The offensive line occupies a unique space in the psyche of Nebraska football fans. In my experience, we feel a certain connection to it that doesn’t apply to every position. We have The Pipeline. We have All Americans galore across every position up front. The Outland Trophy award ceremony takes place in Omaha. The Rimington Trophy, given annually to the nation’s best center, was named for a Cornhusker for crying out loud! Nebraska’s greatest teams–especially in the 1990s–were anchored in outstanding offensive lines.
What does it all mean? As far as Husker fans are concerned, it means Nebraska wrote the book on excellent offensive line play, and that position group has been far too inconsistent in recent years.
Last season is a perfect example. The line helped pave the way for running back Emmett Johnson to have an All American season, while at the same time Dylan Raiola was sacked 27 times on the year. Now, Johnson deserves some of the credit for his success, and Raiola deserves some of the blame for the number of times he ended up on the ground. But the point is, it all paints a picture of far too much inconsistency. It certainly doesn’t speak to a dominant position group.
Will 2026 be different? Omaha World-Herald reporter Evan Bland joined the Common Fan Podcast recently, and he sounded an optimistic tune about the big boys along the O line.
