The Mental Game

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EngineeringHusker

Four-Star Recruit
So there's been plenty of talk about what is wrong with our team this year- coaching, play calls, talent level and what not. However, it seems to me that the problem goes far beyond any of these simple things. I'm not a football expert and definitely not a psychology expert, but it looks like the majority of the problem is all in the players' (probably coaches' too) heads.

In three of our losses we have had the lead going into the final drive, and in the Miami game I think it's safe to say we had the momentum going into overtime. Each game has been ours to lose, and unfortunately we managed to do just that each time. One thing I have noticed about our team over the last several years is that we do not usually play very well at all with the lead.

Our best drives are usually when the players have felt their backs against the wall. For whatever reason, the need to make the comeback has made our guys play their best football. This has been evident this season such as in the comeback against Miami and even our final scoring drive against Wisconsin. We had more than our fair share of comebacks under Bo as well. My question is, why do our guys need to feel the pressure of being down to focus and perform well? Why has this been the best motivator the team has had?

It's been pretty apparent that we don't do well when we are winning or have a big game on the line. I can think of several instances where this has been the case. This season we have been in the driver's seat for BYU, Illinois, and Wisconsin. We were in the position each time to win and really probably should have. Please don't say this is only a Mike Riley problem though. The team crapped the bed several times under Bo too. We blew it to a lousy Texas team in our redemption game. Also blew a giant lead against OU in the BIG XII Championship game. Even the the infamous 408 game we got out to a pretty decent lead in the first quarter. This problem has extended beyond Bo or Riley.

Why do our Huskers lack the killer instinct to put teams away? We seem to play scared- too worried to make a mistake and blow the game. I know sometimes poor calls may have been made, but please don't bring that up. That topic has been beat to death, and as my former high school basketball coach said, "players make plays." For whatever reason, this year the opposing teams always seem to make plays. (Ya know, just once you'd think they'd mess up
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I haven't coached kids before, and at 26 I still sometimes feel like one, so I don't necessarily know how you go about fixing this. I don't know if this is a byproduct of an "us against the world" mentality where to get riled up you have to believe people are out to get you, as some people have said Bo instilled in the program. Heck, it may even go back to Callahan and Solich.

How do you go about changing the mind set of a bunch of 18-22 year olds? Obviously winning, winning big, and winning a lot would be a big help. I know it's easier said then done, but I think if our guys can figure out the mental game things will really turn around.

I apologize for the long post. I have been a lurker for many years, and I guess I just kinda let loose. I've gotten a little tired of the Riley this- Bo that posts and am interested in people's insights into this sometimes forgotten part of the game.
 
As to kids, it depends on the age. Small children until they start becoming teens is all about adult leadership; parents and coaches and unfortunately parents vs coaches. Once they get into high school through early adult years it becomes all peer leadership. A coach must work through the peer leaders to really engage the group.

You've hit the nail on the head on how to fix this; win big. Riley knows his task is to convince the upperclassmen that have won a lot of games in their career that he is credible enough to lead them. Winning because the opponent misses a late field goal isn't enough. He has to address players who have played 6 games under him in which only one has been decisive (and everyone knows why).

Regales of what people think this is possible. This schedule is so weak that Nebraska continues to open as favorites despite having so many issues. It is very possible to string together some big wins (by margin) in the immediate future. It's probably not possible to salvage this year (Iowa just has too weak a schedule to be handed this cushion) but it is absolutely possible to transition this stretch into next year. Unfortunately that goes both ways.

 
EngineeringHusker said:
So there's been plenty of talk about what is wrong with our team this year- coaching, play calls, talent level and what not. However, it seems to me that the problem goes far beyond any of these simple things. I'm not a football expert and definitely not a psychology expert, but it looks like the majority of the problem is all in the players' (probably coaches' too) heads.

...................................................................................................................................

I apologize for the long post. I have been a lurker for many years, and I guess I just kinda let loose. I've gotten a little tired of the Riley this- Bo that posts and am interested in people's insights into this sometimes forgotten part of the game.
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This is a great post and I notice people aren't that interested in figuring out what's wrong, so in the interest of keeping this going I'll add a few thoughts being that I'm 30 years older than you and remember some of what it used to be like.

Back in the glory days we had incredible depth and the starters were upperclassmen who for the most part had sat and watched for a few years until they got their chance. By the time that chance came they knew who they were, where they fit, and what the guy playing next door was likely to do in a given situation. They also had a very rigid structure that didn't allow much guessing. Contrast that with the number of guys who are being plugged in here and there with not much playing experience or familiarity with each other and also being asked to do things differently with the new staff and it's not hard to understand why they don't always live up to our high standards. Breakdowns are to be expected with the level of talent and depth that we have,...heck, even the MNC teams needed a lucky kick to keep the streak going and were fortunate to have one of the best lines in college football history to carry the team when the number 1 and 2 QB's were down. None of this excuses losing to equally talented teams or accounts for lousy play calling, but it is what it is. I'm not a huge fan of the star system, but you can't have all 3 star recruits except for some 4 stars who were injured in high school and expect to compete with teams that have three deep 4 & 5 stars.

