[Husker] Coaching Staff, Recruiting, SOS, Etc...

[Jeff Volk]

Good morning Husker Fans. If you have ever seen the movie Groundhog Day,
that is how I have felt while reading the updates out of Lincoln over
the past several days. When I saw names like Brown, Sanders & Cotton on
the new coaching staff and that we were offering scholarships to big,
strapping farm lads that no other schools had barely any interest in,
never mind had offered a scholarship to, I could have sworn it was 2002
or 2003 all over again. But alas it isn't so - it is 2007. 

 

So, as I reflect this morning here are my thoughts on a lot of posts
over the last week or so:

 

On Tom Going for 2 In the Orange Bowl:

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Absolutely, positively, unequivocally, without question the correct call
and one that I hope we would make over and over and over. Going for a
tie and backing into National Titles is not what any one should be
about, unless your name is Ara and you are the Head Coach at Notre Dame.
Anyone who says we should have gone for the tie just doesn't get what
competing and being a true champion is all about. 

 

On The New Coaching Staff:

================================

I am generally pleased with the Bo Pelini hire, and I came out publicly
at one time that he was my candidate. In the end I was hoping that the
hire would have been Jim Grobe. I just feel that Grobe is a guy that has
won, as a HEAD COACH, at every place he has ever coached. That aside, I
think Pelini should be just fine. I must admit however that I am a
little disappointed in some of the assistant coach hires - it really
does just feel like 2003 all over again. We will have to wait and see
how the rest of the staff comes out, and how they actually perform, but
as of right now I would give it a B, maybe a B-minus. 

 

On Shawn Watson:

================================

I think it was a very, very wise move to retain Watson. I know some
people have questioned why people think he can coach/coordinate and the
answer is simple - BECAUSE HE CAN! While a part of it was inserting Ganz
into the lineup, look at how much more effective and dynamic the offense
was once Callahan got out of the way and let Watson start calling the
plays! Watson schemed to highlight Ganz's strengths, including adding
wrinkles like some option runs out of the spread formation, etc. I think
we will see a far more diverse offensive attack under Watson that will
include some components of the WCO, option, spread, etc. I would also
anticipate that the terminology will be far less complex and a lot
easier for players to assimilate to. Don't rush to judgment on Watson so
quickly - we have to see what he can do when he isn't suffocating under
Callahan. 

 

On Recruiting:

================================

Since people hate star systems and we all realize they are totally
subjective and in many cases arbitrary, let me explain this in a
different way. When it comes to the athletes we are recruiting, it gives
me a tremendous amount of pause when we start offering scholarships to
players that no other schools are offering or that schools that are not
typically competitive are offering. While every team is a little
different and they all recruit athletes to fit their systems - I feel
far more comfortable when we are recruiting athletes that at least upper
division Big 12 schools are also recruiting. I know there are exceptions
to the rule and that player development is speculative at best, but I
feel a whole lot better bringing in a kid that Oklahoma and Missouri
might also have recruited rather than a kid that Chadron and Wayne State
recruited. I know that many of us have this love affair with the whole
idea of every kid off of every farm in Nebraska getting a chance to play
at Nebraska, but that just isn't realistic. We need better athletes -
not 3 or 4 or 5 star athletes, but athletes that other schools - schools
who are watching the same game films as we are, are also interested in.
Period.  

 

On The BCS:

================================

I think the BCS generally got it right. The only thing that I would have
changed was having Georgia play USC (especially since both are
trumpeting they are the best teams in the country right now) and moved
Hawaii vs Illinois. I think they are just more compelling matchups. 

 

Like it or not Hawaii deserves to play in a BCS game. They can't control
their conference schedule and played a PAC 10 team in their
non-conference schedule. As was also mentioned, several teams dropped
Hawaii from their schedule in favor of weaker opponents less likely to
beat them. And in case you are wondering, Hawaii's non-conference
schedule next season includes a trip to Gainesville to play the Gators. 

 

Unless you are a 4 or 5 year old reading this you will not see a D-1
(FBS) Playoff in your lifetime. There is just too much money involved in
the current system for them to change it. There are some great plans out
there for a playoff system, but they just aren't financially lucrative
enough and until they are you won't see a playoff system. At best you
will see a +1 scenario with a single additional game. Why? Because that
equals $$$.  

 

On Strength of Schedule:

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The idea that if the Huskers future schedules could preclude them from
an MNC is ludicrous. Over the coming years there are some patsies on the
schedule, but there are also teams like Virginia Tech and Tennessee.
That, coupled with the fact that the Big 12 is still a power conference
(and arguably the 2nd or 3rd best conference overall) and their strength
of schedule shouldn't ever be an issue. A no loss Nebraska team will
play in the BCS Championship Game and a 1 loss team is a near lock for a
BCS game of some sort - regardless of their non-conference schedule.
Period. 

 

On Fan Expectations:

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I think the expectations for next season, at least for me, is 7-5 or
8-4. The schedule, which does feature 4 of the current Top 8 BCS teams,
isn't that overwhelming and we do have the talent to compete. WR, LB and
DB are my biggest concerns. Off the field the focus will continue to be
healing the Husker Nation and letting people hold on to this warm,
fuzzy, Huskers days gone by type feeling they are all experiencing right
now. 

 

But instead of feeling like I am watching Groundhog Day, let's watch
another movie, Back to the Future. Let's say it is now 2011. We are 4
seasons in under Pelini, the walk on program is 200 strong and the
roster is filled with kids from the farms of Nebraska. We have averaged
9-4 or 8-5 and have no Big 12 titles and 2 bowl wins. Is Pelini on the
hot seat? 

 

Seriously, let's just say that the Pelini experience doesn't work. As
the guy who hired him and was so vocal about what needed to change in
the program (walkons, Nebraska kids, etc.) what is the risk to Tom's
legacy IF this is a total flop? 

 

Let me be clear that I don't in any way think that it will be, I am just
wondering what the reaction will be if it is. 

 

 

That is all I have for right now. 

 

GO BIG RED!!!

 

Jeff