Nebraska Cornhuskers (corn)

[stowfan]

So, what has changed in Nebraska over the last 12-15 years which prevents it from getting top recruits and marquee coaches?

It not the last 12-15 years, it's 2003 to present. Frank Solich had NU in the 2001 NCG. Two years later they fired Solich after going 9-3. Overall he had a .753 winning percentage. Does that answer your question, why no marquee coach?

What's that rule on BP about recruits, and their families read the message boards. Pelini has been bashed on the NU message boards, from the day he was hired. The NU message boards looked almost the same last year, after they lost to Ohio State, as they do today. There was a quiet period, the week leading up to the B1G Championship game and then, self-righteous indignation that NU deserved much better, and Bo surely will be gone. This has gone since day one, and you wonder why recruits think coach Pellini is a nice guy, but they don't end up playing for him?

 

[Mike80]

Three things have happened since the Nebraska MNC in 1994.

1. Texas hired Mack Brown.

2. Oklahoma hired Bob Stoops.

3. NCAA schollie limits to 85.

That changed the landscape in the Big 12. Bill Callahan was not a good follow-on to Solich and that seriously set the program back. Pelini could have/should have been the next "great" Nebraska coach, but the problems on defense go beyond recruiting or having the "right players", it's as much a problem with the scheme as the people within it.


BTW Florida still hasn't tackled Tommie Frazier.

 

[Woody1968]

The reason I was "so upset," in your words, was deleted. But thanks for arriving to the party a few hours late and still tossing in your uninformed two cents. Move on.

Nebraska's problem is that it is Nebraska. It doesn't get top recruits, and it's best days are behind it, a fact that will prevent it from getting a marquee coach. Nebraska fans should be happy with 9-3 seasons because I don't see it getting much better, whether with Pelini or without him.

No, I saw what he wrote, but you called Nebraska an "also-ran" earlier in the thread, before he responded to you. It makes you sound bitter towards Nebraska for whatever reason, and I don't see why. Among current FBS programs, Nebraska is in the top 5 in wins all time, and in the top 10 in winning percentage, so not only do you sound bitter, you are just flat out wrong.

As for being uninformed, kind of hard for someone who says that "Nebraska lucked out with Osbourne" to call anyone uninformed. If I recall, the guy who came before him, who went by the handle Bob Devaney, was not too shabby a coach either. The only thing I agree with you on is that they will most likely never have as much success as they did in the Big 8, where the only real competition was Oklahoma.

 

[Woody1968]

Three things have happened since the Nebraska MNC in 1994.

1. Texas hired Mack Brown.

2. Oklahoma hired Bob Stoops.

3. NCAA schollie limits to 85.

That changed the landscape in the Big 12. Bill Callahan was not a good follow-on to Solich and that seriously set the program back. Pelini could have/should have been the next "great" Nebraska coach, but the problems on defense go beyond recruiting or having the "right players", it's as much a problem with the scheme as the people within it.


BTW Florida still hasn't tackled Tommie Frazier.

Not only did Oklahoma hire Stoops, but they were flat out AWFUL in the mid 90s, when Nebraska won those MNCs.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Three things have happened since the Nebraska MNC in 1994.

1. Texas hired Mack Brown.

2. Oklahoma hired Bob Stoops.

3. NCAA schollie limits to 85.

That changed the landscape in the Big 12.

From 1995 through 2001, Nebraska had the following season records:

12-0 (national title)
11-2
13-0 (national title)
9-4
12-1
10-2
11-2

Aside from that 9-4 hiccup in 1998, they remained pretty fucking good for the next seven seasons despite the hirings of Brown and Stoops and the reduction in scholarships. Every coach from Bob Devaney in 1962 through Frank Solich in 2003 has sustained high-end success. Was Bill Callahan really that bad of a head coach and recruiter to totally hose a historically dominant program like Nebraska?

By the way, the 85 scholarship limit took affect in 1992, not 1994.

