[Husker] General Thoughts...

[Jeff Volk]

Good morning, 

 

After reading the myriad of posts over the last several weeks I though I
would weigh in on a couple of topics. 

 

On Frank Solich: Why does every single thread on this list have to boil
down into a discussion on Frank and how he was wronged by Steve
Pedersen? People that think he should have been allowed to stay are
always going to feel that way and people that feel he needed to go are
also always going to feel that way - NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES IT GETS
REHASHED ON THIS LIST!!!! Can't we please move on? 

 

On the Relationship Between T.O. & B.C.: Why does every single
interaction between the 2 need to be read into and dissected and
conspiracy theorized? TO said this - BC said that. BC didn't shake his
hand...bla bla bla. Who cares if he didn't shake his hand? None of us
know if it intentional or not so just let it go. BC's fate is sealed -
making nice with T.O. or publicly kissing his ass isn't going to change
that fate one iota? Why does there have to be a million messages on the
list about it? 

 

On Recruiting: No matter what people want to believe, recruiting is the
lifeblood of college football. Fans need to realize that no coaching
staff in the nation bases their recruiting practices and who they target
as recruits based on the ESPN 150 or how many stars Rivals have given
them. Recruiting coordinators and coaching staffs use Rivals at best as
a database of names, 40-times, etc. - all of which is cross checked
against several recruiting data services that are not available to the
public, as well as their own research at camps, on recruiting visits,
etc. Blaine Gabbert was a key recruit not because he was a 4-star Rivals
player or an ESPN 150 player - he was a key recruit because after film
analysis and extensive research the coaches projected him as a player
that fit into and eventually excel in our current system. Player
evaluation, be it college recruiting, or any of the pro sports drafts is
a highly speculative proposition because you are not only interested in
the physical talents of a player today - but projecting how they will be
as players in 3, 4 or 5 years from now. It is like looking into a very
murky crystal ball. I just hope fans realize that Rivals star rankings,
etc. are used by Sports Information Departments to sell and market the
recruiting classes to the fan base, not something that the coaches use
as an actual evaluation tool or basis for who they recruit. 

 

On the Walk On Program: Most college teams have gone to an invitation
only walk-on program. Those that do have an open walk-on program do so
via a tryout system. You come to an open tryout and if you meet the
minimum physical criteria (40 yd dash, shuttle run, some agility and
football tests) you are invited to walk on. I think way too much has
been made of the changes in the walk on program, including by (should I
dare say it) T.O. The days of 150 or 170 man rosters are over. With the
scholarship limits and small margin for error in player development, a
roster that large makes it impossible to actually coach during the
limited practice time that exists. It is a simple matter of logistics -
it is a lot easier to coach 120 kids than it is 150 kids. Also, having a
large number of walk-ons who are a part of the team has a large
financial impact. You have to cloth them, feed them, locker them, tutor
them, etc. All of this costs a lot of precious money and takes up
valuable human resources. From coaching, logistical, efficiency and
financial standpoints, it just isn't feasible nor is it a common
practice in college football anymore to have huge walk-on programs. 

 

On Bo Pelini as the Next Head Coach: As much as people in Lincoln pine
away for Bo Pelini, I would be SHOCKED if he was the next Husker Head
Coach. In fact, I would be shocked if Bo was given any type of a Head
Coaching job at a high, high profile program. The problem is Bo himself
- while he is a great defensive football mind, he doesn't have the
personality required to be a Head Coach. Quite frankly he is very
abrasive and is generally considered an a$$hole by most people in
college football circles. A Head Coach today isn't as much an X & O guy
as he is a CEO and he has to have the ability to engage recruits, fans &
corporate partners. Of the elite Head Coaches today, most are not really
very good with the clip board and surround themselves with great
coordinators. The value of guys like Meyer, Stoops, Brown, Tressel comes
in their ability to recruit kids, bring in $$$ and energize the fans. Bo
Pelini does not excel, nor does he have the personality to excel, at any
of those things. 

 

On Turner Gill as the Next Head Coach: Because of the connection with
T.O. and the fan base in Nebraska, Turner has to be considered the front
runner. I don't think people realize how hard it is to succeed at
Buffalo. There are an incredible amount of obstacles there, from
facilities to money to talent pool that make the turnaround he has made
in that program far more remarkable than people understand. I question
Turner's X & O ability, but if surrounded with good coordinators I don't
think that would be an issue at all. Given the relationship he would
immediately have with the fans and boosters and his other intangibles,
his hire could make a lot of sense. I think out of the gate Turner is at
least even money or 50/50 to be the next Head Coach of the Huskers. 

 

On If Nebraska is a Quality Job: Of course it can be. First, a permanent
AD needs to be put in place. Who the AD is will dictate in a lot of ways
how good the job is and what the expectations for success will be. All
of the other factors that determine how good a potential job is are all
there in our favor. Our fans are regarded as some of the nation's best.
Our facilities really are second to none. We have a rich tradition of
winning and sending kids to the NFL. We have a great academic and
graduation track record. All of the things are there - the AD is the
final piece in how good the job is. 

 

On What Fan's Expectations Should Be: I think that in today's world of
college football the expectation of all fans, be them fans of NU, OU,
Ohio State, Michigan, Florida or whomever should be different than in
the past. As a general rule I think fans of elite programs should have
expectations of seasons that average 9 or 10 wins, a top flight bowl
game annually, a conference championship every 2 to 3 years and a
national championship every 4 to 8 years. If everything breaks your way
you might see a small stretch of dominance, a la USC or Ohio State in
the last several years, but that should not be the expectation. Fans
need to realize that due to the increase of the quality and number of HS
athletes and the scholarship limits that exist today almost every team
now works on an even playing field when it comes to first string talent.
The differences come in the 3 to 5 elite players that elite teams have
at skill positions and the depth at the #2 and #3 strings. This is what
separates a Top 10 team from a Top 50-75 team. 1-AA teams are more
routinely beating 1-A teams nowadays because the talent playing field is
more level than it has ever been. This will continue to be the case
moving forward, so minimizing the errors that you make in recruiting,
along with player development and game planning are critical to
maintaining a Top 25 program. 

 

These are just some of my thoughts...flame away. 

 

Have a great day!

 

Jeff