I will buy that. Just the word "thrilled" would indicate a high degree of satisfaction based on something tangible. So, essentially you would have been thrilled with whoever they hired?
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what's the o-lines problem?
- Thread starter redwine65
- Start date
Thrilled for the Raiola hire would be accurate. I like who he has studied under. I like the fact that people who he worked with spoke highly of him. I like that he played at Wisconsin.
I believe he will be a good recruiter.
I actually believe we have the right OL in place and with some tweaking of technique alongside a more aggressive approach to blocking we will have a strong OL even if we do not get transfers.
I think we will see a different technique with using our hands and feet. Look for more punching technique rather than engaging and grabbing. I think our initial drop step will be different. I think our double teams will be tighter on the hip and with more drive. I believe we will run through our blocks rather than engage and seal/chop. (Watch at the Spring game and get back to me if I nailed these).
There are a few that were mentioned as potential hires that I would have been much less than thrilled with.
That’s about it for now.
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Your more knowledge on this hire so I’ll take your word for it..
Hope you’re spot on…
Austin employed and was constantly talking about the initial punch. Most OL coaches I know, teach that, but then what? We seemed to lose contact and didn't drive. Since no one knows a darn thing aside from some clippings, about Raiola, I would hope to see a few things.
1. Every coach stresses hand placement, that is a given. What is he going to do differently/better than Austin?
2. Footwork is also on every coaches drill list - can we at least learn to turn a defender away from ball side?
3. I would also like to see us employ some combo blocks which we haven't seem to do or at least weren't very good at.
4. Lastly, drive the D player back, not just hit and react.
5. Are we going to zone block? No one has answered that question.
6. How will the drop step be different? It seemed after that initial drop, we lost contact and DEs would scream around our tackles.
This is just a guess from watching the people he worked with but here goes.
1- punching will be more than just the initial punch then grab. The punching will be continuous through the pass block.
2- as mentioned I think we employ more of a running through the DL / LB. Not the hit and short chopping steps.
3- On combo blocks / double teams watch how close our OL hips are compared to past years
4- noted above in 2
5- not sure
6- watch to see if we change the angle of our first drop step to force defender a little wider. Not the almost straight back first step. Might be pretty subtle.
Thanks for the actual technique talk !
Your point is well taken. But there were still some notable players among those you pointed out, who may have merited consideration by the elite teams.
Of all you mentioned, Gerald Foster was a solid guard that NU had a difficult time replacing, a 2 year starter, honorable mention all big 10 in 2017, and NU Lineman of the year in 2018.
Matt Farniok had his ups and downs, but did his coaching prepare him well for performance on the field, and was he playing the best position at OTackle instead of OGuard? Still he was a 3 year starter, and honorable mention all big 10 in 2020.
Jake Cotton and Mike Moudy were OGuards in 2014 - Abdullah’s senior year - a time of offensive success. Cotton was honorable mention All Big 10 honorable mention and a 2 year starter.
Broc Bando still may be a contributor if he continues at NU.
Cole Pensick was 2nd Team All Big 10 in 2013 and on the Remington watchlist that year.
Andrew Rodriguez was hm All conf in 2013, and Keith Williams was Honorable Mention All Big 10 in 2009-2010.
Others of these players like David Knevel had potential but injuries hurt their playing time.
NU would be ecstatic to have Ryan Reeves available to play center again in 2022.
Even Paul Thurston who transferred to Colorado State University his senior year was Honorable Mention All Mountain West Conference in 2016.
So yes, your point is well taken that these folks did not make All America. As far as being recruited by elite teams, Foster, Williams, Rodriguez, Pensick, and likely others would have merited it in hindsight based on their careers.
We at NU need desperately some very good OLine coaching to develop thes players to the full potential. Let’s hope Raiola connects, communicates, and brings out the maximum potential and performance of these players.
It’s because they are not tough enough and as others have pointed out…they are mentally weak. They have a ‘meh attitude’ after losing games. Not sure the reasons behind all of that…Millenial generation? laziness? apathy? Non Nebraska kids? (Back in the day when we were a football school, many of the O-line kids worked on farms and understood the culture here).
