People stopped fearing us in late 2001. That's when we lost our swagger which still hasn't returned.
Everyone will be talking about this article
- Thread starter bomber89
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TO didn't start winning national titlles until he got difference makers at QB. He couldn't win with game managers.
Actually he had difference makers at QB and still could not win a title. Gill and Taylor were top flight option quarterbacks. The difference in the 90's was total dominance in both lines and the addition of speed on defense. For example, take away our strong defense in 94 and we lose to Miami that night.
But I also get your point. Frazier and Frost were not game managers. Saban's point was that he did not think Frazier was the reason why we kicked the crap out of his team in 95. It had way more to do with our overall strength and speed.
I agree with much of what you are saying but Tommie was a special QB with an incredible football IQ. There was a reason TO reportedly was in tears when he committed to us. He was an extremely important piece to the puzzle.
If it's a Barfknecht article, 97.8% chance I'm skipping it. I really don't know who likes his stuff.
Frazier was special. Ahhhh... Those were the days.
This. I hate when people bring up overall records between two teams over a certain amount of time. For me, it's about substance. What have those wins gotten and what games are they winning.
Exactly. And they have the same number of national championships in that time frame as Nebraska.
No one fears Wisconsin like they do present day Alabama or did mid 90's Nebraska.
They are a team that runs the ball and loses 3-4 games every year.
No one fears Wisconsin like they do present day Alabama or did mid 90's Nebraska.
They are a team that runs the ball and loses 3-4 games every year.
You need to get real, not me.
You brought up the records, not me. You didn't say championships, big time bowl games, head to head games or anything else.
would you rather have a Wisconsin's record ( similar talent)or ours in the last 15 yrs ?
Those are your exact words, not mine. Had you said accomplishments; which would include championships, big time bowl games, head to head, you'd have a leg to stand on. But you didn't, and are now trying to squirm to something else.
"This"? He mentioned it, so you must hate it except "this". I'm with your last two sentences, it is about substance. However, that isn't what GAR stated.
Sure there are some examples of talented teams that fell short of expectations. And there are zero examples of championship teams that weren't very talented but were "tough" enough to overcome it. It's a vague, immeasurable quality that we can point to but not articulate what it actually means. The reason people don't fear us anymore is because we aren't as talented. It's easy to have swagger and be "tough" when you win every game, its impossible to be that successful if you don't have elite talent. It's very very simple.
Swagger comes when results happen on the field. The fact of the matter is, for the last 15 years or so, Nebraska hasn't had the talent, coaching or results to warrant swagger.
So Alabama is the only team that qualifies as tough? That's the only name I see posted.
I think the article is pretty accurate.
No one fears playing NU anymore. If you think they do, then you are only kidding yourself. NU will never regain the success it had in the 70s, 80s, and 90s by throwing the football. Not that I am against airing it out, but when you throw, it is all about getting your super-star players in one-on-one matches in space and letting your talented players win those battles. To do that you have to have your talent on the field be better than the other teams. Which leads to recruiting.... In order to win in a pro-style game, you have to have the best players on the field (general statement - nothing is absolute). If you do not, then beating the other team just got a lot more difficult if not impossible. Now you have to rely on coaching and outsmarting the other team. MR is strong here, not sure about Banker.
Nebraska (most likely) will not out recruit the consistent powers in the game today (Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, LSU, etc.). Why? Because we are on a much more even playing field with other schools now. EVERYONE has or is building a top-notch strength and conditioning program in the power 5, 85 scholarships per team limit, etc.) Now throw in the ESPN & SEC marriage and the recruits are really woowed by the SEC and staying in the South.
In NU were to revert back to a run first, play great D type of team I think we would start to compete with the big boys again. It is the best advantage we can leverage to our success given our recruiting challenges. Old school, smash mouth football is not sooooo dependent on pulling in top recruiting classes each year like the pro-style game MR is implementing. To run old-school, "tough" football you do not have the best recruiting classes, but you do need to have the toughness factor back in place.
I will put this out there... How good would Nebraska football be in 2016 if Tommy Armstrong ran a true option game? Imagine TA getting 15 - 20 carries per game along with Ozigbo breaking down field off the pitch and laying the wood to would be defenders. Mix that up with 15 - 20 roll out Read Pass Options for Tommy and he would light up the D with better passing and CC at tight end would be a major weapon. Mix in DPE and Newby with some jet sweeps and NU would see 10 wins EASILY this year.
Just for the record - Nothing would make me happier than to see MR and TA succeed this year in their pro style offense and put us back in the conversation.
Critique away!
GBR!!!
No one fears playing NU anymore. If you think they do, then you are only kidding yourself. NU will never regain the success it had in the 70s, 80s, and 90s by throwing the football. Not that I am against airing it out, but when you throw, it is all about getting your super-star players in one-on-one matches in space and letting your talented players win those battles. To do that you have to have your talent on the field be better than the other teams. Which leads to recruiting.... In order to win in a pro-style game, you have to have the best players on the field (general statement - nothing is absolute). If you do not, then beating the other team just got a lot more difficult if not impossible. Now you have to rely on coaching and outsmarting the other team. MR is strong here, not sure about Banker.
