While the focus will be on what happens Saturday afternoon, Indiana and Nebraska have a  history that dates back to 1936. The Hoosiers enter this year's matchup with an all-time record of 11-9-3 against Nebraska, including a home record of 3-3-1.

Indiana has won two of its last three meetings against Nebraska, but Curt Cignetti was at the helm of just one of those matchups.

Indiana's longest winning streak in the series is seven from 1941 to 1947. For Rutgers, its longest win streak is five, during the last three matchups from 1975 to 2016.

The most recent matchup between Indiana and Nebraska came in 2024, with the Hoosiers absolutely pounding the Huskers, 56-7 in Bloomington.

Despite starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke missing the second half due to a thumb injury, the Hoosiers blew open a 28-7 halftime lead by scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half behind backup quarterback Tayven Jackson. Indiana’s defense suffocated Nebraska freshman phenom Dylan Raiola, picking him off three times and holding the Cornhuskers to just 70 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Indiana gained 215 yards on the ground with five rushing touchdowns.

Indiana running back Justice Ellison opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Late in the second quarter, he broke free for a dynamic 31-yard touchdown run that gave Indiana a 28-7 cushion going into the break, effectively deflating Nebraska before halftime. He finished with 105 rushing yards and those two scores on just nine carries.

Over the last five meetings, Indiana has gone 2-3 against Nebraska. 

2024: Indiana 56, Nebraska 7

2022: Indiana 21, Nebraska 35

2019: Indiana 38, Nebraska 31

2016: Indiana 22, Nebraska 27

1978: Indiana 17, Nebraska 69

Indiana and Nebraska have only played 23 times even though the series dates back to 1936. There was a 38-year hiatus between the two programs from 1978 to 2016, but there is some traditional, college football history here.

It's interesting to look at — whichever program was winning at the time, was winning by quite a bit. During Indiana's 7-game winning streak, they dominated. Conversely, Nebraska blew Indiana out during its 5-game run. 

One of the most memorable games between these two programs from an Indiana standpoint might be the most recent meeting in 2024. At the time, Indiana was 6-0 and ranked No. 16, but people were still trying to figure out just how good they were and exactly who Curt Cignetti was. The game ended up being heavily-watched and completely one-sided as IU stomped Nebraska by almost 50 points. That matchup really sparked national attention during IU's historic start.

Of course, past results don't determine what happens on Saturday in Lincoln. The two teams entering this year's matchup are different from ones that played in all previous matchups.

Both teams are sitting at 5-0 and both teams have looked very impressive at times. What's interesting is that Indiana is No. 7 nationally, while Nebraska is unranked despite the perfect record. Last week at Rutgers, Indiana really started to fire on all cylinders. Nebraska has been hard to handle as well, coming off a 48-23 win over Maryland. 

The old, yet limited history between these programs adds another layer to Saturday's matchup. Indiana will look to keep rolling like a well-oiled machine, while Nebraska hopes the home field advantage will be enough for them to keep a zero in the loss column.

With another chapter about to be written, Saturday will add to a series that includes just 23 meetings with a couple of pretty memorable moments.