There is definitely some uncertainty among the passengers on the HMS Rhule at this point in the coach’s tenure in Lincoln. But how many have actually jumped ship?

The boys dive into this question and much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast!

Everything But Football School?

The crew kicks things off by celebrating Fred Hoiberg being named National Coach of the Year—and what that means for the future of Nebraska basketball. The investment is going up, the fan base is all-in, and for the first time in maybe forever, it feels sustainable.

Beyond hoops, the baseball and softball teams are rolling (and ranked!), volleyball is a national powerhouse, and wrestling, track, bowling…you name it, the Cornhusker athletic teams are firing on all cylinders. There’s significant momentum across Troy Dannen’s department, and Nebraska is relevant again in a lot of places.

Nothing Can Replace Football

Even with the success of all the other sports, when Husker football isn’t competitive, something’s missing and everyone can feel it. Nebrasketball’s run and having the other sports show up certainly help things, and they make the long football offseason go by quicker. But this school and this fan base need Nebraska football to get back to being nationally competitive.

What is the View of Rhule Among the Fan Base?

How bad is it out there? How much of the fan base is truly out on Rhule? It’s clear people are frustrated, but what’s not clear is what percentage of the fan base actually wants him gone, versus how many people are simply getting nervous, and hoping he can figure it out.

And the boys ask – is all this hand wringing and gnashing of teeth fair? Is it impatience? Residual frustration from the last 20 years? Or is it the combination of talking a big game without enough results to back it up? The guys debate whether Husker fans need to relax—or if the skepticism is justified.

What Do the Numbers Say About 2026?

The early SP+ rankings are out, and they provide a sobering reminder. While not everyone buys into the SP+ rankings, they are at least a data point, and they illustrate the challenge for this coming season. Nebraska sits at #37, but will face three top-5 teams, and three others currently ranked ahead of them.

Are We Closer Than It Feels…or Further Away Than Ever?

The most maddening part is that Nebraska hasn’t been getting blown out. They’ve been close. That’s been a painful reality for more than a decade. But the Big Red have been on the losing end of way too many of those contests, and that’s what’s driving fans crazy.

There’s a lot to like right now in Lincoln. But until football matches the rest, something’s always going to feel incomplete.

Check out the episode on YouTube, listen on the Common Fan website, or find it on any audio platform where you get your podcasts.

As always, GBR for LIFE!

This week, the Common Fans are joined by Brandon Vogel to process Nebrasketball’s program-changing season—and to ask what it might mean for the athletic department and the future of Husker football.

Nebrasketball Resets the Standard

From the first NCAA Tournament win in program history to a Sweet 16 run that had the entire fan base locked in, this wasn’t just a “nice season.” It felt bigger than that.

We talk about what this run meant—not just in the moment, but long-term. The way it pulled in casual fans. The way it created core memories for kids. The way it turned Nebraska basketball into our team for a few weeks in March.

Is this the new baseline? Or was this lightning in a bottle?

Why Did It Have to Be Iowa?

Let’s just get it out.

If Nebraska loses to a one-seed, we all tip our cap and move on. But losing to Iowa—after leading for most of the game—adds an entirely different layer.

We unpack why that matchup felt different, why the loss hit harder, and how it somehow managed to be the most Nebraska ending imaginable. From missed shots late…to that moment with four players on the floor…it all felt painfully familiar. And a lot of that goes back to football.

And then we collectively agree: we’re done talking about Iowa (for now).

Where Was Nebraska Football This Spring?

In one of the strangest developments of the offseason, football just…took a back seat.

With basketball dominating the conversation, and disappointment from the 2025 season still lingering, spring ball came and went with far less hype than we’re used to. The boys discuss why that might actually be a good thing—and whether “flying under the radar” is exactly where this program needs to be right now.

What’s the Football Version of This Basketball Run?

If what we just experienced with basketball felt like a breakthrough…what’s the equivalent for football?

Is it making the playoff? Winning 9–10 games? Just being in the conversation again?

And maybe the bigger question: would one season be enough to reset the narrative—or does this fan base need to see it for a sustained period of time?

Spring Ball Takeaways

Brandon gives his main takeaways from the Spring Game and spring ball in general. We dive into:

• Why the defense is the biggest swing factor
• What Tony C brings to the offense (and the risk that comes with it)
• Whether this team can finally generate something unexpected
• And why “prove it mode” is still the only mindset that matters

Check out the episode on YouTube, listen on the Common Fan website, or find it on any audio platform where you get your podcasts.

As always, GBR for LIFE!

The guys kick things off by celebrating the Common Fans’ run to the Final Four of Mike’l Severe’s local podcast bracket challenge. Thanks to an incredible push from the Common Fan community, the pod took down some major names–including the Pick Six Podcast and Nick Bahe’s podcast–before finally losing in a razor-close matchup with the Schick and Nick Podcast. It was shameless, deeply competitive, and wildly fun. In other words: it was perfect.

What should we make of Nebraska’s 2026 projected win total?

The conversation then turns to FanDuel’s early over/under for how many games the Nebraska football team will win in 2026. It opened at 5.5, quickly moved to 6.5, and that number says a lot about where the outside world sees this program right now. The boys dig into what that means, why expectations have dropped so considerably, and whether that might actually be a good thing (at least for now). For once, Nebraska is not winning the offseason. There’s not much hype. There’s not much juice. And maybe, just maybe, that’s better than the annual offseason national championships.

Does Matt Rhule need a Fred Hoiberg season?

Watching Nebraska basketball explode past expectations this year naturally raises the question: can Matt Rhule do the same with football? Fred Hoiberg’s team wasn’t just “better than expected.” It shattered expectations. It changed the conversation. It reset belief in the entire program for years to come. That’s the kind of season Nebraska football badly needs. Not necessarily a playoff run, but a season that feels undeniably different. A season that makes fans stop bracing for disappointment and start believing the trajectory has finally changed.

The fellas wrestle with what that would actually look like. Is 7-5 enough if the team looks better? Is 8-4 the line where people finally exhale? And how much of Nebraska’s long, strange post-Osborne drift is about unrealistic expectations… versus just repeatedly hiring the wrong guys?

Can Husker fans still enjoy the ride?

The episode closes with some love for Nebraska basketball, some NCAA tournament hype, and a reminder that this has been one of the most enjoyable Husker sports years in a long time. The footballization of fandom has made everybody a little insane, but the guys make the case for stepping back and appreciating what’s happening — even while still demanding more from football.

Ending with Gratitude

The crew also reflects on just how invested they got in the aforementioned bracket challenge, and how cool it was to see so many Common Fans show up and vote. There’s a lot of gratitude here — and also a lot of laughing at themselves for how emotionally attached they got to a Twitter poll. But bottomline: we’re so grateful to all the Common Fans who have joined us on this ride, and can’t wait for a lot more fun and frivolity to come!

Check out the episode on YouTube, listen on the Common Fan website, or find it on any audio platform where you get your podcasts.

As always, GBR for LIFE!