 

[Dryden]

To win at the level Nebraska is accustomed to they need great recruits and/or a "take his'ns and beat your'ns; take your'ns and beat his'ns" quality coach.

They currently have neither, and that's not going to change until they find a new head coach. Bo has been there six years. He is what he is, and it's not what Nebraska wants. Leopards don't change their spots.

 

[stowfan]

No, I saw what he wrote, but you called Nebraska an "also-ran" earlier in the thread, before he responded to you. It makes you sound bitter towards Nebraska for whatever reason, and I don't see why. Among current FBS programs, Nebraska is in the top 5 in wins all time, and in the top 10 in winning percentage, so not only do you sound bitter, you are just flat out wrong.

As for being uninformed, kind of hard for someone who says that "Nebraska lucked out with Osbourne" to call anyone uninformed. If I recall, the guy who came before him, who went by the handle Bob Devaney, was not too shabby a coach either. The only thing I agree with you on is that they will most likely never have as much success as they did in the Big 8, where the only real competition was Oklahoma.

To win at the level Nebraska is accustomed to they need great recruits and/or a "take his'ns and beat your'ns; take your'ns and beat his'ns" quality coach.

They currently have neither, and that's not going to change until they find a new head coach. Bo has been there six years. He is what he is, and it's not what Nebraska wants. Leopards don't change their spots.

He does have a .700 winning percentage in those six years.

 

[Mike80]

From 1995 through 2001, Nebraska had the following season records:

12-0 (national title)
11-2
13-0 (national title)
9-4
12-1
10-2
11-2

Aside from that 9-4 hiccup in 1998, they remained pretty fucking good for the next seven seasons despite the hirings of Brown and Stoops and the reduction in scholarships. Every coach from Bob Devaney in 1962 through Frank Solich in 2003 has sustained high-end success. Was Bill Callahan really that bad of a head coach and recruiter to totally hose a historically dominant program like Nebraska?

By the way, the 85 scholarship limit took affect in 1992, not 1994.

The 85 schollie rule wasn't enforced (meaning the teams had a hard limit) until 1994. 1992-1997 was when Nebraska was at their peak (they went something like 60-3-0 between 1993 and 1997) at least in terms of MNCs. The cracks started in 1998 with the retirement of Osborne and became gaping holes when Solich was canned. It's not a coincidence that Nebraska was good when they had an all-time icon of a coach, their main two rivals in their conference(s) were weaker than their historical average as Oklahoma was recovering from Switzer and Schellenberger/Blake and Texas was in the middle of a 12 year downturn, and they had as many as 95 scholarship players on the roster as late as 1991, with 92 in 1992 and 88 in 1993.

Once Mack Brown and Bob Stoops (not coincidentally both were hired in 1999 when Nebraska's problems were brewing) were able to start recruiting some of the same players that Nebraska had been getting throughout the 80s and into the 90s, especially on defense, a breakdown was going to occur eventually. Add in a complete culture change fiasco under Callahan and a continued issue on defense under Pelini, and you have a historical power which is waning.

Maybe they can come back - scUM somehow survived DickRod and Ntre ame survived Jabba the Weis, but they need a coach who can recruit nationally and get the type of players like Tommie Frazier and Ahman Greene to go to Nebraska again.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

The 85 schollie rule wasn't enforced (meaning the teams had a hard limit) until 1994. 1992-1997 was when Nebraska was at their peak (they went something like 60-3-0 between 1993 and 1997) at least in terms of MNCs.

Which meant from the '94 season onward they had 85 scholarship players which meant no matter if they had 120 scholarship players for the '93 season, they had to jettison a boatload to ensure they had only 85 on scholarship for the '94 season. They won three national titles between '94 and '97, and had one of the best teams ever in their '95 team, with that 85-player limit.

The cracks started in 1998 with the retirement of Osborne and became gaping holes when Solich was canned. It's not a coincidence that Nebraska was good when they had an all-time icon of a coach, their main two rivals in their conference(s) were weaker than their historical average as Oklahoma was recovering from Switzer and Schellenberger/Blake and Texas was in the middle of a 12 year downturn, and they had as many as 95 scholarship players on the roster as late as 1991, with 92 in 1992 and 88 in 1993.

