Three Comforting Stats for Indiana Against Nebraska

It's perfectly fair to point out that Saturday's trip to Nebraska will be IU's toughest test of the young season. That's not saying a whole lot.

And sure, the Northwestern win aged well after the Wildcats ran right through Penn State in the grand opening of the new Ryan Field. But it's not necessarily a bold take to say that traveling to face a 5-0 Nebraska team who is off to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play will be a new challenge for the defending champs.

It is, however, bold to suggest that history is on IU's side. No, that's not just because Curt Cignetti smashed Matt Rhule's squad 56-7 back in 2024. Lord knows both rosters look much different now compared to that lopsided matchup two years ago.

Still, though. There are three stats that should comfort IU fans heading into Saturday's tilt in (the other) Memorial Stadium.

3. Nebraska is searching for its first win vs. an AP Top 25 team since the Barack Obama administration

It's truly incredible to think that Sept. 2016 was the last time that the Huskers took down a ranked foe. Go figure that it was No. 22 Oregon, who then collapsed and went 4-8 that season.

Since that day, Nebraska has lost 30 consecutive games to Top 25 teams. It's been over a decade of losses to the teams that are actually taken seriously. Nearly half of them (13) were one-score losses, too. Perhaps that's why that streak might not be common knowledge.

That streak also occurred during a 10-year stretch in which Nebraska played as a ranked team 15 times. In those 15 games, Nebraska played in a ranked vs. ranked matchup three times.

Of course, Saturday won't be that. The Huskers are unofficially No. 31, AKA the sixth spot in the "receiving votes" category.

Make of those rankings what you will. What's undeniable is that the Huskers are more than a decade removed from their last "move the needle win."

2. Matt Rhule is 2-25 vs. AP Top 25 teams lifetime

Nobody talks about this.

Well, scratch that. I talk about this.

Matt Rhule’s contract made me bust out the Iowa notepad because a coach with a 2-25 lifetime record vs. AP Top 25 teams having these buyout numbers is truly insane. pic.twitter.com/Rlo4iOT0LE
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) May 4, 2026

Rhule is in Year 11 as an FBS coach, and it's well documented that he took over a trio of rebuilds. Nobody is saying that he should have a winning record in those matchups or even a .500 record.

But 2-25 is ... telling. At Nebraska, he's responsible for nine of those aforementioned 30 consecutive losses to ranked foes. Rhule's personal streak of consecutive losses to AP Top 25 streak sits at 20.

In fact, that win didn't happen while he was at Baylor. He went 0-11 vs. AP Top 25 teams during his three years in Waco. That last win vs. a ranked foe came when his Temple squad beat No. 20 Navy in the American Conference Championship back in 2016.

Also of note? Rhule has never beaten a ranked Power Conference foe. His only other win vs. a ranked team came in 2014 when his Temple squad took down No. 20 East Carolina ... who went on to lose five games.

To recap, IU will take its FBS-leading 20-game winning streak on the road to face a team that has 30 consecutive losses to AP Top 25 teams, who is led by a coach who has never beaten a ranked Power Conference team in 11 years as an FBS head coach.

Feeling better yet, IU fans?

1. Not a single unit that Nebraska faced ranks in the top 60 of FBS in yards/play or yards/play allowed

In case you were wondering, IU ranks No. 4 in FBS in yards/play and No. 8 in yards/play allowed. That's a touch better than Nebraska's first five foes, the best of which was the Maryland defense, ranking No. 68 in yards/play allowed.

This is also a favorable time to point out that none of Nebraska's first five opponents have a Power Conference victory yet. Hence, why the Huskers aren't ranked. Against non-Nebraska Power Conference foes, those teams are a combined 0-5.

Even IU, who started its schedule as favorably as one could, beat a Northwestern team that has two blowout victories against Power Conference foes.

Nebraska pulling off this upset wouldn't just flip the power dynamics in the Big Ten — it would be a complete 180 from everything we know about these programs.

I didn't even include the stat about how Cignetti hasn't lost to a non-eventual national championship participant during his time at IU. You already know that.

Does that mean we know what awaits on Saturday? Certainly not.

But we should certainly know what would be the most stunning result.

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