How far behind is NU?

Our offense is pretty bad. The D last year simply gave up. The offense could not overcome a single penalty on any drive. That is not a good offense that is a really bad offense.

Please don't tell me how many yards they put up, don't tell me how many points they put up. Tell me what their third down conversion was. That's a far better indicator of their performance. Through out most of the year they had to put up big numbers in the 4th just to get back into games. IMO Bo will have the Defense playing at their best. Offensively I'm not sure we have the coaches to get things rolling.

My biggest concern over all is the realtive physical strength of the team. It just appeared to me that the offensive and defensive lines were out muscled most of the year.

 
REDSTEEL said:
HANC said:
Wow........... I am the world's biggest NU fan (as we all are), and I can't believe what I am about to say....but after watching Missouri play all season, they are soooo much better than NU right now, that it makes me sick.... We will find out how good KU is tomorrow night..........

Missouri looked very good, albeit, vs a "pretty good" SEC team going through a coaching change, but I saw Pinkel adjust, athletes perform and they looked good...I would have liked to seen them play USC in the Rose.... (which is why the snobbish Rose bowl needs to forget the Big10 - PAC 10 crap)........

Is Missouri that far ahead of us, or did they just have a great year.......

They are still fairly young, and yesterday sure didn't hurt their recruiting either...

What does NU have to do to catch up?
Click to expand...

After the Oklahoma game you should ask how far behind is the Big 12 to other top ten teams? After all the team that handled Missery 2 times with ease just got run over by a better team.
Click to expand...
Do you think Sooner fans are hoping/praying Mike Stoops falls on his a$$ next year at Arizona so they can get him back? Venebles D got lit up like a Christmas tree last night. As much as I like Bob Stoops and think he's a great coach, I just don't understand why he has so much trouble in the bowl games. Have they even won a bowl game since the NC game in 2000? They had a month to prepare for the spread. Mizzou runs the spread. I realize Daniels isn't White, but is West Virginia this much better and faster than Mizzou? Slaton was on the sideline for the better part of the game. I was embarrassed even watching that disaster last night and I'm not a huge Sooner fan.

 
Cy the Cyclone said:
robsker said:
I disagree with NU being offensively on par with Missouri. Our offense right now is decent to good --- but is behind OU, Texas, Texas Tech, Missouri, and Kansas. Our defense is behind everyone in the conference except Iowa State and Baylor --- and about the same as K State.
Click to expand...
You might not have noticed what with the stars in your eyes and all....but ISU's defense was ranked so much higher last year than Nebraska's D that there was really no comparison...like 46th for ISU to...what...90th for the Huskers?

Take off the rose-colored glasses and face reality. There's lots of work that needs to be done here.
Click to expand...

OK. I'm convinced. You are right, the NU defense was worse than ISU's. Maybe Baylor's too --- not sure.

But, the tone of your reply was uncalled for. You will make few friends with such an attitude.

 
This is a great thread, and their are some great points in the posts. I tend to agree with those who think our offense is close, even a slight improvement in the running game would pay huge dividends. The D needs tons of work; like some have said, it's going to be like starting a bunch of freshman with all the technique development they need. Now, often times "improvement" from one year to the next is due more to the schedule than the team actually improving. Next year's schedule will be very difficult, and we may not see a ton of improvement in the W-L column (though I think we can win 8 games). I do expect to see things like better tackling, swarming to the ball, db's looking for the ball, etc. But it may take a couple years for everything to come together.

 
junior4949 said:
REDSTEEL said:
HANC said:
Wow........... I am the world's biggest NU fan (as we all are), and I can't believe what I am about to say....but after watching Missouri play all season, they are soooo much better than NU right now, that it makes me sick.... We will find out how good KU is tomorrow night..........

Missouri looked very good, albeit, vs a "pretty good" SEC team going through a coaching change, but I saw Pinkel adjust, athletes perform and they looked good...I would have liked to seen them play USC in the Rose.... (which is why the snobbish Rose bowl needs to forget the Big10 - PAC 10 crap)........

Is Missouri that far ahead of us, or did they just have a great year.......

They are still fairly young, and yesterday sure didn't hurt their recruiting either...

What does NU have to do to catch up?
Click to expand...

