Stunning Nebraska Cornhuskers Record Predicted by ESPN Computer

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and head coach Matt Rhule are coming off of a season in which they were just one win away from making a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

This came after the Huskers started 5-3 and went on a four-game skid to miss a bowl game for the seventh straight year.

The ESPN computer made a prediction about the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ season that may be disappointing to Husker faithful

ESPN’s Football Power Index claimed the Huskers’ projected record includes 6.5-5.5 wins in the 2024 season.

While a six-win season would be the best season Husker fans have seen since 2016, the prediction still may come as a disappointment to many Husker fans after finishing 5-7 in 2023.

The FPI has the Huskers as the 41st-ranked team in the nation. It gives them a 69.3% chance at going to a bowl game, but just a 0.6% chance of winning the Big Ten. A 4.9% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, which features 12 teams this year, rounds out the FPI’s prediction about Nebraska this year.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and HC Matt Rhule were a quarterback away from a bowl game in 2023

An excellent defense had the Huskers competing in most of the games they played in 2023, but poor quarterback play made it extremely hard for them to win.

A mediocre quarterback would’ve easily netted the Huskers at least one more win and sent them on their way to a bowl game for the first time in nearly a decade. Three Husker quarterbacks collectively accounted for 1,631 yards passing, a 52.1% completion rate, 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Not a single quarterback had a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio and that doesn’t include the plethora of fumbles for which the quarterback room was responsible. Quarterbacks were largely responsible for the fact that the Huskers had a negative turnover margin in 10 of their 12 games with the two exceptions being the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

HC Matt Rhule said in a 247 Sports article after the spring game that the quarterback play was much improved. A slight improvement would’ve likely resulted in an extra win, but much-improved quarterback play from five-star freshman Dylan Raiola should be worth a few more.

“I think the quarterback play’s significantly improved from last season, and that’s kind of where we’re at,” Rhule said.

Many Analysts think the Nebraska Cornhuskers could be 7-0 heading into their matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes

The reason a prediction under seven wins for the season may be disappointing to a fan base that hasn’t seen a bowl game appearance since 2016 is that the Huskers have seven winnable games to start off their season.

Many analysts and fans have predicted the Hujskers will be 7-0 heading into their matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Nebraska will start off 7-0 with that schedule, be Top 10 heading into Columbus…

And it’ll end up like this https://t.co/l1lK5MP0Iw pic.twitter.com/qkR9Uk7B3T

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) June 4, 2024

Joel Klatt lists Nebraska-Colorado as one of his 10 games that will shape the 2024 College Football Season:

“If Nebraska wins, that’s a very different type of shaping… That would be there toughest test, I think by a substantial margin, on their way to being 7-0 on their way to…

— Huskers Gameday (@HuskersGameday) June 3, 2024

someone said Nebraska will be 7-0 heading to Columbus and I promise that none of you will still be following me if that’s the case https://t.co/SeZzu3o9OH

— Kensey Arlt (@kenzarlt) June 4, 2024

While the Huskers have had no problem losing “winnable” games in recent years, fans will still likely be disappointed with less than seven wins on the season. That being said, there are a lot of Husker fans who would be ecstatic to see their team play in the postseason once again, no matter how ugly the trip there is.

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