Defense

[Bairstan]

OMG -- Wisconsin just scored again!

[Bigh1955]

So where does Bo stand in everyone's book now that things are wrapped up for the 2012 season?

a) Great job!
b) It was okay...nobody's perfect
c) Who's next?!

[farmstud60]

Maybe B, the coaching staff did redeem themselves a little bit against Georgia.

The problem is he has a good enough record that if Bo was fired, it would be hard to find someone else.

[mbinlincoln]

Frankly, if you want an elite program at NU, Bo will have to go. For whatever reason--lack of recruiting, bad chemistry, bad choice of asst coaches--I don't think he will return NU to elite status. I was a defender of his, saying people wanted TOs head his first few seasons, but after reading comparisons like this one, I'm convinced he's not the one:

http://forum.huskermax.com/vbbs/cont...pare-Bo-to-T-O

I think the most telling stats are the "First four years--Top 10 Finishes" and "First Four years--losses to unranked teams."

If Bo is a defensive genius, why do his defenses give up 60-plus points to Ohio State and Wisconsin-teams that couldn't have mustered a top 10 finish this year?

For four years, I've heard Bo say "we just have to execute." Why aren't we executing? After 4 years, I'd think we would have, if we could have.

[jjchmiel78]

In defense of Bo keeping the job, Tom was the Offensive Coordinator of the two time National Championship team before taking the Head Coach position. All the players were in place, The "being part of a winning program" perception was well in place. Not to take away Tom's accomplishments but when he took over he already had time in the program implementing his genius. Frank was bad but Bill was disastrous. He did all the NU haters out there the biggest favor ever. He made the program a laughing stock of the Nation. Any ongoing record of prestige he flushed down the toilet. I remember driving in Omaha still Solich era during game time and the roads were clear. At the end of Calahan the roads were packed of people doing something better than watching that mess. It was during that time I developed the watching guide. Is it a road game? 70% chance of loss. Is the opponent ranked higher than us? 80% loss? Road game against a ranked opponent? 90% loss. Road game against a ranked opponent on primetime TV? 100% loss. Bo is recovering from that disaster. He is not living up to expectations, but who really can? There are several programs out there that would jump through hoops for what Bo is accomplishing here. Tom was a genius that was always ranked and it took him 20 years to win the big one as the guy in charge. As long as Bo keeps us in the Big 10 championship games, maybe we can give him 10 years to rebuild a program that was turned into a disaster zone.

[lagerlover]

Well, joining the Big 10 has demonstrated and solidified our last place in the academic side of the house and it will take decades for UNL to change that. Perhaps we should give Bo a few more years to try and do something with the football program. I do think his "defensive genius" status is somewhat over rated.