Nebraska made its wonderful return to the AP Top 25 this week, sneaking in at No. 25 just before its matchup against Big Ten foe Minnesota. A Friday night matchup against the Golden Gophers seemed like the perfect game to help the Cornhuskers raise their ranking to feel more comfortable in the Top 25, but instead, it was a nightmare of a game.
The Cornhuskers fell to Minnesota 24-6 as both teams move to 5-2 on the season. After a week where head coach Matt Rhule had been in the media a lot surrounding the opening at Penn State, this was not the way this team wanted to come out. To add even more insult to injury, Nebraska has not beaten a Big Ten opponent while being ranked in the Top 25 since 2016, according to On3's Brett McMurphy.
With No. 25 Nebraska's loss at Minnesota, the Cornhuskers have not defeated a Big Ten opponent when Nebraska has been ranked in Top 25 since 2016
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 18, 2025
This is a really rough stat and almost feels like maybe the fans don't want the Cornhuskers ranked in the Top 25 if it means more Big Ten wins. This is a tough stat to get past, as winning when ranked is so important; it is the only way you move up the rankings, and Nebraska just hasn't found that formula in almost 10 years.
The game against Minnesota was by far the worst for Nebraska's offense so far this season. Quarterback Dylan Raiola only threw for 177 yards, and while he didn't turn the ball over, he also didn't throw a single touchdown pass. Nebraska's offense didn't find the end zone at all, as they had to settle for two field goals for points.
The run game was nonexistent for the Cornhuskers as they could only muster 36 rushing yards. When Raiola's -34 rushing yards are taken out, the Cornhuskers had 70, but the young gunslinger struggled with his run game last night.
While Minnesota's offense wasn't spectacular last night, it did more than Nebraska's did. Dana Holgorsen just wasn't able to find any sort of answer for the Golden Gophers' defense, while the Cornhuskers' defense kept the team in the game as best as it could.
This is certainly a tough loss for Nebraska and proves maybe this team just isn't quite there yet when it comes to competing for a Big Ten Championship or even a National Championship, but hopefully it is coming soon.