Why We Hate Scott Frost
[MOD EDIT - Bumped to Diary Section for nice breakdown. Also because sometimes getting excited to face a team that was worse than Hawaii last year needs help sometimes.]
This has been mentioned numerous times in other posts, so it's probably worthy of its own thread. Many of you might be too young to know the story, and others may have forgotten it, so you're wondering: Why is there so much animosity among the Michigan fan base toward UCF head coach Scott Frost?
Here's the short version: Because he cost us a unanimous national championship in 1997, and he did it by denigrating Michigan.
Here's the longer story, and exactly what Frost said. The 1997 season was the last one before the BCS came in, so national champions were determined solely by the AP (media) and USA Today (coaches) polls. Michigan finished the season on Jan. 1, 1998, by beating Washington State in the Rose Bowl, 21-16, to finish 12-0.
Nebraska finished the season on Jan. 2, 1998, by beating Tennessee and Peyton Manning in the Orange Bowl, 42-17, to finish 13-0.
In both the AP and USA Today polls, Michigan was a clear No. 1 heading into the bowl games. This was primarily because Nebraska had to cheat to beat a very mediocre Missouri team late in the season. A Nebraska player admittedly kicked the ball in the end zone to keep it alive for a TD, and the refs didn't call him for it. (That's illegal.) The play became known as the "Flea Kicker," and it's very famous. Look it up.
In any case, Michigan's season-long body of work was better, which is why following the Missouri game, pollsters vaulted Michigan ahead of Nebraska. It should have stayed that way following the bowl games, but then Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost stepped in.
He knew that the AP was never going to sway from Michigan, but following the Orange Bowl, he made an impassioned plea to the coaches to give Tom Osborne (who was retiring) a national championship as a going-away present.
And this is the important part - and why we hate Scott Frost: He did it by denigrating Michigan. This is exactly what he said on the night of Jan. 2, 1998 (emphasis mine):
"So, it's up to the coaches. I'm so proud of this team and Coach Osborne, I don't want to see him go out without a championship. I basically have two points for the coaches:
"One, if you can look yourself in the mirror and say if your job depended on playing either Michigan or Nebraska to keep your job, who would you rather play? You watched the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. Michigan won with a controversial play at the end. We took apart the third-ranked team in the country.
"The second point I have is: I can't see how any coach outside the Big Ten or the Pac-10 would vote for Michigan. Because if somebody from North Carolina, Florida State, West Virginia, Notre Dame--wherever it might--if they were undefeated and won the Alliance bowl game, they would expect to share the national title.
"I don't know who would win the game if we played Michigan. I think I know. I think all you guys know. The thing I'd like to say is: Who would be favored?
"I'd like to see the line on that game, because I think it would be seven, 10, 14 points (in Nebraska's favor). Any time that it's that way and you vote the other way, you've got to be crazy."
So, that's why we don't like Scott Frost, and that's why we want to see Harbaugh hang 70 on him on Saturday. Scott Frost whizzed a fastball at our head 19 years ago, and now he's finally coming up to the plate. It's time for payback.
Elephants and Wolverines never forget.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:00 AM ^
Nebraska squeaked by Missouri with an illegal kick catch and needed OT to beat them. Comparison among common oppnents that year... Michigan-Colorado 27:3, Nebraska-Colorado 27:24 Michigan-Baylor 38:3, Nebraska-Baylor 49:21. Let's not even get into strength of schedule because Michigan had the toughest schedule in the country. We beat seven top 25 ranked teams, while Nebraska only beat 4. You can say they dominated #3 ranked Tennessee in the bowl game, but Michigan did the same thing on the road against 2nd/3rd ranked Penn State.
September 5th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^
"One, if you can look yourself in the mirror and say if your job depended on playing either Michigan or Nebraska to keep your job, who would you rather play?You watched the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. Michigan won with a controversial play at the end. We took apart the third-ranked team in the country.
The only controversial play in the Rose Bowl was the refs missing a blatant offensive pass intereference against Woodson on the final drive.
