Does an office hold the key to Nebraska football's future?
The problem with NU’s Las Vegas Bowl loss was it wasn’t random enough. Next up, the portal.
It was always going to take a lot for anything in the Las Vegas Bowl to shake me from my general “these are just exhibitions, anyway” malaise. Nebraska could’ve won 17-14 and I would’ve thought, “that’s a nice win,” and not much more. It could’ve lost 27-20 and I would’ve thought, “that’s a nice effort.”
Utah doubling up Nebraska, 44-22, however, was enough of a jolt to ring in 2026 with an unwelcome dose of football dread. Or, if not that, at least some major questions about where Nebraska goes from here.
The loss dropped Nebraska to 7-6, same final record as in 2024. The Huskers lost their final three games by a combined score of 121-48, not coming within three touchdowns of Penn State, Iowa or Utah.
“At the end of the day, we faced three top-15 teams,” Matt Rhule said1 of that closing stretch, “and we lost. We’re not a top-15 team, you know what I’m saying? It doesn’t mean we’re a bottom-15 team. It just means we’re not at the level of these guys right now, and I’ve got to take responsibility for that.”
Indeed. It’s just hard, however, to find a stable foothold for hope as the calendar turns.
