Is This the Year Nebraska Turns the Corner? | A Deep Dive of the 2024 Season

Matt Rhule brings in talented freshman QB Dylan Raiola and some talent out of the transfer portal. Will it be enough for the Nebraska Cornhuskers to return to a +.500 team?
Cornhuskers 2024 Schedule:
Aug. 31 vs. UTEP
Sept. 7 vs Colorado Buffaloes
Sept. 14 vs Northern Iowa
Sept. 20(Friday) vs Illinois Illini
Sept. 28 at Purdue Boilermakers
Oct. 5 vs Rutgers
Oct. 12 Idle
Oct. 19 at Indiana Hoosiers
Oct. 26 at Ohio State Buckeyes
Nov. 2 vs. UCLA Bears
Nov. 9 Idle
Nov. 16 at USC Trojans
Nov. 23 vs Wisconsin Badgers
Nov. 29 (Friday) at Iowa Hawkeyes
#nebraskacornhuskers #bigten #ncaa

[@stephencostello3174]

Nebraska does not lose to Troy Walters. He gave a lifetime of bulletin board material last year. Former CU Puff player said he hates Nebraska and the color red. Got stomped while at CU. Take the over. 11-1 ceiling and 8-4 floor.

[@coopertodd28]

J Loyd gonna be a DOOOOOG this year mark my words

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Noted

[@kylee5033]

Thanks for covering the team fellas. Reminder Husker’s are in Lincoln, NE. Omaha is about 45 minutes down the highway.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Thanks for watching! Yeah that was a goof up. Our bad. Thanks again and best of luck to the Huskers!

[@SmokeBuffs]

Lincoln Nebraska bruh

[@masoncowart3227]

😅 I noticed I said “Omaha” as soon as we finished recording. In my defense, the College World Series was going on at the time we recorded. So, I may have had that city on the mind. Thanks for watching!

[@Daveskee]

The depth of knowledge and the insight of these takes are amazing. Thanks for doing Nebraska justice! I am hyped for this season, and the future, like everyone else. Even more after listening. Great stuff duuudes!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Thank you very much! We appreciate all the Husker support. Can't wait to see where the season takes us. Thanks again, and best of luck this year! 👍🏼

[@juandevora4873]

GBR!! Can’t wait for the season to start!!!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Best of luck to your Huskers!

[@jpn131]

Really solid analysis guys! Gifford is more of a hybrid safety that plays in the box a lot, which explains the 80 tackles. Really good stuff though!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@@jpn131 thanks for tuning in! 🙏

[@foosful]

GBR! Thank you for covering the Huskers. I would love to see NU have a 7-9 win year.

[@chrisbeach1705]

Great pre season analysis on my Huskers guys!!! Fair, honest and respectful. One of the best ones I've seen from non-husker fans. However, Lincoln was on the schedule page 7 times and you guys kept saying Omaha.🤣😅 Nash was an honorable mention All BIG wrestler in the offseason hence him being twitchy as Mason mentioned. Love the take of Nebraska making stew out of the Buffs. Looool. Memoral Stadium will be completely rabid for that CU game on the Primetime slot. Anything less than 7 wins would be a disappointment for me. Should be a fun season. I hope.

[@masoncowart3227]

Thanks for watching Chris! And thanks for not going too hard on me for saying “Omaha” 😂

[@janlarsen3982]

Thanks for all the great information! Good job on your analysis, you’ve done your homework!! Go Big Red!!!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Thanks for watching! Best of luck to the Huskers!

[@rogeremery2372]

I really enjoyed your analysis and detailed breakdowns. I actually learned a few things, which is surprising the amount of time I spend on various Husker sites, podcasts, KZbin, etc. Mason, Matt Rhule loves Lincoln, NE 😍

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@rogeremery2372 glad to hear it, and we appreciate you tuning in! Best of luck to the Huskers!

[@scotthilligas5175]

You’ve done a great job on your coverage of the Huskers

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Thank you very much! Best of luck to the Huskers!

[@stephencostello3174]

The 3-3-5 is not your average defense. The back side is full of speed and masks it's rush and coverage. Gifford could be playing LB. 60+ tackles is excellence. Deshon is a beast. Nebraska secondary, DL, makes Nebraska a strong defense. Keep sleeping on Nebraska. The giant is on the rise.

[@franklinrogers6388]

I'm not sure if I'm the only one but it feels like there's been a vibe switch finally, and that goes for fans and most importantly the team. I don't know how to describe it exactly but it feels like the worst of the storm has finally moved on.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

October 28, 2017, Mason and i went to the cocktail party (UGA v Florida) in Jacksonville. As a UGA fan, this was when I knew things had changed for my dawgs. We won 42-7 that day and had struggled with Florida for years. So I know exactly what you mean. 4 years later we won our first national championship since 1980 and went on to repeat in '21. There definitely is something to having the correct culture and vibe, I firmly believe that.

