Nebraska’s heading into its November 1 primetime showdown against USC with the same scheduling disadvantage it faced last year. The Cornhuskers are 6-2 and riding momentum after a bounce-back win over Northwestern. But they’re walking into a trap that Big Ten schedulers apparently didn’t see. Or worse, one they didn’t care about fixing.

Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are coming off their second bye week of the season. They’re freshly ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll. And have had extra time to heal injuries and plan for a Nebraska defense that’s been one of the best in the country at stopping the pass. Matt Rhule sees exactly what’s happening here. And he’s not staying quiet about a pattern that feels less like a coincidence every year.

During his media availability, Matt Rhule addressed the scheduling quirk. “Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has a high amount of respect for Lincoln Riley, notes, for the second year in a row, Riley gets 14 days to prepare for NU’s D,” Sam McKewon reported. Matt Rhule’s response? “Thanks guys,” he told the Big Ten, sarcastically, making his point crystal clear. This isn’t the first time either. USC is getting a built-in advantage for two consecutive seasons against Nebraska.

Last year, Riley had the same extended preparation window before the Trojans squeaked out a 28-20 win at the Coliseum. Quarterback Jayden Maiava threw three touchdowns and ran for another in his debut start. Now here we are again in 2025, and USC’s got another two-week cushion to prepare while Nebraska played Friday night against Northwestern.​

The matchup itself couldn’t be more critical for both programs. USC enters at 5-2 with the nation’s most explosive offense. They lead all of FBS with 530.1 yards per game and 326.1 passing yards per game. Maiava’s connection with receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane has been borderline unstoppable. And the Trojans are scoring 42.4 points per game, fifth nationally. 

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But Nebraska’s defense presents a real problem for that passing attack. The Cornhuskers rank third in the nation against the pass, allowing just 127.5 yards per game. And they’re holding opponents to 19.6 points overall. Dylan Raiola has thrown for 1,909 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions, while running back Emmett Johnson has rushed for 813 yards and nine touchdowns on 146 carries. So while ESPN’s FPI gives USC a 72.1% chance of winning and projects the Trojans to finish with 8.6 wins on the season, the stats don’t account for how Nebraska often finds ways to pull off narrow wins, something that the numbers don’t show. 

Last year’s 28-20 result still stings for Nebraska, especially considering how it unfolded. The Cornhuskers’ Ceyair Wright returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against his former USC teammates and blocked a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. This gave Nebraska every opportunity to steal the game on the road. But the offense managed just one touchdown under the then-new coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Raiola threw two interceptions to the Trojans while accumulating seven picks during a brutal four-game losing streak. 

If Nebraska wants to flip the script and prove they belong in the Big Ten’s upper tier, they’ll have to do it the hard way, again. And Matt Rhule’s sarcastic “thanks” to the conference office makes it clear he knows exactly how much harder the Big Ten schedulers have made it.​

Nebraska can’t afford another officiating disaster 

The Northwestern game exposed something Nebraska absolutely cannot afford when it faces USC this weekend. And that is incompetent officiating that keeps the opponent in the game. After dealing with what Rivals contributor Nate Clouse called “one of the worst” Big Ten officiating crews he’d seen in a long time, Matt Rhule’s got every reason to demand better when the Trojans come to town. 

The Cornhuskers escaped with a 28-21 win over Northwestern. But not before the officials handed the Wildcats multiple breaks that nearly cost Nebraska the game. The most egregious call came on a fourth-and-3 in the third quarter when Northwestern’s receiver clearly fumbled before reaching the first down marker, but officials upheld the call after review anyway. 

Last year, Nebraska had two calls make ON3’s list of the top 10 worst officiating decisions in college football. That included what was dubbed the “worst spot in history,” where refs didn’t track the ball clearly and denied Nebraska a first down they clearly had. If that happens against USC’s explosive passing attack, Nebraska’s season could spiral fast.