Nebraska Football: Ranking Cornhuskers’ 2020 opponents by toughness

Who knows how well South Dakota State may have finished in 2019 if J’Bore Gibbs was never injured, but the quarterback returns after helping the team to a 6-1 record through seven games before his season-ending injury. The Jackrabbits made the playoffs, but lost four of their final six games.

South Dakota State is projected to contend for the Missouri Valley title in 2020, but the Jackrabbits will have a tough time overcoming a team like North Dakota State which is coming off a 16-0 season.

While Central Michigan is all the way down at No. 11 on Nebraska’s list of 2020 opponents, the Chippewas aren’t going to be a cakewalk.

In fact, this is a team that’s projected to finish at the top of the MAC West ahead of Toledo, Ball State and Western Michigan. Jim McElwain is heading into his second year as head coach after leading the Chippewas to an 8-6 record and massive turnaround in 2019 after Central went just 1-11 in 2018.

There’s a quarterback controversy heading into the season but the Chippewas return eight starters to the No. 41 total defense in the country as well as 1,000-yard rusher Kobe Lewis and 894-yard receiver Kalil Pimpleton.