They went 12-1 in 1999, 10-2 in 2000, and 11-2 in 2001...not sure where the "cracks" had formed. They simply went from being un-fucking-real to just really fucking good. Maybe Callahan was indeed as bad as some say.

 

[Mike80]

Which meant from the '94 season onward they had 85 scholarship players which meant no matter if they had 120 scholarship players for the '93 season, they had to jettison a boatload to ensure they had only 85 on scholarship for the '94 season. They won three national titles between '94 and '97, and had one of the best teams ever in their '95 team, with that 85-player limit.

Actually they were required to only have 88 scholarship players in 1993, not 120.

The point is, they were due for a downward trend.

They went 12-1 in 1999, 10-2 in 2000, and 11-2 in 2001...not sure where the "cracks" had formed. They simply went from being un-fucking-real
to just really fucking good. Maybe Callahan was indeed as bad as some say.

The cracks formed when Osborne retired. His last recruiting classes were what got them into the 2001 MNC game only to get crushed by Cryami. Nebraska's recruiting was already tailing off due to the combined effects of Texas and Oklahoma rising and the resulting NCAA-wide parity of the 85 scholarship limit (think Marshall in the late 90s/early 2000s, Fresno State knocking off seemingly everyone in 2000, Colorado State, Utah, etc).

and yes, Callahan was fucking terrible for them. His reign might have cost them national relevance.

 

[Woody1968]

Which meant from the '94 season onward they had 85 scholarship players which meant no matter if they had 120 scholarship players for the '93 season, they had to jettison a boatload to ensure they had only 85 on scholarship for the '94 season. They won three national titles between '94 and '97, and had one of the best teams ever in their '95 team, with that 85-player limit.


They went 12-1 in 1999, 10-2 in 2000, and 11-2 in 2001...not sure where the "cracks" had formed. They simply went from being un-fucking-real to just really fucking good. Maybe Callahan was indeed as bad as some say.

Callahan changed the character of the program. Nebraska's success was built on recruiting the best players to fit their system. Callahan changed the system, so that they were basically recruiting the same players as everybody else.

 

[cincibuck]

So who goes first, Bo, Lane, or Mack?

For Mack, it's retirement. For Lane, it's selling used cars, but what's Bo's future hold? I used to think he'd catch on as a defensive coordinator, but with the way the Husker's d has been getting rolled in games big and small I no longer hold out that hope.

 

[Mike80]

So who goes first, Bo, Lane, or Mack?

For Mack, it's retirement. For Lane, it's selling used cars, but what's Bo's future hold? I used to think he'd catch on as a defensive coordinator, but with the way the Husker's d has been getting rolled in games big and small I no longer hold out that hope.

I could see Bo catching on as a position coach at the very least. Nebraska's problems haven't really been due to the DBs, it's been line play (since Suh left) and LBs not making tackles.

 

[alexhortdog95]

It's been an interesting few days to say the least in the state of Nebraska.

About 59% of the fan base thinks that Bo needs to pack up and move. The other 41% think it's okay.

He was on Bill King's show this morning. A few nuggets from that interview:

1. He knew about this back in 2001. Dr. Tom Osborne brought it to his attention. That's pretty bad, to say the least, especially since Doc Tom already had to address his behavior at least once before.

2. Bill King asked him flat out if he was going to address the issue, and consider legal action against the person who leaked this to Deadspin. He said he hadn't thought about that at this time.

3. There were confirmed three people in the room at the time of the incident. Pelini, Greg Sharpe (Play-by-Play of the Huskers), and associate athletic director for community relations Chris Anderson (works for NU).

4. He seems to know who put this out. Bill King asked him if he knew who did this, and he replied, "I have a pretty good idea."

5. He keeps using the term, "I've taken responsibility for it," but the words, "I'm sorry," have yet to come out of the man's mouth.

