3 most important games for Nebraska football in 2024

2. at Indiana (Oct. 19)

This choice seems kind of insane to the casual fan, but listen to my reasoning before making that call.

Let's say Nebraska starts the season 5-1 or 4-2 with losses to Colorado and/or Purdue. If that's the case, this game at Indiana could be the Cornhuskers' bowl-clinching win or put them right on the doorstep to making a bowl with their toughest stretch of the season approaching. Losing at Indiana could set up a lengthy losing streak to end the season -- much like we saw in 2023.

A loss to Indiana would crush this team's confidence heading into an Ohio State road game which is almost a guaranteed loss. A return back home to face UCLA would be the last truly winnable game for Nebraska for the rest of the year -- a home game against Wisconsin is second, followed by at Iowa and then at USC.

Losing to Indiana could cause Nebraska to lose all hope after getting thrashed by Ohio State as well, falling to 5-3 or 4-4. Sure, a win against UCLA could pick the team back up, but nothing is a guarantee in the Big Ten. You could even argue UCLA at home is just as important as this one.

Basically, at Indiana is a must-win for Nebraska no matter how the Cornhuskers start the season -- unless they're somehow 6-0 and if that's the case, it's a must-win for Big Ten title hopes.