Starting QB Present or Future View

[Cali Sker (in Boston)]

Let's begin by saying that NU has indeed fallen. I don't think many would argue that point. How far is a matter of opinion.

Bare cupboards? Recruiting ratings would say not. I personally think there is plenty of talent at NU.

Agree 100%

Problem is... lots of teams have talent. It's how you use it that counts.

That's my point about coaching - I have to believe the new staff will get vastly more out of this team's talent than the previous staff.

2008 starts a new coaching regime, starting with a 5-7 team. They have a lot of work ahead, evaluating the players, the offense and defense they want to run (given the players they have).

The players, even the "old-timers" will have some new things to learn from new coaches with different coaching styles than the old regime. Learning curves suck.

I think someone said this on another thread, but it's easier to switch defensive schemes than offense, so switching up the defense won't be too bad. And since the offense was pretty good and won't change much, I don't think the learning curve should be that bad on offense, either.

The top teams of the B12 north (MU, KU, CU), seem to have left the others behind.

Disagree. MU sure looks good, but with half a defense Nebraska can hang with Kansas and Colorado. Again, this is where better coaching will help.

OU and TX are always tough.

So??

So that makes the climb to the top longer and harder.

Teams have been turned on a dime before, but as KU and CU can attest, sometimes it takes a while. They took 5-6 years.

NU is starting at a higher level than they did. Maybe Bo can do it faster.

Bo will do ok. But it ain't likely to be a quick fix.

but opinions vary.

Although we can't expect a National Title in the first year or two, or even a conference title, I just don't think NU is that far behind and will at least compete next year, and if they do win a conference or BigXII North title I would call it a "turnaround" more than "turning on a dime". And KU hasn't done anything since about 1995, so I'd say they pretty much turned on a dime.

GO BO!!

I certainly agree with that as well.

 

[HuskerfaninAustinTX]

With Ganz at the controls, the O took off down the stretch. I think Pellini will want to create a culture of winning from the start. Joey G is a leader a la Major Applewhite and the players will follow him. He brings a passion, mobility and energy that Keller didn't. Good luck Sam...hope you get a shot in the NFL. I would be surprised if Ganz isn't the starter next season. The Huskers will need a good offense, so Bo can pay attention to the defense. If the O can control the ball and eat up the clock, that will aid the D in a big way. This season the D couldn't get off the field and the O had to scrap the game plan when we were down early in games. When you are one dimensional, you are easier to defend. I think that there is talent on the defensive side of the ball too. The right schemes and the right players in the right positions can make a big difference. I have experienced the right players in the wrong system when a coaching change has taken place. I am confident that Bo and the rest of the coaches will get it right. I want to see a more aggressive D take the field. I am not a fan of the bend don't break philosophy. GBR!!!

 

[Hunter94]

we will need a lot more efficiency out of the offense too. 3rd down conversions and sustained drives will be needed. the offense needs to improve in this regard as well.

 

[adc7236]

Too much over-analyzing here. You start the guy who gives you the best shot at winning, be it Ganz, Lee or whoever. Ganz may be gone the next year but most of the other guys on the team will still be there and if they get used to winning during Ganz's last season, they're going to develop a winning attitutde that's going to carry on to the next year.

So, if Ganz is the best you've got, you start Ganz and work the younger guys in for a series here or there throughout the season to get them some real-time experience.

:yeah

 

[dlrn64]

Nebraska won't lose to all of those teams mentioned in Robsker's post because they are all at home except Oklahomo's. I fully expect Nebraska to compete for the North division crown for sure. I certainly think that Bo can gameplan much better defensively than Cosgrove ever dreamed of doing and will come up with schemes to prevent MO, KU, CO, from scoring at will. Heck, Colorado certainly isn't going to beat us in Nebraska. All of the defeats came because of our poor defense and it will improve.

How could it get worse after all?

 

[dlrn64]

Oh and there is no way and I do mean NO WAY that Ganz should start next year if the competition is truly open at QB. I like Ganz and he is a trooper, but he made some horrible decisions and too many bad throws to be the starter. You guys who are so enamored with him really need to look at the games again. He threw so many balls that were bad and either weren't catchable by our players, but should have been interecepted by opponents. He is lucky he didn't have more INT's.

Lee is a better passer and can run also. He is the best option for winning next year...unless Ganz improves and/or Witt is better than either one.

