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Nebraska AD claims Ohio State, Michigan are ‘running a little bit scared’

Note to Nebraska AD: Don’t poke the bear!

By Matt Tamanini
NCAA Football: Ohio State at Nebraska Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

“You’ve got Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh thinking, ‘We better put a little more into that Nebraska game coming up.’ And that’s the way we want it. They’re running a little bit scared right now. And they won’t admit it. We’ll leave that at that.”

These are the words of Bill Moos, the athletic director at the University of Nebraska, speaking at the Omaha Press Club on Tuesday. With the off-season hire of alumnus Scott Frost, Moos is feeling himself, and believes that the Huskers are poised to again dominate the college football landscape.

According to Chris Heady in the Omaha World-Herald, Moos said, “[The football program’s] got everything lined up to be a golden era again. The facilities, infrastructure, the support, the most amazing and passionate fan bases in college athletics. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Moos— who took over as the Nebraska AD last year following stops at Montana, Oregon, and Washington State— told the assembled press that the offense that Frost is bringing to Lincoln will mirror that of the coach’s undefeated “National Championship”-winning team at UCF.

“We’re gonna run that up-tempo offense we saw (at the spring game),” Moos said, “and we’re gonna get the Blackshirts back to being Blackshirts. And that’s extremely important.”

Now, the AD’s job, especially at these types of rah-rah functions, is to rile up the crowd, and to get excitement “turnt up” heading into a new season. But, Mr. Moos, was that really a good idea? Was it really in Frost and the football team’s best interest to poke the bear that is Ohio State (and I guess Michigan for that matter)?

As I’m sure Moos is aware, Ohio State has beaten the Huskers a combined 118-17 over the past two seasons (56-14 in 2017, 62-3 in 2016). Nebraska hasn’t played Michigan since 2013, a 17-13 Husker win in Ann Arbor, Mich. However, Harbaugh was taking his San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game that year; a lot’s changed since then.

Nebraska will return to Ann Arbor for their Big Ten opener on Sept. 22, and the Buckeyes will host Frost’s Huskers on Nov. 3. How do you think Frost is going to feel when Harbaugh and Meyer are asked ad nauseam about Moos’ comments leading up to there respective games; providing each team an extra chip to place on their shoulder as they prepare.

In his defense, Moos did text the AP that his comments about Michigan and Ohio State were “a bit tongue and cheek.”

He continued, “Meant to point out that the competition is aware that there’s a renewed energy at Nebraska and we aim to get back in the hunt.”

I know that coming from the Pac-12, you might not be aware of this, Mr. Moos, but in the Big Ten, people actually pay attention to what administrators say. And trust me, no one forgets. Ask E. Gordon Gee.

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