How do we fix this Nebraska team?
- Thread starter The Duke
- Start date
krc1995
Donor
Hoosker
New member
Here is my thoughts. Take them as you will.
1. Our team lacks discipline. (This is obvious)
2. We are extremely slow on the defensive line
3. We shoot ourselves in the foot more than any sports team than I've ever seen in my life. (Majority of our losses are 100% our fault)
4. Taylor will NEVER be a great quarterback. I don't care what any of you guys say. I've said it from day one. He is not a leader, he is not a winner, he is not a fighter. He is an athlete that is lined up behind center. PERIOD. THE END!
5. I'm confused on our play calling. I was pleased with the first half, but it seems like in the 2nd half, SC adjusted to us, and we didn't adjust at all.
6. There is NOTHING any of you can say to me why Lance Thorell and Austin Cassidy start over PJ Smith and Courtney Osborne. They are far superior athletically. No, I'm not a depth chart coordinator and I don't watch them in practice, but I do watch college football religiously and I can say this, NONE of the top tier teams in college football start slower, less athletic players (regardless of their race) over them. Osborne flourished in 2010 and didn't even get a chance in 2011. Make sense of that for me. PLEASE!
7. Bo's seat should be getting warm. I realize he has a good winning percentage and it was his first year in a new conference, but his team lacks discipline and heart. It was obvious in the 2nd half. Nobody seemed like they wanted to be there. He had an entire month to prepare for this game and this was the result????? If you aren't questioning the head coach, at least a little bit, then you are in denial. Say all you want about Osborne needing 25 years to reach his first title. If every coach got 25 years to prove his worth, the world would be chaos.
Alright, I waited over 7 hours for this rant so please don't be too hard on me, it was a one time spew.
a;lskdjf;alkwjf;laskfj;alskdfj;alskfja;sldkfjas;lfkjasd;lfkjas;lfkjas;lkfjasd;lkfjas;lkfj;alskfdja;slkfjlk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Our team lacks discipline. (This is obvious)
2. We are extremely slow on the defensive line
3. We shoot ourselves in the foot more than any sports team than I've ever seen in my life. (Majority of our losses are 100% our fault)
4. Taylor will NEVER be a great quarterback. I don't care what any of you guys say. I've said it from day one. He is not a leader, he is not a winner, he is not a fighter. He is an athlete that is lined up behind center. PERIOD. THE END!
5. I'm confused on our play calling. I was pleased with the first half, but it seems like in the 2nd half, SC adjusted to us, and we didn't adjust at all.
6. There is NOTHING any of you can say to me why Lance Thorell and Austin Cassidy start over PJ Smith and Courtney Osborne. They are far superior athletically. No, I'm not a depth chart coordinator and I don't watch them in practice, but I do watch college football religiously and I can say this, NONE of the top tier teams in college football start slower, less athletic players (regardless of their race) over them. Osborne flourished in 2010 and didn't even get a chance in 2011. Make sense of that for me. PLEASE!
7. Bo's seat should be getting warm. I realize he has a good winning percentage and it was his first year in a new conference, but his team lacks discipline and heart. It was obvious in the 2nd half. Nobody seemed like they wanted to be there. He had an entire month to prepare for this game and this was the result????? If you aren't questioning the head coach, at least a little bit, then you are in denial. Say all you want about Osborne needing 25 years to reach his first title. If every coach got 25 years to prove his worth, the world would be chaos.
Alright, I waited over 7 hours for this rant so please don't be too hard on me, it was a one time spew.
a;lskdjf;alkwjf;laskfj;alskdfj;alskfja;sldkfjas;lfkjasd;lfkjas;lfkjas;lkfjasd;lkfjas;lkfj;alskfdja;slkfjlk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beanman
Banned
Excel
New member
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chamrocck
New member
Good observation and I agree. Bo needs to overcome this and it is pretty simple human nature. I saw it growing up and still see it today...not on TV but experience it in youth sports. You start screaming at the ref and basically you won't get the breaks the rest of the game. We have all seen the aggro coach with youth kids sports...he always is wrong and loses...and never gets any calls when they are close.
