The Nebraska football team is off this week. Mickey Joseph and company are busy getting an extra week to prepare for their next game while also trying to pick up the pieces on a season that has definitely fallen all the way apart at this point. But that doesn’t mean that Husker fans don’t have plenty to look out for this weekend.
There are some games out there that might tell Nebraska football fans how the rest of the season is going to go. There are others that might give some insight into how the entire future of the Cornhusker program will go. In short, there’s just plenty to keep an eye on and see what happens, even if the Huskers are facing off against anyone.
Nebraska football fans can scout their next opponent
Right at the top of the list is the Indiana Hoosiers’ game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday. When the Huskers do return to action next weekend, it will be to really kick off its Big Ten schedule in earnest. That starts with IU.
Indiana is 3-0 this season, though there is some indication that the record was done with smoke and mirrors. There’s the close come-from-behind win against Illinois in the Hoosiers’ first game and then a couple of wins over teams that don’t merit respect when comparing them to Power 5 schools.
Indiana will certainly be tested this week against a Cincy team that might already have a loss this season, but is still considered one of the best G5 schools in the country. That’s why the Bearcats are currently 16.5-point favorites.
This is the kind of scouting opportunity for Nebraska football fans that they don’t get very often, especially since they played in Week 0. Obviously, I’m not talking about sending in scouting reports to the Huskers’ coaching staff, but it’s worth seeing what to expect next weekend when IU comes to Lincoln.
Nebraska football fans can watch a potential new coach
What’s the next best thing to actually getting to watch the Huskers play on a Saturday, how about seeing if one of the top candidates for the job this winter is really up to the task? Lance Leipold has been right at the top of the list for many Cornhusker fans for a number of reasons.
He’s got some Nebraska football ties, and he’s been a winner everywhere he’s coached.
While Kansas looked like it was playing better football last year, even if it only won two games, it’s a safe bet that no one expected the Jayhawks to come out of the game the way they did so far this year. Now, with the Nebraska football team having a bye week, Husker fans can really sit down and get a look at what Kansas has to offer.
Of course, considering that the Jayhawks already have big wins over West Virginia and Houston, it appears Leipold has already proved his team is for real. Now it’s about seeing if they can really sustain this success and get KU to its first bowl game since 2008.
That’s right. While the Nebraska football bowl drought seems rather interminable at this point for most Husker fans, it’s not even half as long as Kansas has gone with a post-season appearance.
This weekend, Leipold and company are looking to get to 4-0 and are even the favorites against Duke. Even if Kansas’ head coach wasn’t on the Huskers watch list, it would seem worth watching this matchup.
Nebraska football fans can watch two coaching candidates square off
If you’re really interested in watching a Nebraska football coaching candidate show what he can do this weekend, what about two coaching candidates squaring off against each other?
Call it the “Husker Bowl” if you want but Iowa State and Matt Campell are facing off against Baylor and Dave Aranda. Both men are among the top rumored candidates for the job to permanently replace Scott Frost and there’s been quite a bit of debate on social media lately just which one might be better.
Now they can actually play against each other and really show off what they can do. Both teams are enjoying a relatively successful 2022. Baylor came into the season ranked in the Top 10 but did suffer a bit of a setback in Week 2 with an upset loss to BYU. Still, the Bears were able to bounce back, get to 2-1 and are now 2.5 point dogs to the Cyclones.
ISU and Matt Campbell, meanwhile haven’t exactly looked like a juggernaut, but they are 3-0 and even managed to topple an Iowa Hawkeyes team they traditionally struggle against.
Anyone who reads this site very often know that Matt Campbell is my personal favorite for the Nebraska football job. One of the big slanders against him by some is that he doesn’t win enough games. Beating the 17th ranked Dave Aranda-led squad should undoubtedly be a strike in the “big win” column.
This game really could be a win-win for Husker fans who want to see one of these guys in Lincoln next year and aren’t 100 percent against the other. It’s also just going to be an interesting college football game to watch.