Nebraska's road through the Big Ten stands out as easier than expected

Just ahead of Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, the conference has its official preseason poll, and Nebraska football fans might feel as though they just got an early Christmas present.

There are a lot of expectations on Matt Rhule, Dylan Raiola, and the rest of the Huskers this fall, with some analysts even believing they could be Dark Horse playoff contenders. Judging by the preseason poll, Nebraska's conference schedule might be even easier than it looked all winter and summer.

Nebraska football preseason poll: Conference rankings signal opportunity in 2025 schedule

The Nebraska football team itself didn't get a ton of love. The Cleveland.com poll has the Huskers at No. 8 in the Big Ten. That's of course, well outside of any chance of making the playoffs. It's also not terrible considering it's definitely in the upper half of the conference.

But where the real rays of hope come is when looking at where Nebraska's opponents fall in the rankings. Only three teams, Penn State at No.1, Michigan at No. 5, and Iowa at No. 7, are ranked ahead of the Cornhuskers.

Michigan State (tied for No. 13), Maryland (No. 16), Minnesota (No. 11), Northwestern (No. 17), USC (No. 9), and UCLA (No. 15), show a Big Ten slate that is populated not just by predominantly bottom half teams, but quite a few flirting wiht the cellar.

For a team that would love to see a two or three-game improvement in the regular season, the door appears to be wide open.

A slate without Illinois, Wisconsin, Oregon, or Ohio State was going to be easier than what the Huskers have faced the last few years in the Big Ten. However, this poll, should it be remotely accurate, shows that there's plenty of reason for optimism.

Nothing is set in stone, obviously. This same poll picked the Nebraska football team to finish 8th a year ago, and the Huskers placed 13th when the smoke cleared. Still, there's a road for a very successful season, in the eyes of Big Ten media.