Nebraska is bowl bound for the second year in a row, and with just two more wins (including the bowl game) they will also have an improved record in their third straight season.
There’s no denying that the Nebraska program is improving under Matt Rhule, and they have left the dark, dark days of Scott Frost behind. But is the process too slow? Can they ever be a powerhouse program again under Rhule?
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Trojans Wire asked Cornhuskers Wire writer Evan Bredeson about this ahead of USC’s matchup with the Cornhuskers on Saturday.
What is the general feeling about Rhule’s stewardship of the program and where this project is heading?
“Mixed reactions,” Bredeson said. “The program is absolutely in a better position than it’s been in a decade. People may not understand or may have forgotten, but this program was a mess when he got here. Everyone was all-in on Scott Frost returning Nebraska to glory, and when that era flamed out the way it did, it left the on-field product in disarray and fans broken. Rhule rebuilt relationships in meaningful ways, with an impact on in-state recruiting that had been broken.”
How Rhule Fixed In-State Recruiting
“Nebraska hadn’t even been able to keep the state’s top talent in-state,” Bredeson said. “He’s fixed that. He reestablished recruiting in areas like Texas and Chicago, where Nebraska previously recruited successfully but had long since abandoned. He got fans to buy into the idea of a multiyear rebuild even after the disappointment of the past several regimes, and now they want to see the patience pay off. There are definitely some fans who are frustrated and believe that the program is not where it should be in year three. A lot hinges on the month of November and how the regular season ends.”
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The comparison to Lincoln Riley
A lot of USC football program restoration has happened around Lincoln Riley’s tenure, including the building of the Bloom Football Performance Center and an emphasis on in-state recruiting. Riley, USC general manager Chad Bowden, and the assistant coaching staff have all come together to reel in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country ahead of the 2026 season. A big part of that has been recruiting in California, where the Trojans had inexplicably struggled over the last several years, leaving fans frustrated.
Like Husker fans, Trojan fans are also hopeful for the future because of the way USC has restored relationships with local recruits. But Trojan fans are a bit more impatient to see Riley return USC to the pinnacle of college football because he seemingly was able to do it in just 1 year in 2022, but has had trouble replicating that success since.
The Scott Frost tenure
Remember, in Scott Frost’s five years as the Nebraska coach, he went 16-31 and Nebraska never even made a bowl game. It’s really a wonder he lasted that long when he was only good for 3-4 wins a year in Lincoln.
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Rhule came in and won 5 games in his first season in 2023, then went 7-6 in 2024 and is already 6-2 in 2025.
The Huskers are not a college football playoff contender yet, but the 90,000 strong who show up in Lincoln every game are certainly happy to at least be seeing wins more often than not.
Looking ahead for Nebraska
Beredson mentioned that Husker fans’ overall opinion of Rhule will be largely shaped by this second half of the 2025 season.
It would mean a lot to the Husker fanbase to beat USC. The Huskers haven’t won a ranked matchup since 2016. They have lost 28 straight matchups against ranked opponents. USC comes into the game ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll.
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Beating Penn State and rival Iowa would also mean a lot to Husker fans. The Hawkeyes and Huskers are both 6-2 right now.
I think a realistic prediction for Nebraska is that the Huskers win 2-3 more games, depending on how their bowl matchup shakes out.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Nebraska football writer shares fan opinions on head coach Matt Rhule
