Bo Pelini met with the media yesterday at 11:00 am, and in the process didn't glare at anyone or threaten to kill them. According to the transcript, he only said the word "process" three times. He never said the word "execute" at all. If it wasn't for him saying "competition" six times, I'd be wondering who the heck this guy was and what the athletic department had done with the real Bo Pelini.
Summary:
Cole Pensick, Justin Jackson, Mark Pelini, and Ryne Reeves will compete for the center position to replace Mike Caputo. Spencer Long will stay at guard, as Pelini said "I think taking an All-Conference performer and moving him isn't something we want to do right now." My bet is on Ryne Reeves. Yours?
Pelini stated about Braylon Heard moving to cornerback is that he is athletic enough that he could play several positions - running back, wide receiver, and cornerback. Here's to hoping this isn't just a coach talking up one of his players in spring.
Nebraska needs to replace offensive tackles Jermarcus Hardrick and Marcel Jones. Pelini feels good about Jeremiah Sirles and Tyler Moore, and he should. You could probably pencil Sirles and Moore in as starters, barring injury. Depth will be key here - who's going to provide the depth at tackle - that will be the biggest question mark at the tackle position.
Someone asks about Jamal Turner and taking reps at quarterback. Uh, shouldn't we first be more concerned about Turner getting more reps at wide receiver before worrying about whether or not he can play quarterback?
Alonzo Whaley and David Santos - They've grown, matured as players, blah blah, and typical coach stuff that they're athletic. Can they play? We'll find out if they can play linebacker. Not quarterback.
Mike Marrow will play fullback. And running back. No one asked if he'll take snaps at the quarterback position. What's up with that?
They'll try to get the ball to Ameer Abdullah and Aaron Green more often, probably as they're taking snaps at quarterback, but certainly not while they're handing the ball off to them or throwing them a pass out of the backfield. Those things are for new fangled teams, not teams that run the triple option from the 1980s.
Rex Burkhead already knows how to play quarterback. He doesn't need snaps. He just does it so don't bother asking.
Khiry Cooper is no longer on the team. He is graduating, and it was his choice to not be on the team anymore. My guess - he was a fairly high MLB draft choice when he decided to come to Nebraska. He'll probably want to pursue a baseball career if he can.
The spring game will be televised by BTN in some capacity. I doubt it'll be live.
They'll play the spring without a defensive line. Chase Rome, Kevin Williams, and Thaddeus Randle will miss spring practice. Or a few days. Todd Peat has a back problem that will cause him to miss spring. Jake Cotton is out. None of them will take snaps at quarterback, at least not until fall.
Bronson Marsh will take snaps at quarterback. So will cheerleaders. John Papuchis, the new defensive coordinator, might take snaps at quarterback, but when he does, Tim Beck will only call quarterback sneaks.
Pelini talked about how he likes his new coaches and having coaches who will disagree with him. Then someone asks why he wants coaches who disagree with him. Apparently, this is a new media member who hasn't figured out that Bo Pelini likes to argue. The new media member will be taking snaps at quarterback. No one will block for him, but they haven't told him that part yet. He's excited about his opportunity - why ruin it for him?
No one asks if Taylor Martinez will be taking snaps at quarterback. I would have, just to make sure there's no mistake about where this team is heading. So far, everyone is taking snaps at quarterback except the quarterback. We're going to go 1-11 this season. I feel it already.
Not a single damned media member asked about when Pelini will be handing out Black Shirts. What's with these guys?
Then we get to this bit:
On if Pelini would change uniforms to help recruiting
"I don't know. It depends what the uniform looked like and depends on the kid. I don't know how much that stuff helps or hurts you. It probably depends on the kid. Let's face it, if a kid is coming to our team based on the uniform, then he probably needs to reevaluate his priorities. It is all a part of it. Have I considered that? I look at everything that is brought to us. We make those decisions as a group."
I love Pelini's answer on that question, but what is it with the obsession with uniforms? Will Nebraska not win a Big Ten title because their uniforms are traditional? Will the most fabulous thing in the world never come to Lincoln because the team doesn't wear a shiny outfit? Some would have us believe so.
That kid with misplaced priorities who wants to wear a new outfit? That guy would so be the best at taking snaps at quarterback. Damn the luck.