Gary Sharp joins the Common Fans to share his reactions to the Cincinnati game and talk about what’s next for Nebraska football.

• Gary saw plenty of issues for the Huskers to fix, but the game didn’t fundamentally change his outlook for the Big Red in 2025.
• Defensive line, depth at running back are obvious areas in need of improvement.
• Gary also mentions the linebacker play as something he was surprised at.
• The good news: there were several mistakes that can be chalked up to game-one sloppiness. The key will be cleaning those up in the next two weeks.
• Also plenty to like from the game.
• Solid outing from Dylan.
• Plus-two turnover margin.
• And, of course, a Nebraska W.

Plus, the crew gets into some timely questions:

• What does Matt Rhule want from this offense?
• If Nebraska goes into the Michigan game at 3-0, will they be ranked?
• What’s fair to expect from this defense?
• Is all of this building for 2026?

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast! As always, GBR for LIFE!

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

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The Common Fans discuss Nebraska’s thrilling win over Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium.

• The Huskers showed plenty of promise on Thursday night, but the team also has lots to work on.
• The Nebraska team that showed up at Arrowhead Stadium does not look like a playoff team…but that doesn’t mean the Big Red can’t still put together a special run in 2025.
• The most important thing was getting out of Kansas City with a W, and the Huskers accomplished that. With the next two games against Akron and Houston Christian, there’s time to work on everything else.
• Dylan Raiola looked solid, and kept mistakes to a minimum, but the Common Fans wonder if/when we’ll see the offense open it up.
• The defense looks like a mixed bag after one week. Highlighted by some perfectly timed turnovers, the overall unit looks more explosive than in 2024. At the same time, the run defense looked awfully leaky at times.
• After dominating the 2nd quarter, and taking a 13-3 lead into halftime, the Big Red looked poised to put Cincinnati away. Instead, the Huskers opening drive of the 2nd half stalled, and they were in a battle to the end.
• Malcolm Hartzog made the play of the game, with a game-sealing interception in the end zone.
• The Common Fans are celebrating all the Ws, and it feels great to see the Huskers open the season 1-0.

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast! As always, GBR for LIFE!

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Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

The Common Fans celebrate the end of the offseason and the beginning of another season of Nebraska football! Before getting to their bold predictions, there is much to discuss regarding the latest and greatest surrounding Husker football:

• The debate over whether or not you can be a fan of more than one college football team.
• National commentators predicting Nebraska in the playoffs.
• Josh Pate, Phil Steele, Geoff Schwartz, Brandon Walker, and Zack Guggenheim among those predicting playoff potential for the Huskers this season.
• Nebraska has announced captains for the 2025 season.
• Matt Rhule’s podcast.
• Nebraska’s depth chart for the opener against Cincinnati.
• Four bold predictions for Nebraska football in 2025.

And much more!

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

Mike’l Severe joins the Common Fans for the third of a three-episode series, breaking down every game on Nebraska’s schedule. The episodes will be released Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, in anticipation of Nebraska’s first game next week.

Today, Mike’l and the Common Fans go through the final four games on the Huskers’ schedule.

On the game against USC in Lincoln:

• With USC coming to Lincoln this year, the Common Fans hope for 20 degrees below zero and snow for this game.
• Head Coach Lincoln Riley has seen his record get worse every year he’s been at the helm in LA, and while he might not be on the hot seat, his back is against the wall.
• Mike’l sees a bounce-back season for the Trojans, as they have a ton of speed and have made significant upgrades in the transfer portal.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Loss
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Loss

On the game vs. UCLA at the Rose Bowl:

• Quarterback Nico Iamaleava – formerly of the playoff caliber Tennessee Volunteers – has transferred to UCLA. Many expect the Bruins to take a step forward in 2025.
• The 2024 UCLA game may have been Nebraska’s worst performance of the season. The Huskers came out flat, and were never really in control against a then 2-5 Bruin team.
• All four of the crew see the Big Red getting their revenge and beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

On the game against Penn State in Happy Valley:

