Huskers’ Season Will be Defined by Unranked Opponents

Part Two of Two. To read Part One, how the Huskers got to 3-1, click here.

Nebraska’s football season isn’t over, even if it might have felt a little that way Saturday after the Huskers’ disappointing loss to Michigan.

The Huskers’ 3-1 start is behind them. After the 30-27 loss to the Wolverines, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and his players were united about putting the game behind them and moving on.

“Be careful,” sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola said after the Michigan loss. “We’re gonna come together and do something scary.”

The message from Rhule and the team: Learn from the loss but don’t dwell on it and have it affect the team for the rest of the season. Courageous and hopeful talk, for sure.

That is Rhule’s mindset. No matter how many times he looks at the tape, no matter how many times he reruns plays in his head, it’s history.

Nebraska’s season resumes Oct. 4 against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium after the current bye week.

Huskers deficiencies were on display against Michigan, which ran for 286 yards and three scores, with three Wolverines’ touchdown runs totaling 166 of the yards.

Nebraska also needs to better protect Raiola, who had a terrific game despite seven sacks and taking a pounding from the Wolverines’ defense.

Oh, and in the Big Ten, don’t leave plays and points on the field. Score when you have the opportunity. Touchdowns over field goals, always. In the Big Ten, those opportunities aren’t always plentiful.

Big Ten games ahead

Nebraska’s final eight games are conference games. That means nothing will be easy. It also means the Huskers’ season will be remembered for what they do over the next eight games.

Defeating Michigan could have been season-defining, but so could winning most of the remaining games.

Nebraska still can make this season special. The College Football Playoff isn’t totally unrealistic. But the Huskers have to win and they have win often.

Two ranked teams are on the Huskers’ schedule — No. 21 USC on Nov. 1, and No. 3 Penn State on Nov. 22. That means Nebraska has six unranked teams to play, teams that will provide tests but aren’t demonstrably better than the Huskers.

With the exception of UCLA and maybe Northwestern, Nebraska’s remaining opponents each look capable of bowl eligibility. Those are the tests. Each looks good enough to defeat Nebraska and not have the victory considered an major upset.

And three of Nebraska’s opponents will have a bye week before their matchup.

Unranked opponents ultimately are going to determine the success of Nebraska’s season. These teams consider themselves Nebraska’s equal, or better. They know their level of success would be enriched with a victory over the Huskers.

Let’s examine each opponent, and where they stand on Sept. 26 — with the caveat that plenty could change between today and when they play the Huskers.

Oct. 4: Michigan State

The Spartans (3-1), coming off a 45-31 loss at USC, are on a bye this week. Nebraska is 9-4 all-time against Sparty and has won the last two meetings in Lincoln.

MSU has a crafty quarterback in Aiden Chiles, who was the Big Ten offensive player of the week earlier this season. He’s a 68.6 percent passer and has run for 154 yards.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles has completed 68.6 percent of his passes in 2025. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Both teams will be desperate, coming off losses. Losing two games this early in a 12-game schedule would be devastating for teams with ambitious plans. Sparty’s last three seasons were under .500, and four of the last five.

Nebraska’s ESPN Football Power Index rating is 20th. Michigan State’s is 61.

Oct. 11: at Maryland

This will be Nebraska’s first true road game, always an uncertain venture. The Terps are 4-0 and dominated Wisconsin, 27-10, in Madison on Saturday.

Maryland seems to have found a potential-filled quarterback in true freshman Malik Washington.

Maryland freshman quarterback Malik Washington has led the Terrapins to a 4-0 start. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Before Nebraska, the Terps play host to Washington on Oct. 4.

Nebraska leads the series, 2-1, but lost in Lincoln in 2023, 13-10.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; Maryland is 48.

Oct. 17 (Friday night): at Minnesota

Nebraska will be playing on the road and on short rest. This feels like a game that could define the Huskers’ season, especially if they defeat Michigan State and Maryland.

Minnesota Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck has enjoyed success against Nebraska. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Minnesota (2-1) has owned the Huskers recently, winning five consecutive games and six of seven. Overall, the Gophers lead the series, 37-25-2.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; Minnesota is 59.

Oct. 25: Northwestern

The Wildcats (1-2) always seem to give every team a struggle.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 10-7, but has split the last four meetings. As stated: The Wildcats always are problematic.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; Northwestern is 78.

Nov. 1: USC

Nebraska has never defeated Southern Cal (0-5-1). The Trojans (4-0) will be coming off a bye week after games vs. Michigan and at Notre Dame.

Should Nebraska be on a roll coming into this game, there could be serious CFP implications for both teams.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; USC is 8.

Nov. 8: at UCLA

This is a revenge game for the Huskers, the source of a bitter loss in 2024. UCLA was 2-5 when it arrived in Lincoln. The Huskers were 5-3 and needed one more victory to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. It was a monumental game for the the Huskers.

UCLA stunned the Huskers, 27-20, after taking a 27-7 lead.

UCLA (0-3) already has changed coaches, firing DeShaun Foster and naming Tim Skipper, who was special assistant to the head coach. The season series is 7-7.

Tim Skipper is UCLA's new coach, replacing DeShaun Foster. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA is another opponent coming off a bye week.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; UCLA is 93.

Nov. 22: at Penn State

The Nittany Lions are currently ranked third in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Penn State’s strength also is a weakness. Experienced quarterback Drew Allar has been inconsistent and ineffective over his career. He’s also flashed moments of brilliance.

Penn State (3-0) plays host to sixth-ranked Oregon (4-0) this Saturday night. We’ll learn plenty about the Nittany Lions that night.

Nebraska leads the season series, 10-8. Nebraska has won five of the last six, including two at Penn State.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has been plagued by inconsistency in his Nittany Lions' career. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions are loaded beyond Allar, with experienced running backs running behind a solid line and their usual rock-hard defense. The Huskers will be coming off another bye week, which should be an advantage.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; Penn State is 10.

Nov. 28: Iowa

Speaking of revenge games, here come the Hawkeyes. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 30-22-3 but that’s deceptive. Iowa has won nine of the last 10 meetings. Plus, Iowa has won an astounding six consecutive games at Memorial Stadium.

Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton (19) passes before Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson can make the the tackle in 2024. — Iowa quarterback Jackson Stratton (19) passes before Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson can make the the tackle in 2024 game. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last year was a heartbreaking, 13-10 road loss for Nebraska, which led 10-0 at halftime and 10-3 into the fourth quarter.

Iowa is 3-1, its loss at rival Iowa State, 16-13. The Hawkeyes play Indiana, Penn State, Minnesota, Oregon and USC before they meet the Huskers.

Nebraska’s ESPN FPI rating is 20th; Iowa is 31.

More From Nebraska on SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.