Nebraska Football: Mel Tucker is the new Scott Frost
Nebraska football fans can attest to the B1G’s ability to chew up and spit out coaches. It happened with Scott Frost, and now it’s happening with Mel Tucker.
Interestingly, there is also likely a contingent of Husker fans who were hoping that Mel Tucker would work out at Michigan State. Perhaps he was the coach they were rooting hardest for after Scott Frost. After all, Tucker beat Frost every time the two teams went up against each other. It’s natural to want the guy who consistently owns you to show that you’re not the outlier.
For one season, it looked like Tucker was indeed going to own everyone. The 2021 season for Michigan State was their best in years as they went 11-2 and appeared to be a rising power in the Big Ten. It felt a bit like Frost did when he was taking his UCF Golden Knights to unseen heights and then joined the B1G looking to do the same with the Nebraska football team.
Both coaches’ careers came crashing down once the conference really got used to what it was they wanted to do. Obviously, for Frost, he never really saw success in the Huskers’ home conference. Where the two coaches have really converged is how quickly their careers took a turn towards the negative and how quickly they became the butt of jokes on social media.
Media talking heads: "Jim Harbaugh can't beat Mel Tucker"
— True to the Blue (@SupportUofM) October 30, 2022
Jim: pic.twitter.com/EX4dzWIwgv
I haven’t seen Mel Tucker this mad since the lighting was off on the locker room selfie he took after Michigan State’s loss against Minnesota earlier this season.
— Scott Bell (@sbell021) October 30, 2022
LSU dodging bullets not hiring Jimbo Fisher or Mel Tucker. pic.twitter.com/BPbvvDQ2V4
— JDubyaCrackalacka (@J_wayne81) October 30, 2022
Mel Tucker doing roster construction in the transfer portal
— raj.docx (@internetraj) October 30, 2022
pic.twitter.com/b5Mk6PqYC4
There are other similarities between the two men, considering that both Tucker and the Former Nebraska football coach hauled in massive contracts from their respective Big 10 schools.
Mel tucker getting paid 95 million to lose his lockeroom and have 1 Big ten win entering November
— RodSzn (@1Lamarszn) October 30, 2022
Like look at a Michigan State booster at breakfast this morning trying to figure out a way to get out of their contract with Mel Tucker without paying him $95 million. pic.twitter.com/1g6qb2P2Pa
— Don Thomas (@REALDonThomas) October 30, 2022
The two men have also seen their fair share of school records that no one should ever really want a part in.
Mel Tucker is setting new records for Sparty! pic.twitter.com/E2EWw5jTrM
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 30, 2022
Both Scott Frost and Mel Tucker have also had bad stretches against their conference opponents that should raise eyebrows
Good morning. In Mel Tucker’s 21 Big Ten games, Michigan State has been outscored by 197 points (659 to 462).
— Bryan Mac (@Bry_Mac) October 30, 2022
Here’s a list of all of the Big Ten teams with a worse scoring margin over that period:
- Rutgers
At the very least, Nebraska football faithful can take solace in the fact that Frost is gone and the program is hopefully going to find the winning formula in the very near future. Michigan State fans are still trying to figure out what to do with Mel Tucker.