• Many among the national sports media see Penn State as the best team in the Big Ten in 2025.
• James Franklin has stacked a ton of wins at PSU, but has struggled to beat ranked teams, and has developed a reputation for not being able to win the big one. Franklin brought in Jim Knowles as his new defensive coordinator for this season.
• Penn State is likely to be a double digit favorite vs. the Huskers. For Nebraska to have a chance, they need to keep Drew Allar under 62% passing.
• The whole crew sees the Nittany Lions as being too much for the Huskers.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Loss
• MattyO: Loss
• Geoff: Loss
• T.J.: Loss

On the Black Friday game vs. Iowa in Lincoln:

• The anger about Nebraska’s 2024 loss to Iowa is never far from the surface. The Huskers dominated almost every aspect of that game and still found a way to hand the game away.
• Nebraska has now lost nine out of 10 to the Hawkeyes.
• Iowa comes into the season with a new quarterback, Mark Gronowski, who won the Walter Payton Award (given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS) in 2023.
• Even so, the crew sees the Huskers getting the W on what will almost certainly be a freezing day in Lincoln.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

Don’t forget–this is part of a three-episode series. If you haven’t had the chance to catch the first two episodes, make sure to do that before the season kicks off next week! With kickoff in less than a week, the Common Fans will have you frothing at the mouth in anticipation for Husker Football.

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

Our Partners:

You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

Mike’l Severe joins the Common Fans for the second of a three-episode series, breaking down every game on Nebraska’s schedule. The episodes will be released Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, in anticipation of Nebraska’s first game next week.

Today, Mike’l and the Common Fans go through the middle four games of the Huskers’ schedule.

On the game against Michigan State:

• The crew sees Nebraska as being more talented than Michigan State, despite having a lot of respect for Spartan Head Coach Jonathan Smith.
• With everyone having picked a win over Michigan the week before, there is some concern about a letdown following a huge win against a ranked, big name opponent.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Loss

On the game at Maryland:

• Lots of red flags and warning signs for this year’s Maryland team.
• Curious comments recently from Head Coach Mike Locksley about problems in his locker room in 2024.
• There have been some suggestions–even from Maryland sources–that the Terrapins will be a dumpster fire this season.
• Nebraska can’t take anyone for granted, especially in their first road game of the season, but all four of the guys see the Huskers coming out on top in this one.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

On the game against old nemesis PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers in Minneapolis:

• Mike’l points out that Nebraska has not won back-to-back road games in consecutive weeks since 2006.
• With the game being played on a Friday night, Huskers will have a short week after having traveled to Maryland.
• This is a sneaky candidate to be one of the most challenging games on the schedule for the Big Red.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Loss
• MattyO: Loss
• Geoff: Loss
• T.J.: Win

On the game against Northwestern in Lincoln:

• The new world of NIL and transfer portal don’t exactly work in Northwestern’s favor.
• Mike’l doesn’t know what to think about this year’s Wildcats, as he wouldn’t be surprised to see them go 8-4 and wouldn’t be surprised to see them go 4-8.
• Lots of respect for Head Coach David Braun.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

Don’t forget–this is part of a three-episode series, all of which will be airing this week! With kickoff just around the corner, the Common Fans will have you frothing at the mouth in anticipation for Husker Football.

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

Our Partners:

You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

Mike’l Severe joins the Common Fans for the first of a three-episode series, breaking down every game on Nebraska’s schedule. The episodes will be released Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week, in anticipation of Nebraska’s first game next week.

Today, Mike’l and the Common Fans go through the first four games of Nebraska’s schedule.

On the opener against Cincinnati:

• The crew sees some concern with this one. After two consecutive losing seasons to begin their tenure in the Big 12, Cincinnati is expected to be better this year.
• Mike’l even suggested that he would be less surprised to see Nebraska lose to the Bearcats than he would to see them lose to Michigan.
• The Huskers have struggled in the recent past with openers very similar to this one: away from home against Power 5 opponents.
• Nebraska will be favored, but the Big Red will need to show up dialed in and ready to play.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

On Akron and Houston Christian:

• The guys see the Huskers rolling to victory in both of these games.
• Perhaps beating Akron–the team Scott Frost was supposed to play in his first game back at Nebraska before it got canceled due to lightning–will help to expel whatever demons have possessed the program these last several years.
• HCU will be an 11am kickoff against an FCS opponent. Husker fans will need to make their own energy for this one…or at least bring some coffee.

