So, did Bo leave the cupboard bare?

[huskerick]

All the talk on this board earlier this year blaming Bo Pelini for poor recruiting while losing close games.

If you could give our QB play a B- grade for the whole year. We'd be 12-0. Maybe the cupboard is bare only at the QB position? But we won 9 games last year with this QB, with 3 coin flips on the four losses last year. In fact, we were a game ending interception away from beating both MSU & USC, and another turnover away beating Minnesota. Yes, a bad loss at Wisconsin, but close to being 11-1. 2014 was considerably more respectable than this year.
What doesn't equate?
This isn't intended to knock or praise Pelini. Just something to think about.
GBR

 

[steelclaw]

He left terrible depth more than anything, which kills you in the event of injuries, of which we had a ton.

 

[Cornhawks]

Last year AA and RG covered up a lot of mistakes. This year Almost no LB depth, no edge rusher. Bo left the cupboard really bare at those key positions. Would Bo have won a couple more games this year, maybe, but there would've been a couple of huge blowouts. (Both in the score of the game and him at the refs, fans, team, some poor server who got his coffee order wrong....)

 

[93sker]

When you have as many walk-ons in the 2-deep as we do (relative to everyone else), it's hard to argue something wasn't missing on the recruiting front.

 

[red rover 70]

As Bo would say...
What do you think?

 

[stxhusker]

He left a generally negative atmosphere...

 

[newAD]

As Bo would say...
What do you think?

We have a winner!!!^^^^^

This has been discussed ad nauseam, with numerous examples shown by HTO, myself, and others.

 

[capt'n caveman]

Plenty of talent but not depth.

His toxic attitude carrying on to the players hurt as much as anything

 

[mountainmann]

A huge percentage of his recruits over the last 4 years are no longer with the program.

Having Taylor M and Tommy A as the starters is the biggest error by Peelini.
I usually do a little comparison with each team NU plays. Would you rather have the NU QB or the other teams starter? It is almost always the other teams QB.

NU deserved better than what Pelini gave it in terms of recruiting and QBs.

 

[Husker.Wed.]

Recruiting this year will be huge for many peoples' perception of where the program is. I don’t know if the previous recruiting philosophy was “lazy”, or if it was the staff didn’t want to pull the trigger until after senior seasons. Regardless, what seemed to happen was there would be a mad scramble at the end to fill the class, which let to unfilled classes (self-imposed probation) and getting guys others passed on due to questionable character. I know there were some great gets at the end like Ameer, but a lot of the late adds washed out or were bad news (e.g. Suttles). Since we have 8-10 spots to fill, or more due to two soft commits and attrition, this year could be more of the same, but I hope not.

 

[StrongArm517]

If we had seen consistent improvment at the QB position this year all the lack of depth problems would've not been so noticable. Believe the D improved at nearly every position as the season went along. I feel we were 1 player short.

 

[jlb321]

 

[mountainmann]

If we had seen consistent improvment at the QB position this year all the lack of depth problems would've not been so noticable. Believe the D improved at nearly every position as the season went along. I feel we were 1 player short.

The one player being a legit Qb.

 

[redwine65]

I would say bo left a running team, not a passing team.
and a tad thin at lb,cb, and rush end. injuries were out of bo's control.
but I am glad bo took the drama with him.

 

[Tulsa Tom]

Talentless teams don't beat teams in the college football playoff picture...see UT, Ole Miss, and Nebraska.

 

[puddinhead0404]

Depth was lacking, but outside of MAYBE Miami could you really say anyone we played had more in the cupboard than we did?

 

[schuele]

I think Riley inherited a lousy roster - just not 5-7 lousy.

Just beat a couple of dog crap teams in Illinois and Purdue, and you're 7-5. That wouldn't make me do cartwheels, but it would be more representative of the hand Riley was dealt.

 

[PvilleHuskerTim]

All the talk on this board earlier this year blaming Bo Pelini for poor recruiting while losing close games.

