The Myth and The Truth about the Husker Talent Gap

[restored_order]

Armi, you don't get beat 41-6 to a team that is less talented, hell, even to a team that is evenly matched. Missouri's players on D were light years ahead of ours, and let's look at your offensive comparisons:

TE....Coffman is NFL quality, there is no question that he is head and shoulders above some unknown JC player.

O-line...no doubt NU?? the only team able to get to the QB was OU, and did you see how many rushing yards they racked up against Arkansas?

QB...a guy who threw 8 INTs in 3 games and cost his team the win against a less-than-medicore CU team, or a Heisman finalist? Come on. I love Joe, but Chase Daniel is a proven great player.

WR....we lost our best WR, theirs is a probable NFL first-rounder with blazing speed. More than a slight edge to MU there.

So there's how MU has more talent. All this being said, I don't think it is out of the question that we beat the Tigers in '08 in Lincoln, but it would be a pretty big upset.

Ironmike --- you are right on the money --- but 90% of the Husker fans on this board are under the delusion that NU is really talented. They want to think that all the problems were coaching and cannot bend their minds around the notion that MU, KU and CU also have more speed, more quickness, better conditioned athletes and are more physical than NU. The problem will come next season when the Huskers will again be behind the competition --- and then the dogs will be out all over the Pelini staff.

I feel that last years trainwreck was both horrid coaching and sub par talent. This year upcoming will be better --- the coaching should be much improved. Effort and intensity should return. Pelini has us going the right way. But 7 maybe 8 wins is all anyone could possibly expect. There is a new order and there has been for some time now --- NU is in the middle of the conference --- at best --- and the climb up will be slow. The pieces are in place (we hope) with this staff --- but one falls faster than they rise. NU has a long path ahead of itself --- how long? WHO knows. But next year, if NU makes a bowl game than we should be pleased that the ascent has started.. The talent is not here, not yet, to realistically expect much more.

And Ironmike --- you are correct --- MU is light years ahead in talent relative to NU.

i agree to a certain level, but not completely.. yes, a lot of people think we are way more talented than we actually are.. however, saying that this is not all coaching related isn't exactly true.. you use speed, quickness, conditioning, and how physical they are.. well speed i'll give you for sure.. quickness, conditioning, and lack of physical play i am going to pin on the last staffs lack of focus on this issue. there is no doubt that we didn't play as hard as we should of because the sort of NFL mentality the team had. not that everything is this issue, but a lot of it was. and for you to say the talent is not here.. i ask you what is wrong with our running backs? what is wrong with our WR's? what is wrong with our QB's? the lack of talent comes on the defensive side of the ball, partially because of a lack of intense focus on that side of the ball in recruiting the past years.. i think our offense has all the talent it needs to win, just needs to be coached and trained... our defense needs to play with heart, along with get some more talent, i think everyone believes Bo will do that.. MU is not LIGHTYEARS ahead of us, but they are def. ahead of us, same with KU. both those games are winnable this year, just not likely.. we need time to get everything into place and more than just one offseason of conditioning..

Very reasonable analysis --- somewhat more positive than mine and certainly may be accurate. That conditioning physicality etc were coaching issues (and even attitude as well) cannot be contested. I too agree that both the MU and KU and the CU games are winnable --- though in each case it is unlikely --- we'll have the best shot at KU or CU but really MU should not really be much of a game. If we win one of those and are close in the other two then kudos to pelini.

I'll add my .02. I think that we have the best talent in the North, and the 3rd best in the conference. Do we have what USC and Florida have, probably not. What is going to happen is that we have almost 1 full year to get these kids into playing shape and condition, which is not difficult at all. Also, we now have a staff that will put the best players in the best position to win, and will have a gameplan that the kids have confidence in. IF we have guys like Asante and Culbert moving to LB, Turner dropping 25 pounds, and they understand and believe in the system, I guarantee that this defense will look every bit as fast as Mizzou or KU. That alone gives us a shot at the Big 12 title and a BCS game.

 

[restored_order]

The answer will be we have Pelini I am sure.

I think Bo is a great coach, but he has never beaten a team with better talent while at Nebraska. Any time his team faced superior talent we got run.

That is a big lie. Every one of those 3 games were close through halftime. We were beating Mizzou into the 4th qtr. Things happened and momentum switched. We lost. But I would take that season over last in a heartbeat.

Most feel the only reason we lost last year was because of Coz and Coach Callahan. Nothing could be farther from the truth in my mind

I won't predict a National Title next season, but I would bet you anything that in 2 years your mind will change. Bank on it :thumbs

 

[skersfan]

Did he win or lose the games? Were they 20 to 30 point losses?

