Nebraska took another small step forward in the coaches’ poll, even if the AP voters still haven’t budged.
Fresh off a 56-7 win over Bowling Green in Week 2, the Huskers picked up seven more points from coaches and now sit at 18, the equivalent of No. 34.
That’s a climb from 36th last week, when they had 11 points. In the AP poll, though, Nebraska is still waiting to appear on the board.
There was movement around the Huskers’ schedule, too. Indiana moved up to No. 4 in the AP rankings, while Ohio State slid five spots to No.
- Iowa, despite needing to escape Iowa State 16-13, rose three spots to No.
- Oregon dropped hard, falling 15 places to No. 21 after its loss to Oklahoma State.
Washington also tumbled after edging Utah State 16-14. The Huskies fell out of the AP Top 25 and are now the first team among others receiving votes, which is effectively No.
- In the coaches’ poll, Washington is still No.
At the top, Texas is the new No. 1 in both polls after rallying from 20 points down to beat Ohio State 24-23.
Nebraska is getting a little more love in other ranking systems. The Huskers are No. 20 in ESPN’s latest FPI and No. 27 in Bill Connelly’s SP+, one spot behind Iowa.
The bigger picture for Nebraska remains the same: keep stacking improvements before Big Ten play begins. Next up is North Dakota, a 3-0 FCS team that hasn’t faced elite competition but has rolled through its lower-division opponents. The Fighting Hawks beat Portland State 47-23 on Saturday night, are averaging 50.3 points per game, and are ranked No. 6 in the latest FCS poll.
“I think for us, kind of our approach, is that's what we were supposed to do,” Matt Rhule said after the Huskers beat Bowling Green. “But there are still some things that are glaring that we have to continue to improve.
And we're lucky - there's a lot of close games in the Big Ten today. We're lucky that we were able to address them in a game that wasn't necessarily as close.”
In Other News...
Colandrea Gave Nebraska Hope But One Sloppy Issue Still Lingers
Anthony Colandrea gave Nebraska plenty to feel good about early, looking poised in the pocket and sharp with the ball as the offense rolled through the first half. He finished 17 of 20 for 184 yards and four touchdowns, and the Cornhuskers also found balance on the ground by leaning on the three-back Husker Hydra rotation to help cover for Emmett Johnson, with the group piling up 191 rushing yards and two scores.
Still, there was one messy sequence that fit a broader concern Nebraska cant quite shake. Colandreas first interception of the season was logged as a pick, but it came after Jacory Barney lost the ball when JoJo Johnson stripped it away, and special teams added its own frustration with penalties on punt returns. For a team trying to keep cleaner edges around an offense that looked in control for long stretches, those little lapses remain the nagging part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Has Another Coach Wanting Nebraskas Program Blueprint
After Nebraskas decisive win over Bowling Green, the conversation around Matt Rhule extended well beyond the scoreboard. Bowling Green coach Eddie George came away impressed with the way Nebraska is being built, praising Rhules coaching style and the broader approach he has used to shape the program. It was the kind of postgame respect that tends to follow a team that looks organized, physical and clearly headed in a direction.
George said he wants to learn from Rhule and seek advice on how to improve his own program, a notable compliment from a coach still working through his own build at Bowling Green. He also spoke about his coaching journey and the progress his team has made, which only added to the sense that Nebraskas model is starting to draw attention from across the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Made An Early Impression On A Defensive Line Target
RJ Cruz IIIs first trip to the University of Nebraska gave the Huskers a chance to make a fresh impression on one of the better early defensive line targets in the 2028 class. The three-star lineman from McDonogh School in Maryland has already built a relationship with Nebraska assistant Corey Brown, and that connection has helped put the Huskers in the mix as he starts sorting through his college options.
For Nebraska, the appeal goes beyond just getting Cruz on campus once. He is still working through where he fits best on the defensive line, and the Huskers will have to keep that momentum going as he continues to compare them with other programs. For now, Nebraska has at least given him something to think about, and the next step will be whether that early interest turns into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]