Why Can't Nebraska Perform Like "X" School?

[StPaulHusker]

The drops, fumbles, bad snaps, miscommunications and general miscues that hurt us in East Lansing have followed us since. Luckily we can get away with that against the likes of Northwestern, Purdue, and that team from New Jerzry, but there's legitimate concern it will hurt us going forward unless corrected. Even Bo Freakin' Pelini agrees. Maybe he's just exaggerating to criticize himself, or maybe it's a legitimate concern.

Thankfully there is some time before the next game to work on it

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

What we need is Miami to knock of FSU with us winning out.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I mean, this was our goal? Beating the Purdue's of the world like this?

Yes. At least that's how I read the OPs logic. The teams we supposedly aspire to be -- and the coaches you desperately want to hire -- are going to have a sh**ty game (or two!) every season. Nebraska played sloppy, out-of-rhythym football for four quarters and the game was never in doubt. We beat Purdue 35 - 14. It's what we had to do and we did it. Nebraska's rich history of football dominance has plenty of 35 - 14 games against similar competition.

If that was the culmination of our season, you'd have a point. If Nebraska hadn't played any better than we did against Purdue, you'd have a point. If everybody thought we could play this poorly and still beat Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, you'd have a point.

But since we can't really achieve any goals until all the games are actually played, it's ridiculous to put much weight on this Purdue game.

That being said, we don't need a moral victory against Wisconsin. We need a win. Dominant would be nice, but I won't be picky.

 

[BigRedBuster]

The drops, fumbles, bad snaps, miscommunications and general miscues that hurt us in East Lansing have followed us since. Luckily we can get away with that against the likes of Northwestern, Purdue, and that team from New Jerzry, but there's legitimate concern it will hurt us going forward unless corrected. Even Bo Freakin' Pelini agrees. Maybe he's just exaggerating to criticize himself, or maybe it's a legitimate concern.

Myself,I just wish Bo Pelini wasn't such a hater with a troll agenda when he says things like that.

Here's the difference.

A coach who simply comes out and says he isn't satisfied with the play and they have work to do is different than a group of fans having what literally was a mental melt down after a 3 TD win wanting players kicked off the team and demanding coaches being fired and claiming they just KNOW we are going to lose the all or the majority of the rest of our games.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

Sloppy football can strike any team at any time. This is true. That's not the point, though.

Under Pelini it "just so happens" to strike most of the time, year after year after year.

People are starting to consider it more of a trend than some zany, unlucky fluke.

"Most of the time". See, this is what drives me nuts, this mindless inanity just to prove a point. Pelini is one of only two coaches to win at least nine games each season since 08. Check out this post from another thread by Coach Power T and then reexamine "most of the time":

Statistically Nebraska's Offense and Defense points per game stats vs each game individually vs Opponents averages.

Without digging too deep into the depths of statistics of team offense and defense.

Nebraska Offense average ppg = 40

Opponents Defense average ppg given up. (I rounded up or down the decimal)

vs FAU = 35 (we scored 55, +20)

vs McNeese = 21 (we scored 31, +10)

vs Fresno = 37 (we scored 55, +18)

vs Miami = 22 (we scored 41, +19)

vs Illinois = 37 (we scored 45, +8)

vs Michigan St = 20 (we scored 22, +2)

vs Northwestern = 24 (we scored 38, +14)

vs Rutgers = 29 (we scored 42, +13)

vs Purdue = 32 (we scored 35, +3) despite playing horrible on that side of the ball we were still able to score more than their average on defense.

Total = +107 / 9 games = 12 ppg higher than defenses average giving up.

Opponents Offense ppg vs our Defense (We give up 20 ppg.)

vs FAU = 24 (they scored 7, -17)

vs McNeese = 38 (they scored 24, -14)

vs Fresno = 27 (they scored 19, -8)

vs Miami = 33 (they scored 31, -2)

vs Illinois = 27 (they scored 14, -13)

vs Michigan St = 46 (they scored 27, -19)

vs Northwestern = 19 (they scored 17, -2)

vs Rutgers = 24 (they scored 24, +/-0)

vs Purdue = 27 (they scored 14, -13)

Total = -88 / 9 = 10 ppg lower that offense average scoring.

We've consistently beat the averages. Granted I know each average changes each week. Interesting nonetheless if you are a stats guy, like me. Take it for what it's worth. Maybe nothing.

Criticize Pelini all you want, but for God's sake keep the hyperbole out of it.