Nebraska (most likely) will not out recruit the consistent powers in the game today (Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, LSU, etc.). Why? Because we are on a much more even playing field with other schools now. EVERYONE has or is building a top-notch strength and conditioning program in the power 5, 85 scholarships per team limit, etc.) Now throw in the ESPN & SEC marriage and the recruits are really woowed by the SEC and staying in the South.
In NU were to revert back to a run first, play great D type of team I think we would start to compete with the big boys again. It is the best advantage we can leverage to our success given our recruiting challenges. Old school, smash mouth football is not sooooo dependent on pulling in top recruiting classes each year like the pro-style game MR is implementing. To run old-school, "tough" football you do not have the best recruiting classes, but you do need to have the toughness factor back in place.
I will put this out there... How good would Nebraska football be in 2016 if Tommy Armstrong ran a true option game? Imagine TA getting 15 - 20 carries per game along with Ozigbo breaking down field off the pitch and laying the wood to would be defenders. Mix that up with 15 - 20 roll out Read Pass Options for Tommy and he would light up the D with better passing and CC at tight end would be a major weapon. Mix in DPE and Newby with some jet sweeps and NU would see 10 wins EASILY this year.
Just for the record - Nothing would make me happier than to see MR and TA succeed this year in their pro style offense and put us back in the conversation.
Critique away!
GBR!!!
You mention the successes of the 70's,80's and 90's and sort of reference a dominating defense as a reason for the team being dominant.
There was dominating defenses for about a 3 or 4 year period in the 90's and a 2 or 3 year period in the early 70's. Other than that Nebraska had slightly above average defenses. The success of the ball control offense which reduces the amount of possessions made the defense better in a vast majority of those years.
When Nebraska did have dominating defenses, they won national titles. However those defenses were good because they had more pro talent on them than the other defenses. That was due to recruiting and getting players to Lincoln.
What does University Park or East Lansing offer that Lincoln doesn't?
Penn St has always run a pro style offense and have had a pretty decent run. Michigan St has a pro style offense, seem to be doing ok too.
My opinion is this, most people believe that kind of offense won't be successful simply because Tom Osborne changed from that style of offense in the mid 1970's and stated he didn't believe it could be successful in Nebraska because of the weather. So because Osborne believes it to be true, then it is no longer up for debate.
Many northern teams, in similar environments run a pro style or even a throwing offense and are having success.
As far as getting recruits in here. I often find it strange that the coaches Nebraska has hired, Post Osborne, that didn't have a predisposed opinion on what would work (Callahan and Riley) they didn't have an issue getting some 5 star kids to visit Nebraska. The number of Callahan recruited players that were drafted and led Pelini coached teams to two of Pelini's 3 conference championship games is substantial.
There was dominating defenses for about a 3 or 4 year period in the 90's and a 2 or 3 year period in the early 70's. Other than that Nebraska had slightly above average defenses. The success of the ball control offense which reduces the amount of possessions made the defense better in a vast majority of those years.
When Nebraska did have dominating defenses, they won national titles. However those defenses were good because they had more pro talent on them than the other defenses. That was due to recruiting and getting players to Lincoln.
What does University Park or East Lansing offer that Lincoln doesn't?
Penn St has always run a pro style offense and have had a pretty decent run. Michigan St has a pro style offense, seem to be doing ok too.
My opinion is this, most people believe that kind of offense won't be successful simply because Tom Osborne changed from that style of offense in the mid 1970's and stated he didn't believe it could be successful in Nebraska because of the weather. So because Osborne believes it to be true, then it is no longer up for debate.
Many northern teams, in similar environments run a pro style or even a throwing offense and are having success.
As far as getting recruits in here. I often find it strange that the coaches Nebraska has hired, Post Osborne, that didn't have a predisposed opinion on what would work (Callahan and Riley) they didn't have an issue getting some 5 star kids to visit Nebraska. The number of Callahan recruited players that were drafted and led Pelini coached teams to two of Pelini's 3 conference championship games is substantial.
Yea, we were good then and being tough was one of the factors that made the Huskers great
If I remember correctly, Lee exposed Bill Callahan well before he fell to pieces, as he did Bo Pelini. I can't recall if he saw Solich falling to pieces early. Bottom line, Lee has delivered the news that the Kool-Aid fans have not wanted to hear and been spot on. Unfortunately, he will likely be right again.
Do you realize how easy it is to predict that a head coach will ultimately fail to reach expectations when the expectations are conference championships and national titles? He's not a fortune teller, he's just playing the odds.
Lee thinks it proves he is being 'objective' to constantly be negative on Nebraska. I remember him picking Penn St to beat us in the 1983 Kickoff Classic and he hasn't changed his act since then. He seems to find plenty of good things to say about other teams though.
