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Top reasons why the Huskers no long win as much?

I don't think Nebraska ever truly optioned the fullback dive -- it was either a give or QB run/pitch option -- never truly the triple option

Come on.

How many long fullback runs do you remember? Your response should me "many".

Pro-style offenses might give it to a FB maybe 2-3 times a year, for a yard, or two.
 
Come on.

How many long fullback runs do you remember? Your response should me "many".

Pro-style offenses might give it to a FB maybe 2-3 times a year, for a yard, or two.


There were a ton of long fullback runs on designed and pre called fullback traps. That is much different than an option read where the ball is put in the FBs belly and the QB gives or pulls the ball based on the defensive reaction. On many of those FB runs the QB reversed pivots so his back is to the defense when he gives the ball to the FB. We killed teams with the FB trap. I don't think we optioned the FB much or at all. Apologize if I'm mistaken.

Will others with some more x and o experience weigh in?
 
There were a ton of long fullback runs on designed and pre called fullback traps. That is much different than an option read where the ball is put in the FBs belly and the QB gives or pulls the ball based on the defensive reaction. On many of those FB runs the QB reversed pivots so his back is to the defense when he gives the ball to the FB. We killed teams with the FB trap. I don't think we optioned the FB much or at all. Apologize if I'm mistaken.

Will others with some more x and o experience weigh in?

Maybe. But, I don't know how you get that kind of space without optioning off of it.
 
We are now at the point that current high school juniors and seniors weren't even alive the last time Nebraska won something of significance. Let's hope their parents and grandparents have good memories. I have the most significant games in huskers history recorded but need to get them transferred to a medium in which they can be viewed in modern technology

Agree, the kids were still in their dads beer the last time Neb won. I'd also say that if they saw NEB play on national TV, it probably wasn't a great thing. The players we've put in the NFL haven't exactly been role-models either. Slausen, Incognito, Denard, Suh, Enunwa, Gregory (track record from college)....AA can help because he's pure class, but I really don't think he'll every be more than an occasional punt return for a TD, 3rd down back, and get the occasional start. His body won't hold up as good and tough as he is.

I'd say the final thing is equality. I truly believe no school has been hurt more than Neb. Kids don't need to travel to get what they need in their own backyard. We use to get the number 1 kid without question out of CO, Kan, AZ, Mizz....Now, Michigan just landed the CO top prospect, ASU just landed a 5 star, Mizz is in the $EC, etc......I don't see it changing. I'm hoping we sneak in a Big 10 title 1 or 2 times a decade. Hope OSU or Mich have the off year and we take a chance with the T Martinez or TA and it actually works out. Bad examples I know, but we're not going to get the 5 stars or high 4 stars consistently.
 
Maybe. But, I don't know how you get that kind of space without optioning off of it.
Nebraska's option plays (and tailback sweeps) were critical for setting up those big gains by the fullback. But as jlb321 noted, handoffs to the fullback were not actually part of the option. The fullback trap was either called in the huddle or audibled into, but it wasn't a situation where the QB made that decision after the ball was snapped.

Lots of teams did use their FB as part of the triple option, but Nebraska wasn't one of them.
 
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T.O. could be included too. He hired Frank and Bo (which a lot of people agreed with at the time) and let Bo and his band of misfits run wild in the AD. I guess you could also say that T.O. set the bar so high that expectations were out of control.

I agree to that. I do think the worst decision made was firing Frank when they did. A lot of people (including me) were high on the Bo hire as he turned around a horrendous defense in 1 offseason. Then were slowly shown the real Bo after 4 years. Had Bo not been a psycho, he would still be here in my opinion. But I think that dead horse has been beat to death here.
 
