TO's Defense - the Early Years

[MichiganDad3]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

 

[BigRedBuster]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

As typical when a coordinator takes over as HC, he favors his side of the ball. TO was the OC before he was HC. There was a pretty heavy opinion during that time that when a top athlete came into the program, he looked at them for offense first. That worked great for having top offenses but sometimes it would leave us with not as good DBs...etc.

A bigger part of the difference in defenses in the early years compared to late years (90s) was the philosophy behind the defense. For most of his career we ran a 5-2 defense built to stop the run. That worked great in the Big 8 that was heavy on option/power run offenses. We would get exposed when we got into bowl games against passing offense with speed.

In the early 90s, McBride finally convinced him changes needed to be made and McBride went out and was educated on the 4-3 (I think from Bobby Bowden at FSU). I remember TO talking about how nervous he was about the attacking 4-3. He would hear McBride call things during games and cringed until he realized it was working. He became so good at running it that I think Bowden came back to him to learn a few new things.

At that time we went to speed. Faster the better. Corners became safeties. Safeties became LBs. LBs became rush ends.

I would say it worked out pretty well.

 

[Saunders]

One, scoring has been going up continually for 50 years. Two, he started playing alot of Florida teams that crushed the 5-2.

 

[Red Five]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

You can't compare scoring from the 70s to todays game and draw any conclusions. You need to compare that team to other teams from that generation. I tired finding CFB defensive stats from 1971, but none exist in aggregate.

For example, the Alabama team we beat in the Orange Bowl that year only gave up more than 10 points 3 times and more than 20 once (to Nebraska), same as NU. Not sure they are "one of the best defenses in the history of college football".

 

[Mavric]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

You can't compare scoring from the 70s to todays game and draw any conclusions. You need to compare that team to other teams from that generation. I tired finding CFB defensive stats from 1971, but none exist in aggregate.

For example, the Alabama team we beat in the Orange Bowl that year only gave up more than 10 points 3 times and more than 20 once (to Nebraska), same as NU. Not sure they are "one of the best defenses in the history of college football".

Agree with this. Not only are offenses completely different but the parity of college football now makes the overall schedule a lot tougher. Back in the 70s and 80s, we were simply physically dominant over most of the teams we played in any given year. Even the 1976 team - which was a "down" year by those standards, going 9-3-1 and 4-3 in conference - only gave up more than 14 points four times and averaged just under 14 ppg given up for the year.

 

[MichiganDad3]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

You can't compare scoring from the 70s to todays game and draw any conclusions. You need to compare that team to other teams from that generation. I tired finding CFB defensive stats from 1971, but none exist in aggregate.

For example, the Alabama team we beat in the Orange Bowl that year only gave up more than 10 points 3 times and more than 20 once (to Nebraska), same as NU. Not sure they are "one of the best defenses in the history of college football".

Agree with this. Not only are offenses completely different but the parity of college football now makes the overall schedule a lot tougher. Back in the 70s and 80s, we were simply physically dominant over most of the teams we played in any given year. Even the 1976 team - which was a "down" year by those standards, going 9-3-1 and 4-3 in conference - only gave up more than 14 points four times and averaged just under 14 ppg given up for the year.

I am not so sure that we play a tougher schedule now. Nebraska played a tough schedule in 1971. We beat the teams ranked 2,3 and 4 in the final AP poll.

 

[MichiganDad3]

I guess 1971 wasn't one of the best college football defenses of all time, they were 3rd in points allowed that year. That is still great defense given the teams they played.

 

[Mavric]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

You can't compare scoring from the 70s to todays game and draw any conclusions. You need to compare that team to other teams from that generation. I tired finding CFB defensive stats from 1971, but none exist in aggregate.

For example, the Alabama team we beat in the Orange Bowl that year only gave up more than 10 points 3 times and more than 20 once (to Nebraska), same as NU. Not sure they are "one of the best defenses in the history of college football".

Agree with this. Not only are offenses completely different but the parity of college football now makes the overall schedule a lot tougher. Back in the 70s and 80s, we were simply physically dominant over most of the teams we played in any given year. Even the 1976 team - which was a "down" year by those standards, going 9-3-1 and 4-3 in conference - only gave up more than 14 points four times and averaged just under 14 ppg given up for the year.

I am not so sure that we play a tougher schedule now. Nebraska played a tough schedule in 1971. We beat the teams ranked 2,3 and 4 in the final AP poll.

Not saying certain teams we play are better. But the overall quality of the teams we play is better. Instead of having 2-3 really tough games and a bunch of teams that we beat simply by showing up, we - and everyone else - play 9-10 games against teams that *could* beat us if we don't play well. We're still expected to win most of those games but we don't have the third-stringers in by late in the third quarter.

 

[BigRedBuster]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

You can't compare scoring from the 70s to todays game and draw any conclusions. You need to compare that team to other teams from that generation. I tired finding CFB defensive stats from 1971, but none exist in aggregate.

