Shatel: Changing barometer for NU?

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Nexus

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There's a guy I know. Call him a Nebraska football booster of substance. He'll travel with the team to a road game each year. He'll get the sideline pass. He knows people.
Well, I saw him on Friday in Lincoln, and he had a look of concern.

"This would be a big win," he said.

"Really?" I asked. "Beat 7-5 Iowa to go to the Outback Bowl. That's big?''

"There are people saying this is the biggest game of Bo's (Pelini) career here,'' said my booster friend.

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I still do not understand why people think this team was going to be so good. They all drank the kool aid that the lovely media gave to them. You add the injuries that happened throughout the season and a new conference with an already slightly overrated team and that spells disaster (not that the season was a disaster). Also, for those of you that have never really followed the BIG in the past, every team has an issue with losing a game or two against teams they should not. This is why the conference has issues with getting respect around the football world. Northwestern is one of those teams that sneaks up on one or two teams a year and shocks them.

I was frustrated as much as the next person throughout the season. However, a chance at 10 wins is a great spot to be in. College football has changed so much over the years. Stop comparing Bo to TO/Devaney. The game is completely different and the rules of kids have changed. I understand it is easy to compare them, but it is completely unfair. Just because Bo does not have the demeanor of TO does not mean anything. If NU was in the BIG Championship Game or National Championship game, would anyone care how he is acting?

I do believe Bo will get some of the little things that are causing bigger issues straightened out.

 
I think the 4 paragraphs about being a first time coach are what we all seem to forget.

I am concerned about the inconsistency of play, self inflicted wounds, mismanagement of freshmen and the lack of depth on defense, but I think I am more optimistic now then I have ever been. I believe that Pelini is extremely stubborn, but may be starting to learn from his mistakes. It's a growth process and I'm hopeful he is getting there.

 
I was watching the ESPN show last night on Alabama and Auburn. I saw alot of the same things in Bama fans i see in Husker fans. Husker fans feel it is there birthright to always be in the hunt for the NC. And though i do not disagree with that statement i feel to be in the hunt Every year is not very realistic. I do think Pelini is doing a good job and with time it can develop into something more. But once again, husker fans like Bama fans are impatient and do not want to wait for this. This very fact is why lots of people never liked Bama, and why lots of people dont like Husker fans. They dont like the fact that we feel we earn that place every year because of who Nebraska is and what Nebraska has done. Well it doesnt work like that, if your hungry and you want it bad enough you play like that every game. If you bring your A game, the Northwesterns dont have a chance to play the spoiler. Were still at 9 wins and that is a good season in my book.

 
Most that know college football probably already were aware, but it brings into light about the "beginnings" of careers for guys the general public look at as great football coaches... Bo is actually ahead of most of those guys...under a 'greater' microscope, since most of them began at lower level schools....

I read the paper this morning and was hoping someone would post it.... also brings a little more "creditbility" to the post I made under the "Carl" thread about the rumor from a person close to the University saying TO and Bo aren't necessarily on "great terms"... If Shatel (whom I don't always agree with) is talking to a guy that travels with team and big time booster suggests this stuff......

A lot of people won't give it much credit, but face it, just because it isn't on KETV or ESPN.... some of these "rumors" have some teeth....

 
Nexus said:
There's a guy I know. Call him a Nebraska football booster of substance. He'll travel with the team to a road game each year. He'll get the sideline pass. He knows people.
Well, I saw him on Friday in Lincoln, and he had a look of concern.

"This would be a big win," he said.

"Really?" I asked. "Beat 7-5 Iowa to go to the Outback Bowl. That's big?''

"There are people saying this is the biggest game of Bo's (Pelini) career here,'' said my booster friend.

Continue Reading
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Some of these boosters think they have more power than they actually do. This "booster" probably donated $1,000 last year. No way, no how was Pelini's job in danger.

 
A good read. Nothing I didn't really know about already, but the article does help put things back into perspective. I was one of those guys who always complained about Osborne never winning a national championship. It takes time to develop coaching which is easy to forget with our lust for winning. Even Osborne with his high IQ took years to get 3 national championships. Even know I look back and rehash how many near misses we had where we could have had many more. Always one game away........

 
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"Tom followed the toughest act, taking over two years after back-to-back national championships. Maybe that bought him more time. Pelini took over in 2008, nearly 10 years after the last conference title. He has hungrier mouths to feed."

That pretty much summed it up for me.

 
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I trust the booster in questions is not the 1k guy. I would guess a guy from Texas that paid the bill to get Bo here in the first place. A lot of what was said has been stated on this board. Bo has time as long as the team shows growth, plays smart. Recruiting is becoming far more important question. Comments in boosterville compare his recruiting to Frank's. That will need to change to keep the money guys happy.

Money makes things go, see Oregon, Okie lite. We need our share of the big boys and they need to be happy. I think a major step was taken Friday. Faith restored at least temporarily.

Bo is a good coach, time will tell if he is the coach Nebraska is looking for. But as stated, I think he knows now what he faces at Nebraska. I do not think he understood prior.

I am glad the light came on. He is maturing not only as a coach but as a person. I am very glad to see it. Now, he needs to do as the reporter stated, make bigger and better friends with the boosters. It will help him. A lot of money there and a lot business know how. This is a business no matter what we want to call it. BIG BUSINESS.

 
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The biggest issue it Bo took over a mediocre to bad program with his brother as a DC. The cupboard was loaded with 3 years of good recruiting by Callahan and I think many including myself saw a repeat of Stoops and OU (had he had at least a sh**ty offense in 09 it wouldve) but as it has turned out he is not bob stoops. Hell no, he is Bo Pelini. I like the column, has kind of a eery tone, but it is very truthful, and Shatel seems to personally take Bo's side. but I'll say this, if next year goes like this year and we win 9-10 games again and maybe fail to make the championship game and/or win it and the big damn boosters and the school pull another Solich and oust this guy cuz he doesnt quite fill the trophy case then it will be the straw for me. I will throw out every bit of Husker gear I own and will no longer be associated with this program. I know expectations are high and winning comes first but in the condition of college sports with all the scandals and players getting in trouble I want you to think about this. How many players have been in trouble this year and/or are struggling with school. We had one incident, a player beat up a frickin paper towel dispenser. Oh yeah, I forgot the one where we gave our players too many books. Bo is doing things the right way and he said it best after the Penn St., tho under different circumstances, that even the coaches are involved in a university system and that job #1 is to educate. Championships and trophies for us fans to brag about on rivals.com are great but if we consistently get to 9-10 wins without ever having to go through what Penn St., Ohio St. Miami, USC, even Oklahoma had to recently surrender a year of wins, then I'm am perfectly fine with that, and for those who arent, then they need to take a serious look in the mirror and completely restructure their morales. And yes, I am very angry, extremely aggrevated that Bo future is even remotely in question. Even if rumors are untrue, just the fact that people start them shows how much disconnect with perspective they have. After the NW game i came home and the first thread I saw was "Bo must go". I was shocked, in utter disbelief at the stuff I was reading. Then after the Michigan game I was just mad. If we oust him for the reasons stated, throw Nebraska football to the gutter, becuase it will NEVER recover.

As far as the recruiting goes, maybe he doesnt want the big dogs. Maybe we dont want the next Terrel Prior or Reggie Bush. I bet Ohio St. and USC are just tickled pink now that they had them. This is a clean program, it always has been. And that cannot be sacraficed by any means whatsoever, even as hard as we tried during the Callahan dark ages.

 
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