Why? This sort of statement comes up a lot without much to back it up. Why this style, specifically, and above all other styles? College football has shown many ways to win, and the one common denominator is that teams that win consistently execute whatever they do well. That's why Washington St is suddenly noteworthy, that's why Nebraska was once noteworthy. Different styles, but the same high execution. Can anyone tell me one play, over the last several years, that Nebraska ran consistently well? I can't over the course of several coordinators. I can think of fly by night plays that worked for a short stretch, but I can't recall one for a very long time that was the kind of play executed to a high degree that one could have confidence in.
Let's paint a scenario for the idea that Nebraska has to copy Wisconsin in order to break through this current ceiling. Suppose Nebraska is the top team in the West. If you don't like that, suppose Nebraska and Ohio St swapped divisions permanently. Paint it however, but don't change Wisconsin. What is the viewpoint of Wisconsin now? They're now Bo Pelini...5-3/4-4, 9/10 wins. Maybe they don't get blown out as often (cough 59-0 cough), but they're Bo Pelini. When you look at Wisconsin's record against the best Big Ten sides, which conveniently all are in another division, it's not great (they've also dodged most of the better teams). The team they've most consistently played is Ohio St, whom they've lost the last 5. They played Michigan once since 2010, lost. They've lost the last 3 to Penn St (and 5 of the last 6). They've played MSU once since 2012 (win last year).
It appears to me that the thing that is making Wisconsin seem worthy of copying is that Nebraska isn't.
Because for 25 years Osborne figured it out. We CAN'T consistently recruit top players that's why the walk on program was so strong it obtained the very best they could get. The weather in Lincoln is not so favorable for a pro style offense to sling it 35-40 times. Callahan failed at it, Riley is failing at it. Throwing the ball around like that ensures one thing, INT's or an incomplete pass on 2nd and 5 or 3rd and freaking 2. We went from recruiting fast and slim players on defense to stop spread offenses in the Big XII to the Big 10. We have no identity under Mike Riley. We haven't had an identity since probably 1999-2001. Solich was an awful recruiter, that was his downfall. The same can be said for Pelini.
Osborne figured it out, he had to commit to the run and be the most physical team there was and recruit speed on defense. Of course today, there's scholarship limitations and the elimination of the Proposition 48 rule. This killed Nebraska football.
We are limited, geographically, it is easier to find, recruit, and teach OL to run block than pass block as well. Why fix something that wasn't even broken to begin with??? The Pederson era and everything he did to destroy the program has to be undone. Perlman being gone as I've said in the past, is the best thing that's happened to the football program in a long, long time.
Green and Bounds made it clear, they'd like to return our football program to the consistency and level of success that everyone saw in the 90's. Sure, we won national championships but by God people were sh***ng in their pants to play us. This is what we need to get back. Our identity, toughness, brutality, hard work. We have a head coach who has no accountability or disciplinary skills. We have had nothing but coaches who coddle the players like they're babies since Frank Solich.
The players will hold themselves accountable and begin to compete at a high level when they have a coach that exudes these qualities. We don't have it and we have to get it.
Teams in the Pac-12 can execute what they do well because of, again geographical area, weather, environment, etc. most Californians aren't going to come play for Nebraska, no, they'll play for USC, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and others. The same can be said for Texas now. They can go to OU, Texas, or hell, the SEC and play for A&M. These teams do what they do well because of where they're located and how much easier it is to recruit there.
Wisconsin has been the Nebraska of the Big 10 like Nebraska was for the Big 8. Because of Barry Alvarez who is... Ding ding ding a Nebraska alum! Wow, look at that. A former Nebraska player who tries everything he can to emulate his program just like his Alma mater, walk on program, recruit the best OL they can find, a physical running attack and continuity on defense without changing much.
Nebraska used to be able to run 10-15 plays to perfection during our winning tradition days. Our practices were, like Mark Banker said about Iowa's practices, "a bloodbath."
These things worked for Nebraska in the past and again, why change something that wasn't broken to begin with? Nebraska used to have the best offensive and defensive lines in the country. We've paid the price for firing a 9-3 head coach in 2003. We lost our way. We've seen some of the worst defeats in our programs history since. We've had losing seasons including one under the current regime, and a poor start to this one. We've lost our way and now it's time to get it back for good.