Learning Bo's Defense

M

MichiganDad3

All-American
How long does it really take to learn Bo's system. Looking at Bo's first 5 years, his defenses were better when players had less time in the system.

2008 - every one is new to the system, 2 blowout losses, #80 ranked scoring defense in the country

2009 - max experience is one year, one blowout loss, #1 ranked scoring defense in the country

2010 - max experience is two years, no blowouts, #9 ranked scoring defense in the country

2011 - max experience is three years, 3 blowout losses, #42 ranked scoring defense in the country

2012 - max experience is four years, 4 defensive embarrassments, #58 ranked scoring defense in the country

The results from 2009 and 2010 show that players with one year in Bo's system can perform at an elite level. They must have been able to learn the system in a single year. Has Bo been adding complexity over the years? Did Bo loose some great teachers from the defensive staff?

 
MichiganDad3 said:
How long does it really take to learn Bo's system. Looking at Bo's first 5 years, his defenses were better when players had less time in the system.

2008 - every one is new to the system, 2 blowout losses, #80 ranked scoring defense in the country

2009 - max experience is one year, one blowout loss, #1 ranked scoring defense in the country

2010 - max experience is two years, no blowouts, #9 ranked scoring defense in the country

2011 - max experience is three years, 3 blowout losses, #42 ranked scoring defense in the country

2012 - max experience is four years, 4 defensive embarrassments, #58 ranked scoring defense in the country

The results from 2009 and 2010 show that players with one year in Bo's system can perform at an elite level. They must have been able to learn the system in a single year. Has Bo been adding complexity over the years? Did Bo loose some great teachers from the defensive staff?
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It's not a mental issue. It's a talent one. LaVonte David alone backs this up. Not to mention when you DONT have the talent to make a system work-as a player-you develop a tendancy to not trust the scheme and try to do things your own way. There's been some chatter of some players last year not playing within the scheme and I mostly believe that is why. They couldnt totally buy in because their own personal talents didnt allow them to be as successful as they wanted, so they strayed to doing things their own way in an attempt to make up for it-with what appeared as disasterous results.

 
That is my point. We keep hearing that the 2012 defensive had many senior starters because the younger (and more athletic) players didn't know the system. I think that is BS, but I don't know why slow, senior players continued to start. I am also trying to convince myself that the 2013 defense will be good enough to win the BIG.

 
Bama and Nebraska use similar defensive philosophies. Take the 2012 blackshirts and swap them with Alabama's defensive players. Bo keeps his scheme the same, Bama keeps theirs. Who has a better defense at the end of the year?

 
I have to echo what's been said already. It's a talent issue from my view point, pure and simple. I've never been one to say the talent of your team is proportional to who gets drafted, but at the same time, it's something important to look at and does have some validity. We had some really good defensive players drafted after Pelini's first couple of seasons. Compare that to last year where we had basically no NFL talent.

And last year one of our largest problems was no overly useful players in the front seven. Our defensive line was consistently unable to get pressure or make interior plays on the line. Some of this can be chalked up to scheme, and some of it can't. Linemen are still supposed to try and shed blocks to make interior tackles, linemen aren't supposed to get bullied two yards or more beyond on the LOS by offensive linemen.

Defense is inherently more difficult than offense at the most basic level too, because defense is almost entirely reaction based. Offenses know what they're doing, defenses are trying to figure it out and react. That by itself means you're at a disadvantage. So, look at almost any program in the country and you'll see really young players don't often make the impact on defense that they do on offense. That's why it's difficult to get young, talented guys PT. It becomes a balancing act of deciding whether the less talented senior that knows his stuff is more/less valuable than the more talented underclassmen that doesn't know as much.

 
Bo kind of said that he regrets not putting some of those young bucks into the action. Coaches get familliar with players and don't want to leave their comfort zone, plus they're thinking if they can keep guys in redshirts or whatever that they'll get more out of those players.

Still comes down to a rotation up front and at the LB spots on defense, both in terms of players and formation, and a williness to develop systems to maximise the talent we have throughout the depth chart.

