Ranking Nebraska Football's Toughest Remaining Opponents

The Huskers are one-third of the way through their season, having suffered their first loss to top-25 Illinois last Friday. How many more wins can Nebraska garner with the remaining eight regular-season games that feature two currently ranked opponents?

Princewill Umanmielen (18) celebrates a first quarter fumble recovery. / Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska football is one third of the way through coach Matt Rhule's second season, having suffered its first loss of 2024 Friday night, 31-24 in overtime, to now-No. 19 Illinois.

Several media analysts and college football pundits had predicted the Huskers would have a 7-0 fast start, but the early loss and opposing programs' improvement may force a re-evaluation of Nebraska's expectations. In a preseason list by CBS Sports, NU's strength of schedule was ranked 16th out of the 18 Big Ten Conference teams.

247 Sports has Nebraska's remaining schedule as the 15th-toughest remaining in all of college football, as well as third-toughest in the Big Ten, behind Washington and Purdue. As the Huskers await two more top 25 opponents on the schedule, which games are the toughest remaining for Nebraska?

8. UCLA Bruins

Sep 21, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Zeke Thomas (26) reacts on the sidelines during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Context matters for the "easiest" remaining game for Nebraska. By the time UCLA rolls into Lincoln - on a likely colder first-Saturday in November - the Bruins could realistically be 1-7 or 2-6. There is no team that has had a tougher opening stretch than the Bruins, having played at Hawaii (a 16-13 win), at No. 14 LSU (34-17 loss), and back-to-back game hosting No. 8 Oregon Saturday then heading to No. 9 Penn State on Oct. 5.

UCLA will be coming off of a bye, but the season could already be over for a team that allows nearly six yards per play and 387 yards per game and is tied for 123rd in total offense.

7. Purdue Boilermakers

Sep 21, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) reaches for the goal line during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Nebraska's Week Five opponent is also the first road test of the year for the Huskers. The Boilermakers have a gauntlet of a schedule remaining with four ranked opponents and three top 10 foes. The Huskers enter off of their first loss of the season, and a "tune-up" game could be in store against a Purdue squad sitting 95th in total offense and total defense. Purdue is allowing 52 points per game to FBS opponents.

The factors of an 11 a.m. CDT kickoff and Nebraska's first road trip push Purdue out of the cellar of opponent rankings.

6. Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Alabama Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska fans would likely breathe a collective sigh of relief if Wisconsin arrives to Lincoln on Nov. 23 on a down-and-out season. Although the Badgers are 2-1, they are without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL in the 42-10 loss to Alabama. The Badgers may change their offensive identity by Week 11, but there aren't many chances to breathe with games at No. 13 USC, at Rutgers, hosting No. 9 Penn State, at Iowa, and welcoming No. 8 Oregon prior to their trip to Nebraska.

If the current version of Wisconsin plays against the Huskers, it could be the contest that the Huskers snap their 10-game losing streak.

5. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana's Ty Son Lawton (17) celebrates a touchdown during the Indiana versus Charlotte football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana is easily the most improved team in the Big Ten under new coach Curt Cignetti. After Cignetti arrived in the offseason from James Madison, he continued his winning early in Bloomington, starting the season 4-0 and leading to the Hoosiers to earning top 25 votes after Week Four. However, the schedule has been window dressing at best with Indiana's opponents having a combined 3-11 record.

The Hoosiers could be undefeated heading into their Oct. 19 home tilt with Nebraska. The Huskers' match up with Ohio State the next week could provide enough of a look-ahead that Indiana does more than just sneak up on the Big Red.

4. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Sep 21, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano celebrates after a play during the second quarter of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The undefeated Rutgers football program had a solid road win Saturday at Virginia Tech to wrap up its non-conference slate. The Scarlet Knights have taken care of business early, handling contests with a ball control offense that is sixth in the nation in time of possession. Rutgers is also ninth in the country in rushing yards per contest with 256 yards per game.

Transfer quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has not been asked to do much, but did not create issues on the road in Blacksburg. He's won in Lincoln before at Minnesota, making Rutgers a sneakier team than expected prior to Nebraska's bye week.

The Scarlet Knights sneak ahead of Indiana in the rankings due to their play style, which has proven to be an issue for the Huskers this season.

3. USC Trojans

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Should this contest be the second-toughest game of the season? Probably. However, USC is no longer the hype of college football after their loss in Ann Arbor to Michigan. The Trojans could run their gauntlet of games heading into a home tilt with Nebraska on Nov. 16. Still, USC has played two one-score games against top 25 opponents, with a 48-0 blowout over Utah State in between.

Miller Moss is the best quarterback the Huskers will face this season. If the defense is up for the task, Nebraska's offense could provide an electric shoot-out performance in Los Angeles. The Trojans will likely still be playing for a College Football Playoff bid, keeping this as an interesting test for each side in mid-November.

2. Iowa Hawkeyes

Sep 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes players head back down the tunnel after their win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The last game of the regular season arrives for an evening kickoff on Black Friday in Iowa City, as Nebraska will travel to Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has been on the outside of the top 25 since its Week Two, 20-19 rivalry loss to Iowa State. Following the Hawkeyes' matchup at Ohio State on Saturday, Iowa likely won't face another top 25 foe until potentially welcoming the Huskers.

Iowa has scored 30 or more points in three of its first four games, including a 31-14 win over Minnesota last week. The defense is still in the top 30 in total defense across the country, which is the Hawkeye standard. Couple in that Nebraska could see this game as another chance to take down a rival like they did against Colorado, the Huskers will be juiced and ready to roll. Can the Blackshirts stop the run against another physical team? Iowa pounds the ball for 250 rushing yards per game, good for 11th in the country.

Whatever the stakes may be, playing Iowa has proved to be a challenge for the Big Red, having lost eight of the last nine matchups. The only win in that time period came in the previous tilt at Kinnick in 2022.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Sept. 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA Division I football game against Marshall Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The easiest pick on the list, Ohio State will be playing for a national championship all season and has looked the part so far. Fielding a team filled with four and five-star talent, the Buckeyes hold the fifth-ranked offense in total yards with 552 yards per game, while maintaining a defense allowing less than three yards per play for only 180 yards per contest. Those defensive numbers are good for second in the nation.

The Buckeyes have only allowed 20 points so far in three games against Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall. Not exactly a "Murderers' Row" of opponents, but they will face stiffer challenges following Saturday's matchup at Michigan State. After hosting Iowa on Oct. 5, the Buckeyes head to Eugene and face No. 8 Oregon, and then welcome Nebraska after a bye on Oct. 26.

Mix in the bye week to prepare, the tough matchups sandwiched between the battle with the Ducks and visiting No. 9 Penn State on Nov. 2, and Ohio State aims to be the ultimate goalpost to bring down for Nebraska football in its remaining schedule.

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