No hyperbole at all. We won big against Northwestern, Rutgers, and Purdue. That doesn't mean it wasn't sloppy (the players and coaches seem to agree with me here). Maybe we shouldn't care or talk about it when we play like that against the sisters of the poor, but that undiciplined brand of football continues to prevent us from winning championships.
Also, this is me seeing it both ways. I was the first to point out that winning big against this sort of team is preferable to scraping by with a 4th quarter comeback or even losing (which we made a habit of in 2011, 2012, 2013). Although I fully understand the concern from coaches, players, and fans alike.

You dodged it. Your phrase "most of the time" was proven wrong by Coach Power T and my point that only Pelini and Saban have at least 9 wins since 08. Sloppy play striking most of the time is refuted. You can't justify your exaggeration by citing what most here agree with, that there are uncorrected problems.

Again, criticize the staff all you want, and I will probably agree with more than you would guess. But you diminish your efforts with silly declarations like "most of the time". Demonstrably not true.

I don't think you know what refuted means. I think we were pretty sloppy in 5 of our 9 games this year. That's most of the time. Winning 9 games has literally nothing to do with my statement. If I said we lost most of the time, then you'd be onto something. I didn't - you're not.

Sloppy football can strike any team at any time. This is true. That's not the point, though.

Under Pelini it "just so happens" to strike most of the time, year after year after year.

People are starting to consider it more of a trend than some zany, unlucky fluke.

There is your entire initial quote. I'm putting there to show the disconnect between your logic and reality.

8-1 season plus Coach Power T's work r-e-f-u-t-e-s "most of the time".

And now I am done with this. Carry on.

 

[Spooky Tooth]

The drops, fumbles, bad snaps, miscommunications and general miscues that hurt us in East Lansing have followed us since. Luckily we can get away with that against the likes of Northwestern, Purdue, and that team from New Jerzry, but there's legitimate concern it will hurt us going forward unless corrected. Even Bo Freakin' Pelini agrees. Maybe he's just exaggerating to criticize himself, or maybe it's a legitimate concern.

Myself,I just wish Bo Pelini wasn't such a hater with a troll agenda when he says things like that.

Competition?

 

[JJ Husker]

You dodged it. Your phrase "most of the time" was proven wrong by Coach Power T and my point that only Pelini and Saban have at least 9 wins since 08. Sloppy play striking most of the time is refuted. You can't justify your exaggeration by citing what most here agree with, that there are uncorrected problems.

Again, criticize the staff all you want, and I will probably agree with more than you would guess. But you diminish your efforts with silly declarations like "most of the time". Demonstrably not true.

I don't think you know what refuted means. I think we were pretty sloppy in 5 of our 9 games this year. That's most of the time. Winning 9 games has literally nothing to do with my statement. If I said we lost most of the time, then you'd be onto something. I didn't - you're not.

Sloppy football can strike any team at any time. This is true. That's not the point, though.

Under Pelini it "just so happens" to strike most of the time, year after year after year.

People are starting to consider it more of a trend than some zany, unlucky fluke.

There is your entire initial quote. I'm putting there to show the disconnect between your logic and reality.

8-1 season plus Coach Power T's work r-e-f-u-t-e-s "most of the time".

And now I am done with this. Carry on.

Is there REALLY a substantial difference between "most of the time" and "way too often".

Would you go to so much trouble arguing against it if it had originally been posted as "way too often"?

That is more subjective, less finite, and IMO quite accurate. Of course, I didn't have much of a problem with "most of the time".

 

[The Dude]

Sloppy football can strike any team at any time. This is true. That's not the point, though.

Under Pelini it "just so happens" to strike most of the time, year after year after year.

People are starting to consider it more of a trend than some zany, unlucky fluke.

There is your entire initial quote. I'm putting there to show the disconnect between your logic and reality.

8-1 season plus Coach Power T's work r-e-f-u-t-e-s "most of the time".

And now I am done with this. Carry on.

Again, no. Your 8-1 response doesn't even address what I said. Let alone refute it. You can win a game and be plagued by miscues while doing it. There is no disconnect. At least on my end. Carry on, indeed.

 

[BigRedBuster]

You dodged it. Your phrase "most of the time" was proven wrong by Coach Power T and my point that only Pelini and Saban have at least 9 wins since 08. Sloppy play striking most of the time is refuted. You can't justify your exaggeration by citing what most here agree with, that there are uncorrected problems.

