Frost Warning?
PC: Britni Conrad
You Heard It Here Last
After perhaps the most over-hyped coaching addition of the college football offseason, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are 0-5 through their first four games for the first time in school history. Scott Frost, the Nebraska legend who won a national championship as a quarterback, was thought to be the program’s savior after a period of mediocrity.
After all, he took a winless UCF team and lead them to an undefeated season over the span of two years. Then sparked controversy over playoff selections since UCF didn’t get a chance at the national championship.
The Husker faithful seemed to think the Huskers would share a similar fate, being that they already had better recruits and a slightly better team coming in than Frost inherited at UCF.
Yet in their first game of the season, they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Colorado Buffaloes (I must admit, I was not heartbroken.) It seemed that Nebraska would win the game from the minute oddsmakers opened the line until CU’s game winning drive.
The second game was similarly heartbreaking, as Nebraska lost a narrow contest to Troy; a team that no one ever wants to lose to and a team that they were favored to beat by over a touchdown on the road.
Nebraska went to Michigan for their third game and got absolutely blown out 56-10. Their previous two have been closer, but they were far from winning either of those contests as well.
So why has a coach, who had so much success with seemingly less talent, not been able to deliver a single win thus far? Nebraska, despite not having a win and being handed a 56-10 loss, has actually kept pace with their opponents statistically. The Huskers just can’t seem to make the numbers count on important plays. They can’t seem to find it, whatever it is, when they truly need to.
Whether that be a 3rd and 2, or a defensive stand at the end of a game or even a good punt to flip field position.
Some might call this “bad luck” and some of the blame has to go to luck. But at a few critical points each game, one coaching decision can make all the difference.
If the Huskers had tipped just a few of these momentum-changing plays in their direction, they could easily be 2-2, and probably could be 3-1.
Instead, they’re left scratching their heads and fans are left wondering if the addition of a coach, who was perfect last year, was the right decision.
Tyler Dean is a senior studying finance and math.