Matt Rhule Leads Nebraska Football Into an Era of Great Unknowns

Author

TJ Birkel
January 05, 2025

T.J. Birkel

The last time Matt Rhule was a head coach in college football (before Nebraska, that is) was 2019. That’s not too long ago, but the sport has seen seismic shifts since that time. The transfer portal and players being able to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) were not factors yet. Texas and Oklahoma were still in the Big 12, Oregon and Washington were still in the PAC 12, and the idea of Stanford and Cal joining the ACC seemed about as likely as Tom Osborne switching to the air raid offense. Perhaps some of these major changes were being discussed, or were even visible on the horizon, but it’s a different thing entirely now that we are living through them. 

And the tectonic plates are still moving. Revenue sharing–essentially, schools having the ability to pay players directly–begins in 2025. Changes to the college football playoff format are already being discussed, before the first ever 12-team playoff has even concluded. And this fall it was reported that a group of private equity investors was pitching college athletic directors on “Project Rudy,” a major realignment proposal that would turn the members of the Power Four conferences into a college football super-league. It feels like we are just at the front end of this era of massive change in college football, with no clear picture of how things will look once the dust settles (or if the dust will ever settle). 

The question I find myself coming back to is this: how does Nebraska football get back to relevance–or even greatness–in this time of rapid change and uncertainty? Can it even be done? Let’s face it: no one can say for sure that they have the blueprint for how to build a consistent winner in 2025 or beyond. The teams best positioned for success seem to be 1) those who came into this era on stable footing (basically, those who were already proven winners), and 2) those with the most resources, not just for the newest and best facilities, but also to devote to NIL deals for players. The transfer portal has also made it possible for teams to flip from losers to winners quicker than ever (see Indiana and Colorado this season), although it remains to be seen whether flipping an entire roster year-in and year-out is a sustainable model for long term success in college football. 

I can’t help but think it sure would have helped Nebraska if they had…