…and in no way addresses JLew’s prior statement on the current makeup of the NU defense.

For starters, anyone who gives a hoot about what Steve Sipple thinks really needs to step back and let that sink in…but that’s a conversation for another day.

I can’t believe we’re still even having this same tired conversation (hasn’t Callahan been coaching the Jets for two seasons now?!) But let me spell it out for everyone (so as not to be confused by the insane intimation that Suh is the only Callahan recruit of note on the current incarnation of the blackshirts):

Suh, Crick, Allen, Turner, Dillard, Asante, O’Hanlon, Hagg, Amukamara=Callahan recruits

Compton, Fisher, Gomes, Dennard=Pelini recruits

So yeah, that guy had no eye for talent…whatever, Mike. I realize that this all runs contrary to the axe you’ve ground down to a nub for several years now…but still, when 70% of the current starting defensive lineup was recruited by that bastard Callahan, well, let’s just say it sort of puts a huge dent into the theory you’re peddling here. That’s not even broaching the issue of your selective reasoning as to how four separate receivers (who each signed their letters of intent and sent them into Bill Callahan) now somehow don’t count as “Callahan recruits”. By your logic, I guess Sean Fisher needs moved to the Callahan ledger…since he committed in June of 2007—and being from Millard North, he was “probably coming to Nebraska anyway.” (I wonder if the fact that his dad was an NU letterwinner in the early 80’s technically makes him a TO recruit? But I digress.)

But I will wholeheartedly second meatybob’s thoughts here, on how talent development was among Callahan’s greatest weaknesses. But after two springs and a regular season and a half, I just have to ask when will the time come for us to comfortably examine Bo’s own ability to nurture talent (especially that of the side of the ball which lines up opposite to his own personal area of expertise)? In that regard, he seems to be currently suffering from his own divergent form of “Callahan syndrome”.

In reading this entire missive…it just seems incredibly weird to know that two years later, there are still people out there who willingly prop up the lame notion that there is no fault or blame to lay at the feet of the current coach/staff/players as long as we still have the Callahan regime to blame for whatever our current woes may be. (Oh, I stand corrected: at least we still have Shawn Watson to kick around.) It’s all quite reminiscent of the laughable examples of groupthink (primarily some now all-but-defunct message boards which shall not be named) that continued to berate Frank Solich & crew for several years into the Callahan experience. (So I guess in that light, it may be weird…but not “incredibly” so.)

But that actually really scares me to death…I want Bo and his staff to succeed so badly (as I did Callahan’s) but excusing current shortcomings as the fault of their predecessor is like a bad form of deja vu. I can only take solace in the fact that Bo seems to portray himself as being a lot more personally accountable for the entire team’s performance than Callahan ever did…so I can only hope that this situation will correct itself in time. Surely Bo would not fault current failures on the actions/decisions of the coach who preceded him…so why are so many Husker fans so eager to do so?! Take Bo at his word when he claims that “the buck stops here” or whatever. I don’t get how that can possibly be interpreted as an invitation to fire off 1,000+ words on one’s ruminations as to how “time has not reflected well on Bill Callahan’s work at Nebraska”. Yeah…the ship has sailed on that one. The time that did not reflect well on Bill Callahan’s work at Nebraska took place in 2007 and it is now part of the quickly fading past…so let’s just do ourselves a favor and leave it at that.

However, Mike’s sentiments really beg the question…if we light up OU this weekend (or do anything, for that matter, that can be perceived as “good” this season) I guess doing so would be primarily a result of the crappy players who you’d have us believe that Callahan supposedly wiffed on during his recruiting cycles!? In that way, I guess you just can’t have it both ways Husker Mike…you’d better hope we get drilled by the sooners, as it seems the only way you’ll be able to continue to clamor on with such nonsense concerning circumstances of days gone by.