Offseason is Over. Time for Rhule and Huskers to Produce

With that in mind, Rhule heads into 2025 with momentum. It’s also time to produce.

Momentum, revisited

Momentum has been a myth at Nebraska for quite a while. Losing seasons, stacked on top of each other, can beat down a coach, a team and even a loyal fan base.

Momentum is replaced by hope, which can go both ways. Hope can be replaced by longing, depending on how college football players perform and how coaches coach and motivate.

Optimism, with all of the losing seasons? Not around here, not lately. Not until 2025, right? Just win, baby.

Optimism, already noticeable around the program and around town, can take off with early-season victories. The schedule provides such a liftoff point. After the Cincinnati opener — perhaps a tough game — the Huskers play Akron and Houston Christian before a possible season-defining game against Michigan at Memorial Stadium.

The other day, Sports Illustrated published eight College Football Playoff brackets is called “from serious to borderline absurd.”

The Huskers were in two of the brackets — Chaos Bracket and The Desperate Fan Base Bracket. The Huskers won the national title in the Chaos Bracket and finished second in the Desperate Fan Base Bracket.

Nebraska was the second seed in the Desperate Fan Base Bracket. Cool for being the second seed. Maybe a dig at Huskers fans for the desperate part.

Good news abounds

Nebraska’s great season of anticipation begins Thursday night against Cincinnati in Kansas City.

Training camp reports are positive. Sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola, inconsistent in 2024, has blended and bonded with new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. The offensive line — without a good line no offense can flourish —  seems talented and deep. Like the fabled Nebraska teams of yore.

Even the notion of a weaker defense was downplayed by Rhule, a coach with a sterling defensive resume. Not to worry, the coach indicated. “The defensive line is going to be hell on wheels.” Rhule said at Big Ten Media Days about a group that lose personnel from 2024. “Watch, just watch.”

Player interviews indicate a team united in purpose. This is a tight-knit group, unselfishly playing for each other. That’s what we heard this summer.

“At the end of the day, the program moves forward when players are talking to players about the right things, when they take the program from coach Rhule’s program to their program. Right now it’s their program,” Rhule said.

It’s go-time. Just win, baby, says the fan base -- full of optimism and hope.