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I now believe the silence...

The maturity on this board from our venerable graduates, continues to amaze me.
Stp and I have a special relationship going back to rant board days. Don’t you worry about us - we always kiss and make up.
 
Everyone, please stop fretting. Fitz will make $14,000.00 today (and every day of the year). He will make sure that he earns it. I predict that we will have some news 25-30 days from now.
 
Everyone, please stop fretting. Fitz will make $14,000.00 today (and every day of the year). He will make sure that he earns it. I predict that we will have some news 25-30 days from now.
Another PWO? Kinda late in the cycle.
 
Now that we have some real shakeup on both sides of the ball I have more optimism that Fitz is going to put the right coaches in place. I think he is counting on the fact that Bajakian has shown (unlike JON) he can adapt an offense to be productive and he will give him more autonomy to do so next year. I hope.

We should point out that a WR coach with a decade in the program hardly qualifies as a ‘shakeup’.

There’s been a significant change on defense, but not a full turnover. There’s been no change to abysmal special teams responsibilities, and our incoming DC may be allowed to select only one staff member.

If Bajakian and Fitz spend the winter learning new stuff and the offense looks modern, that’ll qualify as a shakeup. But it looks like more of the same for now.

I’m just wondering if our DC is coming from Georgia or TCU. Fitz is very courteous.
 
Well, then we had 2020 which made 2019 look like the outlier on the trajectory of the program. 2021 was unexpectedly bad, and Fitz didn't do anything to shake up the staff because by his standards it was way too soon to fire a DC after 1 season or an OC after 2 seasons. Fitz had to have known that 2022 was likely to be as bad as 2021. If he didn't know that, either he is overly optimistic or not a good judge of quality.

Now that we have some real shakeup on both sides of the ball I have more optimism that Fitz is going to put the right coaches in place. I think he is counting on the fact that Bajakian has shown (unlike JON) he can adapt an offense to be productive and he will give him more autonomy to do so next year. I hope.

Where exactly has Bajakian shown that he can adapt an offense to be productive? Was our offense productive these last couple of years? Even during the Ramsey year, I believe we were still a bottom quartile offense. Now we are bottom 5%.
 
Seriously, we might be in big trouble. There is no prohibition at hosting transfers this weekend as Nebraska is apparently hosting at least three including the Stanford lineman that we thought would visit our campus. At this point there is not a big ten team that hasn't landed at least two transfers. I know CSC and Corbi will say just wait everything's fine but it's hard to believe at this point. I hope they are right.
 
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Seriously, we might be in big trouble. There is no prohibition at hosting transfers this weekend as Nebraska is apparently hosting at least three including the Stanford lineman that we thought would visit our campus. At this point there is not a big ten team that hasn't landed at least two transfers. I know CSC and Corbi will say just wait everything's fine but it's hard to believe at this point. I hope they are right.
Those PWOs we’ve prioritized will be excited to get a scholarship so early in their careers.
 
Those PWOs we’ve prioritized will be excited to get a scholarship so early in their careers.

If transfer candidates were not yet approved by Admissions, would it have been wise to have them visit? If you were a transfer candidate, would you visit a school where your admission was not guaranteed? If you were a HC or AD would you spend resources on prospects that might not receive approval from admissions? It’s not that hard to figure out.
 
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If transfer candidates were not yet approved by Admissions, would it have been wise to have them visit? If you were a transfer candidate, would you visit a school where your admission was not guaranteed? If you were a HC or AD would you spend resources on prospects that might not receive approval from admissions? It’s not that hard to figure out.
Isn't the issue, will the PWO's ever play?
 
