Initially I believe our D was still pretty good but over time our offensive production started falling off. EC kept things going (almost by himself). How many times did Nebraska lead the nation in rushing under TO? Frank needed a good OC as I never believed that was one of his strong points. There were other issues but if Frank had not been fired I don't believe we would have cratered like we eventually did. Frank had the misfortunate to follow one of the greatest coaches in college football history. That many times doesn't end well.
And that nails it right on the head. Frank's firing and the downfall of Nebraska football were the direct result of: (1) Frank following in the footprints of a giant, a difficult task, and (2) the fans and administration not handling the transition to post Osborne football in a realistic and reasonable manner.