Nebraska Football: Should Huskers buy into the Deion Sanders hype?

Is Nebraska Football A Fit For Prime Time?

The final question that must be answered before Husker fans should really buy into the hype, is whether this potential marriage is one that would work out in the long run. There are a couple of different factors that could come into play here.

To some degree, the answer lies in the answer to the previous question. Would Deion Sanders be able to understand the subtle nuances that go into fitting in at Nebraska and the Big Ten in general? The fact that he’s only coached at Jackson State and that this is just his third year here casts doubt on that.

While Sanders has undoubtedly had success since he’s come into his position, it’s been thanks to very specific experiences. On the other hand, it’s clear that Sanders is someone who does not, under any circumstances, want to fail. That might seem cliche but it became clear eventually that Scott Frost believed things were going to come easily for him and when they didn’t, he didn’t adjust.  That might be a strike in Deion’s favor at a program like Nebraska.

He strikes me as someone who would go the extra mile when it comes to doing homework on just what it takes to win games in Lincoln. But it all boils down to just how long it would take to get over the learning curve. Things snowballed for Frost once he realized he had quite a bit to learn about being a head coach. It could snowball for Sanders as well if he’s not adapting quickly.

There’s also the fact that Prime Time has never really had to deal with losing. What happens if his squad goes out and drops a couple of games to start the season? Will we see the same kind of slide that came in Frost’s first year?

Should Nebraska Football buy into the hype?

When taking all of these questions, many of which could not be answered until after he was hired into account, it feels like Deion Sanders would be the kind of risk Cornhuskers fans wouldn’t feel comfortable with.

The bottom line is that while I wouldn’t put Deion Sanders in my Top 6 candidates, I’m not sure he’d be much lower than 7th, if he was really interested in the job. He’s someone who has injected life into a program in ways that few in the FCS have seen.

If the Nebraska football program decided that Sanders was the guy and he agreed to the job, it seems like a match that could work out. But there are likely safer choices out there for the Cornhuskers.