Nebraska is halfway through the season, sitting at 5-1 and staring at a stretch that could shape everything about the rest of the year. One more win gets the Huskers bowl eligible.
Two more, against Oregon and Washington, would match last season’s seven wins. Add three more, including Illinois, and Nebraska would reach its best finish since 2016 at 8-4.
If things broke perfectly, a win over Rutgers paired with an Ohio State loss could even send the Huskers into the Iowa game at 9-2.
But that’s getting way ahead of things.
For now, the road gets pointed toward two ranked opponents that remain on the schedule: Ohio State at No. 4 and Iowa at No. 17. Oregon was supposed to be part of that picture too, but the Ducks fell out of the polls this week after a 17-15 loss to UCLA in Eugene on Saturday.
That matters because Nebraska had been looking at the possibility of another shot at breaking its long losing streak against ranked teams, which now stands at 31. If Oregon had handled UCLA, the Huskers would have been facing a ranked opponent again. Instead, they get a vulnerable-looking Ducks team and a possible opening.
There’s also a quarterback wrinkle that adds plenty of juice to Saturday night in Eugene. Oregon’s Dante Moore, who entered the season as the Ducks’ Heisman hopeful, suffered a concussion in the USC game two weeks before and may not be ready to go. Last Saturday, former Husker quarterback Dylan Raiola - who transferred to Oregon in the offseason - started for the Ducks against UCLA.
Raiola struggled badly before being replaced by former Oregon walk-on and senior Brock Thomas. Thomas settled things down, finishing 11-for-15 for 156 yards and a touchdown, and nearly pulled Oregon into position to win.
The question now is who starts against Nebraska. That may not be answered for a few days. If Raiola is back under center, it would certainly make for a strange twist against his old team and coaches.
Nebraska probably let a similar opportunity slip against Indiana in Lincoln. The formula is pretty clear: clean up the dumb penalties, play smart for four quarters, and win the physical and mental battles. The Huskers brought a level of intensity last week that hasn’t shown up often lately, and Indiana had to know it was in a fight.
Still, costly mistakes can burn you against teams at Oregon’s level. A missed field goal and an offensive lineman being 10 yards downfield on a pass play are the kind of errors that kill drives and can’t be shrugged off.
Matt Rhule still has to find a place-kicking operation Nebraska can trust to cash in in the red zone. It’s difficult to square a program with an $84.1 million budget not having a reliable field goal unit.
Most preseason predictions had Oregon down as a Husker loss. After the Indiana game, though, some are now calling this one winnable for Nebraska in Eugene.
Kickoff is set for 10:00 pm CDT Saturday night, and yes, that’s a caffeine-and-pajamas kind of start time.
Nebraska will be hoping the Indiana loss serves the same kind of fuel that the 1994 Orange Bowl loss to Florida State gave the ‘94 and ‘95 Huskers, who turned that setback into undefeated seasons the next two years.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Put Dylan Raiola Back In Nebraskas Spotlight
Dylan Raiola is back in the spotlight in a way Nebraska fans know all too well, only this time the conversation is coming from Oregon. After the Ducks loss to UCLA, coach Dan Lanning said Raiola will be part of a quarterback competition with Brock Thomas while Dante Moore works his way back from a concussion, giving the former Husker target another public moment in a crowded race. Lanning also singled out Raiolas composure after being pulled from the game, a small but notable nod for a quarterback whose name still carries plenty of weight in Lincoln.
For Nebraska, any update involving Raiola tends to ripple beyond Eugene because his path has remained such a point of curiosity for the fan base. Lannings comments added a little more texture to where things stand, especially with Oregons offense searching for steadier footing and changes reportedly coming in team operations. The details of those changes were left unsaid, but Raiolas presence in the mix was clear enough to make this one worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Halloween Stunner Sparked Doubts Fans Couldnt Ignore
Halloween night in Lincoln delivered a jolt Nebraska fans did not see coming, as the seventh-ranked Cornhuskers were stunned at home by unranked Texas, 20-16. The loss snapped a 47-game home winning streak and came despite another outing that had Nebraska leaning on Eric Crouch, with Texas getting major days from Major Applewhite and Ricky Williams.
For a program that had treated Memorial Stadium like a fortress, the defeat carried an extra layer of sting because it was the first home loss to an unranked opponent since 1978. Nebraska slid to 14th in the Associated Press poll afterward, and the result left plenty of doubt around a team that had entered the night expected to protect its place among the nation's elite. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Showed Real Progress In A Loss Fans Know Too Well
Anthony Colandrea gave Nebraska a jolt in the fourth quarter against Indiana with a 39-yard touchdown run that pushed the Cornhuskers ahead 17-6. For a team still searching for the kind of performance that can reset expectations, it felt like the sort of moment fans had been waiting to see, especially with Nebraska showing a level of competitiveness that made the game feel different for a while.
Indiana answered with two long touchdown receptions by Nick Marsh to turn the night around and escape with a 20-17 win, the kind of finish Nebraska supporters know too well. Even in defeat, though, there was a real sense of progress in how the Cornhuskers competed, and enough promise to leave fans thinking this team may be moving toward something better. [Read more 🡒]