Matt Rhule says this will be his best Nebraska football team, is he right?

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule is a very optimistic person. At least, that’s my read.

So, fans can take it with a grain of salt when the head coach told Hail Varsity on Saturday that this was going to be his “best team” with Nebraska.

“I’m very excited. I’m very proud of our guys. They have been working really well,” Rhule said. “We are a little under the radar. People might not know what to expect, but this will be our best team. This is the best group of guys that we’ve had.”

The head coach didn’t mince words. He’s confident in this team, not that he hasn’t been in the others, but with a daunting schedule that includes three College Football Playoff teams, and three others that won at least nine games a season ago, it feels like showing improvement in the win column will be easier said than done.

Nebraska football fans are skeptical of Matt Rhule

Nebraska football fans surely don’t seem to believe. Most of them anyway. They have grown tired of Rhule’s empty promises. It is year four after all, or about to be, and there hasn’t been enough progress, even if there has been some.

There are reasons for hope this season, though. The offensive line is a good place to start. This will be Matt Rhule’s best offensive line in Lincoln. I’m convinced of that.

Elijah Pritchett and Justin Evans are pros. There could be others, but Geep Wade added three starting-level players from the portal, which, added to the holdovers, gives Nebraska true depth, as well as some quality competition.

Plus, a guy in Wade, who feels like a home-run hire, even more so than when he was hired, should get the most out of them.

Hopefully, we get the same feeling about Rob Aurich on defense. The good news there is that the Huskers will have one of the most experienced defenses in college football, in terms of snaps played.

There is top-end talent on that side of the ball, too, especially in the secondary. The defensive line has some nice pieces. Linebacker does, too, and this defense can’t be as bad as it was last season.

If it is, Rhule could find himself on the hot seat sooner than expected.

The addition of Anthony Colandrea, an experienced quarterback with proven production, also seems to give the head coach confidence. He’s a different player than Dylan Raiola, but one who feels more effective. The QB run game will return, and that’s vital for a team like Nebraska.

The Huskers might not be able to get enough talent to support an NFL-style pass offense that Raiola was better suited to run. Colandrea is a better fit for this offense and this program.

That’s one reason Rhule believes this will be his best Nebraska team, and why it’s easy to believe him.

The problem is that people won’t care if an improved team wins only five games. Wins are the only thing that matters, and Rhule needs more of them, regardless of who is on the schedule.