For third-year head coach Matt Rhule, challenge has meant securing a one-up over the ranked teams. His fall to Michigan on Saturday night marked his 28th consecutive loss to an AP top-25. But as he navigates the Huskers to Bowl eligibility for the first time in about a decade, lack of defining wins isn’t the only threat to his momentum. 

With a 15-14 record, Rhule has managed to bring Nebraska football back into national conversations. A 3-0 record to start the season now and in 2024 – which was a first since 2016 – spoke for itself. Aware of that trajectory, former Huskers HC Tom Osborne did not doubt that there’s reason for optimism moving ahead. “I think there has been fairly steady improvement,” he said on the Carriker Chronicles podcast. But the pebble in the shoe? It’s the uncertainty the NIL offers.

“The landscape is very difficult right now. Because you don’t know for sure who’s going to be in the back next year. If you lose the right four or five players, and you don’t replace them with players of equal talent, you can see teams really getting a lot worse,” Osborne added. Rhule wouldn’t argue with that. 

The HC has some experience in turning floundering programs around. Temple, Baylor, and now Nebraska; they have all seen it. His trick lies in year 1– the year he takes to establish a culture, set a standard, and do the right things even if it means they finish the season on a losing record. That requires a steady roster, and it just happens to be the one thing the NIL and transfer portal combination robs you of. 

Rhule saw nine of his players walk into the transfer portal in the spring alone. And by July, he was welcoming 14 new additions. Maybe he got some of them right in Dane Key and Marques Watson Trent, but the running back depth spotlights the lapses. 

The Huskers lost two of their top rushers to the transfer portal in Dante Dowell and Gabe Ervin Jr. The HC hasn’t had much success in finding the right replacements. 

RB Emmett Johnson has almost double the amount of carries as the rest of the Huskers’ rushers this season. He had 19 of 65 yards in just Week 4, while Kwinten Ives – the second on the team – has carried with just 16 for 119 yards in the last four games. When asked about it, Coach Rhule did not shy away from blaming it on the NIL purse. He says, ‘some people paid more money than he could’. That’s Osborne’s second point driven home.

“The other thing difficult about college athletics is the inequity. You have some teams going out and spending huge amounts of money on NIL. Certainly, Ohio State would rank up there pretty high. But if you are a lesser program in terms of stability, you may not be able to afford that,” the former HC expressed on the podcast. 

24/7 Sports ranked Nebraska’s NIL efforts as 42nd in the country at $236 million. The first on the list – the Oregon Ducks — boasted a massive $969 million sum. Coach Rhule is grateful for the resources he has had at hand, but also doesn’t fail to admit that a good depth requires slightly more spending than the kind they have. The Huskers, nonetheless, have managed to maneuver through the hurdle for a 3-1 record so far. It is the momentum for next season that remains in question.

Tom Osborne’s thoughts on Dylan Raiola

Tom Osborne was asked about the most talked-about player of Nebraska, Dylan Raiola. Adam Carriker asked Osborne about the varying opinions on Dylan Raiola’s play. Some acknowledge his improvement, whereas others feel that he needs to work on getting rid of the ball. To which Osborne said that Dylan has improved in terms of body mass by losing some weight.

“He’s not a sprinter. I think, in the passing game, it really helps.” He added that, being a quarterback, one can at least move around and avoid the rush. 

As Osborne said, Raiola’s passing game looks solid, completing 102 of 135 passes for 1,137 yards for 11 TDs in the first four games. On the flip side, his rushing game is not as good as his passing game, losing 30 yards in total, after adjustments, and has no touchdowns. In the last game against Michigan, he lost -49 yards, which is more expensive. What are your thoughts on Nebraska’s season so far?