HUSKERS not getting a lot of love

[Righteous Red]

Interesting in that On 3 has HUSKERS at # 11 on B1G power rating. Yes, I know we are in the silly season of Predictions. Hopefully they are more full of Sh1T than a Christmas Goose, hopefully we play with a massive chip on the shoulder this year. We play only three teams ranked below us, Mich State, Rutgers, Maryland.
With our three non conference games and the above teams mentioned we will face six teams that will be favored against us which on paper, is a 6-6 record. More scary is that if we don’t prove these jerks wrong, we will end up 3-6 in B1G.

At this point, how would you power rank us? I feel that we are better than #10 Minnesota which we don’t play, and possibly #9 Illinois who we do play. It is doable with Illinois, Iowa and Washington because they are closer to our level. OSU, Ducks, and Indiana will be heavy duty for us.

 

[ATX_Husker]

I don't feel we have done enough on the field consistently to garner any kind of love or favor from the media. At this point I would prefer to not get the love, hopefully it lights a fire under our butts and provides motivation to put in the work in the offseason and go unleash our frustration on the field in the fall. Tired of "winning the offseason" and being called the "all bus team". For those that don't know for B1G media days they ask B1G coaches questions and allow them to answer anonymously. For many years now the comment has been made that Nebraska has one of the most impressive and imposing looking teams getting off the bus. Going back to your list there is no way that Nebraska should ever be on the bottom half of that list but unfortunately that is where we are as a program. Hopefully we don't slip down even further.

 

[innmc]

I would put them #9

 

[Doc Fumble]

I don't feel we have done enough on the field consistently to garner any kind of love or favor from the media.

I'm with ATX on this one!

To be frank, we haven't done anything for over three coaching staffs to warrant any attention. That doesn't mean I'm down on the Huskers, but the attention we've gotten in recent years has been click-baity stuff that plays on the passion of our massive fanbase, not on anything we've accomplished on the field.

And that's just fine with me. I'd rather we start the season unhyped versus what our players were hearing from fans and the media a year ago.

 

[Husker99]

I think #11 is just right. We don't deserve to be ranked ahead of Minnesota, Illinois, and certainly Iowa because it has been years since we've beaten any of them. Washington has been playing better than we have so they should be ranked ahead. Finally, the rest of the teams yeah we haven't beaten them in a decade or more. The last time I remember Nebraska beating Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State was under Bo Pelini and he ain't coached here in over a decade.

 

[Cigarman]

For many years now NU has underperformed. At least in the minds of NU fans. They have lost the one score games. They have choked when the game was on the line. Some of it has been lack of talent, some of it has been poor coaching, but mostly it is due to attitude.

We need to get back to a culture of we can't be beat. They need that swagger again.

Love is earned, not given. When they start winning, they will get all the love they deserve.

 

[Huusker]

Nebraska's season rests with the 7-8-9 teams. Can they get two wins from among Washington, Iowa, and Illinois? Maybe at least one win?

Sadly, I think #11 is where they belong right now.

 

[valiantsailor]

Nebraska's season rests with the 7-8-9 teams. Can they get two wins from among Washington, Iowa, and Illinois? Maybe at least one win?

Sadly, I think #11 is where they belong right now.

We will win all 3

 

[KansasRed]

Media etc. always had a grudging respect for Nebraska. They didn't want to respect us but they had to. We won't get any love or respect until we prove we are deserving of it. Period.

 

[Nebraska99]

Anywhere from 9 to 11 seems about right. Regardless of where we are listed those kind of things are pretty meaningless.

 

[MoreThanWinning]

MTW ranks the Big Ten:

Illinois
Indiana
Purdue
Iowa
Northwestern
Nebraska
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State
Maryland
Rutgers
USC
UCLA
Oregon
Washington

*******

FTR - My ranking is based on my guess how far each school is from where I live.

OTOH - I did spend more time on my rankings than ON 3 did on theirs.

