Nebraska Hasn’t Been This Bad Since Harry Truman

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 11:45 AM ET

Exaggerations are occasionally used to make points seem more valid. But that isn’t always necessary. So, when I say that this current ten-year stretch of Nebraska football has been disappointing, the factual numbers are more than enough to illustrate that.

From 2016 to 2025 the Huskers compiled a 51-68 record, which is a .429 winning percentage. Instead of comparing this stretch to their glory years, which also magnifies the fanbase’s current despair, let’s look back at a comparable ten-year stretch in Lincoln. And that’s when this gets interesting.

You have to go way back to find the last time that one was similar to the current situation. All the way back to 1952-1961. If you want a quick history class, that is when Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy were presidents, Disneyland opened, NASA was established and Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as the 49^th and 50^th states.

During this stretch the Huskers went 38-60, which is a .388 winning percentage. This stretch included only two winning seasons, one bowl game and no AP postseason rankings. The good news is that it also led to the firing of head coach William Jennings and the hiring of Bob Devaney, who in his 11 seasons with Nebraska led the Huskers to a 101-20-2 record.

The current stretch includes three winning seasons, including the last two, three bowl games and no AP postseason rankings. But unlike 65 years ago, the Huskers don’t have Devaney available to turn the program around. Instead, they will continue to rely on Matt Rhule.

This article was not meant to pile on Coach Rhule. But at the same time, it is getting difficult to ignore his 66-62 record as a collegiate head coach.

Whatever happens in 2026 and beyond, all credit goes to the Nebraska faithful, who will continue to support their beloved Huskers through the good times and the bad. They’re all just hoping that the good times start to outnumber the bad more frequently.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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