With the calendar flipping to October this past weekend, we’ve officially entered the middle third of the college football season. That being said, it’s time to begin separating the pretenders from the contenders.
That brings us to FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff between Nebraska and Indiana this Saturday. It marks the first time the Cornhuskers will host FOX’s marquee event since Nebraska welcomed old Big 12 rival Oklahoma to Lincoln in September 2022.
In addition, Saturday’s game comes with Nebraska sitting at 5-0 for the first time since the 2016 season, when the Huskers opened the year 7-0.
Hence the hype surrounding Herbie the Husker.
But is there any meat on the proverbial bone for Nebraska to keep this winning streak rolling now that the schedule is loaded with Big Ten foes?
In other words, is Nebraska a contender or a pretender?
This weekend’s showdown against defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana should provide a suitable litmus test.
Nebraska Must Win the Battle in the Trenches
In order to pull off the upset, Nebraska will need to hold its own along the line of scrimmage.
Since Curt Cignetti took over the Hoosiers three years ago, stout line play has become a calling card for Indiana.
However, Nebraska boasts its own combination of elite talent and seasoned veterans along both the offensive and defensive fronts.
The Cornhuskers feature two former 247Sports five-star prospects up front in offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett and defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri.
Beyond those standouts, Nebraska’s entire starting offensive line — along with the tight end position — features fourth- and fifth-year players. In other words, this is a unit with significant size, mature frames, and plenty of experience.
The Huskers’ defensive front possesses many of those same qualities, featuring a sixth-year player, a fifth-year player, and two third-year players.
Needless to say, Nebraska’s linemen shouldn’t merely hold their own against Indiana. At times, expect the Huskers to be the aggressors.
Anthony Colandrea Can Outshine Josh Hoover
During the offseason, Cignetti once again tapped into the transfer portal, this time landing highly rated quarterback Josh Hoover. According to 247Sports, Hoover ranked as a four-star transfer and the No. 5 quarterback in the portal.
Meanwhile, Nebraska had to replace former five-star and two-year starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, who departed for Oregon via the transfer portal. The Huskers responded by bringing in the less-heralded Anthony Colandrea.
On the surface, one might assume Indiana has the clear advantage at quarterback.
But what has Hoover actually accomplished during his collegiate career?
Yes, he was a starter at a Power Four program in TCU. But during his time in Fort Worth, turnovers were a persistent problem. Hoover threw nine interceptions in 2023, 11 in 2024, and 13 in 2025.
Thus far at Indiana, Hoover has been nearly flawless, posting a 15-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. However, he has done so against a less-than-daunting schedule featuring North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, Northwestern, and Rutgers.
Needless to say, Saturday represents as much of a litmus test for Hoover as it does for Nebraska.
Conversely, Colandrea has already experienced meaningful success at the collegiate level. Although something of a journeyman — Nebraska is his third stop after Virginia and UNLV — the Florida native led the Rebels to the Mountain West Championship Game and a 10-win season in 2025.
Beyond the team success, Colandrea earned first-team All-Mountain West honors and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
So, as I see it, Hoover will be seeing red in the Sea of Red.
Meanwhile, Colandrea has been undervalued by the scouting community. Come high noon Saturday, I expect him to outshine his counterpart and help deliver Nebraska its biggest victory of the season.
And if the Cornhuskers emerge from this showdown at 6-0, we can officially stop asking whether Nebraska is a contender or a pretender.
The Huskers will have provided the answer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google