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.

 

[Hilltop]

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

The resume seems pretty solid to me outside of a rough NFL stint in the midst of Covid. Why do you feel he is a bad coach?

 

[The Dude]

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

Eventually it has to be our turn to surprise everyone with a 10+ win season, right?

Right!?

 

[HuskerDrew]

The resume seems pretty solid to me outside of a rough NFL stint in the midst of Covid. Why do you feel he is a bad coach?

I think he’s a good head man, but where I mean he’s not good is that he is not a good game day manager… he doesn’t run the O or D… so if he has a crap coordinator (see: M Satterfield) he gets crap results. He himself cannot start running the O like a Lincoln Riley or Ryan Day can. I do feel though like he now understands that, hence the hiring of Holgorsen. Butler, jury is out but I did think he did just fine in the bowl game so I’ll wait to judge but so far so good

 

[BigRedBuster]

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

It’s going to be a long time before I’m comfortable with a lead unless it’s by 20 with 30 seconds left.

 

[HuskerDrew]

It’s going to be a long time before I’m comfortable with a lead unless it’s by 20 with 30 seconds left.

With our recent history I am only comfortable with a 20 point lead if there’s 1 second left

 

[admo]

I think it's because 19-30 over four years is even less impressive than 30-22.

For Nebraska, it is a tough stretch. For other teams, it might not be.

Quick research tells us the Huskers have been terribly awful in the home stretch of the season. Part of that is because the Big Ten scheduling for Nebraska is ridiculous compared to others IMHO.

Since 2021 (post covid) - Nebraska is 2-19 down the stretch

1-3 last year, so it might be progress.

Check this out in order of games - it's awful bro

2021 -
Lost to #9 Michigan,
Lost at Minnesota,
Lost to Purdue,
Lost to #6 Ohio State,
Lost at #19 Wisconsin,
Lost to #17 Iowa

2022 - (After losing to Purdue) -
Lost to #17 iLLinois,
Lost to Minnesota,
Lost at #3 Michigan,
Lost to Wisconsin,
Won at Iowa

2023 -
Lost at Michigan State,
Lost at Maryland,
Lost at Wisconsin,
Lost vs #20 Iowa
(I mean, it was a QB experimentation I guess)

2024 -
Lost at #16 Indiana,
Lost at #4 Ohio State,
Lost to UCLA,
Lost at USC,
Won at Wisconsin,
Lost at Iowa


Crazy. But if anyone wants to get down to the nuts & bolts of the Huskers success & failures, just look at the home stretch and fix that.