[Husker] Bo Observations

[Patrick Gaule]

I tend to think Bo's antics are a little crazy, but I don't consider 
that to be a bad thing.  I'm a huge Chicago Cubs fan, and I have to say 
that I see a lot of similarities between Bo Pelini and Lou Pinnelia.  I 
know that sounds like a ridiculous analogy on the surface because I'm 
comparing coaches of two different sports that are played on two very 
different levels, but bear with me.

Pinnelia inherited a team that finished in last place in 2006, and many 
fans felt the players had been coddled by the previous manager (Dusty 
Baker).  Lou came in, lit a fire under everyone's butt and he's turned 
that last place team into a team with back-to-back NL Central 
Championships.  He's had plenty of tirades along the way, including 
games where he's been ejected and suspended for his actions, and moments 
where he's gone after the media for asking "stupid questions" in the 
post-game conferences.  Right now, I wouldn't trade Lou for any other 
manager in baseball.  He was exactly the right manager at exactly the 
right time for the Cubs.

I also feel that Pelini is exatly the right coach at exactly the right 
time for the Huskers.  Because of this, I am willing to tolerate the 
outbursts, but they will need to be better-timed and better controlled 
in the future.  I don't suspect this is the last time Pelini will get 
flagged for arguing with the officials, but I am willing to bet it's the 
last time that it has a significant impact on the outcome of the game. 
And in defense of Pelini, I doubt he said anything that I wasn't 
simultaneously shouting in the stands (with apologies to anyone who was 
sitting around me).  I'm cutting him plenty of slack on this one.

Skylar Dodds wrote:
> I don't think I'm the only one, but the context of the play is VERY
> important.
> 
> First, MSU started with the ball on their 11 and had marched the ball all
> the way to our 45 and were moving the ball with ease.  
> 
> Second, the replay showed the QB lost the ball on the snap and it got
> shuffled under the pile, Demorrio Williams comes up out of the pile WITH THE
> BALL IN HIS HAND and it looked pretty clear that he had recovered that
> fumble and we go jobbed.
> 
> Third, I watched the replay of that plays following that penalty just now
> and the guys came out FIRED up after that.  MSU move the ball from about the
> 31 to the 33 (yes, -2 yards) on 4 plays and then Ricketts picked off the
> pass across the field to essentially seal the win.
> 
> Again, let me summarize:  
> 
> Before the penalty: 6 plays 45 yards
> Penalty: 15 yards
> After the penalty: 4 plays -2 yards and an INT. 
> 
> You decide.  I was thrilled with it because it changed our defense.  I
> realize the great Tom wouldn't have gotten that penalty to fire up the
> defense, but Bo has his own style and frankly, I'd rather have a team that
> plays with fire like his guys do than the dead team we watched last year.
> 
> What we saw last night was a HUGE improvement over last year.  The guys
> never gave up.  There was no lack of effort.  We need to fix some mental
> mistakes for sure, but the team is greatly improved.
> 
> BTW, I follow recruiting pretty well.  One major difference I see in a lot
> of the players that Bo's targeting is smart football players, not just
> athletes.  I'd be pretty shocked if we had any non-academic qualifiers next
> year or at the worst more than 1 or 2.  Big change from the previous
> administration.
> 
> --
> Skylar
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: husker-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:husker-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of
> Dick Karre
> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 12:08 PM
> Cc: husker at tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [Husker] Bo Observations
> 
> David Strong wrote:
>   > If Bo learns from it, it will be his second lesson.  I believe he 
> got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Alamo Bowl when he was 
> interim HC.
> 
> You'd like to say he's too smart not to learn from it. But given the 
> history noted above (which is also my recollection), you have to wonder.
>