The No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers just handed Nebraska another gut punch, escaping with a 20-17 road victory after storming back with two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Head coach Matt Rhule’s Cornhuskers had the lead for most of the game, taking a 10-3 advantage into halftime and pushing it to 17-6 early in the final quarter. But Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers found a way, and this loss, while disappointing for the fans in Lincoln, adds another devastating mark to Rhule’s already abysmal record against ranked opponents.
Rhule’s Rough Ride Against Ranked Opponents is an All-Time Low
This isn’t just a bad stretch, folks, it’s a historical trend. With the loss to Indiana, Matt Rhule, who has been a head coach at Temple, Baylor, and now Nebraska, now holds a shocking 2-25 record against ranked teams. Think about that for a second: two wins, twenty-five losses. His most recent win against a Top 25 squad came way back at Temple when they beat then-No. 19 Navy in the AAC Championship Game in December. Before that, his Temple team beat then-No. 21 East Carolina 20-10 in 2014. At Baylor, he didn’t beat a single Top 25 team in any of his three seasons with the Bears. It’s a brutal stat line that makes you wonder what’s going on when the competition ramps up.
Nebraska’s Nightmarish Streak Under Rhule
If the overall record isn’t bad enough, his tenure at Nebraska has been even worse against the cream of the crop. Rhule now falls to 0-9 against Top 25 teams across his four seasons in Lincoln. This team just can’t get over the hump against quality opponents, no matter how close they get. Take a look at some of these Ls:
* Sept. 9, 2023 vs. No. 22 Colorado: L 36-14
* Sept. 30, 2023 vs. No. 2 Michigan: L 45-7
* Nov. 24, 2023 vs. No. 20 Iowa: L 13-10
* Sept. 20, 2024 vs. No. 24 Illinois: L 31-24
* Oct. 19, 2024 at No. 16 Indiana: L 56-7
* Oct. 26, 2024 at No. 4 Ohio State: L 21-17
* Sept. 20, 2025 vs. No. 21 Michigan: L 30-27
* Nov. 1, 2025 vs. No. 23 USC: L 21-17
* Dec. 31, 2025 vs. No. 15 Utah: L 44-22
* Oct. 9, 2026 vs. No. 7 Indiana: L 20-17
That’s a lot of red, and not a single win for the Cornhuskers against a ranked opponent under Rhule. They finished 7-6 last season, the same record they had in 2024, but the big games continue to be a brick wall.
Matt Rhule signed a new two-year contract extension last season, tying him to Nebraska through the 2032 season. According to On3 Sports, he’s pulling in $8.5 million from Nebraska this season alone. That new deal bumped his buyout up to $15 million from a mere $5 million, effectively preventing him from taking any other job, including the Penn State gig he was linked to last year. It looks like he’s locked in, but his record against ranked opponents has to be a major concern as the season rolls on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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