Has Nebraska Football's Win Over Colorado Caused Overreactions?

Do we actually know how good the Huskers are after they dominated the Buffaloes?

Husker fans storm the field to celebrate the win over Colorado. / Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska football is getting plenty of attention from the national media after its dominating 28-10 victory over Colorado.

Anyone who watched the game knows that the final score is not indicative of how close this game was. The score at halftime was 28-0 and the game was all but over after the first quarter. The Huskers thoroughly dominated an overmatched Colorado team that did not look like it belonged on the same field with them.

Following its recent victory, Nebraska is now ranked No. 23 in the latest AP poll, up from receiving votes as the second team outside of the top 25 the previous week. There has also been an influx of national media attention, proclaiming Nebraska as a contender in the Big Ten, and starting quarterback Dylan Raiola as one of the more intriguing players in the country.

Red balloons fly after the Huskers' first scoring drive of the game for the first time since 2022. / Amarillo Mullen

But do the Huskers deserve all of this hype?

The win over Colorado was impressive. The way that Nebraska jumped all over the Buffaloes and put pressure on Shedeur Sanders was the exact blueprint for how to neutralize Colorado's offense. The defense for the Huskers made huge plays all game. The pick six by defensive back Tommi Hill was the final bow on what was a great defensive performance.

But Colorado is not a very good team to begin with. It is a good sign that the Huskers showed no struggles in dealing with the Buffaloes considering that they have lost seven straight games to FBS teams. While the offense did slow down in the second half, the game was well in hand and they were likely being much more conservative with their play calls to run time off the clock. The score could have likely been more lopsided if the Huskers wanted it to be.

While Colorado is not a great win on paper, Nebraska made a strong case to be ranked in the top 25 with the way they dominated the game. The ranking reflects the improvement that the program has undergone since head coach Matt Rhule arrived in Lincoln. The team does need to to continue to prove itself but is off to a great start in 2024.

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