Nebraska fans are plenty mad about the way the Huskers' last three games have gone. The initial College Football Playoff rankings should only make them angrier.
If the first release of the CFP rankings showed anything, it's that if the Huskers had won even one of their last three games, they might have been inside the Top 25. It's hard to argue otherwise when Oregon, also 5-3 and the team that beat the Huskers with a fourth-quarter, 18-play rally, is not only inside the Top 25 but ranked No. 23 on Tuesday's first release.
Then of course, there's No. 4 Indiana. The Hoosiers beat Nebraska thanks to two long touchdown receptions after the Huskers held a 17-6 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Iowa (6-2) and USC (7-2) are No. 19 and No. 20 in the first College Football Playoff poll. Ohio State is No. 12 at 6-2, and UCLA is No. 8 at 8-0.
Nebraska football squandered realistic CFP Top 25 position with losses to Indiana, Oregon and Washington
Despite how many Big Ten teams are in the Top 25 on Tuesday night, several 5-3 teams have made the field. Florida (No. 25), and South Carolina (No. 21) join Oregon in the field with the same record as the Huskers.
Had Nebraska been able to hang on against either Oregon or Indiana, they'd almost certainly be in the field. If they'd hung on against both, they'd almost certainly be in the Top 12, not just the Top 25. Even if they'd managed to just hang on against Washington, a 6-2 Cornhuskers squad would be knocking on the door.
While that's incredibly frustrating, it also shows there's at least a little bit of sunshine on the horizon. If the Huskers can turn things around and win out, a 9-3 Nebraska would have a shot at a College Football Playoff spot, since winning out would include beating two Top 25 teams.
Is it likely to happen? No, but with Julian Sayin hurt and Iowa without its best running back, neither team is a juggernaut.
First things first. Nebraska needs to show it can turn things around. Getting a bowl bid is still priority No. 1 for the Cornhuskers, as they've been stuck at five wins for over a month. If they can't beat Illinois on Friday night, they're not going to beat the Buckeyes or Hawkeyes.
For now, the first release of the College Football Top 25 is another reminder that Nebraska's fourth-quarter collapses in three straight games are more than a blip on the radar. It's a real problem Matt Rhule needs to fix immediately.
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