Nebraska Football Season Preview 2024-25: Biggest games, key players to watch, predictions and more

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are looking for a winning 2024 after a 2023 season in which they were one win away from bowl eligibility. The Cornhuskers haven't had a bowl-eligible season since 2016. Four consecutive losses at the tail end of the season left them with a record of 5-7.

The expansion of the Big 10 has brought the arrival of big schools like USC and UCLA, both of which the Cornhuskers will be facing towards the end of the schedule. So, now more than ever, it's important for Nebraska to start strong to avoid a train wreck of a last month of the season like in 2023. Can the Cornhuskers turn this around and earn a 6-6 record? Better still, a 7-5 one?

Nebraska's biggest games in the 2024-25 season

In the first half of the season, the most obvious game that stands out from the rest is the Week 2 encounter with the Colorado Buffaloes. Rest assured that the Sanders will attract huge national interest once again and the game will be a contentious one given its rivalry status.

It's up to the Cornhuskers to see if they trip the wire, as they know that Deion Sanders and Co. want a polarized atmosphere ahead of all their games. In our opinion, the best course of action would be to avoid falling into that trap. Prepare for the game like any other, avoid silly mistakes like in 2023 and bring the heat to Shedeur Sanders.

In reality, it will be between weeks 9 and 14 that Nebraka's season's fate will be decided.

In Week 9, the Cornhuskers make a difficult trip to Columbus, Ohio, to face the Buckeyes. In Week 10 they receive the UCLA Bruins at home, which will be followed by a bye week. In Week 12, they make another difficult trip, this time to Los Angeles, to face the USC Trojans.

The Cornhuskers need to win at least one of these games, and the most likely candidate is the game against UCLA. If they lose just two of their first seven games and manage a victory here, they'll have their bowl eligibility.

To close out the season, they will face Wisconsin at home in Week 13 and Iowa on the road in Week 14.

Key Nebraska Players to Watch in 2024

Dylan Raiola, QB

With Jeff Sims having left for Arizona State, many fans will be wondering if Nebraska will hand the keys to the offense to true freshman Dylan Raiola. He was a five-star recruit of the class of 2024 who ranked second in the nation among signal-callers and first overall in his home state of Georgia. There's no question that he's the future of Nebraska, but is he the present, too?

Syndication: Online Athens - Source: Imagn

Tommi Hill, DB

Defensive back Tommi Hill had his breakthrough season in 2023, and he enters the 2024 season with the potential to leave his mark on the history of the program. In 2023 he led Nebraska with four interceptions while making just seven starts on defense. For his efforts, he earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention after ranking fourth overall in interceptions in the conference. What will he be able to do with extended playing time?

NCAA Football: Iowa at Nebraska - Source: Imagn

Nebraska's 2024 season prediction

We see Nebraska being able to improve over last year's performance, earning bowl eligibility with a record of 6-6. Anything above that will be difficult, given the harsh in-conference schedule in the second half of the season.