Picks for both games:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

On the big one against Michigan, Nebraska’s first conference game of the year:

• Mike’l predicts the Wolverines will be better in 2025 than they were in 2024, and sees them as a top 25 team.
• Some intrigue with this game: Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore will not be in attendance, as part of Michigan’s punishment for the sign-stealing scandal from a few years ago.
• This game will be a huge tone-setter for the Huskers. They are unlikely to be favored, and a loss will certainly not derail the season. But a win would be a huge boost as the Big Red looks to take a leap in year three under Matt Rhule.

Picks:

• Mike’l: Win
• MattyO: Win
• Geoff: Win
• T.J.: Win

Don’t forget–this is part of a mini three-episode series, all of which will be airing this week! With kickoff just around the corner, the Common Fans will have you frothing at the mouth in anticipation for Husker Football.

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

Broadcasting legend Tim Brando joins the Common Fans to discuss the upcoming season, the outlook for Nebraska, his favorite to win the Big Ten, his old friend Lee Corso, plus much more!

Brando sees the Huskers taking another step forward in 2025:

• Last year, Brando came on the Common Fan Podcast and correctly predicted Nebraska would make a bowl game and have a winning season in 2024.
• He believes Dana Holgorsen will have a significant impact on the offense and the team overall this season.
• He also sees Dylan Raiola taking a big step forward in year 2 under center.
• The Huskers will need to get past a good Cincinnati team in the opener, and beat Michigan at home in their first conference game of the season, but Brando sees the schedule as lining up well for the Big Red…and even floated the idea that they might start 6-0.
• He thinks the Huskers could get as high as 10 wins in 2025!

Thoughts on Lee Corso, who will be honored later this month in a one hour special tribute on ESPN:

• Corso will be retiring at age 90.
• Brando, who was the first ever host of College Gameday, actually interviewed Corso for his spot on Gameday.
• According to Brando, Corso is the best ever coach to move into broadcasting.
• His combination of charisma plus knowledge of the game is unrivaled.
• Poking fun at Beano Cook…you don’t want to miss Tim’s impression of the famous Beano!

Looking at the big picture in the Big Ten:

• Brando predicts Ohio State to win the conference.
• He’s very high on Illinois and Indiana.
• Watch out for Rutgers to play spoiler.
• Sees the quality and depth of the conference improving from top to bottom.

Plus, the Common Fans even get into a little Husker hoops:

• Brando celebrated his 40th anniversary in broadcasting by calling the Nebraska-UCLA game in January (which, of course, was a solid Nebraska W).
• Brando likes what Fred Hoiberg is building and was happy to see the Huskers win The Crown, even though they fell short of the NCAA tournament.

Finally, on whether or not Nebraska football should be considered a blue blood:

• Yes, yes and yes!

With less than three weeks before kickoff, the Common Fans help you start getting ready for Husker football! GBR for LIFE!

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You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/

The Common Fans discuss the impact offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler will have for Nebraska football in 2025.

• In order to take the patented Year 3 leap under Matt Rhule, the Huskers will almost certainly need to win close games.
• What can turn close losses into wins? Improvement on offense and special teams.
• Holgorsen brings swagger and a simplified playbook that should work to Dylan Raiola’s benefit.
• Ekeler brings boundless energy that is infectious to the entire team.
• Big steps forward by the offense and special teams should be good for 2-4 more wins in 2025.
• Plus, thoughts on the Big Red Preview practice, beer in Memorial Stadium, and so much more!

With little more than three weeks before kickoff, the Common Fans help you start getting ready for Husker football! GBR for LIFE!

Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@commonfanGBR

Check out our website: www.commonfan.co

Our Partners:

You can now find all Common Fan videos and articles on www.huskermax.com as well as www.si.com/college/college-football/team/nebraska-cornhuskers.

For more Husker coverage, check out Carriker Chronicles: https://carrikerchronicles.com/

For more college football coverage, check out The College Huddle: https://thecollegehuddle.com/