Right, like 54-51 in 2000, when we had a terrible defense. That was the Colby era, wasn't it? Defense is by no means NU's only problem now, it is simply now an excuse as to why we were not winning. Actually, with a JON defense and a decent offense, we could have won a lot more games in the past two years. Did Fitz fire the wrong coordinator, or is Fitz the problem, putting the clamps on Bajakian to the point of not being able to run a decent offense? In any case, I believe the silence is Fitz figuring this out and getting it properly on track. He needs to rejuvenate both sides the ball, and I hope that he is doing just that.
Why is Fitz putting the clamp on the offense is the question that needs to be asked. CFB is offensive oriented, no national title winner ever since I have been following CFB hasn't had a high powered offense. Fitz is losing his mojo, or was 2015-18 just a lucky run? The alumni/ donors gave him a state of the art practice facility and now a modern stadium, and he tanks the program. This has been just bizarre to say the least.
 
Why is Fitz putting the clamp on the offense is the question that needs to be asked. CFB is offensive oriented, no national title winner ever since I have been following CFB hasn't had a high powered offense. Fitz is losing his mojo, or was 2015-18 just a lucky run? The alumni/ donors gave him a state of the art practice facility and now a modern stadium, and he tanks the program. This has been just bizarre to say the least.
During the Hankwitz years the program had a lot of success winning low scoring games. So Fitz relied on a ball control low mistake offense. Yes, he’s been slow to adapt. But he can’t he blind to the fact that offense is the face of the game now, especially with the rule changes. All he had to do was watch Michigan and OSU on New Year’s Eve to realize that. He’ll change.

I hope!
 
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Why is Fitz putting the clamp on the offense is the question that needs to be asked. CFB is offensive oriented, no national title winner ever since I have been following CFB hasn't had a high powered offense. Fitz is losing his mojo, or was 2015-18 just a lucky run? The alumni/ donors gave him a state of the art practice facility and now a modern stadium, and he tanks the program. This has been just bizarre to say the least.
Fhis does seem to be the case. Let's see how the next several months play out for Fitz to try to rebuild.
 
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During the Hankwitz years the program had a lot of success winning low scoring games. So Fitz relied on a ball control low mistake offense. Yes, he’s been slow to adapt. But he can’t he blind to the fact that offense is the face of the game now, especially with the rule changes. All he had to do was watch Michigan and OSU on New Year’s Eve to realize that. He’ll change.

I hope!
Except college football has been trending this way for years now. Saban realized more than five years ago that you need a high powered offense to win the big games. Fitz hasn't seemed to caught on yet.
 
Except college football has been trending this way for years now. Saban realized more than five years ago that you need a high powered offense to win the big games. Fitz hasn't seemed to caught on yet.
He may be beginning to.
 
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If transfer candidates were not yet approved by Admissions, would it have been wise to have them visit? If you were a transfer candidate, would you visit a school where your admission was not guaranteed? If you were a HC or AD would you spend resources on prospects that might not receive approval from admissions? It’s not that hard to figure out.
If it’s almost impossible to get transfers approved through admissions then that is definitely a very big, systemic problem! This is like saying “hey, don’t worry about your foot man, your shoes didn’t hurt your foot, I actually just cut your whole leg off!”
 
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Yeah, unless the guy was leaving Stanford because he was in serious threat of flunking out, there is no reason admissions should be stopping a Stanford (or Duke or Vanderbilt or Rice or Ivy League or Military Acadmeny) transfer in my opinion. I hope this does not show there is some kind of new power struggle going on internally at the school.

Of course it could be nothing and the guy might want to play for a guy who turned around Baylor and coached in the NFL. I would even think that is the most likely scenario. Hopefully.
 
Yeah, unless the guy was leaving Stanford because he was in serious threat of flunking out, there is no reason admissions should be stopping a Stanford (or Duke or Vanderbilt or Rice or Ivy League or Military Acadmeny) transfer in my opinion. I hope this does not show there is some kind of new power struggle going on internally at the school.

Of course it could be nothing and the guy might want to play for a guy who turned around Baylor and coached in the NFL. I would even think that is the most likely scenario. Hopefully.
I had a college roommate that transferred in from community college. To NU. Transferring in is so much easier than getting admitted from high school.
 
