Updated bowl projections and more Nebraska football news

It’s been a dream start for the Nebraska football team as the Huskers are 3-0 and ranked No. 22 in the AP poll. The win over Colorado got people’s attention.

But the Huskers have covered the spread in their three games and won by an average of 27.3 points. Nebraska football is allowing just more than eight points per game and quarterback Dylan Raiola has been stellar by every metric. My favorite though is one turnover through three games, which was on Jaylen Lloyd, not Raiola.

At any rate, Nebraska football has been trending up in the world of postseason bowl projections. The Huskers aren’t projected to make the playoff yet, but some outlets have them just on the outside looking in.

ESPN has Nebraska football projected to play in the Music City Bowl and the Reliaquest Bowl against LSU and Oklahoma respectively (ESPN has two authors projecting). CBS Sports has the Huskers playing in the Music City Bowl also against LSU.

The Action Network projects the Huskers to play Missouri in the Citrus Bowl. That’s the best projection so far since the Citrus Bowl is the top choice for Big Ten teams not in the playoff. It would also be fun to battle an old Big 8 rival in Missouri.

Last but not least, Athlon Sports has a juicy bowl matchup that Nebraska football fans would enjoy as it projects the Huskers to the Reliaquest Bowl against Texas A&M. So that’s two projections for the Reliaquest Bowl, two for the Music City and one for the Citrus.

Nebraska football DL Riley Van Poppel to redshirt

Matt Rhule announced on Monday that Riley Van Poppel will redshirt this season telling the media he told Van Poppel “can play 8-10 plays this year or be Ty Robinson next year.”

The former blue-chip who is 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, played in 11 games last season with five sacks, one tackle for loss and, 0.5 sacks. He’s played in two games so far this season so he could play in two more plus the postseason.

With Robinson and Nash Hutmacher, plus guys like Kai Wallin, Jimari Butler, and James Williams, the staff must feel good enough about its defensive line depth. It’s a curious move to me. I don’t understand not playing one of your best defensive linemen, even as a depth piece.

Even if it is just 8-10 snaps a game, those are important snaps in the Big Ten. They will also help Van Poppel improve and grow as a player. And the idea that he’ll take a big leap to the level of Ty Robinson while sitting on the bench in Big Ten games makes zero sense to me.

But that’s the direction for now. We’ll see if Nebraska sticks to it, but it’s a curious decision and not one I understand unless there is some sort of injury.

Henry Lutovsky to start vs. Illinois

Micah Mazzccua missed the Northern Iowa game on Saturday and he won’t play against Illinois according to Matt Rhule. Mazzccua isn’t injured but “is working through some things.” Lutosvky started against Northern Iowa and held up fine, but it’s something to watch against a tough Illinois defense.

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