Now that it's officially game week, there are still some big questions about what Nebraska football fans will see when the Huskers kick off against Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Even with all the hype surrounding the Cornhuskers, there are still plenty of things to be nervous about. NU tends to be the "offseason champs" around Lincoln as fans and even national analysts keep expecting "this to be the year" that Nebraska will be back.
So what are the most significant questions the Nebraska football team has to answer to open the 2025 campaign with a big win over a Power 4 opponent?
Can the Huskers' offensive line gel quickly?
While four of the five starters on the Nebraska offensive line are guys who have seen plenty of action, there are still some questions as to how this unit will play together, especially on the right side.
Rocco Spindler is starting immediately after transferring over from Notre Dame, and the guard should be one of the best performers. Still, he's also never played alongside the other guys on the line. Then there's right tackle Teddy Prochazka. Teddy has been around for a long time, but he's had several seasons shortened due to injury. Can he finally deliver on the promise he arrived in Lincoln with? Can he pick things up without missing a beat?
Matt Rhule has said that Cincy's defensive front will be formidable, especially Dontay Corleone. Can the offensive line handle its business both in the run game and against the pass rush?
Will tackling be an issue for the Nebraska football team?
With a new defensive coordinator and quite a few new starters, especially in the linebacker corps, a question as to how sound the tackling will be in Week 1 has to be asked. Add to the fact that if Cincinnati gets its offense going, it will almost certainly be because their two bruising backs, Tawee Walker and Evan Pryor, can get going.
Both players are hard to tackle in the middle of the season, let alone when teams aren't all that used to riding players all the way to the ground.
Will Williams Nwaneri announce his presence with authority?
When the Huskers landed Williams Nwaneri from the transfer portal, there was a lot of talk about the player he was out of high school. Then the player he was in his first year in college at Missouri. The biggest question was, could he find his way back to the talent level everyone thought he would be when he was a 5-star prospect?
According to Nebraska football's head coach, he's a whole new beast of a player. Can he show that off in his first game as a Husker? He'll get his chance as he's at the top of the depth chart. The question, as always, is just how married to that depth chart will the coaches be if he comes out and struggles in his first few snaps.