Scott Frost Loses Adrian Martinez to Transfer Portal
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
You posted before me so I'll post the bulk of my OP here.
Their projected starting QB for next year is Logan Smothers, a RS Fr Dual-Threat 4 star from Alabama who started vs Iowa. He had a solid game, but struggled down the stretch as Iowa came back for the win. He could be solid next year, but I'd also expect Nebraska to be active in the transfer portal.
This is big for Michigan as 2022 begins the 6 year period where Nebraska is our guaranteed B1G West opponent instead of Wisconsin. So if Nebraska struggles again next year and Frost is ousted, our schedule looks a lot easier in the foreseeable future.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Michigan's schedule next year features 8 of its first 9 games at home and concludes with three road games against Indiana, Rutgers and Ohio State. Beyond that, we will likely not be seriously challenged in the non-conference facing Colorado State, Hawaii and UConn in consecutive weeks. The first road game will be a rematch with Iowa at Kinnick, with Maryland, PSU, MSU, Nebraska and Illinois at home.
All in all, a highly favorable schedule until closing time.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
Doesn't this have to change? I thought the B1G had a rule where you don't get more than 2 weeks in a row at home or on the road. I think it will look a little differently.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
Didn't realize this was the case til I looked it up. Holy hell that's a bummer for us season ticket holders. 4 straight weeks of home games, away game at Iowa, and then 4 more straight weeks of home games. Would have been nice to have the bye in there somewhere too or another road game, but oh well. At least we get the best possible weather for home games.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:29 PM ^
We need to bring the energy we had for OSU this year for MSU next year since it’s our biggest home game. Let’s kick their ass. And make PSU a night game.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
Well, I'm not sure why you think it gets easier if Frost is ousted. I'm thinking, from an opponent's viewpoint, Frost coaching the Huskers is about what you want.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
How many years has he played? I thought he was out of eligibility after this year.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
Covid year.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
He played four seasons at Nebraska but still has an additional year of eligibility because of COVID. Technically, no one accrued "service time" last season.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:56 PM ^
I agree with you.
I hope we do our part in getting Scott Frost fired which would force Nebraska to turn elsewhere.
Unfortunately, Nebraska has a somewhat favorable schedule.
With Lincoln Riley switching to USC and some of OU's best players already entering the transfer portal, the OU game isn't as daunting as it once was.
Nebraska could easily be 6-0 to start the season.Getting Nebraska to 8 regular season wins probably keeps Frost in Lincoln for at least another season.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
Considering that they’ve never won 6 games in a season under Frost, I’m not sure they can do it in six games.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
Easily? What makes you think Nebraska can easily do anything?
It's POSSIBLE they could be 6-0. Nothing about it is easy.
They have Northwestern to start - a school that's good every other year - and Oklahoma and Rutgers. Rutgers can at least put a scare into them, and Oklahoma is always better than Nebraska.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
Depends on how the load gets spread. It was my opinion (FWIW) that they put too much on the guy and he'd buckle under the pressure of having to do it all.
If Frost can move on from the Denard/Martinez type offenses because of this, that might be a net positive.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:14 PM ^
Mother will not be pleased.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:15 PM ^
He put his heart in it and left it all on the turf. I think Nebraska is happy to move on from QBs named Martinez.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:34 PM ^
Watching the game this year and thought Damn, Martinez has been the QB for at least 10 years. How did I miss the Martinez transition? Oh yes, booze.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
He was their best player. I would think Martinez is happy to move on from Nebraska. And it makes sense as he played very well this year and they still couldn't close out a game.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
A large part of that "still couldn't close out a game" thing is on Martinez himself...
December 2nd, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
Well, he didn't play in their last game and Nebraska still blew a 15-point third quarter lead. So it wasn't just Martinez. But one person was still involved: Scott Frost.
December 2nd, 2021 at 9:19 PM ^
Martinez would have Nebraska in virtually every game regardless of the skill level of the opponent and then make mortal game costing errors again regardless of the skill level of the opponent.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:16 PM ^
That's definitely not a loss in my opinion. He's dangerous, but mostly to his own offense. He's a major factor in not breaking through in their 7 one score losses.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:27 PM ^
He’s a factor, because he’s their QB, but by the far biggest factor was their special teams.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
Special teams were definitely a problem for them, but they also couldn't score much. Other than the Northwestern game they won, they never topped 29 points in Big Ten play.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
I have to blame that in large part on coaching. Martinez was a four year starter! Yet he never improved substantially and was still making the kind of mistakes that cost you close games.
