1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - What defense Nebraska should run: December 2, 11:45am

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

Over the years, Nebraska has tried everything, but what defense should the Cornhuskers' run in 2026?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

if you're hiring that's a coordinator because now we need one what are you looking for Bach? I mean personally I would you know and it depends on what Matt Rule is looking for obviously

but I personally would look for somebody you always kind of hire against what's not been working for you. Somebody has a proven track record in the Big Ten specifically stopping the run because that was the problem that they've had this past year. But I mean, so yeah, that's where I would start.

And I don't know, you know, the 3.35 thing, all kind of debating whether you stick with that or not. There's, there's, you've got to be multiple in, in whatever defense you're running, you know, oftentimes they had four men down front. Now, a lot of times you have a four down front with a 215 pound edge rusher in this, in this typical system that they, that they kind of ran here. But so, I mean, that's what, what I would look for if I was looking at a proven track record of stopping the run.

the big ten so somebody that's proven tracker for stopping the run the big ten would be top six the top third of the big ten right what makes you think a defensive coordinator would leave a top six program to come to Nebraska well again that's why people throw out the the gym linerge or somebody out there that's not currently doing it um what usually works is money uh you'd have to pay a lot money we've already been down that road we've done that doesn't work it doesn't work But the problem is, too, is there's just so many, Nebraska's done everything in the last, you know, since the soldiers. And again, I like to take Polini's era out of it because that was rather successful. But they've tried just about anything.

It doesn't mean that the next situation is not going to work if you do the same thing. It's just that that didn't necessarily work. I guess my concern here is just do you trust now Matt Rule to make the right assistant coach higher, specifically coordinators, considering it's been rocky here with that decision so far. How many defensive coordinators has he had in his three years? This will be his third and four years. This will be his third and four years. How many office coordinators?

Do you count co-offensive coordinators that don't get an opportunity to be an office coordinator when the first office coordinator is fired? I'm just pointing out, we have to define something. You have to define success so to know whether somebody's doing a good job or not. Right? And if we don't know what that is, and then to understand that all these names that people are thrown out, quite frankly,

one, you're making a large assumption is that they want to come to Nebraska and they want to work from that rule. And there's talent enough here for them to do what they're good at when they get here. That's specifically the Jim Leonard problem. I know he's not, you know, he's the assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos, by the way.

Right. So, but I don't think he's been sitting back waiting for the Nebraska job to come open, void of a front seven that is going to demand you to stop the run in a pressure pierfield year four. I don't think that's the golden opportunity has been sitting back waiting for to get back to the college. Cubsker, those people that you mentioned,

who said they want to come back to the rest? Like, there's just, you just throw it. Understand that there has to be a reason and then they have to, Matt Ruhl has to want them on his staff. Two, they have to believe that Nebraska is the right place. for them, for the right amount of money, for the right

period of time, and they also have to believe that Nebraska has or can easily get the type of talent to run whatever defensive scheme they're brought in to do the way that they're brought in to do it.

And guess what? Whoever the coordinator is, he has to win next year. There's no ramp-up time. There's no warm-up stretch or hamstring. You got to come in and, Hey, Bach, what is the current defensive ranking of note for Nebraska currently? I think there's a couple of interesting ones. They're number two in the nation and past defense.

They're 23rd in total defense. The top 25 total defense, obviously the ones that people are going to look at that would say, okay, this is why getting rid of Butler, 95th in rushing defense, 53rd in points. But, you know, and that's what that, I think a big part of it is did it fall out, right? Right. Was whatever they were holding up, did it fall out at the end of the year? and that's why you make that decision because going into the Penn State Week,

this was a top 25 points per game defense. Now it's down to 53rd. Like, tell me what numbers are acceptable. Tell me what points per game, yards per game, et cetera. Tell me what's acceptable. That's going to help this program go from seven wins to the one win per year isn't enough. So nine, let's say nine years, right? Is that fair?

Nine wins? They need to get to nine wins? Yeah, we'll get back to that standard. You're going to get a nine wins? Is that the standard? I think that's the standard for a program that's fired two nine-win coaches. It feels bad for it. Yeah, I think that's the standard.

I just want to know what we're dealing with. That's all I'm just here. I don't have to have the answers. I just need to get to the right question. Bach, thank you, kinds of our listeners. Thank you all for hanging out for an hour and a character, the big guy. The walls are rumbling characters in the house.