Fresh off a victory over the Maryland Terrapins, the Nebraska football team is officially a member of the AP Top 25. However, while Husker fans will undoubtedly be happy to see the team get this modicum of respect after a 5-1 start to the year, there's reason to think NU should be a bit higher.
Yes, the Cornhuskers are ranked No. 25 in the latest AP Top 25, and with very few high-profile wins on the resume, it really is good to "just be here." Matt Rhule's best win of the year, if the pollsters are judging wins against current Top 25 schools, is also a new entry in the AP Top 25 and is somehow ranked one spot ahead of the Huskers.
Nebraska football earns AP Top 25 spot but gets puzzling placement behind Cincinnati
While Nebraska just squeaked into the Top 25 with 149 votes, the Cincinnati Bearcats are No. 24 with 184 votes. That means that despite the Huskers knocking off the Big 12 school head-to-head to open the season, 35 AP voters believed UC had an argument to be ranked ahead of NU.
Yes, some voters may say, "I just think Cincinnati is the better team right now." Considering that the Bearcats have a win over an Iowa State team that was ranked No. 14 when they played, Nebraska showed they were, in fact, the better team. This isn't a hypothetical. They beat Cincy.
While the final score was close and the Huskers needed a last-second interception to seal the deal, they led most of the way. They really looked like the much better team during that Thursday night clash.
The Nebraska football team will have plenty of opportunities to show they belong to be ranked higher in the AP Top 25. Most other times they've managed to pop into the polls, they've made a quick exit. The Huskers need to avoid that fate this time around by taking care of business this Friday night against the 4-2 Minnesota Golden Gophers.