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I had a college roommate that transferred in from community college. To NU. Transferring in is so much easier than getting admitted from high school.
One potential issue is if admissions is like “oh, weird transfer portal timing? Yeah, this guy will surely be admitted… in our next approval round in April.”

Just as unhelpful.
 
Ok - say McG becomes DC, there is still an opening. Unless PF is hiring from departing seniors or maybe the ball girl to LB coach - the silence is still a problem.
Actually that would still leave two openings but he would then have input into those two hires. Hard to imagine the DL coach being hired until DC is filled
 
Don’t understand the logic at all. Not enough people were fired. Jake still having a job after presiding over an offense that was even more inept than our defense (for which JON was rightfully fired) is a glaring problem. Anyone think we are going to score the 40 a game the real contenders are all capable of putting up with this offense?

The recapture of a 2 star RB with limited offers is not a sign of much that would point to much in terms of a quantum leap in recruiting that would produce a national contender.

The silence of not hiring anyone or bringing in any transfers when every other program is doing so promptly is not a good sign of anything nor does it suggest that Fitz is working to do anything that is necessary to right the program, rejuvenate the offense or defense, much less produce a national contender. I don’t believe he’s earning his $5m a year and am disappointed he didn’t take a Harbaugh pay cut that might have lit a fire under his underachieving ass. Money that could have been put to good use in bringing Jim Leonhardt or some other qualified DC to Evanston yesterday.

Sorry. I do not believe. I sadly no longer expect victory. Unfortunately, there is nothing going on with the program now that would compel me to do so. If there is and I’m missing it, please point it out. Nothing you’ve noted so far does so, but rather does the opposite.
Sorry but no. JON deserved to be fired. Jake did not. He has at least shown competence here and in the past. Jake has been handcuffed by not having the tools to work with. He was handcuffed by poor QB recruiting before he came. He needs more of a dual threat QB and instead he was left with HJ and a statue and guys under them that were more projects. Also we were more hit with injuries at key positions than almost any time I can remember.

I am not saying he does not deserve scrutiny but just did not yet deserve firing.
 
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Except college football has been trending this way for years now. Saban realized more than five years ago that you need a high powered offense to win the big games. Fitz hasn't seemed to caught on yet.
This trend started in the 90's/ early 2000's with FSU and Miami. The entire BCS era was the beginning. Ohio State was the first to catch on in the B1G, thus it's long era of dominance til Harbaugh got his act together.
 
He may be beginning to.

Not good enough. We were beyond awful on offense last year.... and looking ahead to next year we will not have back virtually all of our best players on that awful offense - Hull, Skoronski, Washington, Navarro, and the other experienced (tho mediocre probably) OL starters. I sure would love to be wrong, but our OL could be pretty ungood this fall. Nobody here has any idea if Cam Porter will be back to real health this fall. Our receiver room? Somebody please pass me some koolaid.

So just HOW are we going to be less than awful on offense this year.... UNLESS we really change what we've been doing on offense? "He may be beginning to" ain't good enough. I can not take another year of losing to Romper Room three weeks in a row, thanks largely to yet another year of horsebleep play from QBs with Top 100 talent...

Sorry. I'm just venting. I CANNOT STAND ultra conservative, impotent, and underachieving offensive play. Somebody please pull me in off the ledge.
 
Not good enough. We were beyond awful on offense last year.... and looking ahead to next year we will not have back virtually all of our best players on that awful offense - Hull, Skoronski, Washington, Navarro, and the other experienced (tho mediocre probably) OL starters. I sure would love to be wrong, but our OL could be pretty ungood this fall. Nobody here has any idea if Cam Porter will be back to real health this fall. Our receiver room? Somebody please pass me some koolaid.

So just HOW are we going to be less than awful on offense this year.... UNLESS we really change what we've been doing on offense? "He may be beginning to" ain't good enough. I can not take another year of losing to Romper Room three weeks in a row, thanks largely to yet another year of horsebleep play from QBs with Top 100 talent...

