[Husker] Draft Picks

[Steve Reichenbach]

> Maybe someone should start a new list about Frank Solich's ability
> to recruit and coach. I'm sure the folks at Ohio University would
> love to read about it each and every day.
> 
> Scott in NY

Frank Solich's record of success will be a matter of continued
discussion until we have another long-term coach whose teams win 75% of
their games (as Solich's did) or at least have a team that can better
the 10-3 record in Solich's final year.  Unfortunately, on the heels of
NU's first losing season in more than four decades, even with a
favorable schedule (starting with Maine, followed by four other home
games, playing in the weak half of the conference, and facing the
toughest teams in Lincoln), it takes a very optimistic outlook to see 9
wins in 2005.  So, Scott, people are going to continue to ask what was
gained by firing a very successful coach (who didn't just jump at the
AD's command) until it yields better results.

Looking ahead, I am worried at what I saw on defense, rushing, special
teams, and game-plan coaching both last year and in the Spring game.
I am not a football expert, but the exhuberance over Zac Taylor's very
good performance seems to ignore many more important aspects of the
game.  Still, NU continues to have talent that is superior to most of
the teams it plays and most of the players will in their second year
of working with the new coaches.

The schedule starts well for NU, with a warmup at home with Maine, then
a slightly better Wake Forest, then a decent Pittsburgh (with a new
head coach).  Then, NU opens the Big 12 at home with one of the easier
opponents, Iowa State, before facing, again at home, the special
challenges that Texas Tech brings.  I think that NU should be expected
to win at least three of these first five home games, but I'd view 3-2
at home against these teams as disappointing, 4-1 as good, and 5-0 as
excellent, with Pitt and Texas Tech providing the biggest challenges.
NU should beat Baylor and Missouri, even on the road.  Missouri looks
to be in a world of hurt after losing 5 of its last 6 games with very
public player unrest.  Oklahoma should be favored, even in Lincoln, but
NU should be able to beat Kansas even on the road (despite KU's
improvement), if Callahan is getting the job done.  That would put NU
at 7-2 with games against KSU in Lincoln and CU in Boulder.  At this
point, hoping for more than a split of the final two games would seem
to be optimistic, despite the troubles that CU is having and the
relative lack of success last year at KSU.  That would put NU at 8-3
heading to a bowl game.

If Callahan can coach the team to a 9-2 regular season record in 2005,
he will silence much of the talk about Solich, even with a bowl loss.
(However, given how patient and realistic some Husker fans have shown
themselves to be, that might be only enough until the next rough
patch.) If the team goes 8-3 in the regular season (even though all but
one of Solich's teams did better), I think most fans will view that as
progress and exercise patience and be forward-looking.  In that case, a
bowl victory and final 9-3 record would help.  If the team goes 7-4 or
worse, in the regular season, even a bowl victory would leave many fans
continuing to question the actions of Steve Pederson in firing a very
successful football coach (with a 75% career winning record) during a
successful season (10-3) with promising new assistant coaches and to
question the prospects for success under Callahan and his assistants.