Nebraska's stunning collapse just the latest Cornhusker head-scratcher as Indiana's winning streak lives on

No way Nebraska could choke this one away.

The Huskers were up 17-6 against defending national champion Indiana. They were at home. The streak was 12 minutes away from being broken.

And then, like a flash, a spark, an eruption, the Hoosiers sprung to life. An Indiana rally. A Nebraska collapse.

The final score will burn those in Huskerville: Indiana 20, Nebraska 17 .

It's yet another one-score loss against a ranked opponent and the skid — the skid — marches onward.

One of the country's most historic brands, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, have now lost 31 straight games against ranked teams, a streak that dates back to September of 2016. They've lost eight consecutive games at home decided by three points or less.

They blew a whopper on Saturday, fumbled away what looked like a sure victory as touchdown underdogs. They did it in one of the more revolting ways, too: massive coverage busts in the secondary.

IU quarterback Josh Hoover hit receiver Nick Marsh for 44- and 75-yard touchdowns on consecutive possessions, with 11 minutes and 7 minutes left in the game, to lift the Hoosiers to a comeback victory that extends a remarkable streak of their own: 22 straight wins.

A role reversal? That's what it feels like.

The longtime football power vs. the historic basketball school. One has one of the country's longest active (and embarrassing) losing skids against good competition and the other has the nation's longest winning streak.

In 33 games as coach in Bloomington, Curt Cignetti has lost two games. Two. In 44 games in Lincoln, Matt Rhule has lost 20 games. Twenty. And he's 0-10 against ranked opponents.

Nebraska's skid will be on the line again next week with a trip to Oregon on the schedule. And Indiana's game against Ohio State looms as one of the signature matchups of the 2026 season so far. In fact, Indiana can tie Ohio State for the longest winning streak for a Big Ten team in conference history against … Ohio State.

Immediately after Saturday's game, Cignetti credited his comeback kids by saying they "took a deep breath and relaxed and forgot all the garbage in the first half."

That garbage: In its first six full drives of the game, Indiana punted four times. They trailed 10-3 at the break. They couldn't convert on third down. They couldn't protect Hoover in the pocket. They even struggled at times to run the ball consistently.

And then, sort of out of nowhere, a former Michigan State receiver brought them to life. Marsh finished with six catches and 187 yards. His two fourth-quarter touchdowns came amid busted coverages from a Huskers defense who, to that point, had played splendidly.

"Nick Marsh, they had a rough time with him," Cignetti said afterward.

The last one — the game-winner — came on fourth-and-1 from the 44-yard line. Cignetti said he saw the play used by Kansas coach Lance Leipold years ago. In a bunched receiver formation, Marsh aligned behind a receiver who ended up blocking and occupying two Nebraska players. It sprung him free over the middle and Hoover hit him in stride.

"Kansas made that one famous with the guy who's starting quarterback for Tampa [Jalon Daniels]," he said. "That guy is a good coach. Stole that one about 5-6 years ago."

Despite only 12 completions, Hoover continued to avoid the big mistakes. He now has 17 touchdowns this season and zero interceptions — a startling line for a player who threw 33 picks in three seasons at TCU.

After the game, Rhule said he should have called a timeout before the fourth-down play. The Nebraska defense believed IU was in one specific personnel package. However, they were in another entirely. The Hoosiers moved too quickly, got the snap off and scored the touchdown.

Fittingly, after the score, the Fox television cameras panned to a Nebraska fan making a gesture from the stands. The fans' hands were grasped around his own neck.