In October, Nebraska Football Will See a Coach Who Performed Miracles in Indiana’s Curt Cignetti

Second of three parts.

Two of college football’s coaching titans are on Nebraska’s schedule in October. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti won the national title in 2025, and Oregon’s Dan Lanning, who is one of the favorites to give the Big Ten its fourth consecutive national champion in 2026.

Cignetti led the upstart Hoosiers to a 16-0 season that might be talked about 50 years from now. Maybe longer. That’s how amazing the Hoosiers’ turnaround was, orchestrated by Cignetti.

Cignetti arrived in Bloomington before the 2024 season. The Hoosiers had one winning season in the previous 15 seasons (excluding 2020, the Covid year). This was a football program as down as any could be. And playing in the Big Ten offered few, if any, easy games. B1G football was a rough place to plant a flag and start a resurrection.

Cignetti came from James Madison, where he had two successful seasons, but nothing like the past two seasons with the Hoosiers. Indiana was 11-2 in Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti celebrates after the Hoosiers defeated Miami to win the national championship. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Such a rapid turnaround has left needy fan bases longing for something similar. It’s an easy theory to get behind: If Indiana can do it, why not us?

There was a school of thought that Cignetti’s first year of success wouldn’t be sustainable. Well, school’s out. He followed his national championship season with one of the top-ranked transfer portal classes and a highly regarded recruiting class.

This week, we are analyzing the coaches Nebraska will face. On Wednesday, it was the September coaches. On Thursday, it will be the October coaches, and on Friday it will be the November coaches.

(Earlier in the offseason, we looked at the quarterbacks Nebraska will face. Here are the September quarterbacks, October quarterbacks, and November quarterbacks.)

October will be a challenging month for the Huskers and coach Matt Rhule.

Maryland, Oct. 3, Time TBA

Where: Memorial Stadium
Coach: Mike Locksley
Career record: 39-75
Terrapins’ 2025 record: 4-8
Locksley’s record vs. Nebraska: 1-3
Rhule’s record vs. Maryland: 1-1

Maryland coach Mike Locksley reacts during the game against Nebraska last season in College Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maryland’s Mike Locksley, who has struggled moving the Terrapins forward in his eight seasons (37-49), started last season 4-0 before it all fell apart and he finished 4-8. There was talk Locksley’s job was in jeopardy after last season, but he’s back and with an elevated recruiting profile. The Terps have recruited some excellent players. Depth is the big question. One point: The Terrapins battled Nebraska to the very end in 2025, losing 34-31, in College Park.

Indiana, Oct. 10, Time TBA

Where: Memorial Stadium
Coach: Curt Cignetti
Career record: 46-6
Hoosiers’ 2025 record: 16-0
Cignetti’s record vs. Nebraska: 1-0
Rhule’s record vs. Indiana: 0-1

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy last season in the Hoosiers' national title season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Hoosiers have to take a step back, right? They lost quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner. This season will be a good referendum on Cignetti’s staying power, although back-to-back tremendous seasons say plenty.

Oregon, Oct. 17, Time TBA

Where: Autzen Stadium
Coach: Dan Lanning
Career record: 48-8
Ducks’ 2025 record: 13-2
Lanning’s record vs. Nebraska: 0-0
Rhule’s record vs. Oregon: 0-1

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and coach Dan Lanning are interviewed after Ducks defeated Minnesota in 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A week after playing host to Indiana, the Huskers travel to play the Mighty Ducks. Lanning, who came to Eugene from Georgia where he was the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach, took over an established, successful program from Mario Cristobal.

Lanning has run with it. In his four seasons at Eugene, the Ducks are 48-8. Oregon’s next goal is getting over the hump in the College Football Playoff. Getting there is not enough anymore in Eugene.

Priorities.

Lanning has emphasized physical toughness in Eugene. The Ducks once were known for speed and a dynamic offense — along with the eclectic uniforms. Lanning has made both lines a priority, beefing up the trenches to go along with the offensive flashiness.

Lanning will have one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Dante Moore, who likely would have been a top-5 draft pick last spring. Backing up Moore will be Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola, who might be taking a gap year unless Moore gets injured.

Washington, Oct. 31, Time TBA

Where: Memorial Stadium
Coach: Jedd Fisch
Career record: 32-33
Huskies’ 2025 record: 9-4
Fisch’s record vs. Nebraska: 0-0
Rhule’s record vs. Washington: 0-1

Washington coach Jedd Fisch runs onto the field before a game against Maryland. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The fourth coach Nebraska will face in October is Jedd Fisch of Washington. The Huskies were 9-4 last season. Washington has been a powerful football program over the years and is only three years removed from the national title game. Fisch took over for Kalen DeBoer, who parlayed that national title appearance to a job replacing the legendary Nick Saban at Alabama.

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