The myth that we need to play B1G Power Football

[headcard]

Many believe we need to fit into the B1G and play pro-style, power football, like Wisconsin to win big in this conference. I hope everyone knows that this is not what you are getting with Scott Frost. He has an uptempo, quick hitting offense. This will not be ground and pound B1G football. And I love it! We need to embrace this!. We aren’t going to take control of our division by being just like Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, we need our own style and we should embrace being different. Look at the best teams in the B1G, OSU and PSU have high scoring spread offenses. And neither did before Myer and Franklin. Also look at the PAC 12 and Stanford. They aren’t a wide open spread passing team like everyone else in the PAC, they are unique and don’t have to be like everyone else to win. Time to go fast and win big.

 

[redfanusa]

I honestly couldn't give two shits about the X's and O's. With that said, I want to see Nebraska return to a dominant running game, because it wins football games, and it was Nebraska's identity for 40 years. That doesn't men running 60 plays a game. I also want to see an aggressive defense that makes big plays. Watching Nebraska play prevent defense for a year made me want to puke. Bend-but-don't-break defenses do a whole lotta bending and a whole lotta breaking.

 

[headcard]

I honestly couldn't give two shits about the X's and O's. With that said, I want to see Nebraska return to a dominant running game, because it wins football games, and it was Nebraska's identity for 40 years. That doesn't men running 60 plays a game. I also want to see an aggressive defense that makes big plays. Watching Nebraska play prevent defense for a year made me want to puke. Bend-but-don't-break defenses do a whole lotta bending and a whole lotta breaking.

The way we play D would also be an adjustment. With an uptempo offense, you need an aggressive D that forces turnovers and three and outs. You may have to live with giving up points and some big plays. Kind of like a pressing team in basketball.

 

[barney44]

I just like the idea of offensive identity. When you don't know exactly what you're doing then you never really get good at it.

 

[headcard]

I just like the idea of offensive identity. When you don't know exactly what you're doing then you never really get good at it.

Amen

 

[huskerssalts]

I honestly couldn't give two shits about the X's and O's. With that said, I want to see Nebraska return to a dominant running game, because it wins football games, and it was Nebraska's identity for 40 years. That doesn't men running 60 plays a game. I also want to see an aggressive defense that makes big plays. Watching Nebraska play prevent defense for a year made me want to puke. Bend-but-don't-break defenses do a whole lotta bending and a whole lotta breaking.

I think those days are gone with the 90’s. Sounds like Moos wants a balanced football team and Frost does NOT run that style of offense either. Im with the other two. I don’t care if we pass it 60 or run it 60 or go 50/50 spilt. just as long as we know what we do and do it good and win. Now, I think ever fan wants a great to elite defense again. We need to fix some big holes first and for most....exactly what Riley and Diaco was working on. Even with Riley fired, we will still have said holes. No pass rusher on the DL and a bad groups of LBs. hopefully Avery Roberts and Guy Thomas pan out, there will be a couple upgrades. I think we will lose Weildman to Iowa now that Diaco is gone. So we have holes to fix, bad.

 

[stxhusker]

The only statistic I care about are Ws...don't care how they get them; just that they get them and in bunches.

 

[stonesak]

Sounds like Moos wants a balanced football team and Frost does NOT run that style of offense either.

Frosty's offense is extremely balanced.

 

[barney44]

Sounds like Moos wants a balanced football team and Frost does NOT run that style of offense either.

I don't know what you think he's running but they're good at both running the ball as well as throwing the ball. They're actually a little better throwing the ball but they run more often than they throw.

349 passing attempts
425 rush attempts

That isn't all too unbalanced..

 

[bshirt73]

I just like the idea of offensive identity. When you don't know exactly what you're doing then you never really get good at it.

Bingo!

 

[SoFL Husker]

Many believe we need to fit into the B1G and play pro-style, power football, like Wisconsin to win big in this conference. I hope everyone knows that this is not what you are getting with Scott Frost. He has an uptempo, quick hitting offense. This will not be ground and pound B1G football. And I love it! We need to embrace this!. We aren’t going to take control of our division by being just like Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, we need our own style and we should embrace being different. Look at the best teams in the B1G, OSU and PSU have high scoring spread offenses. And neither did before Myer and Franklin. Also look at the PAC 12 and Stanford. They aren’t a wide open spread passing team like everyone else in the PAC, they are unique and don’t have to be like everyone else to win. Time to go fast and win big.

Right, with an emphasis on a fast, physical defense. The best of both worlds. Should compete with Wisky on a routine basis once the athletes are in place and conditioned/developed properly.

GBR

 

[Redblood23]

I think everyone who wants Frost knows this..

