You know that feeling when you look at a schedule in August and think, "Yeah, we’re going 9-3," only to realize by November that the Big Ten is a meat grinder? That’s basically the story of the huskers 2025 football schedule.
Coming off a Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College, expectations in Lincoln were—to put it mildly—somewhat through the roof. Matt Rhule had the momentum. Dylan Raiola had the arm. But as the season played out, we saw exactly how thin the margin for error is in this new, expanded 18-team conference.
Honestly, the schedule was a weird mix of "thank goodness we don't play Ohio State or Oregon" and "wait, why are we flying 5,000 miles in three weeks?"
Breaking Down the Huskers 2025 Football Schedule
The season kicked off with a bit of a curveball. Nebraska didn't open at home. Instead, they hauled the whole show down to Kansas City on August 28th to play Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium.
It was a statement move. Playing in a pro stadium against a former Big 12 foe. The Huskers squeaked out a 20-17 win, which felt like a relief more than a triumph. But a win's a win, right?
Then came the "breather" games. Akron (68-0) and Houston Christian (59-7). If you were at Memorial Stadium for those, you saw Raiola basically playing a video game on easy mode. It’s easy to get big-headed after hanging 60 on someone, but the real test was lurking right around the corner in late September.
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- Aug. 28: vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) – W, 20-17
- Sept. 6: Akron – W, 68-0
- Sept. 13: Houston Christian – W, 59-7
- Sept. 20: Michigan – L, 27-30
- Oct. 4: Michigan State (Homecoming) – W, 38-27
That Michigan game on September 20th? That was the heartbreaker. Losing by a field goal at home stings. It was the first sign that while Nebraska was better, they weren't quite "top of the Big Ten" better yet.
The Mid-Season Grind and the Maryland Escape
After a bye week, the Huskers handled Michigan State for Homecoming. It was a classic October afternoon in Lincoln—crisp air, red everywhere, and a comfortable 38-27 win. But then the travel schedule started to get weird.
Maryland away. Minnesota away.
The trip to College Park on October 11th was a shootout. Nebraska won 34-31, and for a second, fans were looking at the 5-1 record and thinking about the College Football Playoff. Then, the wheels sort of wobbled in Minneapolis. A 24-6 loss to the Gophers on a Friday night. It was ugly. No other way to put it.
The offense, which looked so explosive against the smaller schools, just couldn't find the end zone. It's a reminder that in the Big Ten, if you can't run the ball on a cold Friday night, you're probably going to have a bad time.
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The Brutal November Stretch
If you want to know why the huskers 2025 football schedule was considered one of the most grueling finishes in the country, just look at the last four games.
First, USC came to Lincoln for the first time as a Big Ten member. That was a weird sight, seeing the Trojans in the middle of Nebraska in November. They took a 21-17 win back to L.A., leaving Husker fans wondering what happened to the red-zone offense.
Then came the travel.
Nebraska flew to Pasadena to play UCLA at the Rose Bowl on November 8th. They won that one, 28-21, which felt like a massive momentum swing. But then, after a much-needed bye, they had to fly all the way back east to Happy Valley.
Facing Penn State at Beaver Stadium in late November is basically a nightmare scenario. The 37-10 loss wasn't a shock, but it was a reality check. By the time the Black Friday game against Iowa rolled around, the team looked gassed.
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Why the Iowa Game Still Stings
The regular season ended with a 40-16 thumping by Iowa in Lincoln.
It's the game everyone circles. It's the game that defines the off-season. Closing out at 7-5 (before the bowl game) was technically an improvement, but losing to the Hawkeyes at home by 24 points? That's a tough pill to swallow for the Big Red faithful.
- The Travel Fatigue: Between UCLA, Penn State, and Iowa, the team covered thousands of miles in less than a month.
- Depth Issues: Injuries along the defensive line started to show by the time USC arrived.
- The Kicking Game: While it was better than 2024, missed opportunities in the Michigan and USC games ultimately changed the trajectory of the season.
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
Looking back, the huskers 2025 football schedule was a massive learning experience for Matt Rhule. He proved he could win on the road (UCLA, Maryland), but the consistency at home against the "Big Dogs" of the conference still isn't quite there.
Nebraska finished 7-6 overall after a 44-22 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year's Eve. It wasn't the "breakout" 10-win season some predicted, but it was another winning season and another bowl appearance.
If you're looking for actionable takeaways from this season's slate, it's this: don't sleep on the "middle" of the Big Ten. Losses to Minnesota and Iowa proved that Nebraska still needs to get "heavier" in the trenches if they want to survive the November gauntlet.
For fans planning their 2026 trips, keep an eye on those back-to-back road games. As we saw in 2025, the travel isn't just a logistical headache—it's a performance killer. If the Huskers want to jump from 7 wins to 10, they have to figure out how to stay fresh when the calendar turns to November.
Check the official Huskers.com site for any retrospective stats or to look ahead at the 2026 spring game dates. The 2025 chapter is closed, and while it had its highlights, the hunger in Lincoln for something more than a 7-5 regular season has never been higher.