Nebraska Football 2022: Can the Huskers finally make a bowl game?

How will the Cornhuskers fare in 2022?

Must win is practically an understatement for this edition of the Huskers. The seat is extremely hot for Scott Frost. If the Huskers get off to a poor start, he may not even make it to November.

• Game 1: vs. Northwestern (W) – This game will be in Dublin, Ireland and it’s the Huskers’ first game outside the country since beating Kansas State in Tokyo in 1992. Huskers kick off the year with a win.
• Game 2: North Dakota (W) – Since 2010, Nebraska is 7-0 versus FCS opponents.
• Game 3: Georgia Southern (W) – First meeting between the two schools. Former USC coach Clay Helton is in his first year with the Eagles.
• Game 4: Oklahoma (L) – Last year’s meeting in Norman was a one-score game. Could be close again but Huskers will fall short.
• Game 5: Indiana (W) – Hoosiers won the last meeting in 2019 but this is not a very good Indiana team.
• Game 6: at Rutgers (W) – Huskers make the trip to the eastern outpost of the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights are improving but Nebraska picks up the win.
• Game 7: at Purdue (W) – Series is tied at 5 wins a piece. The visitor is 4-1 in the last 5 games in the series.
• Game 8: Illinois (W) – Illini have won two in a row in this series but before that Huskers had won four in a row. They notch another W before entering the season’s final month.
• Game 9: Minnesota (L) – Gophers have won 3 in a row in the series with one of the best rivalry trophies in college football.
• Game 10: at Michigan (L) – The Big Ten champions only defeated Nebraska by three points a year ago in Lincoln. It will be a tougher challenge for the Huskers in Ann Arbor.
• Game 11: Wisconsin (L) – Badgers have won eight in a row. At some point, the streak will break but likely not this year.
• Game 12: at Iowa (L) – Like the Badgers, the Hawkeyes have dominated the series with seven straight wins. But the last four have been one-score games.

Prediction: 7-5, 5-4 Big Ten

For the non-conference schedule, the Huskers must beat North Dakota and Georgia Southern, or else the season will be totally off the rails. They should be 3-0 before they meet the Sooners. Beating Oklahoma would be a shot in the arm for the program, but not necessary.

After the non-conference slate finishes, the schedule is favorable until November. For the Big Ten East crossovers, dropping Michigan State and Ohio State in favor of Indiana and Rutgers is a net gain.

November is a brutal stretch with the three teams most likely competing for the Big Ten West and a contender for the Big Ten East in Michigan. Nebraska certainly could win any of these games but they will likely be the underdog in all of them.

The Huskers absolutely must start the year strong. They have the schedule to do so and this team has talent. They just need to clean up the turnovers, have the new look offense gel fast, and get a little more luck on their side. Predicting Frost finally gets the winning record he has been seeking and survives for another year.