I wasn't implying that the D was good enough this year…just that there was improvement and that they were playing with pretty much the same players from the 1-11 season.  There is no denying that everythig on this team has to get A LOT better, but to say that Pelini should be fired after 1 season (or even 2) is silly.  It took years of neglect to get to 1-11.  Nobody should have thought it was going to get better overnight.

If the DL is better, it will help the secondary create more turnovers. Also, if the DL was able to apply more pressure and get to the QB in the backfield it would negate the biggest problem the defense has, that's a running QB.

Can we retire this thread…I think it has been proven that the SUPER majority does not believe Pelini should be fired.  And for the the very small and very LOUD vocal minority who thinks Pelini should be fired…unless you give $10's of MILLIONS of dollars to the athletic program (i.e. Pickens, Knight, etc.) and you are going to write the check for the buy-out…you are just going to be a miserable person for the next 3 or so years because we are not going to fire him.

Now if we want to keep discussing the defense (or lack there of) I have no problem debating that…but lets start a new thread.  I say we don't even respond to the fire Pelini crowd…lets leave him in here by himself!

I agree with Pelini's assessment of the demise of the player quality has to do with the postponement of facilities. Every class for 10 years was promised a stadium. At what point do you stop believing the sales pitch and who would want to play in an old municiple HS stadium?

I think Pelini did a good job in his first year especially considering he has the same players that went 1-11. Cristobal went 1-11 in his first year. I have no idea why the panthers disintegrated this year but they steadily improved after Cristobal took over.

illinoisowl said

I have no idea why the panthers disintegrated this year but they steadily improved after Cristobal took over.

Injuries, TY Hilton is gone (rare recruit that stays home with SEC offers), college football is cyclical.

walty12 said

illinoisowl said

I have no idea why the panthers disintegrated this year but they steadily improved after Cristobal took over.

Injuries, TY Hilton is gone (rare recruit that stays home with SEC offers), college football is cyclical.

All very true, AND Cristoballs sucks!

walty12 said

illinoisowl said

I have no idea why the panthers disintegrated this year but they steadily improved after Cristobal took over.

Injuries, TY Hilton is gone (rare recruit that stays home with SEC offers), college football is cyclical.

TY Hilton's other offer was from West Virginia. Also, the offense was not the problem. The offense was actually better this year. The problem was the defense. The defense was believed to be the strength of this team. It was returning 21 of 22 on the 2-Deep, yet they were much worse than last year. Losing TY is not what doomed this team. Poor game planning and a Swiss cheese defense doomed FIU.

I really don't think Butch Davis is gonna be much better. The guy couldn't do squat at UNC. A BCS program. I at least thought he was going to take them to the ACC championship game once or twice. Sorry FIU but you're still our lil brother.

Owl_Ranger said

I really don't think Butch Davis is gonna be much better. The guy couldn't do squat at UNC. A BCS program. I at least thought he was going to take them to the ACC championship game once or twice. Sorry FIU but you're still our lil brother.

Are you high?

Butch Davis churned out talent there. Dude has an eye for talent and develops it very well.  He would be a problem with all of the talent in Miami and Broward.

2009 NFL Draft
Hakeem Nicks, first round pick (29th)

2011 NFL Draft
1 14 St. Louis Rams         Robert Quinn DE North Carolina ACC
2 40 Dallas Cowboys         Bruce Carter LB North Carolina ACC
2 52 New York Giants Marvin Austin DT North Carolina ACC
2 59 Cleveland Browns Greg Little  WR North Carolina ACC

2012 NFL Draft
1 16 New York Jets         Quinton Coples DE North Carolina ACC
2 52 Tennessee Titans Zach Brown LB North Carolina ACC

No doubt that Davis can find talent the problem is he never won big with any of it Larry C had to win with Butch's talent UNC did improve under him they did no real winning. RON ZOOK that who he is.