Part Two of Two. To read Part One (3 Burning Questions About Nebraska, Click here,
CBS Sports cameras zoomed in on the Memorial Stadium field, in a panoramic aerial image. It was the third quarter of the Huskers’ game against Iowa.
It was easy to see so many empty seats that were once filled with an announced crowd of 86,410. Memorial Stadium looked half-empty, to put it politely. A crowd of fans gathered. Fans went back to their non-football lives. It appears Iowa is doing the same to Husker Nation.
The eyewitnesses had left the scene.
Iowa took a 24–16 lead at halftime and outscored the Huskers the rest of the game. The Hawkeyes led 33–16 after three quarters and won 40–16, their 10th win in 11 games in the rivalry series.
“I’ll be the first one to say: This is unacceptable. I certainly understand how all of our great fans feel about this, the student section was full, people come to the games,” Huskers coach Matt Rhule said in a news conference after the game.
“I understand their frustration, I understand our team’s frustration. I think when you end the season the way our last two games (Penn State and Iowa) did, it’s got to be totally on me.”
Does Nebraska’s 7-5 season represent progress? Or, does this represent running in-place, with a one-game record improvement not good enough compared to the final record for 2024?
Or, does this represent a pause in the program? Are the Huskers headed in the right direction? This is more than a fair question and is being asked across the state.
Expectations ran high during the offseason and summer. With the Huskers’ schedule – which missed powerhouses Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon and Washington – more than seven wins in the regular season were considered a certainty.
pessimistic Fans predicted eight wins. Optimists projected nine wins and whispered, perhaps, even 10 wins. This seems a logical and fair limit – eight or nine wins. Even bigger accomplishments were possible, as the Huskers sat at 6-2 as of October 25.
But those achievements did not happen. You are who your record says you are. Right now, Nebraska is 14-11 over the past two seasons with one bowl game remaining.
“I like this team, I like everything about them,” Rhule said. “I certainly didn’t think today would turn out like this…
“I understand that times like this can be a bit negative. To be honest, it should all be directed towards me, I don’t want the players to panic, it shouldn’t be directed towards them. I think it will affect me.”
Football is a short season, 12 games. It’s over before you know it. Every game means everything. No sport is more prone to overreaction than football.
Every error is magnified. Every loss is devastating. Victory is celebrated but defeat is given more importance and criticism than victory.
After the Iowa loss, Rhule noted that 2024 and 2025 were the first back-to-back years in which the Huskers qualified for a bowl game since 2015 and 2016 (he said 2013, 2014). true statement? Yes.
Pleasing to a fan base with long memories and big expectations? Probably not. Did that fact take away the sting of another Iowa loss?
Definitely not.
“Is it good enough? No. But is it better than before? Yes,” Rhule said. “But if I’m a fan right now, I’m crazy. I’m going to go crazy.”
“Some people are supportive, like that’s good for them. They’re passionate about this place.”
“I love being the head coach of the University of Nebraska. I love being at Nebraska because people are passionate about it. So I don’t want my message to be anything else, I don’t want it to be hope and everything. That wasn’t good enough, man.”
“I know where we’re going. I know what we’re doing. I know where we’re headed. I believe in what we’re doing. I believe in the recruits that have been acquired for us. I believe in the signing class on Wednesday.”
“And so I don’t want to overreact. You know, these last two games weren’t good enough.”
At times during the season Rhule talked about how difficult it is to win in the Big Ten. He was not making any excuses. His opinion was honest and fact based.
The Big Ten is a beast. The conference has won the last two national championships. Ohio State and Indiana are currently ranked No. 1 and 2 in the country.
And No. 4-ranked Oregon can probably beat most teams.
Can’t say the same about Nebraska. Not anymore.
Nebraska’s 2026 schedule is a potential beast. There are seven home games and five away games.
Home Games:
*Ohio University
* bowling Green
* North Dakota
*Indiana
*Maryland
* Ohio State
*Washington
Away games:
* Illinois
*Iowa
*Michigan State
*Oregon
* Rutgers
The Huskers were 4–3 at Memorial Stadium, 2–2 on the road and 1–0 at a neutral site this season.
“I think people have a right to be upset about, well, how it ended,” Rhule said. “For me, I can just say that I will have some great recruits here today.
“I’m going to keep working hard as long as I can. I’m going to surround myself with really positive people, not toxic people, and just try to keep the program going.”
Rhule was given a contract extension which was announced on October 30, two days before the USC game. The Huskers lost that crucial game, eliminating them from the College Football Playoff race. Nebraska lost three of its last four games.
“We want to be a team that gets better at the end of the year, and these last two games we haven’t been like that,” Rhule said after the Iowa game. “I take that. I have that.”
Feels like an event at a Nebraska crossroads. Check out the schedule for next season. Do the math, like fans do. Are eight wins on the schedule for 2026? How about seven wins?
How many wins will there be with a relatively inexperienced quarterback if Dylan Raiola doesn’t return? Running back Emmett Johnson could be headed to the NFL. Johnson gained 1,451 yards on the ground and was the Huskers’ leading pass receiver.
If the Huskers win seven games again next season, how will that fare with the fan base? is enough? right direction? Nebraska is a program that needs a big win, an unexpected win. Its 2026 schedule says there will be a chance for just that.
What the Huskers do next season will depend on how they did this season. The final grade tally is being finalized around 2025. What happens in 2026 may be even more relevant to the overall health of the program.
There are still many miles to go before the next season becomes an obsession. There is a bowl game and for those who think bowl games aren’t important, think again and put yourself in Nebraska’s shoes.
“With the next few days off it’s going to be a lot of reflection on what guys want individually and what we want as a group,” offensive lineman Rocco Spindler said in a press conference after the Iowa game.
“We’ve got to be a brotherhood in the locker room. There’s going to be a lot of noise out there… but we’ve got to stick together and prepare for a great month leading up to the bowl game.
“Guys have to be ready to execute, meet those standards, then take advantage of the opportunity and be ready for a bowl game.”
A strong bowl performance and a win will boost Nebraska’s confidence, and give it a solid foundation for the offseason.
At least that’s the plan.
More from Nebraska on SI
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking nebraska cornhuskers on sito subscribe HuskerMax on YouTubeand tour HuskerMax.com Daily.
<a href=