Matt Rhule has Nebraska moving in the right direction, and now the conversation has shifted to the next hurdle: can the Huskers finish Big Ten play with a winning record?
That’s a meaningful jump from where this program has been. Two years ago, the question was whether Nebraska would even get back to a bowl game.
Last year, it was whether the Huskers could make bowls in back-to-back seasons. This season, the bar has risen again, and that alone says plenty about how the message around the program has changed under Rhule for a third straight year.
Nebraska has not posted a winning conference record since Mike Riley’s 2016 team went 9-4. That season started 7-0 and reached No. 10 in the rankings, though the schedule was widely seen as a soft one.
This year’s path looks very different. The deeper the Huskers get into the schedule, the tougher it becomes.
The back half is where this thing gets real. Indiana and Oregon sit in the middle stretch, and Nebraska needs to start fast if it wants a shot at this next benchmark.
Michigan State and Maryland are must-win games. Oregon, Washington and Illinois are all games Nebraska can realistically win, though recent history against Illinois makes that one harder to trust.
After that comes Indiana, Rutgers, Ohio State and Iowa.
Rutgers, short of some sort of alien invasion, should not be a major problem. That still leaves Nebraska trying to sort out the rest of the road ahead.
Ohio State has been a tough out recently, but the Huskers still haven’t found a way through. Iowa has been a yearly grinder on the road, only for Nebraska to come up short by three.
Illinois has also been a problem lately, with Bielema’s team seemingly having Nebraska on speed dial.
That leaves the games that may define whether this season keeps climbing: the road trip to Autzen for the “Revenge against Raiola” game, plus the home dates with the defending champs and Washington. If Nebraska can stack the “three easy ones,” the next question becomes which two of the tougher ones can turn into wins.
The broader goal is simple enough: an eight-win season means a winning conference record. If Nebraska protects home turf, then it only needs one road win to get there.
For anyone already looking at the schedule and realizing that would require beating Indiana, Washington and Ohio State at home, yes, that is a big ask. But it would also clear another box on the season checklist: beating a ranked team.
That’s where Nebraska stands now. The Huskers are not just trying to get back on solid ground anymore.
They’re trying to take the next step up the mountain. And compared with where this program started, that is progress worth watching.
In Other News...
Nebraska Is Getting A Very Different Michigan State Test Saturday
Michigan State is heading into Big Ten play with a very different feel under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and that makes Saturdays matchup a little harder to frame than the usual conference opener. According to Stephen Brooks of 247Sports, Fitzgerald has already changed the energy around the program, leaning into a grinder mentality and a work-first approach that has given the Spartans a clearer identity early on.
For Nebraska, that means preparing for a team that may look less like a rebuild and more like a group buying into a specific style of play. Fitzgeralds familiarity with the Big Ten and his reputation as a charismatic leader have helped him win over fans and players quickly, and that early buy-in is part of what makes this a tricky test for the Cornhuskers as they begin to sort out where they stand in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Face A Memorial Stadium Shakeup Beyond The Renovations
Memorial Stadium is entering a stretch of change that goes beyond cranes and construction crews. Nebraskas Big Red Rebuild is already underway, and with capacity temporarily reduced during renovations, the athletic department is preparing a reseating process ahead of the 2027 season while also rolling out changes to ticket pricing, seating contributions and stadium amenities.
For fans, the next two seasons figure to bring a different game-day experience before the building settles into its final form. Some renovated areas are expected to be ready for 2027, but the full project remains aimed at completion by the 2028 season, when Memorial Stadium is expected to have its full capacity back in place. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas 3-0 Start Is Setting Up A Bigger Debate Than Expected
Nebraskas 34-7 win over North Dakota added another layer to a 3-0 start that has brought a real sense of progress under Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers have looked more organized in the early going, and the changes around the program have been part of the story too, with several new coaches joining the staff and a new defensive coordinator installing a 4-3-5 scheme.
Now the conversation is shifting from simple improvement to what comes next, because the schedule is about to demand a sharper answer. Michigan State, Maryland and Indiana are waiting, and the early optimism in Lincoln is set to meet a stretch that should say plenty about how real this start actually is. [Read more 🡒]