Happy for Scott Frost, who gets second chance at UCF

I’m happy for Scott Frost. The college football landscape is littered with the careers of football coaches who didn’t get a second chance. Frost is getting one.

Frost is going back to a job he never should have left.

It’s easy to say that now. Frost leaving UCF to come home to Nebraska in 2018 was seen as the biggest no-brainer ever. But it wasn’t. Frost had a hard time with the decision.

He left UCF because Nebraska made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Tom Osborne needed him. The state of Nebraska — his home — needed him. Imagine if he had said no? He never would have lived it down.

It’s easier to see now that Frost was torn between obligation and being happy. He didn’t smile much at the introductory news conference. He told the media to leave his family — the first family of Nebraska athletics in some ways — alone.

It was already an awkward fit in the Nebraska Fishbowl and it would get tighter.

Frost was seen as a perfect fit at Nebraska. But, as a head coach, he wasn’t ready. He had things to learn. He’ll be smarter this time around. That doesn’t help Husker fans. But Nebraska is a tough starter job.

Moreover, his offense, philosophy and attitude were not a fit in the Big Ten. Now throw in the early injury to Adrian Martinez, several one-score losses, fighting through Covid and a coach who never connected with fans. It was an uphill four seasons and three games.

From the moment he came back to Lincoln, Frost felt pressure to be the savior and that never went away. With every losing season, the expectations on the favorite son grew. Frost carried them like a burden.

It was a different look than at the end of his final season at UCF in 2017. Frost smiled more there. He talked about how much he loved Orlando. In their final game together, the Peach Bowl win over Auburn, the Knights flew around the field with precision and purpose and a contagious energy.

We never saw that team or that Frost at Nebraska. On Sunday, wearing a huge grin back at UCF, Frost explained why.

“When you’re climbing the ladder of success, sometimes they forget to tell you to stop when you’re happy,” Frost said.

Happiness is the key to life. Knowing where you fit is everything. Orlando is Frost’s happy place. The Big 12 will be a better fit.

Frost’s passion for Nebraska is forever. His Husker legacy as a player is secure. But as a Nebraska coach it didn’t work and I’m sure part of him always wondered what would have happened had he stayed at UCF.

Now he’ll get to find out.

The biggest threat to the survival of bowl games isn’t the playoff. It’s the portal. How many players who leave their teams this week are going to stay and play in bowl games (or playoff games)? Probably not very many. That will hit bowl teams hard, which could affect bowl attendance and bowl ratings. And the portal just opened on Monday.

Of course, some could return. And welcome back, Emmett Johnson.

By my count, Nebraska is undefeated in New York City (not state, including Syracuse 1984): the 1962 Gotham Bowl and Kickoff Classics in 1983 (Penn State), 1988 (Texas A&M) and 1994 (West Virginia).

The first College Football Playoff field is almost a perfect mix of power name brands and underdog stories (Indiana, Boise State and SMU). And I do love that three northern teams get to host playoff games in December.

The 12th team debate between Alabama and SMU should have nothing to do with the impact on conference championship games. Who cares? It should come down to who you think would win between SMU and Alabama?

Of course, which Alabama team is the question? The one that beat Georgia? Or the one that lost to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma?

Either one has three losses and that’s too many.

What a mixed bag week for Creighton basketball. Beat KU. Lose Pop Isaacs. My takeaway: the Jays showed a lot of toughness in beating the Jayhawks and UNLV, particularly in guys (Steven Ashworth, Isaacs, Ryan Kalkbrenner) playing hurt. That’s going to be a useful thing to lean on going forward.

After the Kansas game, Creighton coach Greg McDermott told me that the status of European veteran Fedor Zugic, a 6-6 sharpshooter, is unknown. Attorneys have already been assembled for whenever the NCAA makes their ruling. That’s not always a good sign.

I’ll always remember Howard Hawks for wearing his half-red, half-blue sweater to Nebraska-Creighton games. And he could have added black and red, for his allegiance to UNO athletics. Hawks supported all of them and not just with money, but also NU and UNO with decision-making as a regent. Coaches and players for all three schools knew the man. I always thought he represented the philanthropic spirit of the Omaha sports community. Hawks the man — and his spirit — will be missed.

Well this should be fun: Charlie McBride will be the recipient of the Tom Osborne Legacy Award at the Outland Trophy Dinner on Jan. 22 at the Omaha Hilton. The legendary Nebraska defensive coordinator will have a story or 10 to tell.

For ticket information go to showofficeonline.com.