Nebraska Football 2026: Matt Rhule’s Best Team Yet? A Game-by-Game Look
In less than four weeks, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will kick off their 137th college football season at home against the Ohio Bobcats on September 5th. Head coach Matt Rhule believes this is his best team yet in Lincoln — bigger, faster, stronger, and deeper than any squad he has fielded in his three previous seasons. For Iowa fans, that means the annual battle for the Heroes Trophy on November 27th could be tougher than ever.
Nebraska comes off back-to-back 7-6 seasons, ending last year with three blowout losses. Rhule responded by making key staff changes: he fired defensive coordinator John Butler and hired Rob Aurich from San Diego State to install a new 4-2-5 scheme. He also replaced special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler with former Husker kicker Brett Maher.
The transfer portal brought significant upgrades, especially at quarterback. UNLV dual-threat transfer Anthony Colandrea gives offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen the prototypical signal-caller he needs. The running back room looks solid, the receiving corps explosive, and both lines are stronger and deeper. The secondary is loaded with talent. The biggest question mark? Special teams, after Ekeler took Nebraska from 86th in the nation to 3rd last year before leaving for Southern California.
September Schedule: A Soft Start
The Huskers open with three winnable home games: Ohio (9-4 last year), Bowling Green (4-8), and FCS North Dakota (8-6). The first real test comes September 25th at Michigan State, where new head coach Pat Fitzgerald — who beat Nebraska 31-28 in Dublin in 2022 with a 1-11 Northwestern team — begins a rebuilding year. Expect a close game, but Nebraska should prevail.
October: The Gauntlet
October starts with a home win over Maryland (4-8) and then the biggest game of the year: defending national champion Indiana (16-0) visits Lincoln on October 10th. The Hoosiers lost Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza to the NFL but reloaded via the portal with TCU transfer Josh Hoover. Nebraska fans hope to catch Indiana looking ahead to games against Ohio State and Michigan. Either way, Memorial Stadium will be rocking.
A trip to Oregon (13-2) on October 17th likely brings Nebraska’s second loss. A bye week follows, then a home win over Washington (9-4) on October 31st makes the Huskers bowl eligible at 6-2.
November: The Stretch Run
November brings road wins at Illinois (9-4) and Rutgers (4-8), giving Matt Rhule his first 8-win season at Nebraska. But then comes Ohio State (13-2) at home on November 21st — a likely loss — followed by the season finale at Iowa on November 27th.
For Iowa fans, that game is everything. The Hawkeyes have dominated the series in recent years, and Kirk Ferentz’s 26th season should continue that trend. Nebraska finishes the regular season at 8-4 and likely heads to the Music City Bowl against Tennessee.
What This Means for Iowa
An 8-4 Nebraska team is better than recent years, but still not elite. The Hawkeyes, coming off a 9-4 season, have the defense and home-field advantage to keep the Heroes Trophy. For Iowa, the key is stopping Colandrea and forcing turnovers. If Nebraska’s special teams regress, that’s an opening Iowa can exploit.
Stay tuned — this rivalry game could decide bowl positioning and recruiting momentum for both programs.