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Tags:
NCAA FB>Nebraska Cornhuskers
Everyone this pre-season has seemed to already be discounting Nebraska from the Big 12 North equation. It's easy to understand following last year's debacle, but this isn't 2007 and that coaching staff is long gone.
Nebraska's offense was top 10 nationally last year and they bring back the bulk of the players, a deeper offensive line and the same coordinator. The offense will be fine.
The biggest problem last year was that Nebraska couldn't stop anyone and halfway through the season, most of the defense stop caring and stopped trying. The players bear some responsibilty, but it always comes back to coaching and the coaching was positively not there in 2007. Guys were out of position nearly every play, the wrong guys were starting ahead of better players and there were no noticeable gametime sdjustments going on. If ex-Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove gets a job running anything other than a concession stand in the future, I'll be shocked.
The fix for the Nebraska defense is here in Head coach Bo pelini, who has admitted that he is spending the majority of his time helping the defense. When Bo first came to Nebraska in 2003, he took Craig Bohl's 2002 defense which was ranked 56th nationally and turned them into the #1 defense in the Big 12 and a top 10 ranked defense nationally.
Was that coaching? Just ask Coach Cosgrove, who took over that top 10 ranked unit and managed them to a 55th national ranking in 2004.
The 2007 version of the Blackshirt defense was the worst defensive in Nebraska history, or at least as long as they've had stats. Finishing the season at 114th nationally (that's out of 119 teams). So what could Bo and his brother Carl (defensive coordinator) do to fix that mess? Maybe it won't be that difficult, after all Nebraska has been bringing in top 15 rated recruiting classes for 4 years, there has to be someone down there that can paly right?
Nebraska's defense will surprise this year. Increased effort alone wil get at least 1 win. Better coaching, schemes and adjustments will get 1 or 2 more. I can see an upset of Virginia Tech in week 4 setting the stage for the matchup to win the north when Missouri visits Nebraska the following week.
I believe this new staff will not let these guys give up like the did last year. They are too motivated and too good of coaches. If the effort is there, Nebraska gets at least 8 wins, pulls an upset out here or there, and contends for the Big 12 North...this year!
If that happens we can officially welcome back the Nebraska Blackshirts.
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