The thing I still don't get...

admo said:
I think Frost doesn't want to cave into that philosophy.  This exact game style mentality that the opponent coaches have (Minn, NW, Illinois, Iowa, Wisc, Purd). He wants to kick a$$ and be explosive, like ohio state.  Have a purpose and goal for championships, that is way bigger than the style and philosophy of  "win a big ten game, go to a bowl game".  I could be wrong, but that's what I get out of it.  Can you blame that?
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I don't think Frost should try to out grit Ferentz, Chryst, Fleck - just as those guys wouldn't try and out explosive Ryan Day. I also think Frost has tried to be the coach he is, the coach he was at UCF, and Oregon - and it just doesn't translate with the type of talent Nebraska gets and the styles we play against week in and week out. Not exactly something that can be fixed with time, because that would mean Frost trying to change who he is as a coach. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
You’re saying Minnesota and Purdue are respectable bowl bound teams. I’m just saying why can’t Nebraska be like Minnesota and Purdue?

Too much to ask?
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Sure, They're getting it done.  Respectable, eh.  But for the big ten though, it's Good enough. 

I'm just use to f#&%ing the prom queens.  Huskers need to step it up they game. On the field.

 
lo country said:
Here is a great article written after the  MSU game.  It speaks to what I feel has been the entirety of frost's tenure.  Maybe we are a good (average) team, but this article drives it home...And this statement.  Our identity....

It’s only Tucker’s second year in the league, but he knows the formula. Word gets around fast. All you have to do is play conservative and wait for the Huskers to muck things up. Works like a charm.

https://www.si.com/college/nebraska/football/mel-tucker-figured-if-he-just-waited-long-enough-nebraska-o-line-and-special-teams-would-muck-it-up
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I think this part is more our identity than anything:

So while Martinez ran for his life two out every three times he dropped back to pass, and pulled off an amazing number of escape acts to keep his offense moving down the field, Tucker waited it out on the sideline. It was a tribute to Martinez that Nebraska trailed only 13-10 at halftime.

Tucker waited nervously while Husker receivers ran open down the field, only to be ignored because their quarterback was too harassed to get them the ball. The Huskers missed two golden opportunities to take the lead as his defense sacked Martinez for the fifth and sixth times to abort two consecutive drives.

He waited as a beat-up Martinez failed to see a wide-open Levi Falck in the end zone on the first play of the extra period. Turns out that when you’re constantly under pressure, your field vision is compromised.

A team in Nebraska’s position, having worn down the Spartan defense and taken the lead late in the game, should be able to lean on its offensive line, but leaning on the Husker o-line this year is treacherous at best. It has enough talent to be an asset, although apparently not as much as I thought it had back in August. It certainly lacks mental toughness and cohesion and it lacks an understanding of how to finish a game, and that’s a shame for a school that has such a proud heritage of producing Outland and Lombardi Award winners. The “they’re still young” excuse doesn’t work anymore for this bunch, all of whom (except Turner Corcoran) have been in coach Greg Austin’s system for at least three years. Make it three-and-a-half years, because this was Game 5. Consequently, Austin’s tenure in Lincoln is hanging by a thread.
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Greg Austin should be long gone at this point.

 
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admo said:
This is just a boring, blanket statement.  You giving no resolution to fixing anything.  There is nothing amazing to what you supposedly feel. 
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If you knew when and how I became a husker fan you wouldn’t say that. It is definitely amazing. 
You’re basically arguing that playing Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota far worse than we played Oklahoma, Michigan, and Michigan state is ok and a sign of progress because the first three have a combined 14-11 record. 
if it’s ok to lose to halfway decent teams, why even try? Why recruit and prepare? Why compete? 
what kind of opponent in division 1 would you consider it unacceptable to lose to? 

 
thatguy said:
If you knew when and how I became a husker fan you wouldn’t say that. It is definitely amazing. 
You’re basically arguing that playing Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota far worse than we played Oklahoma, Michigan, and Michigan state is ok and a sign of progress because the first three have a combined 14-11 record. 
if it’s ok to lose to halfway decent teams, why even try? Why recruit and prepare? Why compete? 
what kind of opponent in division 1 would you consider it unacceptable to lose to? 
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I hear ya, I get what you are asking.  But these are just questions.  How about providing resolutions?

Having a plan B would be nice.

