When Nebraska and Purdue square off at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Big Ten West Division foes will do so as part of an inauspicious matchup.
The Huskers (0-3 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) and Boilermakers (1-3, 0-1) are one of only two Division I games on the Week 5 college football slate that feature a combined one win. UTEP (0-4) and UTSA (1-3) also feature a single victory.
This isn't meant to be a pile-on to Nebraska’s early-season struggle. To the contrary, actually. Despite the underwhelming records and the hand-wringing, which certainly is happening here and also existed in West Lafayette, Indiana, at least until Purdue topped then-No. 23 Boston College last weekend, this matchup comes with plenty of intrigue.
Sure, it’s not going to carry the same sort of weight as No. 4 Ohio State at No. 9 Penn State. But to find the interest in a pair of struggling Big Ten West teams, one must look no further than the promising head coaches on either sideline and the tasks both have undertaken to rebuild their respective programs.
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Scott Frost, 43, has what is shaping up to be a full rebuild on his hands at his alma mater. Jeff Brohm, 47, jumped out to a good start at Purdue last season and then started 0-3 in Year 2.
Building a successful college football program is difficult. Frost and Brohm are going about it, at least schematically, in similar ways.
They both are among the most respected offensive minds in the country and they take the offensive controls on gameday. Both want to have operations that are centered around fast, flexible, potent attacks.
“Hopefully that can be done. I’m confident that we can get it done here and have a great offense here,†Frost said Tuesday. "I think Jeff’s got a good start on that. You see how close they’ve been in a couple of games this year and coming off a big win, there’s no question his scheme works and our scheme works.â€
Frost, answering questions from a Purdue reporter on the Big Ten’s weekly teleconference, then said something about Brohm that could easily be believed if someone else had said it about Frost.
“I have a ton of respect for him as an offensive coach and I know the minute he gets all the guys he needs and gets them doing what he wants, that they’re going to have a great offense,†Frost said.
The current situations are quite different. Brohm has two senior quarterbacks, while Frost is playing a true freshman. Brohm’s best receiver is a true freshman, while Frost’s best two options have been there and done that at the college level.
There are long-term differences, too. Frost is seemingly in Lincoln for the long haul. He signed a seven-year deal in December because the rebuilding process is not a short one. Brohm turned down Tennessee last winter, but the marquee programs aren’t going to stop calling if he continues to build at Purdue.
“Everybody in the Big Ten’s got a certain deal, right? Michigan, Wisconsin and some of those teams are going to pound you and they’re really good at that,†NU defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. “I think these guys are as good at the spread system as anybody in the country.â€
So Purdue/Nebraska won’t exactly hold the nation’s attention in its grip. Not while there are three top-25 matchups elsewhere, at least two with significant College Football Playoff implications. But two of the best offensive architects in the land will roll out what they’ve built so far at Memorial Stadium.
“I know he wants to get it back to where it was before and I’m sure he can do that,†Brohm said. “I know he, like everybody, wants to do it now and sometimes it just takes a little bit longer than you think. But it will happen and I know he can get that done.â€