Nebraska Football 2026-2027

[Louie]

I think this year's UCLA team is smoke and mirrors, and teams should be very cautious about chasing after their coaching staff. Per ESPN, UCLA has had by far the easiest schedule in the Big Ten thus far.

Ill add that I, too, am leery of that approach, but its all the rage nowadays. Thats why I say if ya aint trying, ya aint trying. But I totally see what youre saying. Is the Huskers schedule that much harder? I mean, we had 6 "guaranteed" wins and we lost one of them. Im not saying what he does guarantees success at Nebraska, but why not? We're already a revolving door.

I compare Matt Rhule to Bo pelini, and if anybody says they're "okay" with this, they're full of it. Bo would have been fired if he started .500 too. But Rhule has a long ways to go. We hit rock bottom, bur we're only just a whiff away from being back there.

Matt Rhule wishes he could have a crumb of Bo's success at NU.

[Busguy2010]

Solich was fired solely because Pederson was the AD. Was there fans that wanted Solich gone because of the 2002 season? Yes. Would most rational ADs understand that things were on the upswing after hiring new assistants? Also yes. Pederson had previously been at Nebraska as a recruiting coordinator so he and Solich had an established relationship before he came in as AD, I’m guessing that relationship was poor.

That's a shame. I would have been one of the people screaming "Noooooo!" How anxious would you be as a fan that wanted to keep him? Knowing the future of Husker football relied on that decision. I would have been stupified.

I’ll give you one piece of anecdotal evidence to try and illustrate how upset some fans were with Solich’s firing. My grandfather was in his 70s at the time and was gifted a Nebraska jacket shortly after Solich’s firing. He threw it on the ground and said he was no longer a Nebraska fan due to the firing.

Thats just what I was looking for and hope to hear more from others.

Are you referring to the 2001 Colorado game where Nebraska was blown out? If so I recall before the game everyone was extremely confident and it was just another team before we inevitably went to the national championship. After the game I recall being shook with the only comparable feeling at that time to the 1996 ASU game where Nebraska was just completely outmatched. For reference I would have been 16 for the Colorado game so my frame of reference was not as large compared to older fans.

I have to believe the majority of fans were okay getting back to 10-3 after 7-7. It wasnt sustained failure. Was that the pulse? I see that he was starting lose bigger toward the end, so I can equally understand the others that complained. It was uncharted territory. Why was Bill Callahan seen as better? Did Pedersen not properly assess the available suitors to him at the time? Was there another coach they really wanted and couldnt land? Was there a giant lump in Pedersen's throat after he fired Solich? Bill Callahan really had no pedigree other than that single Super Bowl Oakland had no business playing in. Then he went on to leave a trail of failure everywhere he went.

Finally, with the extension just given to Aurich it looks like Rhule will be here next year. Between this and the season ticket reshuffling things are about to get very very bad around here with fan sentiment. As I’ve gotten older the losses still sting but I just don’t care as much anymore. Football success for Nebraska has so many hurdles it has to clear between regents, an AD, donors, and other administration officials that all have their own idea what they think will work. Simply, too many hands in the cookie jar without a cohesive vision for what Nebraska should be.

I strongly believe Rhule will have another par for the course year. For what? I see no benefit in keeping him another year. Itll just be wasted time. Devaney, TO, and Bo didnt start 5-7 and essentially not improve over the course of 5 years. Bob Devaney took a |expletive| team and immediately brought success. TO sustained it. It can be done again. We all thought Scott Frost was the answer. He was uniquely bad, how that blew up in our faces.

At some point every coach has to get it done, and I dont think we have that in Rhule. He stabilized us, and I thank him for that, but I just don't think he has what it takes. This was his "prove it year". Halloween was the "prove it" game. Illinois was the "prove us wrong" game. They came up disasterously. This year also held a lot of optimism for the Iowa game, and aint no way the Huskers are winning In Iowa. I say if he loses that game, thats the final nail. And I honestly hope it happens this way, rather than waiting til next year for the third strike.

[Busguy2010]

Matt Rhule wishes he could have a crumb of Bo's success at NU.

Thats my opinion too.

[mrsticka]

Fans weren't satisfied with Bo Pelini winning at least 9 games every year. But now they probably long for those days.

[thenewguy]

i'd kill to have pelini there.

[Linkin5]

I have to believe the majority of fans were okay getting back to 10-3 after 7-7. It wasnt sustained failure. Was that the pulse? I see that he was starting lose bigger toward the end, so I can equally understand the others that complained. It was uncharted territory. Why was Bill Callahan seen as better? Did Pedersen not properly assess the available suitors to him at the time? Was there another coach they really wanted and couldnt land? Was there a giant lump in Pedersen's throat after he fired Solich? Bill Callahan really had no pedigree other than that single Super Bowl Oakland had no business playing in. Then he went on to leave a trail of failure everywhere he went.