[@theconservativehusker]

GBR. Bout to Shock The World!!

[@beebers99]

Shock the world? Ya ever seen an easier 7 games to start a season? Lol. They better win 9 games. Because their future schedules are much more difficult.

[@jonfrank5905]

We are located in Lincoln, Nebraska! All love to Omaha though!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Total slip up! Thank you for watching!

[@qualitynoodz2949]

fun (or horrifying) fact…on the 28 drives led by Jeff Simms, a turnover was the end result 39.3% of the time. He also had more tackles than touchdowns. Impressively bad numbers.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

That is almost unbelievable lol

[@jeffroumph2430]

Nice job fella's! I think your eval is pretty darn good looking to get back to a bowl game this year. I think we get 7 wins, with an opportunity for another if Raiola settles in nicely.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Yeah, he just has to play within the system! And I think he is really good at that. He threw 1 interception his senior year at a very tough football school in Atlanta. If he can protect it and keep the offense on schedule, the rest will literally work itself out!

[@flyeaglesfly94]

IT IS TIIIMMMEEE!!!⏰️ TO wake the SLEEPING💤GIANT of college football ........the NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS ❤GO BIG RED!!❤ 💪HUSKER POWER 💪 ❤GBR!❤

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Best of luck!!

[@zanebuchholz5080]

Emmet was never hurt last year. Emmet had to become the starter and he didn’t have much b10 experience. Gabe and rahmir got hurt. Anthony grant was there too but he had ball security issues.

[@PEO-402]

Beating the snot out of Colorado is a winning season in my book, lol. Really looking to go 8-4 but we saw a ton of injuries all over last year witch took out a ton of the offensive line to if you remember. Stay healthy, and the sky is the limit for us! GBR!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@@PEO-402 totally agree! Injuries really had this team hamstrung last year! I think 8-4 would be a good season. Best of luck 👍🏼

[@shaneosmera6816]

Nebraska will be significantly better just Qb will be 10 to 15 less turnovers. I think anything less than 8 wins would be a disaster.

[@masoncowart3227]

8 wins is very doable

[@SlamburglarWSU]

Love hearing the opinions from a source that isnt a Husker homer podcast. Small note, we play in Lincoln not Omaha

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Haha mason and I just shared a laugh on the phone about this. He knows it's Lincoln and just slipped up lol his father in law is a husker and is not going to let him live that down hahaha

[@SlamburglarWSU]

@@1st_LONG_CFB we gotta win some games before i can complain😂. GBR

[@marcnewbern2062]

They didn’t play all the big bodies during the spring game. They didn’t want to risk any unnecessary injuries to the Oline.

[@cornymonkey]

They didn’t play those players because they were coming off of injury

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Hopefully strength and conditioning is a step in the right direction this year!

[@skydog4049]

James Williams. Remember that name if you are talking about an edge rusher for Nebraska.

[@masoncowart3227]

Thanks for the heads up!

[@stephencostello3174]

The giant is stirring. If your a casual, you don't know what's going into getting back. Staff, talent, culture. DR is the real deal. Fr yes, but high level. Defense is real. Lost 4 players to the portal. Not 1 starter. The rise has begun. LFG GBR ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[@masoncowart3227]

BUY STOCK

[@terryheyne600]

Maybe last year wasn't perfect. But compare that to the previous year. They vastly improved. Confident about this year.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Best of luck to the Huskers. Last year was just a shell of what this year's team is. Going to be a fun year!

[@qualitynoodz2949]

At one point Nebraska was down 9 of the seasons original offensive starters. Not only was QB a major problem, the offense itself was injury riddled.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@qualitynoodz2949 no doubt. You gotta feel like that's a strength and conditioning issue and you gotta think it's been a point of emphasis this off-season.

[@tedhilker9836]

You guys did great thanks for show . The only thing I would say was wrong is Lincoln and Omaha are separate different cities lol . No biggie though lol

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@tedhilker9836 thank you, and thanks for watching. Masons father in law is a Husker and is going to bring that up every chance he gets. Hahaha best of luck to the Husker nation!

[@masoncowart3227]

@@tedhilker9836 thanks for going easy on me!

[@nathangaughan7702]

Nebraska plays in Lincoln not Omaha

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Yeah, slip of the tongue. Good luck to the Huskers this year.

[@nathangaughan7702]

@@1st_LONG_CFB it happens. GBR excited to follow this series

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@nathangaughan7702 coming your way!

[@Che77siempre]

We already had singleton and he was already really good he just got injured

[@CastleDragon78]

Go Big Red!!!

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Best of luck to Husker nation!

