Matt Rhule is coming off his first season as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where the team finished with a 5-7 record.
The program has not made a bowl game since the 2016 season despite having some of the most passionate fans in all of college football.
The Big Ten is one of the most difficult conferences in the country, with teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. UCLA, Oregon, USC, and Washington have also been added to the league ahead of the 2024 season.
In regards to the tough Big Ten Conference, Rhule argued that he thinks “four teams from this league should get in College Football Playoff every year. This is the best league. This is the NFL of college football in my mind. We stretch from coast to coast in different time zones,” per Brett McMurphy.
In the last five seasons, the Big Ten has sent at least one team to the College Football Playoff, as Michigan defeated Washington in the championship this past year.
The committee has extended the number of teams eligible to make the playoffs to 12, so several teams from this conference are expected to compete for the title.
Despite the team’s struggles in 2023, Rhule believes that the program can turn things around, saying, “I expect us to win. I expect us to be good. I expect us to be relevant in the conference. I expect us to be in the mix. I’m confident in this team.”