Bill Calahan was by no means the first choice for Pederson, it was a very drawn out coaching search where you could tell things were not going well. At one time Houston Nutt at Arkansas was the desired candidate, the stories are that he had basically accepted the job and then changed his mind. Other coaches I have heard Pederson targeted were Dave Wanstedt, Al Saunders, and Mike Sherman. Urban Meyer has a pretty interesting quote from this time saying “I would be very leery of coaching at a school that fired a 9-3 coach.”

[Busguy2010]

Thats crazy. Even moreso that Urban Meyer started his tear through College football in 2003. If we had fired Solich during his 7-7 2002 campaign, that would have made more sense. We perhaps could have ended up with Urban Meyer himself, and everything would be hunky dory.

[remline]

NFL Cap Dollars By College (as of Nov 13, 2026)

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[djc311]

As a life-long resident of the area, I can't believe how far we've fallen.

We continue these 4-5 year coaching cycles with little to no results. We even bring in decent players, but ultimately it doesn't go anywhere. The fact we haven't beat a ranked team in however long it's been is beyond disappointing.

I thought this year was full of hope... should have beat Indiana, should have beat Northwestern, should have beat Oregon... Illinois was a disaster. Other than us probably winning against Rutgers at home, our wins for the year are over.

[nebport5]

As a life-long resident of the area, I can't believe how far we've fallen.

We continue these 4-5 year coaching cycles with little to no results. We even bring in decent players, but ultimately it doesn't go anywhere. The fact we haven't beat a ranked team in however long it's been is beyond disappointing.

I thought this year was full of hope... should have beat Indiana, should have beat Northwestern, should have beat Oregon... Illinois was a disaster. Other than us probably winning against Rutgers at home, our wins for the year are over.

Yeah probably had we played them. I'm guessing you mean Washington since they're both purple? Had that fourth and forever not been called in bounds(sure looked out to me) Nebraska likely wins that game, but the way the team and coaches p i s s e d it away they didn't deserve to win.

I have a sliver of optimism with Holgorsen being gone. There should be absolutely no excuses for not taking care of Rutgers. If Glenn Thomas can un-cluster F the offense maybe we can be competitive for the last two games.

[djc311]

As a life-long resident of the area, I can't believe how far we've fallen.

We continue these 4-5 year coaching cycles with little to no results. We even bring in decent players, but ultimately it doesn't go anywhere. The fact we haven't beat a ranked team in however long it's been is beyond disappointing.

I thought this year was full of hope... should have beat Indiana, should have beat Northwestern, should have beat Oregon... Illinois was a disaster. Other than us probably winning against Rutgers at home, our wins for the year are over.

Yeah probably had we played them. I'm guessing you mean Washington since they're both purple? Had that fourth and forever not been called in bounds(sure looked out to me) Nebraska likely wins that game, but the way the team and coaches p i s s e d it away they didn't deserve to win.

I have a sliver of optimism with Holgorsen being gone. There should be absolutely no excuses for not taking care of Rutgers. If Glenn Thomas can un-cluster F the offense maybe we can be competitive for the last two games.

You're correct, meant Washington... LOL

I hope your optimism is passed along to the team.

[Busguy2010]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

[Cermak]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

Colorado which has been worse than Nebraska this year, just knocked off #14 Houston last night. So it can be done, I personally feel we are stuck with Rhule through next season. To me he’s done better than Frost. I would say keep him next year and if he can’t will at least 6 regular season games dump him at season end. He could still save this season with a win today and a bowl win and finish 7-6.

[nebugeater]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

He is not going anywhere this year, even if performance would say that he should. People talk about the 63 million he is owed, but that is only the start. Once you clean house and pay the buyouts for all the other staff, you would likely need to pay the exit $$ if you hired an active coach as the next guy; the total cost would be a MINIMUM of 150 million. Not happening

[Greg S]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

He is not going anywhere this year, even if performance would say that he should. People talk about the 63 million he is owed, but that is only the start. Once you clean house and pay the buyouts for all the other staff, you would likely need to pay the exit $$ if you hired an active coach as the next guy; the total cost would be a MINIMUM of 150 million. Not happening

Yeah I wasn’t going to join in the fire Rhule talk because I thought it was pointless. As you mentioned the cost of buying out one staff and replacing it with another is high right now due to years left. Throw in the start of a minimum $600 million on stadium improvements, and that Nebraska is on the midst of boosting its NIL spending in multiple sports (with continued growth ahead) and it’s just not realistic to expect a full coaching change.

