The Friday mailbag is here. Connor and Mitch are reunited on the pod. And we’re taking questions on the decommitment of Dayton Raiola. Is there more happening behind the scenes? Our listeners have questions about Penn State. Are the Nittany Lions interested in playing Nebraska? We take a spin back to 1982. What would have happened if the correct call was made at the end of that game 43 years ago between Penn State and Nebraska? Do Matt Rhule and Nebraska have a policy on allowing players back who defected as recruits or entered the portal? If Nebraska finishes the regular season at 7-5, is it a success? And we’re making picks for Saturday night in State College. Join us.

Big Ten College Football Playoff chaos looms as Oregon Ducks face USC Trojans in a game that could determine whether three, four, or even five conference teams make the expanded playoff. Can the Trojans pull off the upset in Eugene and crash the party? The panel breaks down Oregon's defensive dominance against USC's explosive passing attack, Michigan Wolverines' controversial playoff path despite their struggles, and Penn State Nittany Lions' momentum under interim coach Terry Smith against Nebraska Cornhuskers. Wisconsin Badgers' offensive woes take center stage as they host Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini, while transfer portal drama swirls around Dylan Raiola and coaching hot seats. Key matchups include Bryce Underwood's Michigan squad at Maryland Terrapins, plus upset predictions across the conference. Tune in for expert predictions, betting insights, and insider analysis on the biggest weekend in Big Ten football as conference championship implications hang in the balance.

We are joined today by Zach Seyko from Locked On Nittany Lions, and have a lot to get through including: - Where do things stand in the Penn State coaching search? - Is there any focus in State College on this game at all? - How has Nebraska adjusted after Dylan Raiola's injury? - Are we looking at a rock fight? - Who wins, and what are the keys to the game?

Making our way through Penn State week at Nebraska. We heard Tuesday from coordinators Dana Holgorsen and John Butler in addition to several Huskers. A chunk of the conversation involved Nebraska’s freshman quarterback, TJ Lateef, who’s set to make his second start in place of injured Dylan Raiola Saturday night in Happy Valley. Is Lateef ready for this challenge? Holgorsen believes in his guy. What is Butler’s mindset about slowing the Penn State offense? He’s going to scheme whatever is needed, the coordinator said – even if he’s gotta come on the field himself – to slow down Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. We also heard from Nebraska’s standout running back, Emmett Johnson. His run towards postseason recognition rates as an important step for the Huskers. And Johnson’s teammates are excited to see his ascension.

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds Nebraska’s trip to Penn State this week. Both teams have questions at quarterback. The Penn State coaching situation remains in flux. But here’s what we know: The Nittany Lions will make Nebraska show that it can stop the run. And if the Huskers can’t, they’ll get a heavy dose all night of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Matt Rhule offered his thoughts Monday on the Penn State rushing attack. Rhule also discussed his first trip with Nebraska to coach at his alma mater. Considering the events of October – and what’s happening elsewhere nationally around the coaching carousel – this week presents a drama-free situation for Rhule and Nebraska. And we hear from the Nebraska coach on the schedule ahead for the Huskers. Is it a problem? Join us on this Tuesday.

Say goodbye to the bye week. It’s time for Nebraska-Penn State week and the start of a furious final, two-game stretch for the Huskers. Will they finish the regular season with seven wins, eight or nine? We’re about to find out. In between these two games, the Huskers will get short rest – thanks to a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Beaver Stadium, an early morning of travel home and a short week ahead of the Hawkeyes’ visit on Friday. It’s a real concern. But Nebraska can’t let it provide an excuse. The Nebraska basketball team beat Oklahoma 105-99 Saturday night in Sioux Falls. It was electric. Kurt from Wahoo got tossed. We discuss the big victory for Fred Hoiberg’s team. Nebraska volleyball dropped a set on the road in California but remained unbeaten after playing in front of two more record-setting crowds. And we take a spin around the Big Ten to review the weekend of football. Join us.

The Friday mailbag is full. Your questions reflect the main topics of this bye week at Nebraska – a little talk about the quarterbacks, a little talk about Matt Rhule’s NIL money, and a lot of talk about Emmett Johnson. How did the Huskers miss Johnson’s greatness before the past year? What would Johnson have to do against Penn State and Iowa to win the Heisman? In what league will he make his money in 2026? We’re also looking at the Huskers’ schedule in 2026. Why have screen passes popped this season, and why did TJ Lateef, in his only start, thrive in hitting the crossing routes that Dylan Raiola often did not try? That and a bunch more. Join us for all the fun.