Sorry. I'm just venting. I CANNOT STAND ultra conservative, impotent, and underachieving offensive play. Somebody please pull me in off the ledge.
The optimistic view of this re: Jake is it’s really Fitz’ fault, not Jake’s, so things could get better if the reigns are off.

I would like to see NU move on from Jake - not because it’s his fault, but I don’t think he’s the solution - so you won’t get help from me, but there you go.
 
Not good enough. We were beyond awful on offense last year.... and looking ahead to next year we will not have back virtually all of our best players on that awful offense - Hull, Skoronski, Washington, Navarro, and the other experienced (tho mediocre probably) OL starters. I sure would love to be wrong, but our OL could be pretty ungood this fall. Nobody here has any idea if Cam Porter will be back to real health this fall. Our receiver room? Somebody please pass me some koolaid.

So just HOW are we going to be less than awful on offense this year.... UNLESS we really change what we've been doing on offense? "He may be beginning to" ain't good enough. I can not take another year of losing to Romper Room three weeks in a row, thanks largely to yet another year of horsebleep play from QBs with Top 100 talent...

Sorry. I'm just venting. I CANNOT STAND ultra conservative, impotent, and underachieving offensive play. Somebody please pull me in off the ledge.
Sullivan is my one sliver of hope. He has some tools. Persa made do with few weapons. But...injuries
 
The optimistic view of this re: Jake is it’s really Fitz’ fault, not Jake’s, so things could get better if the reigns are off.

I would like to see NU move on from Jake - not because it’s his fault, but I don’t think he’s the solution - so you won’t get help from me, but there you go.
The solution would be a Leach type that is innovative and would bring in something unique that would bring in 4 star skilled offensive players, most importantly a really good QB. I am not sure Sullivan is the man to build an offense around. If TCU can do it, why not NU? Fitz needs to wake up or he needs to step aside. If he ditches Jake after next season, there will be no scapegoats left. The window for getting the program back to where it was in 2018 is closing fast. Fitz needs to change is the bottom line.
 
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The solution would be a Leach type that is innovative and would bring in something unique that would bring in 4 star skilled offensive players, most importantly a really good QB. I am not sure Sullivan is the man to build an offense around. If TCU can do it, why not NU? Fitz needs to wake up or he needs to step aside. If he ditches Jake after next season, there will be no scapegoats left. The window for getting the program back to where it was in 2018 is closing fast. Fitz needs to change is the bottom line.
I’d settle for Sullivan running a space-oriented RPO. I don’t even have to hear it called the spread.
 
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I’d settle for Sullivan running a space-oriented RPO. I don’t even have to hear it called the spread.

The problem is our beloved head coach once remarked that RPO is a form of communism and should be banned. The guy just hates an effective offense.

He wants to run the ball down your throat. 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He should go back in time and coach in the 70's.
 
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The problem is our beloved head coach once remarked that RPO is a form of communism and should be banned. The guy just hates an effective offense.

He wants to run the ball down your throat. 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He should go back in time and coach in the 70's.
I don’t think the issue is so much the scheme. We run some RPO. We tried deep passes last year. Maybe we aren’t the most creative, but to my eyes the issue isn’t so much the play calling, it’s more the execution. Our WRs aren’t getting open, our OL isn’t protecting the QB, and our QBs aren’t completing passes. Maybe a different scheme would help that I dunno. But we also need an OC that translates to crisper execution and or better players at pretty much every position but RB…
 
The problem is our beloved head coach once remarked that RPO is a form of communism and should be banned. The guy just hates an effective offense.

He wants to run the ball down your throat. 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He should go back in time and coach in the 70's.
I love a ball control offense, but as an aside, I never understood the "3 yards and a cloud of dust" in a literal sense, since it always results in being one yard short. Even as a little kid, I didn't get it. 3x3 is 9 yards, unless you go for it on 4th and 1 every time, you have to punt.

Anyway, Fitz offenses are more like 5 yard run, 2 yard loss, incomplete pass, punt.
 
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