6. When Bill King asked at least three different times if his future is in doubt, he didn't directly answer the question. I gathered that he would be meeting with some people later on today about the situation (probably Perlman and Eichhorst). He also said that it's "business as usual" for him, and that he would look to coaching this weekend.

7. Allegedly, something more will come out about this sometime in the next day or so, but he wouldn't give an exact time. Sounds like they've put some pressure on NRG Media (who does the Postgame show) to come forward with whomever had this audio.

8. Bo doesn't seem to understand the need to get all Man-Crushish with Tommie Frazier. King asked him had he talked to Frazier, and he said, "I haven't, but if Tommie wants to talk, he can call me." Ouch.

Tom Shatel (that "mother****er, according to Bo in the tape) of the OWH took an interesting spin on it in his article the other day, about Tommie Frazier.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130916/HUSKERS/130918886

Frazier's comments weren't surprising. He was never an attention hound as a player. But he was never shy about sharing his candor with teammates or media and wasn't afraid of whose feelings he might hurt. Tommie wanted to win.
Pelini should have been prepared for the question about Frazier's comments. He handled it fine, until he got to, “If he feels like that, we don't need him.” Then, Pelini added that until you sit in his chair, “sat and done it,” it's easy to throw stones and criticize, etc.

I can't wait for Doc Tom to be interviewed on this one, LOL

 

[alexhortdog95]

What's that rule on BP about recruits, and their families read the message boards. Pelini has been bashed on the NU message boards, from the day he was hired. The NU message boards looked almost the same last year, after they lost to Ohio State, as they do today. There was a quiet period, the week leading up to the B1G Championship game and then, self-righteous indignation that NU deserved much better, and Bo surely will be gone. This has gone since day one, and you wonder why recruits think coach Pellini is a nice guy, but they don't end up playing for him?

Well, some of that is two fold as well. Solich caught hell the entire time he was here as well, but the boat started to list under his tenure here, back in 2001, the day after Thanksgiving. I call it B-Day. Since that game, the program hasn't been the same. Lost badly to Miami. Went 7-7 the next season (which broke the 35+ years of winning seasons, first of many traditions lost). Steve Pederson got the job as the AD here. Solich fired Craig Bohl (who is doing a pretty damn good job at North Dakota State and could be the next guy in line here if Bo doesn't survive, LOL), then hired Bo (irony if that happened, eh?).

Solich goes 9-3 and after beating CU, gets shitcanned the next day. Bo coaches the bowl game against Sparty and wins, but only gets a token interview.

The next few years are a blur and much darkness up until 2008. Cally goes 5-7, 8-4, 9-5, 5-7. The 9-5 season is the season that he gets pasted by OU in the Big 12 championship game. He completely changes the culture around the football team here. Former players are no longer welcome. He calls Doc Tom a "crusty old bastard" (allegedly).

Petey gets fired, Doc Tom gets rehired, and Cally follows Petey out the door (along with his little buddy, Jim Rose). Doc Tom gets the fans pick, Bo Pelini, a hot name coming off besting a pretty damn good Buckeyes team in the National Championship game.

It's safe to say that probably about 70% of the fan base wanted him here. Hell, he was drawing comparisons to Bob Devaney's fire. He was also compared greatly to a guy he grew up with down the road in Norman.

Is Nebraska a tough place to work as a head coach? Yes. Because Bob Devaney brought the team from gutter, to respectable, then to championship gold twice. Then, a home grown kid from Hastings became the next guy. Yes, it took him a long time to get that first ring, but every year, we were in the hunt. Every. Year. That's why Bo is in trouble. If he had us in the hunt every year, he'd get a pass.

Half the kids that think he's a nice guy, yeah, they don't end up playing here. Not only because of the nature of the fan base, but frankly, he's a bit of an under the thumb guy. He takes the fun out of football. Kids look lost, and they know if they come to the sidelines, they're going to get their asses chewed.

Who'd want to play for someone like that?!?