Both Jim Harbaugh and Scott Frost have been head coaches to watch at two underperforming blue blood programs in college football. Each of the former quarterbacks-turned coaches at their alma maters has been scrutinized for the performances of their teams over the course of their respective tenures.
The Big Ten opened up their schedule on Saturday with a single game on the “Week 0” slate as the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Illinois met up to open the 2021 season. To the chagrin of Husker fans, the first score of the game was a safety followed by a fumble touchdown for Illinois’ defense. After going into the half down 16-9, the Illini scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to open up the second half, and Nebraska found themselves down 30-9. Nebraska clawed their way back, but fans and media members were quick to start throwing well-deserved shade at Frost and the Huskers before the buzzer even sounded following the loss.
FOX just lowered Scott Frost 6 feet down into the grave pic.twitter.com/hrILdxmnBi
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 28, 2021
Nebraska’s first half included a safety, a missed PAT, two huge personal fouls and fumble returned for a TD. Scott Frost’s putative “best team at Nebraska” trails Illinois and its backup QB 16-9 at halftime. It’s fine.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 28, 2021
What happened to Scott Frost?
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 28, 2021
Frost has failed to have a winning record in his three seasons at Nebraska and now opens up his fourth year with a loss to Illinois and their second-string quarterback. All this despite bringing in a Top-20 in three of his four years as a head coach.
For whatever reason, the Frost hate turned into taking shots at Harbaugh as well for his failures as head coach at Michigan. This sparked debates among fans across college football on whether or not the two are comparable.
Jim Harbaugh & Scott Frost pic.twitter.com/OTU9XaQ0Zj
— Jim (@SportsJimShow) August 28, 2021
Scott Frost is Jim Harbaugh with a less-talented roster.
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) August 28, 2021
Scott Frost has zero (0) winning seasons at Nebraska but apparently Jim Harbaugh’s seat is hotter.
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) August 25, 2021
Harbaugh has (3) 10 win seasons in the last 5 years. Frost is Charlie Strong https://t.co/MJ6R4XJQ5y
— David Allen (@Doc_Texas) August 28, 2021
Pro Football Focus listed both Frost and Harbaugh on their list of coaches of teams to fade in their latest story about coaches on the hot seat. Here is a brief note they made about Harbaugh:
The Michigan fanbase expects more. Harbaugh’s record against its two primary rivals is astounding: 0-5 versus Ohio State and 3-3 versus Michigan State. The “quarterback whisperer” moniker is quickly fading from the 2010 season with Andrew Luck in Stanford, as Harbaugh has not been able to develop a Michigan quarterback in his entire tenure — Jake Rudock (Iowa transfer), Wilton Speight, John O’Korn (Houston transfer), Brandon Peters (transferred to Illinois), Shea Patterson (Ole Miss transfer), Joe Milton (transferred to Tennessee) and Cade McNamara are the list of quarterbacks he has had to use. Is McNamara the savior of Harbaugh’s tenure? Will it be the backup five-star J.J. McCarthy? In limited playing time last year, McNamara earned a 65.9 passing grade with five touchdowns (four versus Rutgers) and zero interceptions.
Seemingly everyone has a combination of Harbaugh and Frost at the top of their lists of coaches who are on the hot seat in the Big Ten and across college football.
It remains to be seen if either coach can begin to turn things around at their esteemed programs. For Frost, it’s a rocky start to an already abysmal career as coach at Nebraska. Harbaugh will get his first real chance to start changing the narrative against Washington in Week 2.
Do you think the two are comparable? Or is that disrespect to Harbaugh? Sound off in the comments below!
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#Michigan commit CJ Stokes ran wild tonight in the win! https://t.co/sl1q2DzayB
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