The bigger question for Nebraska might be on defense, where Rhule blew things up this offseason, firing coordinator John Butler and D-line coach Terry Bradden and scrapping the 3-3-5 look entirely. New coordinator Rob Aurich brings a 4-2-5 scheme fresh off an SDSU unit that finished 11th nationally in total defense, and Week 2 is an early gut check on how fast it installs against an outmatched but not toothless Bowling Green attack.
Bowling Green isn't walking in empty-handed. Sophomore running back Austyn Dendy was a legitimate problem last year, averaging 98.6 yards a game in just five contests after transferring from Missouri, and the Falcons actually played solid defense in 2025, holding a slate that included Louisville, Cincinnati and Liberty to 24.3 points a game. Eriq George, the coach's son, is one of the better pass rushers MAC fans don't know yet.
Still, the roster gap here is wide. Bowling Green went 4-8 in Eddie George's first season, and an offense that managed just 306.8 yards a game isn't an easy fix overnight, even with a new starting quarterback. Nebraska, meanwhile, enters as a program under real pressure to show growth beyond back-to-back bowl trips — Rhule sits at 19-19 through three years, and the Huskers are 0-10 over that stretch against Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC and Indiana. Bowling Green isn't in that class of opponent, which is exactly why this game matters for Nebraska's floor, not its ceiling.
The story here is less rivalry and more roster math, but that doesn't make it meaningless. A clean, fast start against a MAC team that's still finding its footing is the kind of game that either validates the offseason overhaul or raises fresh questions before conference play against Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State starts complicating things.