Nebraska's playoff dream hinges on Dylan Raiola's breakout and a crucial win over Colorado, says Joel Klatt

Dylan Raiola is a former five-star high school prospect, so it didn't come as a surprise when the freshman quarterback was named the starter for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Raiola shone in his official collegiate debut against UTEP on August 31, putting up a passing spectacle against the opposition.

CFB analyst Joel Klatt was thoroughly impressed with Raiola, and he predicts that the Cornhuskers playoff hopes are on the shoulders of the freshman phenom.

"Well, if he is just a net positive for Nebraska, then they will be playing meaningful games for the College Football Playoffs when it comes to November," Klatt said via On3.

"That's the standard. You see, everyone has been talking about Dylan Raiola being possibly the savior for Nebraska, and he’s going to rescue them, and so on and so forth."

Aside from Klatt, Nebraska offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield applauded Dylan Raiola for his maturity as a signal caller.

"Coming off the Tunnel Walk, that was a lot of years, so many memories and a lot of days of anticipation and excitement. I was hoping he was going to just come out and play. You get nervous that a young guys try to do too much and be too emotional, but he was like a freaking surgeon. His maturity is well beyond his years," Satterfield said via 247Sports.

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Nebraska defeated UTEP in Week 1

Matt Rhule did not waste time in thrusting his star rookie quarterback into action. Raiola started the first game of the 2024 college football season and repaid his coach's faith with a stellar debut performance.

Raiola passed for 238 yards and two TDs as Nebraska defeated UTEP (40-7) and clinched its first season-opening victory in five years. Both of the freshman's touchdown passes were a thing of beauty, with the first being a 59-yard target to Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor. Meanwhile, the second was a lofted pass to the outside shoulder of Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks.

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What's next for Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers?

Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers passed the first test of the 2024 college football season with flying colors. They ruthlessly dispatched UTEP and opened their campaign in style. Next up, they will host Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes in Memorial Stadium at Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday, September 7.

The Colorado Buffaloes game will serve as a matchup between two of the most hyped quarterbacks in the nation. There's the freshman phenom, Raiola, in one corner and a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders, on the other side.

It will be a tricky game, as the Colorado Buffaloes possess an array of talented playmakers — including Sanders and Heisman Trophy hopeful, Travis Hunter. But Nebraska will be ready, and regardless of the result, it will surely be an exciting game on Saturday night.