Nebraska Cornhuskers 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Nebraska Cornhuskers 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Nebraska Cornhuskers roster and what to expect in the Big Ten this season. Was the 7-6 finish in 2025 as fortunate as it looked when four of six one-score results fell the right way? Can Matt Rhule finally break through in year four after posting a 19-19 record and going just 10-17 in Big Ten play?
Does UNLV transfer and 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea take over a quarterback room that lost Dylan Riola to the portal? Can offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen lift a unit that finished 82nd in total offense and 59th in scoring a year ago? Will new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich fix a run defense that ranked 100th against the run? Does 69 percent returning production and a receiver room led by Jacory Barney Jr. and Nyziah Hunter give this roster a real step forward? How does a soft non-conference slate of Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota set up before road trips to Michigan State, Oregon, Illinois, Rutgers and Iowa? And where’s the betting value on the Nebraska Cornhuskers win total, Big Ten odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Matt Rhule And The Fortunate 7-6
The Nebraska Cornhuskers 2026 preview opens on the man in the middle of it all. First, Matt Rhule got the Huskers to a 7-6 record and a bowl game in 2025. Then he cashed in with a contract extension that pushed his buyout north. Because of that, the hot-seat card still reads a warm 7 out of 10. So the guys dig into whether year four finally becomes the breakthrough. Rhule sits at 19-19 overall in Lincoln, and that even record frames the whole conversation. From there they weigh how much rope a program this proud really hands out.
The record inside the record is where the doubt creeps in. To start, Nebraska went just 10-17 in Big Ten play under Rhule. Then it gets worse in the games that matter most. He is 0-3 against Iowa, 0-2 against Michigan, and 0-2 against USC. Meanwhile the 7-6 mark leaned hard on close games, with the Huskers going 4-2 in one-score finishes. First they squeaked past Cincinnati and UCLA, then they stole one from Maryland. Because so many results came down to a possession, the guys ask if last year was good or just lucky.
Dana Holgorsen And The Colandrea Question
The offense has real ground to make up in 2026. Last fall Nebraska finished 82nd in total offense and 59th in scoring, so the arrow has to point up. First, coordinator Dana Holgorsen enters his first full season calling the shots. Then the guys map where the points actually come from this year. Because the run game sat 80th and the pass game sat 68th, both sides need a lift. From there they weigh 69 percent returning production and a skill group led by Jacory Barney Jr. and Nyziah Hunter. Also back are tight end Luke Lindenmeyer and a veteran line, so the pieces are in place.
At quarterback the story runs through the portal. Dylan Riola left for a new home, so Nebraska went and grabbed Anthony Colandrea. He arrives from UNLV by way of Virginia after taking home 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. Next the guys weigh him as a mobile gamer rather than a pure pocket passer. Because no official starter has been named, they frame him as the presumptive lead, not a lock. From there they break down how his legs and playmaking fit what Holgorsen wants to run. Then they ask whether this room finally gives the Huskers a real answer under center.
Rob Aurich And The Defensive Reset
The defense gets a full reset in 2026. First, Nebraska brought in Rob Aurich as the new coordinator and handed him a rebuild. Then the guys read the numbers on the board and find a split personality. The unit ranked 3rd nationally against the pass and 30th in total defense, so the back end travels. But it sat a brutal 100th against the run, and that is the number that has to change. Because the Big Ten is built on physical rushing attacks, the guys stress the fix has to start up front. From there they weigh how fast a new scheme can take hold.
The personnel churn makes the projection tricky either way. First, Aurich has to install his system while blending returning starters with fresh transfer additions. Then the guys weigh the talent he brought along against the jump in competition. Because the schedule stacks heavyweights late, a shaky run front is how close games slip away. Also worth watching is whether the pass defense holds its level against Big Ten arms. Meanwhile the guys point out that growth on this side is what turns a bowl team into a dangerous one. So they hand you a measured read on the Nebraska defense heading into the fall.
The 2026 Big Ten Schedule And Win Total
The 2026 slate splits cleanly into two very different halves. First, Nebraska opens soft with home dates against Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota. Then the guys knock that non-conference draw as one of the weakest around. From there the Big Ten grind takes over in a hurry. Nebraska hosts Maryland, Indiana, Washington and Ohio State inside Memorial Stadium. Meanwhile the road card is where the season can turn, with trips to Michigan State, Oregon, Illinois and Rutgers. Then it closes at Iowa, the rivalry game Rhule still has not solved. Because the back half is brutal, the guys map exactly which weeks swing the year.
Then they close it out where the betting value lives. The Nebraska Cornhuskers win total sits at 6.5 games, so the guys dig into that number hard. First they line up a soft start against a punishing conference stretch. Then they weigh the Big Ten odds at +12000 and the +10000 College Football Playoff long shot. Because the schedule swings so much, they debate a bowl push against a step back. Also on the table is whether Rhule’s seat gets hotter if the Huskers land on the wrong side of the number. Finally they hand you the read they trust on Nebraska heading into 2026.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:05 Welcome To The Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview
04:35 2025 Season Recap: The Fortunate 7-6
06:46 Matt Rhule’s Hot Seat And Contract Extension
16:02 Dana Holgorsen Takes Over At Offensive Coordinator
18:50 The Anthony Colandrea vs. Dylan Riola QB Battle
29:59 Rob Aurich Arrives To Fix The Defense
34:08 NIL Beer, Tailgate Report And Memorial Stadium
43:45 Legends, Coaches And State Of The Program
49:34 Non-Conference Slate: Ohio, Bowling Green & North Dakota
51:52 Big Ten Gauntlet: Michigan State Through Iowa
58:42 Locking In The Win Total
1:00:30 Sign-Off And Next Week’s Preview