If you could give our QB play a B- grade for the whole year. We'd be 12-0. Maybe the cupboard is bare only at the QB position? But we won 9 games last year with this QB, with 3 coin flips on the four losses last year. In fact, we were a game ending interception away from beating both MSU & USC, and another turnover away beating Minnesota. Yes, a bad loss at Wisconsin, but close to being 11-1. 2014 was considerably more respectable than this year.
What doesn't equate?
This isn't intended to knock or praise Pelini. Just something to think about.
GBR

It all depends on how a person defines “talent.” There is “talent” on this Nebraska team as there are enough 3 and 4 star players on the roster (most every D1 school has some level of 3 and 4 players on their roster). The “talent” becomes even better when there are “playmakers” on both sides of the ball. Conversely, without those necessary playmakers the “talent” has to have most everything work out perfectly in order to compete and get over the hump. “Playmakers” compensate for the turnovers and penalties that make a huge difference in the outcome. It is consistently turning a 2-yard run into a 6-yard gain and keeping the offense on track. It is coming up with a frequent sack or causing a fumble / interception instead of missing a tackle or assignment on a routine play and giving up a big chunk play on defense.


The “talent” will make some plays, just not enough to make a difference. When a team has the number of injury problems like Nebraska did this year, it is even further razor thin margin between winning and losing.


The better question to ask, is did Bo leave the cupboard bare when it comes to “playmakers.” The obvious answer is YES!


The scenario you created where last year we were close to 11-2 with the same QB can be flipped very easily to say the opposite. Without AA and RG last year (Burkhead and David in prior years), we lose the same games as we did but very likely lose 3 more games (McNeese, Miami, and Iowa) and have a 6-6 record instead of 9-3 in the regular season. A 6-6 season is not too much different than the 5-7 season we had this year – with no “playmakers.” The same can be said for the 2013 season as well.

 

[CC_Lemming]

All the talk on this board earlier this year blaming Bo Pelini for poor recruiting while losing close games.

If you could give our QB play a B- grade for the whole year. We'd be 12-0. Maybe the cupboard is bare only at the QB position? But we won 9 games last year with this QB, with 3 coin flips on the four losses last year. In fact, we were a game ending interception away from beating both MSU & USC, and another turnover away beating Minnesota. Yes, a bad loss at Wisconsin, but close to being 11-1. 2014 was considerably more respectable than this year.
What doesn't equate?
This isn't intended to knock or praise Pelini. Just something to think about.
GBR

The cupboard certainly was not bare. The problem is that he left 6 packages of spaghetti, 3 packages of macaroni, a package of rigatoni, and like one can of marinara sauce to eat all of it.

 

[inWV]

It all depends on how a person defines “talent.” There is “talent” on this Nebraska team as there are enough 3 and 4 star players on the roster (most every D1 school has some level of 3 and 4 players on their roster). The “talent” becomes even better when there are “playmakers” on both sides of the ball. Conversely, without those necessary playmakers the “talent” has to have most everything work out perfectly in order to compete and get over the hump. “Playmakers” compensate for the turnovers and penalties that make a huge difference in the outcome. It is consistently turning a 2-yard run into a 6-yard gain and keeping the offense on track. It is coming up with a frequent sack or causing a fumble / interception instead of missing a tackle or assignment on a routine play and giving up a big chunk play on defense.


The “talent” will make some plays, just not enough to make a difference. When a team has the number of injury problems like Nebraska did this year, it is even further razor thin margin between winning and losing.


The better question to ask, is did Bo leave the cupboard bare when it comes to “playmakers.” The obvious answer is YES!


The scenario you created where last year we were close to 11-2 with the same QB can be flipped very easily to say the opposite. Without AA and RG last year (Burkhead and David in prior years), we lose the same games as we did but very likely lose 3 more games (McNeese, Miami, and Iowa) and have a 6-6 record instead of 9-3 in the regular season. A 6-6 season is not too much different than the 5-7 season we had this year – with no “playmakers.” The same can be said for the 2013 season as well.

