Daily briefing: On Scott Frost and his QB, Florida’s AD and the CFP

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Credit to Scott Frost

It’s been a grueling year for Nebraska coach Scott Frost, but he deserves credit for the support he has given to, and the admiration with which he spoke of, beleaguered quarterback Adrian Martinez. Martinez, who will miss the Huskers’ season finale against Iowa because of a shoulder injury, has been just good enough to break Husker hearts for four years, this season (3-8) most of all. Martinez has persevered through fan frustration, through too many turnovers (30 career picks) and through playing much of this season with a broken jaw. “I admire and respect him,” Frost said Monday, “and he and I’ve been battling through a lot together, and I just appreciate who he is.” Bravo. Martinez can return in 2022 because of the pandemic exception. Kinda hope he does.

Another chance for Scott Stricklin

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin hired Dan Mullen away from Mississippi State after the 2017 season, and if Stricklin had it to do over again, he’d do the exact same thing. Mullen worked for Stricklin in Starkville. Mullen was a proven commodity, having had the Bulldogs ranked No. 1 for several weeks in 2014. Stricklin had decided to replace Jim McElwain, who took the Gators to two SEC East titles while proving the job was too big for him. Mullen turned out to be exactly the wrong guy. Stricklin gets to try again. Most athletic directors who have to fire a coach don’t get pushed out the door with him. I’d say it’s because the AD job is bigger than that, but, given that football pays the bills, it really isn’t. The ADs just get more slack.

Hey, CFP, provide rational explanations

I had a lot of fun at the expense of College Football Playoff selection committee chairman Gary Barta after he declared that the committee considered Michigan a “more complete team” than Michigan State just days after the Spartans defeated the Wolverines. And now that Michigan State has been exposed by Ohio State, maybe I should declare that Barta was right after all. Nope! If you’re going to say your committee decided essentially to veto the game result, you better produce a cogent explanation. Was it other data? If so, what? Provide an explanation that doesn’t leave the committee’s credibility open to question.