Look, there was a lot of bad juju to get exorcised out of Memorial Stadium (West). When you follow up a vibe as bad as the Frostian years, it takes some time to banish the demons, both real and imagined.
Rhule parlayed a second straight 7-6 season (and the vacant Penn State job) to a massive contract extension. He's got long-term security and a $15 million buyout that easily qualifies as "generational fuck you" money. What can he do with his fourth season in Lincoln? And can they recreate their last ranked win (9/17/2016 over Oregon) when they go up against the Ducks and Dylan Raiola?
Schedule
Predictions
Transient Buckeye: Nebraska should be able to sweep their nonconference schedule. And if they want to go bowling for a third consecutive year, they'd better sweep the nonconference slate, because their Big Ten schedule is....woof. They get Michigan State and October Maryland out of the gate, which is about as friendly as things get. But Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, and Iowa all feel like auto-losses, and there are contests against Road Washington and Illinois, as well. The roadie at Rutgers might determine whether or not the Huskers go bowling. This looks like a 6-6 year, though 7-5 feels a little more likely than 5-7 or worse. The best-case scenario is that the Huskers beat the Big Ten's bottom-feeders and pick off Washington at home, which would get them to 7-5 and perhaps a winnable bowl matchup.
HoustonBoiler: 2025 Nebraska didn't fare so well once Dylan Raiola was lost to injury. He has since bailed, so 2026 will be without him for the entire season. Could Anthony Colandrea be the answer that Nebraska is looking for? While I think he will provide some good QB play, I don't see him out performing a healthy Raiola. Prove me wrong Anthony! All that said, Nebraska should be 5-0 when they welcome our new overlords to town, setting up a game of unbeatens that Nebraska will lose. Of the next three, at Oregon, versus Washington, and at Illinois, the Huskers might be able to beat Washington, but I would not be so sure. So I will suggest that Nebraska will need to beat Rutgers on the road to get to a bowl game, basically 6-6 overall and 3-6 in conference.
Biff: Lucky for Nebraska they get October Maryland instead of September Maryland so they’ll start 5-0 and then the balloon pops. I’m sensing extreme 7-5 energy here but there’s real risk of 6-6 or even 5-7 with Illinutgers back to back on the road.
I am just praying for 60 mph winds and blinding sleet at Kinnick Stadium on November 27th, one of my favorite hate-watch games of the season.
HoustonBoiler: Hate watching might be the best watching!
Kind of...: November didn't treat Nebraska real well last year. And this year seems set up to be more of the same. 7-5 seems to be the ceiling, and that requires a 5-0 start AND going 2-1 in the vs. Washington, @Illinois, @Rutgers stretch, which is far from guaranteed. If they don't start 5-0. Suspect it's going to be an uncomfortable year for Rhule.
AlmaOtter: It's not an easy schedule. I mean, double MACtion to open up the slate and the only not good Dakota FCS program should give you a 3-0 start. But I see two likely wins with Maryland and Rutgers, three maybe wins with Washington, at Illinois, and at MSU. There are a couple of "no way in hell" games with Indiana/Ohio State/Oregon. And then there's the final game of the year at Iowa, which I will sum up via a 30 Rock bit that is nearly 20 years old.