I have an idea for Bo...make someone else on the staff (a younger guy) the fiery bad cop guy who vents at the refs if needed...and then you come in as the good cop with more maturity and wisdom. The refs will like you more in the end.
It'sNotAFakeID
New member
Okay, so maybe the team isn't consistently fundamentally sound, but those two and the 9 wins that we had this year had to be a product of something, how could they not be fundamentals? How is it not discipline? What was the reason that allowed us to win 9 games?
And then is it just a coincidence that, when they are fundamentally sound, like they were for the majority of those 9 wins that they physically and visually show those cues that lead us to believe the passion is there?
3rd and long
New member
They won nine games DESPITE being fundamentaly UNSOUND, and incredibly UNDISCIPLINED. They won nine games because there is still a lot of talent on the field (and Braxton Miller getting knocked out of the game). They may on occasion make a tackle or catch that is technically correct, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Two issues that are huge for us, tackles and catching the ball, are largely dependent on doing it correctly fundamentals wise. I used LSU as an example on defense, watch the way they tackle, time after time, fundamentally correct, that's why they don't miss nearly as often as we do. If you watched the Rose or Fiesta bowls yesterday, think back about the receivers. How many balls did you see guys snag with their hands. They don't let the ball get into their body, now think back and see how many times you can remember one of our guys using his hands and the ball seems like it just sticks to them.
The reason coaches preach fundamentals is so that when you are tired and beat down late in the game, you don't have to think about how to do it correctly, it's automatic. Discipline maybe can be a touch more varying game to game, but still not much so. By and large, undisciplined teams play that way every game, they may make less mistakes here or there in a game, but almost always they will at some point revert back. Take a look at the Raiders as a prime example. When you're a team that incurrs that many penalties and missed assignments, you are undisciplined.
Can you win a lot of games playing that way? Sure. Sometimes talented players just make plays. But the problem is, when you are faced with a tough, late game situation against an opponent of equal talent, the team with better fundamentals and discipline is going to win the vast majority of the time.
Goal-line
New member
The simple fact is that we do not have the athletes to compete at a top level. Most complain of mediocrity, but we have dipped even below that level. Until we recruit better players, expect the same as we are currently accomplishing . Recruiting is a coaching responsibility. We also need better position coaching. Get rid of the dead wood. Hire quality assistants who have proven track records.
MLB 51
Active member
I agree we could use a couple of elite linemen on both side's of the ball. But honestly, we were in this game until the fourth quarter at least. Credit SC, They made a few adjustments that we didn't counter. And we played undisciplined. Still don't think we lack that much talent wise.
VectorVictor
Donor
This.
Seriously, folks--how do you not see that our turnovers weren't anything less but 10 and 14-point swings, respectively? Had we not turned the ball over, based on how we were successfully matriculating down the field, we're talking about a 'Husker blowout and Spurier having flashbacks of 1996.
We're on the precipice of great things with this squad and team...and yet, this team is also on the precipice of a meltdown next year if we don't work on consistency, 'forgetting' about penalties/clearing the mental mechanism. Next year will be a very telling year for this program and the direction it will go, as the kids will be wholly Bo's (save for an exception or two), and if the mental mistakes and breakdowns continue to occur...
Plus, I don't think that 'heart' is lacking in this team--if anything, one could say we have too much of it, as it seems our kids are taking penalties to heart when they just need to regroup and execute. Plus, reports from Florida were that Nebraska players were thanking the fans for coming out--something that would take a large amount of heart and ownership in a program, which is what Nebraska fans expect.
Now, I haven't watched the game again, but supposedly our players thanking fans was mentioned in between the verbal fellatio that the ESPN crew was providing the Rose Bowl, the SEC, and Friday Night Lights/Texas football.
The Duke
New member
As the OP for this topic let me throw these thoughts into the discussion:
I think we can all agree that this Nebraska team needs some major improvement in certain areas going into next season. I think we can also agree that there IS talent on this team. However, over the last 4 years that talent has sometimes been overshadowed by undisciplined behavior by both the players & coaches.
