The first spin through Nebraska’s 2026 season in EA College Football 27 looks a lot like what plenty of Huskers fans would sign up for in real life: progress, some pain, and a finish that feels just good enough to keep the momentum moving.
In the simulation, Nebraska opened the year 3-0, handled the non-conference slate, and got a strong showing from senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea along the way. Against Bowling Green, he threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns while completing 68 percent of his passes. Ohio was the one non-conference game that got a little too tight for comfort, but the Huskers still came through the early stretch in solid shape.
Then Big Ten play hit, and the tone changed fast.
Nebraska dropped four straight conference games after that 3-0 start, and the defense was the clear issue. The Huskers gave up more than 400 total yards in all four losses, including 502 yards against Michigan State.
Offensively, though, the group kept punching. Nebraska topped 350 yards in three of those four games, and against Oregon the Huskers piled up nearly 600 yards before falling in double overtime.
After the bye week, Nebraska had to find a way to get bowl eligible over a crucial five-game stretch. It did exactly that.
The Huskers ripped off four straight wins, including a breakthrough against Ohio State that snapped a losing streak against ranked opponents dating back to 2016. The run ended on the road at Iowa, but Nebraska still reached 7-5 in the regular season.
That was enough to send the Huskers to the Cheez It Citrus Bowl against North Dakota State, and Nebraska finished the simulation with a 31-21 win to close at 8-5.
Colandrea was the centerpiece of the offense all year. He finished with more than 3,000 passing yards, which put him in the top five for passing yards in a Nebraska season and pushed Taylor Martinez’s 2,871-yard mark from 2012 down the list.
The running game was more ordinary, with Nebraska ranking No. 11 in the Big Ten with 1,636 rushing yards as a team. The simulation clearly reflected the absence of Emmett Johnson.
At receiver, Nyziah Hunter led the way for the second straight season, finishing with just over 800 yards and six touchdowns. Former UCLA wideout Kwazi Gilmer also gave Nebraska a useful season, posting more than 600 yards and nine touchdowns.
The defense, though, was the part that kept Nebraska from looking like a true breakout team in the sim. The Huskers allowed 388.4 yards per game, recorded 24 sacks, intercepted only five passes and forced zero fumbles. That four-game losing streak in conference play showed exactly where the problems were.
The bigger picture matters here, too. This is the fourth year of the Matt Rhule era, and 2026 carries more pressure than the last couple of seasons.
The 2025 campaign didn’t meet expectations after all the “Year Three Matt Rhule” buzz and a schedule that looked manageable on paper. Now Nebraska is staring at a tougher 2026 slate, with three College Football Playoff teams from a year ago and a November that includes three road games.
There’s also the question of what the switch from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5 under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich will look like.
If the game is any guide, an 8-5 finish would count as a step forward. The next question is whether the real Huskers can make that jump when the season arrives.
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Nebraska has been working to deepen its recruiting reach in Missouri under Matt Rhule, and the latest move fits that push. The Huskers have extended a scholarship offer to a Kansas City tight end prospect who has already drawn attention from a growing list of programs, giving Nebraska another foothold in a neighboring state that has become a key battleground for regional talent.
The 2028 recruit is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound three-star with a national ranking inside the top 600, and he is set to return to Lincoln for a gameday visit this fall. With offers already coming in from several other schools, Nebraska has made its interest clear early, and the next step will be seeing how that visit shapes the momentum around his recruitment. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Narduzzis Big Ten Take Looks Worse The More You Check
Pat Narduzzi stirred up the conference debate this week when the Pitt coach said at a media event that he believes the ACC is a better league than the Big Ten, pointing to skill level and his own experience. It is the kind of take that gets plenty of attention in July, especially when it comes from a coach whose team has spent a lot of time measuring itself against Big Ten programs.
For Nebraska fans, the broader backdrop matters just as much as the argument itself. The Cornhuskers have won two of their last three games against ACC opponents, including the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College, while the ACC has not had much success stacking up against the Big Ten in recent years. Even beyond the latest debate, the numbers have a way of making Narduzzis stance look a lot harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Have A Real Shot At Stealing LSUs Two-Sport Star
Ahmad Hudson has become one of the more intriguing two-sport names in the 2027 class, the kind of recruit who can change the conversation in both football and basketball circles. Nebraska has been in the mix aggressively, and the pitch from Lincoln is pretty straightforward: if Hudson wants a place where his basketball future can be pushed just as hard as his football ceiling, the Huskers believe they have a compelling case.
That matters because Hudson is not some project recruit with upside in one sport and curiosity in the other. He has already shown he can take over high-level summer competition, including a huge showing against Team CP3 at Peach Jam, and his overall production there only reinforced why so many programs are treating him like a priority. Nebraska still has work to do to get him on campus and keep him engaged, but this is the kind of recruitment that can swing quickly if the right fit starts to feel real. [Read more 🡒]