There’s very little doubt that there is a ton of excitement around the Nebraska football team. More and more analysts are talking about the very good chance that head coach Matt Rhule is going to finally turn the program around in 2024.
Of course, while it’s nice to hear analysts talk positively about the Cornhuskers, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Those same analysts had a lot of nice things to say about Deion Sanders when Colorado was 3-0 to start the 2023 season.
That’s why it’s even better when you see some scientific ratings saying that the Nebraska football team is headed to a bowl for the first time since 2016. That’s where ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) comes in. This is a set of scientific data that is at least a decent spot to work from when you want to know what to expect from your team in the current season.
Nebraska football is bowl bound according to ESPN FPI
According to the latest FPI ratings, the Huskers have a 69 percent chance at winning at least six games. The Huskers actual FPI rating is 4.8 and has them ranked 41st in the country. That also has them 10th in the Big 10.
That’s actually where things get a little interesting. According to the FPI ratings, the Huskers are behind teams like UCLA and Wisconsin. The weird thing there is that the Bruins and Badgers are given very good odds at winning less games than the Cornhuskers.
Other interesting anomalies are out there such as giving NU just a 0.6 percent chance of winning the Big Ten but a 4.9 percent chance of making the new 12-team playoffs.
All in all, the Nebraska football team is projected to have a decent season. After almost a decade with no bowl games, just six wins is going to look very, very good.