Next Season Starts...Now

2 comments so far December 9, 2006 by Darren K. Carlson

Nebraska Head Coach Bill Callahan recently said the following about a particular NU player's bowl preparation practices: "We're going to grind on him," Callahan said. "We're going to try to get him indoctrinated and get him ready to roll for spring football. He's been in all the meetings. He understands it pretty well. But we're going to give him a ton of reps."

The "he" in that statement isn't even playing against Auburn in the Cotton Bowl. Callahan is talking about Sam Keller, the Arizona State transfer quarterback and NU's likely starter next year. The emphasis on Keller's development places a particular spotlight on the importance of bowl practices for player development.

It's All About Reps
Nebraska has many players who are either red shirting or participating in a limited way, like on special teams. These players - particularly Keller the quarterback - will be asked to step up and contribute to next season's team. While their physical development happens in conditioning, and playing on special teams and on the scout team might acclimate them to the speed of college football, only repetitions within NU's offense and defensive schemes will get them really ready to contribute. The four week bowl practice period allows coaches enough time to give major repetitions - even scrimmage time - to Keller and others, and still have time to keep the team sharp and prepared for the Cotton Bowl.

Even with a number of returning players on both sides of the ball, NU has several players in need of repetitions. It starts with Keller, who will inherit an offense full of returning starters and be expected to pick up where he left off at ASU. Other developmental players on offense include linemen D.J. Jones, Cruz Barrett, and Keith Williams, as well as wide receivers Will Henry, Menelik Holt, and Chris Brooks. Defensively, linemen like Brandon Johnson and Seth Jensen and defensive backs Major Culbert, Ricky Thenarse and Corey Young could be asked to play increased roles at positions where NU needs them most. They can benefit from repetitions now.

Few Limitations, More Development
There are three major practice periods in college football - preseason camp in August, Spring Football, and - for the teams lucky enough to get to a bowl - bowl preparation. In some ways, bowl preparation is the best scenario of the three for developing players.

Preseason camp does not focus on player development. It is all about getting the team ready for the season and to play their first game. The player development comes in the form of the competition for spots on the depth chart. Spring football is all about development. But, it has some limitations. Players are still knocking rust off from their layoff. The NCAA limits the amount of practice time and the number of full-contact practices. And while the Spring Game creates a simulated game atmosphere, there is no true opponent to spur urgency among the team. Bowl preparation is limited only in how much time a team has leading up to a game. It occurs during the flow of a season, when players are engaged and focused. And, it has the urgency of a looming opponent.

College coaches know the importance of these practices. Osborne commented on it frequently. And remember that Coach Callahan came to Nebraska from the NFL - where there are essentially no limits on contact with players or practice and preparation time. All they do is football. Access and practice time was one of the first things he had to adjust to in the college game.

"If I had my druthers, I'd practice every day, maybe twice a day, with these bowl practices," Callahan said. "I absolutely love them. I know they made our team last year. I think it's a great, great bonus. "We're going to practice our kids as much as we can."

And, that will likely mean a lot - not just for the bowl game, but for the 2007 season as well.

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