What did we learn Indiana edition

Vince R. said:
Lol

My point is that I believe they do everything right leading up to the moment but they cannot execute because of the lack of confidence in the end. Considering what we have seen in certain games, certain quarters and halfs, it's clear that we truly do not know what we have which is why I think it makes it hard on the coaches to call the right looks and plays. Something goes amiss that they cant fix. It's on the players and I think it's time to say it. If they want to win, they have to get over themselves and just play, no matter the desired outcome. 
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Great posts.  I'd try to post to them all, but I figured I'd just mention here. Unless we have jumped out to a big lead, I have waited, simply as a fan, for that shoe drop moment.  The singular play or mistake that I KNEW, we would lose.  And that play or mistake was immediately recognized by me and every other fan watching.  I can only imagine that the players feel, perceive and recognize this even more than we do.  

Winning is a habit and so is losing.  Our leadership (6 year seniors) haven't ever been on the right side of "that play or mistake" the entirety of their career.  Not once.  They missed out on 60-75 additional practices with no bowls.  The old adage of how many reps to create muscle memory is anywhere between 5k-100k....HUGE disparity, but remains true.  Success is gained through doing the right thing so many times until it becomes natural.  Losing (shoe drop) has become the norm and the expectation.  Fans and players a like.  

I still blame that staff. I don't think they are putting guys in position to be successful or to build those "positive" reps.  Rotating RB's?  How can they get in a rhythm.  How can the RB and OL get to where they know what each other will do.  Or call plays that the team can excel out, get positive yardage on, build confidence etc....How does McGuire dig into his limited bag of experience to help the receivers?  How does Rhule want a body blow offense and you allow the OC to call passes to throw the ball 44 times.  3 INT's...Think Raiola feels confident?  You teach winning.  You coach them through this.  Create scenarios in practice where they "win" these shoe drop moments.  Talk about it.  Show how to win. High pressure careers do this stuff a lot.

 
runningblind said:
The problem is, each new generation keeps having their own moment and it becomes not the past anymore, but the present.  Rhule's bunch now has their own shiny moment in a 56-7 national TV beatdown to Indiana of all teams. It's a swirl of self fulfilling prophecy of failure. 
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It's passed on and all these young, talented kids eventually get sucked into it and start to regress. 

 
From Raiolas lazy throwing motion ( which I don't understand while being coached by Mahomes QB guru). To Dowdell running into the backs of linemen with no vision. Not utilizing a backup QB with running skills when the pass was not working. Let's not even get into the non special teams. 

Let's not forget the Pelini quote to point the thumb and not the finger. I think it starts from the top down. The head man needs to take accountability for everything and do the hard things that need to be done. We are not hard nosed and have no vision or identity on either side of the ball. Rhule needs to make the big changes to staff sooner than later if he wants to reinvent the mind set of this team.

 
Vince R. said:
It's passed on and all these young, talented kids eventually get sucked into it and start to regress. 
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  Culture is contagious.  It's hard to change the mindset of a group of more tenured employees (veteran players). It takes patience, young blood, leadership, and VETS to buy in and refuse to continue to accept old ways. In football it might mean the coaches step in and start the young guys.  Show the vets the bench....AND the coach shows the door to staff who can't help or do the right things. 

 
Cornbred said:
From Raiolas lazy throwing motion ( which I don't understand while being coached by Mahomes QB guru). To Dowdell running into the backs of linemen with no vision. Not utilizing a backup QB with running skills when the pass was not working. Let's not even get into the non special teams. 

Let's not forget the Pelini quote to point the thumb and not the finger. I think it starts from the top down. The head man needs to take accountability for everything and do the hard things that need to be done. We are not hard nosed and have no vision or identity on either side of the ball. Rhule needs to make the big changes to staff sooner than later if he wants to reinvent the mind set of this team.
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At this point, I disagree. Nobody has a true offensive identity anymore. It's all copy-cat, hodge-podge philosophies. It's players and coaching awareness. You can only coach so much. The players have to want it in the end. And ours are too emotionally inept. Instead of playing with intense fire, they play scared. It's been this way since Frank. Once our players go elsewhere, the issues disappear, and for the coaches as well. Nebraska has intense, suffocating baggage. 

 
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I will give you a great example of what happens to players after some time. Anthony Grant was an NFL prospect after 2022 and showed no signs at Buford, FSU, and New Mexico CC of what transpired in 2023. Jeff Sims is another example. GT Jeff Sims would have won 8-9 games, but the pressure and mental side of being at Nebraska put a fork in his career.  J.D. Spielman lost his marbles while being here. Adrian Martinez was so much better at KSU from just the eyeball test. Wandale in one year became a completely different player and a first round draft pick. 

