Would you rather Nebraska be an offense oriented program or a defense oriented program?

[Kaladin]

Let’s assume that you can be one or the other. If you had to choose, would you rather Nebraska be an offense oriented program with a good/average defense and great special teams, or a defense oriented program with a good/average offense and great special teams?

I was thinking the other day that during the Osborne years, we were an offense oriented program. But ChatGPT assures me that we were a defense oriented program that had an iconic and fearsome offense. The defense broke teams and the offense finished them.

 

[Sous Chef]

I'd settle for just being oriented.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

We were a body-punching team that hit the crap out of their QB and slammed their defensive front over & over. Games sometimes stayed close for longer than we liked, but ultimately we beat them up & pulled away. Probably fair to say we were a defensive-oriented team.

It breaks my traditionalist heart to say this, but with the rules changes & modern game, I think offensively-oriented is probably the way to the top now. Although defensive oriented probably has a higher floor & more consistency from week to week.

 

[SlumpBuster]

In this order:
Defense
Defense
Defense
Defense
Defense
Special teams / offense

 

[RedSavage]

Defense wins championships

 

[mbuskirk5]

I listened to a podcast about Osborne that specifically said we recruited players for offense and then tried to make them defensive players if they weren’t good enough for the offense. Osborne’s mindset shifted toward the end of his tenure, which is how you ended up with the dominance of the 90’s.

 

[Juro]

If you're asking me what I want to be consistent every year:

Defense
Special Teams
Offense

A very good defense can score points for you. Same for special teams, but not as much as defense. Offense, while I would like some up years where they put points up on the board, can be a little more up and down over the years.

But a good defense will always keep you in the game.

 

[Jim14510]

In this order:
Defense
Defense
Defense
Defense
Defense
Special teams / offense

Defense wins championships.

 

[Quint]

Defense wins championships.

Except for Iowas.

 

[Jim14510]

Except for Iowas.

Doesn't mean you can't have an offense.

 

[22*43*51]

Except for Iowas.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

the simple answer here is yes

 

[PonyBoy]

I listened to a podcast about Osborne that specifically said we recruited players for offense and then tried to make them defensive players if they weren’t good enough for the offense. Osborne’s mindset shifted toward the end of his tenure, which is how you ended up with the dominance of the 90’s.

Meh, recreating history...

1990 class
15 offensive guys signed, 1 moved to defense (Wilhite).

1991 class
7 offensive guys signed, 1 moved to defense & it was Tony Veland. His first couple years was at QB in Lincoln, he was co-2 with Berringer back in 1993 (his 3rd year in the program). Brook solidified the 2 spot after Veland was injured, which allowed Osborne to move Veland to defense after this & remember, Tony was coming off an injury. Had nothing to do with Tony not being good enough for offense.

1992 class
11 offensive guys signed, 3 were recruited as 2-way; Minter, Terwilliger & Washington. Minter was recruited as a RB/DB, and in this class was also Damon Benning, Clinton Childs & Marvin Sims.

Was Minter "not good enough", or did we have Calvin Jones as the starting IB (2,000 career rushing yards) with Lawrence Phillips behind him followed by Benning & Childs?! We were stacked at IB, which allowed TO to move Mike to DB during his redshirt year. Twigs converted to defense his redshirt freshmen year & Washington remained with the offense.

It goes on & on for the next 3-4 classes to end his HC career....

One could easily say, and have more validity, that McBride making the move with some DB's to LB'er and some LB'ers to DE's was the most important move that allowed the 90's defenses to actually become what they did. In the late 80's, and early 90's, we were big & fucking slow on defense till moving some guys up 1 level happened. Then, we had great speed all over the place, straight up thugs in some cases & the rest is history. (Rampant drug use noted)

 

[Jim14510]

Meh, recreating history...

1990 class
15 offensive guys signed, 1 moved to defense (Wilhite).

1991 class
7 offensive guys signed, 1 moved to defense & it was Tony Veland. His first couple years was at QB in Lincoln, he was co-2 with Berringer back in 1993 (his 3rd year in the program). Brook solidified the 2 spot after Veland was injured, which allowed Osborne to move Veland to defense after this & remember, Tony was coming off an injury. Had nothing to do with Tony not being good enough for offense.

1992 class
11 offensive guys signed, 3 were recruited as 2-way; Minter, Terwilliger & Washington. Minter was recruited as a RB/DB, and in this class was also Damon Benning, Clinton Childs & Marvin Sims.

Was Minter "not good enough", or did we have Calvin Jones as the starting IB (2,000 career rushing yards) with Lawrence Phillips behind him followed by Benning & Childs?! We were stacked at IB, which allowed TO to move Mike to DB during his redshirt year. Twigs converted to defense his redshirt freshmen year & Washington remained with the offense.

It goes on & on for the next 3-4 classes to end his HC career....

One could easily say, and have more validity, that McBride making the move with some DB's to LB'er and some LB'ers to DE's was the most important move that allowed the 90's defenses to actually become what they did. In the late 80's, and early 90's, we were big & fucking slow on defense till moving some guys up 1 level happened. Then, we had great speed all over the place, straight up thugs in some cases & the rest is history. (Rampant drug use noted)

High percentage of the guys that switched went pro. Minter one of the all time best DB's from NE.

 

[Eaton Beaver]

Great defense and a qb that can scramble is hard to beat.

 

[Sous Chef]

High percentage of the guys that switched went pro. Minter one of the all time best DB's from NE.

TO and his staff seemed to be able to find and recruit straight badass mother fuckers too. Legit question have we had anyone on defense since the Suh/David years that scared anyone on opposing offenses?

 

[PonyBoy]

High percentage of the guys that switched went pro. Minter one of the all time best DB's from NE.

Switched? He was an absolute stud 2-way out of high school; RB & DB. And played DB at Nebraska, from day 1 including scout team during his redshirt year. Not sure how anyone can classify him as someone that switched.

TO likely thinks, "What's best for us?" Have 2-way Minter sit behind Calvin Jones, Derek Brown (lulz) in a wasted redshirt year then Lawrence Phillips (lulz), with Damon Benning & Clinton Childs (then add Jay Simms joining the IB room) or he's a defensive guy that can help us much sooner?

 

[Jim14510]

Switched? He was an absolute stud 2-way out of high school; RB & DB. And played DB at Nebraska, from day 1 including scout team during his redshirt year. Not sure how anyone can classify him as someone that switched.

Switched was the wrong word in his case. Just meant that a lot of the names you listed ended up going pro.

 

[Jim14510]

TO and his staff seemed to be able to find and recruit straight badass mother fuckers too. Legit question have we had anyone on defense since the Suh/David years that scared anyone on opposing offenses?

Gregory was after them right?

 

[PonyBoy]

Switched was the wrong word in his case. Just meant that a lot of the names you listed ended up going pro.

Gotcha. I only listed the known names though. If I list all players that ended up on defense, it would be a small percentage that ended up going pro.