Paul Finebaum: Scott Frost, Nebraska can make a statement against Ohio State

Scott Frost continues to set records in his fourth season as Nebraska’s head football coach, none of which are positive.

Frost has amassed just a 15-26 overall record since taking over the Cornhuskers program in 2018, and his .366 win percentage ranks him No. 20 out of the 26 to ever coach a game in Lincoln. Furthermore, Frost’s Cornhuskers, now just 3-6 in the 2021 campaign, have only three more opportunities to save their head coach from falling into another record — unless Nebraska wins out, Frost will have amassed his fourth consecutive losing season at the helm, something that hasn’t happened at Nebraska since 1958-1961 under Bill Jennings.

Unfortunately, for Frost, avoiding another sub-.500 season won’t be easy with No. 6 Ohio State coming to town on Saturday. But ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is looking at the Nebraska-Ohio State game a bit differently; rather than suggesting that it’s Frost’s last hurrah, Finebaum sees it as an opportunity to potentially save his job at Nebraska.

“I mentioned the A&M game with Auburn, but I’m looking at one other game that’s catching my eye,” Finebaum said on The ESPN College Football Podcast, when asked what games he’s most excited for in Week 10. “I’m not predicting an upset, but it may be the last chance for Scott Frost to stamp a signature win on his career, and I don’t know what his status is [at Nebraska]. But with the Buckeyes coming in there, that is — I just find that to be a very intriguing game.”

Nebraska’s offense is producing at a relatively high level under Frost, averaging 470 yards per game. But the Cornhuskers’ -3 turnover ratio shows one of the many flaws in their 2021 season. Just last week, in a 28-23 loss to Purdue, Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez threw four interceptions, putting Frost’s offense in a tough position. Nebraska’s defense hasn’t been much better, either, allowing slightly over 348 yards per contest, playing the unit at No. 44 in the country. And as Nebraska welcomes Ohio State and perhaps the nation’s best offense, which averages 541 yards of total offense per game, things could get ugly.

“I think Ohio State wins, but I’m not like absolutely [certain]. I wouldn’t bet your house on it,” Finebaum said.

Perhaps Frost’s days at Nebraska are numbered, after leading the once-powerful Cornhuskers to just 15 wins in 41 games. Frost saw plenty of success in just two years at UCF, where he went 6-7 in 2016 and then 13-0 in 2017, but his success has hardly translated in the Big Ten.

“I am going to put the headline on Sunday morning — because that’s what I used to have to do on Saturdays — as ‘Buckeyes survive frosty night in Lincoln,'” Finebaum said.