Nebraska football prepared to play independent schedule if Big Ten cancels season
By John Buhler
Scott Frost and Nebraska football might be willing to go rogue in 2020.
Scott Frost and Nebraska football may go straight up Leroy Jenkins on Big Ten football in 2020.
The Big Ten has informally announced its plans to cancel its 2020 10-game, conference-only season. The Power 5 conference will formally announce its plans to punt on 2020 on Tuesday, barring a last-ditch effort to change the university president’s minds. Only two Big Ten teams voted in favor of playing this fall: The Iowa Hawkeyes and Frost’s Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Frost is already a legend in Lincoln from his time quarterbacking the ‘Huskers under the iconic Tom Osborne in the mid-1990s. Now back leading his alma mater, Frost spoke with the media over Zoom on Monday. It sounds crazy, but he’s not ruling out the ‘Huskers going rogue and doing their own thing independently of the Big Ten this fall, even if Nebraska football’s hands are tied.
Frost on playing if the Big Ten cancels: Wants to play a Big Ten schedule, but "we're prepared to look for other options."
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 10, 2020
"Our University is committed to playing no matter what, no matter what that looks like and how that looks. We want to play no matter who it is or where it is."#Huskers HC Scott Frost on opponents for 2020. pic.twitter.com/kTPN9znv0v
— Huskers Radio Network (@HuskersRadio) August 10, 2020
Scott Frost says his players feel safe at Nebraska. "The head coach’s responsibility is to fight for what we want. Our players want to play. Our coaches want to coach."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Frost: "The virus is here either way. And I would contend that our players are safer here."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Frost: "I’m passionate about this because I care about our players."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Frost: "If I had a son (old enough), I'd want him playing football."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Frost: "I think our university is committed to playing football any way that we possibly can regardless of what anyone else does." If Nebraska can't play in the Big Ten, he says, they're prepared to look at different options.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Frost: "It seems like we’re looking for a lot of reasons to not play."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Adrian Martinez: "I can say for sure that we want to play."
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 10, 2020
Scott Frost spoke with confidence, conviction about Nebraska playing ball.
Frost is not alone on fighting for his players’ right to play in the Big Ten this year. Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh issued out a statement about why he wants his team to play. Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is fighting as hard as he can to go to bat for his players. Keep in mind Harbaugh and Day don’t have the support of their university presidents.
Whether Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been at the forefront of the #WeWantToPlay movement, as well his rival in Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields, or SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey having the courage to say that his Power 5 conference is still trying, this is the type of leadership we have craved from college athletics seemingly forever.
This is not an easy situation for anybody involved in college football these days. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, but the other leagues in North America have either returned or plan to return. While the NCAA has hidden behind the outdated cliche of amateurism, the sooner Mark Emmert resigns, the better. He has proven to be painfully and disgustingly worthless at his job.
Frost may have no choice in the matter, but he’s going to do his damnedest to coach some ball.
Next. 10 college football rivalries dying a slow death. dark
For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.