Nebraska football: Ranking the 2018 Huskers’ opponents

The Nebraska football team will open the Scott Frost era against the Akron Zips. It’s probably a good thing that the Zips are likely the easiest opponent on an insanely hard schedule.

Led by head coach Terry Bowden, Akron is coming off a 7-7 bowl season. They even went to the MAC championship game.

So how does this team rate as the worst opponent on the entire schedule? Only four starters returning on offense is a big contributor.

The fact that those four starters are made up of three offensive lineman and one receiver on the two-deep is a bigger factor. When you consider the offense wasn’t great a year ago, it seems like a pretty good recipe for an “easy” Husker win.

Akron is replacing its entire offensive backfield after the departing starters ranked 10th in the MAC and 108th in the country in total offense. While the team is returning nine starters on defense, that defense was far from lockdown.

The Zips ranked 104th in total defense and 104th against the run. The Nebraska football team, already fired up for a season opener at home is likely going to try to pour it on. The MAC divisional champion should be hard pressed to stop them.