Indiana’s first road game of the 2026 season went well, and on the road the Hoosiers will stay in week six.
It will be a quick turnaround for IU. It goes from a Saturday evening game to a Saturday Noon ET kick, with a bunch of travel in between.
And IU’s most talented opponent and most challenging venue to date awaits.
The No. 5/7 Hoosiers (5-0) will take on Nebraska (5-0) Saturday at Noon ET (11 a.m. local) at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska (FOX). The Huskers are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches polls.
Believe it or not, Indiana is 11-9-3 all-time against Nebraska. The Hoosiers won the last meeting 56-7 at IU in 2024. Nebraska won the last game in Lincoln, 35-21 in 2022. Indiana last won in Lincoln 38-31 in 2019. IU dominated this series from 1941 to 1959, winning 9-of-10 games.
Nebraska is led by head coach Matt Rhule, who is in his fourth season leading the program. The Huskers are 24-19 under Rhule, including 12-17 in Big Ten games. He has led Nebraska to 7-6 records and bowl appearances in each of the last two seasons. Rhule was also the head coach at Baylor for three years and went 19-20, and Temple for four years and went 28-23. He came to Nebraska after a three-year stint as the head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, where he went 11-27.
At 5-0, Nebraska is enjoying its best start since 2016. They’ve won all of their games by at least 18 points. They are 2-0 in the Big Ten with a home win Saturday over Maryland (48-23), and they also won on the road at Michigan State (31-13). The Huskers also enjoyed blowout nonconference wins over Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota.
This weekend will mark Nebraska’s fifth home game in six contests, and 85,000-plus will be at their best for this marquee matchup. The game is one of the nation’s best this weekend, and it has attracted the FOX Big Noon Kickoff pregame show. The nation’s best sellout streak (Nebraska is at 411 consecutive games and a Saturday sellout is expected) will meet the longest winning streak (Indiana is at 21).
Nebraska is averaging 43.6 points per game, one spot behind IU at No. 9 nationally. They are allowing 14.2 a contest, good for 15th in the nation.
PFF grades Nebraska as having the No. 17 offense and No. 61 defense in the country.
6-foot and 200-pound Nebraska QB Anthony Colandrea has been solid this season. The former Virginia and UNLV signal caller has completed 65.7 percent of his throws for 1,142 yards with 13 TDs and two INTs. He’s a major threat to run as well, with 249 yards on the ground and two more scores. Nebraska has allowed five sacks.
Nebraska has split carries among four running backs who each have at least 38 totes and 195 yards. Jamal Rule leads the way with 333 yards, a 7.9 average, and five TDs. Kwazi Gilmer leads the Huskers with 29 receptions for 387 yards and six TDs.
So what’s the outlook for this Saturday in Lincoln? The oddsmakers and computers like Indiana by around a touchdown. As of Monday morning, the gambling forecast is calling Indiana a 7.0-point favorite. That’s down from an opening line of around 9.5.
ESPN’s FPI model gives IU a 69.2% chance to win. Not surprisingly, that’s the lowest expected win percentage IU has had this season. The Hoosiers are No. 7 in FPI while Nebraska is No. 13. ESPN’s SP+ model projects a 31-24 IU win, and gives them a 69% probability to pull it out.
The early weather forecast for Saturday is calling for a sunny day with a high temperature of 86 in Lincoln. Wind could be an issue. Obviously you’ll want to check back on this later in the week.
We will of course have much more on this game in the days to come.
TICKETS AND PARKING
Tickets are still available through Nebraska as of Monday morning.
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