Nebraska didn’t take the field last weekend, and yet the numbers still moved.
Coming out of the bye, the Huskers climbed in three of the seven polls and rankings tracked here, slipped in two, held steady in one and, for the second straight week, failed to draw a single vote in the AP Top 25. The average across those seven measures nudged up from 25.5 to 25.0, a small step forward without a snap being played.
The best sign for Nebraska came from ESPN’s Football Power Index, where the Huskers jumped to 13 from 15. On the other end, The Athletic still has Nebraska at 34, unchanged from last week and still the lowest mark among the group.
The AP picture around the Big Ten is a strange one as Halloween weekend approaches. Five conference teams are in the poll, including three in the top 7, but the list looks nothing like what anyone would have predicted in August.
Ohio State is No. 2, Indiana is No. 4, and the shockers are UCLA at 7, Northwestern at 20 and Wisconsin at 25.
“The biggest travesty right now is the Preseason Top 25,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said at his Monday news conference. “If that was a stock market, would you put your money in it?”
Rhule’s point is hard to ignore. None of UCLA, Northwestern or Wisconsin showed up in the AP Preseason Top 25, not even in the “others receiving votes” section.
Nebraska wasn’t in that group either. Eight Big Ten teams opened in the preseason AP poll:
- Ohio State: 1* Oregon: 2* Indiana: 6* USC: 14* Michigan: 16* Washington: 17* Penn State: 18* Iowa: 22
Now, only Ohio State and Indiana remain in the AP Top 25.
Nebraska is still waiting for its first AP votes of the season after back-to-back weeks without any. Thirty-four teams got votes this week, but the Huskers were not among them.
The Athletic also continues to be the toughest judge of Nebraska, keeping the Huskers at 34. Five weeks ago, Nebraska was 58 in that ranking, and the team finished 52 last season.
Elsewhere, Nebraska is holding a more favorable place. In the CBS Sports 138, the Huskers moved up one spot to 28.
In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Nebraska slipped from 31 to 32 in “others receiving votes,” but actually increased its point total from 19 to 27. The 25th-place team there, USC, has 132 points.
The coaches panel includes 72 voters, among them Rhule.
Massey’s composite of 40 rankings pushed Nebraska down to 27 from 24. Sagarin moved the Huskers up three spots to 16 from 19.
The latest FPI numbers still like Nebraska’s chances to get to bowl eligibility. The Huskers have a 99.9 percent chance to win six games, up from 99.8 percent last week.
FPI now projects Nebraska for 8.3 wins and 3.7 losses, compared with 8.4 and 3.6 last week. The rest of the projection shifted down a bit as well: 0.2 percent chance to win the Big Ten, 8.2 percent chance to reach the College Football Playoff, 0.6 percent chance to make the national championship game and 0.2 percent chance to win it all.
Nebraska returns Saturday night against Washington, a 4-3 team that is 1-3 in Big Ten play. Kickoff is set for 7 o’clock at Memorial Stadium in the Blackout game on Big Ten Network.
The Huskers are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten, and the schedule still has a few key twists ahead. Nebraska is already set to face Washington, Illinois and Rutgers in 2026, and it has not yet played Ohio State or Iowa from the current group of ranked Big Ten teams. Nebraska and Ohio State meet Nov. 21 at Memorial Stadium.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Washington Matchup Still Hinges On One Huge Injury Question
Nebraskas availability picture is starting to clear up ahead of Washington, and that matters with a Big Ten opener carrying plenty of early-season weight. The Cornhuskers are likely to have defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel and running back Isaiah Mozee available, while Jamal Rule also appears ready after missing parts of previous games. Safety Jamir Conn, though, remains out, leaving one spot on the roster still unavailable as the Huskers prepare for a matchup that could turn on depth as much as star power.
Washingtons injury report is the one to watch, with quarterback Demond Williams among several players listed as questionable or doubtful, along with offensive linemen Justin Hylkema and Jake Flores. For Nebraska, the uncertainty across the field could shape both the game plan and the pace of the afternoon, especially if the Huskers are forced to adjust to a different look at quarterback or along the line. The biggest question now is how much of Washingtons offense will actually be intact when the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Blackout Comes With One Huge Question Husker Fans Can't Ignore
Nebraskas blackout look will meet a prime-time setting at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, with a 7 p.m. kickoff against Washington and a forecast calling for mild weather with only a slight chance of showers. It is the kind of stage that should feel big even before the first snap, especially for a Huskers team trying to steady itself in a game that already carries plenty of weight.
The matchup also brings some familiar concerns into the spotlight, starting with Nebraskas special teams issues, most notably in punt returns. Add in an injury situation that still needs watching and a Washington offense that has shown enough recent life to demand respect, and the margin for error feels thin. For Nebraska, this is the sort of night that can shape the mood around the program quickly, because in a can't lose spot, even the smallest mistake tends to loom large. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Landed An Early Opening With A Coveted Missouri RB
Nebraska is getting an early crack at one of the most intriguing young backs in the Midwest, with 2029 Missouri prospect Rocky Sharp set to visit during the Ohio State game in mid-November. The De Smet Jesuit High School standout is already drawing attention on a national scale, and the Cornhuskers are getting involved while the recruitment is still in its early stages.
Sharp is a four-star running back with scholarship offers stacking up from multiple programs, and his appeal goes well beyond carrying the ball. He has shown value as a runner, receiver and return specialist across his freshman and sophomore seasons, the kind of versatility that tends to keep schools watching closely once the offers start rolling in. [Read more 🡒]