Even when the Cincinnati Bengals are busy dominating the Buffalo Bills, Nebraska football fans can find a way to talk about their favorite college team. On Sunday, the discussion about the AFC playoff game turned to the Huskers and more specifically, former head coach Scott Frost.
If you’ve been a member of the Nebraska football community for very long, you’re probably not all that confused about how the discussion about the Bengals morphed into a discussion about Frost. After all, that discussion has been a pretty straightforward one for the last couple of years.
Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, is said to have wanted to come play his college ball for the Nebraska football team. In fact, there is circumstantial evidence that he actually tried to become a Cornhusker twice and was rebuffed … twice. Once by Bo Pelini and then most recently by Scott Frost.
The story about Frost and company is that they didn’t want Burrow to come in when they already had Adrian Martinez. The staff thought Martinez was both the quarterback of the future and the present and they didn’t want him to leave Nebraska because of new competition. Competition in Burrow that wouldn’t be staying long anyway. So Frost picked Martinez, Burrow went to LSU and the rest is history.
On Sunday, that history was dredged up again as Burrow threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns and led the Bengals to the AFC Championship. Nebraska football fans, who have grown increasingly annoyed with Frost since they’ve seen what a competent staff can do, decided it was time to have a bit of an airing of grievances on social media.
I’m glad Scott Frost is gone. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
— Zach Kremlacek (@kremlacek_zach) January 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/SkersNews/status/1617321992419672065?s=20&t=Dz1lE1dmYmA9ZoMXR46Lyw
I don’t remember frost ever tweeting something like this… Just sayin’. https://t.co/upGO0x1mov
— 🌽BigRedKorner🌽 (@KadeLight57) January 22, 2023
I am working on a theory.
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 22, 2023
A theory that everything in the football universe can be tied to Scott Frost.
Including Joe Burrow and all of his success.
My column: pic.twitter.com/Rg8Z0eHyOR
It’s hard not to root for the guy that wasn’t good enough for Scott Frost and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Dude is calm, cool, smooth assassin.
— Prime Kirk (@KirkMucker) January 22, 2023
https://twitter.com/IdleIrishMinds/status/1617332952299622400?s=20&t=Dz1lE1dmYmA9ZoMXR46Lyw
Might have been good for Nebraska, but definitely would not have been good for Burrow. He owes his career to Scott Frost’s stupidity.
— JKBver (@BverJk) January 23, 2023
At this point, it’s perfectly natural to wonder if the Joe Burrow and Scott Frost connection will ever stop being a point of conversation on Twitter, Facebook or random message boards. The answer is almost certainly yes, as soon as Nebraska football has actual wins and actual bowl games to talk about. Here’s hoping that starts in 2023.