Injuries and Expectations

[tschu]

They are not an excuse for subpar performance.

It's hard to call 9-10 wins per season "subpar". It may not be "excellent" (in all areas)......but "subpar"?

I'm quite certain we don't need to rehash the 9-10 win thing in yet another thread. But for a short explanation, it's how we lose those four games, how we barely win a couple against lesser opponents, and the relative level of competition we have been doing it with. 9 or 10 wins DOES seem like a good stat.......until you look at the games in detail, then not so much imo.

Yeeeep.

I'm with you in that more than two losses with our schedule seems pretty bad. But my expectation for the season is at least 4-5 losses. And that was before these injuries, so I'll solidly say 5. So right off the bat, my expectations don't line up with what I feel would be acceptable. Now I've been with the Fire Bo camp since UCLA last season, and I feel like us meeting expectations based on the strength of the current team shouldn't be a long-term determiner of whether a coach keeps his job. There should be a benchmark baseline of success that includes minimizing blowouts, competing for and winning conference championships, etc.

Will this change how I evaluate Bo at the end of the season? I'll take it into consideration, but if that means these injuries were the difference between 4 and 5 losses, and we get blown out by Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa, then it certainly won't matter. We "met" the low, safe 8-9 win expectation, but failed to come close to the benchmark. If we win 9-10 games with a really bad secondary, then I might change my tune. If we play in the B1GCCG despite the losses, then Bo gets some credit there. But I'll make it clear that this team is going to have to do a lot for me to change my tune on Bo.

Betting market seems to think that these defensive losses were worth about 0.3 or 0.4 wins, so it certainly seems at least measurably significant.

 

[Blackshirts007]

If there's one position on the defense that I'm most confident in Bo it's DB's. Look at how many 2 and 3 star kids he got drafted (and playing) in the NFL. We are freaking out because we don't know anything about the younger guys but I'm sure Bo is not panicking. Stanley ended up being out best corner and he came out of nowhere, hell he moved positions. Ciante played very young too before anyone knew anything. Young guys will step up.

 

[Mavric]

Pelini address some of the injuries (OWH)

 

[skersfan]

My gawd this site sounds like bunch of little old ladies worrying about the possible hail that might mess up their garden. We have not even played a down of football, we truly know little about who would start or would not, who was second or third string. Let Bo worry about this stuff. He is the only one that makes any difference to anyway. Play the games then worry.

If he has recruited as those in the know says he has, he will be fine. That is what we need to believe, nothing else.

 

[Mavric]

What pisses me off more than losing these three top contributors is that this just starts to pad the excuse list. It seems for the last few years there is a rather large faction of fans always willing to relieve Bo and staff of any responsibility for what happens on the field. This has to end. All teams have player loses and injuries. They are not an excuse for subpar performance. Sure it sucks but big boys nut up and do what needs to be done. Based on our schedule and where this program should be at this point in time, more than two losses will be met with serious questions from this fan.

Wow. Are we really to this point? People are more upset about what the argument will be if the season doesn't go so well instead of upset that guys who've put in a lot of effort and work won't be able to help the team succeed?

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

What pisses me off more than losing these three top contributors is that this just starts to pad the excuse list. It seems for the last few years there is a rather large faction of fans always willing to relieve Bo and staff of any responsibility for what happens on the field. This has to end. All teams have player loses and injuries. They are not an excuse for subpar performance. Sure it sucks but big boys nut up and do what needs to be done. Based on our schedule and where this program should be at this point in time, more than two losses will be met with serious questions from this fan.

Wow. Are we really to this point? People are more upset about what the argument will be if the season doesn't go so well instead of upset that guys who've put in a lot of effort and work won't be able to help the team succeed?

Yeah, got to feel for these guys. As a whole, this team has seemed to really put in the work this off-season. Michael Rose's comments after his injury showed just how hard he was pushing himself for the season. Hope to see each fully recover and back 100% next year. Go Big Red!

 

[Blackshirts007]

Pelini address some of the injuries (OWH)

It says "defensive death" in the article. Not depth. Nice OWH haha

 

[The Dude]

What pisses me off more than losing these three top contributors is that this just starts to pad the excuse list. It seems for the last few years there is a rather large faction of fans always willing to relieve Bo and staff of any responsibility for what happens on the field. This has to end. All teams have player loses and injuries. They are not an excuse for subpar performance. Sure it sucks but big boys nut up and do what needs to be done. Based on our schedule and where this program should be at this point in time, more than two losses will be met with serious questions from this fan.

Wow. Are we really to this point? People are more upset about what the argument will be if the season doesn't go so well instead of upset that guys who've put in a lot of effort and work won't be able to help the team succeed?

