If USC lost 24-6 to Minnesota this season, what little patience Trojan fans have for Lincoln Riley would have evaporated immediately. That, of course, is the score by which Nebraska football and Matt Rhule lost to the Golden Gophers. Nebraska is having a decent season otherwise, but the Minnesota loss will likely keep NU from having a great season and making a run at the College Football Playoff.
Nebraska fans have different expectations and a different attitude. So, when Trojans Wire caught up with Evan Bredeson of Cornhuskers Wire, we asked him about the Minnesota loss, and more specifically, if the Minnesota loss made Cornhusker fans more receptive to the idea of Rhule departing for Penn State.
Here is what he said.
Did the Minnesota game change anyone’s attitude toward the possibility of Rhule leaving for Penn State?
“Fans have had mixed reactions to the possibility of Rhule leaving,” Beredson said. “On one hand, some fans understand that he has a special relationship with PSU and wouldn’t fault him for leaving. Some fans are angry that he hasn’t outright said that he’s not leaving and believe that he’s creating distractions. Some fans are nervous; it’s taken years and multiple head coaches to find stability within the program, and they wonder what would happen and who would take over if Rhule were to leave.”
“The Nittany Lions’ job was something Nebraska fans always knew was on the table for Rhule, but no one expected it to become an issue this early in his tenure. The Minnesota game didn’t really change the conversations around Rhule’s future in Lincoln, but they know the topic isn’t going away anytime soon.”
Matt Rhule’s relationship to Penn State
In case you didn’t know, many people believe Rhule would consider a move to Penn State if the school offered him the head coaching job because he played linebacker at Penn State as a walk-on back in his college days.
He graduated from Penn State back in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
He’s had stops at several schools as a coach since then, including Temple, Baylor, and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. But of course, like anyone, Rhule is going to have a special place in his heart for his alma mater.
What this answer says about Nebraska fans
Matt Rhule hasn’t turned Nebraska into one of the best teams in the country in his three years in Lincoln, but it’s certainly much better than what Husker fans have grown accustomed to in recent seasons.
“Remember, in Scott Frost’s five years as the Nebraska coach, he went 16-31 and Nebraska never even made a bowl game,” I wrote in a previous article. “It’s really a wonder he lasted that long when he was only good for 3-4 wins a year in Lincoln. Rhule came in and won 5 games in his first season in 2023, then went 7-6 in 2024 and is already 6-2 in 2025. The Huskers are not a college football playoff contender yet, but the 90,000 strong who show up in Lincoln every game are certainly happy to at least be seeing wins more often than not.”
Nebraska fans are willing to be more patient and optimistic with Rhule because of the context of what their program has recently been through. One loss means nothing in the face of seasons where they consistently lost 8-9 games. The wins mean more. It’s a glass half full approach in Lincoln.
Could the loss have changed Penn State’s attitude?
While Nebraska fans may have had their opinions unaffected by the Huskers’ loss to Minnesota, it’s quite possible that the Nittany Lions are less bullish on Rhule because of it.
Rhule has shown flashes of excellence throughout his coaching career, but his teams have not been consistently elite.
Penn State moved on from James Franklin because he couldn’t win the big game. But he was excellent most of his tenure at winning the games Penn State was favored to win.
So to upgrade from Franklin they need someone they trust to be consistently elite. A 24-6 loss to a team like Minnesota with a bad offense doesn’t exactly inspire overwhelming confidence in Rhule’s ability to consistently win 10+ games at Penn State, I don’t think.
So many other candidates available, teams in need
This has also been an insane coaching cycle, with so many big name coaches fired and big name teams in the market for a new coach.
There is a lot of time left for the coaching market to evolve. When the dust settles, Rhule may be nowhere near the top of the list of Penn State’s candidates.
And of course, there’s a lot to still learn about where Nebraska is at as a program in their last 5 games.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Are Nebraska fans fed up with Matt Rhule after 18-point Minnesota loss?
Reporting by Ethan Inman, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
