7 bold predictions one week ahead of Nebraska football season

The Nebraska football season is now just seven days away. Next Thursday, the Huskers will head to Arrowhead for the Kansas City Classic.

We have been talking about this game and this season, literally, since the last one ended. Numerous pundits have projected Nebraska football to be a playoff team this season or a playoff sleeper.

Dylan Raiola enters this second season as the starting quarterback. Matt Rhule is entering year three of being the head coach. We all know what that meant at Temple and Baylor. What will it mean at Nebraska?

With that in mind, here are seven predictions for Nebraska football this season with the 2025 campaign now just seven days away.

Nebraska football makes a leap in year three

Matt Rhule has rebuilt the foundation of Nebraska football. The Huskers are solid in the trenches, they have an elite quarterback, and the skill positions have been upgraded in a major way, along with the coaching staff.

After winning seven games in 2024, six during the regular season, nine wins in the regular season would feel like a leap. That was the minimum standard at Nebraska for decades. Tom Osborne, even Bo Pelini, seemed able to win nine games in their sleep.

Nebraska needs to get back to that, and it will start with at least nine wins this season, although I’m still on record saying the Huskers will make the playoff.

The top-25 losing streak ends

Nebraska football hasn’t beaten a ranked team since Oregon in 2016. The losing streak is now at 26 games. Nebraska should have broken it last season against Illinois. However, the perfect opportunity awaits in Week 4 when Michigan comes to Lincoln.

Memorial Stadium will be rocking. Michigan will have a true freshman quarterback and an interim head coach since Sherrone Moore will be suspended.

Michigan’s defense is elite. It won’t be easy, but Nebraska avoids the kind of mistake that has doomed it in games like this and finds a way to win a nailbiter, ending the losing streak against ranked teams.

Emmett Johnson hits 1,000

In terms of total yards, Emmett Johnson could hit 1,500 this season. As a runner and reciever, he was dangerous once Dana Holgorsen took over as the offensive coordinator.

Nebraska football hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2018. That streak ends in 2025. The offensive line is deep, talented, and experienced.

The passing game will be elite, which will open things up even more for Johnson, who, in my estimation, will earn at least honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2025.

Dylan Raiola will be an All-Big Ten QB

Outside of a defense that has ranked in the top 25 two years in a row, Raiola is the biggest reason to have confidence in this program finally taking a big step forward.

There were ups and downs during his freshman season. The Huskers have surrounded him with better weapons, a better play-caller, and a better offensive line.

With a year of seasoning, the difference will be stark. Decisions will be made quickly. The ball will come out faster, and Raiola won’t look like a freshman anymore. He’s different physically, too.

After just 13 touchdown passes a year ago, Raiola will have more than 20 in 2025. He will also throw for over 3,000 yards. It wouldn’t shock me if he set the program record for passing yards.

The defense is top 25 again

The Blackshirts won’t take a step back under John Butler. They’ll be even better. Statistically, they will rank among the top-25 scoring defenses in college football.

However, they will also improve in two key areas: sacks and takeaways.

The pass rush wasn’t good enough last year. Nebraska football ranked 47th in sacks (30). The Huskers ranked even lower in forcing takeaways, finishing 67th in college football with just 17.

Dasan McCullough will get around 7.5 sacks. Keona Davis, Riley Van Poppel, Cameron Lendhardt, Jaylen George, and Williams Nwaneri will each make positive impacts up front, and Vincent Shavers will prove adept at the blitz.

The pass rush will be more productive, which in turn will lead to more takeaways and another top-25 defense.

Special teams will score a return touchdown

Maybe the boldest prediction of them all. Nebraska’s special teams improved under Ed Foley, especially the coverage units, but there were still too many mistakes. The Huskers were too conservative returning the ball, too.

It helps to have dynamic return guys, though, and one of the best coaches in college football. Nebraska has a couple of talented returners in Andrew Marshall and Jacory Barney. And with Mike Ekeler running the show, the Huskers will be much improved on special teams, so much so that they even return a punt or kickoff for a touchdown in 2025.

A win over Iowa

Matt Rhule gets his first win over Iowa. Two years in a row, Nebraska had the ball in a position to score a game-winning field goal, only to turn the ball over and allow Iowa to win at the buzzer.

It can’t happen again. It won’t happen again because Nebraska will make sure that the Iowa game isn’t a one-score game this time around.

Either way, Nebraska beats Iowa for the first time in the Rhule era.

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and Subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel. You can also find our podcast on Apple or Spotify. `