In JJ's defense, your tangent aside, that's kind of what the thread is about.

 

[EbylHusker]

National title or bust, followed by a complete staff change. You don't give up looking after an hour. You put posters up instead of sitting on your porch like a goon. You've got a responsibility. You get your a$$ out there and you find that f'ing dog!

 

[Brouhaha]

National title or bust, followed by a complete staff change. You don't give up looking after an hour. You put posters up instead of sitting on your porch like a goon. You've got a responsibility. You get your a$$ out there and you find that f'ing dog!

I hope to god that you're a troll

 

[zoogs]

Pelini address some of the injuries (OWH)

It says "defensive death" in the article. Not depth. Nice OWH haha

Very nice.

Pelini also touched on the team's defensive death following the injuries to Rose and nickelback Charles Jackson, as well as safety LeRoy Alexander's suspension.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

The B1G is an up-the-middle, run-first, linemen's conference. The key to winning the B1G the last 15 yrs has been a solid running game and a defense that can stop the run. The defense needs to start with the front 4 (really 7) and be strong up the middle (DT, LB, S). Solid corners are a luxury, but we are not facing any world-beater QBs (though some are solid players like Ruddock from Iowa).

From what I see, hear, and read, this 2014 defense is built the right way for B1G play. We are 5-6 deep at DT, solid starting DE run stopping (McMullen) and pash rushing (RG4)---(though thin/young after starters), fast and heavy hitters in the middle of the field (e.g., LB: Anderson and Bando; S: Cooper and Gerry, even freshman Kieron Williams), and talented but very young CB.

CB play could be the weakness of this defense because of youth which could affect our passing defense (like our young front 7 affected the rushing defense early last year), but we should be stout against the run.

If we us nickel as our base defense we should be good.

DE: RG4, Natter, (1 freshman: King, Stoltenberg, or Newell)

DT: VV, Kevin Williams, Kevin Maurice

DT: Collins, Aaron Curry

DE: McMullen, Keels, (1 freshman or walk-on: Gangwish, Dzuris, Newell)

WILL: Z. Anderson, M. Newby, C. Love

MIKE: Bando, Santo, Roach

Nickel: Byerson "Mr. Utility" Cockrell, Joshua Kalu

CB: JMitch, Trai Mosley

CB: J Rose, D Davie, Chris Jones

SS: Cooper, DJ Singleton, Boaz Joseph (Singleton and Joseph are complete unknowns, so depth here is an issue behind Cooper)

FS: Gerry, Kieron Williams

Even at Base 4-3, we still have a decent line up.

Dropping Cockrell from that Nickel spot in as a CB opposite JMitch and making BUCK: Santos, C. Love

Then, on special packages for third down pass rush, we can switch up the front four in our Nickel to our Rabbit:

DE: RG4

DT: Collins

DT: McMullin

DE: M Newby

Ohh, baby!

I see that the starters are certainly capable, by my issue is that we're quickly going to have to rely on true freshmen in the secondary if more injuries start to pile up. I don't care how talented they were in high school, that's a tall order for a true freshmen to deal with, particularly with a coverage scheme as complicated as Bo's. Very few players come in and grasp it quickly. It's taken J. Rose and C. Jackson a few years to get the mental aspect down.

Let's hope we can stay healthy throughout the season!

 

[EbylHusker]

National title or bust, followed by a complete staff change. You don't give up looking after an hour. You put posters up instead of sitting on your porch like a goon. You've got a responsibility. You get your a$$ out there and you find that f'ing dog!

I hope to god that you're a troll

 

[Army_Allen]

National title or bust, followed by a complete staff change. You don't give up looking after an hour. You put posters up instead of sitting on your porch like a goon. You've got a responsibility. You get your a$$ out there and you find that f'ing dog!

I hope to god that you're a troll

A bit NSFW with a couple swears but he's no more of a troll than Mr Sandler.

On topic, we don't change an outlook on the loss of players. The cogs of a team fundamentally sound don't crack under duress, and if we can't be resilient through these losses then the team probably wasn't gonna achieve the same goals with them. These guys are really good players but there's no Suh, David, or Prince here. Yet.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Two sets of fans I shake my head over.

A). The fans that the instant an injury happens it's the end of the world.

B). The fans that say injuries don't matter and Bo should be expected to go win a championship no matter who gets injured and how many injuries.

Both are unrealistic.

Injuries are a part of the game. However, it can greatly affect even great teams if certain players on that team get injured.

I'm disappointed but not alarmed at what has happened. Now, if maybe Bando goes down along with Cockrell and maybe RG4 and another top D lineman....my expectations would start to drop for the defense.