The Blackshirts are back

To be clear "Bo's Way" had absolutely nothing to do with dominating defenses.

Bh1YP5M.jpg
Yes, Bo's defenses were pretty crappy at times. But, you can't say that in 2009 and 2010, that Bo's defenses didn't "live up" to the Blackshirt Tradition. Let's not act like those seasons never happened.
 
To be clear "Bo's Way" had absolutely nothing to do with dominating defenses.
Bh1YP5M.jpg
Yes, Bo's defenses were pretty crappy at times. But, you can't say that in 2009 and 2010, that Bo's defenses didn't "live up" to the Blackshirt Tradition. Let's not act like those seasons never happened.
Just goes to show that Bo couldn't recruit the guys he needed for the scheme, once Callahan's recruits left. Or, the scheme needed in the B1G was different than that needed in the XII and he could never make the adjustments.

 
To be clear "Bo's Way" had absolutely nothing to do with dominating defenses.
Bh1YP5M.jpg
Yes, Bo's defenses were pretty crappy at times. But, you can't say that in 2009 and 2010, that Bo's defenses didn't "live up" to the Blackshirt Tradition. Let's not act like those seasons never happened.
Sure they happened. But let's not pretend Bo used those seasons as some sort of standard for handing out Blackshirts.
 
Look the guys that got the blackshirts are ballers. I don't understand why there is any disagreement about this topic. Who really gives a sh#t when the blackshirts are handed out? If I were a new coach in a program with the tradition of Nebraska, I'd want to inspire some swag in my starting 11. Look at the looks on their faces - they're ready to play.

 
Who really gives a sh#t when the blackshirts are handed out?
A massive portion of the fan base, the hundreds of players who've worn a Blackshirt over the past five decades, all the coaches involved in the defense over the past 50 years, legions local and national media...

Aside from that... nobody.

 
Kevin Williams is a starter!
Well, it looks like Williams got a Blackshirt.
See, I told you so.
Haha, Power T won't be happy about that!!!
I don't care. Honestly. When he plays, great. I never doubted his ability.

Gangwish getting seriously choked up is the best freaking thing. Beyond ready for Saturday.
Kid is the most respectful young man I've ever been around. Beyond excited for him.

 
Kevin Williams is a starter!
Well, it looks like Williams got a Blackshirt.
See, I told you so.
Haha, Power T won't be happy about that!!!
I don't care. Honestly. When he plays, great. I never doubted his ability.

Gangwish getting seriously choked up is the best freaking thing. Beyond ready for Saturday.
Kid is the most respectful young man I've ever been around. Beyond excited for him.

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Raccoon disagree with your sentiment

 
To be clear "Bo's Way" had absolutely nothing to do with dominating defenses.
Bh1YP5M.jpg
Yes, Bo's defenses were pretty crappy at times. But, you can't say that in 2009 and 2010, that Bo's defenses didn't "live up" to the Blackshirt Tradition. Let's not act like those seasons never happened.
Sure they happened. But let's not pretend Bo used those seasons as some sort of standard for handing out Blackshirts.
Bo's standard was contradictory. He'd wait for the defense to reach some arbitrary level before handing them out, a level that would then be mocked by a future performance. This, in turn, fed the narrative that the Blackshirts equal performance, and nothing else. This methodology also fueled mid-season distractions of when they'd get their shirts and what was good enough to get a shirt. Some fans would also end up wondering if the shirts would be pulled if they had a bad performance again.

It's totally understandable why this is a big point of interest among the fans, players and coaches. But, the Blackshirts became a sort of historical crutch over the last several years. Fans didn't have conference or national titles to hang their hats on, so, a lot of attention was aimed at a tradition instead. It makes me think of a bad magic track, like someone is waving their left hand high in the air to distract you while they try to slip something in their pocket with their right hand.

 
To be clear "Bo's Way" had absolutely nothing to do with dominating defenses.
Bh1YP5M.jpg
Yes, Bo's defenses were pretty crappy at times. But, you can't say that in 2009 and 2010, that Bo's defenses didn't "live up" to the Blackshirt Tradition. Let's not act like those seasons never happened.
Sure they happened. But let's not pretend Bo used those seasons as some sort of standard for handing out Blackshirts.
Bo's standard was contradictory. He'd wait for the defense to reach some arbitrary level before handing them out, a level that would then be mocked by a future performance. This, in turn, fed the narrative that the Blackshirts equal performance, and nothing else. This methodology also fueled mid-season distractions of when they'd get their shirts and what was good enough to get a shirt. Some fans would also end up wondering if the shirts would be pulled if they had a bad performance again.

It's totally understandable why this is a big point of interest among the fans, players and coaches. But, the Blackshirts became a sort of historical crutch over the last several years. Fans didn't have conference or national titles to hang their hats on, so, a lot of attention was aimed at a tradition instead. It makes me think of a bad magic track, like someone is waving their left hand high in the air to distract you while they try to slip something in their pocket with their right hand.
He handed the blackshirts out after losing to Michigan St one year. So who knows what he was ever thinking

 
When the day came that players were refusing their blackshirts (for any reason whatsoever) - then it had become a joke. Hopefully those days are past us.

 
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To be honest with you, the Gangwish reaction and tweet have me jacked up!! Come on Saturday, get here already!!

 
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