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Great timing in my opinion.
For a program that wants to, well needs to, take a couple steps forward the schedule in front of it is a great opportunity to do show.
If progress has been made and the development is there then the second most difficult schedule in the country is a great opportunity for Nebraska and Scott Frost.
That ranking is based off of Bill Connelly, of ESPN, and his SP+ ranking of strength of schedule. Only Arkansas has a more difficult schedule.
Here is Billy Connelly’s Top 10 most difficult schedules in college football for 2021.
The 10 hardest 2021 schedules, per SP+ SOS ratings:
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) August 24, 2021
1. Arkansas
2. Nebraska
3. Auburn
4. Georgia Tech
5. Purdue
6. Michigan
7. Indiana
8. LSU
9. Colorado
10. Penn State
An avg top-5 team would produce a win% of 0.782 (~9.3 wins) vs. Arkansas' schedule.
Bill Connelly’s SP+ projections are made up of primarily three things: Returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.
While it is an opportunity for Scott Frost and the team to show the progress and development it is also a chance for them to fall flat on their face.
The Omaha World-Herald has a prediction of 8-4 for Nebraska in 2021. Steven Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star has 7-5. With this schedule I think either of those records would show tremendous progress.