IMO the thrashings OU took this year, the year Texas had, the seasons Florida St, FLorida, Ohio St, Notre Dame and A&M had, all put a little perspective on the job Bo did this year and the Husker season. Even Okie St with the incredible year they are having, lost to ISU. Bo has taken a thrashing on this board (including by me,) but looking at the season in the rear-view mirror now, it doesn't seem so bad, and in fact may have been a pretty darn good job by Bo. Throw in a new offense, four new assistant coaches (and the turmoil his brother created,) the new league, the injuries to Crick and Dennard, etc., Bo certainly had his share of challenges. Whether we like it or not, and blame it on Bo or not, we have not recruited as well (star-wise) as OU, OSU, TX, FL, etc., but NU had as good or better season than all those teams.
For great seasons, lots of things need to line up. Key injuries, the right schedule, a lucky bounce here or there and new players stepping up all play into it. What would Wisconsin's record have been this year without Wilson? What would NU's season have looked like if they played Wisconsin without Wilson, or if Crick and Dennard had been healthy all season and one of the new CB's had stepped up early in the season? If reliable Rex doesn't fumble on the goal line do we lose to Northwestern? Even the Michigan game could have turned out differently except for the phantom roughing the kicker penalty. There's just a ton of variables in games greatly influenced by emotional swings. Ohio States dominance the last 10 years lined up with a downturn at Michigan. Heck, NU's dominance in the 90's was certainly helped by a big OU crash during the same period. If Michigan had been Michigan or OU had been OU, those glory years don't look quite the same.
And to top it off, college football seems to be so much more emotion than NFL football, that facing any hyped up team when your team is flat can mean trouble i.e. ISU beating OSU, Purdue beating OSU. LSU and Alabama have minimized the variables by over signing in an already talent rich recruiting area, but it doesn't seem like the teams that basically play by the same recruiting rules can automatically expect to play for a conference championship every year.
With the year behind us and a little perspective, I am give Bo an A- for the year.
For great seasons, lots of things need to line up. Key injuries, the right schedule, a lucky bounce here or there and new players stepping up all play into it. What would Wisconsin's record have been this year without Wilson? What would NU's season have looked like if they played Wisconsin without Wilson, or if Crick and Dennard had been healthy all season and one of the new CB's had stepped up early in the season? If reliable Rex doesn't fumble on the goal line do we lose to Northwestern? Even the Michigan game could have turned out differently except for the phantom roughing the kicker penalty. There's just a ton of variables in games greatly influenced by emotional swings. Ohio States dominance the last 10 years lined up with a downturn at Michigan. Heck, NU's dominance in the 90's was certainly helped by a big OU crash during the same period. If Michigan had been Michigan or OU had been OU, those glory years don't look quite the same.
And to top it off, college football seems to be so much more emotion than NFL football, that facing any hyped up team when your team is flat can mean trouble i.e. ISU beating OSU, Purdue beating OSU. LSU and Alabama have minimized the variables by over signing in an already talent rich recruiting area, but it doesn't seem like the teams that basically play by the same recruiting rules can automatically expect to play for a conference championship every year.
With the year behind us and a little perspective, I am give Bo an A- for the year.
