Nebraska Cornhuskers HC Matt Rhule is ready to change the narrative against Iowa this weekend. The last two “Heroes Game” matchups have been heartbreakers, literally ending with last-second Iowa field goals, both with the same 13-10 scoreline. Rhule’s message is pretty simple: there’s no secret playbook, just a need for his guys to show up and outplay a super-disciplined Iowa squad.

“I don’t know how they feel about us, you know, I respect, I respect any coach that’s done what they’ve done, as long as that, I think all of us are just, you know, we’re focused on us right now. And at the end of the day, it’s, it’s about trying to win a game, you know, two years rowing, I’ve watched them, you know, kick a field goal to win it, and walk off the field and watch them celebrate and tell us, you know, Hey, have a Merry Christmas.” (Clayton Collier) Matt Rhule said on Monday’s presser when asked about what he thinks about Iowa.

He then gave props to Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker. Rhule has major respect for Iowa’s consistency. The program casually grabs 8–9 wins every season, which shapes a big part of his game-plan focus. Mind you, Iowa is not a team you can simply out-scheme. They went toe-to-toe against No. 2 Indiana and No. 7 Oregon, losing both by one possession.

Plus, they are ranked eighth in the nation in total defense and scoring defense. If we go band for band for the best non-ranked program in the country, they are at the top of that lot. Rhule knows his team has to win their one-on-one battles and avoid the costly mistakes that always seem to turn these low-scoring defensive showdowns Iowa’s way. Despite losing twice, Matt Rhule made it clear there’s no animosity towards the program. It’s just football: “So there’s no bad blood for me at least, I don’t know how they feel about us.”

A big part of the plan involves not repeating past mistakes that have handed Iowa victories. In the 2024 Heroes Game, Nebraska had the ball with a chance to win but fumbled it away, allowing Iowa to kick the game-winning field goal. Get this: Nebraska crushed them statistically (334 total yards to Iowa’s 164), but they lost the turnover battle 2-0. Rhule should basically beg his team to stop shooting themselves in the foot.

For Nebraska, this is a golden goose opportunity to end the season on a high and lock down their first eight-win season since 2016. Those last two Iowa losses were painful to watch. Rhule’s teams have been right there every time.

Now they’re back at home in Lincoln, and Rhule is hoping they can finally put it all together, slay the Iowa dragon, and give the fans something major to cheer about. Obviously, the oddsmakers are picking Iowa to dominate Nebraska, especially with Dylan Raiola being out with injury.

Is Nebraska getting slept on by the oddsmakers?

Nebraska enters its regular-season finale as the underdog against Iowa. Early betting lines list the Huskers as about a 4 and a half to 5 and a half-point underdog, depending on the sportsbook. The over/under for the game also shifted during the weekend, starting at 44½ points and dropping to 38½ points. Safe to say, the oddsmakers expect a lower-scoring matchup. This will be one of the few times (5 to be exact) Nebraska has played as an underdog this season.

Overall, Nebraska hasn’t performed especially well against the spread in 2025, holding a 4-6-1 record. They have struggled both as favorites and underdogs at different times. For example, Nebraska didn’t cover the spread in its season opener against Cincinnati, and also failed to cover in key games against Michigan and Michigan State. However, they easily covered big spreads in blowout wins over Akron and Houston Christian.

When it comes to game totals, Nebraska has had more success on the road, going 5-1 in road over/unders. Some road games, like their high-scoring win at Maryland, went well over the projected total. Others, like the matchup at Minnesota, fell short. Their game against UCLA before the bye week also went over the total. Overall, the betting trends show a Nebraska team that has been unpredictable but competitive heading into its rivalry game with Iowa.

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