What Nebraska Cornhuskers' Matt Rhule Said About USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley

Nebraska Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule shared his respect for USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley while speaking to the media at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday. USC travels to Nebraska for a matchup on Nov. 1, and Rhule joked about his hopes for cold weather.

Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Big Ten Media Days are underway, meaning all the conference's coaches and student-athlete representatives from every team are in Las Vegas, Nevada, to preview the 2025 season.

Although USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is not scheduled to speak until Thursday, a number of USC's opponents, like Nebraska coach Matt Rhule. USC on SI's Bri Amaranthus asked Rhule about Nebraska's matchup with USC on Nov. 1, and the Cornhuskers coach talked about hosting Riley and the Trojans.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"No matter what, Lincoln's gonna find the way to utilize his talent, score points on offense. Obviously they made up big jump last year on defense. It will be a great game. They'll be a top-25 team, and we play later in the year, I hope it's really cold. I hope it's at night and I hope it's really cold," Rhule told Amaranthus.

"He's a great coach, and he's a good friend. I mean he's just a great coach," Rhule continued.

In 2024, USC beat Nebraska 28-20 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Trojans quarterback Maiava had success against the Cornhuskers defense in 2025. Can he replicate it in 2025?

Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

In addition, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti began the three-day event with a press conference on Tuesday morning, and he was asked expanding the College Football Playoff, one of the hottest topics of the offseason.

Petitti and the rest of college football's conference commissioners cannot come to an agreement on a format for an expanded postseason field. The Big Ten leader reiterated his stance that the Big Ten wants to diminish the involvement of the selection committee.

How To Watch Trojans At Big Ten Media Days

USC coach Lincoln Riley will hold a press conference on Thursday, July 24, at 12:30 p.m. PT.

Later in the day from 3:15-3:35 p.m. PT, Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon, offensive tackle Elijah Paige, and safety Kamari Ramsey will be available for reporters. Riley will hold another session with the media for 45 minutes, starting at 3:30 p.m. PT on Thursday.

The events of all three Big Ten Media Days will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 11 a.m. each morning.

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Big Ten Preview

Similar to 2024, the Big Ten conference is headlined by a group of three elite teams that are expected to compete in the College Football Playoff: Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon. Many expect either the Buckeyes or the Nittany Lions to win the conference.

Ohio State Football coach Ryan Day gestures during an April 7, 2025 news conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. | Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Big Ten betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook suggest that Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon are a step ahead of the rest of the Big Ten. The top three are followed by Michigan and then USC with the fifth-best odds of winning the conference title.

1. Ohio State: +190
2. Penn State: +230
3. Oregon: +330
4. Michigan: +1000
5. USC: +2100

The Trojans avoid Ohio State and Penn State in the 2025 regular season, but Riley and his team face Oregon and Michigan in what will be pivotal matchups for USC's position in the Big Ten standings.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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