Hope something here puts our situation into perspective. I have been impressed with the effort of our players.

 
This team reminds me of a bright but lazy student that doesn't apply itself until the night before the term paper is due or they take the big exam. They don't seem to have any intensity or sense of urgency in the first series or the second quarter or on second and five. I can remember several times offensive lineman walking away back to the huddle before the whistle...literally!

 
Bowfin said:
This team reminds me of a bright but lazy student that doesn't apply itself until the night before the term paper is due or they take the big exam. They don't seem to have any intensity or sense of urgency in the first series or the second quarter or on second and five. I can remember several times offensive lineman walking away back to the huddle before the whistle...literally!
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Do we play the same linemen the whole game or sub in guys who are chomping at the bit?

 
Teachers can tell you why we have such a mental problem on this team. Its called entitlement. Athletes expect to be treated special and will do as little as possible in the classroom to get ahead. If they don't get there way mom and dad come in and raise hell with the teacher then the principal then the superintendent and then the school board. Its been open season on public education in this country for many years and know the police are being subjected to the same treatment. What dose this have to do with this thread---(Discipline) Most big time athletes in High School football can do what they want in schools and around town and get away with no action taken against them. In the state of Texas the pressure to win has become so great that many Texas football players crimes have been covered up by the parents, coaches, principals and public officials. Win at all costs leads to athletes learning that there is no accountability. Its a reflection on what is going on in this country. It started in the late seventies and has progressively gotten worse. Look at the decline in the family values, respect, social issues. Look at the player from Texas, At halftime he is texting that he is going to transfer schools. Most of these athletes fill entitled and Nebraska has brought these kids into the state from places like Texas,California, Louisiana, and other parts of the country that don't have the mid-west work ethic. People who live in Nebraska don't see what is going on in many parts of this country. That is why there is NO PLACE LIKE NEBRASKA. In my view this lack of work ethic has taken hold in Nebraska football and we see the Nebraska values fade away. As for the coaches, the same things are going on in Texas. Football coaches down here do not have to teach classes, they coach football. We pay football coaches as a teacher then add money for OC, DC, equipment managers and several other titles to pay them extra money. The head coach in my town will make 120,000.00 this year and his only duties are to run the football program. His OC,DC, and special teams coaches also have no duties other than coaching football. Most of them live in a bubble where they think they are the smartest football coaches in the world and can do no wrong. Most football coaches I know surround themselves with staff that drink the same cool-aid as the head coach. Look at the head coach at Nebraska, Highest paid public employee in the state. Hope this gives you a different perspective on why there are mental problems at the college level.

 
I'll save you all a whole lot of reading and tell you exactly what's wrong: we made the wrong hire. It's as simple as that.

 
Whs from cb said:
Teachers can tell you why we have such a mental problem on this team. Its called entitlement. Athletes expect to be treated special and will do as little as possible in the classroom to get ahead. If they don't get there way mom and dad come in and raise hell with the teacher then the principal then the superintendent and then the school board. Its been open season on public education in this country for many years and know the police are being subjected to the same treatment. What dose this have to do with this thread---(Discipline) Most big time athletes in High School football can do what they want in schools and around town and get away with no action taken against them. In the state of Texas the pressure to win has become so great that many Texas football players crimes have been covered up by the parents, coaches, principals and public officials. Win at all costs leads to athletes learning that there is no accountability. Its a reflection on what is going on in this country. It started in the late seventies and has progressively gotten worse. Look at the decline in the family values, respect, social issues. Look at the player from Texas, At halftime he is texting that he is going to transfer schools. Most of these athletes fill entitled and Nebraska has brought these kids into the state from places like Texas,California, Louisiana, and other parts of the country that don't have the mid-west work ethic. People who live in Nebraska don't see what is going on in many parts of this country. That is why there is NO PLACE LIKE NEBRASKA. In my view this lack of work ethic has taken hold in Nebraska football and we see the Nebraska values fade away. As for the coaches, the same things are going on in Texas. Football coaches down here do not have to teach classes, they coach football. We pay football coaches as a teacher then add money for OC, DC, equipment managers and several other titles to pay them extra money. The head coach in my town will make 120,000.00 this year and his only duties are to run the football program. His OC,DC, and special teams coaches also have no duties other than coaching football. Most of them live in a bubble where they think they are the smartest football coaches in the world and can do no wrong. Most football coaches I know surround themselves with staff that drink the same cool-aid as the head coach. Look at the head coach at Nebraska, Highest paid public employee in the state. Hope this gives you a different perspective on why there are mental problems at the college level. Its also been shown that the students in college now can't handle the pressure. College prof are afraid to give students low grades because they can't handle it.
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