Welcome to the Hot Topic, a weekly feature that poses a key question about the Nebraska football team. On the "Life in the Red Podcast," Luke Mullin and Amie Just will discuss a topic heading into that week's game, and a transcription of the conversation will appear in the Journal Star's Huskers section.
What is Nebraska’s offensive identity right now?
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýGood question and I don't know the answer; I really don't. They look different in every game, they're doing something different in every game and we don't know who their running back is — they're using the stable that they have. They're trying to pass, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I don't know.
Luke:Â The best explanation I can give is that it's kind of like a pro-style offense.
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýIs it?
People are also reading…
³¢³Ü°ì±ð:ÌýIt's a multiple offense.
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýIs it?
³¢³Ü°ì±ð:ÌýThey do a lot of different things.
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýBut is that a recipe for winning?
³¢³Ü°ì±ð:ÌýObviously last year's (Nebraska) offense was not good, but you knew what they were going to do. They were going to run the ball, they were going to run the quarterback, they were going to run the option; they weren't going to throw for a lot and it wasn't a great formula, but they have an identity.
And this year's team, I just don't see it from them. It does change every week and yes, the opponent you're playing against dictates a lot, but you talk about establishing the run and they haven't done it all year. It's clearly not part of their offensive identity if you haven't done it all year yet.
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýAnd that's a problem.
³¢³Ü°ì±ð:ÌýThis is not the time of the year where you need to be talking about offensive identity (with) a second-year coaching staff, second-year coordinator. (Nebraska) brought in a lot of talent this year and brought in Glenn Thomas who you hoped was going to coach those quarterbacks up and get this offense firing. It's not a case where this offense is completely lost — they do those moments.
´¡³¾¾±±ð:ÌýThey have a ton of great playmakers. What gets lost in the mess of a game last week was that Thomas Fidone, by and large, had a good game. It was the best, most productive game of the season for him and that's what they've been harping on all year is that they need to get him more involved. Why are you waiting until this week to get him more involved?
He should have been more involved from the beginning. You know he's a weapon, you know he's hard to guard and is really good on crossing routes; go there.
³¢³Ü°ì±ð:ÌýThey talk about they've got a lot of mouths to feed — every offense has that issue. A lot of offenses find a way to utilize those playmakers, and guess what, the team that they're playing this week, Ohio State, certainly does.