 

[SoFL Husker]

The way we play D would also be an adjustment. With an uptempo offense, you need an aggressive D that forces turnovers and three and outs. You may have to live with giving up points and some big plays. Kind of like a pressing team in basketball.

Just looking at Frost's early recruiting at UCF, he seems to try and find big bodied D lineman (some are tweeners) that can be stout up front, but speed everywhere else that can close and create havoc. Will probably see less cookie cutter type recruits and more guys that can go sideline to sideline, at a minimum. GBR

 

[headcard]

I think everyone who wants Frost knows this..

I’ve red enough comments on message boards, like this one, to basically guarantee that isn’t true.

 

[SoFL Husker]

I’ve red enough comments on message boards, like this one, to basically guarantee that isn’t true.

Should change the minute we start to see 5'8-5'10 inch 180lb burners (4.4 or better) instead of 6-6'2 inch WR who can't cut it at Clemson/tOSU/Bama filling out the recruiting classes

Oregon 2.0

 

[saluno22]

That doesn't men running 60 plays a game.

How about 72 times?
https://www.huskermax.com/games/2003/pennstate03.html

 

[HuskerLLM]

I think those days are gone with the 90’s. Sounds like Moos wants a balanced football team and Frost does NOT run that style of offense either. Im with the other two. I don’t care if we pass it 60 or run it 60 or go 50/50 spilt. just as long as we know what we do and do it good and win. Now, I think ever fan wants a great to elite defense again. We need to fix some big holes first and for most....exactly what Riley and Diaco was working on. Even with Riley fired, we will still have said holes. No pass rusher on the DL and a bad groups of LBs. hopefully Avery Roberts and Guy Thomas pan out, there will be a couple upgrades. I think we will lose Weildman to Iowa now that Diaco is gone. So we have holes to fix, bad.

Wildeman wants to play in a 3-4 and is anxious to see if next coach is Frost.

 

[otismotis08]

I think everyone who wants Frost knows this..

Ya, I think Frost has some ideas about what just might work here.
We need a dual-threat QB, and better yet, an option QB.

 

[GolfHacker1]

The way we play D would also be an adjustment. With an uptempo offense, you need an aggressive D that forces turnovers and three and outs. You may have to live with giving up points and some big plays. Kind of like a pressing team in basketball.

This would be spot on. Time of possession and field position obviously are critical. Nebraska's issue has not been offense, it has been defense. And that's becuase almost everyone else in the B1G builds offensive lines, and tries to run the football.

Nebraska had more talent than Iowa. Nebraska actually has more talent than the majority of B1G teams. Your defense just gets worn down easily. Part of this is due to an offense that isn't on the field long enough.

 

[janne]

I do like UCF's offensive concepts, but have never been a fan of the totally up tempo style. You do put up more points, but so does the other team. The ideal for me is a multiple offense with RPO, ZR, and triple option concepts with flexible tempo.

I don't like defenses that give up big plays. Call it bend don't break if you like, but make the opposing offense sustain a drive and score inside the red zone where there is less field to defend.

 

[StrongArm517]

I know I do not want a pro style offense. IMO, that is the only real "not a fit" in Nebraska.

 

[saluno22]

I do like UCF's offensive concepts, but have never been a fan of the totally up tempo style. You do put up more points, but so does the other team. The ideal for me is a multiple offense with RPO, ZR, and triple option concepts with flexible tempo.

I don't like defenses that give up big plays. Call it bend don't break if you like, but make the opposing offense sustain a drive and score inside the red zone where there is less field to defend.

The way to neutralize a bend-but-don't-break defense is to run low-risk plays. That style of defense worked for Bo in the Big 12 when teams were making play selections that were inherently more risky (passing). When there are fewer moving parts with the ball, there's less risk of a turnover and I think most teams will take 3-4 yards each play running the ball against a bend-but-don't-break defense.

This may be oversimplifying, but it essentially explains the difference in success Nebraska's defense had in the Big 12 vs. in the Big Ten.

 

[Hot.Carl]

The way to neutralize a bend-but-don't-break defense is to run low-risk plays. That style of defense worked for Bo in the Big 12 when teams were making play selections that were inherently more risky (passing). When there are fewer moving parts with the ball, there's less risk of a turnover and I think most teams will take 3-4 yards each play running the ball against a bend-but-don't-break defense.

This may be oversimplifying, but it essentially explains the difference in success Nebraska's defense had in the Big 12 vs. in the Big Ten.

This is an excellent post. And very accurate in describing Wisconsin and Iowa. I do think diaco could have excelled at Nebraska given enough time / recruiting.

Trying to run up-tempo/spread is extremely risky without the right horses. The Indiana Ohio State game this year is a great example.

