There’s a split in Nebraska’s fan base right now, but the numbers from this week’s Corn Nation poll showed that the loudest anger is not the majority view.
The poll was built around Matt Rhule’s place after Nebraska dropped two more heartbreakers to talented opponents. The Huskers are back to losing one-score games, but this time it’s happening against a different tier of competition.
Nebraska went 4-2 in one-score games in 2025, ending an eight-year streak of losing records in those situations. The wins came against Cincinnati, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA, while the losses were to Michigan and USC.
This season opened with an 0-2 start against Indiana at home and Oregon on the road, and that was the backdrop for the question: which Nebraska team looks stronger?
The response, according to the poll, was not even close to the fury showing up in comments and on social media. After reading through reactions to the Oregon recap, on Twitter/X and during last Tuesday’s episode of the Huskers Happy Hour, it seemed like a large chunk of Husker Nation wanted a change immediately. Some of the heat came from viewers who pushed the “Matt Rhule must be fired NOW” stance hard, with one person posting close to 40 times and taking shots at fans who were willing to defend the progress.
But the poll told a different story.
Only 13% said Rhule needs to go, while 87% still support him in some form. The biggest group landed in the “two things can be true” lane: yes, the progress is real, but for gawd’s sake, hold a lead already!
That option took 57% of the vote. Another 30% said they’re fine with the progress on its own, even with the frustration that comes with it.
There’s still a long way to go, and Saturday brings another test. Unranked but talented Washington visits Lincoln on Halloween, and another loss - especially another ugly fourth-quarter finish - could swing the mood fast, much like 2025 after the USC game and Dylan Raiola’s injury.
The belief here is that this Nebraska team is better than that one, especially in the trenches. Still, this feels like a game with real weight.
Win it, and 9 wins stays in play. Lose it, and 7-5 starts to feel a lot more likely.
Elsewhere, the discussion around Dylan Raiola took another turn after a “meh” performance against Illinois, where Dan Lanning seemed comfortable enough to let him dink & dunk his way to a 19.7 QBR. Against Nebraska, he threw for 59 yards on 11 completions.
Oregon’s real damage came on the ground, where the Ducks piled up 96 fourth-quarter yards after managing only 31 in the first three quarters against the exhausted Blackshirts. He remains the fans’ choice, but 4th stringer Akili Smith is starting to pick up support.
Indiana also kept surviving, and Curt Cignetti’s line still applies: winners find a way to win. The Hoosiers escaped again for the second time in three weeks, and they could arrive in Lincoln in two weeks on a three-game win streak with Maryland up next.
And yes, there was also a little extra laughter aimed around the country.
In Other News...
Nebraska Fans Are Running Out Of Patience With Matt Rhule
Nebraskas frustration with Matt Rhule has been building for a while, and the latest comparison only adds to it. While the Cornhuskers keep searching for a breakthrough win, Scott Frost is already in his second season at UCF with more victories over ranked teams than Rhule has managed across four years in Lincoln, and Luke Fickell, hired the same year as Rhule, has also stacked up multiple ranked wins with Cincinnati.
The pressure only grows after a close loss to Indiana, a game that again left Nebraska without the kind of signature result fans have been waiting for this season. The Cornhuskers have stayed competitive, but until they finally get over the hump against a ranked opponent, the patience around Rhule is likely to keep wearing thin. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Bye Week Put Even More Heat On Matt Rhule
Nebraskas bye week did not bring much relief to Matt Rhule, because the longer the Cornhuskers sat without a game, the more their own situation seemed to stand out against the rest of the Big Ten. The conferences quarterback picture has been messy, with injuries and benchings creating constant turnover, while Nebraska has been forced to live with the pressure that comes from waiting, watching and measuring itself against every other storyline around the league.
Anthony Colandreas durability has been one of the few steady notes in that chaos, and it only sharpened the contrast as other programs kept dealing with instability at the most important position. Add in Scott Frosts recent win over a Top 25 team, and the broader backdrop becomes even less forgiving for Rhule, whose program could have used the bye week as a reset but instead saw the conversation drift further toward what Nebraska still needs to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Blackshirts Are Taking Heat For A Much Bigger Nebraska Problem
Nebraskas defense has been easy to point at after the last two losses, especially with the Blackshirts under scrutiny for the way late-game drives slipped away against Indiana and Oregon. But the bigger picture is a little messier than a simple defensive breakdown. The unit has put together strong stretches, held up well statistically and gotten important efforts from key players, even while the games still ended with frustration attached.
The criticism sharpened when Oregon drove for the winner, with Dylan Raiola facing little pressure on the final march, but the problem in those losses did not stop there. Nebraskas offense struggled to do enough, and special teams errors added more weight to the margin for error, leaving the defense to absorb more blame than it probably deserves. If the Cornhuskers are going to turn these narrow losses into something better, the fix will have to be broader than just the Blackshirts. [Read more 🡒]