Serious question to the recruiting nerds

[jedburks]

I got into a semi heated debate last night with a friend about Bo and Dantonio and who has done a better job. He is stuck on wins and losses and I look at development and progress along with wins and losses. It is my opinion that Bo came into a much better situation with not just the quality of the program but also the talent on the roster than Dantonio did. Yes Billy C was an awful head coach but he brought in talent. Even though I hate recruiting rankings and star bullshit, can someone look up and tell me what kind of rankings Nebraska had 3-4 years previous to Bo and same for Michigan St 3-4 years previous to Dantonio?

 

[Red_Alert]

Pelini took over in 2008
Dantonio took over in 2007


From Scout.com

2003

Nebraska - 28th
Mich St -....96th

2004

Nebraska - 38th
Mich St -.. 13th

2005

Nebraska - 10th
Mich St -....40th

2006

Nebraska - 29th
Mich St -....43rd

2007

Nebraska - 21st
Mich St -....51st

2008

Nebraska - 21st
Mich St -....56th

2009

Nebraska - 33rd
Mich St -....37th

2010

Nebraska - 29th
Mich St -....32nd

2011

Nebraska - 19th
Mich St -....27th

2012

Nebraska - 49th
Mich St -....37th

2013 (Currently true freshman on campus)

Nebraska - 11th
Mich St -....45th

 

[jedburks]

Thank you. Can you also look up what Cincinnati did starting in 2000 until 2004?

His first head coaching gig for 3 years at Cincy was pedestrian but the players he apparently brought in then went on a terror under Brian Kelly. Dantonio built that stretch for Kelly.

 

[Red_Alert]

I can only go back to 2002 on Scout.com

Cincinnati

2002 - 95th
2003 - 84th
2004 - 75th

 

[jedburks]

 

[Red_Alert]

Going back 4 years prior to each coach taking over their program, their current class average rankings are...

Pelini -..... 26th
Dantonio - 43rd

 

[jedburks]

Yeah, I kind of figured I would do the ranking of the 4 years previous including the 2007 ranking for Dantonio and 2008 for Bo since much of those classes were probably at least started by the previous coach. So the 5 year averge is Nebraska 23.8 and Michigan St 48.6. Since they have been fully entrenched it is 28.2 for Nebraska in 5 years and 39 for Michigan St in 6 years.

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

Dantonio is the shit.

He is the most underappreciated coach in the country. All you gotta do when you watch his team play is focus on the trenches.....that's where all the magic happens.

 

[jedburks]

I agree JJM, he is a fantastic coach!!!!

 

[Red_Alert]

Yeah, I kind of figured I would do the ranking of the 4 years previous including the 2007 ranking for Dantonio and 2008 for Bo since much of those classes were probably at least started by the previous coach. So the 5 year averge is Nebraska 23.8 and Michigan St 48.6. Since they have been fully entrenched it is 28.2 for Nebraska in 5 years and 39 for Michigan St in 6 years.

The optimist would say that since it took 7 years (with the lesser talent) for Dantonio to win the Big 10 outright, a BCS game, and end the season with at least a #3 ranking, that next year Bo should play for the NCG.

amirite?

 

[Red_Alert]

What has Dantonio done that Pelini hasn't and claims he won't do?

Replace a high level staff member.

Dantonio fired his Offensive Coordinator after the 2012 season and replaced him with Jim Bollman in the spring of 2013.

It took Bollman about 6 games to get their offense clicking, but it was the missing piece.

 

[jedburks]

My friend also kept saying that I would have wanted Dantonio fired after last year's 7 win season.

Well considering what he lost from 2011 and losing 6 games by a total of 30 points with 5 of those losses being by 13 points, I would say he was at least competitive. Plus what RA alluded to where he actually saw a problem on his team and fixed it!!!

 

[blkflagmafia]

dantonio is severely underrated as is pat narduzzi they will never have a sexy recruiting class but they play hard don't make many mistakes and won't get blown out. last 2 big blowouts the cap1 bowl vs an angry Bama team and us back in 2011. If we had narduzzi as DC I would gulp the Kool aid like there was no tomorrow.

msu before dan. came was a mess worse than what Billy c left it but Billy c had talent waiting to be used aka suh hagg prince etc.

 

[Papalou]

Dantonio is one guy I wish we could get but I think he is loyal to a fault to the MSU job.

 

[jedburks]

Dantonio is one guy I wish we could get but I think he is loyal to a fault to the MSU job.

I think he could be stolen but I just don't think he would jump in conference.

 

[Footballnut]

Pat Nadurzzi is one of the best defensive developers in the nation. Their three best defenders this year (Calhoun, Dennard, and Bullough) we 2 and 3 star players. He does better with the raw talent than the developed talent. Worthy and Gholston were pretty highly rated but neither developed into the all-americans many thought they would.

Nebraska's defense will be pretty dang salty in the next few years. For all Dantonio has done at MSU he wouldn't have lasted here. A couple 7-6 seasons can roast a coach in Nebraska. He's in the perfect place for him to succeed. Also... Nadurzzi is from Youngstown as well.

The thing about recruiting is it really isn't ALL about getting the best players, it's about getting the best talent that fits YOUR system. Bo didn't do that in 08-2010 and it killed us in our depth, he's gotten a bit better at it late but he doesn't necissarily need the 4 and 5-star guys. Just need guys that actually fit what he wants to do. LeRoy Alexander is a great example of that.