As I reflected last week that Callahan and company were simply playing out the string in Husker Nation, and from the game Saturday, that was painfully obvious to all. First off Callahan decided, prior to the Aggie game to give the play calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Shawn Wilson. Then spent the entire first half standing at least 20 yards or more away from him. Then without warning, taking the responsibility back in the second half, which lead to exactly ZERO points after the first half resulted in a "not so bad" 16-14 deficit. While the second half turned into a 36-14 route. The first half saw Quentin Castille pound the ball and the Huskers moving the ball, while the second half was as entertaining as a root canal, with Keller dumping the ball off to Marlon Lucky time and again to the tune of Lucky setting a Husker record of 13 catches.

Also this is not the NFL where players are paid HUGE sums of money to play ball and are accountable for their play. This is college, where 90% of the players will be making their living in a couple of years in a field far removed from the football field. So yes it is the coaches who are accountable for the players progression and preparation, or lack thereof, since we are talking about a bunch of 19-21 year olds. The coaches have to have a game plan that they believe in, and then the players will believe in it and be able to execute it. Trying to place the blame anywhere other than on the coaches is totally unacceptable. I believe that Dr. Tom's decision is being made perfectly easy in regards on what to do with this coaching staff. Hell it was very scary to some of us fans when he was Pederson's 3^rd or 4^th choice to lead the Huskers 4 years ago. Callahan had been dismissed from Oakland, where he took a team that had been put together by someone else and in two years made it into one that, even now, 4 years later is still struggling to put itself back together.

Oh yea, part of the game also involves the defensive side of the ball doesn't it. Hmmm, that would be Kevin Cosgrove's area of "expertise" and I use that term very, very loosely. Cosgrove, who has taken this Nebraska defense, (I can't use Blackshirts anymore for this years team) to a place that no one in the entire state has EVER SEEN. I believe that they are now ranked in the 100's in regards to total defense and he has so far this season offered no visible coaching ability whatsoever, Saturday's game was a prime example. Any "MORAN" including yours truly could see that the Aggies were going to run the ball until it was stopped. So what does Cosgrove do, put 6-8 men in the box to stop it? No way, you stay in your base defense that has more holes in it than a sieve, and allow a freaking quarterback to rush for 35 carries and 165 yards. Even "genius" coach Franchione said "But when you have something they can't stop, and they weren't stopping it, you're going to make them do it until their nose bleeds. Nebraska is a place where the fans, for better or worse deeply care for their team. It is all that they have; there is no NFL team, no NBA team, and no NHL team. No Husker football is it. So when you bring in a staff that doesn't care about it, wants to run it like a business, like an NFL team, it isn't going to work, you are going to be distrusted, and if you don't win, you are going to be HATED. Cosgrove stoically resists every chance to reach out to fans. He took away the Blackshirts last week, for example. "We're going to earn them back," he said. When asked to explain the rationale - a perfect opportunity to reinforce some of the ideas about the Blackshirt tradition, Cosgrove refused. Twice. "That's all I have to say," he said.

Why the attitude, why make it an issue, it wasn't your tradition to begin with, and you certainally won't be bringing it with you when you are FIRED at the end of the season. How can a person be so resistant to a communty that welcomed you in and where you have lived in for 4 years. Pederson and company had allienated all of the former players, coaches and employess with his style, so it was very refreshing when many all of the formers and fans who came flocking back Saturday when Dr. Tom made his first appearance as the A.D.

Which is another interesting piece to the puzzle. Dr. Tom Osborne is the "chicken soup" right now for part of the illness, but he won't cure it all, he knows this and has made similar comments over his first week. Also Osborne also has to make sure that when it comes time to pick a new coach, that it isn't done just to put a "Nebraskan" into the spot. No, we need to take a STRONG lesson from what happened to another Big 12 school a few years ago when they had to replace a legandary coach. I am talking about down in Norman Oklahoma, when Barry Switzer retired and they went with Gary Gibbs, then Howard Schnellenberger, then John Blake, who blazed to a winning percentage of .353 for 3 seasons, before finally turning the reigns over to Bob Stoops, who 2 years later won a national championship with the majority of players that John Blake had recruited. It is about putting in the right guy with the right people and the right system, then recruiting the right kids to fit that style.

On Saturday before the game, Osborne quickly pointed out, that far too much is made now a days about "how many stars" that particular kid has from any of the recruiting services. That those services are out there for one thing and it isn't to help the colleges, no it is for them to "make money". In order to recruit good you have to go to watch those kids play, talk to their coaches, talk to the coaches who had to play against them, watch film of the kid. Finally we have to look at the way we practice, lost in all of the negativity surrounding the last 3 losses is the fact that under Callahan, the Huskers had not been practicing in full pads. Jason Peter made the fact that when he played the practices were not the easiest thing in the world to go through, no practice was HELL. That the coaches worked them so hard in practice that they looked forward to the game. That they worked on so many things in practice that anything the opponent tried to do was pointless, that the opponent was running in slow motion. The game isn't won on Satruday Peter's said, it is won during the week.

Peter's went on to state "This is a team that has no identity, each weekend I sit down and I try to figure out what this team does best, each weekend I have no answers. They can't run the ball, their pass game is way too inconsistent and the one that bothers me the most is they can't play defense. Maybe I shouldn't say they can't play defense but rather haven't shown they can. I truly believe they have enough talent to be competitive but they struggle to put it together. The biggest problem I have with this team is the lack of being physical." Finally Peter's pointed out correctly that this team plays without any emotion, with no fire in their belly. Defense isn't brain surgery, it's 11 guys swarming to the ball, but above all you have to have effort. Jason hit this point right on the head to me. That is what I have seen missing all season long is the emotion, the fire, and the willingness to compete, to prove that you are better than the guy across the line from you.

Well, maybe I will write something later in the week for a prediction on the game in Austin. GBR.

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lame duck coach said:

	http://www.bigsports590.com/Bl...fault.aspx
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October 22, 2007
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JEH45 said:

	Bugeater: Never have seen Barry Gibb in a football story. Says alot about Dr. Tom Osborne to take on the responsibilty of cleaning up this mess.
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October 22, 2007
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Bugeatersteve said:

	JEH45, Hey we got called to the "woodshed" last week regarding our articles, so I thought I would spice things up. I know it is still an "old-timer" reference with the "Gibbs" and all, I probably should have went "Beyonce" on them.... LOL
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October 22, 2007
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Bugeatersteve said:

	Also from the previous comment it looks like Callahan is actually on his way out. whoo-hoo I say don't let the door hit you in the ASS on your way out.
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October 22, 2007
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JEH45 said:

The "door on the way out" is how I felt about John Cooper. Hung with him longer than most, but enough was enough. I might know who Beyonce is only because I think she is a Babe. Me and the woodshed was because I was trying to be funny, stupid me. I do think as DeasthRattle progresses we better get ready for the woodshed. Look at how many times I've slammed Notre Dame. Again, I think the "Kill the Messenger" thing will come more with added exposure. I am excited about the whole podcast thing though because I see it as kindof a natural progression for Lloyds and Christina/ DeathRattle.

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October 22, 2007
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