1. It's not so much dropping 8 as it is a bend-don't-break style + not disguising the scheme. Sitake himself has publicly complained that the D stays on the field too long. We drop 7-10 yards back and give up chunks of yards and very long drives basically every game which limits offensive possessions. It's deflating and depressing to watch, and I think it's that way not just for fans but also prospective players.
2. We don't know if he's a good recruiter or not. I suspect most of the big gets are Sitake's skill, not Tuiaki's.
3. Nobody knows who would want his DC position at this stage. I wouldn't be against giving someone else a shot that can be innovative and help win games vs just not trying to give up big plays. With B12 $, we should be more enticing to up and coming coaching talent.
4. Lots of coaches get replaced every year. Nebraska is the absolute worst case scenario. Lots of good changes have happened at other programs.
5. Our defense under Tuiaki has almost every year gotten rolled by not-awesome competition, and his answer is typically they weren't prepared. I suspect that will always be the case.