HP is the main reason Nebraska got into the B1G. Guess who recommended Petersen to HP? Yep, TO. SE isn't nervous at all because when Riley gets his players in here and starts winning SE won't be going anywhere. I know you get your info from HPH, but they are wrong 110% of the time.
And when I win the lottery, I am going to retire to the south of France and start my own Vodka Distillery. Seriously, how old are you Metal Head Husker? Keep banging your head to Godsmack / Iron Maiden or whatever Metal you listen too that gives you the confidence that you have. Good luck to you when it doesn't always work out like you think it will.

 
Back to OP: Talent pool of athletes are better. New tech medium's have changed the recruiting game dramatically. facilities are more even than before. Program Identity's don't take 20-30 yrs any more to develop, they take 2-4 yrs (works both ways in going bad to good and good to bad)...

GBR
 
Coach TO/Devaney and staffs, Unlimited Walk Ons, Prop 48, Roids, consistency in the system (in the entire region), move to the Big 12, feasting on weak opponents, and a few other factors made the Huskers great..

Coach Osborne knew that a step back was coming. Im relatively sure that was a factor in his departure as well. It would have happened whether he left or not....just not this bad
 
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Keep the ball in your Offenses hands for the majority of the game and you will win most games. this means in most cases that you should run the ball the majority of the time and pass the ball just enogh to keep the other teams defense honest.
 
I have said on here several times - the key to the success of the past was the overall coaching staff. There was incredible stability from top to bottom, a loyalty that no longer exists due to the lure of money.

On the flip side, this is also part of our downfall. Losing Tom hurt. While the staff he left behind was extremely good, but were pretty darn old. McBride retired two years later. Tenopir and Young three years after that, albeit likely under pressure. With all due respect (and they are due much respect), you do wonder how energetic and committed some of these coaches were regarding recruiting for the future.
For the legendary hall of fame coach that Osborne is, he has practically nothing as far as a coaching tree. Not only were there no young coaches on the team stepping up to take the old guard's place, they weren't many young Osborne mentored coaches anywhere. Even looking at the conversations today, Scott Frost is really the person people talk about returning home, and he never coached under Osborne.
 
And when I win the lottery, I am going to retire to the south of France and start my own Vodka Distillery. Seriously, how old are you Metal Head Husker? Keep banging your head to Godsmack / Iron Maiden or whatever Metal you listen too that gives you the confidence that you have. Good luck to you when it doesn't always work out like you think it will.


Lol Iron Maiden is one of the greatest bands of all time. BTW what does metal music have anything to do with what I said?
 
Coach TO/Devaney and staffs, Unlimited Walk Ons, Prop 48, Roids, consistency in the system (in the entire region), move to the Big 12, feasting on weak opponents, and a few other factors made the Huskers great..

Coach Osborne knew that a step back was coming. Im relatively sure that was a factor in his departure as well. It would have happened whether he left or not....just not this bad
I think you are correct if we just took a step back but this does not account for our fall to irrelevance - I think that has to do with leadership decisions from Perlman to TO - this program has been mismanaged and still is
 
What do you think the top 10 reasons the Huskers in the last, lets say 10 years.
Win a lot less then lets say in the 70's 80's or 90's?
I just listed what I can think of, or have been told by others.

1. Scholarship limits, title x, etc.
2. Other teams using strength and conditioning a lot more
3. Coaches that are not Dr. Tom
4. Abandonment of a true running game
5. Destruction of the walk-on program
6. High coaching turn over
7. No JV team, Less coaches
8. PQ's
9. Resting on past success
10. Just the way the world is, empires rise and fall
BIG
 
HP is the main reason Nebraska got into the B1G. Guess who recommended Petersen to HP? Yep, TO. SE isn't nervous at all because when Riley gets his players in here and starts winning SE won't be going anywhere. I know you get your info from HPH, but they are wrong 110% of the time.

The Big Ten was interested in Nebraska because of it's athletics and they allowed Nebraska to join even with lower academics.

On one post you say HP isn't responsible for athletics but here you say he is the one who got Nebraska into the Big Ten.

