One of college football’s more amazing streaks belongs to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
And it’s a painful streak, as Husker fans know.
Nebraska has lost 29 consecutive games to teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game. The Huskers’ last win over a ranked team was Sept. 17, 2016, a 35-32 home victory over 22nd-ranked Oregon. Oregon spiraled after the Nebraska game, lost five in a row, and finished the 2016 season with a 4-8 record.
The Huskers had two chances to end the streak this season and both were home games. But No. 21 Michigan and No. 23 USC each defeated Nebraska by one score.
Another opportunity could transpire in a bowl game.
Several bowl projections have the Huskers meeting Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah currently is 8-2 and ranked 13th in the AP Top 25, and 12th in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. The Utes’ final two regular-season games are against 5-5 teams: at home vs. Kansas State, and at Kansas. Even if Utah splits its final two games, the Utes likely will remain ranked going into its bowl game.
If non-Nebraska fans around the country — and some experts — were asked if it were true that the Huskers had lost 29 consecutive games against ranked teams, most wouldn’t believe it. Nebraska? The program with five national championships?
Not Nebraska, not a program with such a storied and enviable history.
Nebraska probably lost its chance at beating a ranked team in the regular season when Iowa lost at USC last Saturday.
The Hawkeyes currently are unranked but among “others receiving votes,” in the AP Top 25 Poll. They are 31st with 14 points, 93 points behind No. 25 Houston, which has 107 points.
Iowa plays visiting Michigan State on Saturday but if the Hawkeyes beat a 3-7 Sparty team, even by a huge margin, it probably wouldn’t matter to most AP Top 25 voters. Of course, multiple teams ahead of Iowa could lose this weekend and the Hawkeyes could move up.
Matt Rhule is 0-8 against ranked teams since becoming Nebraska’s head coach before the 2023 season. Rhule’s overall record with the Huskers is 19-16. He is 19-8 against unranked teams.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule talks with referee during the third quarter against Michigan in 2023. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Rhule’s results against ranked teams:
2023
No. 22 Colorado: 36-14
No. 2 Michigan: 45-7
No. 20 Iowa: 13-10
2024
No. 24 Illinois: 31-24
No. 16 Indiana: 56-7
No. 4 Ohio State: 21-17
2025
No. 21 Michigan: 30-27
No. 23 USC: 21-17
Here are some interesting bowl projections involving Nebraska.
* Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State (USA Today)
* Las Vegas Bowl: Utah (The Athletic)
* Las Vegas Bowl: Utah (two writers at ESPN.com)
* TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Memphis (College Football News)
This week, Arizona State (7-3) is ranked 29th and Memphis (8-3) received no votes. ASU closes its season with slumping Colorado, and a Black Friday game at home against rival Arizona — meaning the Sun Devils have a chance to be ranked going into a bowl game.
Nebraska’s 2026 schedule should offer opportunities to play ranked teams.
Home games include: Ohio State, Indiana and Washington.
Road games include: Illinois, Oregon and Iowa.
Fortunes change year-to-year in college football. Good teams can’t always sustain success. Look at Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 4-6 right now after preseason rankings had them in the top-3. Teams that are mighty in 2025 might take a step back in 2026.
But it’s easy to suggest that Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon are likely top-25 teams next year, at least in preseason polls. A couple of losses by one of the teams would drop that ranking in a hurry.
Illinois, Washington and Iowa are sturdy programs capable of being ranked most years.
Nebraska fans storm the field after defeating the Colorado Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium in September 2024. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
One tidbit about Nebraska’s streak — the Huskers have a victory since 2016 over a team that finished the season ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Last season, the Huskers defeated unranked Colorado, 28-10, on Sept. 7. The 9-4 Buffaloes finished the season ranked 25th.
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