I have been very impressed by the way Pelini has handled his players from the moment he arrived on campus. He ran off nobody, in sharp contrast to his predecessor. He announced open competition for positions during spring ball and really meant it. Now that competition has extended into fall practice, exactly as it should. Everybody earns playing time; nothing is freely granted.
For five years on the defensive side of the ball, we saw good athletes who could not or would not PLAY TOGETHER AS A UNIT. I suspect that players that are more readily buying into his system are now sitting in comfortable positions on the depth chart.