College football fans are known for their undying passion, but there might be something in the corn over at Lincoln.
FOX’s college football pregame show was on-site for the Nebraska-Oklahoma game, and at one point on the program, Cornhusker fans broke out in a “we want Urban (Meyer) chant.” Meyer serves as an analyst at FOX.
Check out the video and the panel’s reaction below:
Also during the game, as Oklahoma gained a 28-7 lead just five minutes before the first half, a fan was seen sporting a “hire Urban Meyer” shirt.
Meyer is back in his television analyst role after a forgettable year in the NFL as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the 58-year-old three-time FBS national champion received the opportunity due to his successful tenures in three college programs — Utah, Florida and Ohio State.
In his latter tenure with the Buckeyes, Meyer’s teams were a dominant force in the Big Ten, and it’s likely Nebraska fans are yearning for a return of the program’s past glory.
Scott Frost was entrusted with that goal, but he was unable to turn things around since he was hired in 2018 and was fired just three games into the 2022 season. Nebraska will pay Frost his full $15 million buyout — the buyout amount would have dropped to $7.5 million Oct. 1 — so it shows how desperate the program is to return to relevance, especially with how many eyes are on Big Ten football each week.
However, whether Meyer is ready to return is coaching is unknown. His NFL tenure has left a bad reputation for the three-time Big Ten champion coach. But a return to his roots could be what he needs to revive that fractured reputation.
The college football landscape has shifted due to NIL deals becoming a big factor in transfers. Meyer was known as an expert recruiter, but will that effect be the same in Nebraska?
There are no reports Nebraska has even talked with Meyer, so any connection between the two is merely speculation, but it’s clear the next head coach will face massive expectations to succeed quickly.
