• Common Fan Newsletter
  • Posts
  • NEW EPISODE: First Four Games Will Set the Tone for the Entire Season for Nebraska Football

NEW EPISODE: First Four Games Will Set the Tone for the Entire Season for Nebraska Football

Author

TJ Birkel
August 18, 2025

Mike’l Severe joins the Common Fans for the first of a three-episode series, breaking down every game on Nebraska’s schedule. The episodes will be released Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, in anticipation of Nebraska’s first game next week. 

Today, Mike’l and the Common Fans go through the first four games of Nebraska’s schedule. 

On the opener against Cincinnati:

  • The crew sees some concern with this one. After two consecutive losing seasons to begin their tenure in the Big 12, Cincinnati is expected to be better this year.

  • Mike’l even suggested that he would be less surprised to see Nebraska lose to the Bearcats than he would to see them lose to Michigan. 

  • The Huskers have struggled in the recent past with openers very similar to this one: away from home against Power 5 opponents. 

  • Nebraska will be favored, but the Big Red will need to show up dialed in and ready to play. 

Picks:

  • Mike’l: Win

  • MattyO: Win

  • Geoff: Win

  • T.J.: Win

On Akron and Houston Christian: 

  • The guys see the Huskers rolling to victory in both of these games. 

  • Perhaps beating Akron–the team Scott Frost was supposed to play in his first game back at Nebraska before it got canceled due to lightning–will help to expel whatever demons have possessed the program these last several years. 

  • HCU will be an 11am kickoff against an FCS opponent. Husker fans will need to make their own energy for this one…or at least bring some coffee. 

Picks for both games: 

  • Mike’l: Win

  • MattyO: Win

  • Geoff: Win

  • T.J.: Win

On the big one against Michigan, Nebraska’s first conference game of the year: 

  • Mike’l predicts the Wolverines will be better in 2025 than they were in 2024, and sees them as a top 25 team. 

  • Some intrigue with this game: Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore will not be in attendance, as part of Michigan’s punishment for the sign-stealing scandal from a few years ago. 

  • This game will be a huge tone-setter for the Huskers. They are unlikely to be favored, and a loss will certainly not derail the season. But a win would be a huge boost as the Big Red looks to take a leap in year three under Matt Rhule. 

Picks:

  • Mike’l: Win

  • MattyO: Win

  • Geoff: Win

  • T.J.: Win

Don’t forget–this is part of a mini three-episode series, all of which will be airing this week! With kickoff just around the corner, the Common Fans will have you frothing at the mouth in anticipation for Husker Football. 

Or watch now!