In our defense, we should have a linebacker in the 120+ tackles per season range. Melvin Gordon is still waiting for one of our linebackers to tackle him.....as Gerry and Coop would attest. Pelini said after spring ball we needed a linebacker to step up. It hasn't happened.
For christ sake TheSker, stop with this crusade of yours. It is worn out and quite frankly sad.
Do we have worse LBs than Western Illinois? A lot of teams have played Wisconsin, many have problems at LB, none gave up 400 yards. FOUR. HUNDRED. YARDS. To one mother f'ing guy. One guy, literally the most ever by anyone.
Bo Pelini's amazing scheme, that apparently has to have elite LBs to stop a guy from breaking the ALL-TIME RUSHING RECORD, doesn't work. His defense is responsible for the worst defensive performances in school history repeatedly.
Literally anyone can come in here and do what he does, beat the nobody teams. The ones we out-talent. Get our a$$ kicked by the above average teams and flat out embarrassed by the good teams. His defense, regardless of the names on the back of the jerseys and their subsequent star rankings, doesn't work. It has been good twice:
1. With the best DT in the history of CFB destroying the opposing offensive line and an NFL secondary.
2. With the best LB playing on Sundays and 5 NFL DBs playing behind him.
Anyone with professional playing experience can fake it through a season and limp to 9 or 10 wins with that talent on defense. (Which is exactly what he did) The problem is he can't recruit at that level and can't develop the talent level he can recruit.
HE ISN'T GOING TO MAGICALLY GET GREAT. Not after 7 years.