Tommy's flaws are a helluva lot easier to hide or mitigate with a stronger running game. There was no AA in the RB stable ready to emerge. Maybe Devine is a year away. We have a number of backs, but no one seized the reins. Was this a recruiting miss, or a case where the dice comes up snake eyes one time to many? Great mix of WRs, but no one that could really stretch the field ala Bell. No solid edge rusher, LB depth was essentially built during the season.

 

[husker2612]

All the talk on this board earlier this year blaming Bo Pelini for poor recruiting while losing close games.

If you could give our QB play a B- grade for the whole year. We'd be 12-0. Maybe the cupboard is bare only at the QB position? But we won 9 games last year with this QB, with 3 coin flips on the four losses last year. In fact, we were a game ending interception away from beating both MSU & USC, and another turnover away beating Minnesota. Yes, a bad loss at Wisconsin, but close to being 11-1. 2014 was considerably more respectable than this year.
What doesn't equate?
This isn't intended to knock or praise Pelini. Just something to think about.
GBR

Hard to truly compare Armstrong from last year to this. Yes we won more games with him, but we were also running a completely different offense. One that was based around one of the best running backs in the country. Also considering new coaching staff, injuries, and lack of depth. Im not going to say lack of talent. This team has talent, just no depth.
So last year Armstrong wasn't really asked to put this team on his shoulders and be solid starter, leader. Ameer did that. This year Armstrong was that guy, he obviously couldn't handle that title. Im not putting 100% blame on Armstrong. It is the job of coaches to recognize what they have and don't have in players. It should have been easy to see they don't have a passing QB in Armstrong. Yet they had him throw way to much this year. I honestly believe if we had a solid passing QB this year we would only be a 2 or 3 loss team. That puts us in the same position as last year.
If we don't want the same results next year 1 of 2 things needs to happen. 1) Tommy can not be QB in the current offensive scheme or 2) the offensive scheme needs to be changed so Tommy doesn't have to throw it as much
I don't really see either being the greatest possibility. Obviously Tommy is the best QB on the team at the current point. We do have O'brien coming in with a ton of potential, but we have heard that song and dance before. The odds of a true fresh coming in and being ready to play is slim. It will help a ton that he is coming in Jan.
As far as adapting the offensive scheme to not force tommy to throw as much would require us to have a run game. We don't, not consistently anyways,as the year showed. Until we can get a line that can create wholes or a RB that doesn't need them, our run game will stay as it was. I don't know if we have anyone currently or coming that will help the run game.
So shorter answer. Yes this is the same QB, with many of the same players. This is an entirely different team. Would we have won more game with Pelini here? Yes probably, put we would we honestly be in any better position to be where we all want, to win championships!

 

[rrthusker]

All the talk on this board earlier this year blaming Bo Pelini for poor recruiting while losing close games.

If you could give our QB play a B- grade for the whole year. We'd be 12-0. Maybe the cupboard is bare only at the QB position? But we won 9 games last year with this QB, with 3 coin flips on the four losses last year. In fact, we were a game ending interception away from beating both MSU & USC, and another turnover away beating Minnesota. Yes, a bad loss at Wisconsin, but close to being 11-1. 2014 was considerably more respectable than this year.
What doesn't equate?
This isn't intended to knock or praise Pelini. Just something to think about.
GBR

Yea just look at all the Huskers that made Big Ten all conference teams. We are overrun with talent.

 

[TheBeav815]

Is "sorta" an answer? There are enough players that it's not an abject disaster, but it's certainly not comparable to situations like what other coaches got to inherit at Michigan, UF, when Stoops got to OU, Meyer at OSU.

They're talented enough to be better than 5-7, but they need a lot of players before they can think about legitimately having more than a puncher's chance at unseating OSU to take over the conference.

 

[bigbadjim990]

In a word "No".

 

[EyeLuvDaHuskerz]

Whether the cupboard is bare is a deceptive question because it depends on your agenda. I'd argue that we have talent ... not championship talent but probably not far off. What I saw this season was a team led by a QB who threw 21 TD's and 16 INT's. In college football, that's simply unacceptable.

