We didn't respect the game

I wouldn't blame any particular player for yesterday's performance. A game's outcome should never depend on one player or one play. Yesterday's game should have been out of reach for McNeese long before Cotten was called for ineligible downfield.

NU's inability to put McNeese aways falls on the whole team, coaches and players. It appeared everyone took McNeese lightly. Hopefully they learned a valuable lesson. Hopefully they can translate that lesson into a more productive approach to the remaining games this season.

This does seem to be a recurring problem with NU. I wonder if it has to do with an overreliance on emotion as motivation. Emotion is a great motivator if you've got it, but then what do you use when you play a McNeese, or a Purdue, or Minnesota or whoever? In my opinion, this program needs to figure out how to discipline themselves into preparing the right way whether or not the emotional motivation is there.

 
This "we took them lightly" argument seems to be the go to anymore. It's a sad go to but it could be a more reasonable option for some of these guys instead of calling out someone or something in particular that is holding this team back.

The problem with this "we took them lightly" argument is that at some point in the game as a player, you realize that to beat these guys, you're going to have to put out a bit more. At what point did it look like we turned it on out there? We played an entire game taking them lightly, then aside from a miracle by Abdullah, probably should have lost and we took them lightly is the excuse? If a Nebraska team allowed themselves to be pushed around by McNeese St. and at no point, halftime or otherwise, decided this was unacceptable, well then I'm concerned about the type of young men we are creating here. Since creating nice young men seems to be the new trophy.

 
knapplc said:
"I hold this ball club to a very high standard. I have a lot of respect for McNeese State, but I feel like we're a much better ball club than McNeese State. We didn't respect the game. McNeese State, they do. They come out, they don't care who they're playing. Those players are very talented, as you can see. But the Nebraska Cornhuskers... starting tomorrow we're going to bring a different attitude."

- Ameer Abdullah, post-game presser
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This is what kills me. You've got a guy on your team who will literally take the team on his back. He could have left for the NFL but stayed, he's been a Super Hero two weeks in a row, literally winning the game for us this week.

And the guys around him aren't bringing the same focus, the same respect.

This team has big ideas and little patience. They have grandiose egos but mediocre heart. They got out-played by a D1AA team on their home turf, in front of 90k of their own fans, and only won because Ameer said Enough of this. I'm taking over, and did some Superman stuff.

If this team had the heart and guts McNeese State does, I'd pencil us in for Indianapolis right now. What the hell does it take to get that?
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It takes guys like Ameer and other leaders to stand up and say "It isnt ok to just win"

Injuries are a fine and dandy excuse, but everyone has injuries. We need our guys to stand up... and i love what Ameer brings to the table.

We need that from each section of the team.

So i ask this.. from the position groups below, who is the leader of that group?

O line:

Receivers

D-Line

Linebackers

DB's

Special teams

 
I am sorry here, but this is going to pi$$ off some people, but REALLY. The second game into his senior season and he speaks up. I am glad that he did, but this has been going on since he got here no question. We seldom look prepared against a good team, sometimes not a good team. This was not a wake up call. My words are talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.

No doubt in my mind Ameer will do exactly like he says, but if he thinks now is the time to turn the switch on he has made a terrible mistake. Yesterday was a wasted game, a wasted week of practice it appears. This attitude should have been here for years, not minutes.

 
HuskerShark said:
beanman said:
Abdullah the Butcher said:
knapplc said:
"I hold this ball club to a very high standard. I have a lot of respect for McNeese State, but I feel like we're a much better ball club than McNeese State. We didn't respect the game. McNeese State, they do. They come out, they don't care who they're playing. Those players are very talented, as you can see. But the Nebraska Cornhuskers... starting tomorrow we're going to bring a different attitude."

- Ameer Abdullah, post-game presser
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If this team had the heart and guts McNeese State does, I'd pencil us in for Indianapolis right now. What the hell does it take to get that?
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Sounds like a coaching issue or the players recruited by the coaches have grown complacent and Nebraska needs a Charlie Strong like roster wipe. As amazing as Ameer is, he can't change a systemic issue.
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Bolded for emphasis.
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I know you're all referring to our coaches as the systemic issue, and here's what I'd say to that:

Are our coaches perfect? No. No coach in the nation is perfect. And if you guys think that if we had Nick Saban everything would be all hunky dory, don't be so naive. Saban coached for years before he was able to reach the level of success that even Bo has sustained in his first 6 years.