Big Ten playoff hopes hang in the balance as conference chaos continues. How many teams will crash the College Football Playoff party? Ten Big Ten podcast hosts break down the latest rankings and deliver predictions for Week 12's crucial matchups. The discussion covers Iowa's historic struggles on the West Coast ahead of their USC showdown, Michigan State's defensive collapse against Penn State, and Wisconsin's upset victory over Washington that featured their punter as the leading passer. Ohio State's dominance stands in stark contrast to Indiana's nail-biting wins, while Michigan prepares for a sloppy Wrigley Field battle against Northwestern. Key analysis includes Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski's first three-loss season ever, Michigan State backup Alessio Milivojevic's 300-yard passing debut, and why the Oregon-USC game could be a playoff elimination matchup. The hosts debate SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey's bold playoff predictions and whether two-loss Big Ten teams deserve postseason spots. Tune in for expert predictions, friendly trash talk, and insider perspectives on which Big Ten teams will survive the playoff race.

The bye week for Nebraska football provides us with a chance to look back. One year ago at this time, the Huskers were struggling. They were in danger of moving in the wrong direction as a program. Matt Rhule acted boldly. How much did one move set the dominoes in motion to get the Huskers on track – that is, if you believe they’re on track today? Also, we’re peering ahead toward December and January. Nebraska has new spending power in the NIL world, according to Rhule, so what’s that going to look like when the portal opens? It’s time for some roster math. We go over the key numbers to know in the Huskers’ all-important bid to upgrade their roster ahead of next season. And, we’re picking games for Week 12 in college football. Nebraska’s next two opponents are in action. Is its bowl opponent out there playing a big game, too? Join us.

Nebraska football rolled out its Emmett Johnson Heisman Trophy campaign on Tuesday, one day after Matt Rhule went deep on touting the back’s achievements. It’s late to get in the race. Too late, almost certainly, for Johnson to actually contend for the trophy. What’s the motive here for Nebraska? Well, it can help recruiting. It can help Johnson’s bid to win other awards. It can help the Huskers’ overall visibility. Connor and Mitch are also reacting to Rhule’s comments from Monday about the work that Troy Dannen has accomplished to create alignment within the Nebraska athletic department. We review the victory on Tuesday by Nebraska basketball. Should the Huskers hang a banner to commemorate the Crown championship? And the second College Football Playoff rankings release arrived on Tuesday. Where would Nebraska have sat if it held on to beat USC on Nov. 1? Join us.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule brought the heat Monday as the bye week began in Lincoln. Rhule used his weekly press conference platform to speak definitively about the position Nebraska has reached in planning to build a roster through spending in the months ahead. The Huskers have gathered the resources to compete at the highest level, Rhule said. And if this makes you uncomfortable, well, it’s what Rhule said he wanted four weeks ago after his name surfaced at Penn State. Continuing with the unabashed approach, Rhule did not hesitate in speaking on the future for TJ Lateef and Emmett Johnson – the Huskers’ offensive stars from their victory Saturday at UCLA. Lateef is going to get offers to leave Nebraska. Bring it on, Rhule said. The coach believes that Nebraska is the best spot for players to develop. And Johnson faces a decision about the NFL. Rhule offered his thoughts on the junior running back. Join us as we react to all of it.

Now that Matt Rhule’s Nebraska football team has made it to seven wins in the regular season, why not nine? Connor and Mitch are here on this Monday after a 28-21 win at UCLA to examine the viability of Nebraska’s bid to close November with three consecutive victories. Penn State and Iowa, next up on the Huskers’ schedule, endured dramatic defeats at home in Week 11 against CFP contenders. What will it mean for TJ Lateef and Nebraska? Is the Nebraska offensive line – here and now with its limitations – in better position to function efficiently with a mobile quarterback? Even if that QB, Lateef, is much less experienced than the injured two-year starter, Dylan Raiola, whom Lateef replaced? The Big Red Invasion that helped spur Nebraska to victory on Saturday cannot be taken for granted. And we zip around Nebraska athletics with a look at what’s happening on the basketball and volleyball courts. Join us.

Nebraska rolled to its seventh victory of the football season, 28-21 Saturday night at UCLA, behind true freshman QB TJ Lateef and an All-America style performance from running back Emmett Johnson. Lateef, in a homecoming game at the Rose Bowl, enjoyed a near-perfect starting debut. Johnson, meanwhile, turned in the first 100-yard rushing, 100-yard receiving game in the history of Nebraska football. And so the Huskers are 7-3 to enter a bye week ahead of closing games at Penn State and against Iowa. That’s a big step for Matt Rhule and his program, which has increased its regular-season win total now in four consecutive seasons. Defensively, Nebraska struggled to contain UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava. But when the Huskers needed to make plays – offensively and defensively – they did it. Join us for a full breakdown.

