Why We Hate Scott Frost

Submitted by BursleyHall82 on

[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.

 

Comments

timhusker44

September 10th, 2016 at 7:24 AM ^

as someone who lived in east lansing for 17+ years   and moved to Michigan in 1997 as a lifelong Husker fan  it still amazes me how much M fans are such big cry  babies     i ran into some in 97 have seen more than my share of them since and am constantly amazed how classless so many are     having interactions with numerous college athletes from other Big ten schools   the one common thing i hear is how much class Nebraska fans have in treating visiting players and fans 

i understand SPORTSMANSHIP is a lost trait in Michigan but geez guys   you need to get a life and stop living in the past     you're as bad as cubbies, and redsox fans used to be (buckner)

 

i understand losing to appalacian state can affect you psychic for a while and i know becoming the LITTLE brother in MI is also humiliating for a school which is such a ledgend in their own mind but really ???

 

you are playing a very small school with little football tradition so good luck

SCOTT FROST WILL NOT BE PLAYING QB

 

I HAVE MANY DEAR AND CLOSE FREINDS WHO ARE m FANS BUT MOST ARE REASONABLE AND CAN ACT LIKE ADULTS  WIN OR LOSE    

MAYBE IF YOU ALL WORRIED ABOUT SOLVING THE LIBERALS STRANGLEHOLD ON DETROIT FLINT AND LANSING AND A FEW OTHER cities you could get rid of all the frustrations from the last 10 years  

BY THE WAY I TOLD YOU ALL PLEADING FOR CARR'S HEAD TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISHED FOR      we learned the hard way firing solich and having to live thru callahan and pelini   

 

have a great year and maybe we will see you in a bowl game  

 

go green go white   GO BIG RED 

crg

September 5th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^

It would very easy to just leave the offensive starters in for most if the game and run up the score (as Urban Meyer does). The true display if dominance would be for our coaching staff to show that any decision Frost makes is futile. Shut them out. Control the line. Don't give them a chance for any highlight reel plays (don't even kick to them - through the end zone every time). Leave them with little consolation to take away from the game.

atticusb

September 5th, 2016 at 12:42 PM ^

I hate Frost as much as anyone (was a UG during 97 season), but the injury bug is already munching holes in this team.  So put the game out of reach and get the 1st team off the field.  Let the backups grind the boot heel, even if it means we don't hit 70.  UCF may think this is some of kind of big game, but Scott Frost isn't even dirt under our feet this year.  They're just another useless gnat on the windshield on our journey towards actually consequential goals.

DrMantisToboggan

September 5th, 2016 at 9:34 AM ^

Came in to snark you because I think we all know the general reason, but I was actually unaware of his full comments. Thanks for a good post.

As for the score Saturday they may actually do better than Hawaii, if they can get momentum on a drive. I expect Jim to hold on to the ball to keep the D rested. 48-7.



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michgoblue

September 5th, 2016 at 9:34 AM ^

I was a senior that year and I remember that story. The fact is, we would have destroyed Nebraska that year. Our defense would have held them under.

Yup, hope we hang 70+ on them and, more importantly, pitch a shutout.

bluebygod

September 8th, 2016 at 4:27 PM ^

Saturday is the 22nd anniversary - from sept. 10, 1995.  Lawrence Phillips was arrested for breaking into Scott Frost's apartment and dragging his GF down a stairwell by her hair.  Allegedly Frost hid in the closet.

M go Bru

September 7th, 2016 at 8:19 AM ^

and was unable to throw deep. Nebraska blitzed him and jumped the short routes making  Tennesee ineffective. 

Michigan beat common opponents significanlly better:

Michigan 27 Colorado 3      Nebraska 27 Colorado 24

Michigan 38 Baylor 3           Nebraska 49 Baylor 21

We also had the toughest schedule in college that year.

Osbourne had multiple national championships, he did not "need" another one as a retirement gift! 

AC1997

September 5th, 2016 at 9:41 AM ^

For many years I worked with a guy and we got along really well...except for this topic. He was a die hard Nebraska fan and could write a post with exactly the opposite perspective. He would use things like strength of schedule, a couple of close wins for Michigan, the quality of the bowl win, and the fact that Woodson on wouldn't be a factor against their option run offense. It is always impossible with multiple undefeated teams. Michigan is our champion from that year and it helped eventually get us the BCS and Playoff.

noahtahl

September 5th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^

Not a typo. Alabama last 3 championships losing at home. Ohio St. Losing at home 2 years ago to VTech. Hence the bs bowl.

Why was Michigan better?

32 future NFL players on roster.

3 future NFL Hall of Fame players. Brady, Woodson, and Hutchinson.

Best run defense with best run defending corner in college history going against a Qb who couldn't throw and played practice squad safety in NFL.

Scott Frost and his crazy ass mother can go fuck themselves...I said what you all were thinking.

GO BLUE!

mGrowOld

September 5th, 2016 at 9:41 AM ^

The absolute travesty of the 1997 coaches poll IMO was that one coach voted Michigan 4th or two coaches voted Michigan 3rd based on the voting numbers if I remember correctly. That's the sham and all the proof I needed that the voting was an absolute joke.

matty blue

September 6th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^

his team had just gotten housed by the other guys...a game in which the immortal, sainted peyton goddamned manning and the rest of tennessee rolled over like his teams always did.  saint peyton fucking went 21 for 31 with 131 meaningless yards and got fucking yanked from his final college game with the score 42-9.  tee martin threw a touchdown pass late and fulmer went for two.  

fuck everyone that was on the field for that one.  both sides.

 

Chaco

September 5th, 2016 at 9:42 AM ^

There were multiple factors with how things played out, not the least of which was Fulmer and the bitterness over Charles Woodson winning the Heisman over Peyton Manning and how that influenced his vote. But from my memory the only team I think UM would have had trouble with that year was FSU. Nebraska was an option team and our defense was stunningly good against run-option teams (pre-spread option). Additionally - to me the most compelling evidence was the common opponent argument. Nebraska beat Baylor 49-21. We beat them 38-3. Nebraska beat Colorado 27-24 and we beat them 27-3. Either way - different era and different players lining up on Saturday. That's all that matters now.

Other Andrew

September 5th, 2016 at 10:46 AM ^

The gold watch for Osborne was no way to decide a championship played on the field.

 

Also important; Nebraska sent the Mizzou game to overtime on an illegal play. Michigan had no overtime games, and in fact only two that coudl even be considered close calls. The Rose Bowl and when they played Tim Dwight.

UM Indy

September 5th, 2016 at 9:44 AM ^

14-8?

Was not the final score of the Rose Bowl. It was 21-16 I believe. And Frost's lobbying really didn't/doesn't bother me. What do you expect from the QB of the team who's coach is retiring? Fullmer not even putting us in the top 5 wasn't because of Frost lobbying, it was because of the Heisman vote. That's what really cost us the unanimous NC. And that was unconscionable. Always hated Tennessee for that. Honestly never thought twice about Scott Frost.



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m1jjb00

September 5th, 2016 at 9:47 AM ^

I for one am even more pissed at Manning for rolling over.  I'm looking forward to Comedy Central's roast tonight where he appears and will get a small share of barbs, though not nearly enough in my opinion.