HUSKER FOOTBALL: Which bowl games could invite Nebraska?

Posted by author November 26, 2024 Football

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LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – For the first time in the better part of a decade, Big Red Nation will have the chance to travel to a bowl game.

The Huskers blew out Wisconsin on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, marking their sixth win of the season and securing bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. It was also the first win over Wisconsin in Nebraska’s last 11 tries.

While the Huskers are still laser-focused on their final game of the regular season — a Black Friday, primetime road bout against the rival Iowa Hawkeyes — last week’s win gives us a chance to look ahead toward potential bowl games that could extend an invite to the Big Red.

*All times Central; bowl matchups will be made official Dec. 8

Transperfect Music City Bowl

WHERE: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 30
OPPONENT: SEC

Got any country music fans in the house? 247 Sports predicts the Huskers will participate in the Transperfect Music City Bowl, which is held in the heart of downtown Nashville at the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans — making it one of the most desirable bowl game destinations from a fan’s perspective. The Music City Bowl pits the Big Ten vs. the SEC, so Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, Florida, and Arkansas would be in the mix for a bid opposite Nebraska.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

WHERE: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 3
OPPONENT: ACC

Interested in seeing Matt Rhule doused in five gallons of mayonnaise? Well, you might be in luck. The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is a de facto finale to the non-playoff bowl slate, with the game scheduled for Jan. 3. Part of that grand finale is the postgame “bath,” where the head coach of the winning side gets a bucket of Duke’s Mayo poured on his head. Fun times. If invited here like bowl expert Brett McMurphy projects, Nebraska would take on an ACC opponent. Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Boston College are all possible matchups.

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

WHERE: Yankee Stadium, New York, N.Y.
WHEN: 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 28
OPPONENT: ACC

Let’s face it, this one wouldn’t exactly provide Big Red faithful a chance to escape from winter weather, as bowl games typically do. But the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl is held in one of the most iconic venues in sports: Yankee Stadium. Yahoo Sports has the Huskers playing Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl. This one also matches up the Big Ten with the ACC, meaning any of the teams listed with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl above could also serve as Nebraska’s adversary here.

Rate Bowl

WHERE: Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
WHEN: 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26
OPPONENT: Big 12

On the opposite end of the weather spectrum, Husker fans could spend the holidays in the Valley of the Sun. CBS Sports projects Nebraska to play in the Rate Bowl — formerly known as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl prior to a company rebrand over the summer — on the day after Christmas. This game is contested at the home of MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks and pits the Big Ten against the Big 12. Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia, or Kansas figure to be the most likely opponents.

ReliaQuest Bowl

WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
WHEN: 11 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31
OPPONENT: SEC

This game is more of a long shot for Nebraska. Yahoo currently has Iowa slated in this spot, so the Huskers would almost certainly need a win over the Hawkeyes on Friday to be invited to the ReliaQuest Bowl. And still, it would largely depend on how many Big Ten teams make the playoff. This game is played in sunny Florida at the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and features a Big Ten vs. SEC matchup on New Year’s Eve. Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Missouri is the pool of potential opponents here.

GameAbove Sports Detroit Bowl

WHERE: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
WHEN: 1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26
OPPONENT: MAC

This one is also a long shot for Nebraska, but for the opposite reason. A lot of bowl game committees would have to pass on the Huskers in order for them to be sent to the GameAbove Sports Bowl. This is a Big Ten vs. Mid-America Conference matchup and is played at Ford Field, which houses the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Right now, Rutgers and Michigan State are the two most likely candidates to represent the Big Ten here, according to Yahoo and CBS.