‘Toughness’ would be good for Nebraska football, but talent would be better

[In the Deed the Glory]

The athletes involved with the different defenses were really the key. Bo could develop and coach elite talent. The 09' defense could have played with anybody.

I agree with the coaching elite talent. It's hard for me to agree that he could develope it. If he could do both? We never woulda gave up 70 and 408. I think we have this false notion of his developemtn abilities that were created by the 09 defense, and the fact that so many of those guys were of the Callahan years that really sucked, when in all reality, those dudes were extremely gifted to begin with, and straight up ballers. That season created this "Bo's a great developer" label, when most of it was possibly just simply maturity and growth of an already gifted player.

"It isn't about the Xs and the Os, it is about the Jimmie's and the Joe's"-Barry Switzer

 

[BRV920]

Switze is right in the fact that you can't trot out just anybody and play great defense but Bo did turn around 2 under performing defenses in pretty short order. His downfall was that once we switched to the Big 10 he didn't make the necessary adjustments to his defensive Philosophy. He wanted to sit back in his 2 high look and stop big plays in the passing game and instead got pounded into submission by any team that ran the ball right at us.

 

[RedSavage]

I think MSU would disagree with you. Their recruiting classes are not on the same level as Ohio St but have managed to hold their own against them.

They've fielded two really good quarterbacks in a row. If the three we have at our disposal for next year are what we think they are, it could be a pretty insane game changer.

I think we tend to discount just how badly we've been hurting at the QB position for roughly eight seasons.

Yeah having the first-team all-conference quarterback as picked by the coaches was particularly really painful.

What MSU has had at the QB position and what we've been lacking is one thing in particular: Consistency. Nothing against either of them, but you never know what you're going to get with a Martinez or an Armstrong. You pretty well knew what you were going to get week to week with players like Cousins and Connor Cook.

 

[junior4949]

The athletes involved with the different defenses were really the key. Bo could develop and coach elite talent. The 09' defense could have played with anybody.

I agree with the coaching elite talent. It's hard for me to agree that he could develope it. If he could do both? We never woulda gave up 70 and 408. I think we have this false notion of his developemtn abilities that were created by the 09 defense, and the fact that so many of those guys were of the Callahan years that really sucked, when in all reality, those dudes were extremely gifted to begin with, and straight up ballers. That season created this "Bo's a great developer" label, when most of it was possibly just simply maturity and growth of an already gifted player.

Suh was lost before Bo. I'd written him off as a lost cause even in 08' under Bo the first part of the season. Bo developed Suh's game. If you go back to 03', I think you will see some similarities. We had some good talent on the 03' defense. Bo developed it and the results showed. However, his eye for talent or recruiting talent wasn't very good. We gave up 70 and 408 because Bo thought all he had to do was get athletes. Just because someone is fast and or strong doesn't mean they can play a certain position.

 

[BRV920]

I also did a little checking on recruiting classes in the 93 to 2001 range between us and Ohio state. We had a couple of classes that we ranked ahead of them. 95 class being one. And we did manage to string together 4 top 10 classes. But in that same time frame Ohio state had 3 top 5 classes with one being ranked #1. Another fun fact that I uncovered was that Solich's classes were mostly ranked between 10 and 15 until his last 2 classes.

 

[dvdcrr]

damn, I wish when someone is on your ignore list, their quoted statements would be omitted too.

 

[GBRFAN]

Well GBR fan I didn't say I would bet on us landing more 4 or 5 star recruits than OSU. I said if you think we are going to out recruit OSU for 5 years in a row I'd like to bet some money.

Thats obvious that you aren't betting on NU - you have made your point and i have made mine.

As stated before NEVER is a long time and we will rise again. Do you think between 1992 and 1996 that we didn't out recruit MU and OSU. I would put my $$ on - It will happen again!!!

