![\"Memorial](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kptw3k6vv90qa41egv.jpg\" "\\"Memorial")
<\/p>\nNebraska football coach Matt Rhule spoke this week about how the Huskers are feeling about their upcoming schedule for 2026.<\/p>\n
They’re Aware of the Schedule and They’re Tired of Hearing About It<\/p>\n
Memorial Stadium | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a narrative forming around the Nebraska Cornhuskers football heading into next season: the schedule is brutal. Too brutal, some say. But inside the walls of Memorial Stadium, that noise is getting old and, more importantly, it\u2019s missing the point entirely. <\/p>\n
Under head coach Matt Rhule, Nebraska isn\u2019t dodging the conversation about its daunting slate. It\u2019s flipping it. What most fans and national media see as a gauntlet, the Huskers are selling it as an opportunity not only internally but also on the recruiting trail. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re tired of hearing about the schedule,\u201d Rhule said on a podcast earlier this week. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe literally use this schedule to recruit these players to come here. Like, ‘Hey, you should come to Nebraska this year, man. We’re going to play Ohio State. We’re going to go play Oregon. We’re going to go play Indiana. We’re going to play the three teams that went to the CFP. Oh, by the way, we’re going to play Illinois, a top 25 team, Washington, who’s top 25, and Iowa, who’s a top 25 team. Now, you’re going to play six top 25 teams. At a minimum, you should come here because we want competitive tough dudes, and so we can acknowledge that we have quite a challenge in front of us and that excites us.”<\/p>\n
A Schedule Built for Competitors![\"Nebraska](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kptw7qdk2x6ya8g8fx.jpg\" "\\"Nebraska")
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Nebraska will host national champion Indiana in October. | Rich Janzaruk\/Herald-Times \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Nebraska\u2019s upcoming path through the Big Ten Conference reads like a weekly test of legitimacy. Games against programs like the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers or fellow CFP contenders Ohio State Buckeyes football and Oregon Ducks football have become talking points locally and nationally.<\/p>\n
But inside the building, they\u2019ve become selling points. Rather than softening the message, Nebraska\u2019s staff is leaning into it when talking to recruits: if you want to play the best, if you want NFL-level competition week after week, this is where you come. In a college football landscape shaped by the transfer portal and NIL, where players often look for the quickest path to success, Nebraska is taking a different angle. The Huskers aren\u2019t promising the easiest path; they\u2019re promising exposure, development, and the chance to prove something. For a certain type of player, that resonates louder than any sales pitch.<\/p>\n
Turning Noise Into an Edge![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kptxd80vd20rq5zf79.jpg\" "\\"Matt")
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Matt Rhule | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Rhule has been open about a key issue from last season, external expectations creeping into the locker room. The idea that some games were \u201ceasier\u201d than others created a subtle but costly shift in mindset. That thinking is being eliminated. This year\u2019s message is simple: every game demands the same standard. There are no shortcuts, no assumed wins, and no room for complacency. It\u2019s a cultural reset built around accountability and consistency. Instead of reacting to the schedule, Nebraska is preparing to attack it one snap at a time.<\/p>\n
“I can acknowledge that our team sometimes listens a little bit too much to the outside noise, and that’s a challenge. I say that because I’m accepting that challenge like I’m gonna make them hear me better this year. I’m gonna make them hear each other better this year. I’m gonna listen better to them, maybe this year. I promoted Jamar Mozee to assistant head coach, and he runs my academic meetings now, and he runs the Unity Council now, right, he’s meeting with him all the time, and I’ve just said, ‘Hey, you take this man like you, you affect these guys.’ We understand the challenge.”<\/p>\n
Recruiting Grit, Not Just Talent![\"Jacory](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kpty0jvrnxayj28nqq.jpg\" "\\"Jacory")
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Jacory Barney Jr. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
At the heart of it all is a focus on toughness, both physical and mental. Rhule has emphasized repeatedly that talent alone isn\u2019t enough. Nebraska is prioritizing players who can handle adversity, block out distractions, and stay locked in over the course of a long, demanding season. \u201cFind me grown men,\u201d Rhule said when describing what he looks for in recruiting. That philosophy shows up everywhere, from portal additions to high school evaluations. The goal isn\u2019t just to assemble a roster; it\u2019s to build a team that embraces challenges rather than avoiding them.<\/p>\n
A Program Leaning In![\"Nebraska](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kmv3rq14h4gzfep28y.jpg\" "\\"Nebraska")
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Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea fires a pass to a receiver during the 2026 Red-White Spring Game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a quiet confidence building around Nebraska, not because the schedule is easy, but because it isn\u2019t. The Huskers believe they\u2019re better prepared now, more experienced, more connected, and more aligned with the identity their coaching staff is trying to establish. <\/p>\n
The schedule hasn\u2019t changed. The mindset has. And for Nebraska, that may be the most important development of all.<\/p>\n
2026 Nebraska Football ScheduleSept. 5 \u2013 vs Ohio
Sept. 12 \u2013 vs Bowling Green
Sept. 19 \u2013 vs North Dakota
Sept. 26 \u2013 at Michigan State
Oct. 3 \u2013 vs Maryland
Oct. 10 \u2013 vs Indiana
Oct. 17 \u2013 at Oregon
Oct. 31 \u2013 vs Washington
Nov. 7 \u2013 at Illinois
Nov. 14 \u2013 at Rutgers
Nov. 21 \u2013 vs Ohio State
Nov. 27 \u2013 at Iowa (Friday)<\/p>\n
Want more from No Block No Rock? Check out their YouTube channel, subscribe for weekly episodes, and visit\u00a0nbnrpodcast.com<\/a>\u00a0for more content.<\/p>\n
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