Hmmm
 
It was a power running scheme that had the option in the playbook. A lot of people think the offense was based on the option which is false. The option was a part of the offense, not the base of the offense :) It's ok a lot of people think that Nebraska ran a Georgia Tech type of offense which isn't true.

here is a really good link that took a ton of time and knowledge to put together on what TO was doing
http://trojanfootballanalysis.com/?cat=13
 
The Big Ten was interested in Nebraska because of it's athletics and they allowed Nebraska to join even with lower academics.

On one post you say HP isn't responsible for athletics but here you say he is the one who got Nebraska into the Big Ten.

Hmmm

What we were doing with our academic side was a big part of getting into the B1G. Don't even act like it wasn't.
 
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The scholarship limit excuse is such crap. Every team played by the same rules. The big 8 wasn't near as bad as everyone seems to think...it's just that ou and nu were that good. The big 8 was a good conference. TO was a tremendous coach and it boggles my mind to hear our fans say he wasn't as good as he seemed. What bullshit. What he accomplished here was freaking amazing and any program would take his 25 years in a heartbeat you spoiled fools.
We aren't as good because we have no identity and haven't since that prick Pederson took over. And don't try to tell me he was the obvious candidate and no one saw it coming because I did as did many others. Hearing that guy talk gave me the creeps.
 
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What metal head said about toms offense was true. It is false that it was triple option, but power, read, lead, belly, man, zone, and Indiana option were all in the playbook. I was fortunate enough to see and learn some of his playbook and it was wonderfully complete yet simple. Also played for a for a pupil of his and used a condensed version with much of the same verbiage and number system.
Tom knew how to block the same play thirty different ways, but what was important is that he knew how to teach his players to understand it as well.
 
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Coach TO/Devaney and staffs, Unlimited Walk Ons, Prop 48, Roids, consistency in the system (in the entire region), move to the Big 12, feasting on weak opponents, and a few other factors made the Huskers great..

Coach Osborne knew that a step back was coming. Im relatively sure that was a factor in his departure as well. It would have happened whether he left or not....just not this bad

Good post.
 
In the Big-8...
OU (under Switzer) - 'Sooner Magic' killed us often.

In the Big-12...
Texas - Never could beat them (even when we had the better team)

In the Big-10 (so far)...
Wisconsin (The new Texas) - Never can beat them (even when we have a better team)

I agree with those that mention the physical and mental toughness of our teams has been down for years. That is why we lose often. We have not played with swagger since 2001 IMO.

We are a soft team. Pelini's personality really ruined the team further. That is why we saw the team play so bi-polar during those years.

The Callahan years sucked but if he had a competent defensive staff things could have been so different. The Pelini years flat out sucked!
 
all of those calling for a return to a power (smashmouth) running game with massive FB-LB collisions with the fullback as a lead blocker are socially irresponsible and are advocating for the sacrifice of our young mens longterm neurocognitive health and is some case their lives ... who know who you are and have blood on your hands

<sarcasm> .. kind of
 
And then some of the presidents of our new Conference turned right around and voted us out of the AAU, the only school to ever suffer that fate
From what I understand it was all about the university of Nebraska medical system. and how it was divided up with other colleges in the state. so Nebraska couldn't claim that as part of their aau status. I heard that's what got us ejected from the aau.
 
all of those calling for a return to a power (smashmouth) running game with massive FB-LB collisions with the fullback as a lead blocker are socially irresponsible and are advocating for the sacrifice of our young mens longterm neurocognitive health and is some case their lives ... who know who you are and have blood on your hands

<sarcasm> .. kind of
I wonder how much football has helped control violence over the years? where young strong guys have a place to battle without doing it in a war like or criminal way?
I mean they still have the stadium like pagan rome, still have helmets, still is about aquiring real estate or defending it. and other similarities...but without the gigantic harm.
 
Ya'll left your home turf, the Big 12. That was a huge change that most refuse to recognize as fundamental to on-field performance. Missouri is finding that out now as well. It will take time to adjust.
 
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