Which Pelini Huskers Will See
5 comments so far
April 13, 2009 by
To call Bo Pelini passionate is like saying Husker fans like wearing red. It's a statement of obvious proportions. Last season, the media was more than aware of the fiery temper that Pelini exhibited on the sidelines. Flagged for a couple of his sideline antics early in the 2008 season, players feared the wrath he would bring down on them. Something changed after the Oklahoma game, as was obvious during the weekly press conference before the Kansas game last year.
In that particular press conference, he was asked about what he thought of the 5-4 team before him. He didn't care so much about what had happened as much as turning the rest of the year into a three game season and getting to a bowl game. He put the anger aside and thought about the team because of his family and Tom Osborne. The Huskers won the rest of their games from that point forward. Pelini's demeanor changed for the rest of the year. We saw a guy in charge of his emotions, utilizing them for the betterment of his team. The question is, did he calm down because his team was winning or did his team start winning because he calmed down?
During the first part of the year, Pelini was so angry that he let his emotions get the better of him and what resulted from his actions were personal foul penalties out of him and his players. The three game losing streak put the Huskers in the national spotlight for our coaches "crazy sideline antics". Personally, I've seen worse from schools just as big. But Nebraska has a reputation to uphold for having class and being in control, thanks to Dr. Osborne. Control is what leads to wins.
A few things were certain, college football fans were interested in the possible entertainment value of Nebraska, and the Huskers were relevant, even it was for the wrong reasons. Bo will likely not shake that stigma, even as those of us paying attention to the events this off season can see that he's a more content guy that knows how to keep the lid on a little tighter. I like seeing that passion, and the Bo Pelini in the fall will be a guy who can direct his frightening gaze efficiently. Cursing and yelling won't be necessary to motivate the players to do their best and avoid the mistakes as much as possible.
One of the best parts of this off-season has been about seeing the joking, lighter side of Bo. Don't get me wrong, he's going to have his blow-ups, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were fewer and farther between. He may not see a change in himself now, but the players definitely do, and that may be the difference between continuing the rebuilding process and competing for a Big 12 Championship.
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tr Apr 13 09
I like BO
the program, the tradition is back
Paul Apr 13 09
I'm a real pessimist when it comes to coaches, but my gut tells me that this guy is the real deal. Just like every school, there will be rebuilding years when we lose a lot of starters, but I can't see anything but this program getting better and better with this staff. Bo fits the program's needs like a glove. I know it has only been one year and he may be a little rough around the edges yet, but Pelini has that intangible "it". I honestly feel that we FINALLY got the right coach, so I'll be heartsick if some school like Ohio State or Auburn comes along with a huge offer and nabs him. We need to keep this guy handcuffed.
Dwayne Apr 13 09
Paul,
I don't fear Auburn. It wouldn't be a move up. Ohio State, and only Ohio State. That's the question.
Bill in Iowa Apr 13 09
Bo's blowups were at refs and dumb mistakes on D. I think he realized that he can get further with the refs by playing it just a little bit cooler. As with the mistakes on D, you started seeing the D inching closer to Pelini perfection toward the end of the season. It may not have been the only reason Bo kept his cool, but it certainly helped.
tom Apr 14 09
Bo seems like the type of guy to learn from his mistakes, and that always gives me hope. If he can learn to reign in his emotions a little bit (which I think is the hardest thing to do), then he can easily learn how to prevent another game like Oklahoma or Missouri from happening this year.