Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.
Nebraska has been a "helmet school." The future for Nebraska is somewhere between Iowa and Michigan State. Above average.
If Nebraska were to recruit a top coach, they could be Wisconsin good. It's hard to win national championships when there are 6 - 7 teams in the conference that are competitive.
Most years in the Big 8 there were two competitive teams. Occasionally, but not usually, Mizzou, or Colorado would be competitive. Is it possible recruiting was better for Nebraska in the Big 8 / Big 12, than being on the western periphery of the Big 10?