Is Matt Rhule paranoid or is there tampering after Nebraska's spring game?

Is Matt Rhule paranoid or is there tampering after Nebraska's spring game?

Author: Omaha World-Herald February 5, 2025 Duration: 59:13

In the latest episode of the Pick Six Podcast, Sam McKewon, Tom Shatel and Evan Bland break down Nebraska not holding a traditional spring game and if Matt Rhule paranoid or justified in saying tampering was a reason behind the change.

The crew opens with Nebraska's announcement that the Huskers won't have a traditional spring game and Matt Rhule's comments that part of the decision came from the tampering that happens in college football.

They talk whether there is tampering and the loss of the Nebraska tradition.

The trio moves onto Nebraska hiring Mike Ekeler special teams coordinator and the shuffling of Matt Rhule's staff this offseason.

Is this a Matt Rhule 2.0 staff? Does this free Rhule to take on more of a CEO, while coordinators become mini head coaches of their units.  

Matt Rhule said he aims to blend talent (big NIL players) with culture (walk-on sort of players) on Nebraska's 105-man roster.

Is this feasible, and is it worth it? How do you do it during the revenue sharing era?

John Cook has stepped down as Nebraska volleyball coach and his successor has been named former Husker and Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly. Was it a seamless transition?

Is there a better fit — or more qualified — to take over the Husker program?

The crew also talks the parallels to Tom Osborne and Frank Solich and Scott Frost, and why this was the perfect time for Cook to retire.

Nebraska men's basketball was on a big losing streaking. Now the Huskers have beaten two straight ranked teams (Illinois and Oregon) and are back on the NCAA tournament bubble.

They talk how Fred Hoiberg's Hail Mary (calling the Illinois game the Huskers' Super Bowl) changed Nebraska's course and how Brice Williams and Juwan Gary have had huge impacts on the team. 

What does Nebraska need to do to get off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament?

The crew gives their Super Bowl predictions — will the Kansas City Chiefs three-peat? — and what it will take for each team to win.


For fans who live and breathe Nebraska football, there’s a rhythm to the week that builds toward game day. The Pick Six Podcast from the Omaha World-Herald fits right into that cycle, offering a grounded and informed discussion straight from the newsroom. Each episode features the paper’s own staff writers breaking down the latest developments, from Saturday’s game film and pivotal plays to the recruiting trails and coaching decisions shaping the program’s future. This isn’t just reaction; it’s analysis rooted in daily beat reporting and a deep understanding of Husker sports history. You’ll hear the kind of candid, knowledgeable conversation that happens after the notebooks are closed, where perspectives clash and the bigger picture comes into focus. Tuning into this podcast feels like pulling up a chair at the press box after the final whistle, providing clarity on what just happened and what it means for the weeks ahead. It’s an essential companion for anyone who wants to move beyond the headlines and into the substantive talk that defines a passionate fan base.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Pick Six Podcast - Husker sports news and analysis
Podcast Episodes
What to expect at Saturday's spring game [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:24
Sam McKewon and Evan Bland break down Nebraska’s upcoming spring football game — zeroing in on transfer QB Anthony Colandrea, a nastier, edge-setting Blackshirts defense, and tweaks to the Huskers’ run and quick passing…
Stop worrying and learn to love Nebrasketball's path to the Sweet 16 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:37
Sam McKewon pleads with Evan Bland, and the rest of the Nebraska basketball fan base, not to overthink Thursday's first-round NCAA tournament game vs. Troy. Sam and Evan discuss NU's chances to make the Sweet 16 and why…
Nebraska baseball completes a perfect homestand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:13
In The World-Herald's weekly baseball episode, Evan Bland and Ben Doody break down Nebrsaka's 9-0 homestand and look aheadd to Wednesday's game at Wichita State. Plus, Evan lists one Husker pitcher who could be a future…
NCAA mini episode: Nebraska draws Troy in Round 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:13
In a special Selection Sunday mini episode, Sam McKewon and Ben Doody break down the Nebraska men's basketball team's matchup against Troy in the first round of the NCAA tournament and the NU women's teams's matchup agai…
Kent Pavelka joins the show [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:17
In a special episode of the Pick Six pod for The World-Herald's Husker Legends series presented by Liberty First Credit Union, Nebraska basketball radio voice Kent Pavelka joins the show to talk about his storied career…
Nebraska baseball's five-game winning streak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:04
On the latest Pick Six baseball day, Evan Bland and Ben Doody talk about Nebraska's 5-0 start to its season-opening homestand and take a look at Evan's latest Omaha Eight, which is loaded with teams from California and M…
Iowa writer Ethan Petrik joins the show [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:39
In a special Nebraska-Iowa basketball episode of the pod, Iowa beat writer Ethan Petrik of the Quad City Times joins Ben Doody to preview the Huskers-Hawkeyes game. Ethan also shares his perspective on how Iowa fans trea…