Leading into the game, plenty of Nebraska fans said they could live with a close one as long as the Huskers showed up and competed. What they got was another one-score finish, this time a 20-17 loss to the No. 5 and No. 7 defending national champs, and the reaction around Nebraska was still more frustration than relief.
That response makes sense after how quickly things unraveled once Anthony Colandrea pushed Nebraska ahead 17-6. The mood shifted fast, and the second that swing hit, the familiar here-we-go-again feeling took over. The breakdown itself figures to draw plenty of attention all week, but for Corn Nation Reacts, the main task was to let the polling speak for itself.
The question was straightforward: who would win, and by how much?
Most voters expected Indiana to avoid a repeat of 2024’s 56-7 disaster, but not all that many saw a Nebraska victory coming. A 31% plurality picked the Hoosiers to win by 8-14 points.
Nebraska fans showed up in a few different camps. Twenty-eight percent believed the Huskers would pull out a win by a score or less, and that was the most optimistic group on the Nebraska side if the margin had been trimmed just a little in one direction or the other.
Another 20% went with an Indiana blowout, though that never really looked close to happening. The Northwestern result apparently didn’t scare as many people off that pick as expected.
Thirteen percent landed exactly on the 20-17 final. If some fans are more irritated than encouraged by the progress of a near-miss, the players are likely feeling the same way.
Eight percent thought Nebraska would win by 8 or more, including one bold, or possibly intoxicated, voter who picked the Huskers by 15-plus. And the 7% who backed Nebraska in a narrow loss had it looking good for about 13 seconds.
Elsewhere in the polling, 81% of LSU’s voters would have been wrong after Kentucky chose to go for two on its first overtime try and converted it straight up the middle for a 35-34 upset.
Michigan’s offensive issues continue to be a problem, with points proving hard to find and the struggles seemingly starting right after their national championship* and the departures of Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions. Weasels’ fans, for their part, look ready to move on from Bryce Underwood.
In Other News...
Dylan Raiola Just Changed The Feel Of Nebraska's Oregon Showdown
Dylan Raiolas path into Nebraskas matchup with Oregon suddenly looks a lot different than it did just a week ago. Oregons quarterback situation has been thrown into flux after a rough outing against UCLA, and the ripple effect matters for the Cornhuskers because it could change the tone of a game that already had plenty of attention attached to it.
Raiolas performance led to a late benching, while Brock Thomas steadied Oregon in relief and gave the Ducks something to think about if Dante Moore is not fully recovered from a concussion. For Nebraska, that means preparing for a showdown without a clear idea of which Oregon quarterback it will see, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already compelling matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Let A Huge Opportunity Slip Away Against Indiana
Nebraska spent much of the afternoon doing enough things to put itself in position to win against Indiana, controlling the ball longer and piling up more yards in a game that felt very much there for the taking. Still, the Cornhuskers came away empty, undone by a missed field goal, a handful of defensive coverage lapses and a few coaching choices that left plenty of room for second-guessing once the final whistle sounded.
Injuries and missing players only added to the challenge, and Nebraska never quite found the clean finish it needed when the game tightened late. For a team that seemed to have the edge in enough areas to separate itself, the result was a frustrating reminder that moving the ball and winning possession battles does not mean much if the critical moments go the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Football Suddenly Has One More Thing To Watch At Oregon
Nebraska fans got a full weekend of reminders that sports mood can swing fast. The volleyball team kept its undefeated season rolling by sweeping No. 7 Wisconsin, while the basketball team used an exhibition loss to Saint Louis as an early measuring stick for Fred Hoibergs group. On the football side, though, the attention stays fixed on the Cornhuskers loss to Indiana and the questions it raised going into a trip to Oregon.
The quarterback situation is the part Nebraska will be watching closest. Dylan Raiola was benched in Oregons recent loss, and that adds a fresh layer to an already tricky matchup as the Cornhuskers try to bounce back. For a team that has already seen one setback, the next move under center could shape how it approaches the Ducks long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]