Imagine a team making headlines for its championship credentials only to lose against a 0-4 team, UCLA, and even shrink against Northwestern last week – that sums up James Franklin’s season. Now, the spot is wide open. One name among many is Matt Rhule, whose 5-1 run in the league finally gave fans hope of stability. Yet his recent run of results sparks no optimism whatsoever.

After a 7-6 run last season and three victories against Big Ten opponents, it felt like a total turnaround for the Huskers. Automatically, getting to Penn State became a dream move for Rhule, considering his roots in college. He played football and took baby steps in his coaching career by becoming a volunteer assistant. Yet, there’s a catch for this move to happen after a devastating result.

Significantly, the move could become risky after Nebraska lost 24-6 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Despite Rhule confirming his commitment to the Cornhuskers, the rumor mill still has the coach taking the reins over Penn State. Yet, one fan from the college football fraternity pointed out, “If Penn State hires Matt Rhule now, I think the entire state of Pennsylvania might implode on itself.”

Losing against an unranked team raises multiple questions for the coaching department. James Franklin went through the same ordeal. Regarding the Huskers’ gameplay, their offensive line turned into a complete disaster, failing to protect Dylan Raiola. The result? He had to face nine sacks in the game. Yes, 9! Not just that, Raiola completed 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards with zero touchdowns. The Huskers couldn’t score a single point in the second half.

This continues Nebraska’s streak of losing against Minnesota since 2018. The Golden Gophers out-gained the Huskers with 339-213 yards. Their defense was struggling, too, as they allowed 93 rushing yards in the first three drives only. What’s interesting is that Minnesota didn’t rush for more than 68 yards in three Big Ten games this season. So, that’s not the start Penn State’s looking for themselves, right?

On top of that, let’s not bypass the fact that investing such a considerable amount might not be ideal for Penn State. Rhule’s contract at Nebraska is worth $74 million for eight years. If he leaves early, they will pick up $5 million from him. And after firing Franklin, even his contract cost them up to $49 million. So if they hire Rhule now, speculations reflect a $10-12 million yearly deal. So, it’s pretty clear why this might not be the case with Penn State.

Even Matt Rhule doesn’t want to leave the Huskers. “I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come,” Rhule said. “I’m not going to talk about my contract here… I absolutely love it here. I want to continue to take the steps needed to turn this place into a beast.” Multiple fans echoed a sentiment similar to that of the user mentioned above regarding Rhule’s potential arrival at Penn State.

Penn State fans not impressed by Rhule’s arrival rumors

Matt Rhule’s ties with Penn State may be old, and the embarrassing loss to Minnesota could put a full stop to those moves. The Huskers were coming in strong this season, and every fan saw the change. However, after this loss, the narrative shifted fast, and fans launched sarcastic jabs at him. Like this fan: “Looks like Matt Rhule would fit right in with Penn State—lol. Nice job tonight, champ!” All it takes is one loss to shift the buzz from positive to negative.

Rhule was on the top list of every oddsmaker; even senior handicapper Adam Thompson gave him +250 odds, giving him a 28.6% chance of getting him the job. But now, fans just can’t digest the fact after their blowout against Minnesota. This fan points straight at it: “Matt Rhule just cost himself the Penn State job.” 

Fans aren’t rooting for him despite Penn State alum connections and having gained success at Nebraska. “Alum or not, Matt Rhule is going to be a tough sell for Penn State.” In comes a classic jab as this fan immediately takes a sarcastic tone at Matt Rhule: “Matt Rhule decided telling Nebraska fans he won’t be Penn State’s head coach wasn’t enough—he needed to show them.” Can we blame them? They couldn’t even score double-digit points against Minnesota.

Then comes the final nail into the coffin as this fan sums up the emotions of every fan after the loss, saying, “I’ll repeat: I don’t think Matt Rhule is in serious consideration for the Penn State job, nor should he ever be. But the most Matt Rhule thing in the world is going out and getting your a– kicked stupidly the same week it looks like you’re in play. Classic Rhule s—.”

Well, for now, it’s all words, and Rhule remains focused on giving Huskers a better season this year. Yet, the loss against Minnesota could close the curtains on Rhule’s potential arrival at Penn State.