^ at least you had an answer. Holy hell.
Tim Beck clearly called some plays you did not care for, but he led an offense that averaged 37 points and 450 yards with middling talent on the offensive line and a still evolving quarterback, who did indeed get better, especially in that last game where Tim Beck revamped the offensive playcalling in the only game he ever coached without Bo Pelini over his shoulder.
Given mercurial and oft-injured semi-dual threat quarterbacks during his entire tenure, and substandard oft-injured offensive lines, Tim Beck managed a run-first offense that often ranked in the Top 20, along with a generally improving passing game, to give Nebraska a balanced attack that earned the respect of most opposing Defensive Coordinators if not the Sunday Morning second-guessers on HuskerBoard, who always knew the offensive play call that totally would have fooled a professional DC.
Nebraska's historically bad defense often forced the offense to play out of a hole, and as often as they faltered, the offense also staged some pretty dramatic comebacks. In the last two seasons Tim Beck had one of the best defenses in the country -- Michigan State -- on its heels.
Turnovers, penalties and mental meltdowns were a problem on every side of the ball. Hard to pin that on an OC.
Ameer Abdullah's talents may appear obvious now, but no other major conference team wanted him as a featured running back. Under Tim Beck's offense he became the #2 career rusher in Nebraska's long, storied history. Rex Burkhead also flourished in an offense tailored to his skills.
That the same criticism leveled at Tim Beck was previously leveled at Shawn Watson suggests there was some fan scapegoating going on that didn't line up with the real problems and expectations on this team. Anyone watching the Oregon/Ohio State NC game would see a gameplan that could have been drawn up by Beck or Watson, executed by better athletes who were motivated by a head coach who knows how to keep his players calm and confident. Every team Nebraska wants to be will periodically throw the ball on first down, or on 3rd and 2. Every one runs an offense that would be criticized as multiple, and plays that would be dubbed "too cute" according to the criteria of this board.
Was that trick play where Peirson-El throws a touchdown to Tommy Armstong fun? I thought so. I sure enjoy watching it embedded in every post of yours.
I'm willing to give Tim Beck the same credit and blame I'd give any other OC on a 9 - 4 team with the #12 Scoring Offense, supported by the #59 Scoring Defense being micromanaged by a Head Coach on perennial Death Watch.
So let me throw it back to you.....what would ANY coach being hired at Ohio State be expected to teach the players, and what's on their resume that's so clearly better than Tim Beck?
