the tone for that game, and continued to, through all 4 quarters.

Bridgewater was icing on the cake. Starting with his game management, to being smart with the ball and doing as much as he could to put the ball in position for only his receiver's to get the ball, and not to commit a turnover. For the first 3 quarters, Louisville only had like 15 rushing yards. If this was at Nebraska, many of our fans would be B*TCHING through the roof.

In my opinion, Louisville's defense is what won them that game, more than Watson and his play calling. Not taking anything away from Watson or Bridgewater, but I am just calling it as I see it.

 

[clyde40]

I think people are giving Louisville's offense too much credit and their defense not enough credit. Florida's offense isn't as superior as many may have thought, and I have told this is a conversation, myself and my LSU buddy have had for a while. I thought they had a good enough offense to torch Louisville, but their Louisville's defense showed otherwise. Their defense is what set the tone for that game, and continued to, through all 4 quarters.

Bridgewater was icing on the cake. Starting with his game management, to being smart with the ball and doing as much as he could to put the ball in position for only his receiver's to get the ball, and not to commit a turnover. For the first 3 quarters, Louisville only had like 15 rushing yards. If this was at Nebraska, many of our fans would be B*TCHING through the roof.

We have one of the top rush offenses in America and you'd think we had the Mike Leach offense the way some people respond around here.