*******

Free marriage tip (I learned the hard way) -

Don’t ask your wife when dinner will be ready while she is mowing the lawn.

 

[MadRat]

Land in top 5 and earn the hype.

 

[Husker99]

We will win all 3

Optimistically, I hope you're right.

Realistically (?pessimistically?) I sincerely doubt it. I think the most likely scenario is we either lose all three or get one win out of those. Winning two, or all three for that matter, right now, just seems like an impossibility.

Until proven wrong (which I desperately want to happen) I will maintain that 2026 Nebraska Football is headed to a 5-7 or 6-6 season. 7-5 is possible if they over-achieve. In our 2026 B1G schedule, there are literally only 3 teams we have a basically 50/50 shot at beating: Michigan State, Rutgers, and Maryland. Of those, two of them are on the road where we suck even more than usual. The other 6 conference games are shaping up to be almost certain losses. Again, I want to be wrong but until Matt Rhule and Nebraska actually prove they can win against the equal to or better teams, there are no logical reasons to think Nebraska will be any better than 6-6.

 

[Doc Fumble]

there are no logical reasons to think Nebraska will be any better than 6-6.

HOLY HYPERBOLE, BATMAN!

No logical reasons to think we can win four conference games?

At this moment, we are clear favorites to win three conference games (Rutgers, Sparty, and Maryland.) We are underdogs at home vs. Washington by 2.5 points and on the road at Illinois by 2 points.

Sorry, but winning ONE of those two games (if not both) doesn't strike me as being an illogical take. And for that matter, winning the Iowa game as a 5 point dog doesn't sound to me all that 'wild and crazy' either.

When it comes to logic, the irrational part is discussing this... in June.

 

[Husker99]

@DrFumble ... That's why I said if this team over-achieves they can get to 7-5. More realistically though, while Nebraska will probably be favored against Michigan State, Maryland, and Rutgers, every other B1G opponent on our schedule, we will most likely be underdogs. Further, you know how abysmal our road, and against ranked teams, record is currently. I want to be wrong, I truly do. But until Matt Rhule and Nebraska prove me wrong, I see no logical reasons to believe 2026 won't be more of the same: mediocrity and getting thrashed by any team with a pulse. I'm done fueling myself with baseless hope and the notion of, it gets better this season. Sorry. I don't mean to sound so negative, I'm just fed up with the mediocrity and am a very short distance away from just giving up entirely on Husker football.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Sorry. I don't mean to sound so negative, I'm just fed up with the mediocrity and am a very short distance away from just giving up entirely on Husker football.

We got the message--you're fed up with the mediocrity.

My beef is with your use of the word, logical (i.e. "I see no logical reasons to believe 2026 won't be the same.") I grant you that I'm always inclined to look on the positive side of things BUT no Husker fan is going to be shouting to the heavens, "It's a MIRACLE!" if we win seven or eight games this season.

Despite recent history, if pundits are not calling us a playoff contender then we fans think Rhule's crew must really suck. Truth is, this ain't a bad ballclub. And perhaps it's one with a chip on their shoulders.

 

[innmc]

The Huskers are going to be pretty good this year and the way they are bringing in stars in recruiting the future looks really good. They are going to have to win anyway possible. Win close games. Win ugly win barely it doesn't matter. Just win!

 

[Husker99]

I will give Matt Rhule credit: He seems to have found his footing in recruiting and, from outward appearances, is doing a really good job selling Nebraska to these 4 and 5 star recruits. These young men are obviously buying into Matt Rhule's vision. Based on what defensive players have said in their social media posts where they've committed to Nebraska, they've repeatedly said they're impressed with the defensive coaches, their schemes, and believe they can develop them to get them to the next level.

On paper, or hypothetically, Nebraska appears to be edging closer to returning to elite play. However, this "preview" we have seen previously where there's all this hype and the play on the field falls far short of the summer and pre-season hype. So as we approach the 2026 season, what do we actually have? That's the 10 million dollar question that will be answered as the season plays out.