"Why would you ever play one?": Nebraska HC Matt Rhule questions the need for high-profile non-conference games

Matt Rhule, on the Triple Option podcast, discussed Nebraska football and the college football landscape with Urban and the rest of the crew. The Cornhuskers coach faces an important season in 2025 following two tough years in Lincoln.

During the show, Meyer jumped in on a key topic, asking Matt Rhule about Ohio State’s matchup with Texas and the future of similar high-profile non-conference games. The Nebraska coach offered a candid take on those games regarding the current outlook of college football.

“Why would you ever play one of those games?,” Rhule said. “If we’re being completely honest, Coach Meyer, I’m at a point in life where in my fourth job and after getting fired in the NFL, I kind of say what I feel nowadays, I could care less.

“Why in the world would a Big Ten team who’s already playing nine conference games, why would you ever play one of those games?”

High-stake non-conference games have become a staple of the college football realm in the last couple of years. Last season, Texas played Michigan, Georgia played Clemson, LSU played USC among others. Rhule, though, doesn't feel the need for them with the current scheduling.

---

Matt Rhule believes the CFP selection committee isn't rewarding those games

From his observation, Matt Rhule believes playing those high-profile non-conference games early in the season doesn't really boost a team's playoff chances. The coach noted that the College Football Playoff selection committee is more focused on how a team ends.

It literally means that the committee isn't rewarding such high-profile games according to him. He noted that the selection made last season, which was the first in the 12-team playoffs made that evident.

“They proved to us this year when they did the seeding and all this stuff that early season wins didn’t mean a thing,” Rhule said. “That really was, at the end of the day, what you looked like in the last month of the season. That’s what it all proved to us.

“And when I say what it looks like, it’s really how good your offense is. If you’re scoring points and blowing people out late in the year, you’re going to make the playoffs.”

Matt Rhule has probably echoed the opinion of many coaches regarding high-profile non-league games. Unless the CFP selection committee prioritizes the strength of the schedule and rewards teams for taking on the tougher competition, scheduling resistance is likely to persist.