USC's RIDICULOUS 35.5-Point Line Proves Nebraska's AD Knows EXACTLY What Coach Rhule Needs: PATIENCE

Alright, Emerald City, can we talk about something for a second, even if it ain't exactly green and blue *this very minute*? Because when you look at the absolute wildness of early college football, what Nebraska's AD Dannen is saying about Coach Rhule makes *so* much sense. He's talking about patience, man, giving Rhule the time to build that program. And honestly, after seeing some of these opening week lines from across the country, you gotta wonder what kind of chaotic energy Dannen is bracing for out there. This ain't about instant gratification, not when you're building something real, and that applies whether you're in Lincoln or right here in the Pacific Northwest.

The Long Game: Why Patience Is the Play

We see it all the time, right? Fans want wins yesterday, especially in a sport as passionate as college football. But Dannen's out here telling everyone he's committed to letting Rhule truly *build* Nebraska's program. That's a long game, folks. It’s about more than just one Saturday, especially when the season kicks off with some absolute jaw-droppers on the schedule. Every team listed, from Stanford to Hawaii, is starting at a 0-0 record. It's a blank slate for all of them, but the expectations, and the oddsmakers' early reads, are already screaming. You can't rush a foundation when the landscape is already this wild.

Early Season Chaos, Numbers Don't Lie

You wanna talk about chaos? Just glance at some of these early season matchups for late August and early September. We've got USC favored by a mind-boggling 35.5 points against San José State on August 28. THIRTY-FIVE AND A HALF! That's not just a game, that's a statement. Florida State is a massive -28.5 favorite over New Mexico State the same day. And then there's Oklahoma, a ridiculous -40.5 against UTEP on September 4! FORTY AND A HALF POINTS! You're telling me AD Dannen isn't looking at this and thinking, 'Yeah, Rhule needs more than a year to fix things when the league is *that* lopsided at the top?' It's not just the huge favorites, either. We've got tighter battles like Stanford -3 against Hawaii, or UNLV -3 versus Memphis, both kicking off on August 28. TCU gives -6.5 to North Carolina on August 29. You've got Wake Forest at -22.5 hosting Akron on September 2. Rutgers is a whopping -30.5 against Massachusetts, and Texas A&M is out here at -38.5 against Missouri State on September 4. These aren't even Week 3 games, these are your *first* impressions of the year, all starting from August 28 through September 4. If you're AD Dannen, looking at a rebuild, you're seeing a world where some teams are on a totally different planet. You can't rush what Rhule's doing when the rest of the league is dropping spreads like these right out of the gate.

What to Watch For

So yeah, while we're all fired up for our Mariners to keep heating up and counting the days until Sam Darnold is slinging it for the Hawks, it's worth a look at the bigger sports picture. These early college football games, starting as early as August 28, are gonna be wild. We'll be watching to see if any of these massive spreads actually hold up. It's a reminder that sometimes, the smartest play in sports isn't the flashy one, but the patient one. Good on Dannen for seeing the bigger picture. We'll keep an eye on all the action, here and everywhere.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.