 

[GBRFAN]

I also did a little checking on recruiting classes in the 93 to 2001 range between us and Ohio state. We had a couple of classes that we ranked ahead of them. 95 class being one. And we did manage to string together 4 top 10 classes. But in that same time frame Ohio state had 3 top 5 classes with one being ranked #1. Another fun fact that I uncovered was that Solich's classes were mostly ranked between 10 and 15 until his last 2 classes.

Would love to see that data - I'm calling BS

Also you forgot to compare your second powerhouse - MU

 

[BRV920]

Calling BS on what? When exactly did I say Michigan was a powerhouse? I've been talking about OSU the whole time

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

I also did a little checking on recruiting classes in the 93 to 2001 range between us and Ohio state. We had a couple of classes that we ranked ahead of them. 95 class being one. And we did manage to string together 4 top 10 classes. But in that same time frame Ohio state had 3 top 5 classes with one being ranked #1. Another fun fact that I uncovered was that Solich's classes were mostly ranked between 10 and 15 until his last 2 classes.

I also did a little checking on recruiting classes in the 93 to 2001 range between us and Ohio state. We had a couple of classes that we ranked ahead of them. 95 class being one. And we did manage to string together 4 top 10 classes. But in that same time frame Ohio state had 3 top 5 classes with one being ranked #1. Another fun fact that I uncovered was that Solich's classes were mostly ranked between 10 and 15 until his last 2 classes.

During that stretch where they still out paced us in recruiting, which team do you believe would have won on the field?

I don't believe we have to out recruit them to beat them. We do need more talent than we have now, but we don't have to have top 5 classes every year.

 

[BRV920]

I agree on this point 100 percent recruiting is great and has some real value in success but I think coaching sets teams apart.

 

[Bowfin]

Again, this talk of "talent", whatever that encompasses.

Isn't toughness a "talent"? What if my two star recruit can knock your five star recruit on his back each and every play? What if a very tough Penn State team met a very talented Miami game in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, who would be picked to win?...who WOULD win?

I believe the Cornhuskers have enough skills and physical traits to beat any team that they might face this year. The rest is up to the coaching and toughness, which I rightly or wrongly define as fighting for every inch of field, finishing off every block, every tackle, and every run as strong as possible, not taking plays off or losing concentration and not giving up or getting rattled. (mental toughness).

Nebraska went into the 1995 Orange Bowl trailing, and Osborne told his team that Miami absolutely, positively would not be tough enough to close it out with a win if they didn't get rattled. "Keep hammering them." were his words.

Afterwards, McBride said, "We wore their asses out."

Talent was the 1983 Huskers. Toughness was the 1994 Huskers. The 1995 Huskers had both.

 

[TheSker]

I agree with the coaching elite talent. It's hard for me to agree that he could develope it. If he could do both? We never woulda gave up 70 and 408. I think we have this false notion of his developemtn abilities that were created by the 09 defense, and the fact that so many of those guys were of the Callahan years that really sucked, when in all reality, those dudes were extremely gifted to begin with, and straight up ballers. That season created this "Bo's a great developer" label, when most of it was possibly just simply maturity and growth of an already gifted player.

......and if Riley could develop it according to his "alleged" reputation he wouldn't be a .500 career coach.

Pelini had his strengths. He could certainly coach and develop secondary talent. And Barrett Ruud credits Pelini heavily for his development and learning to use his eyes.

Our defensive line development struggled once we parted ways with Carl Pelini.

 

[MichiganDad3]

Maybe the Huskers were tougher in the old days. I remember

• Frost running over a DB
• Crouch running over a DB
• Fazier swarmed by gators with a big lead, refusing to go down
• RBs taught never to run out of bounds
• Lineman going downfield and pounding DBs
• Opposing QBs hitting the ground like they were in WWE smackdown

Great memories

 

[fb30]

I think the trick is to get a few really talented guys and mix them in with a team of tough midwestern kids. Kids that want to be here. I'd take a 2 star from Nebraska over a 3 star from any other state every day of the week.