The troubling, widening gap between Texas and Nebraska
- Thread starter omahapanda
- Start date
SOCALHUSKER
Starter
True!!
However, a little tool called knowledge can battle this technique quite well.
I agree. However, if Nebraska continues winning and performing well on the field, that'll go a long way in equalizing the recruiting playing field.
Texas has almost all the advantages when it comes to recruiting in the Big 12 and other schools, such as USC and Florida, have those same advantages in California and Florida respectively. The good news is that if Bo and Nebraska can keep putting a winning product on the field, we'll be able to recruit the best of the best.
For me, if we start consistently losing all recruits to all the Texas schools, then there will be reason to be worried. Until that happens, which will again be very unlikely, it is as Shakespeare said, "Much ado about nothing..."
omahapanda
Four-Star Recruit
It's instructive to note that while Texas had these advantages for 30 years, the Horns nevertheless squandered most of them. Texas dithered around after Royal left until Mack Brown was hired.
Yes, UT is merely fulfilling its massive potential. But let us be clear: That wasn't happening at the inception of the Big 12. The machine Brown's running down there is considerably more formidable than it was 5-6 years ago.
It's lot like what happened when Ohio State got its crap together and dumped John Cooper. No more Iowa and Wisconsin flouncing through the Big Ten and stealing a title here or there. Over. Ohio State has a death grip on it, Penn State is occasionally invited to the party and Michigan could go either way.
So it will be in Big 12. The Big 12 North hasn't won a league title since 2003, Nebraska hasn't since 1999, and unless NU wants to become a team that only gets to bite apple once or twice a decade, it needs to act.
JMO.
omahapanda
Four-Star Recruit
Let's talk Mack Brown being a joke for a moment. I mean, really talk about it.
He took over a program in 1998 that was a mess. A total mess. John Mackovic was like the Steve Pederson of Texas football...he told off all the boosters and made them look in a mirror on facilities, etc. And Brown walked into a football program no less broken and angry than Nebraska's in 2008.
Yeah, having Ricky Williams that first year helped. But Brown has consistently turned out 10-game winners since then with four different defensive coordinators. He was smart enough to turn Vince Young loose when Young asked to simplify the offense and, what's more, the man win bowls games. Since 2005, he's 3-2 vs. OU and 5-0 in bowl games. If you look at Osborne's track record in this regard in his 8-12 years (1980-1984) you'll see something oddly similar - a coach whose teams found their stride.
Let's also not kid ourselves. Texas was jobbed out of the Big 12 south title last year, losing in the last second, on the road, while Oklahoma was handily beaten, head to head, on a neutral site.
omahapanda
Four-Star Recruit
That puts a lot on the shoulders of Bo, I'd say, and it doesn't address the overall athletic profile of NU. Bo has no affect on the baseball and basketball programs, and while I quite like the two basketball coaches, the situation is tenuous at best over there. baseball, too, could go either way.
At any rate, Bo can't pay the assistants. That's admin's call, and Watson is a crucial part of the success. He needs to be compensated to the point where it'd take a BCS coaching job to tear him away. Bo can't mandate that. And Bo can't fight TV networks that dump NU on pay-per-view in favor of equally crappy Texas games. And Bo can't argue for across-the-board equal TV revenue sharing, which has helped the SEC gain more parity.
Hiring Pelini is a start. It's not the finish.
caveman99
All-American
Saying OU got handily beaten by UF is a stretch IMO. Sooners had plenty of chances to win that game.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Agreed - Pelini is a start. And I'm not putting the responsibility for the whole department on Bo's shoulders, just the football program. Anderson and Sadler have to take care of their own houses, just like Cook and Yori.
As for assistants, you bring up a great point RE: Watson, et al, when you mentioned that Mack has had to win with four different D Coordinators. You almost have to expect Watson to be gone in the next couple of years. If not, great! But the reality in today's climate is, if he can coach, he'll get a shot. And Bo is all about giving his assistants that exposure and opportunity. Then he has to bring in the next guy, and the next guy, and the next. And that responsibility, in football, is his.
I think you and I are on the same page here. It takes a concerted effort, from the AD down through each sport, to remain competitive in the Big XII. I have no doubt we can do that with the personnel in place, and I have confidence we'll continue to regain lost ground even with transitions in asst coaches over the years.
We have a good team in place. It'll change, but with integrity, it'll stay strong.
As for assistants, you bring up a great point RE: Watson, et al, when you mentioned that Mack has had to win with four different D Coordinators. You almost have to expect Watson to be gone in the next couple of years. If not, great! But the reality in today's climate is, if he can coach, he'll get a shot. And Bo is all about giving his assistants that exposure and opportunity. Then he has to bring in the next guy, and the next guy, and the next. And that responsibility, in football, is his.
I think you and I are on the same page here. It takes a concerted effort, from the AD down through each sport, to remain competitive in the Big XII. I have no doubt we can do that with the personnel in place, and I have confidence we'll continue to regain lost ground even with transitions in asst coaches over the years.
We have a good team in place. It'll change, but with integrity, it'll stay strong.
SkullandBones
Special Teams Player
I hear ya, and agree. Having said that, the course down there, Arbor Links, is worth the drive, it's beautiful. Not that it's all that much better than some Lincoln courses, but it wouldn't be a waste to spend an afternoon down there. Sorry, off-topic, I know.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Caveman, I believe Panda is referring to the Red River Rivalry game, not the MNC game against FLA.
I would debate that "Texas was jobbed out of the Big 12 south title last year" statement, though. All they had to do was beat Tech. Their own ineptitude on defense was their undoing.
I would debate that "Texas was jobbed out of the Big 12 south title last year" statement, though. All they had to do was beat Tech. Their own ineptitude on defense was their undoing.
OU played by the rules and won Big 12 title #6 and 3 in a row. UT has EVERY advantage and Brown has not produced! 1 title in 11 years is not good at all considering all that he has!!! He wins 9-10 games a year, but he NEVER schedules hard non conference games. 11 seasons and he only played OSU, while most top programs play one tough non-league game, he schedules ZERO!!! No excuses for Brown, Stoops in Austin or even Caroll or Meyer are all the one's with the 6 Big 12 titles. BCS wins, only won followed a Big 12 title and they were all squeakers, including two against lower ranked Big 10 teams. Conference titles are the only legit championships in D1, since there are no playoffs, while bowl games are not natural, giving teams 30-50 days to prepare for one game is absurd at best. Carroll, Stoops, Meyer, Tressel all win conference titles, so don't excuse Brown's fluff job win record.
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Ummm, Texas recently played Ohio State in a home and home series. Now with regards to Ohio State we can certainly question the meaning of hard, but that's not the point.
WORD!!!