The flip side of the Bo coin: Room for hope and growth

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ORLANDO, Fla – The best Capital One Bowl moment for Nebraska football wasn’t the game itself.
It sure could have been; I liked NU to win and use a victory over a ten-win SEC team as a springboard into the offseason. My Thursday rewind delved into a few reasons why Monday was such a second-half debacle and what needs to come out of it.

But there was a “best moment” of the trip, and that occurred on Saturday, as Nebraska coordinators Tim Beck (offense) and John Papuchis (defense) sat side-by-side conducting a press conference for reporters. In that moment, they were what Nebraska fans would hope for: Sharp, brief, vague-but-useful, positive, funny-without-seeming-forced. Effectively uneventful – which is long-hand for “polished.”

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Well done Sam. The first two comments on the story look like Huskerboard.

I've stated in multiple threads over the last few months. I think the next 2 years will show if Bo is going to build an elite program. He has made some errors in coaching, staff selections, recruiting and talent development. The true test of his leadership will be to see if he has learned for his mistakes. I'm very optimistic that he has.

I tend to agree with the following:

At Pelini’s best, this is who I suspect he is and consistently could be: A football innovator who wants to push the envelope and needs young guys who will go out to the edge with him as a kind of secret society, where only “known” guys get in.
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Beck was the equivalent of new writer who pens an audacious debut novel with every kind of writing style you can imagine. Some dazzling passages, some that fall flat – but you want to read a second novel. And Pelini was the printing house that published the book. Beck was aggressive, austere, conventional, wildly unconventional, power and spread. He ran the Maryland I and five wide receivers. Wingbone and Pistol ace four-wide receiver flex.
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Passages like this are why Sam is the best sportswriter in the state of Nebraska. Now if he could just become more of an NU homer when he casts his AP ballot. :)

 
I think this article highlights issue #1 with this program: Inconsistency. A fair amount of good, and more than we'd like poor. I can't say this about Devaney or Osborne (in a good way). I can't say this about the Callahan era (in a bad way). I probably CAN say this about the Solich era.

 
"This isn’t to throw a wet blanket on justified criticism. I’ve written my share. But rigor – intellectual, journalistic, otherwise – goes beyond quips and proclamations. It assents to examining the flip side of a coin. And that flip was Penn State."

This isn't the first time Sam has done this but I always get a chuckle at how he calls out his fellow reports from time to time. It suttle, yet effective. If I were Dirk I'd be pissed I got called out like this.

 
da skers said:
"This isn’t to throw a wet blanket on justified criticism. I’ve written my share. But rigor – intellectual, journalistic, otherwise – goes beyond quips and proclamations. It assents to examining the flip side of a coin. And that flip was Penn State."

This isn't the first time Sam has done this but I always get a chuckle at how he calls out his fellow reports from time to time. It suttle, yet effective. If I were Dirk I'd be pissed I got called out like this.
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If you were Dirk that slight would not register. It would go over your head. Like a lot of things if you were Dirk.

 
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TO won't fire Bo if he continues winning 9 games a season.

But, I think it is fair to say, if Bo goes 8-5 or 9-4 next year with 2 or 3 non-competitive losses that the hot stove will be plenty hot.

As far as Beck, I liked what he did overall in terms of scheme. I do have questions about personnel decisions, but it is unclear if that is Bo's call or Beck's.

Papuchis has been DC for one game. Not much to really comment upon.

 
Both of Sam's commentaries since the bowl game, this one and the more "negative" article that led to this one, are brilliant examples of good local sports journalism. Completely fair with a level-headed tone, even while being critical. Good writing.

 
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