For the kicking game (if kickers suck)

For ST coverage and punt returns (if it fails)

For a backup QB (when the starter is hurt or turning the ball over costly)

For an outside running game (when your backs just run into the center)

For a 4 minute dirll?  Sideline passes, conserve timeouts, manage the clock)

For a 2 minute drill? Sideline passes, pick routes, quick throws and don't hold onto the ball

For 3rd and 1, or 4th and 1?  Lineup under center, Vokolek FB to push the QB sneak forward

For red zone efficiency?  Run the ball forward, 4 tries for 10 yards over and over

For playing ahead?  Manage the clock, keep the ball out of the opponents possession, and run the ball outside (not just option with a wr, and not just running inside).... and wildcat with AM for a few yards... plus 5 yard sideline out patterns, quick pick pass plays

I'm just saying, what so many say is the obvious.  How about finding a solution, a root cause, a resolution, a plan A, plan B, plan C?

 
admo said:
I hear ya, I get what you are asking.  But these are just questions.  How about providing resolutions?

Having a plan B would be nice.

For the kicking game (if kickers suck)

For ST coverage and punt returns (if it fails)

For a backup QB (when the starter is hurt or turning the ball over costly)

For an outside running game (when your backs just run into the center)

For a 4 minute dirll?  Sideline passes, conserve timeouts, manage the clock)

For a 2 minute drill? Sideline passes, pick routes, quick throws and don't hold onto the ball

For 3rd and 1, or 4th and 1?  Lineup under center, Vokolek FB to push the QB sneak forward

For red zone efficiency?  Run the ball forward, 4 tries for 10 yards over and over

For playing ahead?  Manage the clock, keep the ball out of the opponents possession, and run the ball outside (not just option with a wr, and not just running inside).... and wildcat with AM for a few yards... plus 5 yard sideline out patterns, quick pick pass plays

I'm just saying, what so many say is the obvious.  How about finding a solution, a root cause, a resolution, a plan A, plan B, plan C?
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Oh we have a resolution alright. It involves getting a new head coach at a minimum. 
 

all the issues that plague the team are directly under his purview. Play calling, player and roster management, motivation, focus, attention to details, discipline, game day management, clock management and recruiting. 
 

him saying “A team shouldn't need me to be motivate them all the time. That's my job. That's what I do, but a great team doesn't need a coach to motivate them all the time.”

Tells me all I need to know. He knows he should be doing that in order to help the team increase its chances of winning, but just has no desire or excitement to do so. at least he clearly doesn’t do it with everything he has for Saturdays seeing how they come out flat all the time. 

 
thatguy said:
Oh we have a resolution alright. It involves getting a new head coach at a minimum. 
 

all the issues that plague the team are directly under his purview. Play calling, player and roster management, motivation, focus, attention to details, discipline, game day management, clock management and recruiting. 
 

him saying “A team shouldn't need me to be motivate them all the time. That's my job. That's what I do, but a great team doesn't need a coach to motivate them all the time.”

Tells me all I need to know. He knows he should be doing that in order to help the team increase its chances of winning, but just has no desire or excitement to do so. at least he clearly doesn’t do it with everything he has for Saturdays seeing how they come out flat all the time. 
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Well then go get you a new coach. 

For the record, I never needed a coach to motivate me, nor do lots of players.  So he's not exactly wrong saying that.  In his clubhouse, maybe there are some on his starting team that do?  And maybe he just addressed it.  It's not a big talking point. Unless those guys need to be given pep talks constantly to perform.  Which is on the players.

 
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TGHusker said:
Culture.  A mindset that hasn't changed from defeatism to optimism - that we can and will win.  Playing tight. With all of these one score games, the players, esp AM, may be paralyzed by fear that they'll make a mistake and blow the game - so they end up doing just that.  
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The thread could have stopped there, as far as my thinking goes on the topic title.  That mindset had an inertia that began at some point several years prior to Frost's tenure.  I can't put my finger on when, likely because culture itself does set in gradually.  We're still in the middle of it but I do see light at the end of the tunnel because of (some of) the scores and the quality of the teams we've come so close to beating.

 
Interestingly, years ago, I always had a rule of thumb (always with exceptions) that if we lose and the other team scored more than 21, might look at the defense as a problem.  If we lose and the other team scored less than 21, might look at the offense as a problem.

In recent years, with new rules and faster offenses, I've thought that number should probably go up to somewhere in the upper 20s.

Looks like that number is the threshold for Nebraska on winning and losing.


 
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