The mental and emotional hurdle here does a number on players. 

 
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Vince R. said:
At this point, I disagree. Nobody has a true offensive identity anymore. It's all copy-cat, hodge-podge philosophies. It's players and coaching awareness. You can only coach so much. The players have to want it in the end. And ours are too emotionally inept. Instead of playing with intense fire, they play scared. It's been this way since Frank. Once our players go elsewhere, the issues disappear, and for the coaches as well. Nebraska has intense, suffocating baggage. 
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I respectfully disagree. Have you watched Georgia at all this year? Alabama? Oregon? Etc. There are many teams with hard nosed decisive players and coaches. The misnomer that it is all mental and emotional is a cop out in my opinion. Since these kids were in pee wee football they have been coached to win and win only. There are no participation ribbons in football. If you're saying their emotional ineptness is a generational thing I might be inclined to agree. To blame the teams woes on their emotional psyche is an excuse for the team to not take responsibility. 

Anyway, I just think this coaching staff and team need to man up. Put on their big boy pants and do what's right. Rhule especially.

 
Vince R. said:
The Terrence Nunn Fumble, Adi Kunalic kick out of bounds, Niles Paul Fumble off the knee, Deep ball pass over O'Hanlon against Vtech, 10' game against Texas, 2nd half offensive turtling in '10 CC game, pedestrian first half against Ohio St's worst team in recent history, Wisconsin's worst Bielema team running all over us, blowing the 16 Wisconsin game after the lead, losing to Colorado back to back years while being in control, letting northwestern go 99 on us to win, outplaying 18 tOSU only to allegator arm a catch that would have sealed it, numerous false starts against OU in 21 because of nerves, fumbling against Michigan in 2021, missing a huge field goal against tOSU in 2021, being up 14 against wisconsin in 2022 & 2023 only to fold, Neyor not coming down with a catch against Illinois, Raiola missing on the easiest throw of his career, forgetting how to block in OT

and you see how all this trauma plays into the psyche of this program. They get met with a defining moment, they see it there and they act like they've never played the sport in their life. It's a lack of belief and a true trust in themselves.

You hear Rhule say, "hey don't put that past stuff on me", and it's because he knows how much that stuff gets talked about all over the state and amongst the players. We will not know how good a roster we have until that thing is exercised out. 
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You forgot the LeKevin Smith fumbled interception against TT. 

 
Cornbred said:
I respectfully disagree. Have you watched Georgia at all this year? Alabama? Oregon? Etc. There are many teams with hard nosed decisive players and coaches. The misnomer that it is all mental and emotional is a cop out in my opinion. Since these kids were in pee wee football they have been coached to win and win only. There are no participation ribbons in football. If you're saying their emotional ineptness is a generational thing I might be inclined to agree. To blame the teams woes on their emotional psyche is an excuse for the team to not take responsibility. 

Anyway, I just think this coaching staff and team need to man up. Put on their big boy pants and do what's right. Rhule especially.
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And then the next staff, and then the next staff, and then the next batch of 4 star players, and then the next staff... it's not a cop out. It's clear as day as to why this team can't even randomly stumble into an upset. It's all in their heads. They run plenty fast, throw plenty hard, and hit plenty hard. They are used to self-sabotage. 

Dante Dowdell put his head down the same way Logan Smother's did a few years back. It's the culture and systemic belief in themselves and the program. 

 
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Vince R. said:
And then the next staff, and then the next staff, and then the next batch of 4 star players, and then the next staff... it's not a cop out. It's clear as day as to why this team can't even randomly stumble into an upset. It's all in their heads. They run plenty fast, throw plenty hard, and hit plenty hard. They are used to self-sabotage. 
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So every woe that NU has is mental? We have no one with elite speed. YAC on running or pass plays is almost non existent. I'm starting to think that you aren't watching the games closely. But I digress, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree 

 
Cornbred said:
So every woe that NU has is mental? We have no one with elite speed. YAC on running or pass plays is almost non existent. I'm starting to think that you aren't watching the games closely. But I digress, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree 
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yes, it is mental. There isn't a single physical advantage for Indiana against us. We have guys on the bench who can run 4.3's. I watch the games intensely and it breaks my heart to see them continue to play in the fashion that they do. I see a roster of guys who still need to have their hands held. They cannot handle the swings of the game. That is emotional. and I respectfully disagree with you.

 
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