They absolutely would not have extended the D coordinator if the possibility existed of firing Rhule this season was in play.

[mrsticka]

Game's over. Nebraska won 31-0. Their first shutout win since joining the Big Ten. And now they're bowl eligible.

[Cermak]

Game's over. Nebraska won 31-0. Their first shutout win since joining the Big Ten. And now they're bowl eligible.

Maybe they can give the Buckeye’s a scare next week at home. This year’s version of Ohio State is not one of its best.

[mrsticka]

Game's over. Nebraska won 31-0. Their first shutout win since joining the Big Ten. And now they're bowl eligible.

Maybe they can give the Buckeye’s a scare next week at home. This year’s version of Ohio State is not one of its best.

I guess we'll just have to see.

[nebugeater]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

He is not going anywhere this year, even if performance would say that he should. People talk about the 63 million he is owed, but that is only the start. Once you clean house and pay the buyouts for all the other staff, you would likely need to pay the exit $$ if you hired an active coach as the next guy; the total cost would be a MINIMUM of 150 million. Not happening

Yeah I wasn’t going to join in the fire Rhule talk because I thought it was pointless. As you mentioned the cost of buying out one staff and replacing it with another is high right now due to years left. Throw in the start of a minimum $600 million on stadium improvements, and that Nebraska is on the midst of boosting its NIL spending in multiple sports (with continued growth ahead) and it’s just not realistic to expect a full coaching change.

They absolutely would not have extended the D coordinator if the possibility existed of firing Rhule this season was in play.

Agree with the DC extension factor too.

[mrsticka]

You know who’s having a worse season than Nebraska? Michigan. They just lost to Oregon 31-7. They’re now 5-5 and in danger of not making a bowl game.

[Uffda]

You know who’s having a worse season than Nebraska? Michigan. They just lost to Oregon 31-7. They’re now 5-5 and in danger of not making a bowl game.

Yep Oregon QB Dylan Raiola threw for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns.

[thenewguy]

F dylan raiola

[Busguy2010]

Technically they can still finish 8-4... Har har.

I'll give him the next 3 weeks, and if they pull it off, keep him! If its more of the same, I think we really should move on. A well timed win at Rutgers just might be enough to drag this thing along to next season. I see a win at Rutgers detracting from the bigger picture. You can't fire him if he squeezes by with a bowl, and especially if he gets a bowl win. If it doesn't improve next year, he better be out.

He is not going anywhere this year, even if performance would say that he should. People talk about the 63 million he is owed, but that is only the start. Once you clean house and pay the buyouts for all the other staff, you would likely need to pay the exit $$ if you hired an active coach as the next guy; the total cost would be a MINIMUM of 150 million. Not happening

Yeah I wasn’t going to join in the fire Rhule talk because I thought it was pointless. As you mentioned the cost of buying out one staff and replacing it with another is high right now due to years left. Throw in the start of a minimum $600 million on stadium improvements, and that Nebraska is on the midst of boosting its NIL spending in multiple sports (with continued growth ahead) and it’s just not realistic to expect a full coaching change.

They absolutely would not have extended the D coordinator if the possibility existed of firing Rhule this season was in play.

I'll never claim to know the logistical reasons why he shouldn't be fired. I'm going on performance alone. They shouldn't have extended anyone. And now after the win, they're stuck. They should have only extended him if he could improve every year. That's what we were expecting. Maybe we allowed a little more grace, since Nebraska is, you know, a special kind of stink.

I had him 5-7 year one
7-5 year two
8-4 year three
9-3 year four (which was especially attainable this year)

I actually couldnt give a hoot about bowl eligibility. Bowls for 6-6 teams are complete trash. People always argue "its the practices!"... What good have those practices done so far? I'm afraid by him reaching that bowl eligibility mark, were going to be stuck in a cycle of continued .500 performances. How many .500 years does it take to see they're not getting it done? For our sake, I hope thats not the new benchmark, because he could be our Kirk Ferentz if we're not careful. Remember when we first joined the Big10? We felt bad for Iowa fans. And Iowa is actually a good team. They always have been. That means we're not even a good team yet. We should be a good team by now. If theres any indication this thing is harder than he thought it would be, the last month certainly proved it.

Even after the win today, I still expect them to beat Iowa. I'll eat crow if he does. Taking a risk and letting him have another shot at breaking the ranked losing streak against Iowa is fair. But if he can't beat Iowa, I will have seen zero improvement over these four years, and we're not sold.

[CBJason]

How many .500 years does it take to see they're not getting it done?

As many as it takes for the buyout to become bearable enough to cover for those controlling the purse strings!