Nebraska’s latest slide showed up everywhere the numbers looked.
After a third straight loss Saturday night - a 17-10 defeat to Washington - the Huskers took another hit in the polls and metrics that track them each week. The bigger sting is how the losses have unfolded: Nebraska has now dropped three consecutive games after leading in the fourth quarter each time.
That kind of pattern is hard to shake, and the rankings reflected it. Nebraska sits at an average of 32.3 across the seven polls and ratings monitored this week, down from 25.0 a week ago.
The sharpest drop came in the Sagarin Ratings, where Nebraska fell 12 spots from 16 to 28. The Huskers also slipped in The Athletic’s ranking, where they fell to 42 from 34.
That remains Nebraska’s lowest placement in the set all season. Six weeks ago, the Huskers were as high as 58 there, and they finished 52 last season.
ESPN’s Football Power Index still gives Nebraska its best number among the seven rankings, though that moved the wrong direction too. The Huskers dropped to 17 from 13, still their top mark this season.
Their best FPI ranking came after the 20-17 loss to Indiana on Oct. 10, when Nebraska had led 17-6. Their worst FPI ranking this year was 30 in the first two rankings of the season.
The other side of the ledger is just as bleak. Nebraska received zero votes in the AP Top 25 for the third straight week after four weeks of being listed among “others receiving votes.” The Huskers have not appeared in the AP Top 25 at any point this season.
The USA Today Coaches Poll also has Nebraska on the outside, with the Huskers tied with North Dakota State and Cincinnati at 39th with one point apiece. Last week, Nebraska was 32nd in that poll.
The 25th-ranked team, New Mexico, has 119 points. The panel includes 72 coaches, among them Matt Rhule.
Nebraska’s place in the Big Ten picture is still middle-to-lower tier, depending on the ranking. Five conference teams are in the Top 25.
UCLA is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 5 after moving up two spots following a 27-0 non-league win over Nevada. First-year Bruins coach Bob Chesney has turned around the program.
UCLA was 3-9 last season
Among the teams receiving votes, Northwestern is 26th, Oregon 27th and Minnesota 32nd.
The Athletic’s Big Ten list has Nebraska at 42, ahead of Michigan, Illinois, Washington, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Rutgers and Maryland. Nebraska still has not played Illinois or Rutgers from that group in 2026.
CBS Sports has Nebraska at 35, down from 28. In that ranking, the Huskers are ahead of UCLA, Indiana, Ohio State, USC, Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Oregon and Minnesota. Nebraska is still yet to play Ohio State and Iowa from that group.
Massey Ratings, which compile 40 different rankings, dropped Nebraska to 33 from 27. Georgia is No. 1 in that consensus, followed by Utah, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana.
Nebraska’s season outlook also took a hit in ESPN’s FPI projections. The Huskers’ odds fell in all six categories listed, though the model still gives them a 98.2 percent chance to win at least six games and become bowl eligible. Nebraska’s biggest percentage drop came in the College Football Playoff projection, which fell to 0.1 percent from 8.2 last week.
Here are the FPI projections for Nebraska’s season:
Chance of winning six games, which would make the Huskers bowl eligible: 98.2 percent (last week: 99.9)
7.3 projected wins and 4.7 projected losses (last week: 8.3 projected wins and 3.7 projected losses)
0.0 percent chance of winning the Big Ten (last week: 0.2 percent chance)
0.1 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff (last week: 8.2 percent chance)
0.0 percent chance of making the national championship game (last week: 0.6 percent chance)
0.0 percent chance of winning the national championship (last week: 0.2)
Nebraska gets back on the field Friday night at Illinois, with kickoff set for 7 o’clock CT on FOX. Illinois enters at 5-3, 3-2 and has been a tough out.
In Other News...
Former Husker Says Nebraskas Slide Is About More Than Bad Luck
The frustration around Nebraskas three-game skid has plenty of familiar edges, but former wingback Clester Johnson thinks the conversation has to go deeper than bad breaks. On a podcast episode with the Common Fans, Johnson reflected on his own playing days and used that lens to talk about what he sees in the Huskers now, pointing to leadership and accountability as central pieces of the discussion.
Johnson also zeroed in on the on-field issues that have kept the slide going, including inconsistent running and problems closing games late. Even with the frustration mounting, he still sees enough talent on the roster to believe Nebraska can steady itself and finish the season strong, which is part of what makes the current stretch so hard to swallow for everyone around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Should Watch Nebraskas Injury Report Very Closely This Week
Nebraskas injury report is worth a close look this week as the Cornhuskers prepare for Illinois, with a few key names still in flux heading into the matchup. Jamir Conn and Gunnar Gottula are both listed as questionable, and while Conn has been practicing, he still needs further clearance. Gottula is working back from a head injury, leaving Nebraska to sort through a situation that could affect its depth in more than one spot.
The longer-term picture is less encouraging for the Huskers. Vincent Genatone is out for the season after surgery, while Anthony Jones Jr. remains sidelined with a broken foot, though he is expected back before the year ends. Nebraska has already had several players listed out since the season began, so the availability of even a couple of questionable contributors could matter as the Cornhuskers try to keep their roster intact for a key Big Ten test. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Late-Game Problem Just Got A Lot More Costly
Nebraskas slide at the wrong time has left the Huskers with little margin for error as they try to stay in the bowl picture and keep their season from drifting further off course. At 5-3, they were left out of the initial College Football Playoff Top 25, even as other teams with similar records found a place, a reminder that recent results carry as much weight as the overall record.
The bigger concern is the way the last three games have gone, with losses to Indiana and Oregon helping close the door on any early national momentum. Now the path forward runs through a difficult stretch against Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa, and Nebraska needs to start turning close calls into wins if it wants to change the tone of the season before November gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]