Super Official 2026 Intermission Thread
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
It was a wild day in CFB. I think the portal and NIL have spread the talent around where you are going to see crazy days like this. Oregon has a good D - but the O has been shaky most of the season. IL took advantage of that - Nebraska SHOULD have but we seem to have some weird mojo when it comes to closing out games. Maybe we fix that this year - maybe we don't. Rhule won't last past next season if he can't figure this out - ultimately he's accountable even if decides to put it on the players at his presser. Maybe he thought that would motivate them? We'll see over the next 5 games.
Inside Nebraska's defense: How preseason focus is shaping Big Ten edge
Nation's top defense: Nebraska has built its 2026 success on holding opponents to a .100 hitting percentage, leading all teams nationally.Preseason defensive focus: A deliberate preseason plan to make kills harder has driven Nebraska's shift toward a defense-first game in 2026.
Big Ten advantage: Nebraska's disciplined preparation and execution provide a strategic edge against the strongest teams in the Big Ten.
Yeah funny how even on our bye week Nebraska fans still feel like we are taking losses. Illinois beats Oregon one week after we fail to close them out. One week after getting beat down by Purdue the Gophers beat Iowa which is something Nebraska (and Rhule) hasn't done in 3 years. The cherry on top is Frost beats a ranked team (#2 at that) before Rhule does at Nebraska. In the Cignetti age you have to make the joke asking if Nebraska hires Frost back can he bring his UCF players? Not really I think we can all agree we have better talent on the field. Where I think we all want to see improvement at is the coaching. Hopefully Rhule can buck his trend of being dismal in the months of October/November. Halloween under the lights vs Washington could set the tone for the rest of the season.
I've struggled with finding the right words for this.
Matt Rhule's leadership style is more middle manager, looking out the window at what's going on on the floor than a strong CEO who sees what needs to be done in the moment and does it.
His demeanor on the sidelines is indicative of this. He's more capable of giving a sermon before or after the game, but in the heat of battle he looks unsure and reactive. I think this rubs off on the team. He has no definitive presence during the game. Look around- Fleck is all rah-rah, attaboy, pump em up. Ferentz is ice, you can't tell if he's up by 20 or down by 3 with 2 minutes left. What is Rhule doing? Other than pleading with the refs, he often stands there with his mouth open looking left or right. He doesn't appear to take control of the situation. I get he has a DC and OC, but I would think he would be at their side, monitoring the situation.
There, I found some words, not very clear, maybe someone can expound.
Matt Rhule's leadership style is more middle manager, looking out the window at what's going on on the floor than a strong CEO who sees what needs to be done in the moment and does it.
His demeanor on the sidelines is indicative of this. He's more capable of giving a sermon before or after the game, but in the heat of battle he looks unsure and reactive. I think this rubs off on the team. He has no definitive presence during the game. Look around- Fleck is all rah-rah, attaboy, pump em up. Ferentz is ice, you can't tell if he's up by 20 or down by 3 with 2 minutes left. What is Rhule doing? Other than pleading with the refs, he often stands there with his mouth open looking left or right. He doesn't appear to take control of the situation. I get he has a DC and OC, but I would think he would be at their side, monitoring the situation.
There, I found some words, not very clear, maybe someone can expound.
Think I understand. Look at game film of TO's on-field behavior and then look at MRh's. Night and day for sure. And, yes, every coach has a different style but I think TO's behavior sent a different message to the team than Rhule's. A fair comparison, dunno, but I think you can see the point I'm making.
NEBRASKA
VS
WASHINGTON
TIME TO KICKOFF
00DAYS
:
00HRS
:
00MINS
:
00SECS
DATE
OCT 31
TIME
7:00 PM
STADIUM
MEMORIAL
LOCATION
LINCOLN
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