Regardless of the reasons this Offense will not hum unless the O-line gets fixed. I think cutting ties with the last O-line coach and putting new hire Raiola will be an improvement from the start. That last guy was Jr High level (barely)
Regardless of the reasons this Offense will not hum unless the O-line gets fixed. I think cutting ties with the last O-line coach and putting new hire Raiola will be an improvement from the start. That last guy was Jr High level (barely)
We recruit too many "good guys" lol. I understand the value of having good young men in the program. I also think there is value in having some pricks. Some *** hole types who are borderline dirty. There is a thing and a yang to all good teams. We need more guys who don't give a F and are willing to put their boots on someone's neck and enjoy it. I wanna see us recruit more nasty and less ideal height,weight, length. Imo of course.
Holla
Nasty and all those intangibles everyone is hung up on are great and all but if the player is not taught what to do and how to do it correctly, it won't matter. In fact, they would be running on more emotion than technique and that won't work.
Obviously, I want someone with the attitude of never wanting to get beat physically but they also have to have other attributes. Funny how everyone on here is an expert on hips for a DB and moves for a RB and arm strength for a QB but when it comes to a lineman they want nasty! Oh and long arms.
Obviously, I want someone with the attitude of never wanting to get beat physically but they also have to have other attributes. Funny how everyone on here is an expert on hips for a DB and moves for a RB and arm strength for a QB but when it comes to a lineman they want nasty! Oh and long arms.
I wish it would show up on Saturdays. I actually seen it with Cam this year but other than him I haven't seen a nasty OL for us in a long time.
Holla
I've said for years that I don't want us to recruit criminals, just guys that at least know a few criminals.
Amen. I thought our OLine would be ready to row this year. How could I be so horribly wrong?
The Oline and our special teams are both so outrageously inept I don't know what to think.
Foster is a tough one for me. I know he got some accolades but far too many times he let defenders run right by him.
I agree that Farniok’s issues were probably more of a coaching issue and playing out of position.
The deal with Cotton and Moudy really bothers me. Yes we had some offensive success. I wish Ameer would’ve had a much better line than he had. Him and Rex busted their asses for every yard they got. Way too many times our line got manhandled, had defenders in the backfield, it looked like the play would go for no gain, and somehow they made positive yards. That was a constant.
Suh and David are the rare exception when it comes to college talent. Most college players never reach the NFL, and they need coaching and development to play at a high level in college. Sure, there's guys who play well even with bad coaching, but they're the exception.
The NFL is about size, speed, and talent.
They don't host a 300 person combine each year to measure physical traits for no reason at all. Measurables make the absolute difference in a game that really is about inches and feet between good, great, and elite.
Ron Meyer was at SMU in the late 70s when they got caught cheating and given the death penalty years later in the 80s. He said something of the sort "I'm not recruiting guys that can play on Saturdays, I'm recruiting guys that can play on Sundays.".
Our very own Bob Devaney said something of the sort of "I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation."
You can build all the 2 and 3 stars you want. You ain't winning **** without top end talent at a number of positions when you need to field 44 or more in your 2 deep. The same teams aren't winning conference and national championships nowadays in the best P5 conferences because they develop players better than everybody else.
We were successful over a long period of time getting the most out of the talent we had. A lot of those guys Osborne had that were complete studs didn't do anything in the NFL. Yes, that's exactly what you do to win championships. Alabama develops players better than anyone else is the biggest reason why they win.
Saban recruits the best players, has them compete to find the best, and then plays the best.
They aren't developing guys outside of making them compete to be in the NFL.
90% of the guys going to Bama are going there to be in the NFL. Winning is secondary.
I had 2 friends of mine from middle school do time for murder. Would that work? They were even in my confirmation class at my church. I'm 63 but I would give it a go.
Oh I think they're going there to win too but there is no doubt that Bama is an NFL prep school. Even LSU's backup linemen look different than what we start with.
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Damn guys, you want the players now to play like the guys did back when Tom was coach? IT was ROIDS that made them strong and mean, after 2002 the testing got real and now look at the arms of our line, no muscles at all! plus kids are pussies these days too! Quit thinking about the past, its gonzo! i seen the guys from Fordham had big arms! wonder what they do, plus we need to quit practicing in the morning, they don't do enough work then!