Nebraska’s 56-7 rout of Bowling Green last Saturday sent the Huskers climbing in most of the national measures tracked heading into Week 3, but the rise hasn’t been universal. ESPN’s Football Power Index gave Nebraska the biggest bump, while The Athletic 138 actually slid the Huskers down one spot, and the Associated Press Top 25 still hasn’t given them a vote.
Across the six polls and rankings being monitored, Nebraska sits at an average of 31.3. That’s up from 32.6 last week, with ESPN’s No. 20 showing the high point and The Athletic’s No. 59 marking the low end. The Huskers’ next chance to keep building comes Saturday at home against FCS North Dakota, with kickoff set for 6:15 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
The AP remains the one place Nebraska still can’t crack. For the fourth straight week, the Huskers are absent from the Top 25 and have yet to receive a vote. Fifteen teams are listed among “others receiving votes” nationwide, including Pitt and Kansas State, which each picked up one vote.
The Big Ten picture around Nebraska is crowded. Seven league teams are in the AP Top 25, with Ohio State dropping from No. 1 after its fourth-quarter collapse and loss to Texas, and Oregon falling from No. 6 to No. 21 after losing at Oklahoma State.
The ranked Big Ten group includes Indiana at No. 4, Ohio State at No.
6, USC at No. 12, Penn State at No.
14, Iowa at No. 18, Michigan at No. 19 and Oregon at No.
- Washington sits 26th among others receiving votes, and UCLA is 35th.
Altogether, nine Big Ten teams are ahead of Nebraska in the AP picture.
The Athletic 138 has Nebraska at 59th, one spot worse than a week ago. The Huskers finished 52nd in that ranking last season.
In that same system, Nebraska is ahead of eight Big Ten teams: Illinois at 43, Maryland at 48, Minnesota at 56, Northwestern at 60, Wisconsin at 65, Michigan State at 79, Purdue at 94 and Rutgers at 101. Nebraska is set to play Michigan State, Maryland, Illinois and Rutgers from that group in 2026.
The Athletic also has nine Big Ten teams ranked above Nebraska: Ohio State at 5, Indiana at 6, USC at 11, Penn State at 15, Oregon at 16, Michigan at 20, Iowa at 21, Washington at 28 and UCLA at 30. Nebraska is scheduled to face Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Iowa from that group in 2026.
In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Nebraska is sitting among “others receiving votes” at 34th with 18 points. That’s an improvement from 36th last week, when the Huskers had 11 points. Virginia is 25th with 249 points, and the panel includes 72 coaches, among them Matt Rhule.
ESPN’s FPI gave Nebraska the strongest endorsement in the group, moving the Huskers up to No. 20 from No. 23.
It also pushed Nebraska’s projected season line to 8.3 wins and 3.8 losses, up from 7.5 wins and 4.5 losses last week. The model now gives Nebraska a 95.8 percent chance of reaching six wins and becoming bowl eligible, up from 88.1 percent a week ago.
The other FPI numbers also moved in Nebraska’s favor: a 3.0 percent chance to win the Big Ten, 18.0 percent chance to reach the College Football Playoff, 1.4 percent chance to make the national championship game and 0.5 percent chance to win it all. Last week those figures were 1.2 percent, 9.9 percent, 0.6 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.
For a program coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons, that projected push to eight wins stands out. The difference between 7-6 and 8-5 is only one game, but it matters to the mood around the program.
Massey Ratings, which combine 40 different college football rankings, moved Nebraska up three spots to No. 34 in the consensus. Indiana is No. 1 in that system, followed by Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama and Georgia.
In Other News...
Matt Rhule Just Lost Nebraskas Biggest Excuse For 2026
The numbers now line up with what Matt Rhule has been saying about Nebraskas place in the college football spending race. A new Athletic estimate of Power 4 roster values put the Cornhuskers at No. 18 nationally, with a valuation in the $31 million to $35 million range, a figure that suggests Nebraska is not being asked to chase elite competition with second-tier resources. It also slots the Huskers sixth in the Big Ten, behind the usual heavyweights such as Ohio State and Michigan.
For a program trying to climb back into national relevance, that matters because it trims away one of the easiest explanations for why the gap has remained so wide. Rhule has pointed to NIL as proof Nebraska can compete with top programs, and this latest valuation only strengthens that argument heading into 2026. The real question now is less about whether the money is there and more about whether Nebraska can turn that advantage into results on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Got A Promising Defensive Signal From Two Overlooked Names
Rob Aurich had a couple of encouraging names to point to this week, and neither came from the usual spotlight. The Nebraska defensive coordinator singled out walk-on linebacker Derek Wacker for the standard he brings every day, saying his reliability has made him a steady presence on special teams and a player the staff trusts because he does things the right way. Its the kind of praise that usually signals a coach leaning on effort, consistency and familiarity as much as raw production.
Aurich also pointed to Malcolm Simpson, a second-year player whose growth has started to show up in a more visible way. Simpson helped create a turnover when he forced a fumble that Wacker returned for a touchdown, and his climb has been notable given the labrum surgeries he has already worked through. Coaches have been impressed by what hes done in practice and on the scout team, and that attention has translated into more playing time as Nebraska keeps sorting out which young defenders are ready for bigger roles. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Future Schedule Just Added A Rivalry Fans Will Debate
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The addition comes as Nebraska continues to reshape its non-conference schedule, including dropping Tennessee and replacing it with other Power 4 opponents in future seasons. For fans, the debate is already baked in: another marquee brand adds national appeal and ticket juice, but it also raises the usual questions about how much scheduling risk Nebraska wants to take on in an era when every game carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]