Back to another long off season

[Pavlov's Dog]

Matt Rhule details what Isaiah Neyor brings to Nebraska offense (msn.com)

This goes back to my saying we need to make defenses defend the whole field-53yards by 100yards. Whether or not we throw a lot of deep balls, the defenses need to take that into account. I'm hoping we won't see 6-8 in the box, protecting against the run and possible short passes between the hash marks. This will make our running game more effective.

 

[ATX_Husker]

Georgia, Ohio State lead college football's NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after spring practice

 

[Doc Fumble]

Georgia, Ohio State lead college football's NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after spring practice

Nebraska is the only 5-7 team ranked in the top 25

Highest ranked teams with losing records from last season:

1. Nebraska 25th - 5-7
2. Florida 33rd - 5-7
3. TCU 36th - 5-7
4. UCF 41st - 6-7
5. Auburn 44th - 6-7

 

[Uenth]

Nebraska is the only 5-7 team ranked in the top 25

Highest ranked teams with losing records from last season:

1. Nebraska 25th - 5-7
2. Florida 33rd - 5-7
3. TCU 36th - 5-7
4. UCF 41st - 6-7
5. Auburn 44th - 6-7

You know, I'm always conflicted about rankings like this. It's great to see us in the top 25! Man in the old days, that'd be suicide watch time for fans. Anything other than top 10 and a #1 ranking was pretty much unacceptable but these days, this is great! But, I generally fall back on, make them do something first and please let them not be thinking everything is hunky dory because we got some decent rankings. Oy vey!

But, overall I'm pretty jazzed about the re-ranking!

GO BIG RED!!!

 

[Doc Fumble]

You know, I'm always conflicted about rankings like this.

Admittedly, polls like this don't mean diddily squat. To me, it's primary significance is that it says the CFB world thinks we got ourselves a winner in Matt Rhule.

That jazzes me too!

 

[Uenth]

Admittedly, polls like this don't mean diddily squat. To me, it's primary significance is that it says the CFB world thinks we got ourselves a winner in Matt Rhule.

That jazzes me too!

You had a much more concise phraseology than I did. But, yeah, that's what I was obfuscating about!

 

[valiantsailor]

Admittedly, polls like this don't mean diddily squat. To me, it's primary significance is that it says the CFB world thinks we got ourselves a winner in Matt Rhule.

That jazzes me too!

Admittedly, polls like this don't mean diddily squat. To me, it's primary significance is that it says the CFB world thinks we got ourselves a winner in Dylan Raiola. Did a little fix for ya there

 

[Cigarman]

It is hard to argue that NU has been on the verge of improving for several years now. We have lost more one score games than anyone in college football. Our downfall has mostly been on the offense and special teams. Poor O-line play, poor QB play, turnovers, and lack of depth have been the biggest reasons for this poor play. In fact, in a couple of those seasons 10 or 15 more points would have changed a 4 or 5 win season into a 10 win season.

Several times I have said "we just need to get a little better to be a much better team". But it has never panned out. The main reason was coaching. Instead of making the needed changes they stuck with what was not working. This year I expect that to change. The reasons I expect this are obvious. 1st, this coaching staff gets it. They are putting in work where it is needed and filling talent gaps that were holding us back. I believe this staff will ride the hot hand. They will use what is working instead of trying to prove their offense can work in the Big like it did on the West Coast of in the AAC. 2nd, we have some difference makers. The D-line will be tough, we have more talent at WR than we have had in a long time. 3rd, We have coaches who will put the O-line in position to succeed instead of asking them to do too much. Lastly, IMHO the QB play will be greatly improved. No more missing open receivers or throwing into a cluster. If the passing game improves, everything improves. The running game opens up, 3rd down conversions improve, the defense sees less time on the field and yes scoring also improves.

I see this and many of the pundits do as well. I think there is good reason of optimism.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Several times I have said "we just need to get a little better to be a much better team". But it has never panned out. The main reason was coaching.

Our coaching — from when Pelini failed to adapt to the B1G, thru Riley and Frost — has been pathetic. Absolutely atrocious. (Husker99 must be rubbing off on me.)

Funny thing is, I never realized how bad it was until I’ve seen Coach Rhule in action. He’s not perfect but he’s light years better than the clowns we had.

 

[Uenth]

Our coaching — from when Pelini failed to adapt to the B1G, thru Riley and Frost — has been pathetic. Absolutely atrocious. (Husker99 must be rubbing off on me.)

Funny thing is, I never realized how bad it was until I’ve seen Coach Rhule in action. He’s not perfect but he’s light years better than the clowns we had.

I think Solich needs to be included in that list. We only won as many games as we did because Solich had the one man show, Eric Crouch, in every game. He also was still benefitting from McBride and other Osborne coaches as well as the results of Osborne's recruiting prowess.

I don't have a nut for Solich or anything. I said at the time and I still believe that he was just not the right coach for DONU. He did well enough in Ohio to retire from there and I'm happy for him. He was not the right fit for us and Solich started the wheels falling off bs. I hope that has been or is being corrected. Time will tell.

 

[Cigarman]

Our coaching — from when Pelini failed to adapt to the B1G, thru Riley and Frost — has been pathetic. Absolutely atrocious. (Husker99 must be rubbing off on me.)

Funny thing is, I never realized how bad it was until I’ve seen Coach Rhule in action. He’s not perfect but he’s light years better than the clowns we had.

There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is a good thing but arrogance will not allow you to make necessary changes. Riley wasn't arrogant, he was just over the hill. Pelini and Frost were doomed by their stubborn arrogance. Solich was a great position coach but lacked what it took to be a HC at this level. The best coaches are those who have been bounced around and had to eat some humble pie. Because learning lessons the hard way leaves a much deeper impression. But it only works if you are humble enough to recognize your own faults.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Pelini and Frost were doomed by their stubborn arrogance.

