The 7-year drought without a bowl game was the longest active drought among power conference teams. Nebraska fired Mike Riley after a 4-8 season in 2017 that snapped a string of 9 consecutive bowl appearances. When Riley was replaced with Scott Frost, Husker fans believed the program would return to at least a baseline level of respectability.

Nebraska football entered its “Sea of Red” aiming to shed a title attached to them for too long. The Cornhuskers endured the longest such bowl drought for a school representing a power conference. The ‘Huskers now know their season will stretch to December.