If Scott Frost wants to remain at Nebraska, emulating James Franklin’s rise at Penn State should be his example to follow
Leading up to the season, Nebraska fans heard ad nauseam that year four was critical for Scott Frost. The coach who was once thought to be the man who would lead the program back to relevance, was now thought to be in danger of losing the program.
Going 12-20 his first three seasons, speculation was if Frost couldn’t change things around in year four, who could restore Nebraska? Could it be restored at all?
To save the his job, media types mentioned that Scott Frost would need to at least get Nebraska back to .500 football. A bowl birth would be the cherry on top, as the Cornhuskers haven’t been in post-season play since the 2016 season.
To say this year started off rocky would be understatement. Even before the first kick of the season, news broke that Nebraska was under NCAA investigation for improper use of analysts and practices. No one knows how that will turn out, or even what authority the NCAA will hold after they restructure their governing body.
Then the Cornhuskers took the field against Illinois, a program that has been one of the worst programs in the Big Ten these past few years, and lost 30-22. Immediately following the game, articles were written carrying a mood of another lost season and bleak outlook for the future.
Nebraska would improve to 2-1 by playing inferior competition before traveling to #3 Oklahoma. That game, which saw Nebraska enter as a heavy underdog, might have been the start of a turnaround for this program.
Nebraska would push Oklahoma all game, never looking severely outmatched. The Sooners would ultimately prevail, 23-16, but Nebraska fans and those who saw the game came away impressed by the fight and effort the Huskers showed.
The following week Nebraska would travel to #20 Michigan State, who was one of the hottest teams in the country. The Huskers would fall 23-20, but not before taking the Spartans to overtime. Once more, Nebraska showed the effort required to compete with a top team.
Then last week, Nebraska hosted Northwestern. The Wildcats this year are far off from the form they showed last season when they won the West Division. Would Nebraska play down to their competition, or continue their level of play?
A definitive answer would come in a 56-7 Nebraska rout.
Three consecutive weeks of solid play. Three consecutive weeks of effort. Clean up some areas in execution and Nebraska may have already pulled off an upset or two.
Scott Frost has been trying to build the program back up to a winning standard. Any program that wins on a regular basis will point to consistent effort and execution, no matter who the opponent is.
Frost has yet to beat a ranked team since returning to Lincoln. He has faced more questions about his job security than anything else since his return. That wasn’t too different than what James Franklin at Penn State went through before the 2016 season.
Franklin took over Penn State in 2014. He would finish his first season 7-6, having beaten no ranked teams. The 2015 season produced the same record, and again no wins against ranked opponents.
After week four in 2016, Penn State sat at 2-2. They were coming off a shellacking at the hands of then #4 Michigan, 49-10. Articles and fans were asking if Franklin was the right guy to lead this program, as year three looked to be headed for another mediocre finish.
Week eight would see Penn State host #2 Ohio State. In what was expected to be another blowout by a top team, The Nittany Lions would pull the upset, 24-21.
The win would flip the trajectory for Penn State, not just in terms of their season, but also the narrative surrounding James Franklin. He would finally have a signature win, something he would use to springboard the program forward.
For Scott Frost, this weekend may be his opportunity to do the same at Nebraska.
Nebraska hosts the #9 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. Once more the Cornhuskers face a ranked opponent, and a team many in the media are eager to crown as back.
The recent play of the Cornhuskers provides hope that they may be able to hang with Michigan. The longer a team can hang around, the more the possibility of an upset lingers.
After coming close against Oklahoma and Michigan State, it could be as they say, the third time’s the charm.
Should Frost and Nebraska succeed, it would be that signature win both he and the program have been looking for since his return. A win that Frost could use to validate his efforts rebuilding Nebraska, and use to lure elite talent to Lincoln.
Of course, Nebraska would have to continue to win after Saturday as well. However, first things first.
Beat Michigan Saturday, and start changing the narrative.