 

[Hunter94]

Oh and there is no way and I do mean NO WAY that Ganz should start next year if the competition is truly open at QB. I like Ganz and he is a trooper, but he made some horrible decisions and too many bad throws to be the starter. You guys who are so enamored with him really need to look at the games again. He threw so many balls that were bad and either weren't catchable by our players, but should have been interecepted by opponents. He is lucky he didn't have more INT's.

Lee is a better passer and can run also. He is the best option for winning next year...unless Ganz improves and/or Witt is better than either one.

yeah, you're right........Lee and Witt were awesome last year........ <_<

 

[Hunter94]

Nebraska won't lose to all of those teams mentioned in Robsker's post because they are all at home except Oklahomo's. I fully expect Nebraska to compete for the North division crown for sure. I certainly think that Bo can gameplan much better defensively than Cosgrove ever dreamed of doing and will come up with schemes to prevent MO, KU, CO, from scoring at will. Heck, Colorado certainly isn't going to beat us in Nebraska. All of the defeats came because of our poor defense and it will improve.

How could it get worse after all?

MO, KU and CU will be extremely tough games next year, or have you forgotten how throughly MU and KU beat our a$$?

 

[westgatehusker]

who cares who was the starting qb 2 years ago. that shouldn't even be brought up in who should start. play whoever gives you the best chance to win.

 

[dlrn64]

Nebraska won't lose to all of those teams mentioned in Robsker's post because they are all at home except Oklahomo's. I fully expect Nebraska to compete for the North division crown for sure. I certainly think that Bo can gameplan much better defensively than Cosgrove ever dreamed of doing and will come up with schemes to prevent MO, KU, CO, from scoring at will. Heck, Colorado certainly isn't going to beat us in Nebraska. All of the defeats came because of our poor defense and it will improve.

How could it get worse after all?

MO, KU and CU will be extremely tough games next year, or have you forgotten how throughly MU and KU beat our a$$?

Right...and we beat all those teams the year prior to this past year, didn't we? So yeah, I think NU will beat them at our home. At least two out of the three. That's why I said NU won't lose to ALL of those teams...which I don't beleive they will. Those teams will not have the luxury of knowing how our defense will play them since Cosgrove is no longer here. Bo will have our D ready to play and we will be fired up to play all those guys. Call it the Sweet Revenge Year.

 

[Jim Hammer]

Too much over-analyzing here. You start the guy who gives you the best shot at winning, be it Ganz, Lee or whoever. Ganz may be gone the next year but most of the other guys on the team will still be there and if they get used to winning during Ganz's last season, they're going to develop a winning attitutde that's going to carry on to the next year.

So, if Ganz is the best you've got, you start Ganz and work the younger guys in for a series here or there throughout the season to get them some real-time experience.

spot on. you play the best guys and try to win every game, every year. any other approach would be foolish.

It would also be doing a huge disservice to the seniors to not play the best players.

"Sorry guys, we're going to play the freshmen and sophs so we have a better chance to win down the road. Feel free to come back next year and stand on the sideline as alumni."

 

[husker rob]

Nebraska will play the best QB, period.

i hope that the best player will be playing at every position

 

[HUSKER 37]

Cali Sker (in Boston) 7 posts=Rookie of the year?

Wasn't it Kansas with Glen Mason who tried red-shirting the entire Jr. or So. class his 7th season?

Cracked the top-10, then fell off the earth for a decade. (4-7 the next season, then went to Minnesota)

123-121-1 and took less than half his teams Bowling..9 Bowls in 19 seasons.

I think too much importance is being placed on the QB in this situation.

Barring having a Tim Tebow or a Vince Young..You mainly just want someone who's a good leader that doesn't make many mistakes.

I think we should be concentrating on getting more better rotation at the Line of Scrimmage..Playing 3-5 guards and 3-5 Tackles throughout each game and build experience/cohesion there...Same with the Defensive starters (2-3 at a time)..Usually, there's so much competition and so little drop off, you're usually better off playing a fresh 2nd team-er in the 4th series, than have your starter inevitably start pacing himself.

(Although I still haven't figured out these freaky Running Backs that get stronger as the game wears on..Maybe not enough rotation from the other team?)

Most of us have grown accustomed to consistent results, not a "contender" every 3-5 years.

Depending on off-season conditioning and the new coaching staff, and their ability to adjust, I won't be too surprised if we win 10 games next season, but I know I have to keep telling myself to be patient.

