Talent

[Headcard]

Burrow wanted to come to Nebraska pretty bad at one point, but Beck and Pelini weren't really interested. Instead they went after a JV QB that ended up playing H-Back at North Texas. Heck, they didn't even recognize him (Burrow) at one of our camps.

 

[dinglefritz]

Burrow's father was a player and coach at Nebraska. Burrow definitely wanted to come. He was ranked as 4-star by 247. https://247sports.com/Player/Joe-Burrow-36575/ Am pretty sure he was Mr. Ohio in football.

Will try to find story about Burrow and recruitment and add it soon.

I know that Burrow's dad played at NU BUT Joe was raised in Ohio and had become an OSU fan. His dad coached in 01-02 at NU when Joe was too little to remember much. Other than that all of his time was spent elsewhere with 14 years of it in Ohio. He got lukewarm interest from NU and returned that at best. It was an option but not one that he was ever high on.

 

[dailybuck777_rivals45851]

I know that Burrow's dad played at NU BUT Joe was raised in Ohio and had become an OSU fan. His dad coached in 01-02 at NU when Joe was too little to remember much. Other than that all of his time was spent elsewhere with 14 years of it in Ohio. He got lukewarm interest from NU and returned that at best. It was an option but not one that he was ever high on.

See this link that I added as a later edit where Joe says OSU was only big time program that recruited him and how hard Herman pushed to get Joe to OSU. https://www.hookem.com/story/texas-tom-herman-lsus-joe-burrow-already-history/

Shows Herman's nose for talent.

 

[dinglefritz]

Burrow wanted to come to Nebraska pretty bad at one point, but Beck and Pelini weren't really interested. Instead they went after a JV QB that ended up playing H-Back at North Texas. Heck, they didn't even recognize him (Burrow) at one of our camps.

I've never heard that story. Everything I saw was that he was listed as "medium" interest from day one. I used to patrol the QB offers a little too closely and I never remember him expressing anything more than a medium interest in NU. Contrary to popular belief, Bo and Frank and his staff were not buddies. IF Bo and Jimmie Burrow had been buds, they would have been all over Joe Burrow.

 

[dailybuck777_rivals45851]

I've never heard that story. Everything I saw was that he was listed as "medium" interest from day one. I used to patrol the QB offers a little too closely and I never remember him expressing anything more than a medium interest in NU. Contrary to popular belief, Bo and Frank and his staff were not buddies. IF Bo and Jimmie Burrow had been buds, they would have been all over Joe Burrow.

Everything I have read was that Nebraska was Joe's first choice and that he was hurt that Nebraska didn't offer. Don't have precise links at this time.

 

[dinglefritz]

See this link that I added as a later edit where Joe says OSU was only big time program that recruited him and how hard Herman pushed to get Joe to OSU. https://www.hookem.com/story/texas-tom-herman-lsus-joe-burrow-already-history/

I know that OSU recruited him hard.

 

[dinglefritz]

Everything I have read was that Nebraska was Joe's first choice and that he was hurt that Nebraska didn't offer. Don't have precise links at this time.

Sounds like something a rivals Buckeye reporter would have written. Beck did eventually offer him late. Riley supposedly contacted him too but I think he had already committed to OSU. Our recruiting was a dysfunctional mess under Pelini so I could see it happening the way you say but that differs from what I remember from all of the interviews and stories I read during his recruitment.

 

[dailybuck777_rivals45851]

I've never heard that story. Everything I saw was that he was listed as "medium" interest from day one. I used to patrol the QB offers a little too closely and I never remember him expressing anything more than a medium interest in NU. Contrary to popular belief, Bo and Frank and his staff were not buddies. IF Bo and Jimmie Burrow had been buds, they would have been all over Joe Burrow.

See 1:28 Youtube video. Joe said he wanted to go but wasn't offered.

 

[dinglefritz]

See 1:28 Youtube video. Joe said he wanted to go but wasn't offered.

I stand corrected. Nice video. Guess one shouldn't believe everything you read on recruiting sites. I've been rooting for him to do well at LSU.

 

[dailybuck777_rivals45851]

I stand corrected. Nice video. Guess one shouldn't believe everything you read on recruiting sites. I've been rooting for him to do well at LSU.

My guess is that not recruiting Burrow is one of the biggest recruiting whiffs in Nebraska football history. I would roughly guess that if he played for Nebraska with decent qb coaching, he could reasonably be assumed to have been worth roughly winning 2 more games per year than whoever has started for Nebraska during the years he would have probably played.

I would add that he was loved by his OSU teammates. For instance former RB Mike Weber tweeted that LSU didn't realize that they were getting Tom Brady (an exaggeration I know, but it shows the respect he had at OSU.) Just very tough situation involving 2 very good qbs where Haskins came in cold and won a Michigan game; have to give the benefit of the doubt to Haskins who had proved himself in a very big game and who ultimately had a great year.

I would add that the 4th quarter pass that he threw to win the Texas game was one of the most amazing passes I have seen anywhere. The pocket was collapsing, he was running forward and had to jump throw the ball over a rushing db while falling sideways on his offensive lineman and hit a receiver in stride for a touchdown at a critical time of the game. All you could ask of a qb and great competitor.

 

[sdf2000]

Good point. Iowa drilled OSU a few years ago with far less talent and they seem to hand w them every year otherwise. Explain this??

OSU's best player(Bosa) got ejected early on a targeting call, JT Barrett threw 2 pick sixes, OSU spent Iowa game prep on Michigan State and Iowa used their NFL tight ends to exploit the OSU linebackers in the passing game.

 

[wolve1972]

I could see them using Washington, Robinson, or Spielman as situational players...but probably not every down starters. They are our top tier players by far. Shows how far back we are. It's nothing new...just see the NFL draft every year.

Have to agree with you. That's not putting down the NU players you named but the OSU skilled players are all NFL type kids. Their backup RB - Teague - is the next great OSU RB. Reminds many of Zeke Elliott. He has that combination of speed and power. He just waiting his turn like many of the OSU skilled players.