Since Matt Rhule first arrived in Lincoln, two questions have been at the front of every Nebraska football fan’s mind. Can he be the one to bring the Huskers back to glory? And how long will it take?
One college football analyst recently tackled those questions on his podcast and the answer to the first question was a resounding yes. The answer to the second question is “this year, Year 3, 2025.” And now we can officially start to hope that Josh Pate is correct that this third season of the Matt Rhule regime is the one that is going to lead to massive success on the field.
Pate was asked a very specific question about the Nebraska football team, with that question being whether he believes the Huskers could “break their ceiling from last year and go at least 8-4?” Pate started his answer that there was a time when someone asking if NU could even go 8-4 would be an insult, but that was before the reality of the program hit over the last decade.
Nebraska football ready to take next step according to analyst
“I think it's safe to assume this is a respectable expectation,” Pate then said. “It's Matt Rhule's track record, and a lot of people are polarized about Matt Rhule. Some people like, and some people can't stand him.”
However, Pate appears to be one who believes in the Husker head coach’s talent.
"Go look at what he did at Temple in year three; it's there. Look at what he did at Baylor in year three; it's there. That doesn't guarantee anything and those staff losses are going to be tough to replace.... Dana Holgorsen paired up with Dylan Raiola, the overall output of that team, defense, offense, and special teams. If you roll it all into a ball, we could get a better product on the field this year."
One of the defining characteristics of Rhule’s career has been steady improvement. In 2024, they went from 5-7 to 7-6. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to believe that a two game improvement is actually an underestimation for the Nebraska football program.