Nebraska football leads the pack of most improved teams for 2024

Nebraska football gets more praise after an impressive spring practice session as one of the teams expected to make some serious noise.
Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
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Nebraska football fans aren't the only one who believe the Huskers will be quite a bit better than they have been the last few years. Analysts and reporters all over the country have been talking quite a bit about how much they think the Huskers will improve this season.

The latest indicator of Nebraska's anticipated resurgence is the projected win totals, which have set the over/under at 7.5 for the season. This means that even if the Huskers don't exceed expectations, they are still likely to secure a bowl spot, and quite comfortably at that.

Athlon Sports, a reputable publication, has also joined the chorus of voices predicting a much-improved Nebraska football team. In fact, they have included the Cornhuskers in their list of the most improved teams in the country. 

"A closer look at the record showed this team wasn't far away from a bowl trip," Athlon's Steve Lasan wrote. "Five of the team's defeats came by one score, and an unlucky minus-17 turnover margin is unlikely to be replicated again." Nebraska football fans might bristle a bit at this reasoning.

Nebraska football is once again close

The Huskers have been "close" an awful lot the last few years. It was entirely the reason Scott Frost got an extra year. On the other hand, no one can deny that a different play here or there in any of the five games they lost by three points could have led to a much different record than 5-7.

"The strength of Rhule's second squad should be a defense that returns seven starters after holding teams to 18.3 points a game last season"

Lassan made it clear that the margin of victory wasn't the only factor contributing to his prediction that they'll be much improved. 

"The strength of Rhule's second squad should be a defense that returns seven starters after holding teams to 18.3 points a game last season. Improving the offense (18 points a contest) is the top priority in '24, but the arrival of five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola and a couple of key transfer pickups at running back and receiver should significantly boost this unit."

Finally, the analyst is correct in noting that the Nebraska footbal schedule is set up for a much easier time. Even if the Big Ten North isn't a thing any longer.