Injuries and Expectations

[Mavric]

Also, I don't want to beat this all to death because results is all I'm interested in, but a lot of the names you listed were more played out of necessity and lack of depth, not because they came in and simply 'got it' right away. Those guys had their struggles too. We're still not talking about an elite Blackshirt defense. Not yet anyway.

This is probably true to some extent as well but I'd argue it also has at least as much to do with the upper-classmen from the last couple years just weren't athletic enough to get on the field early so it was only upperclassmen for a few years. Now that we have better athletes they are getting on the field earlier.

To try to swing this back on topic, that also gives hope that some of the young guys that are going to make up most of the #2 unit now will also be able to contribute quickly.

 

[True2tRA]

Maybe it has changed, I don't know. All I know is halfway through last season, midway through the Northwestern game, Bo and his staff were so desperate for answers that they asked the players what calls they should make on defense.

Partway through the Northwestern game they went back to the base defense instead of the three-man line they had started the game in.

I see. I guess I had gotten the impression there was more to it.

Well after this discussion I'm led to believe a few things. 1. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. 2. The defensive scheme is not changing, the talent level is just rising 3. With the talent we have taking the field this year, I expect some good old fashioned Blackshirts defense.

Is that reasonable?

 

[Mavric]

Maybe it has changed, I don't know. All I know is halfway through last season, midway through the Northwestern game, Bo and his staff were so desperate for answers that they asked the players what calls they should make on defense.

Partway through the Northwestern game they went back to the base defense instead of the three-man line they had started the game in.

I see. I guess I had gotten the impression there was more to it.

Well after this discussion I'm led to believe a few things. 1. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. 2. The defensive scheme is not changing, the talent level is just rising 3. With the talent we have taking the field this year, I expect some good old fashioned Blackshirts defense.

Is that reasonable?

I'd say yes.

Just to follow up on an earlier point, this is my guess for the defensive two-deep at this poing:

DE - Gregory, Keels

DT - Collins, Curry

DT - Valentine, Maurice or Williams

DE - McMullen, Gangwish

BUCK - Santos, Newby

MIKE - Banderas, Roach

WILL - Anderson, Love

CB - Mitchell, Joseph

CB - Rose, Davie

N - Cockrell, Kalu

S - Cooper, Singleton

S - Gerry, Williams

So, we knew we were short at DE coming in and had good depth at DT. That hasn't changed. But for the most part we had some known good depth at LB and in the secondary. But the injuries have sapped the depth to the point that only the backup DTs have any experience. If we can have the remaining starters play well and work the backups in as they're ready when we can, we should still be in pretty good shape. But we don't have much experience to mix in off the bench at this point.

 

[NUpolo8]

I mean, you do agree, there's a reason we hear so much about simplifying. You can't just ignore all the people who have called his scheme complicating. People who know far more and have seen it, call it complicating. I've never, not once heard anyone who knows anything call Bo's scheme simple. After all, why would you spend an entire off season talking about simplifying something that nobody is finding difficult?

The word simplifying is being primarily used on the offense side. It is from the deeper look the staff took at issues with execution, such as turnovers. The conversation about scheme has been primarily defensively......since that is Pelini's background. Pelini had to learn the recruiting part of his job......it was a weakness. How many of our front 7 have been NFL caliber since 2009? College football is about talent. Barry Switzer made the line about Jimmys and Joes famous......and there's a reason Urban Meyer took coaching jobs in Florida and Ohio.

And there's also a reason there was nfl talent when Urban was at Utah.

Jimmy's and Joes become them for a reason. If that's not true you need to start giving Bo's predecessor a little more credit for getting them to NU.

 

[TheSker]

I mean, you do agree, there's a reason we hear so much about simplifying. You can't just ignore all the people who have called his scheme complicating. People who know far more and have seen it, call it complicating. I've never, not once heard anyone who knows anything call Bo's scheme simple. After all, why would you spend an entire off season talking about simplifying something that nobody is finding difficult?

The word simplifying is being primarily used on the offense side. It is from the deeper look the staff took at issues with execution, such as turnovers. The conversation about scheme has been primarily defensively......since that is Pelini's background. Pelini had to learn the recruiting part of his job......it was a weakness. How many of our front 7 have been NFL caliber since 2009? College football is about talent. Barry Switzer made the line about Jimmys and Joes famous......and there's a reason Urban Meyer took coaching jobs in Florida and Ohio.