 

[Armistead]

Can somebody please explain this attitude NU fans seem to have regarding how low our program has fallen and how it's going to take years to rebuild because the cupboard is so bare? Aren't we one year removed from playing for the conference title? I felt like we outplayed both OU and Auburn at the end of last year and I always heard about how great Callahan recruited, but all of a sudden we've fallen so hard that we have to expect to "rebuild" and "fall on hard times" before we can expect to win again? Until the MU and OSU games this year I thought NU was still on the rise, not going through a 10 year spell of crappiness after a big scandal a-la OU in the '90s. This "rebuilding" attitude sucks and is horrible - that will only lead to a sustained attitude of mediocrity. It's THAT attitude that is the FIRST thing that needs to go and if Ganz can help NU win next year and get back some swagger and confidence, then he needs to start. Period.

How many more games would NU have won this year with even a semblance of defense? I honestly think that Texas, KU, and CU would have been wins if NU's D had been even remotely good (look at how many points NU scored in those games). Weren't we ahead of CU at halftime? Are they really THAT much better? Didn't we go toe-to-toe with KU until our defense just rolled over? Don't you think a Pelini coached defense could have stopped KU's offense a few times out of 11? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see the cupboard being so bare, and I don't think NU's talent level and overall program has fallen so far that any "rebuilding" is necessary and if there's a defense next year (and I think we all know what Bo can do on defense) that can go along with the numbers Ganz and the offense are capable of putting up (18 total TDs and 1400+ passing yards in only 3 games) then why should NU have to settle for anything? Why can't they EXPECT to WIN? Why do we need to start "rebuilding" and conceding whole seasons before we can get better?

Realize that many of the points that the NU offense scored were in games where they were way behind and the opposition was scoring at will. The opposition played a pseudo-prevent defense or a prevent defense and were less than intense --- allowing cheap meaningless points in blowouts. people see the Ganz numbers and their eyes light up. Well. Wait and see. Those numbers were good and I do not want to take anything away from Ganz or the offense --- but context matters.

How anyone can not see that NU is rebuilding and is nowhere near the level of Missouri or Kansas and likely behind Colorado as well --- well, I do not get that.

If you watched any bowl game this year at or around new years, then did you not notice how much faster and more explosive the skill position players were than ours. Did you not notice the guns on the LB's and the lineman on other teams? Then see our LB's (in physical terms) or our big-bellied soft lineman (not all of course --- but generally speaking). No, in terms of sheer physicality, NU is way, way, way behind.

Callahan's recruits that initially signed on had horrific attrition rates. Much of the recruiting hype came from the ones NU were in on --- but most of those we did not get. There has been, I think, more hype than there has been production from Callahan's recruits. That said, it is still early and some of the younger guys may be the real deal. We just do not know.

Anyway. A 5 - 7 team that has gone to only two bowls in four years and has a new, unproven coach (and an unproven staff) coming off of the #100 something defense. Well.... yeah, rebuilding is an appropriate description.

RBhusker...or what ever.....do you watch the games?......Ganz was crushing KU D.......CU's D and destroyed KSU's d......none of those teams played a prevent...........they could not handle the run...thats right the RUN pass option that Ganz can stress a defense with.....now for all the fans who whine about the INT's that Ganz threw...well, he was forced into throwing the ball late in the games just too try too keep up....the run was thrown out and that led the defense to key on his passing........with Pelini at the helm of the defense....I see us runnin more option and pistol formation stuff that will control the ball and grind another team down...lord knows we have a good o-line..........Ganz and co. will give teams like Va Tech and CU fits......MU KU are good but they lose more than you think to graduation(mu) and that bodes well for the Huskers

Now to all the fans who think the Huskers are talentless mob that can't win....We have out recruited the North for 4 years....it looks like a late rush by Pelini will put us well ahead of the north agin ....so the talent is there..... we finally come into a season with a clear cut winner at QB...a proven stud, last time we did that we won the north......that also coincides with the great home schedule...last time we had that we also won the north.....and we are getting better on defense(pelini)

KU will be decent next year....but they wilted in the only big game they played last year......MU will also be good, but agin....they will be on the road forever next year and they will need to replace key players on offense and defense.....I laugh when I hear about all the returning talent that everyone else has....and we have none....fact is , NU just needs to get their Sh-t together....the d will be light years ahead of last year...and there is a ton of talent.....a ton of it.