Again, criticize the staff all you want, and I will probably agree with more than you would guess. But you diminish your efforts with silly declarations like "most of the time". Demonstrably not true.

I don't think you know what refuted means. I think we were pretty sloppy in 5 of our 9 games this year. That's most of the time. Winning 9 games has literally nothing to do with my statement. If I said we lost most of the time, then you'd be onto something. I didn't - you're not.

Sloppy football can strike any team at any time. This is true. That's not the point, though.

Under Pelini it "just so happens" to strike most of the time, year after year after year.

People are starting to consider it more of a trend than some zany, unlucky fluke.

There is your entire initial quote. I'm putting there to show the disconnect between your logic and reality.

8-1 season plus Coach Power T's work r-e-f-u-t-e-s "most of the time".

And now I am done with this. Carry on.

Is there REALLY a substantial difference between "most of the time" and "way too often".

Would you go to so much trouble arguing against it if it had originally been posted as "way too often"?

That is more subjective, less finite, and IMO quite accurate. Of course, I didn't have much of a problem with "most of the time".

Actually, yes when it's paired with the rest of the drastic over reaction and exaggeration that has been on this board the last two days.

 

[The Dude]

No one would actually argue we haven't had a ton of miscues the last 4 games, though, right? I openly invite anyone who thinks that to go back and watch the film. It's not an overreaction as much as it's something that's self-evident.

And no, I don't think anyone should be kicked off the team.

 

[JJ Husker]

I tend to ignore drastic over reaction and exaggeration. There are some things that just don't warrant responding to. This wasn't one of those things.

 

[HUSKER 37]

I HATE the OFFSEASON!!

 

[notherplace93]

Nebraska could at least use their 3 available oversigning spots each year to build more depth.

Not to mention the attrition that happens EVERY year. We basically put ourselves at a disadvantage that is far worse than being located in NE.

This one irks the s*&% out of me. We are already at a location/Talent disadvantage. Im all for giving scholarships to deserving walk-ons, but come on, use every advantage you can. For all the improvements Pelini seems to have made in the recruiting from this area still annoys me

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Nebraska could at least use their 3 available oversigning spots each year to build more depth.

Not to mention the attrition that happens EVERY year. We basically put ourselves at a disadvantage that is far worse than being located in NE.

This one irks the s*&% out of me. We are already at a location/Talent disadvantage. Im all for giving scholarships to deserving walk-ons, but come on, use every advantage you can. For all the improvements Pelini seems to have made in the recruiting from this area still annoys me

Not to mention We take on a lot of "projects" that have the athletic ability But are raw and may never develop. If you are going to do it load up on em and never take a class less than 20 recruits. If you are lucky you will get 10 solid contributors out of them regardless of star ranking. Seems like we have a few that never make it to campus then a few that ride the pine and soak up scholarships when they never contribute during their time here. Mixed in with injuries and transfers and you come up with needing to max out all class sizes to give yourself the best shot. Oversigning by the B1G max of 3 is a no-brainer IMO

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

No one would actually argue we haven't had a ton of miscues the last 4 games, though, right? I openly invite anyone who thinks that to go back and watch the film. It's not an overreaction as much as it's something that's self-evident.

No argument there.

But we gotta argue about something or the board will cease to exist.

Here's what I'm thinking: stupid penalties are down slightly over recent seasons. Executional mistakes are up slightly. QB and receivers not being on the same page shouldn't be happening at this stage in the season, not with this personnel. Missed snaps and blocking assignments could be personnel issues with the OL a work in progress. Those are correctible with practice. If these are actually cases of the yips, that's a bigger issue. Someone needs to calm these guys down. That being said, we are 8 - 1. Our sloppy wins are by 21 points. In the case of Northwestern, a 21 point win on the road as opposed to a 3 point miracle at home. Our only loss was by 6 points to a Top 10 team. It's too early to call this success, but it's not wrong to call it progress.

As for the Original Post, I'm still waiting for a Bo Pelini team to play out of its head. Really put the hurt on a good team, and upset a better team. It happens every Saturday. The "X" school we supposedly want to be will get upset by a lower-ranked team that comes out with their ears pinned back and a great strategy. Nebraska is stuck in no man's land. We aren't the elite team everyone is gunning for, and we aren't the upstart who scores the big upset. But we are playing more exciting ball on both sides. We just can't be "raw" any more. That excuse ran its course last season.