For example, the Alabama team we beat in the Orange Bowl that year only gave up more than 10 points 3 times and more than 20 once (to Nebraska), same as NU. Not sure they are "one of the best defenses in the history of college football".

Agree with this. Not only are offenses completely different but the parity of college football now makes the overall schedule a lot tougher. Back in the 70s and 80s, we were simply physically dominant over most of the teams we played in any given year. Even the 1976 team - which was a "down" year by those standards, going 9-3-1 and 4-3 in conference - only gave up more than 14 points four times and averaged just under 14 ppg given up for the year.

I am not so sure that we play a tougher schedule now. Nebraska played a tough schedule in 1971. We beat the teams ranked 2,3 and 4 in the final AP poll.

Not saying certain teams we play are better. But the overall quality of the teams we play is better. Instead of having 2-3 really tough games and a bunch of teams that we beat simply by showing up, we - and everyone else - play 9-10 games against teams that *could* beat us if we don't play well. We're still expected to win most of those games but we don't have the third-stringers in by late in the third quarter.

Bingo.

It is very rare that we have a team that is just going to roll over like many did back in the day. Almost all teams we play now can beat you if you are not on the top of your game.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I'm not sure I buy the premise.

Was the Nebraska defense considered mediocre under Osborne? Like....ever?

Did it degrade that much, or that quickly?

From the 8 points allowed per game in 1971 and 72 under Devaney, Osborne's first HC defense "jumped" up to 13 points a game in 73. Then 11 in 74. Then 13 in 75. Then 14 in 76. Hit a peak at 18 per game in 1978.

Then in 1979 the defense allowed 10.9 points a game. Lowered it to 8.5 in 1980. 9 in 1981. 9.5 in 1984. Up to 12 points in 1987 and 15 points in 1989. In 1989 Miami led in scoring defense at 10.6 allowed per game.

So at their worst, the Nebraska defense under Osborne was one of the best in the nation. If Points Allowed is your metric, remember that plenty of points came when second and third stringers were allowed to play big stretches of the second half, because Nebraska was cruising.

It's weird to be having this discussion on the heels of a coach hired specifically for his defensive expertise, whose defenses gave up 17.4, 23.4, 27.6, 24.8 and 26.4 points in his last five seasons.

Wouldn't you have taken a degraded Osborne defense over any of those?

 

[Mavric]

Wouldn't you have taken a degraded Osborne defense over any of those?

On a strictly points per game basis? Yes.

But - as we're discussion - I don't think comparing the numbers straight across tells you anything. And even comparing where the defenses were ranked national doesn't tell you a whole lot more. The game has changed significantly in the last 20-25 years, let alone the last 45.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Well yeah.....everyone is bigger and faster. Some mediocre teams of today would no doubt crush legendary teams of yesteryear.

But the premise is that Osborne defenses quickly degraded into mediocrity, and that simply isn't true by any metric of the time.

Regardless of the changes in the game, the best scoring defenses of the past 25 years still give up between 8.0 and 12 points a game. One of them was Nebraska 2009.

 

[Mavric]

Well yeah.....everyone is bigger and faster. Some mediocre teams of today would no doubt crush legendary teams of yesteryear.

But the premise is that Osborne defenses quickly degraded into mediocrity, and that simply isn't true by any metric of the time.

Regardless of the changes in the game, the best scoring defenses of the past 25 years still give up between 8.0 and 12 points a game. One of them was Nebraska 2009.

I wasn't saying Osborne's defenses got that much worse. I'm also not trying to say what one team would do to another across the decades.

I'm saying you can't say they gave up 14 ppg while last year we gave up 28 ppg (or whatever) so Osborne's defense was that much better. Too many things have changed. The best may have similar numbers but the shape of the curve (amongst many other factors) is likely quite different.

 

[NUance]

In 1971, the Husker allowed more than 10 points only three times, allowed more than 20 points only once (Oklahoma in the game of the century), and had three shutouts. TO inherited one of the best defenses in the history of college football. What happened? TO's weakness until the mid 90s was mediocre defense. How did the defense degrade so quickly under TO?

For one thing, TO took over in 1973. That's two years removed from the '71 defense.

Also, I'm not sure how many of the coaches stayed on with Osborne, or left when Devaney stepped down. (Did they all stay?)

 

[Mierin]

(Did they all stay?)

No. Edit: I looked at wikipedia. Looks like lots stayed. '76 was an interesting year though.

1972:

Bob Devaney Head Coach

Tom Osborne Offensive Coordinator

Cletus Fischer Offensive Line 1960-85

Carl Selmer Offensive Line 1962-72

Jim Ross 1962-76

John Melton Tight Ends, Wingbacks 1973 1962-88

Mike Corgan Running Backs 1962 1962-82

Monte Kiffin 1967-76

Warren Powers Defensive Backs 1969-76

Boyd Epley Head Strength Coach 1969 1969–2003

Jim Walden 1971-72

Bill Myles Offensive Line 1972 1972-76