Nebraska’s unbeaten start is starting to show up everywhere the numbers are tracked.
After a 48-23 win over Maryland on Saturday, the Huskers climbed in six of the seven polls and rankings monitored this week, with only Jeff Sagarin’s rating sending them backward. Nebraska is 5-0 and, heading into Saturday’s matchup with 5-0 Indiana at Memorial Stadium, the Huskers have begun to push their way higher into the national picture.
The biggest leap came from The Athletic, where Nebraska jumped 15 spots to No. 33 from No. 48.
That still leaves it as the lowest of the seven rankings tracked, but it’s a clear move in the right direction. The Athletic summed up Nebraska this way: “Nebraska lacks quality wins, but the Huskers are 5-0 with a monster game against Indiana coming up.”
Nebraska’s average ranking across the seven services now sits at 24.1, a sizable rise from 27.7 last week. The Huskers still haven’t broken into the Top 25, but they did move up to No. 31 from No. 33 in the “others receiving votes” group.
This is the third straight week Nebraska has received votes after being left out entirely in the first four rankings. The Huskers collected 48 votes, while No.
25 Pitt has 162.
One place Nebraska has made noticeable progress is the USA Today Coaches Poll, where it moved to No. 28 from No. 30.
That poll includes 72 coaches, among them Matt Rhule. Nebraska is one spot ahead of Northwestern in that grouping, and also sits ahead of Wisconsin and Minnesota among Big Ten teams receiving votes.
ESPN’s Football Power Index remains Nebraska’s strongest rating. The Huskers moved up to No. 13 from No. 14 there, giving them their best position across the seven systems monitored.
The FPI numbers also shifted in both directions: Nebraska’s chance of winning six games, which would clinch bowl eligibility, rose to 99.9 percent from 99.4. The projection now has the Huskers at 9.0 wins and 3.2 losses, up from 8.8 wins and 3.3 losses.
At the same time, Nebraska’s odds dipped in several championship categories, including a 3.4 percent chance to win the Big Ten, 25.7 percent to reach the College Football Playoff, 1.6 percent to make the national title game and 0.5 percent to win it all.
Massey Ratings also pushed Nebraska upward. In its consensus of 40 college football rankings, the Huskers rose to No. 18 from No.
- Alabama is first in that system, followed by Texas, Georgia, Indiana and Notre Dame.
Sagarin was the lone outlier. Nebraska slipped to No. 18 from No. 16 there. Alabama also holds the top spot in that rating.
The AP Top 25 remains crowded with Big Ten teams, and Nebraska is still outside the list. Six conference teams are ranked: Ohio State at No.
5, Indiana at No. 7, Oregon at No.
13, USC at No. 19, Iowa at No. 20 and UCLA at No.
- Ohio State moved up two spots after its 31-14 win at Iowa.
Nebraska’s schedule gives it a chance to keep climbing, and a win over Indiana would almost certainly change the national conversation around the Huskers. It would also have immediate effects on the rankings, especially with Nebraska set to face the Big Ten’s top three AP teams this season, along with Iowa.
Among Big Ten teams receiving votes, Wisconsin is No. 28, Northwestern is No.
30, Nebraska is No. 31 and Minnesota is No. 32.
Nebraska is ranked ahead of 11 other Big Ten teams in one of the tracked systems, including Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Penn State, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State and Rutgers. The Huskers still have not played Washington, Illinois or Rutgers from that group in 2026.
The national numbers are moving, and Nebraska is moving with them. The next big swing could come Saturday.
In Other News...
Nebraska Faces A Big Defensive Line Worry Before Indiana
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Indianas report carries its own uncertainty, with wide receiver LeBron Bond listed as questionable after missing previous games. The Hoosiers also expect to have cornerback A.J. Harris and defensive end David Ndukwe back in the mix after earlier injuries, leaving both teams with some late-week personnel questions to monitor before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
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That drought has stretched all the way back to 2016, and Nebraska heads into this one as a 7.5-point underdog, which is why the outside belief matters at all. Compton and Lewan pointed to the fan base and the players as reasons the Cornhuskers might finally be positioned to snap the skid, setting up a test that feels as much about belief as it does about rankings. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas First Test Will Reveal Plenty About This New-Look Team
Fridays exhibition against Saint Louis will be Nebraskas first real chance to show what this new-look group can do under game conditions. College basketballs preseason tuneups are often more about feel than results, but they still offer a useful snapshot, especially for a team trying to sort out its rotation and see how new pieces fit together before the games start counting.
The Cornhuskers are part of a loaded October 9 exhibition slate that also includes North Carolina meeting USC and Richmond visiting Virginia, giving fans an early look at several programs with fresh faces and new directions. For Nebraska, the focus is less on the final score than on how the roster responds, how the coaching staff deploys it, and what the first test reveals about the teams early identity. [Read more 🡒]