We are lacking in:
1) Mental toughness from both players & coaches. (When you commit the amount of stupid penalties that Nebraska has done over the last 4 years it is not just "a lack of execution," it is a trend... and a trend that needs to be reversed.)
2) Fundamental football. (If you have a hard time blocking & tackling you are going to have a tough time winning week-in-and-week-out.)
3) Poor decision making/accuracy from the QB position. (Taylor has improved in this area from last year)
4) Player development. (While it is important that your starters play most of the game, a team must also strike a balance of building depth and developing younger players. Some Red Shirts we have used wisely, others we have not. Example of players who should have redshirted: Aaron Green, Jamal Turner, Braylon Heard.)
5) A pass rush from our defensive front four. (Our lack of pass rush comes down to one of two things or both; Either, A-we do not have enough speed from our front four, B-our scheme is set-up to where our front four is not supposed to be rushing the passer, or C-both.)
I could go on, but I will stop there for now. We can all agree there is work that needs to be done with our Cornhuskers, and things that need to be addressed on both sides of the ball. But let me ask you all this question: In order for this team as a whole to improve, which side of the ball needs more work going into next season and why? The offensive side? Or the defensive side?
I think we can all agree that this Nebraska team needs some major improvement in certain areas going into next season. I think we can also agree that there IS talent on this team. However, over the last 4 years that talent has sometimes been overshadowed by undisciplined behavior by both the players & coaches.
We are lacking in:
1) Mental toughness from both players & coaches. (When you commit the amount of stupid penalties that Nebraska has done over the last 4 years it is not just "a lack of execution," it is a trend... and a trend that needs to be reversed.)
2) Fundamental football. (If you have a hard time blocking & tackling you are going to have a tough time winning week-in-and-week-out.)
3) Poor decision making/accuracy from the QB position. (Taylor has improved in this area from last year)
4) Player development. (While it is important that your starters play most of the game, a team must also strike a balance of building depth and developing younger players. Some Red Shirts we have used wisely, others we have not. Example of players who should have redshirted: Aaron Green, Jamal Turner, Braylon Heard.)
5) A pass rush from our defensive front four. (Our lack of pass rush comes down to one of two things or both; Either, A-we do not have enough speed from our front four, B-our scheme is set-up to where our front four is not supposed to be rushing the passer, or C-both.)
I could go on, but I will stop there for now. We can all agree there is work that needs to be done with our Cornhuskers, and things that need to be addressed on both sides of the ball. But let me ask you all this question: In order for this team as a whole to improve, which side of the ball needs more work going into next season and why? The offensive side? Or the defensive side?
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mwj98
New member
Amen Knapplc......there are some things to fix for sure, I'll take 9 wins right now. We are light years ahead of the callahan years. Remember when Kansas hung 73 on us??? Kansas??? really? I am disappointed, but if the folks on this board had the ability to change coaches and influence decisions, we would have new coaches every time we lost a game. Sit back and let it play out.
Stickney
New member
There are issues ALL over this team.
With the departure of the best 2 defenders (by far), this defense looks very questionable next year (but who knows, it looked pretty good on paper B4 this year)
What gets me sick to my stomach is thinking of 2 more years of T-Mart at QB. I hope he improves. I am not betting on it. What excuse will Bo use next year? "Lay off the kid, he's only a junior and hasn't graduated yet."
On the positive side:
1. One more year to enjoy Rex's effort.
2. Kenny Bell can play.
3. The secondary has improved since early/mid-season.
With the departure of the best 2 defenders (by far), this defense looks very questionable next year (but who knows, it looked pretty good on paper B4 this year)
What gets me sick to my stomach is thinking of 2 more years of T-Mart at QB. I hope he improves. I am not betting on it. What excuse will Bo use next year? "Lay off the kid, he's only a junior and hasn't graduated yet."
On the positive side:
1. One more year to enjoy Rex's effort.
2. Kenny Bell can play.
3. The secondary has improved since early/mid-season.