[Husker] 2007 Game plan

[STUART JONES]

Though no expert, I also think Tom Osborne was a great game day coach. If I
remember correctly (maybe this was in later years) he would open the first
offensive series with all sorts of formations and probe the defense for
weaknesses. He then adapted to what he saw. He used surprise (at least one
trick play he used was later outlawed). His record (at least 9 wins/yr every
year for 25 yrs) supports the idea that he was a great game day coach
because he did not always have the talent on the field. He adapted over
longer periods of time going to the option (because of OU) and later to more
speed (because of Miami). This last point may not seem to relate to a
"game-day" coach argument but I think it shows that he was adaptable.
Sometimes there is no way of adapting in a given game if your talent is
lacking, yet he seemed to get as much out of his talent as any coach I can
think of. Perhaps his even quiet manner made some people think he was not a
big game day coach but that evenness secured quality over time. I grudgingly
would concede that Switzer was probably a better game day coach but some
things he did or didn't do also lead OU into the wilderness until Stoops
emerged.
~Stuart Jones

-----Original Message-----
From: husker-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:husker-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of
jonlists at cbsol.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 9:17 PM
To: Husker List
Subject: Re: [Husker] 2007 Game plan

husker-bounces at tssi.com wrote on 09/11/2007 02:54:59 PM:

> Duane Feldman <dlfeldman at ameritech.net> wrote:
> 
> > I'm not a believer that BC is a great game day coach, but I am
> > convinced that PC isn't as good.  Without question, PC is the best
> > recruiting coach (and staff) in the country with Mack Brown as a
> > distant second.  But any coach who can take that level of talent
> > and lose to OrStU and UCLA is not getting the most out of that
> > talent.  And if you nearly lose to Fresno State, those deficiencies
> > become more apparent.
> 
> 
> 
>      The name of the game is recruiting.  Get better players than 
> your competition.  That is the way Tom Osborne did it throughout his
> career.  I never did think TO was a great, adequate but not great, 
> game day coach but he typically had more, sometimes much more, 
> talent than did his opposition.  It all goes back to recruiting.
> 
> 
> Bob Beach

I really questioned responding to this, since Bob will now back off his 
original statement, stating that he meant to say something else, but: 

Tom Osborne was possibly the greatest game day coach in the history of the 
game if you're counting preparation and practice as part of being a game 
day coach. 

Osborne did not always have great athletes. He certainly didn't have them 
throughout the 70's and 80's. If Osborne would have had the same athletes, 
say, as those playing at Ohio State, USC, or Alabama, he'd have probably 
won about six national titles. In fact, say the same for Oklahoma 
throughout the Switzer years. 

This will be my only response to a truly foolish statement. 

Jon Johnston
http://www.cornnation.com

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