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October 16th, 2007
Big Red Roundtable - Back To The Future Edition
1. Steve Pederson is out as athletic director. Did you see it coming? Good move or bad move?
Something had to be done and getting rid of Pederson was the logical first step. I'm not in favor of firing coaches in the middle of a season. It's too disruptive. This was a great move on Harvey Perlman's part and it probably had a little something to do with self-preservation. Do I, a) sink along with the SS Pederson, or do I, b) jump on the Osborne life raft? Good choice Harvey.
2. Tom Osborne has returned as Pederson's interim
replacement. Good move/bad move? What should
Osborne's priorities be, and what does Osborne need to do?
Osborne is the best candidate for the job. Period. I don't think another person exists who has the respect, integrity, and knowledge of the program that Tom has. Osborne's first step was to say there won't be any coaching changes coming from his office before the season is over. Next, he will have to reach out to all of the donors who were turned off by Pederson. Re-establishing contact and opening communication channels with former players should follow as well. Pederson erected too many walls which kept important people out and these walls must be taken down.
3. The Huskers have been blown out two straight
weeks. What is happening with the football team, and
what does the rest of the season look like?
This is a tough nut to crack because unless you're inside the lockerroom or on the practice field on a daily basis, you just don't know what's going on. There's been a lot of talk from both the coaches and players that doesn't jive with what I've seen with my own eyes. There are numerous factors at work here but I think three things come to the forefront. #1 - Team chemistry is terrible. There have been rumors of unhappy seniors who are hurting team morale and upperclassmen unwilling to take the young guys under their wing. This reeks of a lack of leadership. #2 - Confusion about the system, both offensively and defensively. Several players have hinted at this, if not said it outright, that often times they are playing hesitantly or in fear of making a mistake. The game is played at such a speed that even a moment's hesitation is the difference between making a play or not. This factors into playing with fire as well. If the defense is so complex that a player has to think about their assignment too much, rather than relying on their instincts, then what we get is an underachieving unit. #3 - Lack of identity has received airtime lately as another reason for the team's stuggles this season. Parallel to this is something Charlie McBride referred to a week ago on the radio. That is, NU has a high number of JUCO guys, especially on defense right now, that were basically thrust into starting roles without having to truly earn Blackshirts. Several D-linemen and several defensive backs are brand new to Nebraska football. They are still trying to figure things out as they go. Remember it took Zack Bowman about 6-7 games before he started to play well during the 2005 season.
It's obvious the rest of the season doesn't bode well if current trends continue. While the signs aren't there right now that a turnaround is imminent, it is a possibility. If the coaches put in some of the young guys who are motivated to show what they can do, the team might get the spark they need. It's a steep uphill slope, especially considering the schedule. This week against A&M will determine a lot about the future direction of the team.
4. Firecoz.com and billmustgo.com are getting lots of
internet traffic. Steve Pederson is already gone. Tom
Osborne says nobody will be fired during the season.
What happens with this coaching staff?
Ultimately, I think they are on their way out at the end of the season. Tom Osborne may insist on several staff changes and give Callahan one more year to turn it around, but I'd be surprised if he did. As one of Bill Callahan's biggest supporters up through last season, it's been that much harder watching the progress he's made unravel so quickly. I'm not sure that just letting Kevin Cosgrove go will solve the problems that the program has right now. It's more than just defensive issues right now. The offense has looked as bad as the defense the last two weeks. I just don't see a miraculous recovery coming out of the last five games. I think we can beat A&M and Kansas State, which gets us to six wins. That just doesn't cut it, not in Callahan's fourth year.
I'd like to be wrong about this. It would be nice to win four of the last five and still have an outside chance at the Big 12 North title and a decent bowl game. But this team exudes none of the signs of life needed for such a run.
Here is what the rest of the Roundtable had to say: Corn Nation, MidWestCoastBias.com, Big Red Analysis, Big Red Network, Husker Guy, HiPlainsDrifter, Husker Mike's Blasphemy
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