Nebraska Football: 2017 season preview and predictions

The 2017 season is right around the corner and Nebraska football is coming off a 9-4 campaign. Can the Cornhuskers reach 10 wins?

When Mike Riley left Oregon State to take over Nebraska football two years ago, Cornhusker fans were skeptical. Oregon State had rarely been in the nation’s spotlight under Riley’s leadership, but he had to be a step up from Bo Pelini’s ceiling of 9-10 wins, right?

While Pelini had never won less than nine games in Lincoln, he had also never surpassed the 10-win mark, which was disappointing for such a proud program. Nebraska had been known for football and not being able to compete at the highest level was something fans were sick of dealing with.

The change was made and Riley was brought it. While he might have a much calmer demeanor than Pelini, he also seems to command the respect of his players as well as any coach in the conference. He had a rough first year, going just 6-7, but he following that up with a nine-win campaign in 2016.

Can he surpass the nine-win mark and maybe even contend for the Big Ten title in 2017? It’s possible, but he will be doing so with a new quarterback under center and just 12 total returning starters.

The Cornhuskers have the talent present to make a push at the wide open Big Ten West, but it’s not going to be easy with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa on the schedule. Let’s take a look at the rest of the team’s preview heading into the year.