Nebraska — Big Ten
HC
Matt Rhule · Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) · Lincoln, NE · 85,458 cap
PPA off / def
0.18 / 0.19
2025
Class rank
#88
class of 2026
Returning PPA
46%
returning production
| 2024 |
OSU W 21–17 | Columbus |
| 2021 |
OSU W 26–17 | away |
| 2020 |
OSU W 52–17 | Columbus |
| 2019 |
OSU W 48–7 | away |
| 2018 |
OSU W 36–31 | Columbus |
| 2017 |
OSU W 56–14 | away |
| 2016 |
OSU W 62–3 | Columbus |
| 2012 |
OSU W 63–38 | Columbus |
| 2011 |
OSU L 27–34 | away |
| 1956 |
OSU W 34–7 | Columbus |
| + 1 earlier meetings in archive |
2026 schedule
2025 results (7–6)
Statistical comps — 2025 Nebraska's closest analogs
Nearest neighbors by z-scored success rate, explosiveness, run rate & havoc (offense + defense), 2015–25.
2025 leaders
Transfer portal — 2026 (17 in / 19 out)
Origins
The whole state adopted one team and never let go — the sellout streak began in 1962 and has not broken. Osborne won three national titles in four years in the 1990s with an option offense everyone could see coming and nobody could stop.
Founded 1869 · Land-grant university chartered two years after statehood · first football 1890 · defined by Tom Osborne
All-time record
All-time
897–414–38
1892–2025
Win %
67.9%
128 seasons played
Winning seasons
94
73% of seasons
| Best seasons | W | L | Conference |
|---|
| 1997 | 13 | 0 | Big 12 |
| 1994 | 13 | 0 | Big 8 |
| 1971 | 13 | 0 | Big 8 |
| 1995 | 12 | 0 | Big 8 |
| 1999 | 12 | 1 | Big 12 |
Season records from CollegeFootballData, which is why the span starts at 1892 — that is where its coverage of this program begins, not necessarily the first year it fielded a team.
Play-calling tendencies (2025 · garbage time excluded)
| Situation | Plays | Run % | Success % | Nat'l | Avg yds | Expl % |
|---|
| 1st down | 317 | 58% |
48% | 21 of 136 | 6.3 | 11% |
| 2nd down | 233 | 44% |
47% | 23 of 136 | 5.4 | 10% |
| 3rd & short (≤3) | 45 | 80% |
71% | — | 6.7 | 16% |
| 3rd & medium (4–7) | 49 | 18% |
47% | — | 5.3 | 8% |
| 3rd & long (8+) | 45 | 29% |
13% | — | 5.2 | 16% |
| 4th down | 19 | 53% |
32% | — | 2.8 | 5% |
145 drives · 39% ended in points · 7.0 plays and 40.0 yards per drive · 1.04 PPA per drive
Success: 50% of yardage needed on 1st, 70% on 2nd, 100% on 3rd/4th. Explosive: 12+ yd rush / 16+ yd pass. National rank is shown only for 1st and 2nd down, where every team has 100+ plays; the later buckets average 18-43 and a rank there would be noise.
League leaderboard →Most valuable plays (by PPA, 2025)
| Wk | Opp | Play | Yds | PPA |
|---|
| 4 | Michigan |
Dylan Raiola pass complete to Jacory Barney Jr. for 52 yds for a TD (Kyle Cunanan KICK) |
52 | 6.83 |
| 3 | Houston Christian |
TJ Lateef pass complete to Cortez Mills Jr. for 62 yds for a TD (Kyle Cunanan KICK) |
62 | 5.65 |
| 7 | Maryland |
Dylan Raiola pass complete to Nyziah Hunter for 64 yds for a TD (Kyle Cunanan KICK) |
64 | 5.15 |
| 11 | UCLA |
(11:10) Shotgun #14 T.Lateef pass complete short left to #21 E.Johnson caught at NEB41, fo… |
56 | 5.09 |
| 14 | Iowa |
(11:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 E.Johnson rush right for 70 yards gain to the IOW01 (#4 K.En… |
70 | 4.84 |
| 6 | Michigan State |
Dylan Raiola pass complete to Nyziah Hunter for 59 yds for a TD (Kyle Cunanan KICK) |
59 | 4.66 |
| 2 | Akron |
Emmett Johnson run for 47 yds for a TD (Kyle Cunanan KICK) |
47 | 4.60 |
| 6 | Michigan State |
Dylan Raiola pass complete to Jacory Barney Jr. for 45 yds to the MSU 30 for a 1ST down |
45 | 4.31 |