I did not say it was not their fault. I said it was not all their fault, unless it was recruiting failure. Judging talnet and not character. That is where my concern lies. You either want it or you don't, it seemed like a lot were just taking up space last year. No killer instinct, no senior leadership.

And I agree in a couple of years Bo will have it going, but I seriously doubt it will be this year. It will depend on the the ones that have been less than hard working buying in. A year of not having to may have caused more problems thatn we know.

I have no doubt Bo will give them the guidance and direction. Will some of them take it is the question, and I just do not think we will have a clue until we line up against VaTech. They will be here to smack us in the mouth just like SC did last year. How the team reacts is the question. And if we have senior leadership, or if we are down to the young kids that want it more. Too early to tell.

 

[Hunter94]

Did he win or lose the games? Were they 20 to 30 point losses?

I did not say it was not their fault. I said it was not all their fault, unless it was recruiting failure. Judging talnet and not character. That is where my concern lies. You either want it or you don't, it seemed like a lot were just taking up space last year. No killer instinct, no senior leadership.

And I agree in a couple of years Bo will have it going, but I seriously doubt it will be this year. It will depend on the the ones that have been less than hard working buying in. A year of not having to may have caused more problems thatn we know.

I have no doubt Bo will give them the guidance and direction. Will some of them take it is the question, and I just do not think we will have a clue until we line up against VaTech. They will be here to smack us in the mouth just like SC did last year. How the team reacts is the question. And if we have senior leadership, or if we are down to the young kids that want it more. Too early to tell.

good post skers. right on the money, just have to wait and see how the kids respond to Bo.

 

[MCAT800]

At this time last year, everyone laughed at KU's lack of talent. They were picked to finish way down in the North. MU had no talent on defense at this time last year.

Negative, most of the "experts" were picking KU or MU to win the North.

The first time I heard it on ESPN I thought Corso and Herb were nuts, and still hate to admit that they were right :bang

 

[AR Husker Fan]

UT, OU, OSU and MU all have better talent than NU. Your talent is more on the KSU, TAMU and Colorado level, which is a GAP from OU and UT. Did you see how superior OU looked to Missouri and the Tigers looked that much better than KU? NU has to get better team speed in the back 7 on defense! Where was the explosive offense when it mattered vs Texas, Missouri, OSU, TAMU? It just showed up vs KSU, CU and KU, while giving up 76. 76 POINTS! That's what NU used to put up vs Minnesota, ASU and directional schools like OSU! That offense is no given!

different QB dipsh*t....

makes a difference, ya know?

and our "TALENT" is much higher than that of KSU, TAMU, and CU... MUCH.. now, our talent hasn't been coached for the past 4 years, thats not our fault.. but the talent in general is better..... and if you didnt notice? we were up on texas late.... not our fault coz's D let Charles go off in the 4th quarter....

Your warning level has been increased for violating the Board's rules against personal attacks on Board members.

Folks, if you want to attack a poster rather than a post, take it to the Woodshed. If a particular poster routinely incites you to attack, use the Ignore function.

 

[melscott62]

the 08 have not lost a game......so if you are goin to talk football.then tell me how MU has more talent

TE......Cauffman....Hetzer????????

I think arguing that Coffman isn't going to be one of the best TE in the Big 12 next year is a little delusional. I've been saying this for 2 years, but in many respects, Coffman is a better TE than Rucker was. It is hard to argue that MU has the edge here, at least if you are being rational.

 

O-line............no doubt NU

This one is maybe a bit of a tossup. Our O-line played outstanding last year. Daniel had all the time in the world to throw the ball. We did lose two key players, but the guys stepping into those roles this year did get lots of playing time last year.

 

QB.........Ganz 19 td's 8 int's in three games......or Chase....30 td's all year......I like Ganz at home +NU

I think Ganz has a lot of potential, but it is hard to argue against a three year Senior who has started every game for the last two years and was a Heisman trophy finalist.

 

RB...Lucky and Co. are light years ahead of Earl Goldsmith.....NU wins this one

The edge probably goes to NU here, but Goldsmith will likely be our 3rd string running back. Jimmy Jackson and Derrick Washington had far more carries than him in 07 and that will continue in 08 as well.

 

WR..........Maclin is awsome.......but the Tigers live and die with TE and RB play....got to like a draw at home in this column........slight edge to MU

I think you have to give more than a slight edge to MU here. With Maclin and Denario Alexander our receiving corps should be just as good as last year.

