Where, Who the Latest Bowl Projections Have Nebraska Playing

A popular prediction has the Huskers going east, but the most likely scenario could be a trip west against one of the top teams to miss the College Football Playoff.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef leads the Huskers out of the tunnel ahead of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska football's 2025 regular season is over, and all that's left to find out is where the Huskers are playing in December.

NU went 7-5 in year two of the Matt Rhule era. After reaching bowl eligibility with a 6-2 start, the Big Red limped to the finish, going 1-3 in November.

Conference championship games are this week, followed by the final College Football Playoff rankings and bowl destinations on Sunday. Below are the latest bowl predictions.

Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, College Football News, ESPN's Mark Schlabach

Music City Bowl vs. LSU

This is far and away the most popular destination and matchup for Nebraska, just days ahead of finding out where everyone is officially going.

Nebraska's only Music City Bowl appearance was a 2016 loss to Tennessee. This time, though, could feature a fourth opponent for the Big Red that does not have its original head coach at the helm.

LSU fired Brian Kelly earlier this season. Over the weekend, the Tigers officially hired away Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Kiffin was born in Nebraska and is the son of former Husker and assistant Monte Kiffin. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Tigers went 7-5 this season, going 2-4 over the back half.

Nebraska is undefeated all-time against LSU at 5-0-1. In regular season games, NU won in 1975 followed by a tie in Baton Rouge the next year. Across four bowl games (1971 Orange Bowl, 1983 Orange Bowl, 1985 Sugar Bowl, 1987 Sugar Bowl) that were all played on New Year's Day, the Huskers won by an average of 24-14.

ESPN's Kyle Bonagura

Music City Bowl vs. Missouri

A different SEC opponent in Nashville, but this one with a far more intimate history for the Huskers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Roy Helu Jr runs between Missouri Tigers defender Jarrell Harrison (11) and Aldon Smith (85) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 31-17. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

Nebraska holds an all-time lead over Missouri, 65-36-3, though the two teams have not played since 2010, when the Huskers went to the Big Ten and the Tigers were heading into their last year with the Big 12 before departing for the SEC. NU won the last two matchups in the series, but that falls far short of the 24 straight the Big Red took from 1979-2002.

Missouri went 8-4 on the year, losing three times over the last five games to potential College Football Playoff teams. The Tigers extended coach Eli Drinkwitz last week.

Athlon, On3's Brett McMurphy, The Athletic

Las Vegas Bowl vs. Utah

A return to Las Vegas after opening the year there with Big Ten Media Days would feel like a proper bookend to an otherwise average season for Nebraska. But facing Utah might be a recipe for another rough outing.

The Utes are 10-2 and No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They feature the No. 2 rushing attack in the nation. tallying 269.8 yards per game on the ground.

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier throws a pass during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Nebraska is undefeated all-time against Utah. The four meetings were all in the regular season and all in Lincoln: 1968, 1980, 1989, and 1992.

USA Today

Las Vegas Bowl vs. Arizona

Another prediction for Las Vegas is a different former Pac-12 and current Big 12 team: Arizona.

The Wildcats are No. 18 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings. Arizona went 9-3 this season, with only one loss coming to a team not currently ranked.

Nebraska and Arizona are even all-time. The first meeting in 1961 ended in a 14-14 tie in Lincoln. In a pair of Holiday Bowls, the Wildcats won in 1998, with the Huskers taking the 2009 edition.

Pro Football Network

Pinstripe Bowl vs. Clemson

There is not a worse spot for Husker fans to end up in back-to-back years than New York City.

Nebraska beat Boston College last year, but that was the first bowl trip in several years. A return would feel like another gut punch to a season that closed with such a bad taste in the mouth.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule and players celebrate after the game against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Clemson is another 7-5 team. The Tigers are riding a four-game win streak into the postseason.

Nebraska and Clemson have met twice all-time. In the 1982 Orange Bowl, the Tigers were victorious 22-15. The Huskers got revenge a couple of decades later, winning the 2009 Gator Bowl 26-21.

Big Ten Bowl Order

Nebraska finished tied for 10th in the Big Ten standings at 4-5. The league's bowl ties are listed below, but keep in mind that College Football Playoff teams are removed from these. Meaning, Indiana and Ohio State will not fill any of these spots.

1. Citrus (formerly Capital One) vs. SEC
2. ReliaQuest (formerly Outback) vs. SEC
3. Las Vegas vs. Former Pac-12 Teams
4. Music City vs. SEC
5. Pinstripe vs. ACC
6. Rate (formerly Cactus, Insight, Copper) vs. Big 12
7. GameAbove Sports (formerly Quick Lane, Motor City) vs. MAC

There is a likelihood that a pre-2024 Big Ten team faces a newly added opponent from the Pac-12. Just like Indiana and Ohio State, Oregon is off to the CFP. That means teams like Washington and USC (UCLA did not make a bowl) could face a Big Ten opponent in Las Vegas.

Big Ten Standings

Removing the College Football Playoff-bound teams and those that joined from the Pac-12, here are the standings for bowl-eligible teams to close the season, which will play a part in which teams play in which bowls.

1. Michigan 9-3, 7-2
2. Iowa 8-4, 6-3
3. Illinois 8-4, 5-4
4. Minnesota 7-5, 5-4
5. Nebraska 7-5, 4-5
6. Northwestern 6-6, 4-5
7. Penn State 6-6, 3-6

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

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