The Friday mailbag is open. Connor and Mitch are fielding questions today on beer sales at Memorial Stadium. Should the Huskers keep a running total during games? Or might that be a bad idea? Is Matt Rhule inviting close games – that don’t need to be close – with his style of coaching? What’s in the wine rack over Mitch’s left shoulder on the YouTube feed? Is Nebraska’s destiny this season driven by the defense? What should fans look forward to in 2026? And would a win Saturday at UCLA rank among Rhule’s best with the Huskers? Answers to all of those and more. Join us. And enjoy the weekend.

The Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks are all representing the Big Ten well in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings. What do the rankings say about the state of the conference? Then, a Week 11 preview covering the biggest games set to take place this weekend.

College football fans pointed all year to this week – and the release of the first CFP rankings. For Nebraska fans, it was rarely a hot topic. But in this era of the sport, perhaps that’s misguided. The Huskers may not put together a run this month and finish strong. No matter, their season was on track last Saturday night at halftime to look a lot different in November. If Nebraska had held on to beat USC, the Huskers likely would have been ranked in the first CFP poll. And they would have been in play for a spot in the 12-team bracket. Isn’t that all the Huskers and their fans want at this stage of development in Matt Rhule’s program? Connor and Mitch are here to talk about the new trophy claimed by Nebraska. And we’re picking games in Week 11. How many yards will TJ Lateef accumulate in his first start with the Huskers? Is a big night on tap for Mike Ekeler’s special teams? It’s all here. Join us.

We heard Tuesday at media availability from Nebraska coordinators Dana Holgorsen and John Butler, plus a group of Huskers as they prepare for a trip west to UCLA. Nebraska players are all in on backing freshman QB TJ Lateef. Holgorsen looked back at the past year and how much things have changed – despite circumstances that mirror his start in Lincoln – since November 2024. Has Emmett Johnson positioned himself to make a run at the NFL in 2026? Butler is busy designing a plan aimed to slow the Bruins’ dynamic quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, who torched SEC opponents a year ago in leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff. And we finish with some talk about the Rose Bowl. What is that surface that the Bruins play on? DeShon Singleton has a question for the media. Join us.

Monday gave us a five-minute opening statement from Nebraska football Matt Rhule at his weekly media session, filled with declarative statements about his support for injured quarterback Dylan Raiola, new starter TJ Lateef and the state of the Huskers in this moment. Nebraska heads to UCLA this week, and Rhule wants to know if his guys are “in or out” on finishing this season on a strong note. The Huskers’ situation at offensive tackle is reason for alarm, with another season-ending surgery announced on Monday. Rhule talked more about the timeouts during the Huskers’ first drive with Lateef in command in the second half against USC. Everyone feels strongly about some part of that game. And Nebraska basketball opened with a victory on Monday. Join us as we discuss it all.

Dylan Raiola is out for the rest of this season with a broken leg. Connor and Mitch are here to discuss his future and welcome TJ Lateef to the big stage. Nebraska will turn to its true freshman QB after Raiola was injured Saturday night against USC. What kind of an opportunity is this for Lateef? And for Nebraska to learn more about what it’s got in the young QB? Also, what about Dana Holgorsen, Nebraska’s OC who has a history of building the kind of creative offense that the Huskers will need in November? It’s a moment, too, for Emmett Johnson to shoulder an even larger load. We make the case that EJ is playing beyond an All-Big Ten level. It’s the same with Ceyair Wright on the defensive side. Are the Blackshirts ready to handle the challenge that faces Nebraska as it heads to UCLA before a bye week? The intrigue is thick this week. Join us.

Another bitter pill to swallow Saturday night in Lincoln as USC came from behind to beat Nebraska 21-17. The big news involved quarterback Dylan Raiola, who suffered an ankle injury early in the second half and did not return. Did Nebraska get too conservative on offense with freshman TJ Lateef in charge, particularly on a disorganized drive that ended with a fourth-and-1 decision that has prompted much debate? Connor and Mitch have thoughts on that scenario. Same goes for the Huskers’ second possession of the night, when Nebraska held a 7-0 lead and had stopped the Trojans twice. Should Dana Holgorsen have gone for the throat with a crowd ready to explode behind Nebraska? We’re also breaking down Lateef’s Big Ten debut and the Blackout energy. Join us.