The Equation for a Championship Part 1
3 comments so far
April 29, 2009 by
How does a team like the Huskers make that jump from being a good team to competing for a Big 12 or BCS Championship? The mystery is not always in the year a team actually wins, but what they did in the years leading up to a championship showing. Since the BCS was started, here are the teams that won the coveted crystal football: Tennessee (1998), Florida State (1999), Oklahoma (2000), Miami (2001), Ohio State (2002), USC (2004), LSU (2003, 2007), Texas (2005), Florida (2006, 2008). Each team had their own "equations" to get them to that place. Does Nebraska have one of these equations or do they have an entirely new one of their own?
Tennessee (1998) » Coach Fulmer + Peyton Manning = Constant Winning » Now, as every good Husker should know, Manning did NOT win a Championship in his final year (1997). But he, along with the other stars Fulmer recruited, kept them in double digit wins 4 out of the 5 years before they won the big game. Recruiting guys who end up in the NFL is a great way to keep the talent coming.
Florida State (1999) » Coach Bowden + Winning = Championships At Every Turn » Not content to just win a bunch of games, Bobby Bowden wanted to win the Big One every year. They ended the season in the top 5 for the previous 10 years before their BCS win, compiling only 15 losses in that time period. Let's not dwell here, lest I begin lamenting the Huskers losses to Bowden.
Oklahoma (2000) » Bob Stoops + Great Staff = Quick Turnaround » A passionate coach from Youngstown, Ohio becomes a rising star in the coordinator ranks, gets his shot from a storied program spiraling out of control. He surrounds himself with other like-minded coaches who see the big picture. The Sooners are the "model" that the Huskers appear to pattern themselves after. They went from three years of losing to a solid first year effort, followed by a National Championship.
Miami (2001) » Adequate Coach + NFL Talent = One Hit Wonder » The Hurricanes had a huge number of players destined for the NFL. Many believed that Butch Davis's recruiting handed Larry Coker a team ready-made for winning a Championship. His results gradually declined year after year until he was fired.
Ohio State (2002) » Conservative Ways + Experienced Players = Chance to Win » Jim Tressel and his conservative play calling keeps his team in every game. They always have a shot to win when they take the field. He also had a quick turnaround, similar to Bob Stoops, leading his team to a Championship just in his second year.
Next week, I'll be looking at LSU, USC, Texas, and Florida. Hopefully, there should be an equation for the Huskers in there somewhere. If you think we have a National Championship equation, what do you think it is?
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Greg Morrow Apr 29 09
"The Sooners are the "model" that the Huskers appear to pattern themselves after."
Bob Stoops + Great Staff = Quick Turnaround
As much as I'd like to disagree.
Not that I dislike Okie. I've never disliked Okie. Okie's Okie.
There's another team who demands be disliked. I'll save that, for them.
That's what Nebraska's going to have to do though- out coach peeps.
Out "program" programs, too.
Like what Osborne's going to do with the Student Life Center. Even more than hiring Bo, stuff like this is a lasting mark Osborne's going to leave.
Once again, the lowest paid Big 12 Athletic Director knows what to do. Like, when he goes out and recruits a player within moments after he dismissed Callahan. Some goofed on Osborne's offering of Kreikemeier, but it looks like he's going to letter this fall as a redshirt frosh, coming off the knee injury.
The team will have to eventually grow into an identity, offensively. The staff knows the run offense has to improve. But, they don't want to scale down the passing game.
They've got to find a solution, or this offense practically gurantees a couple of losses, each year. Which, takes a championsip right out of the equation.
Like Osborne has said, "it's hard to be good at both."
tom Apr 30 09
Don't worry, Nebraska has an equation all their own. That's why I used the words "appear". In actuality, I said that because it's just eerie the similarities between the Husker program now and the Sooner program when Bob Stoops joined. I mean they're from the same freakin high school and even are really good buds, and Pelini coached for him for a while. The list would go on for a while.
Iggy Apr 30 09
Everything I see leads me to believe that we are on the right track academically, recruiting, coaching, and everything else. Osborne and Pelini have principles and a plan and a willingness to make the tough choices for the programs long term benefit even if it may hurt or hinder the short term. (Witt is a great example of this so is last years Linebacker situation.) Would we be so deep at that spot if Koehler and May weren't used last year and the Frosh were instead? What message would we have been sending to Cody Green had Pelini cowtowed to Witt like Callahan did to Keller?