Nebraska Faces Tough 2026 Football Schedule with Brutal November Stretch

The Huskers will need to navigate a challenging slate that includes games against playoff contenders and a daunting November schedule.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 7:15pm

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The 2026 football schedule for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers has been released, and it features a difficult stretch of games in October and November. The Huskers will open the season with three home games against Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota before visiting Michigan State to open Big Ten play. Nebraska then faces a brutal October with back-to-back games against Indiana and Oregon, followed by a November that includes road trips to cold-weather venues and a home date against Ohio State. Head coach Matt Rhule will be looking to improve on his 2-10 record in November games during his tenure.

Why it matters

Nebraska's 2026 schedule presents a significant challenge for the Huskers as they look to build on their recent success under head coach Matt Rhule. The team will need to navigate a tough stretch of games against playoff contenders and in difficult road environments if they hope to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The details

The Huskers' 2026 schedule features a difficult October with back-to-back games against Indiana and Oregon, followed by a brutal November that includes road trips to cold-weather venues and a home date against Ohio State. Nebraska will need to rely on their improved roster depth and line play to compete in these tough matchups.

  • The Huskers open the season with three home games against Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota in September.
  • Nebraska visits Michigan State on September 26 to open Big Ten play.
  • The Huskers face Indiana and Oregon in consecutive weeks in October.
  • Nebraska has a bye week after the trip to Oregon.
  • The Huskers play three road games in November, all in cold-weather venues, and host Ohio State.

The players

Matt Rhule

The head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who is looking to improve on his 2-10 record in November games during his tenure.

Troy Dannen

The athletic director of the University of Nebraska, who has asked the Big Ten to schedule no more Friday night games in Lincoln.

Pat Fitzgerald

The new head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, who previously directed the Northwestern program from 2006 to 2022.

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What they’re saying

“The four most difficult games are bunched in two packages, the first in October and the second in November. There's no easy way for the Huskers to manage three games against College Football Playoff participants from 2025 and a Black Friday trip to Iowa, against which Nebraska has won just once in the past 11 meetings.”

— Mitch Sherman, Author

“Nebraska played Friday night road games in 2025 (at Minnesota), 2023 (at Illinois) and 2022 (at Rutgers). Another might be coming. Michigan State, Oregon, Illinois and Rutgers have all played Friday night games at home.”

— Mitch Sherman, Author

What’s next

The Big Ten will determine if any of Nebraska's games in 2026 will be scheduled for Friday night kickoffs, which the Huskers have asked to avoid in Lincoln.

The takeaway

Nebraska's 2026 football schedule presents a significant challenge for the Huskers as they look to build on their recent success under head coach Matt Rhule. The team will need to navigate a tough stretch of games against playoff contenders and in difficult road environments if they hope to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.