Indiana’s trip to Nebraska on Saturday shapes up as the biggest test of the young season, and the matchup comes with a pretty simple warning label: this is not the same kind of challenge IU has been cruising through so far.
That said, there’s a reason some Hoosier fans can look at the numbers and feel a little better about heading into Memorial Stadium. Actually, there are three reasons.
Start with Nebraska’s long drought against ranked teams. The Huskers have not beaten a ranked opponent since September 2016, when they knocked off No.
22 Oregon. Since then, Nebraska has dropped 30 straight games against Top 25 teams.
Thirteen of those losses came by one score, which helps explain how the streak can fly under the radar even though it has stretched more than a decade. During that same 10-year span, Nebraska was ranked itself 15 times, and only three of those games were ranked-versus-ranked matchups.
Saturday won’t be one of those. Nebraska is sitting unofficially at No. 31, or sixth in the “receiving votes” category. However you want to slice the rankings, the Huskers are still more than 10 years removed from their last real breakthrough win.
Then there’s Matt Rhule’s record in these spots. Rhule is in his 11th year as an FBS head coach, and his résumé includes plenty of rebuild work, so nobody is asking for perfection against ranked teams.
But 2-25 against AP Top 25 opponents is a brutal number. At Nebraska, he has taken part in nine of those 30 straight losses to ranked foes, and his own losing streak against AP Top 25 teams is up to 20.
The specifics get even rougher. Rhule went 0-11 against AP Top 25 teams at Baylor.
His last win over a ranked opponent came at Temple in 2016, when his team beat No. 20 Navy in the American Conference Championship.
He has also never beaten a ranked Power Conference opponent. His only other ranked win came in 2014, when Temple beat No.
20 East Carolina, a team that finished the season with five losses.
So when you line it all up, IU takes an FBS-leading 20-game winning streak into a road game against a Nebraska team that has lost 30 straight to AP Top 25 opponents and is led by a coach who has never beaten a ranked Power Conference foe in 11 years on the job.
There are also some on-field numbers that tilt toward Indiana. IU ranks No. 4 in FBS in yards per play and No. 8 in yards per play allowed.
Nebraska’s first five opponents haven’t exactly been a killer slate, either. The best of that group on defense is Maryland, which ranks No. 68 in yards per play allowed.
And Nebraska’s schedule hasn’t produced a Power Conference win yet. None of the Huskers’ first five opponents has a Power Conference victory, and against non-Nebraska Power Conference opponents, those teams are a combined 0-5. Even Indiana’s early schedule, favorable as it was, included a Northwestern team that has already posted two blowout wins against Power Conference foes.
That’s why an Indiana upset in this game would be more than just a road win. It would run completely against the recent history of both programs. And while nothing about Saturday is decided in advance, the most shocking result is pretty easy to spot.
In Other News...
Indiana Is About To Test Everything Nebraska Thinks It Is
Charlie McBride has spent enough time around Nebraska football to know that a Big Ten game can turn quickly if the fundamentals slip, and his latest read on the matchup with Indiana was all about the basics. The former Nebraska defensive coordinator broke down on the Carriker Chronicles what the Huskers need to do on both sides of the ball, putting the spotlight on clean tackling, run defense, and the kind of disciplined pass rush that keeps a quarterback from escaping the pocket.
On offense, McBride pointed to the need for explosive plays, a dependable run game and the patience to work the clock instead of forcing the issue. It is a familiar blueprint, but against Indiana it also feels like a test of whether Nebraska can actually live it out for four quarters, especially with the margin for error so thin in a conference game that can swing on one missed tackle or one drive that stalls before it should. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Shootout Test Its Fast Start Must Survive
Indianas fast start is about to be measured against a Nebraska team that brings real firepower, and this matchup has the makings of a shootout if both offenses keep operating at the level theyve shown lately. The comparison points are easy to see: quarterbacks Josh Hoover and Anthony Colandrea have helped set the tone for their sides, while Turbo Richard and Jamal Rule give the ground game enough threat to keep defenses honest.
There is also plenty of playmaking out wide, with Charlie Becker and Kwazi Gilmer standing out as targets who can tilt a game quickly. On the other side of the ball, Indiana will need its defense to hold up around Isaiah Jones, while Nebraska leans on Owen Chambliss to steady its own front. With recent performances and injury updates both in the mix, this looks like the kind of test that can either validate Indianas start or expose how much more it still has to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Now Know What Year 2 Will Demand Of DeVries
Indianas 2026-27 mens basketball calendar gives Darian DeVries a clear picture of what Year 2 is going to look like, and it starts earlier than the regular season. The Hoosiers will open with three exhibition games beginning Oct. 11 before settling into a 32-game slate that tips off Nov. 2, a schedule that mixes non-conference tests with the grind of Big Ten play and lays out the kind of weekly rhythm fans have come to expect in Bloomington.
The bigger storyline is what all of that asks of a roster that will again feature both new transfers and returning players as DeVries tries to build on last seasons record. With tip times and TV windows now set, Indiana can start mapping out the climb ahead, but the real intrigue is how quickly the group can come together once the games begin and the conference portion starts to tighten the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]