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An Outsider's Observations

C

CantCloseMyEyes

Newbie
Oct 6, 2018
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This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
 
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CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...

sir, this is a Runza
 
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CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...
Is that you TO?
 
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CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...

Good insights. I agree with everything you wrote, thanks for sharing.
 
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CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...
Good work, laid all the things out in a good manner.
 
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I appreciate the outsider perspective a lot. As die hard fans it’s tough to remain objective when we’ve been gut punched so many times. Just happy to see that it’s not just the homer in me that makes me reach the conclusion that we are on the right track.

Thanks for the post OP.
 
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I just felt that you guys might appreciate another perspective, as I know how emotional and heated fanbases can internally get when things don't turn out the way they expect. Like I said, I think understanding that this is an ongoing process will help. I DO think that by the time B1G play comes around the OL will be playing better and hopefully Martinez gets out of his head a little and gets back to playing naturally. Honestly, Mills needs to step up, as I think having Ozigbo last year to take a little more of the burden off of Martinez really helped him feel more comfortable and relaxed. Right now it looks like he's trying to put the weight of the world and the team on his shoulders--he looks like he's scared of making a mistake. This is causing him to hold onto the ball too long and taking unnecessary sacks rather than just trusting a good read or taking off for a quick gain.

Don't lose faith, Huskers. Frost will get you back to being a solid program but it is going to take another season or two. I see a 7 or 8 win season, with a favorable bowl match-up which you win. The best thing that could possibly happen is for Martinez to stay for a fourth year. Time will tell if he makes that decision and how well his second and third year are.

Another thing that stuck out like a sore thumb to me from last season is how much improved the team became down the last 6 games. This is in stark contrast to the Riley/Pelini era, where the team would stagnate at best or, in many cases, outright digress. This alone should give you good reason to be optimistic. It shows that the players and, most importantly, the coaches, can continue to develop and improve the team. That is VERY encouraging for any program.
 
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Not sure you can call on OL with three returning starters inexperienced!! That in itself makes all other comments questonable!
 
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CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...
Well thought out and I fully agree.
 
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kidofSN said:
Not sure you can call on OL with three returning starters inexperienced!! That in itself makes all other comments questonable!
Click to expand...

The fact that 40% of the offensive line is new , makes this an accurate statement.
 
CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...
I think you might be overstating #5 in the good. There has been zero evidence of this while he’s been leading Nebraska playing P5 schools. Maybe this will play out, but it hasn’t to date
 
CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild

The Good:
  1. Frost understands the importance a dynamic QB plays in today's CFB landscape. And well he should, considering that he is one of the people responsible for elevating QB play in tempo-spread systems. You will always get, at the bare minimum, above average QB recruiting and play while he is at the helm.
  2. Frost and his staff are good recruiters, as is evidence from their last two classes. I know that the 2020 class is lagging right now, but I'm confident he'll have NU in the top 20 again before signing day.
  3. Frost is recruiting a lot of speed to the program, which bodes well for any program going forward.
  4. Nebraska's brand is still strong--despite almost 20 years of near irrelevancy. Being from the west coast, I still run into Husker fans all over the place. Walking into sports bars, you are almost guaranteed to have a husker game on--regardless of opponent--so long as they are playing. Most people that I've encountered--even those that aren't Husker fans--want to see NU at least good again. Call it boomer nostalgia or whatever you want, but people would rather see Nebraska as the best in the West than Northwestern, Iowa or even Wisconsin. These brands just don't hold the same weight that NU does in the CFB landscape.
  5. Frost can outscheme most any other coach--provided he has the players to do it (more on that below). I can't speak for what happened on Saturday as it was the most poorly coached game I've seen from Frost yet, but I suspect he doesn't have much confidence in his younger players and OL at this point. Yet that still doesn't take away the fact that he is a brilliant offensive mind. Every coach has off days, same as players. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Saturday play-calling was an anomaly as I've never known Frost to be a bad signal-caller.
  6. You are a young team with a lot of developing talent. This may not be the breakout year you were hoping for, but the future is very bright with this roster and this coaching staff.
The Bad:
  1. Your OL is young and inexperienced. It probably won't get better right away but it should start clicking prior to aOSU. The truth hurts, but it needs to be said--you guys aren't going to see significant improvement until you solidify your OL as a force to be reckoned with. Given what I've seen so far, and taking in considerations such as depth and the mental and physical component, I'd venture to guess you are still at least a season or two away from consistently solid line play. You have some absolute monsters coming in and coming up, but they aren't ready to contribute just yet.
  2. I don't know what's going on with Martinez, but I fear he may be in for a 'sophomore slump'. He clearly doesn't trust anyone outside of Spielman and maybe Robinson. At this point, I think it's much more of a mental issue rather than a physical one. He clearly has the talent to put up great stats-as is evidence from last season and even the first half of the CU game. I honestly think this is a case where he may begin to be overcoached. Frost and Verdu need to let him relax a little more and do his own thing. He plays much better when he plays loose. At this point it seems like he's overthinking every read and option and isn't allowing his natural instincts to make decisions. Of course, improved OL play would help settle him down in the pocket.
  3. Mills isn't the answer to a brusing back you guys were hoping for. At least not yet. Washington isn't a vertical runner. He works much better on the perimeter and in space where he can use his quickness and agility to make defenders miss. If Mills doesn't start developing better vision, I don't see much of an interior running game for NU this season--and that bodes very badly going into B1G play.
  4. You have no receiving threat outside of Spielman. Maybe this is more a case of Martinez needing to throw to other receivers more to boost their confidence, but I don't see any consistent threat from the receiving core outside of Spielman. What happened to Warner? He was never a big play threat like Morgan or Spielman, but he always runs solid routes and has reliable hands. At the very least, he should give Martinez another reliable target he should feel comfortable throwing to if open.
The Ugly:
  1. I hate to sound like a downer, but the Huskers still don't know how to win. I don't know what it is--the lingering effects of the Riley attitude and era, perhaps--but this team just does not know how to put teams away. I honestly feel bad for you guys. You have officially taken away the crown of 'Clemsoning' from Clemson. I can't think of any other team who has had as many heartbreaking losses in the last 5 season as the Huskers. What's even more painful is it's typically a self-inflicted loss-either the result of stupid penalties or an inability to make stops when you need too. I fear this type of mentality isn't going to go away until you get a marquee win. Last Saturday was a great opportunity to get one of those types of wins (maybe not a 'marquee' win, but it would have done a lot for the mentality of the team to take down a hated rival on the road after what happened last season). If the OL is clicking by the time aOSU rolls into town, you may be able to create some momentum by pulling off an upset (though I don't think that's going to happen, if i'm being honest).
  2. You are way too young right now to be considered a legitimate threat for the B1G. While I did point out that this is a good point going forward, it is honestly a detriment as far as this season is concerned. Yes, the young players will develop--and that bodes well for the future--but this season is going to come with some growing pains.
Final Conclusion:
You have an extremely young team with a young coaching staff in their first stint in P5. Frost is going through some learning phases as well and it will take him and his staff time to adjust to the P5 game. I think the media overhyped this team and it had a detriment on Husker fans expectations. You will improve and will get to bowl eligibility but expecting a B1G title appearance was, honestly, a far-fetched prediction for this season. Going forward, you have a lot to be excited about and regardless of how you feel about Frost after last Saturday, he is not above personal growth and personal reflection--which is honestly quite rare amongst head coaches these days. I would temper expectations going forward. You're still a season or two away from causing any real noise, but once Frost gets things moving (and I am very confident that he will) you will be back on top and competing for the B1G year in and year out. Will there ever be another NU dynasty like you saw in the 90's? Probably not. But competing for the West yearly is well within your reach with a shot at the B1G title and a potential playoff spot every couple years or so being a realistic goal.

Look at the bright side, at least you're not Tennessee or FSU.
Click to expand...
Re: bad #2. I think that is the likely explanation for AM this season vs last. Call it over coaching constipation.
Last year he was often admired for his check down abilities. He seems to have tunnel vision this year. Blame the OL if you will, but he had ample time on many of his sacks to make a check down throw or throw the ball away. By not throwing to open receivers you severely limit your offense. Not using tight ends as receivers you limit your offense. We simply can’t afford to not be multidimensional.
 
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I rhink Stoll needs to be the other targets AM can and needs to trust. You can have JD and Wandale with Stoll over the middle and hit Washington out of the backfield.. it really does make the defense guard the entire field. Get those guys in space and they will make more guys miss than not. I still think Frost/Walters/knows how to help and we will get it done. Thanks for taking the time to write this up OP
 
CantCloseMyEyes said:
This is going to be a long post. I've been a long time lurker here and only posted once before. I'm an outside observer who has long had an interest in Husker football as I've made a number of friends from UNL over the years and have even known a few former players. I've always respected NU as a classic blue blood and I consider both Osborne and Devaney to be among the best of all time. I personally root for USC but I've really taken a keen interest in NU since Frost took over (though I have followed the team--intermittently--for over a decade now). Here's a few observations I've had after watching the Riley debacle and the progress so far in Frost's rebuild!
Click to expand...
Best post of the entire fall. Nailed it!
 
cecilB said:
I think you might be overstating #5 in the good. There has been zero evidence of this while he’s been leading Nebraska playing P5 schools. Maybe this will play out, but it hasn’t to date
Click to expand...
Right, Frost just suddenly lost the ability to scheme and call plays once he showed up at Nebraska. I guess we should just ignore the resume Frost has built which corroborates point #5 above. 2014 Broyles award finalist; 2017 coach of the year awards; a 33–7 record and finished every year among the nation's top six teams in terms of both scoring offense and total offense as offensive coordinator at Oregon; a 19-7 record at UCF with the top scoring offense in the country in 2017. Even if you choose to ignore all of the above, you simply need to look back 1 year where the Huskers had 9 games with over 400 yrds of offense with a true freshman QB. Those games include 518 against Wiscy, 482 against NW, 450 against OSU, and 400 against Iowa.
 
