Editorial Looking Ahead: What Does Rhule Really Have to Build On Going Into Year 4?

[Irv]

Did OP call Seinfeld season 3 mediocre?

 

[TampaBaySkers]

Did OP call Seinfeld season 3 mediocre?

I’m not OP - but it was. No soup nazi or man hands back in those days

 

[realbp]

LOL yes. 28 years of coordinating a defense. 32 years of coaching football. 10 semifinals, 3 state championships. 1 runner up. 4 state championship games in which we gave up a total of 26 pts. (0, 12, 7, 7).

I would say I have some perspective.

Nebraska's offensive identity can be summed up in one word. Ambiguous! Spread, Air raid, Pro, Wing, Tempo, etc... .
Right now its a hodge podge of stuff. This can be great if you have the dudes to do it. Keeps a defense off balance, attacks weaknesses using a variety of formations, shifts, RPO...etc. I think at a place like Nebraska its hard to recruit to that. I would love for us to get back to a power/pro style offense. One that can utilize the spread as needed but is rooted in a basic principled system. Run first. I don't care if it gap or zone scheme or a combo of both, but establish a run game identity and build from there.

Right now our offense and to an extent our defense look like Fred's first few years. Just trying to find something that works and works fast. Problem is it never works long.

Im all for a big step back in year 4 and even 5 to establish identities on both sides of the ball with the hopes of a giant leap forward in year 6. What's another couple of years after 18 years of mediocrity?

Appreciate your resume. I think an offensive identity begins with how you want to block the run. Are you going to run power, are you going to run zone, how do you use TEs. It starts there and once you know that your offense compliments those schematic desires.

 

[Cavalot]

Appreciate your resume. I think an offensive identity begins with how you want to block the run. Are you going to run power, are you going to run zone, how do you use TEs. It starts there and once you know that your offense compliments those schematic desires.

When I think offensive identity I think Tom Osborne. I personally believe that Nebraska needs something unique to compete at the very top. Im not saying we need to run the option but i don't believe, and history seems to be proving me right, that we can recruit to the spread, or run-n-gun, or air attack as well as others can. We can get a component here or there but seemingly not all at the same time.

Personally I think we should go gap scheme with elements of zone read (dual threat qb) and rpo game. We showed flashes of that this season and our OL seemed to do well with that. I think we can recruit offensive lineman more easily to that scheme then any other. Then we don't have to be competing against the elites every year.

If it were me. I would have loaded up on defense.... Become stout as hell early on that side of the ball (which usually helps ST) and then let the offense mature over time.

 

[Cash68847]

Agreed. Losing Dylan hurt more than most believed it would...Me included. Minny is just a head scratch to me. Cockeye.... By the time we got to that game we were a defeated program.

Rhule has a lot to prove. I'm not arguing that. As a coach, I do a lot of head scratching while watching games. But my take is we need to see this thing finished out over at least a 5 year run. Then we move from there. Where???? I have no idea.

Yep. The next year or two will tell the story. I actually like what Rhule has done portal wise on offense so far. I’m not sure about the defense.

 

[PLA]

I hope Rhule is like Seinfeld - mediocre the first three seasons then takes off in seasons 4 & 5 and becomes goat status seasons 6-9

More like…...

 

[Cavalot]

Yep. The next year or two will tell the story. I actually like what Rhule has done portal wise on offense so far. I’m not sure about the defense.

I think he's banking on a new DC and new energy to buy us some quality defensive time. We are not in a good place on the DL or LB. Hoping we can finish strong in the portal and then make huge gains in the off season in those two position groups.

 

[ChocaEgg]

I think he's banking on a new DC and new energy to buy us some quality defensive time. We are not in a good place on the DL or LB. Hoping we can finish strong in the portal and then make huge gains in the off season in those two position groups.

I feel better about LB, would feel even better if we had a decent LB corch. Chambliss will be good, Shavers isn't bad, Merritt has tons of potential. Also added some good young depth pieces thru the portal (Hawthorne and the beaver guy)

 

[wildcat_husker]

I feel better about LB, would feel even better if we had a decent LB corch. Chambliss will be good, Shavers isn't bad, Merritt has tons of potential. Also added some good young depth pieces thru the portal (Hawthorne and the beaver guy)

I feel like Rhule's first two years, we were impressed by the linebackers. I could be misremembering.

 

[ChocaEgg]

I feel like Rhule's first two years, we were impressed by the linebackers. I could be misremembering.

Because Tony White brought in some guys to assist with the LBs. No coincidence that when he bounced, our LBs turned to shit

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Because Tony White brought in some guys to assist with the LBs. No coincidence that when he bounced, our LBs turned to shit

Ty, Nash, and Jimari also bounced and then Jeudy lived in their laps all season, so idk that it's all Fony

 

[Alcaus]

Because Tony White brought in some guys to assist with the LBs. No coincidence that when he bounced, our LBs turned to shit

Out of curiosity I looked at Nebraska and FSU defensive stats and they're remarkably similar in how terrible they were, despite both being "top-30 defenses" (Neb 30th, FSU 28th)

Outliers were FSU had about 9 more sacks than Nebraska, Nebraska's passing defense was top-5, and FSU gave up almost 40 fewer rushing yds per game. Nebraska also played 1 additional game.

 

[ChocaEgg]

Ty, Nash, and Jimari also bounced and then Jeudy lived in their laps all season, so idk that it's all Fony

All Tony iwbhwo hth gbr

 

[Cash68847]

Ty, Nash, and Jimari also bounced and then Jeudy lived in their laps all season, so idk that it's all Fony

That’s why I think Butler was a little bit of a scapegoat. If he had Nash and Ty last year his defense would have been pretty good plus it seemed like Rhule put more of an emphasis on the offense portal wise coming into this past season.

 

[wildcat_husker]

That’s why I think Butler was a little bit of a scapegoat. If he had Nash and Ty last year his defense would have been pretty good plus it seemed like Rhule put more of an emphasis on the offense portal wise coming into this past season.

I think he was definitely a scapegoat. But I also think he might not have been a good culture fit (which is also on Rhule).

 

[Cash68847]

I think he was definitely a scapegoat. But I also think he might not have been a good culture fit (which is also on Rhule).

What is a good culture fit with Rhule by now? I really don’t know what he wants to do?

 

[wildcat_husker]

What is a good culture fit with Rhule by now? I really don’t know what he wants to do?

I'm just assuming that's the case. I don't know what his culture is either.

 

[Cash68847]

I'm just assuming that's the case. I don't know what his culture is either.

I think it’s one of those over used words. It does look like Rhule’s offense might have an identity on offense with what he has added in the portal though. I haven’t really seen much of an identity up to this point.

 

[Irv]

That’s why I think Butler was a little bit of a scapegoat. If he had Nash and Ty last year his defense would have been pretty good plus it seemed like Rhule put more of an emphasis on the offense portal wise coming into this past season.

I think it’s possible he was a bit of a scapegoat but also that, nevertheless, Rhule could see he picked the wrong horse.

 

[Alcaus]

I think it’s one of those over used words. I does look like Rhule’s offense might have an identity on offense with what he has added in the portal though. I haven’t really seen much of an identity up to this point.

I think identity is also one of those over used words.

How many teams in the B1G can you look at and say this is their offensive and defensive identity and how do you measure it?

Cockeye is the best example, I think, but they're also a bit of an outlier. What's Illinois' identity? Indiana's identity?If you listen to Cignetti he'll rattle off >20 things that need to be done in order to win. If he's talking about filling the roster it's finding guys who are productive.