The latest AP Top 25 poll is out, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are once again nowhere to be found. Sitting at a spotless 5-0, Nebraska is one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the Big Ten. The other two? Strongly embedded in the top rankings. Meanwhile, the Huskers aren’t even knocking on the door, sitting at 31st in total "others receiving votes."
The disrespect becomes glaring when you look at how the voters treat other programs. Ole Miss remains firmly parked at No. 9 despite suffering a blowout loss by three-plus scores. Florida checks in at No. 16 even after getting thoroughly handled 45-17 by an average Missouri squad. Apparently, a multi-score loss in the SEC carries more weight than a clean win column in the Big Ten.
Critics will point to Nebraska's lightweight non-conference slate, but that argument falls apart under basic scrutiny. Look at undefeated Indiana, who sits near the top of the rankings. The Hoosiers built their non-conference resume against Howard, North Texas, and Western Kentucky, followed by a tight 29-23 win over Northwestern and a blowout of Rutgers. Indiana’s schedule and overall results look nearly identical to Nebraska’s, yet one team is treated like a national contender while the other is completely ignored.
This stark divide exposes a fundamental flaw in the system: the AP Poll is driven by voters who often only closely watch the single team they cover, resulting in glaring regional SEC bias. The current human only process feels like a relic of a bygone era.
It’s time to move past the traditional AP system and implement an extension of the College Football Playoff committee to publish official rankings much earlier in the season. In an era dominated by advanced analytics, rankings should rely heavily on raw data, leaving human perception to account for roughly 25% of the total vote. That balance preserves the "eye test" while systematically stripping away voter laziness and conference favoritism.
The bright side for Husker nation is that the field takes care of itself. Nebraska welcomes Indiana to Memorial Stadium this Saturday with a chance to prove its merit on the field.
However, the AP’s current negligence creates a structural problem. Because Nebraska is stuck at 31st instead of sitting comfortably in the 20-25 range, even an impressive victory over Indiana won't realistically vault them into the top 15. With a gauntlet ahead featuring Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, and Iowa, starting unranked leaves Nebraska with zero margin for error. A single future loss would instantly knock them right back out of national relevance. The Huskers have earned their respect on the field, it’s time for the rankings system to catch up.