If that's not true you need to start giving Bo's predecessor a little more credit for getting them to NU.

I have no issue giving Callahan credit for recruiting. Pelini's better defenses have been with talent primarily already in place for him. Is that not obvious from my previous posts? As mentioned on many occasions, there's a reason increased emphasis was placed on recruiting a couple of years ago. It was one of Pelini's weaknesses.

 

[The Dude]

But my expectation for the season is at least 4-5 losses. And that was before these injuries, so I'll solidly say 5.

I was thinking about this, there's just no way this seems right to me. Even assuming Banderas and Gerry are as bad as PJ Smith and Will Compton (which I think is unlikely), we still managed to win 10 games with those guys, against a roughly comparable schedule. And those guys weren't exactly playing behind Gregory, Collins, Valentine, and McMullen.

This is not an ideal situation at all, but I think you're making way too much of it. Again, it depends on where your starting point is, mine isn't "at least 4-5 losses". Mine is 4 losses, but it will probably take a postseason loss (or two) to get there. Especially considering this is most likely a 4-0 non-con year. Something catastrophic would have to happen to justify 5+ regular season losses with this schedule.

 

[hskrfan4life]

How about we don't have any more injuries.

 

[TGHusker]

Our margin of error has gotten less. Rose, Jackson, Alexander - we'll need great performances upfront.

I'm not sure how good Fresno and Miami will be, but MSU, Wisc, Iowa will be big challenges wt a weaken D.

I don't see us loosing all 5 but all should be competitive. The rest of the schedule is pretty pathetic.

 

[Mavric]

Taylor's out for a while now. Defensive back Charles Jackson and linebacker Michael Rose are done for the year. How do all the injuries affect the team? ... Senior Kenny Bell had this answer: "We're not out here playing baseball. We're playing football. We're tackling each other. We're hitting each other every day. Injuries happen. Guys know that comes with the territory. We're not just going to stop practicing."

OWH

 

[skersfan]

I would guess most of us have played the game a little at least. Injuries happen every day to every team. How the players handle those injuries are the only concern. These kids know this stuff happens, they have been dealing with since they were 7-8 years old. Maybe not the serious injuries, but the bumps and bruises. Everyone of them know it can happen, and they play because they love the game. We have a 100 plus players on this team. Someone will step up and fill the gap.

But I do realize that injuries can affect the team, the more there are the more it affects the team. We have to look at the game that is played, how the new kids respond, how quickly they catch up. Bo's head is not on the line for injuries. If it is it is due to past performance, not this years. I am not terribly concerned about the losses, it is expected. Feel terrible for the kids that have busted their butts and have it happen. But football is life in a nutshell. Not everything is roses and honey. Let's just see where it goes before we start worrying about wins and losses and lack of depth. We really will not know until the games are played.

I really do not have lower expectations with these losses. Now if we lose the starting Dline on top of these then there is major concern. Ameer and Cross goes down or Tommy, then yes I see problems. Bo has lost a lot of seniors during his tenor here. And that has had a lot of effect on his wins and losses, but in some sense it has made the team tougher and stronger. I think they will be fine, but lets play the games before jumping off the cliff. The sky is not falling!!!!

 

[StPaulHusker]

I expect 9 wins.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Let me ask the people who claim that injuries shouldn't affect expectations. So...you are saying that there is absolutely no level of injuries on a team that could prevent the coach from winning a championship?

 

[Street Novelist]

4 losses as par...now, maybe 5...we attend a bowl no one cares about...Bo keeps his job. repeat cycle

 

[dspanther05]

4 losses as par...now, maybe 5...we attend a bowl no one cares about...Bo keeps his job. repeat cycle

Um sure...2 players who haven't started gone, a 3rd string running back in a stable of backs that would start for most of our opponents and one player from the deepest position we have on defense and you're ready to sell the farm.

You might back off on that rhetoric a bit maybe? This hair on fire attitude is really irksome.

I think he means we lose 4 games every year regardless, why would these injuries change those expectations?

 

[The Dude]

Taylor's out for a while now. Defensive back Charles Jackson and linebacker Michael Rose are done for the year. How do all the injuries affect the team? ... Senior Kenny Bell had this answer: "We're not out here playing baseball. We're playing football. We're tackling each other. We're hitting each other every day. Injuries happen. Guys know that comes with the territory. We're not just going to stop practicing."

OWH

I actually agree with something Kenny Bell said. I might have to reevaluate everything.