In an NFL where parity can rule, fans can rely on one presumption every year. Every team will win an unexpected game, and the same team will lose a game that shocks the losing team, their fans and the league in general.
Maybe it’s the nature of the NFL, or maybe it’s the just the nature of sports.
There isn’t that kind of across-the-board parity in college football. But upsets occur. As we look at Nebraska’s 2025 schedule, here are the two games with an outcome that might be completely unpredictable.
Penn State and Northwestern.
Nebraska doesn’t have many games in which it will a heavy underdog. At Penn State on Nov. 22, the Huskers likely will face their largest point spread all season.
If the season plays out as experts believe, Penn State could be on cusp of another College Football Playoff berth, and maybe closing in on the Big Ten regular-season championship. Not many would be surprised if the Nittany Lions are 10-0, or 9-1, heading into the Nebraska game.
That game could have the same vibes as last year’s Huskers game at Ohio State. The Buckeyes (5-1) were ranked No. 4 on Oct. 26 when the 5-1 Huskers came to town. Ohio State was coming off a brutal loss at Oregon. The Buckeyes wanted to get their season back on track. Nebraska was in the way.
Every metric, every feeling in the bones, every ounce of common sense cried out for a big Ohio State victory before a huge crowd at the Horseshoe. The oddsmakers did, too, making the Buckeyes a 25-point favorite in most sportsbooks.
The outcome seemed to be set in stone, with only the final margin in question.
Well, we know what happened. Matt Rhule’s Huskers played great football, took a lead in the fourth quarter and nearly upset the Buckeyes, losing 21-17.
Could Penn State be the upset special of 2025 for the Huskers?
So many games — we count five or six of them — will be 50-50 games in 2025. Either team winning — presuming injuries equal out and each team’s quarterback is healthy — probably won’t be considered shocking.
In 2024, Nebraska lost twice as a favorite — Illinois 31-24, as a nine-point favorite; UCLA 27-20, as a 7.5-point favorite. Both games were at Memorial Stadium.
Northwestern could be the team that shocks Memorial Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025. The Wildcats often are a team that battles to the end and sometimes walks away with a victory. An unexpected victory always seems in play with Northwestern, no matter the opponent.
Unexpected goes beyond the betting odds. The oddsmakers know plenty and often display that wisdom multiple times every weekend. But unexpected means more than a point spread. Sometimes, it’s just a feeling, it’s sensing momentum one way or the other before the opening kickoff.
When you’re the favorite, there’s an uneasiness going into a game. When you’re the underdog, it’s a day of hope. You hope your team can win … and sometimes, that’s exactly what happens.
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