I agree that player entitlement is a systemic issue, but I'd consider the systemic issue to be much more broad than our program, coaches, etc. It's more about society in general. I have dozens of teenagers walk through my door every day, and finding one that doesn't have a completely overbearing sense of entitlement toward absolutely everything is a rare find. I've got a few, and they are leaders in my classroom, as well as the extra-curriculars that I sponsor.

IMO, Bo and his staff have done an exceptional job of not only sustaining a high level of success, but also making sure that the young men that walk into Memorial Stadium are better people when they leave than when they came. Without that, all of this is meaningless.
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In year 8 of his head coaching career, and in year three as coach at LSU, Saban had a national title.

So, what you said is kinda ridiculous.

 
skersfan said:
I am sorry here, but this is going to pi$$ off some people, but REALLY. The second game into his senior season and he speaks up. I am glad that he did, but this has been going on since he got here no question. We seldom look prepared against a good team, sometimes not a good team. This was not a wake up call. My words are talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.No doubt in my mind Ameer will do exactly like he says, but if he thinks now is the time to turn the switch on he has made a terrible mistake. Yesterday was a wasted game, a wasted week of practice it appears. This attitude should have been here for years, not minutes.
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Spot on my man. I agree. My thoughts on the comments of amerr and mitchell are just "meh". I have to see it on the field. Because what happened yesterday has become the norm. Everyone was thrilled with what we did to fau cuz they were a bad team, and performances like that, regardless the opponent have become pretty rare.

 
Sker it is different now. When Osborne was having his problems, we were winning most games. We were losing to Oklahoma and normally in our bowl game, but we could get kids to play in the system. He took kids from the farm and made them into giant road graders. WE were ahead of our time in nutrition, weight lifting and the kids lived to go to Nebraska. Yea some were on Tom and he may have reacted like Bo did at first, just never mentioned it much until it was in the past.

Now we don't get those walkons that were guaranteed to Coach Osborne. We do not get the top kids around the country either. We normally end up with what others don't really want, or if they do want them, its for what the kid does not want to play, see Ameer. Again a great addition to Nebraska, but not the top of the barrel when he was being recruited.

You have been a huge supporter of Bo, but I do not believe you can be happy with the performance of this team this week, and numerous weeks in the past that were quite similar to this one. This may be the worst for most, but I do believe they were a lot better team than we give them credit for. I love college football and this team, but I was sad for them when they lost, they deserved to win this game, we did not. Had it not been for Ameer we would not have.

You say stay the ship. Just exactly what do you see that makes you so sure that things really are improving. I do not want to hear recruiting. We were barely better than McNeese State yesterday, and the story is that recruiting has improved the last three years. It does not look like it. Are we just taking what we can get that will stay out of trouble, keep the program above question. Are we taking kids that really do not have the heart, the drive or the want to to play for Bama or Oregon and others, but come here because they think it will be easier.

Polo has given his reasons for why he wants a change, and there are many, and some are pretty close to what I feel. You always say he never gives an answer, how about you give us an answer as to why things should not be different. What light at the end of the tunnel do you see that most do not seem to.

I have not seen marked improvement in the team other than the first two years. I have seen a decline the last few years. And if yesterday is any indication of what is to come the rest of the year, it could get very ugly for Bo.

Do not lump me into a hater of Bo. I want what is best for the program. I have never thought he was, and I still do not, but changing again is tough for me to say it is right, but I am very tired of these types of games. I am very tired of the phone calls I get from many friends about their play or lack there of.

Make me a believer. Your intelligent, I agree with a lot of what you say. But no one can just blindly follow because they are afraid of what might be worse. We will all still be in England with that mindset.

 
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skersfan said:
Sker it is different now. When Osborne was having his problems, we were winning most games. We were losing to Oklahoma and normally in our bowl game, but we could get kids to play in the system. He took kids from the farm and made them into giant road graders. WE were ahead of our time in nutrition, weight lifting and the kids lived to go to Nebraska. Yea some were on Tom and he may have reacted like Bo did at first, just never mentioned it much until it was in the past.