Michigan - Colorado 27-3
Nebraska - Colorado 27-24
It still angers me that we got screwed in 97. I hope someone reminds Harbaugh of these comments and he runs up the score.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:21 AM ^
You have to remember back then the SEC wasn't what it is now. Tennessee won their division despite losing to Florida. Manning was 0-4 against Florida. The SEC was garbage in 1997. Look at the results.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_SEC_Championship_Game
Edit: The current SEC is probably closer to that 1997 version than how people actually perceive it.
September 5th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
and they totally skip over the not called offensive pass interference on the play before that allowed the setup of the play where the clock ran out. The ref actually had the flag out after Woodson got run shoved in the back and never threw it
September 5th, 2016 at 1:46 PM ^
They gained a first down inbounds with 3 seconds left, so the clock would start once the chains were set. They hustled to the line, got set, snapped the ball, spiked it, and then acted shocked that time had expired, leading to the "controversy."
September 5th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:16 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:22 AM ^
And then you have to love how those same media members (not just CBS) who were railing about how Michigan shouldn't be in the title game because they already got their shot were perfectly fine with the "best two teams" getting a rematch in 2012.
September 5th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
How did Florida win their 1996 title? A rematch with Florida State.*
*Also, Michigan 13-9 over OSU didn't hurt.
September 5th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
That was the part that totally annoyed me. The total pro-SEC hypocrisy of 2012 vs. 2006.
September 5th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
SEC Homerism. That was one of the most hypocritical decisions ever made in college football.
September 5th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
Lee Corso's lobbying likely had more influence. And he was a real dick about it if memory serves me well (I was 22 at the time, so maybe emotion clouded my interpretation.)
September 5th, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^
Thank for you posting this. I did not remember the whole story. I just know I was pissed.
But here is the way I always looked at this one. If a school needs that kind of plea to get a championship, you might as well not get one. It is a shame with an asterisk. I never want my mom to fight my battle to get a prize.
Hey, that is what you get for being MICHIGAN. There is a general hatred across the college football because of who we are. I know people say it is arrogance, but it is in the history of college football. You can't erase history.
September 5th, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^
It's been a long time since his whiny little speech, but I hope he gets booed on Saturday.
As for the "controversial play," I don't suppose he means the one where Woodson was pushed to the ground. :)
In retrospect, that was a lighting-in-a-bottle season for Michigan. Even so, with all the talent on that roster, I honestly believe they played "down" to some of their opponents (like Iowa).
September 5th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 9:57 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 9:59 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:07 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 12:32 PM ^
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September 5th, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^
and Yes.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:09 AM ^
Fuck Scott Frost. But remember, Tom Osborne also announced his fake retirement at the end of that season to push the coaches to give him a going away gift. So fuck Frost, Osborne, and Nebraska.
September 6th, 2016 at 3:43 AM ^
He had told his coaches at the end of the regular season he would be back for 1 to 3 years, then he thought "I may have a chance for the NC if I announce my retirement before the Orange Bowl"! In my mind Michigan is the sole NC.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 11:15 PM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 8:35 AM ^
level assistants filling out ballots and not the coaches themselves for years. Coaches don't have the time to watch the games that the sportswriters can.
Take a look at the Coachs' poll this week. Those clowns elevated Sparty when they played poorly.
Entitled rankings should be eliminated. It's what you do on the field. MSU last year was highly rated despite barely beating anyone.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:14 AM ^
to one of college footballs all time douche bags
September 5th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^
I do appreciate your post reminding the young ones on this board about 1997. I'm lucky to remember the season and how special it was. Many of our younger fans don't have these amazing memories to harken back to.
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September 5th, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
I don't think Frost's comments really swayed anyone. I think that "legendary" coach Tom Osbourne was given a going away gift by the Coaches Poll.
