Matt Rhule’s clock at Nebraska is suddenly a hot topic, and Adam Carriker isn’t dodging it. With Dana Holgorsen out, Rob Aurich locked in with a two-year extension, and Glenn Thomas now handling the offense, the Huskers are staring at a stretch full of questions - and a fan base that’s getting tougher to calm down.
Carriker digs straight into the big one: what would it actually take for Nebraska to move on from Rhule? The buyout is enormous, but he also raises the flip side of that argument.
If the program keeps sputtering, can Nebraska really afford to stand pat? Rhule is being paid like a coach who should deliver more, and that comes with pressure to match the investment.
A bowl trip wouldn’t necessarily settle anything, either. Carriker says Rhule would likely keep his job even if Nebraska finishes 6-6, but that doesn’t mean the season would feel good enough.
Even 7-5, in his view, still leaves plenty to be desired. The bar is higher than simply getting to December football; Nebraska needs a finish that gives fans something real to build on.
The Holgorsen firing doesn’t get a free pass in the conversation, either. Carriker questions whether it fixes the real issue or just swaps out one piece of a much larger offensive problem.
He also weighs Glenn Thomas stepping into the coordinator role and looks at what other directions the staff could take. Aurich’s extension adds another layer to the staff picture, too, because it signals some stability on one side of the ball while the other side is still being sorted out.
Carriker also draws a line back to Scott Frost’s struggles and even Rhule’s time with the Carolina Panthers. The comparison isn’t subtle: Nebraska has poured money into the program, but the return still hasn’t matched the expectations.
Development is another sore spot. Nebraska keeps adding talent through recruiting and the transfer portal, but that hasn’t translated into enough wins. Carriker points to an NFL scout’s comments and the lack of NFL-ready talent coming out of Nebraska, then gets to the heart of the issue: landing good players is one thing, turning them into better ones is another.
For Saturday’s game against Rutgers, Nebraska should have the athletic edge, but that alone won’t carry the day. The Huskers have been too sloppy with penalties and turnovers, and too often they’ve failed to put together a full performance. Carriker lays out four keys to the matchup: limit penalties, protect the football, execute in the red zone, and start fast.
Even so, beating Rutgers is only part of the larger picture. Nebraska still needs to beat Ohio State and/or Iowa and show it can hang with stronger opponents.
Winning the games you’re expected to win matters, but the Huskers eventually have to prove they can take the next step. Carriker’s final call: Nebraska 24, Rutgers 14.
In Other News...
Nebraska's 2027 Schedule Just Got A New Problem To Solve
The College Football Playoff is about to change again, and Nebraskas 2027 schedule is already feeling the ripple effects. Beginning that season, the field expands to 24 teams, with automatic bids going to the champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, but the bigger immediate issue for the Cornhuskers may be the new scheduling requirement attached to it.
Power Four programs and Notre Dame will be required to play 10 opponents from that level each year, which means Nebraskas current 2027 slate needs a rethink. The Huskers have non-Power Four games on the books, so one of those matchups may have to be swapped out for a Power Four opponent to get into compliance, adding another layer of planning to a schedule that is still two seasons away from being final. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Suddenly Faces A Bigger Nebraska Problem Than One Loss
Nebraskas 24-13 loss to Illinois did more than knock the Cornhuskers off track. It extended a slide that has now reached four straight defeats after the 5-0 start, turning what once looked like a promising season into a much more complicated test of staying power for Matt Rhule and his staff.
Rhule responded by firing offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, a move that underscores how quickly the pressure has shifted from one bad afternoon to bigger questions about the direction of the program. The losing streak has put the coaching staff under the microscope and left Nebraska searching for answers not just on the field, but in the structure and leadership guiding the team forward. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Keeps Outgaining Teams But Now Faces A Bigger Football Problem
Nebraskas football program is still trying to make sense of a road loss at Illinois that came despite the kind of statistical edge teams usually expect to turn into a win. The defeat cost Dana Holgorsen his job, and it has left the Cornhuskers searching for answers in a season where the numbers did not match the result.
Elsewhere on campus, the mood has been much brighter. Nebraska volleyball clinched a share of the Big Ten championship for the fourth straight year, both basketball teams picked up recent wins, and the wrestling team opened its season with a victory over Wyoming. For a fan base used to tracking success across sports, the football setback stands out even more because the rest of the athletic department keeps moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]