 

[HuskerDana]

The way we play D would also be an adjustment. With an uptempo offense, you need an aggressive D that forces turnovers and three and outs. You may have to live with giving up points and some big plays. Kind of like a pressing team in basketball.

Glad somebody brought this up. Great post, hc. NU may give up some points on big plays, rather than letting a team hold the ball for 12 plays and HOPING they make a mistake.

The type of offense Frost will run will be much more predicated upon rhythm and running a lot of plays.....you can't do that if your offense is standing on the sidelines under a bend but don't break defense.

This part of the post is jmho, but as a defender, I would prefer to get hit by a big play occasionally because... as a defensive unit, we were trying to press the issue. I think it is much more demoralizing as a defensive player to have a team score on five fifteen play drives.

 

[Clevinger]

Many believe we need to fit into the B1G and play pro-style, power football, like Wisconsin to win big in this conference. I hope everyone knows that this is not what you are getting with Scott Frost. He has an uptempo, quick hitting offense. This will not be ground and pound B1G football. And I love it! We need to embrace this!. We aren’t going to take control of our division by being just like Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, we need our own style and we should embrace being different. Look at the best teams in the B1G, OSU and PSU have high scoring spread offenses. And neither did before Myer and Franklin. Also look at the PAC 12 and Stanford. They aren’t a wide open spread passing team like everyone else in the PAC, they are unique and don’t have to be like everyone else to win. Time to go fast and win big.

You have to be able to run the ball and have a great defense. Have to.

 

[The_Man_Behind_The_Man]

Priority one has to be: fix the Defense. Getting guys in the right position and tackling in space. second, Have a run identity to keep the chains moving. This will help our Defense out as well. The large number of three and outs put a lot of pressure on already weak D.

 

[meo1960]

Many believe we need to fit into the B1G and play pro-style, power football, like Wisconsin to win big in this conference. I hope everyone knows that this is not what you are getting with Scott Frost. He has an uptempo, quick hitting offense. This will not be ground and pound B1G football. And I love it! We need to embrace this!. We aren’t going to take control of our division by being just like Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, we need our own style and we should embrace being different. Look at the best teams in the B1G, OSU and PSU have high scoring spread offenses. And neither did before Myer and Franklin. Also look at the PAC 12 and Stanford. They aren’t a wide open spread passing team like everyone else in the PAC, they are unique and don’t have to be like everyone else to win. Time to go fast and win big.

True, but we do need to be able to stop the run. From watching UCF this year, their defense is something Scott's going to need to improve on for B1G play, if indeed he is coming here.

 

[scarletred]

No question if we want to get back playing for championships we have to have a defense that stops the run first and foremost.

We haven't had a good defense since the 2009 and 2010 seasons that means we haven't had a defense in the B1G that is worth a crap since we joined the conference..

No wonder we only have one division title.

 

[nu2u]

I don't know what you think he's running but they're good at both running the ball as well as throwing the ball. They're actually a little better throwing the ball but they run more often than they throw.

349 passing attempts
425 rush attempts

That isn't all too unbalanced..

That is more slanted to run than I anticipated.

The style argument gets a bit distorted between run/pass "balance" on one hand, and how the QB is used on the other. When I think of style, I tend to place more emphasis on the latter - the QB - and whether he is used as part of the run game or not as the determining factor.... the so-called "dual threat" QB" vs. the traditional "pro-style QB" as a way to differentiate styles. The "balance" focus confuses the issue IMO

For example, two offenses that run 45/55 run/pass balance but one QB rushes 12-15 times per game as part of its game plan and the other QB runs maybe 2-3 times per game but only because he scrambled from the pass pocket. Same balance different style. Frost uses the dual threat model. PSU, Indiana, OSU are examples of B10 teams who currently use this style.

 

[barney44]

The ideal for me is a multiple offense with RPO, ZR, and triple option concepts with flexible tempo.

This is what you call no offensive identity and it's another mistake. We had this multiple crap with Bo and we weren't truly good at anything we did on offense. Play good teams and they shut your offense right down and proceed to steamroll your defense, after awhile you score a bunch on their backups and it looks better than it actually was.

No thanks, I'd rather see a well run prolific offense that forces others to play keep up and allows the defense to feed off of their sense of urgency.

 

[barney44]

I know I do not want a pro style offense. IMO, that is the only real "not a fit" in Nebraska.

The only pro style I don't want to see here ever is that WCO crap. It's an ass backwards system and difficult to recruit to at the college level. The classic run to set up PA pass can and has worked here at Nebraska.

 

[CC_Lemming]

You only need to be able to defend BIG power football.

 

[LovNit]

I'm happy that we will start to see linebackers like Lavonte David and rush ends like Randy Gregory