We've been spoiled by over a decade of starting RB's who went on to play in the NFL .. frankly I don't see that type of player on the roster right now. Could that guy emerge? Sure I'm not denying the possibility but it isn't there TODAY. So the strength of our offense is a crop of very talented WR's and an excellent TE but the triggerman is exceptionally inconsistent. Turn a few of those INT's into a punt and we might have won a few more of those coinflip games. It isn't hard to imagine this exact team winning 10 games if we replayed the season ... but that's not reality. We don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water but turnovers KILL and damn ... we turn it over a TON when we face comparable (or better) talent.

 

[zamzman]

No, he didn't leave the cupboard bare. There are good players. 9 wins last year, but we lost AA and some difference makers we couldn't replace.
Basically, Bo left us with 9-win talent, just like he had for past seasons, but we had some bad breaks and the scheme changes were harder than I expected.
We need a talent upgrade and better roster management. Bo came in and complained that Callahan left the cupboard bare of cornerbacks. In his turn, he left Riley a hole at LB and DE. He did at least leave some interior linemen.

 

[jimbosc]

Bo's roster management skills were lacking - leaving spots like LB short of depth. In other spots we had depth but guys that did not pick up the scheme change well (secondary).

That all said - we had a pretty clear path to 8 wins if this staff gets out of their own way. And we need to find a QB that can run Riley's offense - that was a huge part of the problem especially the 2nd half of the season.

Shore up the depth. Find a pass rush DE (or 3). Get out of your own way on game management. Find and play a QB that execute this offense. 8 wins won't be a cake walk next season given the schedule.

 

[BornNBredRed]

Last year AA and RG covered up a lot of mistakes. This year Almost no LB depth, no edge rusher. Bo left the cupboard really bare at those key positions. Would Bo have won a couple more games this year, maybe, but there would've been a couple of huge blowouts. (Both in the score of the game and him at the refs, fans, team, some poor server who got his coffee order wrong....)

It isn't that we have no depth at LB. We have no LBs at all. They are all slow as dirt and incapable of getting off blocks. They do not hit the hole. They typically wait to make contact 5-7 yards downfield, if at all. You can't be scared and be a LB. You need to hit the hole and make plays. The LBs are the main reason our defense and our team was bad this season. We need to replace all 3 of them. Dedrick looked like he had potential at the beginning, but seemed to get slower. Newby made a play once every few games. The other guy hasn't made a play his entire career....partly because he looks like he runs a 5.2 forty. Collins has flown past all of these guy to make plays all year. Your 315 lb DT should not be faster than your LBs.

 

[dinglefritz]

It isn't that we have no depth at LB. We have no LBs at all. They are all slow as dirt and incapable of getting off blocks. They do not hit the hole. They typically wait to make contact 5-7 yards downfield, if at all. You can't be scared and be a LB. You need to hit the hole and make plays. The LBs are the main reason our defense and our team was bad this season. We need to replace all 3 of them. Dedrick looked like he had potential at the beginning, but seemed to get slower. Newby made a play once every few games. The other guy hasn't made a play his entire career....partly because he looks like he runs a 5.2 forty. Collins has flown past all of these guy to make plays all year. Your 315 lb DT should not be faster than your LBs.

D. Young played with an injury most of the season. He is going to be a good one IMO. He played great for a true freshman. MRI will hopefully pick up a step back up a year removed from his major injury and IF he can get his groin back to 100%. Banderas played the entire year with a nagging groin injury. ALL of our backers played nicked up this year because Bo left us ZERO depth. Playing hurt can make you look awfully slow. Don't even get me started on our DEs. Our lack of talented depth there is ridiculous.

 

[sandiegohawk]

For what it is worth I watched Nebraska plays 4 games this season (BYU, Wisconsin, Mich State & Iowa)

From what I saw on the field, Nebraska could be playing in Indianapolis on Saturday if the Huskers had at least an average Big Ten QB. Armstrong is a great athlete but is just not a good college QB. The fact that there is no one else on the roster that is a better option you can perhaps blame on Pellini and staff, but the rest of the roster is good enough to win 10 games this season.

