It’s time.

Scott Frost coaches with a loser’s mentality, and that’s why he’ll never be anything more than a loser as Nebraska’s head coach. There’s no longer any reason for Cornhuskers AD Trev Alberts to wait around and pretend this is going to change.

The writing is on the wall. In flashing neon.

FIRE FROST.

Frost isn’t just a bad coach. He’s the worst coach in the Big Ten — by a landslide. Every program in the conference would be an abject disaster with Frost at the helm.

Saturday’s 26-17 loss to Ohio State clinches his 5th losing season in 6 years as a head coach, with 2017’s 13-0 run at Central Florida marking the lone exception. Only a late Ohio State field goal prevented Frost from dropping to a pathetic 5-19 in one-possession games at Nebraska.

One-possession games are the ultimate barometer of a head coach’s competence, because they are the ones where his decisions loom largest. And this virtual one-score loss once again showcased a number of poor Frost choices.

With an opportunity to knock off a Top-5 opponent, Frost called plays so conservative they could have been elected Nebraska’s governor.

The most egregious decision came in the fourth quarter as he once again decided to leave the game on the foot of one of his lousy kickers after being burned so many times before this season.

With the Huskers trailing 23-17 and facing a 4th-and-4 from the Ohio State 13 midway through the fourth quarter, Frost played scared. Despite the fact he was facing the Big Ten’s worst red-zone defense — the Buckeyes came in allowing touchdowns on 70% of opposing trips inside the 20 — Frost settled for 3.

Chase Contreraz pulled the 36-yard attempt for his second miss of the day. Which was perfectly fitting.

Frost, needing to win his final 3 games just to get Nebraska into a bowl game, made that decision. With his job potentially on the line, made that decision.

As Louisiana-Lafayette coach Billy Napier is fond of saying, scared money don’t make money. And Frost shouldn’t make another dime at Nebraska, though fortunately for him there’s $20 million coming his way in his inevitable buyout. (Speaking of Billy Napier: keep that name in mind, Huskers fans. You may end up using it soon.)

Third-down debacles

The decision to kick was not Frost’s only cowardly and baffling decision of the game. We don’t reach this stage of a coach’s tenure without a handful of head-scratching moments.

Frost seemed to be playing for the field goal on a pair of third-down calls with the Huskers in scoring range.

With an early chance to seize momentum, Frost wrapped up Nebraska’s first drive of the game by okaying a third-and-2 handoff against an Ohio State defense that had 8 men in the box against 6 blockers.

Predictably, 3 Buckeyes greeted Rahmir Johnson in the backfield for a 2-yard loss. And even more predictably, Contreraz missed the ensuing 45-yard field goal. Nebraska is now 8-for-16 kicking field goals this season.

That’s 127th in the country. Yet somehow this absolute buffoon of a coach plays for field goals.

A poor third-down play call also preceded the 39-yard field goal Contreraz did make. Facing a 3rd-and-7, Nebraska attempted picking up the first down via a designed Adrian Martinez run. When Martinez was limping for the entire possession after spraining his ankle.

In other words, an absolute clown car of a play call. But a perfect summation of the Scott Frost Experience in Lincoln.

Frost has brought the big top to Memorial Stadium. And every other program in the Big Ten will be laughing at Nebraska’s clownery for as long as he’s there.