Stacked Opponents: Ranking Nebraska’s Toughest Games in 2025

[SuperBigFan69]

Teams in the Big Ten are particularly good at playing football at a fundamental level, in a mistake-free way, which makes them tough teams to play when you are not a program that has been good at that.

I think this sort of gets blow out of proportion, a bit.

Crappy teams have a few choices.

1. Run the ball, take no chances on offense at all, punt from your opponents 40 yard line, sit back on defense and try to never let up a big play and hope the clock keeps running and the game ends quick. (NU did this against USC when Billy C was the coach. They knew they were outmatched and the stats are stupid. They were just trying to not get blownout)

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2. Gamble, go for it, throw the ball 50 times and hope for some big plays.

A lot of Big Ten teams decided that winning 6-7 games was just fine. So you run the ball 3 times, eat clock, punt.

The score might even look close at times but once the better team is up 13 points, the game is over. Now, sometimes it works and the other teams messes up or the bad team keeps it just close enough to have a chance at the end but most of the time you get that 28-10 loss that was never even that close.

2.

 

[Lorewarn]

A lot of Big Ten teams decided that winning 6-7 games was just fine. So you run the ball 3 times, eat clock, punt.

The score might even look close at times but once the better team is up 13 points, the game is over.

Unless you're playing Nebraska, as this has been a very reliable/popular/successfull opponents' MO for years.

Up 21-3 against UCLA in 2013

Up 17-3 against Wisconsin in 2014

Up 21-7 against Minnesota in 2014

Up 28-14 against Northwestern in 2018

Up 17-0 against Colorado in 2019

Up 21-6 against Iowa in 2021

Up 28-17 against Northwestern in 2022

Up 14-3 against Wisconsin in 2022

Up 14-0 against Wisconsin in 2023

Up 10-0 against Iowa last year

 

[SuperBigFan69]

Unless you're playing Nebraska, as this has been a very reliable/popular/successfull opponents' MO for years.

Up 21-3 against UCLA in 2013

Up 17-3 against Wisconsin in 2014

Up 21-7 against Minnesota in 2014

Up 28-14 against Northwestern in 2018

Up 17-0 against Colorado in 2019

Up 21-6 against Iowa in 2021

Up 28-17 against Northwestern in 2022

Up 14-3 against Wisconsin in 2022

Up 14-0 against Wisconsin in 2023

Up 10-0 against Iowa last year

No kidding, NU LOVES to give up leads.

 

[Dogs In A Pile]

And lest we not forget our other worldly OT record and stats. So all the opposition has to do is tie the game to get an automatic win.

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[Lorewarn]

And lest we not forget our other worldly OT record and stats. So all the opposition has to do is tie the game to get an automatic win.

​

Zero points and zero first downs in overtime since 2014.

 

[The Dude]

I wouldn't call it a pud schedule. Indiana's schedule last year was a pud schedule. But it does look like probably the most manageable schedule we've had in a while...

It awlays looks easier before the season starts. Nobody expected Illinois and Indiana to be 10+ win teams at this time last year.

 

[lo country]

It awlays looks easier before the season starts. Nobody expected Illinois and Indiana to be 10+ win teams at this time last year.

Hoping with the allegedly "easier" schedule that we some how crack that 9-10 game ceiling...

 

[HuskerDrew]

Hell, I am just glad that for once in the past almost 20 years I am really excited about the OC we have to start the year.
Previously, since back to when Bo was hired, I either didn’t know much about the OC or I hated the OC. I have never loved an OC hire until now.
Will that mean much for our record… we shall see. But, if DH is the real deal and our defense stinks.. Rhule better fire Butler ASAP and get a replacement. He needs to get the best coaches available because he himself is not a good coach (IMO). He is only as good as this coordinators

 

[SuperBigFan69]

Hoping with the allegedly "easier" schedule that we some how crack that 9-10 game ceiling...

The old formula was the way to do.

Super easy opener, followed by two sort of "not a big deal" type teams. Start off 3-0 and build momentum.