Nebraska’s Bowl Picture: Where the Huskers Could Land After a Rollercoaster 2025 Season
The 2025 regular season is in the books for Nebraska football, and now all eyes turn to bowl season. The Huskers wrapped up Year 2 under Matt Rhule with a 7-5 record - a step forward overall, but one that came with a frustrating finish. After jumping out to a promising 6-2 start and securing bowl eligibility in October, Nebraska stumbled down the stretch, going just 1-3 in November.
Now, with conference championship games on deck and final College Football Playoff rankings set to drop Sunday, the big question is: where does Nebraska go bowling?
Let’s break down the most likely destinations and matchups being projected for the Huskers - and what each one could mean for a program still trying to find its footing under Rhule.
The Favorite: Music City Bowl vs. LSU
Right now, the Music City Bowl in Nashville is shaping up as the most likely landing spot for Nebraska - and a potential showdown with LSU is generating plenty of buzz.
The Huskers have only made one prior appearance in this bowl, a 2016 loss to Tennessee. But this time around, the matchup could feature an LSU team in transition.
The Tigers parted ways with Brian Kelly earlier this season and made a splash by hiring Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss over the weekend. LSU, like Nebraska, finished the regular season 7-5, struggling to a 2-4 record over the final six games.
Historically, Nebraska has dominated this matchup. The Huskers are undefeated against LSU all-time, holding a 5-0-1 record.
That includes regular season meetings in 1975 (a win) and 1976 (a tie in Baton Rouge), plus four bowl games - all played on New Year’s Day - where Nebraska consistently came out on top. The average score in those postseason meetings?
24-14 in favor of the Big Red.
It’s been decades since these two programs last met, but the historical edge and the SEC connection make this a compelling matchup on paper.
Another SEC Option: Missouri in Nashville
If it’s not LSU, Missouri could be the other SEC opponent on the table in Nashville. And while this matchup wouldn’t carry the same novelty as a Nebraska-LSU showdown, it would come with a heavy dose of history.
Nebraska and Missouri were annual rivals for decades, dating back to their Big Eight and Big 12 days. The Huskers lead the all-time series 65-36-3 and famously rattled off 24 straight wins from 1979 to 2002. The two programs haven’t faced off since 2010, the year before Nebraska bolted for the Big Ten and Missouri began its transition to the SEC.
Missouri finished 8-4 this season, but like Nebraska, they hit some turbulence late - dropping three of their last five, all to teams with legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations. The Tigers just extended head coach Eli Drinkwitz, signaling confidence in the direction of the program.
This matchup would offer a nostalgic nod to the past, but with both programs looking to build momentum heading into 2026, it could also serve as a measuring stick for where each stands in the current college football landscape.
A Vegas Return: Utah or Arizona in the Cards?
Las Vegas has surfaced as another possible destination for Nebraska - and returning to the desert would be a full-circle moment after the Huskers opened the season there for Big Ten Media Days.
One potential opponent in this scenario? Utah.
The Utes are 10-2, ranked No. 15 in the latest CFP rankings, and boast the No. 2 rushing offense in the country - a bruising ground game that racks up nearly 270 yards per contest. That’s a tough draw for any team, especially one that struggled to stop the run at times this season.
Nebraska is 4-0 all-time against Utah, though all four meetings came in Lincoln - and none since 1992. The Utes would be a serious test, and this matchup would pit Nebraska’s improving but inconsistent defense against one of the most physical rushing attacks in the country.
Another Vegas possibility? Arizona.
The Wildcats went 9-3 and are ranked No. 18 heading into bowl season. Their only loss to a non-ranked team came early in the year, and they’ve been rolling ever since.
Nebraska and Arizona are dead even in their all-time series. The first meeting in 1961 ended in a 14-14 tie in Lincoln.
In the Holiday Bowl, the teams split two meetings - Arizona won in 1998, while Nebraska got the better of them in 2009. A rematch in Vegas would be a fun one, especially with both teams looking to cap off seasons that exceeded expectations in different ways.
A Familiar But Unwanted Option: New York City vs. Clemson
Now, let’s talk about the least appealing possibility for Husker fans - a return trip to New York City.
Nebraska played in the Big Apple last year, beating Boston College in their first bowl appearance in several seasons. But going back again, especially after the way this season ended, would feel like a letdown. The Pinstripe Bowl is a fine event, but it doesn’t carry the same weight or excitement as a matchup against a top-tier SEC or Pac-12 opponent.
The projected opponent here? Clemson.
Like Nebraska, the Tigers finished 7-5, but they’re trending up - riding a four-game win streak into the postseason. While this isn’t the Clemson team that dominated the ACC in the Trevor Lawrence era, they’re still a tough out.
The Huskers and Tigers have met twice before. Clemson won the 1982 Orange Bowl, 22-15.
Nebraska got revenge in the 2009 Gator Bowl, winning 26-21. A rubber match on a cold December afternoon in the Bronx?
That might be a hard sell for fans hoping for a sunnier destination.
Where Things Stand in the Big Ten Bowl Picture
Nebraska closed the regular season tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings with a 4-5 conference record. With College Football Playoff-bound teams like Michigan and Oregon removed from the Big Ten’s bowl pool, and with new additions from the Pac-12 like Washington and USC also in the mix, the bowl selection process is a bit more complicated than usual.
The Big Ten’s bowl tie-ins will be reshuffled slightly, and with several top-tier teams unavailable, that opens the door for mid-tier teams like Nebraska to slide into more attractive matchups. There's also a good chance we see some of the conference’s legacy members face off against newly added programs from the West Coast, especially in bowls like the Las Vegas Bowl.
What’s Next?
We’ll know for sure where Nebraska is headed after Sunday’s final CFP rankings and official bowl announcements. But whether it's Nashville, Vegas, or somewhere else entirely, the Huskers are back in the postseason - and that still matters.
Year 2 under Matt Rhule wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. Now comes the chance to finish strong and build some momentum heading into what could be a pivotal 2026 season.
Stay tuned. The final chapter of 2025 is still waiting to be written.