Last edited:
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ThePowerOfRed said:
Right, Frost just suddenly lost the ability to scheme and call plays once he showed up at Nebraska. I guess we should just ignore the resume Frost has built which corroborates point #5 above. 2014 Broyles award finalist; 2017 coach of the year awards; a 33–7 record and finished every year among the nation's top six teams in terms of both scoring offense and total offense as offensive coordinator at Oregon; a 19-7 record at UCF with the top scoring offense in the country in 2017. Even if you choose to ignore all of the above, you simply need to look at the back 1 year where the Huskers had 9 games with over 400 yrds of offense with a true freshman QB. Those games include 518 against Wiscy, 482 against NW, 450 against OSU, and 400 against Iowa.
Click to expand...


I agree with what you stated. But there are things that have changed, most notably is the confidence in his team to be ably to execute certain plays.

Once you have doubts in what you can call and execute you start to call plays to avoid bad outcomes. This is akin to playing not to lose.

The 4th quarter drive , where we got the ball following the kick off fumble ( approximately 5 minutes to go) is one case in point.

The other was the last series of the game in over time. Specifically those last three plays optimize the trouble Scott is having.
 
rcnut223 said:
The fact that 40% of the offensive line is new , makes this an accurate statement.
Click to expand...
Plus, the line has no seniors contributing. While some of the players have experience, it's not necessarily good experience or senior experience.

By contrast:
  • Iowa has two seniors starting, and junior tackle Tristan Wirfs is drawing some first-round 2020 NFL draft buzz. Senior Alaric Jackson is a projected mid-rounder.
  • Wisconsin has two seniors starting, and junior center Tyler Biadasz is considered the top center eligible for the 2020 NFL draft.
  • Michigan has three seniors starting.
  • Ohio State has one senior and one grad transfer starting.
  • Indiana has three seniors starting.
Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan State are the other Big Ten teams this year with no seniors in the top five OL.
Iowa is the only other school with a freshman starting at center, but as noted above, he's surrounded by seniors all over the offense, not just on the OL. Senior leadership makes a difference, especially in an OL. We have none of that.

OP's point taken and understood.
 
Thanks for taking the time and actually knowing what the hell you're talking about, unlike most outsiders.

Re Kade Warner, he missed most of fall camp with injury. He's getting close and could play this weekend
 
yunginsNU2 said:
I rhink Stoll needs to be the other targets AM can and needs to trust. You can have JD and Wandale with Stoll over the middle and hit Washington out of the backfield.. it really does make the defense guard the entire field. Get those guys in space and they will make more guys miss than not. I still think Frost/Walters/knows how to help and we will get it done. Thanks for taking the time to write this up OP
Click to expand...
Agree, but he doesn’t need to trust anyone until they f up in a game......if they’re open get them the frikking ball. If they screw up, then don’t trust them. Even his “trusted” have drops so bs argument imo.
 
rcnut223 said:
I agree with what you stated. But there are things that have changed, most notably is the confidence in his team to be ably to execute certain plays.

Once you have doubts in what you can call and execute you start to call plays to avoid bad outcomes. This is akin to playing not to lose.

The 4th quarter drive , where we got the ball following the kick off fumble ( approximately 5 minutes to go) is one case in point.

The other was the last series of the game in over time. Specifically those last three plays optimize the trouble Scott is having.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, my previous comment was specifically addressing the dig regarding Frost's acumen as a play caller and ability to scheme. IMO this simply should not be questioned after 2 sub-par performances when there is 5 years of data which strongly suggests otherwise (1 year at DONU).

Specifically regarding the first two games of the season the OP hits the nail on the head. Frost is dealing with what he has in young/new skill players and with a rebuilt o-line. There is no question that Frost is calling the game differently so far this year than in the past, ~64% run to ~36% pass this year relative to a 56% run to 44% pass ratio overall (2014-2018). When your o-line is struggling to get push in the run game and struggling with pass pro there's not much you can do (very difficult to have a vertical passing game which then negatively effects the inside run). I think we are seeing a lean more towards run plays called because in order to have a positive pass play you have to trust that the o-line will pass pro, the WRs will get open and the QB will make the right read versus a positive run play can happen even when poorly blocked (ie the increased work load for Mo Washington).

I saw flashes of improved o-line play last week. I trust that the O will get fixed as the lineman gain game reps and Frost figures out how to best mask our deficiencies and which plays the players can execute at a high level. Too much off-season koolaid has everyone’s panties in a bunch over one loss and a sub-par win for a team that went 4-8 last year.
 
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