Yep. Both coaches miscalculated what they needed, both player-wise and scheme-wise to compete week-to-week in the Big Ten.

 

[Uenth]

There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is a good thing but arrogance will not allow you to make necessary changes. Riley wasn't arrogant, he was just over the hill. Pelini and Frost were doomed by their stubborn arrogance. Solich was a great position coach but lacked what it took to be a HC at this level. The best coaches are those who have been bounced around and had to eat some humble pie. Because learning lessons the hard way leaves a much deeper impression. But it only works if you are humble enough to recognize your own faults.

As far as Riley, he was basically always a .500 coach. I never understand why SE hired him; other than to further bury our storied FB program.

 

[SUHnami]

As far as Riley, he was basically always a .500 coach. I never understand why SE hired him; other than to further bury our storied FB program.

They needed a guy who was good with the media. Bo was not but Bo never had a losing season.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Bo never had a losing season.

Whoopdie-do. He also never sniffed a championship in the B1G either.

The dismal failure of the coach who followed him might have a little something to do with the state of the program when he left town in a huff.

 

[HuskersNC949597]

Yep. Both coaches miscalculated what they needed, both player-wise and scheme-wise to compete week-to-week in the Big Ten.

Which was so weird given Bo PLAYED in the league, and it didn't even change that much over the decades: line play, line play, line play.

 

[Uenth]

They needed a guy who was good with the media. Bo was not but Bo never had a losing season.

Yeah, I get that everyone was worn out by the Bo antics but chriminy, did they have to be mutually exclusive? I didn't realize that if you had a winning coach, he would be a media jackass. Apparently, that was SE's thought process.

Honestly, I always thought SE hired Smilin' Mike because his Miami roots were showing.

 

[RED ED]

They needed a guy who was good with the media. Bo was not but Bo never had a losing season.

Bo didn’t get fired for his record

 

[Pavlov's Dog]

Whoopdie-do. He also never sniffed a championship in the B1G either.

The dismal failure of the coach who followed him might have a little something to do with the state of the program when he left town in a huff.

Riley went to a Bowl game because of Bo! We were tops in academic graduation, which was a tie breaker on 5 win teams. Bo graduated kids!
I don't know why you HATE Bo so much, he really cared about the kids and won a lot of games. He didn't have the support of the boosters or administration that ALL the other coaches had, but he was an honest man. His inability to have a filter was (and probably still is), his biggest fault. He went into kids' homes, looked Mama in the eye, and said "Your son will get a college education." Anecdotal stories of kids cutting out of classes only to find Bo in the hallway getting them turned around are true! He left Riley with some guys who went to the NFL. There was enough talent to have a winning record each year. And Riley left Frost with enough talent to have a winning record.
Yeah, Bo was pretty abrasive, but not a bad guy.

 

[Husker99]

Riley went to a Bowl game because of Bo! We were tops in academic graduation, which was a tie breaker on 5 win teams. Bo graduated kids!
I don't know why you HATE Bo so much, he really cared about the kids and won a lot of games. He didn't have the support of the boosters or administration that ALL the other coaches had, but he was an honest man. His inability to have a filter was (and probably still is), his biggest fault. He went into kids' homes, looked Mama in the eye, and said "Your son will get a college education." Anecdotal stories of kids cutting out of classes only to find Bo in the hallway getting them turned around are true! He left Riley with some guys who went to the NFL. There was enough talent to have a winning record each year. And Riley left Frost with enough talent to have a winning record.
Yeah, Bo was pretty abrasive, but not a bad guy.

More talking about Pelini...back to another long off-season indeed.

Since it is the off-season, I'll play along...

There is a lot of speculation out there, and very precious few actually know the facts surrounding Bo, his relationship with the AD, Boosters, and Board Of Regents. I certainly have no inside information regarding this, so instead I will speak to the facts of what I do know.

1. Yes, Bo did win 9 games every year.

2. Yes Bo did recruit some guys who would go on to play in the league.

But...

3. He didn't recruit nearly enough.

The team was constantly thin at QB, LB, OL, DL, etc.

We had (in a lot of cases) good to great first team players, but if the #2, (or God forbid) the #3 guy had to come in, we were screwed because the talent level fell off a cliff if the #1 was hurt.
​

4. From 2007 to 2014, as the seasons went by, the losses became more embarrassing and lopsided.

As I am typing this, Melvin Gordon just scored another touchdown against our defense.

In "Big Games" we were over-matched: a) the other team had more talent, and b) better coaches who could and would adjust to what we did thereby negating the initial game plan.

In so many games, you could see the frustration on Bo's face, because the camera was constantly on him and would cut to him frequently to catch whatever outburst they could.
​

So in summary, no, Bo was NOT fired for his record. 9 wins a year was "good enough."

Bo was rightfully let go because the losses were becoming embarrassing coupled with his raging sideline meltdowns.

Now, in fairness, I do believe there was a Big 12 conspiracy, initiated by Texas, to use referees, to unfairly flag and penalize Nebraska for having the audacity to give Texas the middle finger and leave the Big 12. That infamous game against Texas A&M

Nebraska-Texas A&M left hard feelings a decade ago

being the ultimate proof and icing on the cake. There is no question in my mind that Texas was behind flaggate.

However, all that being said, Bo was fired because of his actions on the field, the ever increasingly lop-sided losses, and just the feeling that Nebraska, as a program, was either at a plateau, or declining, under his leadership.