Tom Osborne on Nebraska's rebuild: 'This is going to take awhile'
Former Nebraska Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne addressed the state of the program on the Big Ten Network this Saturday morning, citing the team’s difficult start to the season.
“People just need to understand that this is going to take awhile,” Osborne said in an interview with analyst Gerry DiNardo.
The Cornhuskers (0-3, 0-1 Big Ten) have lost all three games in Scott Frost’s debut campaign, including an embarrassing 56-10 loss at Michigan in Week 4 that in all likelihood could have been much worse. The team ranks 12th out of 14 in the conference when it comes to total offense (353.7 ypg), 13th in scoring defense (37.7 ppg) and 13th in turnover margin (-5).
While long-term expectations are certainly high — Frost took an 0-12 UCF roster and built it into an undefeated, conference championship-winning team in less than two years — it’s clear that the ‘Huskers aren’t ready to contend for a division title in 2018, yet alone a bowl appearance.
Osborne, who went 255-49-3 with three national championships between 1973-97, believes installing Frost’s high-octane offense will be a “two-year process.”
“It took Bill (Snyder) about six years before things really began to click,” Osborne said. “And so I’m hopeful people will have patience. I think most Nebraskans understand it’s a major transition, and I think they will give Scott time. He’s certainly well-grounded, well-prepared. And he’s a guy who cares about his players and will do the right thing.”
Nebraska will host Purdue (1-3, 0-1) this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.