Nebraska football is coming off a bye week after beating UCLA 28-21. It was a much-needed break for the Cornhuskers, given their struggling offense and the anchor, Dylan Raiola, being out with a season-ending injury. But Matt Rhule doesn’t seem to have that stored-up energy that’s required when you’re about to finish the regular season. Instead, he is rather mushy about the scheduling disadvantage for their next opponent, that is, Penn State.

The timing of the Penn State game is rather exhausting for Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. “They want us to play on national TV, so I love it,” Rhule said in a recent press conference. “Our league is unique in that they have tolerances for certain teams. So certain teams have the rules that they don’t have to play late in the year. We don’t have those tolerances, so we can go play on NBC, national TV.” Rhule further added, “Do I love getting back at 3 o’clock in the morning and playing Friday at 11? Yeah, we’ll go do something tough.” It’s a bit of a bummer at Lincoln.

The game is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Beaver Stadium, televised nationally on NBC. This is the Nittany Lions’ Senior Day and promises a prime-time showdown under the lights that adds to the drama. This 6 p.m. primetime kickoff on NBC marks one of Nebraska’s biggest hurdles this season. Plus, the scheduling situation isn’t new drama for Nebraska. Just before the USC game, Rhule was dealing with the same headache.

Last year and again in 2025, USC got a luxury the Huskers didn’t. The Trojan coaches enjoyed a two-week break to plot against Nebraska’s defense, while Rhule’s squad was just coming off a Friday night game the week before.

That unequal prep time felt like a built-in advantage for Lincoln Riley’s squad. Rhule’s sarcastic “Thanks, guys” to the Big Ten schedulers captures it perfectly. Nebraska lost that game by the way with a 21-17 margin. And this time, even with a bye week, the timing of the away game at Happy Valley seems really off.

Plus, Nebraska’s record against Penn State is 1-2, which surely gives a lot to think about. Nebraska surely has the edge against Penn State, with Drew Allar out for the season and James Franklin fired. But let’s not forget that even Dylan Raiola is on the sidelines. The injury happened when Raiola was sacked early in the third quarter against USC, ending his standout year prematurely.

The UCLA game saw TJ Lateef take on the offensive reins, and boy, did he deliver. The freshman completed 17 out of 25 passes for 195 yards, along with two touchdowns. But Matt Rhule needs to be careful, because even without James Franklin and Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions are showing a lot of fight.

Remember their recent game against No.1 Indiana? Penn State would have snagged the win as Nicholas Singleton held a 19-yard catch-and-run to put Penn State up 24–20. It was Omar Cooper Jr.’s mindblowing catch with just 45 seconds left on the clock that saved the Hoosiers from breaking their clean streak.

Penn State’s win against Michigan State is the written proof that the Nittany Lions aren’t over. Penn State is coming off a 28–10 win over the 3–7 (0–7 Big Ten) Spartans, where they pretty much dominated and outgained Michigan State 367 to 229. That means Matt Rhule should heavily focus on containing the Nittany Lions’ run attack.

PSU is running the ball a lot this season, averaging 34.6 rushes a game. Nebraska just needs to keep its pass defense rolling and choke the ground offense. The good news? The Huskers have the No. 3 pass defense in the country, giving up just 134.6 yards a game.

It’s Matt Rhule at his alma mater: What’s at stake?

The betting lines are somewhat smothered due to this Nebraska vs Penn State matchup. Opening as a 7.5-point underdog, Nebraska quickly saw those odds tilt more against it. The consensus closing line settles around an 8.5-point spread in favor of Penn State. That’s no small margin for a Nebraska team riding high at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten. The Huskers have had an interesting season against the spread.

They went 4-5-1, showing some inconsistency but also flashes of brilliance. Being underdogs just a few times this year, Nebraska has shown they can cover the spread when they need to, notably when they went 2-1 as underdogs. That includes a solid 28-21 win over Northwestern, where they met the spread at seven points. Penn State, on the other hand, is struggling at 4-6 overall and sitting at 3-3 in the conference.

However, the Nittany Lions have a history of hitting their overs, being 7-3 in point totals this season. PSU’s recent surge, including a 28-10 win over Michigan State, has helped push the betting markets in their favor despite their overall disappointing record. They’ve struggled against the spread as underdogs and as favorites alike, going 3-7 ATS. Nebraska will have to dig deep on the road in this hostile environment. Correcting defensive vulnerabilities, especially against a strong Penn State running game, will be crucial.

The total points odds are set at 44.5. So let’s expect a hard-fought game with both teams eager to prove themselves.