Programs with past success always hope that the new coach is the one who will turn the program around. Nebraska is no exception.

For many programs, it is a multi-year process. With the new coach often comes new systems on both sides of the ball. The new staff must recruit the right players to run that system.

But sometimes, just a change in strategy and decision-making can make a noticeable difference in Year 1. The Purdue Boilermakers are an example of that rare instant impact.

In his first season, coach Jeff Brohm came in from Western Kentucky and transformed Purdue from a 3-9 team to a bowl eligible 6-6 squad which finished the year with a postseason win over Arizona in the Foster Farm’s Bowl. An instant three-win regular-season swing would be welcomed at any program, including Nebraska.

The Big Ten Network Bus Tour recently rolled into Nebraska. BTN analyst Gerry DiNardo says watching Nebraska practice reminds him of Purdue in 2017.

For many Cornhuskers fans, it’s hard to reconcile that being compared to Purdue in a complimentary way. But, if Nebraska experienced a Purdue-like turnaround in Year 1 under Scott Frost, that would have the Huskers going 7-5 in the regular season and presumably winning a bowl game to finish 8-5 on the year. That’s a far cry from the Tom Osborne glory years, but it would be a welcomed improvement from 4-8 last season under Mike Riley.