Bo Pelini's 5 New Year's Resolutions

This is the time of year when people try to forget what they did wrong in 2011 and look forward to a new beginning in 2012.

Some people start the New Year with resolutions of losing weight, saving money, quitting an addiction or just trying to be a better person. Maybe Nebraska’s Head Coach Bo Pelini has some of those same New Year’s resolutions, but I am going to look at what his New Year’s resolutions should be in regards to the Nebraska football team.

Here are five New Year’s resolutions Bo Pelini should make for the year 2012...

Win Capital One Bowl

Pelini’s first New Year’s resolution should not take him long to accomplish.

Nebraska will play South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl on January 2. After Nebraska laid an egg against Washington in last year’s Holliday Bowl (lost 19-7), Pelini should have a goal of winning bowl games like he did in the past.

Before last season Pelini was 2-0 as the head coach with wins in the 2008 Gator Bowl over Clemson and in the 2009 Holliday Bowl over Arizona. Pelini also won the Alamo Bowl as the interim head coach for the Cornhuskers in 2003 with a win over Michigan State.

What happened in last year’s Holiday against Washington was inexcusable. Nebraska has already beaten the Huskies on their own field 56-21. Nebraska was unprepared for the game and their play on the field showed it.

Pelini must have his team ready for a tough South Carolina team. The Gamecocks are the toughest team Nebraska has faced in a bowl game under Pelini.

If Pelini wants to accomplish his first New Year’s resolution, his Cornhuskers must take care of business January 2 in the Capital One Bowl.

Recruit Better Players

Nebraska had talent all over the field in Pelini’s first three seasons at Nebraska.

The defense included players who were drafted into the NFL. The list of players Pelini coached who were drafted into the NFL includes: Ndamukong Suh, Prince Amukamara, DeJon Gomes, Eric Hagg, Niles Paul, and Alex Henery.

None of these players were recruited by Pelini.

The problem with Nebraska in 2011 was a lack of talent. Yes, Nebraska was forced to play many players who are young, but players have stepped onto the field as freshmen for the Cornhuskers before and provided results for the team.

Maybe the 2011 recruiting class will turn out to be a good one for Nebraska, but their play this year has Cornhuskers fans wanting more. Nebraska must bring in better talent if they want to compete for championships.

Pelini’s second New Year’s resolution could be completed on February 1. That is the initial signing day for high school football players. Nebraska will know the recruits who intend to play for the Cornhuskers in 2012 on that day.

According to Rivals.com, Nebraska currently has the No. 38 ranked recruiting class in college football. That is not good for a school with the tradition like the Cornhuskers.

Pelini still has time to complete the recruiting process and move Nebraska up the list. Some of the highly ranked recruits Nebraska is targeting include: Quanzell Lambert (LB), Jordan Diggs (S), Polo Manukainiu (DE), Andrus Peat (T), and Devin Fuller (QB/Ath).

If Pelini is able to land most of the players on this list, Nebraska will shoot up the recruiting rankings and Pelini’s second New Year’s resolution will be completed.

Prove He Is the Best Defensive Coach in College Football

Pelini has always been known as one of the best defensive minds in college football. While coaching at Nebraska Pelini always had his brother Carl to help him coach the defense. Carl Pelini took the head coaching position at Florida Atlantic, which resulted in the promotion of defensive line coach John Papuchis to become the new defensive coordinator at Nebraska.

The hiring of Papuchis over a more established defensive coach such as Mike Stoops or Ron Zook shows that Bo Pelini intends to have full control of the defense in 2012.

Pelini has always had control of Nebraska’s defense, but in 2012 he will not have other established defensive minds to work with. Papuchis is a good hire for the Cornhuskers, but he does not have the experience of other defensive coaches Pelini has worked with such as Carl Pelini or Brent Venables at Oklahoma.

Pelini brought in Iowa’s defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski to coach Nebraska’s defensive line. Kaczenski has put together some of the best defensive lines in college football while at the University of Iowa.

Pelini will need to work with Papuchis and Kaczenski to prove he is still the best defensive mind in college football and accomplish his third New Year’s resolution.

Win the Big Ten Championship

Before the 2011 season began Pelini was set on winning championships at Nebraska. After the win against Iowa, Pelini said in his postgame press conference that Nebraska football is not all about winning championships.

I do not think Pelini believes that Nebraska football is not about winning championships. I believe he made that statement to quiet the media and take some pressure off of his team.

The truth is, Nebraska football is about winning championships.

Trips to the Capital One Bowl are nice, but it does not meet the expectations of most Nebraska fans.

Pelini has been close to bringing a championship to Nebraska. His Cornhuskers lost close games against Texas and Oklahoma in his final two seasons in the Big Twelve Conference. If one play would have gone differently in either game, Pelini could be celebrating back-to-back conference championships.

In 2012 Nebraska will be one of the favorites to win the Legends Division in the Big Ten Conference.

Pelini will avoid having letdowns against teams his Cornhuskers should beat if he wants to bring a championship to Nebraska. If Pelini can keep his team motivated for every game, Nebraska will win the Big Ten Championship in 2012 and Pelini can cross resolution No. 4 off his list.

Be Nice to Husker Fans and the Media

The last resolution has been on Pelini’s list for many years.

Each year Pelini intends to have a good relationship with Nebraska fans and the media, but after some dumb questions Pelini just cannot take it anymore. He has the occasional melt down in a press conference where he argues with a member from the local media or he makes a comment about how he does not care what the fans think.

The 2011 press conference melt down came when the Omaha World Herald writer, Dirk Chatelain questions the character of Nebraska’s quarterback Taylor Martinez. Pelini stood behind his player and refused to answer any more questions from Chatelain.

How long will it take for Pelini to get into an argument with the media in a postgame press conference in 2012?

I think Pelini will try to have a good relationship with the Nebraska fans and the media, but this will be his hardest resolution to keep.

If he can make good on four out of the five resolutions, Nebraska fans should be happy. It doesn't matter if the coach does not like the fans or the media, as long as the Cornhuskers keep winning games.

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