Nebraska’s 6-24 loss to Minnesota has wiped away all the goodwill Matt Rhule had built with the fan base. The Huskers are 5-2, but the issues that plagued them last year have to be fixed, especially with the offense. Rhule didn’t sugarcoat it. He said flat out, “It all falls back on me,” after the Huskers failed to score a single touchdown and gave up nine sacks. But the AD Troy Dannen is looking at the bigger picture, and it hasn’t gone well with the Huskers’ faithful.

Nebraska AD Troy Dannen made his stance absolutely clear on Rhule and how Nebraska football is heading in the right direction. “Because if you don’t do it right — if you don’t do the steps right — that 15 will be 20 for our fans,” Dannen said. “And it’ll be some other A.D. and some other coach here trying to do it and trying to sell you. But I think we have a really good plan. I think we’re in a really good place. I wish it were as easy as flipping a switch.”

Since the end of the Pelini era in 2014, Nebraska has been piecing the program back together with stops and starts. Moving from Big 12 dominance to the Big Ten in 2011 brought tougher opponents, tougher recruiting, and the loss of local “county scholarships” that once fueled Nebraska’s homegrown talent.

On top of that, there’s the constant coaching carousel. Spanning Bo Pelini, Mike Riley, Scott Frost, and now Matt Rhule. Nebraska finally made it to the bowl game last year. The fan base was expecting bigger things this season, especially considering their easy schedule. Of course, you can’t assume that a win is guaranteed, but losing to Minnesota? These are the games you need to win to stand any chance of a playoff berth.

Rhule admitted afterward that the team was “out of whack” from the start. Special teams were the lone bright spot. Dylan Raiola spent half the night on his back, sacked multiple times thanks to an offensive line that couldn’t hold up for even a three-step drop. And now Rhule is getting all the heat, and for good reasons.

At Temple and Baylor, year three brought double-digit wins and national respect. Rhule’s third year at Temple produced a 10-4 record. At Baylor, it was 11-3. Both programs had clear identities and physicality that reflected Rhule’s tough-nosed style. But when the athletic director of the program is still having faith, then administratively, Rhule is safe. Among the fans, though, there are legitimate concerns.

Fans call out Matt Rhule for repetitive mistakes

Real, tangible issues have fueled Nebraska fans’ frustrations after the Minnesota loss, and those frustrations have grown during Matt Rhule’s time in Lincoln. “In what year are we allowed to expect to dominate the worst teams in the league like MSU, and take care of business with relative ease against the mediocre teams like Maryland and Minnesota?” A fan writes. “We have far more resources than them!” The Huskers have struggled to consistently impose their will, often losing to or narrowly escaping lesser teams. Plus, the ample NIL funds aren’t really creating proper results.

The Husker averaged 1.6 YPC against Minnesota and 1.4 YPC against Michigan. The inconsistency is glaring. “In the transfer portal era, if you can’t turn around a program in 3 years, you’re a failure,” another fan added. Nebraska’s 2.5 years under Rhule haven’t shown the progress fans expected. They’ve lost 33 scholarship players to the portal recently and have had to plug holes constantly. One persistent issue has been the O-line’s failure to protect Dylan Raiola. Just like last year.

“It’s halfway through year 3, and we have the worst offensive line in Nebraska history,” a fan chimed in. “We are willing to be patient, but there has been minimal improvement over 2.5 seasons.” This embarrassment extends beyond stats to visible poor technique and poor coaching. In their game against Michigan State, the offensive line was beaten repeatedly by what was statistically one of the worst defensive fronts in college football.

Lastly, a fan makes a major comparison, saying, “Curt Cignetti turned Indiana, who was the laughing stock of the Big 10, into a powerhouse in 2 years.” Curt Cignetti’s quick turnaround at Indiana provides a sharp foil. They started the 2024 season a historic 11-2, and this year, they beat top-five teams and climbed to #2 in the AP Poll. So, a quick turnaroundcan happen, and if you predominantly basketball program (Indiana) can do it, why can’t Nebraska fans hope for the same?