[NU Sports] Talent

[Dennis W. Brandt]

<I was of the understanding that our style of spread offense could be 
adjusted to compensate for lesser talent.

Just how does one compensate for lesser talent?  If the other guy is faster, 
he'll run you down.  If he's stronger, he'll over power you.  If he's more 
agile, he'll make moves you can't stop or respond in time to yours.  A given 
offense may minimize talent differences, but it cannot overcome them.  NU's 
football talent has improved, but it is still, on the whole, of average 
caliber.  To attract talent, we must build a quality, on-campus stadium and 
supporting facilities that will wow a kid on a campus visit, which is what 
Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan do every year.  (It will be interesting 
to see how Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota progress over the next few 
seasons now that they are playing in new or updated faclilities.  We may not 
like the results, but they will be interesting.)  New facilities will not be 
enough on their own, but recruiting top talent will remain a nearly 
insurmountable obstacle as long as we play in ancient, however-renovated, 
off-campus Dyche before crowds of 25,000, half of whom are rooting for the 
other team.  This will be a slow and often painful building process, and we 
cannot afford back-sliding seasons as this year's is in danger of becoming. 
But any goal of short of putting us into annual contention for the Big Ten 
title is a waste of time and money.  I am eager to hear the long-range goals 
of the incoming administration.