JD Pickell: Nebraska won't finish 3-9 again, should win 6-7 games

Nebraska under Scott Frost has been a disappointment. Coming off an undefeated season at UCF where the Knights claimed a national championship, Frost hasn’t won more than five games since he got to Nebraska in 2018. A 3-9 finish in 2021 was particularly disappointing because the Cornhuskers played better than their record.

On3’s J.D. Pickell is confident things are going to be better for Nebraska in 2022. Instead of 3-9, he expects them to win six or seven games.

“For Casey Thompson to have an opportunity like this, with Scott Frost, I think it’s gonna be great things for Nebraska this coming season,” Pickell said on the Hard Count.

“I’m saying, for Nebraska, they can be world’s better. I would say they’re gonna be close to six, seven wins, which is three or four wins better than they were a season ago. And, you’ll take that if you’re Nebraska because for Scott Frost, you’ll probably keep your job. For Casey Thompson, you’re probably doing some good things on the stat sheet.

Pickell is obviously very high on Casey Thompson’s potential at Nebraska. He feels that replacing Adrian Martinez with Thompson will be enough to get Nebraska to a bowl game. That’s something they haven’t done under Frost. In turn, that could save Frost’s job, as he’s feeling his seat heat up the longer he goes without a winning season.

A good year in 2022 could propel Nebraska moving forward. If they build up momentum, they could then take the next step and compete for double-digit wins in 2023.

Of course, if Nebraska can’t clear this six-win bar that J.D. Pickell is setting for them, there are going to be major questions in Lincoln. The first revolves around Scott Frost’s future. Is he the right person for the job? If the answer is no, then you need to fire him and find a replacement. Who that replacement is, becomes a difficult question to answer. Frost was the perfect fit. No one will seem as sure-fire as he was.

For a proud fanbase, this could end in an existential crisis. Where does Nebraska stand in modern college football?