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Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule made waves with a recent suggestion about the College Football Playoff setup. He wants to see further expansion. It might give his team a chance!
The Cornhuskers have been unable to reach the postseason field since its inception in 2014-15. The program is 0-for-11 in that time, not coming particularly close to national championship contention.
Nebraska has not posted double digit wins since 2012. The Huskers have gone a combined 59-73 in the playoff era. Matt Rhule is attempting to turn things around as he enters Year 3.
He made strides in 2024, getting the program back to a bowl game following seven straight losing seasons. Still, he remains a ways away from his ultimate goal.
Matt Rhule wants to win a national title at Nebraska.
His chances are getting better. Rhule got a big win when he landed 5-star QB Dylan Raiola. The passer will be entering his sophomore season next year after getting his feet wet as a true freshman. He’s made his championship aspirations clear.
“Playoffs next year… It’s as simple as that.”
-Dylan Raiola before Nebraska’s bowl game
Rhule is hoping to do the same, though he admitted that Nebraska might need a bit of help. The head coach was heard speaking on the College Football Playoff format this offseason. He wants to see more teams added to the field.
And by more, he means a lot more.
“The more spots the better, man,” he said while speaking with HuskersOnline. “Make that thing 40 and let’s go.”
He jokingly suggested that 40 teams should be competing for the national championship at season’s end. Obviously, that was an exaggeration. It’s not the first time he’s been heard lobbying for ways to get the Cornhuskers into the postseason event, though.
At Big Ten media days last year, he insisted that four teams from his conference should be guaranteed a spot. That scenario actually did play out last year, with fourth-place Ohio State winning the title, but it wouldn’t always put the best teams in the field.
Looking back just two years, you’ll see three teams with double digit wins in the Big Ten standings. After that, a fourth spot would’ve likely gone to nine-win Minnesota or an eight-win Purdue team that got annihilated in the conference title game.
That guaranteed fourth spot would do one thing, though. Boost Nebraska’s playoff hopes. Of course he’s on board.
Rhule also took a shot at the SEC.
The coach believes that his team has a more difficult path to the College Football Playoff due to scheduling. The Big Ten plays nine games against league rivals. The SEC plays just eight.
It’s been a topic of discussion for the better part of the last decade. Nebraska doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on, however, given its prior status as a Big Ten West member. The Cornhuskers were part of what many deemed the worst division in Power 5 football. They still struggled while playing the likes of Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, and Indiana regularly.
The SEC, meanwhile, has proven to be the top conference of the playoff era. It’s won six titles with three different teams. They argue that their eight-game schedule is harder than most nine-game slates.
Much of that is conjecture. Leagues and competition move in cycles. That didn’t stop Rhule from throwing shade.
“I think, again, you’re talking about a league that we play nine conference games where some others play eight. So, I think that puts you at an automatic disadvantage.”
-Matt Rhule
It was rather obvious who his target was, though the ACC also plays an eight-game conference schedule. The full interview can be seen below.
Matt Rhule is pushing for a way to get Nebraska to the College Football Playoff. That goal seems non-existent at the moment. The Cornhuskers’ projected win total is set at 7.5 games. It’s a number they haven’t surpassed in nearly a decade.
The playoff expanded to 12 teams in 2024. Again, it boosts Nebraska’s chances for inclusion. They’ll have to drastically exceed expectations if they hope to make the field this season.