Nebraska's Identity Crisis

DomiNUs

DomiNUs

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I was reading this story on yahoo and it brought back some thoughts I have had.

Eight years ago, when BC was fired we had a chance to hire Paul Johnson. TO chose to go another direction with Bo, which seemed a bit odd to me. If there was any style of football out there that matched our identity, Paul Johnson was running it. Now he is tearing it up down there at Georgia Tech. I doubt he was even looked at as a serious candidate after Bo was fired and MR was hired. My question is why did we not go with the obvious choice that matched our identity twice?

I know Johnson has had a few mediocre years at GT, but I don't think that happens if he is here. Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me. I am hoping that Mike Riley will be able to change that here soon.

 
TO Stated at the time that he thought the offense we were running was good (and it was). The denfense was in shambles, so he reasoned that a Defensive guru would be a good choice (and it was, at least for a while). Remember, Pelini was the DC on a NC team in LSU. Plus, it was a very popular choice among fans at the time, and TO understood the value of uniting the fan base and giving them what they wanted. I am willing to bet you approved of the hire at that time as well... especially after 2009. hindsight is always 20/20.

I think BC broke us in to thinking that it might be OK to try a different offensive philosophy here, thus making it easier for Riley to bring in a WCO without the extreme shock value that Callahan had.

TO seemed to be open to believe that a WCO can work in Nebraska, why can't you.

 
If I remember right, Johnson wanted to bring in his whole staff, Oz wanted some Nebraska guys on it. Johnson balked at that and chose not to come.

 
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DomiNUs said:
Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me.
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You know what's like eating comfort food? Winning.

Winning was our identity. Whether it was the wishbone under Devaney/the early Osborne years, or the option, winning was our identity. I don't think anybody would be saying stuff like this if we were hanging up conference title banners on campus.

 
IA State Husker said:
TO Stated at the time that he thought the offense we were running was good (and it was). The denfense was in shambles, so he reasoned that a Defensive guru would be a good choice (and it was, at least for a while). Remember, Pelini was the DC on a NC team in LSU. Plus, it was a very popular choice among fans at the time, and TO understood the value of uniting the fan base and giving them what they wanted. I am willing to bet you approved of the hire at that time as well... especially after 2009. hindsight is always 20/20.

I think BC broke us in to thinking that it might be OK to try a different offensive philosophy here, thus making it easier for Riley to bring in a WCO without the extreme shock value that Callahan had.

TO seemed to be open to believe that a WCO can work in Nebraska, why can't you.
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I have said it before on here, BC's WCO was actually pretty decent later in his tenure. I never said I disapproved of the BP hire either. My top three were Paul Johnson, Turner Gill and Bo Pellini. TO went with BP, who was fired seven years later, turns out it was the wrong choice. My question was, why did we not go with the OBVIOUS choice for a head coach twice?

 
Jim Grobe, not Al Groh. But I think that whole story has been refuted. It was really down to Turner and Bo.

There were also rumblings that Pelini was a given.

 
Undone said:
DomiNUs said:
Watching a GT game is like eating comfort food. It reminds me of when I knew what kind of team would show up to play for us.

BTW, I really don't know what our identity is anymore, and I think a lot of people are right there with me.
Click to expand...
You know what's like eating comfort food? Winning.

Winning was our identity. Whether it was the wishbone under Devaney/the early Osborne years, or the option, winning was our identity. I don't think anybody would be saying stuff like this if we were hanging up conference title banners on campus.
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Winning was part of our identity, that is correct. So was playing smash mouth football.

 
RADAR said:
IA State Husker said:
RADAR said:
If I remember right, Johnson wanted to bring in his whole staff, Oz wanted some Nebraska guys on it. Johnson balked at that and chose not to come.
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Thought that was Al Groh at Wake Forest
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You could be right, I do know that 408 was not his first choice.
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... I mean Jim Grobe, oops.
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Undone said:
Turner Gill...I'm pretty sure we would have had the ultimate identity crisis in that scenario.
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I don't know about that. Turner Gill is doing pretty good at Liberty. He only had trouble at Kansas, and let's face, who doesn't have trouble coaching at Kansas?

 
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