As Penn State's season collapses into one of the biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025, it's also time for Nebraska football fans to hear a lot of talk about Matt Rhule as a top candidate to replace him. The question, of course, is whether the Huskers' head coach would leave. And whether Penn State would want him.
On the former, there's reason to fear. Rhule is a Nittany Lions alum. He clearly has a special place in his heart for his old school. One of the first things he asked after beating Michigan State was whether James Franklin's crew lost to UCLA. Some of his interests were to make a point about how wild the Big Ten is. However, the question also came across as one from a fan of the program, wondering if they'd really fallen that far.
Why Nebraska might still be home for the long haul
On the other hand, the Nebraska head coach has made the Cornhuskers' culture his own. It's been mentioned by many, including myself, that he has embraced NU more than Scott Frost did. He's also worked exceptionally hard to build this program back. And best of all, he's made comments that indicate he's done moving from job to job.
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he wouldn't make one last move to Penn State if Rhule thought that would be his last job. Which brings up whether Nittany Lions fans would want him. Rhule has a long history of rebuilding bad programs, but so far, his most significant accomplishment at Nebraska so far is going 7-6.
He's also had problems beating Top 25 teams. That's a knock against Franklin as well. Penn State fans are likely dreaming bigger than Matt Rhule, which could be a bonus for Husker fans. He's simply not attractive enough yet.
The question is whether Year 3 of the Rhule era is like Year 3 at other schools. If he wins 9 or 10 games in 2025 with Nebraska, does he become more attractive to his alma mater? There's no real reason to worry yet, but that could change this winter, especially if Penn State continues its tailspin.