​Early projections for the 2026 college football season are starting to take shape, and one major publication has the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a bowl game this fall. Bill Bender of the Sporting News predicts that Nebraska would meet the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Lockheed Armed Forces Bowl.
Although neither Nebraska nor South Carolina has ever played in the Armed Forces Bowl, the two programs do share a history with one another. The Huskers hold a 3-1 advantage in their four previous meetings with the Gamecocks. The regular-season clashes occurred in 1964, 1986, and 1987, and the programs also faced off in the postseason, most notably in the 2011 Capital One Bowl, a game won by South Carolina by a score of 30-13.
Nebraska brings a long and storied bowl tradition of its own. The Huskers have appeared in 55 postseason contests, compiling a record of 27-28 all-time. Under head coach Matt Rhule, who is entering his fourth season in Lincoln, the team sits at 19-19 overall and has earned two bowl invitations during his tenure, going 1-1 in those appearances.
South Carolina, likewise, has an extensive bowl résumé, having participated in 26 postseason games with a mark of 10-16. The program is led by Shane Beamer, who is entering his sixth season at the helm. Beamer’s record stands at 33-30, including three bowl appearances, with a 1-2 mark in those games.
The Lockheed Armed Forces Bowl is slated for December 23, with kickoff scheduled at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. This matchup would mark an intriguing convergence of two programs with notable bowl legacies and a prior history of competition, both on the gridiron and within postseason contexts.
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