Nebraska football finally gets rolling this week, and the first test brings a fresh look on both sides of the ball. The Huskers open the 2026 season against Ohio, with Anthony Colandrea leading a roster that features plenty of new faces. It also happens to be the first meeting ever between Nebraska and the Bobcats on the football field.
For fans trying to catch the opener, kickoff is set for 11 am Saturday. The game will air on Fox Sports 1 and can also be streamed on the FOX Sports App, FOX One, and Fubo TV.
The betting line leans heavily toward Nebraska. On FanDuel, the Huskers are 24.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 47.5. In other words, oddsmakers are expecting Nebraska to win comfortably while keeping Ohio’s scoring down.
That kind of margin makes sense given the matchup, but there is still one thing to watch early: how smooth Nebraska looks on offense with a new starting quarterback and a trio of new starting running backs in Mekhi Nelson, Isiaha Mozee and Jamal Rule. Rust is a real possibility in Week 1.
Even so, Nebraska has every reason to come out sharp. The first five games on the schedule are relatively mild before things get tougher later, so there’s a clear case for getting off to a strong start. Ohio is also breaking in a new quarterback, which only adds to the expectation that Nebraska can control this one from the jump.
The prediction here is a lopsided one: Nebraska 45, Ohio 3.
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The same day brought a different kind of roster intrigue for Nebraska football alumni, with several former Huskers landing on NFL 53-man rosters after cutdown day. Emmett Johnson, Ameer Abdullah, Thomas Fidone, Cam Jurgens, Ty Robinson, Maliek Collins, Luke Gifford and Cam Taylor-Britt all survived the first wave, while others were let go, and there could still be more movement as waivers and practice squad decisions play out. [Read more 🡒]