Can you feel it? Nebraska football has returned.
The Huskers kick off their 133rd football season on Saturday, taking on the Northwestern Wildcats at the Aer Lingus Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. While Saturday’s matchup will mark Nebraska’s 1,358th game in football history, it is only the second time that the Husker football team has played on foreign soil. The last time was a trip to Japan in 1992, a team that featured current athletic director Trev Alberts on its roster.
Nebraska-Northwestern football TV channel, time, live stream
TV Channel: FOX
Time: 11:30 a.m. CT
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27
Live stream: FOX Sports (with TV provider)
Radio: Nebraska fans can listen to the game on the new Huskers Radio Network. Internet radio will be available at Huskers.com.
Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Weather: The first game of the year is here. If that game was happening in Lincoln, we’d be dealing with temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s and a chance for thunderstorms. But since it’s going to be in Ireland on Saturday, it’s going to be MUCH cooler!
Full forecast and updates brought to you by Rusty Dawkins of Husker Weather. More here.
Nebraska-Northwestern football picks, odds
The line: Nebraska -11
Over/under: 51.5
(per the VI Consensus)
Nebraska-Northwestern preview
It’s Week Zero, and Nebraska is in Dublin, Ireland, to face Northwestern. One might call this a make-or-break year for coach Scott Frost, and all eyes will be on how the Huskers handle this matchup with the Wildcats. A hot start against Northwestern could set things up nicely for Nebraska to begin its season.
And for offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, it’s all about how the Huskers start right away on Saturday.
“As coaches you like to have everything in plan, but very rarely does it happen in the first game,” Whipple said on Wednesday. “I’ve been on both ends of it. Get out of the first quarter without giving the game away and settle in.”
What can we expect from a Nebraska-Northwestern matchup? Well, before last year, each of the previous four meetings between the two programs was decided by one score, including back-to-back overtime wins for the Wildcats in 2017 and 2018. Eight of the 11 Big Ten meetings between Nebraska and Northwestern have been one-score games.
The 2021 matchup was a different story. The Huskers won 56-7 over Northwestern, the largest margin of victory in a Big Ten Conference game. Nebraska, who is 6-5 against Northwestern, would certainly like to replicate that in 2022.
However, there are a lot of unknowns with Nebraska. Frost overhauled his offensive staff this past season and hit the transfer portal hard to bring new faces to the roster. Some notable new players are quarterback Casey Thompson, wide receiver Trey Palmer and edge Ochaun Mathis.
So, what now?
“Pretty much the hay is in the barn,” Frost said on Thursday. “I think we’re ready.”
Here’s to another season ahead.
What else do you need to know? Here’s some final thoughts from Aviva Stadium following Nebraska’s Thursday practice:

Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.