After the Oklahoma game you should ask how far behind is the Big 12 to other top ten teams? After all the team that handled Missery 2 times with ease just got run over by a better team.
Click to expand...
Do you think Sooner fans are hoping/praying Mike Stoops falls on his a$$ next year at Arizona so they can get him back? Venebles D got lit up like a Christmas tree last night. As much as I like Bob Stoops and think he's a great coach, I just don't understand why he has so much trouble in the bowl games. Have they even won a bowl game since the NC game in 2000? They had a month to prepare for the spread. Mizzou runs the spread. I realize Daniels isn't White, but is West Virginia this much better and faster than Mizzou? Slaton was on the sideline for the better part of the game. I was embarrassed even watching that disaster last night and I'm not a huge Sooner fan.
Click to expand...

some of you guys have to realize that, the sooner team you saw last night was missing 4 defensive starters (including all of their linebackers) and they were playing a team that would have been in the NC if they beat one team. if OU has their starters in, then the game would have likely been within 7 points. and i also believe that they were missing an offensive starter but im not sure. i also think that a healthy mizzou like the one we saw in the cotton bowl would have hung with WVU if not beaten them.

what i am trying to say is that we are not as far behind as many of you are thinking (based off of the OU WVU game).

Look at our talent level and then tell me we are way behind. You really cant say that without at least thinking in the back of your mind that you are wrong. can you?

 
ironmike said:
This is a great thread, and their are some great points in the posts. I tend to agree with those who think our offense is close, even a slight improvement in the running game would pay huge dividends. The D needs tons of work; like some have said, it's going to be like starting a bunch of freshman with all the technique development they need. Now, often times "improvement" from one year to the next is due more to the schedule than the team actually improving. Next year's schedule will be very difficult, and we may not see a ton of improvement in the W-L column (though I think we can win 8 games). I do expect to see things like better tackling, swarming to the ball, db's looking for the ball, etc. But it may take a couple years for everything to come together.
Click to expand...
very good post and i can agree with everything you said.

 
I agree with those who said we have a long way to go and that 7-5 would be fortunate next year.

In terms of raw talent, I don't think we're that far off, but most of the problems seem to be "cultural." The conditioning dedication isn't there, the winning attitude isn't there, the toughness isn't there. Those aren't factors that can be changed overnight, especially when all but our freshmen players will be used to the Bill Callahan approach, which I think has been pretty well engrained unfortunately. I think Bo is the right man for the job, but not that he can accomplish such a complete transformation of attitudes right away.

 
OK. I'm convinced. You are right, the NU defense was worse than ISU's. Maybe Baylor's too --- not sure.

 

But, the tone of your reply was uncalled for. You will make few friends with such an attitude.

Honestly, I have always gotten the impression that the Huskers are Cy's second favorite team. I took his comment as a reality check, no different than some Husker fans on this board.

Concerning how long it will take Bo to get the program back, folks, there is a big unknown here. B.C. recruited all these highly regarded players. Are they over-rated, strictly poorly coached, or is it a combination of both? It may take him three or four years or he could start winning next season. It's a real mystery to me.

Look, for example, at Barry Turner. He has a lot of speed and seemed to have a lot of talent. He came into the program and showed a lot of promise, but he totally sucked last year. Why? Do we have a lot of Barry Turners on this team, if you know what I mean?

 
Spartness said:
OK. I'm convinced. You are right, the NU defense was worse than ISU's. Maybe Baylor's too --- not sure.

 

But, the tone of your reply was uncalled for. You will make few friends with such an attitude.

Honestly, I have always gotten the impression that the Huskers are Cy's second favorite team. I took his comment as a reality check, no different than some Husker fans on this board.

Concerning how long it will take Bo to get the program back, folks, there is a big unknown here. B.C. recruited all these highly regarded players. Are they over-rated, strictly poorly coached, or is it a combination of both? It may take him three or four years or he could start winning next season. It's a real mystery to me.

Look, for example, at Barry Turner. He has a lot of speed and seemed to have a lot of talent. He came into the program and showed a lot of promise, but he totally sucked last year. Why? Do we have a lot of Barry Turners on this team, if you know what I mean?
Click to expand...
very true. i can see where you are coming from, we basically have no idea. i truly believe that we have the talent and it was mostly coaching issues and i think Bo will light that fire. we shall see, yes we shall.