 
MichiganDad3 said:
That is my point. We keep hearing that the 2012 defensive had many senior starters because the younger (and more athletic) players didn't know the system. I think that is BS, but I don't know why slow, senior players continued to start. I am also trying to convince myself that the 2013 defense will be good enough to win the BIG.
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Didn't Bo say he should've pulled some redshirts to get some "athletes" out there?

Didn't Bo also say, he will redshirt players if they're "swimming" in it?

How many true freshman does Bo play on average vs. other teams? There was an article posted somewhere - he played 4, BAMA and someone else played 10&11 respectively. (Saban realizes athletes win games, even if they don't grasp the whole thing, they more often than not can make up for an error - and use it as a coachable moment.)

Bo also knows the defense needs to trust each other. If he doesn't trust them, why should the players i.e. regarding playing a true freshman when all the comments he makes are "we'll see"?

Bo doesn't play them because he doesn't trust them, in a system that is based on trust, because they don't know every little detail about the defense. I think this is the year he has to start to at least break that mold.

 
OregonHuskerMan said:
How many true freshman does Bo play on average vs. other teams? There was an article posted somewhere - he played 4, BAMA and someone else played 10&11 respectively. (Saban realizes athletes win games, even if they don't grasp the whole thing, they more often than not can make up for an error - and use it as a coachable moment.)
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My guess is Bo would be playing Alabama's freshman as well. Nebraska is forced to recruit far more "potential" than Alabama has to. A lot of Alabama's recruits have already proven they are a commodity. We're lucky to get 3-4 of those a year. They'll sign 10 of them. Doesn't mean we won't have 10 playing at the level by the time they are seniors - just that it frequently takes a little longer. If it didn't, we'd have 8-10 guys declaring early for the draft like LSU/Alabama. (which is another reason Alabama is forced to play more young players)

 
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Sweet. So what I gather from most Husker fans who don't think it's complicated is this. When Bo's system works, it's because Bo is a defensive guru, and he has developed talented players into great defenses. When Bo's system doesn't work, it's not Bo's fault, he's still a defensive guru, it's the players fault. Those players just suck.....

Damn, I am in the wrong field of work!!! Please someone pay me millions of dollars a year to take credit for when everything goes right, and have a fan base that allows me to escape all blame when it all goes down the shitter! Damn I want that job. What a joke.

 
Bo won't escape all blame for having one of the worst Nebraska defenses in history last year.

1. Those were all his guys. In year five, it's all your recruits.

2. Your the HC, recruiting is a big part of your gig. If the recruits suck, that means you didn't do a good job.

3. The guys looked lost out there repeatedly

4. If the guys look lost, it's your job to help them figure it out or put players out there that can.

5. If you had players that can, then f'ing PLAY THEM! They aren't here to warm the f'ing' pine.

6. Repeated games in Bo's tenure where you can see a failure to make adjustments.

7. Bo Pelini "points the thumb", so if Bo truly practices what he preaches, then who am I to blame those players. If Bo is pointing the thumb at himself, then I'll gladly let him accept the blame. It's his job to get players out there who can execute his scheme. If nobody on this roster can execute the scheme, then change the f'ing scheme. PERIOD.

 
True to the Red.......Always said:
Damn, I am in the wrong field of work!!! Please someone pay me millions of dollars a year to take credit for when everything goes right, and have a fan base that allows me to escape all blame when it all goes down the shitter! Damn I want that job. What a joke.
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There is this thing called "sports" which is unique in that the outcome is never guaranteed and that is what makes people love it.

If you want that job, start studying up and be a coach.

 
I'm beginning to think Bo mortgaged last year to better the program for this year and next.

 
EZ-E said:
I'm beginning to think Bo mortgaged last year to better the program for this year and next.
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It's a valid point.

Everything I've said above I have said before. Just tired of excuses, Game time is right around the corner. I don't want to hear another f'ing' excuse from any players or coaches. Year six should mean results. Results.

 
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