Nebraska Cornhuskers:

One win from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016, Nebraska finished the season with four consecutive losses and a 5-7 record. Matt Rhule’s first season as coach was a failure and too often a comedy of offensive errors. But it’s darkest before the dawn and things are about to change for the brighter in Lincoln, with a freshman phenom leading the way at quarterback. The Cornhuskers open the season with five home games in the first six weeks, and fans can start making plans for that long-awaited bowl trip.

Offense

Dylan Raiola is a five-star recruit who tends to be indecisive, so that could be a red flag, and expectations might be a little too high considering he’s projected by some to resemble the next Patrick Mahomes. Raiola committed to Ohio State and then Georgia before shifting to Nebraska, where his dad was an All-American offensive lineman and his uncle currently coaches the line. Raiola should be a major upgrade from last year’s three-ring QB circus of Jeff Sims, Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy. The Cornhuskers committed 31 turnovers last season, the most in the nation. The line will be solid with three seniors and two juniors starting, and Rhule recruited transfer wideout Jahmal Banks from Wake Forest.

 

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Defense

While a freshman leads the offense, the defense will be loaded with all juniors and seniors in the starting lineup. Senior safety Isaac Gifford, the team’s leading tackler, returns along with team sack leader Jimari Butler on the edge. A defense that allowed 18.3 PPG was good enough to get Nebraska to a bowl game last season, and this unit should be just as strong.

Outlook

The Cornhuskers dropped four games by exactly three points last season — three of them by the score of 13-10 — and the obvious reason was an abysmal offense. It’s a new era with the Rhule-Raiola duo. A schedule that excludes Michigan, Oregon and Penn State sets the table for a bowl. UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa and Illinois visit Lincoln before a trip to Purdue and another home game against Rutgers. A 6-0 start is possible by early October, but it’s probably not going to be that easy. The back end of the schedule is far more difficult and includes Ohio State, USC, Iowa and Wisconsin. The prediction here is Rhule will flip the record from 5-7 to 7-5.

Pick: Under 7.5 Wins

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