 

[Hunter94]

Can somebody please explain this attitude NU fans seem to have regarding how low our program has fallen and how it's going to take years to rebuild because the cupboard is so bare? Aren't we one year removed from playing for the conference title? I felt like we outplayed both OU and Auburn at the end of last year and I always heard about how great Callahan recruited, but all of a sudden we've fallen so hard that we have to expect to "rebuild" and "fall on hard times" before we can expect to win again? Until the MU and OSU games this year I thought NU was still on the rise, not going through a 10 year spell of crappiness after a big scandal a-la OU in the '90s. This "rebuilding" attitude sucks and is horrible - that will only lead to a sustained attitude of mediocrity. It's THAT attitude that is the FIRST thing that needs to go and if Ganz can help NU win next year and get back some swagger and confidence, then he needs to start. Period.

How many more games would NU have won this year with even a semblance of defense? I honestly think that Texas, KU, and CU would have been wins if NU's D had been even remotely good (look at how many points NU scored in those games). Weren't we ahead of CU at halftime? Are they really THAT much better? Didn't we go toe-to-toe with KU until our defense just rolled over? Don't you think a Pelini coached defense could have stopped KU's offense a few times out of 11? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see the cupboard being so bare, and I don't think NU's talent level and overall program has fallen so far that any "rebuilding" is necessary and if there's a defense next year (and I think we all know what Bo can do on defense) that can go along with the numbers Ganz and the offense are capable of putting up (18 total TDs and 1400+ passing yards in only 3 games) then why should NU have to settle for anything? Why can't they EXPECT to WIN? Why do we need to start "rebuilding" and conceding whole seasons before we can get better?

Realize that many of the points that the NU offense scored were in games where they were way behind and the opposition was scoring at will. The opposition played a pseudo-prevent defense or a prevent defense and were less than intense --- allowing cheap meaningless points in blowouts. people see the Ganz numbers and their eyes light up. Well. Wait and see. Those numbers were good and I do not want to take anything away from Ganz or the offense --- but context matters.

How anyone can not see that NU is rebuilding and is nowhere near the level of Missouri or Kansas and likely behind Colorado as well --- well, I do not get that.

If you watched any bowl game this year at or around new years, then did you not notice how much faster and more explosive the skill position players were than ours. Did you not notice the guns on the LB's and the lineman on other teams? Then see our LB's (in physical terms) or our big-bellied soft lineman (not all of course --- but generally speaking). No, in terms of sheer physicality, NU is way, way, way behind.

Callahan's recruits that initially signed on had horrific attrition rates. Much of the recruiting hype came from the ones NU were in on --- but most of those we did not get. There has been, I think, more hype than there has been production from Callahan's recruits. That said, it is still early and some of the younger guys may be the real deal. We just do not know.

Anyway. A 5 - 7 team that has gone to only two bowls in four years and has a new, unproven coach (and an unproven staff) coming off of the #100 something defense. Well.... yeah, rebuilding is an appropriate description.

RBhusker...or what ever.....do you watch the games?......Ganz was crushing KU D.......CU's D and destroyed KSU's d......none of those teams played a prevent...........they could not handle the run...thats right the RUN pass option that Ganz can stress a defense with.....now for all the fans who whine about the INT's that Ganz threw...well, he was forced into throwing the ball late in the games just too try too keep up....the run was thrown out and that led the defense to key on his passing........with Pelini at the helm of the defense....I see us runnin more option and pistol formation stuff that will control the ball and grind another team down...lord knows we have a good o-line..........Ganz and co. will give teams like Va Tech and CU fits......MU KU are good but they lose more than you think to graduation(mu) and that bodes well for the Huskers

Now to all the fans who think the Huskers are talentless mob that can't win....We have out recruited the North for 4 years....it looks like a late rush by Pelini will put us well ahead of the north agin ....so the talent is there..... we finally come into a season with a clear cut winner at QB...a proven stud, last time we did that we won the north......that also coincides with the great home schedule...last time we had that we also won the north.....and we are getting better on defense(pelini)

KU will be decent next year....but they wilted in the only big game they played last year......MU will also be good, but agin....they will be on the road forever next year and they will need to replace key players on offense and defense.....I laugh when I hear about all the returning talent that everyone else has....and we have none....fact is , NU just needs to get their Sh-t together....the d will be light years ahead of last year...and there is a ton of talent.....a ton of it.

i just don't see the ton of talent here. if i remember correctly, we don't have anyone returning that was recognized as a Big 12 top notch guy......not a single one that i am aware of (Lucky, honorable mention?) and if there was one or two i missed, that is still farrrrr from a ton of talent, that has been recognized by any of the experts.