Will be interesting to see if he can do anything at another school.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:16 PM ^
He stuck with loser Scott Frost and Nebraska for too long and it's probably permanently hampered him from reaching his true potential and appropriately developing as a QB/athlete. That said, I'm shocked he has any eligibility left.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
Frost is trying to flush out any possible bad luck charms.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
Is it really bad luck? I watched a lot of their games and they just look poorly coached and have the worst special teams I've ever seen
You can't shank fgs and have punts blocked weekly and just be like, "damn, we're so unlucky"
No, you're terrible at football
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:26 PM ^
I don't blame Martinez. At some point, all the losing just gets to you, and you really need a fresh start. Some of those losses were on him, granted. But I'm willing to bet a lot of them weren't.
He's good enough to find a starting job somewhere. In the P5, I'm not sure, but even if not there would undoubtedly be some good G5 teams who would be happy to have his services.
Maybe this was encouraged by Frost as well. Martinez has been his guy for four long years and they haven't won anything. While a good chunk of that blame goes to Frost, the guy has to know his job is on the line next season and he's out of leash, so maybe he decided he needed a new QB.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
Maybe this was encouraged by Frost as well.
This wouldn't surprise me, either. Considering how many coaches Frost pushed out, it doesn't seem farfetched for him to also want to move on from Martinez. Of course, that means next season everything is squarely on him, so unless Nebraska finally breaks through and wins 8-9 games, he knows he's a goner.
Martinez definitely made his share of backbreaking mistakes in his time, but I think a lot had to do with always being relied on to do practically everything. And hell, we already have a data point that says it wasn't all Martinez -- Nebraska blew a 15-point second half lead while he stood on the sidelines. The one constant is Scott Frost.
December 3rd, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
Frost is the Huskers main problem, but the Nebraska fanbase was way done with Martinez. If forst would have brought him back next season it would have only taken 1 or 2 losses with Martinez at QB to cost Frost his job.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
i think his style of play will make it a bit more difficult to transition to another team than a typical pro style QB, especially with just one year left.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:33 PM ^
Addition by subtraction.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
Wait... is it just me, or did I think Martinez has been QB at Nebraska since about, oh, 2003, and has used his 16 extra years' of eligibility already under all the COVID rules...?
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:26 PM ^
Curtis Painter gave him the playbook on that. I swear he was at Purdue for like 7 years back in the day.
December 2nd, 2021 at 2:33 PM ^
I think that is just missing the Taylor Martinez -> Adrian Martinez transition.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
They are loosing a lot of their team. They had many super seniors and seniors this past year. Now loosing Martinez. Wow they might be an even bigger shit show next year
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:42 PM ^
Are they stretching a lot? Why are they so loose?
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
Leaving before their bowl game? For shame!
(HEHE)
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
I think this is probably a net positive for Nebraska for next year - assuming they can get a decent QB from the portal (for depth at minimum.)
Martinez at QB was likely to explode in any direction - good games against M and WI mixed in with crappy games vs. Purdue and Illinois. Less variance is better in the long run as long as they aren't running (former M QB target) Artur Sitkowski or equivalent out on the field in 2022.
Frost is screwed next year anyway - barring some Tucker-level portal magic - since they are losing the majority of their defense next year. (A lot of 5th and 6th year players were anchoring that D iirc.)
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
This is my take; I think this is best for both parties. There are going to be a lot of QBs in the portal this offseason, and Nebraska offers an opportunity to start right away at a Big Ten program. There are a lot of programs that could use a QB with 4-year starting experience in the Big Ten and run similar offenses to Frost (Oregon? Tennessee? UCLA?). Martinez needed to do everything for Nebraska, and he might shine at a program where he doesn't have to carry as much of the load. It might work out for both of them.
December 2nd, 2021 at 4:14 PM ^
Dan Villari to Nebraska?
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
Isn't Adrian Martinez a 7th year senior by now?
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:29 PM ^
So is Tanner Morgan, the Minnesota QB. He too has been there forever.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
Maybe he pulls a Boren and goes to Iowa.
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
I was thinking that Adrian Martinez has been at Nebraska for a long time, but then I realized I was really fuzzing up my memory. There was a Taylor Martinez that played 2010 to 2013, and I think he played all four years. Adrian Martinez has been QB for three or four years, if memory serves. And back from 2013 to 2016 there was Tommy Armstrong, who played, I'm pretty sure, all four years as well.
December 2nd, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
Adrian's been there 4 seasons. He was the starting QB when we pounded Nebraska 56-10 at the big house in 2018. It was 39-0 at halftime and announcers were like, "how much longer can you leave Martinez in there?"
December 2nd, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
Mind blown. I really thought that they were just about ready to get it together. That's a step back and maybe the death note for Scotty.
December 2nd, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
Scott Frost loses his turnover-prone, bad decision-making QB to the transfer portal, thereby most likely improving his team - there fixed it for ya