 

unfortunately for you.Keller and BC won't be around to mismanage the game...when Ganz or Lee breaks off a big run early to give the Huskers a lead at home....You will be N then

 

The other thing completely missing from this post is any discussion of the defense. We return 9 starters on defense next year. Our defense will be tough. That continues to be a question mark for NU.

 

 

I dont care were we are playing.... chase>ganz.

 

[Danimal]

Our D obviously had way more talent than was shown. Unfortunately we lose a ton at db and lb, so it is hard to say how well the D will play in '08. We will obviously improve in a significant way but just how much is hard to say.

Our O has plenty of talent. It will be interesting to see who steps-up as a big-play complement to Swift and at TE. I think Paul will fill the other starter's spot. Hopefully that JUCO we just signed at TE can give us the consistent producer we've lacked since Herian got hurt.

 

[robsker]

Our D obviously had way more talent than was shown. Unfortunately we lose a ton at db and lb, so it is hard to say how well the D will play in '08. We will obviously improve in a significant way but just how much is hard to say.

Our O has plenty of talent. It will be interesting to see who steps-up as a big-play complement to Swift and at TE. I think Paul will fill the other starter's spot. Hopefully that JUCO we just signed at TE can give us the consistent producer we've lacked since Herian got hurt.

Our Offense has talent that is also mid conference (maybe upper middle of the conference). The QB's at KU, MU, KSU, Texas, Oklahoma all exceed the QB's at NU --- at least in terms of what has been shown. Lee has not been out there yet so how he compares who knows. My statement though is justified in that the QB's at KU, MU, KSU, Oklahoma, and Texas are all experienced (more so than Ganz or Lee), all have shown high level skills and all return. Further, our OL is upper middle, at best (losing Nicks hurts). Our WR's took a graduation hit and are likely again upper middle. Our RB's may fare the best against the rest of the conference and perhaps be in the top three. Yet, all together, our offense is decent, maybe good --- but there are at least three and perhaps as many as 5 teams in the conference that will have better offenses.

 

[skersfan]

None of us really have a clue of what to expect. Some on here, buy in lock stock and barrel. I know I did with the Callahan hiring.

I have drug my feet on Pelini, still am, but he is a good coach.

But I do agree with robsker. We have better talent on the offensive side of the ball than the defense. But I think we are going to see mass changes as to who plays where and the depth chart before the end of the spring grame. Bo will put the ones with heart in the game. We may take some hits due to that, but I would rather it happened now. Get the kids that want to play on the field. Those taking up space can do it on the bench.

All seem to be in love with Joe. He is a gamer, but his talent level is far below all of the other top QB's in the conference and we will face most of them. Our Oline is more experienced than last year I guess, but I saw many gaping wholes for the Defense to just run through last year. Keller and Ganz had numerous interceptions for lack of protection. Most appear to be to overweight to become pass blocker and run blockers. I do not see us just going to the power running game. If that was so, why did we keep Watson. We will see the same offense we saw last year is my guess. It was inaffective anytime we faced a talented team. Our offense at Missouri was pathetic, it was offensive to say the least. I was there, and it was the most pathetic effort I have ever seen come from the Huskers in my mind. Right up there with Texas Tech 3 years ago. To say we have a talented offense is out there. We have at best an offense that can put up numbers when the other team has claimed victory. Numbers when we face Ball State and the likes. Numbers that are being doubled by the opponent.

Head games play a major roll. Is the heart there? I will have to wait and see, I did not see it last year, except maybe early in the Texas game. I am pretty certain we will not be hearing National Champions on the huddle breaks this summer.

Our hopes really lie with the defense. We lost a lot of numbers last year, but only really lost Octavian in my mind the rest were just putting in time, Grixby gave it his all last year too. Some could not hit the door fast enough for me.. I think we will be better just because some of them are gone. Lack of desire, effort and quitting are not needed. We had plenty of it. I see a very youthful defense on the horizon. Death before dishonor, should be the cry. The effort last year was pathetic. I just do not believe you can blame the coach for all of that. Coz sucked but there were other issues.

 

[junior4949]

Here's what I think will happen next year. Bo knows the D is young. He's going to take a lot of chances with these kids. He's going to blitz like mad and take a lot of chances because 1) he has to 2) the offenses in the Big 12 are just that good. We're going to see some big mistakes made by these young players, and it might cost us a game or two. However, he's going to have to show these young inexperienced players that he believes in their abilities and ability to make the plays. On offense, Bo's going to more than likely lean on Watson quite a bit. We'll probably see a lot more emphasis on running the ball.