[@christianeckert8573]

I'd have to say the ceiling is 8-1 the only mostly guaranteed L on that schedule is OSU, the Huskers can beat anyone else. I would love to see a beatdown of CU I do think we will go to USC and beat them, WI and IA are pretty evenly matched with the Huskers

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

The iowa defense against a freshman qb is what scares me about that game. They are going to make him win the game by throwing it. It's like a trap. I hope nebraska beats the hell out of the Buffs!

[@christianeckert8573]

@@1st_LONG_CFB that is the last game of the year, Freshman no more at that point

[@LD-qf7bf]

A “Cornhusker” is a person who husks corn. Not a food group, unless you eat people on a regular basis….

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

That makes sense. 👌 I typically don't eat people.

[@Herbcatt1988]

@@1st_LONG_CFBIf you eat at a steakhouse you’ve certainly eaten a Texas Longhorn tho.

[@Che77siempre]

Emmet Johnson didn’t have any injuries? You meant to say gabe Irvin

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

For sure

[@issackoester8504]

I agree purdue is 50/50 we always struggle in west lafayette

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Yes, and I think purdue is going to be a good bit better this year vs last year. But they have a BRUTAL schedule.... best of luck to the Husker nation.

[@pauledwards5607]

Did you guys happen to mention, that the last time a team won the National Championship 2 years in a row, and who that team was?

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@@pauledwards5607 it was UGA in '21 and '22.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@@pauledwards5607 I don't believe we mentioned that.

[@danrudnick5252]

Everyone always ignores Kaelin. Elite 11 QB, who was peer recruiting like a dawg when Raiola was in Georgia trying to pull players like Carter Nelson to drop us and go down there.

[@beebers99]

Is he ever QB1 at Neb, though? Ya have him sandwiched in between two 5 star QBs.... The one here and the one coming next year. He should have gone to another P4 SCHOOL where he would be the man someday.

[@danrudnick5252]

@@beebers99 Who knows with how players bounce from school to school? Probably redshirt him this year if possible, Raiola probably leaves after junior year, which leaves two years to run the show. If nothing else Kaelin has always been a more dedicated Husker.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

These kids are easily motivated to switch commitment to a team when you give them 2 million dollars lol 😆 Raiola is going to be good for the Huskers! I'm happy for him that he will get to play. If he had went to UGA, he may never have gotten his chance!

[@Herbcatt1988]

I get that on paper Nebraska’s offense line looks pretty bad but when you actually watch the games they created holes and set a pretty decent pocket most of the time. The Qbs had almost zero pocket awareness and often times just blatantly ran away from their coverage. Not saying they’re All Americans by any means but they’re way better than they looked on the stat sheets.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@Herbcatt1988 and you have to figure the guys that return will get 10% better just by getting more reps and knowing more of what to expect. Should certainly be better, the question is how much better 🤔 can't wait to find out

[@Herbcatt1988]

@@1st_LONG_CFB I think somewhat competent qb play will fix the majority of issues Nebraska had on offense last season. Fingers crossed the injury elf stays away this team.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@Herbcatt1988 Jeff Sims was a disaster. Every time I turned around, that guy was turning the ball over.

[@Herbcatt1988]

@@1st_LONG_CFB all 3 qbs were honestly it’s just that Heinrich Haarberg was so much less of a disaster that he seemed better than he was by comparison.

[@travismiles6400]

I’ve never eaten a cornhusker….have you? Cornhusker(noun) - to husk corn.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Good call. I should have said in the SEC, we don't have any mascots that revolve around harvesting food.

[@lamardinkins9584]

9-2

[@masoncowart3227]

@@lamardinkins9584 10-2 sounds better. That’s where I keep my hands on the steering wheel

[@beebers99]

Cupcakes schedule tailor-made for a 9 win season. Let's see if this Oline can keep Railoa upright and healthy...

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

@beebers99 almost every team loses a game they "shouldn't" every year. Raiola has got to play within the system every Saturday. We will see, I'm excited to see it all on the field. Best of luck to the Huskers!

[@brysoncampbell3988]

Singleton is not a transfer this year

[@eddiethorne6461]

8 and 4.And they go to a Bowl Game.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

I think that is pretty realistic. Best of luck to the Huskers.

[@Between_the_numbers]

This won’t be the year 😂

[@masoncowart3227]

You thinkin 2025?

[@Between_the_numbers]

@@masoncowart3227 yeah ! Y’all got that big time QB coming in right ?

[@masoncowart3227]

@@Between_the_numbersNebraska does, yeah. He looks good so far through camp. I think the Huskers will be a top 25 team by the end of the year and a fringe playoff team in 2025

[@carlosgordan2856]

What in the world has Nebraska done to be a Dark horse 🐴 team.. they were 5-7...oh because Nebraska has a White coach.

[@1st_LONG_CFB]

Lol 😆 🤣