 

[CameronKrazie86]

It can be both the previous staff's fault for a lack of quality depth (or depth at all at some positions) as well as being on the current staff for not putting the guys they have in the best position to succeed.

I am hopeful next year will be better with more people on the same page and more players recruited specifically for this scheme. This year cannot be blamed 100% on either staff so assigning blame is pointless. Transition years are often messy, we saw it first hand this season.

 

[spinner4]

Yea just look at all the Huskers that made Big Ten all conference teams. We are overrun with talent.

They are saying the same thing in Corvallis Oregon. At least there were some huskers that made as high as the 2nd team all conference. Also, IMO, B1G has more talent then the PAC12 so it should have been easier for the Beavers to make the all conference team.

I don't agree with double standards and facts are facts. If Bo left the cupboard bare in Lincoln, they don't even have a cupboard in Corvallis.

 

[BornNBredRed]

Depth was lacking, but outside of MAYBE Miami could you really say anyone we played had more in the cupboard than we did?

We were lucky to beat Mich St. They are more talented.

 

[huskerhomie]

They are saying the same thing in Corvallis Oregon. At least there were some huskers that made as high as the 2nd team all conference. Also, IMO, B1G has more talent then the PAC12 so it should have been easier for the Beavers to make the all conference team.

I don't agree with double standards and facts are facts. If Bo left the cupboard bare in Lincoln, they don't even have a cupboard in Corvallis.

LOL

Do you even watch football or know what you are talking about? My guess is no.

Did you just compare OSU to Nebraska? Do you think that a team with the facilities, tradition, fan support and history should have the most walk ons on the two deep, or be compared to OSU? Wowzers.

 

[Soda Popinski]

They are saying the same thing in Corvallis Oregon. At least there were some huskers that made as high as the 2nd team all conference. Also, IMO, B1G has more talent then the PAC12 so it should have been easier for the Beavers to make the all conference team.

I don't agree with double standards and facts are facts. If Bo left the cupboard bare in Lincoln, they don't even have a cupboard in Corvallis.

Actually, this is a good point. If facilities are cupboards, OSU just leaves their groceries on the counter. Bo found some quality ingredients but often had to go on public assistance for other very important ingredients that often turned out to be low quality.

 

[RealHusker]

He left the cupboard with a 5-7 quarterback.

There are talent and depth limitations at some positions, some of which can be mitigated. But not having a quality QB is pretty difficult to overcome. The previous staff may have under-valued the QB position, or maybe the roster is simply filled with the best QB's they could recruit. But that position is the reason NU is 5-7.

 

[19Football19]

Depth was lacking, but outside of MAYBE Miami could you really say anyone we played had more in the cupboard than we did?

Not sure if serious???

 

[Husker.Wed.]

This thread is hanging around like a booger you can't quite seem to flick off your finger.

 

[jeans15]

.TA walked off the field with leads over BYU, Illinois, Wisconsin and led us on the comeback against NW with 6 minutes. That's 4 games TA gave us the lead in the last minutes of the game and we loss. What unit was on the field at the end of those games?

All the other wins where a direct reflection of TA's play. Hell he saved the game against So Miss, yeah yall forgot about that one. Our piss poor defense giving up 400 yards to a junior high QB

Every victory we have TA was the catalyst for our success

Yeah, being dead last in pass defense had nothing to do with our losses.......

More excuses for how horrible our coaching staff was this year.

Bo was able to go 17-5 with TA. What's Riley excuse. I know he is a 500 coach for 25 years...yet you genius football posters blame the kids.

If Bank didn't suck at coaching defense we might have won 9 games.

Newsflash. The offenses sucked we played in the last 5 games. The defense didn't improve. You guys are hilarious.

 

[jeans15]

No TA no celebration against Michigan St either. Since he was the Big 10 Offensive player of the week after that game.