Now we don't get those walkons that were guaranteed to Coach Osborne. We do not get the top kids around the country either. We normally end up with what others don't really want, or if they do want them, its for what the kid does not want to play, see Ameer. Again a great addition to Nebraska, but not the top of the barrel when he was being recruited.
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Mark-Cuban-disbelief.gif


Absolutely ridiculous statement...

 
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Po Belini said:
skersfan said:
Sker it is different now. When Osborne was having his problems, we were winning most games. We were losing to Oklahoma and normally in our bowl game, but we could get kids to play in the system. He took kids from the farm and made them into giant road graders. WE were ahead of our time in nutrition, weight lifting and the kids lived to go to Nebraska. Yea some were on Tom and he may have reacted like Bo did at first, just never mentioned it much until it was in the past.

Now we don't get those walkons that were guaranteed to Coach Osborne. We do not get the top kids around the country either. We normally end up with what others don't really want, or if they do want them, its for what the kid does not want to play, see Ameer. Again a great addition to Nebraska, but not the top of the barrel when he was being recruited.
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Mark-Cuban-disbelief.gif


Absolutely ridiculous statement...
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I guess he didn't realize we were the ones that wanted Ameer as a RB while others wanted him as a DB.

 
skersfan said:
Sker it is different now. When Osborne was having his problems, we were winning most games. We were losing to Oklahoma and normally in our bowl game, but we could get kids to play in the system.
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I didn't realize Pelini didn't win most games. I'll need to double check his winning percentage. I'm also pretty sure I can find where Osborne lost more than 2 games per season quite a bit. The difference between you and I......I don't get bent out of shape about Pelini when the wind changes direction. How many times have you said "he's our coach this year"? We are two games in and Pelini just won his 60th. This pressure is normal......don't diminish the pressure that was put on Osborne.....he was very seriously close to leaving in 1979 and I'm pretty sure you are well aware of that reality.

 
NUpolo8 said:
HuskerShark said:
I know you're all referring to our coaches as the systemic issue, and here's what I'd say to that:

Are our coaches perfect? No. No coach in the nation is perfect. And if you guys think that if we had Nick Saban everything would be all hunky dory, don't be so naive. Saban coached for years before he was able to reach the level of success that even Bo has sustained in his first 6 years.

I agree that player entitlement is a systemic issue, but I'd consider the systemic issue to be much more broad than our program, coaches, etc. It's more about society in general. I have dozens of teenagers walk through my door every day, and finding one that doesn't have a completely overbearing sense of entitlement toward absolutely everything is a rare find. I've got a few, and they are leaders in my classroom, as well as the extra-curriculars that I sponsor.

IMO, Bo and his staff have done an exceptional job of not only sustaining a high level of success, but also making sure that the young men that walk into Memorial Stadium are better people when they leave than when they came. Without that, all of this is meaningless.
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In year 8 of his head coaching career, and in year three as coach at LSU, Saban had a national title.

So, what you said is kinda ridiculous.
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year 10, and year 4.

and what he said isnt ridiculous at all. before taking the MSU job he was an NFL DC. and before taking his first cfb head coaching job he spent 14 or 15 years as a college assistant. (i dont feel like figuring out the actual number.) his first three years at MSU werent spectacular and he wasnt dealing with the same recruiting disadvantages with the biggest being saban had more recruiting connections. he had relationships with high school coaches in MSU's footprint. then the move to LSU just put him closer to supposed superior talent.

but hey, college football is big business and it has fueled the rapid advancement of coaches, that may or may not be ready to take coordinator positions, to head coaches from teams just looking for the home run.

 
NUpolo8 said:
In year 8 of his head coaching career, and in year three as coach at LSU, Saban had a national title.
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Yeah, that isn't true, but don't let facts get in the way of Bo-bashing.

In year 7 of his head coaching career, while at LSU, Saban only won 8 games and lost to UAB at home.

 
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This was just one of those stupid games...I think NU kept waiting for a big play and it didn't happen. Well, except for that Int return for a TD that changed the entire game. That game is over, right then and there if they go up 21-7.

They are not as good as we thought after game one

They are not as bad as we thought after game two

The thing that probably is most worrisome is the D-Line seemed pretty sad.

 
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