CFB analyst on Nebraska’s Matt Rhule: ‘Are these apartments ever gonna get built?’

Matt Rhule is entering his fourth season as Nebraska football head coach. So far, his tenure hasn’t gone quite as expected.

There have been improvements from the Scott Frost era. The Huskers reached a bowl game after the 2024 season for the first time since 2016. They won a bowl game that same season for the first time in over a decade.

Nebraska football made it two bowl trips in a row after a 7-5 season, but after a blowout loss in the Las Vegas Bowl, Husker fans had to settle for another 7-6 season. Starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, the former five-star recruit, left via the transfer portal to be Oregon’s backup during Dante Moore’s last season before taking over as the starter.

The Huskers landed former Mountain West Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea. He’s going to be the starting quarterback, but it’s fair to wonder if Nebraska will show more progress this season.

Will Nebraska football show progress under Matt Rhule in 2026?

The schedule is brutal, featuring games against Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Iowa. All of those teams won nine games last season. Three were in the playoff and Indiana, of course, won the national title.

Nebraska is picked 10th this season in the Big Ten conference, and on the college football show Crain and Cone, Blain Crain asked the question the Husker fans seem to be asking themselves: “Are these apartments ever going to get built?”

That’s an obvious reference to the rebuild undertaken by Matt Rhule. It’s year four, and the structure that Nebraska fans were promised still hasn’t been built. It’s a work in progress, but this program was supposed to take a leap last season.

Will it finally happen in year four? Year five? Ever?

It’s fair to wonder if Rhule will ever deliver on his promise. He has improved the program. There’s no question about that, but maybe the job was even more difficult than he perceived.

Nebraska fans seem almost apathetic about the upcoming season. It’s like they have accepted their fate of watching another mediocre season. Maybe Rhule and the Huskers will surprise us this season, but as far as progress, Crain makes a fair point: you have to strain to see it. At least too much.

Nebraska football fans don’t need to hear about the vision anymore. They want to see and live in the finished product.

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and Subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel. You can also find our podcast on Apple or Spotify.