The equation for Nebraska football in 2025

First we need to agree on a result that makes most people happy. Then, how do the Huskers get there?

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

The Nebraska version of Matt Rhule isn’t afraid to make headlines for his college football opinions. Last offseason he earned headlines for putting a number on how much a transfer quarterback costs and suggesting the Big Ten deserved four bids in the 12-team playoff given the strength of the conference, the latter of which riled ESPN and SEC Network host Paul Finebaum.¹

Rhule has drawn attention this offseason for his comments on national shows on forgoing spring games, a growing trend, and nonconference scheduling. Tuesday was the first chance for Nebraska media to ask him about those ideas, and attention to them, and the head coach played a they-ask-I-answer card, which is a good card to have.

But it didn’t apply to at least one question Rhule was asked locally this week. It was about the Huskers “winning offseason championships” each year and why this offseason would be different.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Rhule said. “I’ve been here for two years. We do the best we can in the offseason to have success. I try my very best not to hype things up . . . It takes a long time to become an overnight success. We’ve always kind of built towards Year 3, um, so I’m just going to try and get better today, this year, and have a good Year 3 and after that we’ll reassess where we’re at and try to have a good Year 4.”

I think this is a good answer, though it was clear Rhule was uncomfortable² with the question. This isn’t a “oh, Mr. Transparency suddenly wasn’t so transparent” point. Rather, it served to underscore just how much is riding on Nebraska’s 2025.

This isn’t the first time Rhule has mentioned building towards Year 3, and his college record certainly supports that approach, but every time he says it here, I feel like another egg tumbles into the “better see undeniable results” basket. If you always build towards Year 3 and then Year 3 is middling, people are going to take you at your word. That’s the risk.

Much of any discussion like this is subjective. Last season was a one-win improvement from the year before, two if you count the bowl game, which was its own step forward regardless of outcome. Having checked “make a bowl” and “improve” (at least on paper) off the list, however, stakes are higher for Year 3, and Rhule isn’t doing anything so far to lower those stakes.

That’s fine. Maybe even what you want from a head coach, but it left me wondering if there isn’t an equation that could help inform what we’re looking at for 2025. Don’t worry, this isn’t a numbers thing, though me being me there will be numbers involved eventually. The question this equation hopes to answer is how does Nebraska make everyone happy in 2025 and how does it get there?