Nebraska’s Wild Record Vs. Ranked Opponents Gives USC An Edge

The USC Trojans will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a much anticipated Big Ten clash in Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend. Southern Cal jumped back in the AP Top-25 poll this week, which doesn't bode well for Matt Rhule's team.

Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks on the field during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Matt Rhule may have Nebraska trending upwards in his third season at the helm, but one thing continues to hold the program back, their struggles against ranked opponents. 

The Cornhuskers have lost 28-straight games against ranked opponents, as they welcome the No. 23 USC Trojans to town on Saturday, Nov. 1. 

Nebraska’s last win against a ranked opponent came in September 2016 against then-No. 22 Oregon. 

Stumble Against Michigan, Struggles in Pass Protection 

Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks on the field during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

USC will be just the second ranked team Nebraska has seen this season. They fell 30-27 to No. 21 Michigan at home on Sep. 20, in a game where the Wolverines rushed for 286 yards and the Cornhuskers offense struggled down the stretch. 

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola fell under heavy duress and was sacked seven times. The Trojans can create problems of their own rushing the passer with just four down linemen or defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn dialing up an exotic blitz. 

Protecting Raiola has been a problem for the Cornhuskers. The sophomore quarterback was sacked nine times in their 24-6 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 16. 

Consistency on Trojans Defensive Line 

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive end Braylan Shelby (10) reacts after sacking Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Southern Cal has shown the ability to control the trenches on both sides of, but there have been two sides of the past couple of games. USC dominated the line of scrimmage against Michigan in week 7 and then Notre Dame flipped the script in week 8. 

For the offensive line, week 8 was their first sign of any struggle this season and it's a unit that will get two starters in official tackle Elijah Paige and center Kilian O’Connor soon. 

MORE: Lincoln Riley Visits Elite USC Trojans Recruit During Bye Week

MORE: Predicting USC Trojans' Five Remaining Games Of 2025 Season

MORE: Grading USC Trojans Star Freshmen Who Have Exceeded Expectations

On the other side, there is no help on the way and it’s all about finding consistency for the Trojans defensive front. It’s a good mixture between veterans and young players and the defense will go as that group goes. They set the tone on the defensive side.

“Our inconsistencies there are disappointing because we've all have seen when we're playing really well there, when we're closing space,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley. “But again, you've got to do the things that really do run defenses do. The line of scrimmage, the battle there is important.”

Struggles in the front four and have led to the problems in the back seven for USC this season. Riley talked last week about getting that side of the ball to play more in-sync and that was a point of emphasis during the bye week. 

USC Road Struggles 

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to throw the ball in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

For Nebraska’s struggles with ranked opponents, the Trojans have their own issues on the road. 

Since joining the Big Ten last season, USC has just one road win outside of the state of California. And that won came earlier this season when they defeated Purdue in week 3. 

“We've put ourselves in position to win a lot of the games,” Riley said. “Obviously, you gotta go win. I get it. In your ascent as a program that's one of the last steps because it's the hardest thing to do. To go on the road and win against really good football teams You see it every single week, it's always a challenge. 

“So we're putting ourselves constantly in that position. And that's a that's a great start, but obviously the expectation is to go win them. And we've obviously got some other great opportunities coming up, another, another big one here coming up after the bye week.”

Ascent in Big Ten Conference 

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

These two historic programs have made their mark on the sport in the past, but both teams are vying to get back into the national relevancy, which makes this Saturday nights between the two-loss teams even more exciting. 

It’s a de facto elimination game. The winner stays alive in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, while the other will have more serious questions coming the next morning.