The University of Nebraska is one of the most historic programs in college football history, but the Cornhuskers have struggled to maintain its relevance in recent years. They have not reached a bowl game since 2016 and have not won nine games during that stretch of time.
Scott Frost was supposed to be the savior after Mike Riley went 4-8 in 2017. He was not.
The Nebraska football program was on life support at the end of his tenure which led to his ouster. His replacement, Matt Rhule, has a proven track record on the collegiate level and is expected to lead the Cornhuskers out of the basement. It will be a real issue if they are not competing for the College Football Playoff within the next few years.
No other school in the country has the support of Nebraska athletics, and especially the football team. The entire state rallies around its lone FBS program. Big Red Nation has sold out every single home game since November 3, 1962.
There is also a large contingency of Cornhusker fans who are unable to pack out Lincoln Memorial Stadium every Saturday. They have to work.
Matt Rhule and Nebraska football are playing for the farmers.
Nebraska’s farms and ranches utilize 44.8 million acres, which is 92% of the state’s total land area. There are more than 40,000 farms across the state. Agriculture is the No. 1 industry.
Farming never stops. Land needs to be tilled. Cattle needs to be fed.
Rhule was reminded of that component by 1970s defensive back George Kyros earlier this week. The Cornhuskers great provided perspective to the first-year head coach of what his team means to the people of Nebraska. It served as a great reminder of the expected standard.
Rhule spoke to that notion in his press conference ahead of a must-win matchup against Louisiana Tech.
The Cornhuskers are playing for something bigger than themselves. Nebraska football not only represents the university, it represents the state. It represents the farmers.