Nebraska’s coaches and players spent the buildup to Saturday making one thing clear: Ohio is not the kind of opponent anybody should treat like a warmup.
Head coach Matt Rhule pointed to the Bobcats’ toughness and the way they keep fighting, even when the game starts slipping away.
“They still retain his (Frank Solich) DNA of being a tough, physical football team…(Last year at Rutgers) early on, they were down 31-17, and they just kept coming back. Made it 31-31.
Rutgers kicked a field goal (to win), but they battled all the way back. They were down 16-7 or 16-3 - I don’t know the exact score…at this moment, Ohio State at The Shoe, unbelievably well-coached football team, great players.
(They were down 13-0 2nd quarter, battled back to 13-9 in the 3rd)
“They’ve scored a ton of points…They play great defense.”
Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen echoed that same message, saying Ohio’s identity is built on grit and confidence.
That culture is pretty strong. They’ve won a lot.
It’s a developmental program, but they’re gritty. They’re tough.
They ain’t coming in here scared… One of the most impressive things that I’ve seen from a Group of Five team going to a Power Four school was what they did at Rutgers last year. They’re down 31 to 14 at halftime.
I think most group of fives are gonna- they’re gonna quit. That group didn’t, and they beat West Virginia the next week…went to Ohio State, played their tail off.
So we we know they’re gonna come here and play their their tail off.
Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich kept it short, but he made the same point about the program’s consistency.
“Good program, man. Nine wins or more the last four seasons.”
Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer, a fifth-year player, focused on the challenge every week brings.
“They’re they’re a good team. They have good players, a bunch of new players…every opponent every week - they’re gonna come in here and they want to take what’s ours. And it’s all about defending what’s ours.”
Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea may be the best person in the building to size up Ohio, and not just because he’s about to face them again. In a 17-10 loss to the Bobcats with UNLV in the 2025 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, Colandrea was sacked twice and finished with 184 passing yards and 28 rushing yards.
His read on Ohio was straightforward.
“They’re a really good football team. They play fast.
They’re big. They’re physical.
They’re super well coached. Just a good, good football team.”
There’s a case to be made for taking all of that seriously. Ohio has won 10, 10, 11 and 9 games over the last four seasons, a run that would have been the best four-year stretch of Frank Solich’s time in Athens, Ohio. Solich had winning records in all but two of his 14 seasons there, but he reached 10 wins only once.
That kind of track record doesn’t happen by accident, and it helps explain why Nebraska’s staff and players sound legitimately respectful of what’s coming.
Still, there’s another side to the picture. Ohio is replacing a lot, with only five starters back. Even in an era when the transfer portal can reshape a roster quickly, that’s a lot of experience to rebuild and blend together.
The Bobcats should still be competitive Saturday. The bigger question is whether a brand-new starting 22 can come together fast enough to put together a full four-quarter fight in its first game together. That’s a much steeper ask.
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Matt Rhule Just Set The Standard For Nebraska Year 4
Matt Rhule is heading into his fourth season at Nebraska with the kind of perspective that usually comes only after a full rebuild has been lived through, not simply talked about. The comparison to Fred Hoibergs fourth year on the basketball side is hard to miss, especially with both coaches taking over programs that needed major repair and then being asked to steady them in front of a restless fan base.
Troy Dannen has already made clear how difficult the football job looked when Rhule arrived, describing the program as fairly well broken, and Rhule has acknowledged the weight that comes with that reality. He has also pointed to Hoibergs perseverance as something he respects and can draw from, while making it clear the next step for his team is to finish better in late-season games and turn the rebuild into something that lasts. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Season Opener Puts Immediate Pressure On A New-Look Backfield
Nebraskas backfield will be one of the first real tests of the 2026 season, and the opener against Ohio arrives with both programs trying to reload on the ground. The Huskers have to move on from All-American Emmett Johnson, while Ohio is also reshaping its rushing attack after losing Sieh Bangura and the ground production Parker Navarro brought at quarterback. It is the kind of early matchup that can say plenty about how quickly a team has plugged a major roster hole.
For Nebraska, the intrigue is in who actually carries the load. Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee and true freshman Jamal Rule are the leading options, but none has entered college as a featured running back, which makes the first few weeks especially important. Ohio has more continuity with Duncan Brune back after meaningful playing time last season and UConn transfer Victor Rosa in the mix, so the Huskers new-look group may have to grow up fast if they want to keep pace in a game that could hinge on which backfield settles first. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Lindenmeyer Is Pushing For A Bigger Final Husker Role
Luke Lindenmeyer is heading into his final season at Nebraska with a clear sense of purpose, and it starts with the little things. The senior tight end has been working on his stiff-arm technique while also building chemistry with quarterback Anthony Colandrea, part of a larger push to make himself more useful in a Huskers offense that wants to become more explosive. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has challenged the tight ends to raise their level, and Lindenmeyer has taken that as a cue to sharpen his game rather than settle into a familiar role.
For Nebraska, the interest goes beyond one player adding polish to his skill set. Lindenmeyer is trying to do more than just fill snaps in his last run through the program, aiming instead to bring leadership and a steadier presence to a group that needs it. If that work translates, the Huskers could get more from the tight end position at a time when every bit of offensive growth matters, and Lindenmeyer's final season might end up carrying a larger imprint than expected. [Read more 🡒]