LINCOLN (Neb.) Coach Scott Frost admitted that this year's performance was far below his expectations despite being under increasing pressure from Nebraska.
Frost stated Monday that he thought it would pop this year at his weekly news conference.
The Cornhuskers are currently 3-6 overall and last in the Big Ten West at 1-5. They will be playing No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday.
Fans and media speculate that Frost is on the verge of losing in Minnesota, followed by Purdue's home loss.
He was hired in December 2017, which was widely celebrated. He is a Nebraska native, and he quarterbacked Nebraska's Huskers to a 1997 national championship. In 2017, he returned to Lincoln after leading Central Florida in a 13-0 season in 2017.
Frost is currently 15-26 with Huskers. He has never won more that three Big Ten games in one season. They are 6-10 against Illinois and Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, and winless against Iowa.
To be eligible for bowl eligibility, Nebraska would need to beat Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Nebraska, despite having won their regular-season finale, decided not to participate this bowl season because the COVID-19 pandemic had changed eligibility rules.
"I think we all know that we have to win. Frost stated that the wins will take care of everything. Frost stated, "And despite all of the improvements that I've witnessed, that hasn’t improved. We've played some very good teams, and have had a difficult schedule. We have to finish them."
Trev Alberts is the new athletic director. He was a star Husker defensive player in the 1990s and has supported Frost in public comments, but not committed to the future.
Frost answered a question about speculation surrounding his status and said, "You know, it's not something I pay attention to." It's hard to ignore. Six games into my first season, an article was written about me -- we won the UCF championship and lost six of our six at home -- and they were already writing stuff.
As a coach, you learn to not pay attention to this. It is my duty to my children to give them everything. We do, too, coaches. The kids are giving us everything because of our relationships with them. It doesn't matter what else. "We can only control the things we can control."
Because most of their defensive starters are back, the Huskers should be playing better and have an experienced fourth-year quarterback in Adrian Martinez.
Although the defense is not at the top of the Big Ten, it has kept the Huskers in many games. Martinez is known for his fumbling and throwing interceptions, as well as making poor decisions at the worst times.
Since 2018, the Huskers have been 5-18 in one score games, and Frost repeatedly stated that he believes the program will turn the corner.
Frost stated, "I don’t want to go overboard here, but it is true that I’m very excited about the remainder of this year." "I am really excited for next year. I hope we get it. We should, I believe. We have a lot of young men coming back, so it's a good idea. This could be a great thing.
He said that the hardest part of waiting was the waiting.
"Unfortunately, you had a mindset when you got here that we've lost a lot," he stated, referring specifically to the six losses suffered under former coach Mike Riley. "Winning is a way of life. Losing is a pattern. It is possible to break this cycle. It takes just a few wins in succession. It's all I want for these guys."
The recruiting aspect of Nebraska's situation is also important, but not in a positive way. The Cornhuskers aren't yet in ESPN's Top 40 2022 class, while the 2021 class was at No. 29.
This report was contributed by The Associated Press.
