.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
It is a put-up-or-shut-up year regarding long-term success at Nebraska.
Coach Matt Rhule has shown flashes of being able to win big games. Now, it has to become an everyday expectation rather than an elusive standard to chase.
The schedule sets up favorably for Nebraska, offering a clear path to an undefeated start heading into a massive Oct. 10 home date against defending national champion Indiana.
MORE: Ranking every college football team from 1-138 ahead of 2026 season
Nebraska's path may look promising on paper, but tangible results must replace the continuous selling of hope at the podium. Nebraska's defense has shown it can keep games within reach, but it must now elevate into an elite, championship-caliber unit to carry the program forward. Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich shared the demand during game-week preparations.
"Urgency to perform," Aurich told reporters Tuesday. "I think they’re excited to show their level of readiness to play. ... When we step onto the game field here, there’s a level of intensity that you have to go to as a defensive player in order to play at your best. ... It’s a dark place, defensively, and we want to see our guys live in that zone."
Aurich expects the defense to fly around all season long.
“It’s a little bit about the flow of the game,” Aurich said. “The flow of the game and what we’re able to allocate to each player. I don’t know if we necessarily have a plan for reps for some of those two-deep positions, but it’s going to be a great opportunity to see where they are at.”
MORE: College football picks, predictions against the spread for Week 1 matchups
Still, Nebraska's defense cannot be the lone unit bailing the team out week in and week out. With Dylan Raiola departing to back up Dante Moore at Oregon, it falls on Anthony Colandrea to become the dynamic successor Rhule envisions under center.
Should Nebraska win the games it is favored in, a bowl appearance must become the absolute floor in Lincoln. If it cannot, December will bring far more questions than answers.
English (US)