Year 4 of the Matt Rhule era opens with Nebraska carrying a familiar question into the season: how long will the waiting game last for Husker fans?
The Cornhuskers kick off the 2026 season in just a couple of days with a home matchup against the Ohio Bobcats, and it starts a home slate that includes three teams from Ohio. Bowling Green visits on September 12, and Ohio State, currently the number one team in the nation, comes to Lincoln on November 21.
For a fan base that has spent the last nine years living through mediocrity, optimism has been hard to come by. Nebraska finished last season with a heavy thud, taking blowout losses to Penn State, 37-10, Iowa, 40-16, and Utah, 44-22.
After three seasons under Rhule, the Huskers sit at 19-19. That record includes two straight winning seasons and two bowl trips, but it still hasn’t been enough to quiet the hunger for more.
The biggest missing piece has been a signature win. Nebraska has not beaten a top ten team or even a ranked team during Rhule’s first three years. There have also been no New Year’s Day bowl appearances.
That frustration has been building around the constant search for the next spark. First came transfer quarterback Jeff Sims.
Then, in each of the next two years, it was 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola. Both eventually moved on to other programs.
And yet, even with the skepticism, the idea of patience only goes so far. Husker home game ticket sales have already sagged this year, and the sellout streak is suddenly a real question. Fans keep telling themselves next year will be the one, but at some point, next year starts to sound like a broken promise.
Nebraska isn’t being asked to win the whole thing, not with a 2026 schedule that includes Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Washington and Iowa. But the bar is still simple: beat somebody it’s not supposed to beat. Maybe this time the new shiny object at quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, can be the one to do it.
The opener does give Nebraska a chance to settle in against a Bobcats team that comes in with some credentials. Ohio went 9-4 last season and closed with a 17-10 Frisco Bowl win over Anthony Colandrea’s UNLV Rebels. John Hauser is the program’s third head coach in as many years, and the Bobcats have also picked up notable wins in recent seasons, including a 17-10 victory over West Virginia last year and a 10-7 win over Iowa State in 2023.
Saturday’s forecast in Lincoln calls for sunny, hot conditions, and the game should test Nebraska more than some openers do. Still, the Huskers are expected to take over in the second half and handle business. This is the kind of game Nebraska should win, and the prediction here is that it does, 35-10, with Colandrea making his debut and the bench getting cleared.
The only lingering question: which team is Frank Solich going to root for?
In Other News...
Nebraskas First 2026 Depth Chart Raised A Few Eyebrows Fast
Nebraskas first official depth chart for the 2026 season arrived before the matchup with Ohio, and it did more than just sort out the pecking order for the opener. It also gave a clearer look at where the staff thinks things stand on both sides of the ball, with the chart drawing attention for a few notable changes as the Huskers begin the new year.
The timing matters even more with the program still working the recruiting trail and the pro pipeline at the same time. Nebraska is set to host 2028 quarterback target Owen Herrick, a prospect the staff views as a top name on its board, while seven former Huskers have already landed on NFL practice squads around the league, a reminder that the roster churn never really stops in Lincoln. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas NFL Talent Gap Just Got Harder For Huskers Fans To Ignore
As NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players this week, the Nebraska pipeline to Sundays looked thinner than it has in years. Only eight former Huskers who finished their college careers in Lincoln are on active NFL rosters, the fewest in five years, a number that lands at a time when the program is already trying to show it can keep pace with the Big Tens elite talent factories.
The broader picture is even harder for Nebraska fans to miss. The Huskers have had only five players drafted over the past four years, and the program has not produced a first- or second-round pick since 2011, a stretch that stands out next to the draft output of Ohio State and Michigan. Nineteen former Huskers were among the players cut during roster reduction, though a few could still latch on with practice squads, leaving another reminder that Nebraskas next NFL success story is still waiting to fully emerge. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Added More Buzz To A Home Atmosphere Fans Treasure
Nebraskas home crowd routine has become part of the programs identity, and the latest sign of that came with Tuesdays announcement that the 2026 season-opener against Ohio is already sold out. The sellout stretches the Huskers streak to 411 consecutive games, a run that keeps Memorial Stadiums reputation intact as one of the sports most reliable draws, even with the game still well down the road.
Athletic director Troy Dannen and coach Matt Rhule have both pointed to ticket sales and the atmosphere around home dates as part of what makes Nebraska such a difficult place for visitors. The calendar also has a little extra flavor coming, with a themed game against Bowling Green built around America 250 and a drone show, plus a concert by Cole Swindell adding to the event feel that has become part of the Husker experience. [Read more 🡒]