 
Spartness said:
Honestly, I have always gotten the impression that the Huskers are Cy's second favorite team. I took his comment as a reality check, no different than some Husker fans on this board.
Click to expand...
The Huskers were always my favorite team all the way from birth till 1980 when that stinking Todd Frain got a full-ride scholarship to NU and all I got was a partial and work study to ISU even though I was an infinitly better player :angry: Then I hated the Huskers till around 1985 and Frain graduated...after that, the Huskers became my #1 team once again. The Cyclones still rank a very close second though...even if they did make me work four years scrapping food off plates in the cafeteria.

Having close to two decades of experience with disappointment and unmet expectations gained from years of being a Cyclone player and fan, I believe I am in a better position than anyone to help you keep a stiff upper lip and to confront reality during this, Nebraska's darkest hour...

No need to thank me.... <_<

 
junior4949 said:
REDSTEEL said:
HANC said:
Wow........... I am the world's biggest NU fan (as we all are), and I can't believe what I am about to say....but after watching Missouri play all season, they are soooo much better than NU right now, that it makes me sick.... We will find out how good KU is tomorrow night..........

Missouri looked very good, albeit, vs a "pretty good" SEC team going through a coaching change, but I saw Pinkel adjust, athletes perform and they looked good...I would have liked to seen them play USC in the Rose.... (which is why the snobbish Rose bowl needs to forget the Big10 - PAC 10 crap)........

Is Missouri that far ahead of us, or did they just have a great year.......

They are still fairly young, and yesterday sure didn't hurt their recruiting either...

What does NU have to do to catch up?
Click to expand...

After the Oklahoma game you should ask how far behind is the Big 12 to other top ten teams? After all the team that handled Missery 2 times with ease just got run over by a better team.
Click to expand...
Do you think Sooner fans are hoping/praying Mike Stoops falls on his a$$ next year at Arizona so they can get him back? Venebles D got lit up like a Christmas tree last night. As much as I like Bob Stoops and think he's a great coach, I just don't understand why he has so much trouble in the bowl games. Have they even won a bowl game since the NC game in 2000? They had a month to prepare for the spread. Mizzou runs the spread. I realize Daniels isn't White, but is West Virginia this much better and faster than Mizzou? Slaton was on the sideline for the better part of the game. I was embarrassed even watching that disaster last night and I'm not a huge Sooner fan.
Click to expand...
Explain how that same defense took apart Missery offense but against WV offense they looked slow. If I was a Michigan fan I would be a little worried that the coach they stole from WV lost to Pitt with those players. That running back for WV made Oklahoma look like Nebraska defense. I will predict that kid is invited to the Heisman ceremonies next year.

 
Cy the Cyclone said:
Spartness said:
Honestly, I have always gotten the impression that the Huskers are Cy's second favorite team. I took his comment as a reality check, no different than some Husker fans on this board.
Click to expand...
The Huskers were always my favorite team all the way from birth till 1980 when that stinking Todd Frain got a full-ride scholarship to NU and all I got was a partial and work study to ISU even though I was an infinitly better player :angry: Then I hated the Huskers till around 1985 and Frain graduated...after that, the Huskers became my #1 team once again. The Cyclones still rank a very close second though...even if they did make me work four years scrapping food off plates in the cafeteria.

Having close to two decades of experience with disappointment and unmet expectations gained from years of being a Cyclone player and fan, I believe I am in a better position than anyone to help you keep a stiff upper lip and to confront reality during this, Nebraska's darkest hour...

No need to thank me.... <_<
Click to expand...
Sundberg's three TD passes tied a Nebraska bowl record. Two of those scoring tosses went to tight end Todd Frain, tying another NU bowl mark.
Huskers must have made the right decisions back then since that 5 years span was almost comparable to the 90's. :)

....just saying :lol:

 
BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA said:
We'll find out very quickly next season what a difference coaching can make.
Click to expand...

well at least i am betting the pads will be on a lot more than off, as they were under clownahan.

and if the slackers under cally, who admittedly said they were holding back some, think for a minute that sh#t will cut it with coach P, their asses will be benched and the frosh will see the field first.

go hard or go home boys.

 
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