All Huskers

Nebraska Football a Tier 3 Team in the Big Ten Conference?

The "B1G Today" crew discussed the top tiers for Big Ten Conference football teams, with Nebraska's tier to be determined by Saturday's game at Indiana.

Kaleb Henry

Which Teams Are On Jake Butt's Big Ten Football Tier Halfways Through The Season? | B1G Today
Which Teams Are On Jake Butt's Big Ten Football Tier Halfways Through The Season? | B1G Today / Big Ten Network
In this story:

Nebraska football's place in the Big Ten Conference won't be decided Saturday in Bloomington, but the result will play a major part in defining the season for the Huskers.

On "B1G Today" on the Big Ten Network Thursday, Jake Butt gave his tiers for the top Big Ten football teams up to this point in the season. Butt discussed the rationale with Dave Revsine and Rick Pizzo.

For the Nebraska Cornhuskers, their tier for now will be dependent on Saturday's game at the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers. Revsine began by taking issue with the Hoosiers not being in Tier 2 or at least being guaranteed a spot in Tier 3.

"Because Nebraska is by far the best opponent that they've they've played all year and from a matchup standpoint this game will be extremely revealing," Butt answered. "They haven't seen a defensive line like what Nebraska is going to bring with them to town this weekend: Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson."

Nebraska defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher chases after Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the third quarter.
Nebraska defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher chases after Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the third quarter. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Revsine pointed out that Indiana has dominated the schedule so far, no matter how tough that schedule has been. All three agreed that Nebraska is "by far" the best opponent the Curt Cignetti Hoosiers have seen.

"Indiana's schedule gets demonstrably more difficult, starting this weekend," Revsine said.

Nebraska and Indiana kickoff Saturday at 11 a.m. CDT in Bloomington. The game will be televised on FOX with the "Big Noon Kickoff" crew on hand.

Below are the tiers that were discussed. You can watch the full discussion at the top of the page.

Tier 1

  • Oregon Ducks
  • Ohio State Buckeyes

Tier 2

  • Penn State Nittany Lions

Tier 3

  • Winner of Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Fighting Illini
  • Winner of Nebraska Cornhuskers at Indiana Hoosiers

To Be Determined

  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Wisconsin Badgers

MORE: I-80 Club: How Has Indiana Done This?

MORE: McMaster's Big Ten Football Power Rankings After Week 7

MORE: Nebraska Football Preview: No. 16 Indiana

MORE: Stukenholtz: Halfway Home, But Toughest Miles Still Ahead

MORE: Nebraska's Midterm Exams Begin in the Form of Indiana & Ohio State in Back-to-Back Weeks

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

Published |Modified
Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Home/Football