The Huskers didn’t open the season on a high note, but if you were to ask around with experts, that was a suspected result. Even ESPN’s Football Power Index projected a Minnesota win back when they were first updated earlier in the offseason.
As we get closer to kicking off Week 2, how much has changed for Nebraska, and has the pendulum switched in favor or against the Huskers when they kick off against Colorado on the weekend?
Given the high turnover with the Colorado roster, ESPN’s FPI initially projected a Nebraska win over the Buffs, but now that we have our first game week, that 71 percent chance in April has dropped a considerable amount. Nebraska is a narrow favorite at 58 percent, despite the recent hype around Deion Sanders’ opening win over TCU.
After Week 1, Nebraska jumped up one spot to 52nd, even on a loss, while also projecting to end the season at even six wins to six losses.
| Nebraska 2023 FPI Projections Week 2 | ||||||
| Year | Rank (B1G) | Change | (W/L) | 6 Wins % | W Div % | W Conf % |
| 2023 | 52nd (10th) | +1 (+1) | 5.6 – 6.4 | 53.2 | 3.8 | 0.3 |
The road to six wins becomes more daunting if the Huskers don’t pull out the upset win. Even though ESPN FPI gives the edge to Nebraska, it doesn’t mean the rest of the sports world gives the Huskers that same respect. It’ll be an uphill battle.