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While Nebraska football has enjoyed what seems to be a good recruiting year, a give-and-take transfer portal season, and a bunch of new coaches, there is one foreboding factor overriding the 2026 season.
The schedule.
Defending national champion Indiana and 2024 national champion Ohio State are on the Huskers home docket.
If thats not enough, there are trips to Oregon, Illinois and Iowa.
Washington comes to Lincoln on Halloween.
Its quite a challenge for a program struggling to reassert itself as a national power, a program coming off consecutive 7-6 seasons after seven consecutive losing seasons.
Huskers season scenarios With such a daunting schedule, were going to take a look at three possible scenarios for the 2026 season: a best-case scenario, a worst-case scenario, and a most-likely scenario.
Were not going to be silly and say, hey, a 12-0 season is possible.
Yes, that would be the greatest best-case scenario maybe ever but certainly not a wise one.
Same with worst-case scenario were not going to make an outlandish prediction.
Nebraska is going to win games, maybe more than fans think.
If offensive line coach Geep Wades rebuilt group comes together and provides holes for the relatively inexperienced running backs and protection for quarterback Anthony Colandrea, the Huskers will surprise teams.
Same with defensive coordinator Rob Aurich.
If his crew can stop teams, especially in the red zone, and become a force instead of a liability, Nebraska will surprise folks.
Best-case scenario This would see the Huskers winning all of the games they are expected to win starting with the first five.
The first three are against non-Power 4 teams Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota.
The next two are the beginning of the Big Ten schedule, the first a road game at Michigan State, then a home game against Maryland.
Whatever your expectations are for the Huskers, this Michigan State game will *not* be easy.
In our best-case scenario, Nebraska starts 5-0.
The next four games are brutal: Indiana, at Oregon, Washington at Illinois.
Are two wins out of these four games possible? Well say so, reaching, for our best-case scenario.
That would put the Huskers are 7-2, with a road game at Rutgers next up.
Gotta like Nebraskas chances there.
Make it 8-2.
The next two games are rough Ohio State at Memorial Stadium and the regular-season finale at Iowa.
Wearing the best-case scenario cap, lets give the Huskers a split, which is asking a lot given their recent history with Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have won 10-of-11 against Nebraska.
The Huskers are due.
A split would give the Huskers a program-reassuring 9-3 record with a solid bowl game and maybe an outside chance at the College Football Playoff.
Worst-case scenario Buckle up, folks.
Nebraska has no chance against Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State ..
and little chance against Washington, Illinois and Iowa.
You might say that 0-6 scenario could fall under Most likely scenario and you wouldnt be wrong.
And if the Huskers go 0-6 in those games, they have to sweep the other six games to become bowl eligible.
A disastrous start to the season would be losing one of the first three games all expected wins then losing at Michigan State in new Sparty coach Pat Fitzgeralds first Big Ten game.
Then, Nebraska would be looking at a worst-case 5-7 season or 4-8.
Most-likely scenario Lets say Nebraska starts 5-0.
Then loses to Indiana and at Oregon.
Thats a 5-2 record perfectly acceptable in 2026 heading into the bye week.
Nebraska comes out of the bye with what might be the most pivotal game of the year, vs.
Washington at Memorial Stadium.
A win would give the Huskers bowl eligibility.
But more, a win could seriously send them into the final stretch with momentum and the chance for an excellent season.
Lets give the home-field Huskers the win.
Then, a loss at Illinois, a win at Rutgers.
Thats 6-4 before Ohio State and at Iowa.
The most-likely scenario? That would be losses vs.
Ohio State and a bitter loss at Iowa.
That adds up to a 6-6 regular season and a low-in-stature bowl game.
But a bowl game is a bowl game.
Take the 6-6 season, look ahead to the bowl game and focus on 2027 and a more forgiving schedule.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Chuck Bausman is a writer for Nebraska on SI.
Chuck formerly was the Executive Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, Executive Sports Editor of the Courier-Post in South Jersey and Sports Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press.
He has been a Big Ten enthusiast for nearly forever.
He learned how to cuss by watching Philly sports.
You can reach Chuck at: [email protected].