Social Media Offers a Wide Range of Opinions About Nebraska Football

Are the Huskers simply mediocre? Or, are they a program on the move coming off consecutive winning seasons?

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule faces a difficult schedule in 2026, a season that might be a referendum on his program. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Social media is not the real world, not even in the overly scrutinized, lionized world of Nebraska football.

If you follow social media, it’s easy to presume the grousing in that mostly anonymous world carries an outsized impact. Maybe it does— in some circles. Likely it doesn’t— in more circles.

If you have perused social media regarding Nebraska football this offseason, two consistent themes jump out.

And in some ways, through their disparity, they describe the dilemma of Husker football fans as well as anything else. People are going to find truth where they want to find truth. And when searching for the truth, or being able to predict Nebraska’s future, nothing is as bad as it is portrayed on social media, nor are things as sunny.

What’s being said

From one group of social media contributors there is gloom and doom and plenty of it. How can Nebraska and its fans be satisfied with back-to-back 7-6 records? How can the Huskers be happy with consecutive low-level bowl games?

This is Nebraska football, for gosh sakes. Five national championships, Heisman Trophy winners, talented, hard-nosed football being played at the highest level.

What happened? Who’s to blame? Gotta be somebody’s fault.

Social-media blame is focused on the usual suspects — recruiting, coaching staff, geography, for example.

But quickly, blame finds head coach Matt Rhule. In his three seasons in Lincoln, Rhule is 19-19. His season records are 5-7, 7-6 and 7-6.

Rhule arrived in Lincoln after successful college stints at Temple and Baylor. Across seven seasons at those schools, Rhule won at least 10 games three times. He went to four bowl games.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule was 11-27 as head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Between Baylor and Nebraska, Rhule had a forgettable stretch as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach, where he went 11-27 across two-plus seasons. Maybe he was better suited as a college coach rather than an NFL coach. That happens, weighed in Chip Kelly, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, among others.

Rhule took over a Nebraska program that endured six consecutive losing seasons and had not been to a bowl game since the Music City Bowl in 2016.

Despite a 7-6 record, Nebraska is perceived to have taken a step backward in 2025. Its Big Ten schedule was manageable and avoided Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. Rhule had program centerpiece quarterback Dylan Raiola back for a second season after a promising freshman season. Rhule’s roster seemed improved from 2024.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule enjoyed success as the head coach of the Baylor Bears. | Rob Ferguson-Imagn Images

Those factors, plus Rhule’s third-year magic — Temple and Baylor had taken off in his third season — and it’s no wonder Husker fans went into last season expecting big things.

Instead, they got a 7-6 season that included three beatdowns — against Penn State, Iowa and Utah in the bowl game — to end the season.

That finish ramped up the online negativity.

Things had been worse … 

If you think it’s bad now, one emailer told me, you should have seen the Scott Frost era, four-plus seasons of mediocrity where the Huskers went 16-31. Frost was fired three games into the 2022 season. The most games Frost won in a Nebraska season was five in 2019.

Nebraska's Scott Frost went 16-31 as the Cornhuskers' head coach. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Optimistic commentary is out there, too — upbeat, expressing patience, the program is on the right track, the program is about to turn around.

One emailer told me Rhule should be praised for turning around the Huskers so quickly. “When was the last time we went to consecutive bowl games?” (It was 2015 and 2016.)

One online comment said Rhule has made strides, he’s a program builder, and do the Huskers *really* want to start over with another coach and another new program?

So, now what?

Every season is consequential in college football — only 12 games, high expectations, egos. For Nebraska, oh boy, 2026 will be all of that. The season will be a referendum on Rhule — who is under contract through the 2032 season — and his program. Such is life and the rules for the guy making the big bucks.

Rhule rebooted the program this offseason with new assistant coaches, a new quarterback from the transfer portal in UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea, a rebuilt offensive line mostly through the portal. On paper, in May, they seem like good moves, and maybe necessary ones.

Quarterback Anthony Colandrea transferred to Nebraska after playing at UNLV in 2024. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Rhule’s team could be better in 2026 and not achieve the desired results. The Big Ten, now with 18 teams, has won the last three national championships. Even “easy” conference games can be challenging. Three of Nebraska’s four Big Ten wins last season were by one score — Maryland, Northwestern, UCLA.

Looming on Nebraska’s 2026 schedule are Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon, plus road games at Michigan State, Illinois and Iowa.

With that kind of schedule, the Huskers might face a long season. Or not, should they win their share of games and knock off one of the Big Ten titans. And defeat Iowa.

If the season doesn’t play out with that kind of success, social media will be blazing. Fire Rhule! Fire everybody! Get off Rhule’s back! Be patient!

Such is life in college football in the 21st Century.

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