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Big Ten Blitz: A look around the Big Ten Conference

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As the calendar marches toward May and we get closer to the start of the football season in the Big Ten, there are a lot of questions surrounding several coaches within the Big Ten Conference this year.

This week, we take a look at coaches who need to win this season in this week's installment of Big Ten Blitz.

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1) Scott Frost, Nebraska

It wasn't that long ago that Scott Frost came back home to Lincoln and Nebraska amongst a lot of pomp and circumstance and hopes of bringing the Cornhuskers back to the glory days.

However, it has been anything but for Frost and Nebraska, who have not have not tasted the success frost had at Central Florida, when he led the Knights to a 13-0 record and became the hottest coaching candidate in America.

Three years in, Frost is 12-20 at Nebraska and has yet to guide the Cornhuskers to a bowl game.

Not only have they not made a bowl game, this is a team that has regressed under Frost, especially when it comes to the play of quarterback Adrian Martinez, who many thought would take a big leap in 2020.

With expectations high this season in Lincoln and athletic director Bill Moos saying he expects Nebraska to win eight or nine games this year, the time is now for Frost to win as the program's head coach.

The schedule features road games at Illinois, at Oklahoma, at Wisconsin, at Minnesota and a home date against Ohio State.

"Probably the toughest schedule in college football," Moos told the media.

Frost won Nebraska’s last national title in 1997 as a player and fans were hoping he’d bring that same type of success to Lincoln as a coach after years of mediocrity.

But, it hasn't happened.

Frost needs to take a huge step forward this year, and yes, this season is a make-or-break one for both Frost and Nebraska.

2) Jeff Brohm, Purdue

October 20, 2018.

It couldn't have gotten any better for the Purdue Boilermakers under head coach Jeff Brohm than on Oct. 20, 2018, as Purdue absolutely throttled Ohio State 49-20.

That, sadly, has been the high point for Purdue under Brohm, as the Boilermakers have not been the same team since Auburn knocked off Purdue 63-14 in the Music City Bowl in 2018.

And, as a result, Brohm enters year five at Purdue in desperate need of a winning season. The Boilermakers are 19-25 overall and 14-19 in Big Ten play under Brohm, who turned a winning season in year one into a new, multimillion dollar contract. Now, not all the loses on are on Brohm, as Purdue has had more than its fair share of injures and other issues the last two years, but this is year five for Brohm and the success and failure of Purdue rests solely at his feet now.

For Brohm, who came to Purdue as an offensive guru, the offense has to show up this year, especially quarterback Jack Plummer, who is in his fourth year on campus.

Purdue opens the season with non conference games against Oregon State and UConn before playing Notre Dame. They have to be, at worst, 2-1 going into Big Ten play, which features home games against Illinois and Minnesota to open conference play.

We will know a lot about Brohm and the Boilermakers five weeks into the season.

The question is what will we learn, and, for Brohm, it needs to be a lot of positives.

3) Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

At 49-22 in six seasons at Michigan and 34-16 in Big Ten play, it is almost comical that Jim Harbaugh enters the 2021 season needing to win games immediately, but such is the case for Harbaugh at Michigan.

And, much of it has to do with the following: he has not beaten Ohio State, he has not contended for a Big Ten title, and, a season ago, the Wolverines were defeated by both Michigan State and Indiana -- two programs they have owned in recent history.

Yes, the 2020 season was horrible for Harbaugh and the Wolverines, but he has the support of the administration despite not winning against Ohio State and not contending for championships.

That is why the 2021 season is so important for Harbaugh, especially after he completely retooled his coaching staff.

Michigan will have a new defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, safeties coach, cornerbacks coach, running backs coach and quarterbacks coach this year.

One thing to keep an eye on this season is the play of quarterback Cade McNamara and if he is the guy to get the job done against a schedule that could feature as many as six ranked opponents.

After the 2020 season, Harbaugh saw his salary cut in half and his buyout clause virtually removed.

Yes, he has won games with the Wolverines, but Harbaugh must take that next step this season by knocking off Ohio State and contending for a championship.

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