What I find funny is that people in Nebraska have hated Michigan ever since. My uncle lives out there, so of course when I go there to visit every 3-4 years, I have to wear my Michigan gear. The first time was probably back in around 2002 or so. We were walking around the Henry Dooley Zoo, and I kept getting nasty looks. One good-old corn-fed Nebraska lady asked me, "is that M for Mizzura?"
"No, it's for Michigan."
"Ugh. That's too bad," and waddled away.
September 5th, 2016 at 8:05 PM ^
was overblown. I think it's just a matter of coaches don't get to watch a lot of games during the season, and they're more prone to trust programs that are on a roll like Nebraska was then than to go with a team that had an incredible year out of nowhere like Michigan did. M was 8-4 the year before and 9-4 the year before that. Nobody except some die hard Michigan people saw 1997 coming.
And even then, I'm kind of inclined to believe that if the word was Nebraska was going to win the AP Poll, the coaches might have found a way to rig it so Michigan won theirs to ensure a split. I think the consensus was more "both teams deserve to be called champion" than "fuck Michigan."
September 5th, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^
Emma Frost, from X-Men, is mine
September 5th, 2016 at 10:32 AM ^
Thank you for this. I didn't know the story. Enjoy the pain Scott.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:33 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 6:54 PM ^
I've never heard anyone who wasn't a partisan for Michigan or Nebraska claim the other school didn't deserve a share of the national title.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:46 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^
The real villain was the shitty system, which was caused by the Rose Bowl (which is why I never get the warm fuzzies about that game. The Rose Bowl cheated Michigan out of the chance at undisputed title glory). So this bizarre system was created where #1 played #2 unless one of the top two teams was in the Pac 10/Big 10, and everyone got lucky that situations like Michigan/Nebraska didn't happen every year.
Michigan clearly played a tougher schedule throughout the year. I don't think anyone with a brain would dispute that. Nebraska played a significantly tougher bowl opponent. Michigan sorta laid a wet fart against Wazzu in the Rose Bowl and Nebraska burned Tennessee's house down and laughed in the embers. They were both undefeated so it is what it is.
One of the biggest piles of BS in a sport loaded with BS is that we never got to see Nebraska/Michigan play that season.
September 5th, 2016 at 1:16 PM ^
Nebraska players were going to advocate for themselves. That is natural. I can't hate that.
The various coaches shouldn't be in a position where they are deciding a national champion. I can't hate them either. They're coaching their OWN teams. The majority of these coaches didn't play either Michigan or Nebraska, much less both (only 2 coaches played both). There were 8 coaches who split their vote, which is a defensible opinion. Yes, one coach voted Michigan #4 in 1997 --- that was NOT a defensible opinion. Fortunately, it didn't mathematically matter in terms of final position in the coaches' poll.
Fair or not, one thing that hurt U-M in the 1997 vote was the fact that their regular season opponents went 0-6 in Bowl games. Worse, they were all double-digit losses. No doubt some coaches considered those data points.
Think about 2002, if the 1997 system had existed then. Ohio State would have played WSU in the Rose Bowl (they had already played in the regular season). Miami would have played Georgia in another Bowl. If both OSU and Miami won, Miami likely sweeps both polls, and OSU gets denied a national Championship that they actually earned in real life.
Given 2002, I ignore anyone who says "I guarantee that U-M (Nebraska) would have beat Nebraska (U-M) had they actually played! U-M (Nebraska) was obviously better!" Nobody knows.
Regardless of whether another school also claims a MNC: 1997 Michigan can still rightfully claim it themselves. I'm just happy the system has improved.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
Knowledge...
September 5th, 2016 at 11:18 AM ^
September 5th, 2016 at 12:46 PM ^
and voluntarily drinks Budweiser.
September 5th, 2016 at 9:15 PM ^
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September 5th, 2016 at 8:25 PM ^
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September 5th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
I want to see Scott Frost on his knees apologizing and begging for mercy in front of Harbaugh like Robert Loggia in "Scarface." That's what I want to see.
September 5th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
Whatever, noboby but Nebraska fans and Michigan State fans believe the 1997 Coaches Poll means anything.
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