College Football Analyst Praises Nebraska's 'Cultural Shift' With Matt Rhule

Josh Pate said Rhule has the Huskers heading in the right direction and that the 'seed sprouted' Saturday against Ohio State.

Sep 28, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule high fives quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Matt Rhule has continued to build belief in Nebraska football's turnaround nationally beginning this past off-season. Another college football analyst agrees with the Huskers coach's postgame comments following a tough loss Saturday at No. 4 Ohio State.

Josh Pate of CBS Sports and the host of the "Josh Pate College Football Show" said Sunday night that "something important may have happened for Matt Rhule and Nebraska" during their 21-17 defeat in Columbus. The host shared an over-three minute clip to his social media with Rhule's postgame comments.

"I felt like a lot of the things we talk about took hold today," Rhule said. "That to me... I feel relieved. I feel despondent that we lost the game, I thought we were going to win the game. I feel beat up for the guys. I know when I say these things, people will take them the wrong way."

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule watches his team against Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pate recognized that Rhule's comments may have meant more than what was said by the Huskers' coach. The college football analyst said that "most people who heard that really had it stand out to them." The Huskers, Pate said, were prepared and ready for a breakthrough at Columbus.

"They preached certain things this past week, and for that matter they preached certain things in that program about process oriented thinking over result oriented thinking," Pate said. "They lost a game yesterday - sucks. What he's saying, I think - and having been around Matt Rhule a little bit, is (they have) been preaching, preaching, preaching. We've planted a seed, we've watered, we've cultivated, we finally saw it sprout to the surface (against Ohio State)."

The show host added that the result "was not what we wanted" in the moment, but that the loss could be a springboard to future successes.

Aug 31, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule reacts during the second quarter against the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"He's talking about an entire philosophical and cultural shift in a program. He's talking about a collection of humans; players, administration, staff, just top to bottom," Pate said. "If you can get a bunch of people who can perform at a high level... to shift the way they fought their whole lives in some cases - from just focusing on outcome to focusing on process, you have unlocked the key to sustainable success."

Pate continued that "most people don't understand it" when it comes to building a winning culture and program. He referenced Rhule's track record at Temple and Baylor and the success built within those programs, crediting the coach to be worth "millions of dollars."

The college football analyst then went the opposite direction, stating the opposing process is why players across the sport "wash out all the time." Pate closed his thoughts by wanting fans and college football programs to bookmark the coach's thoughts and the loss for when Nebraska turns the corner.

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule on the sideline during the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"Let's just tuck that away because it could be that they do big things in 2025 and no one remembers that Saturday in Columbus. I will probably be harkening back to that because if they end up winning down the road, it is probably due in large part to some things that he is claiming that started to take hold this week. Which, ironically, took place in a loss," Pate said.

Nebraska will put Pate's faith and Rhule's program building to the test Saturday at home against UCLA at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff in Lincoln is set for 2:30 p.m. CDT.

I think something important may have happened for Matt Rhule & Nebraska yesterday pic.twitter.com/h9Hf44D7ab

— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) October 28, 2024

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