Count long-time College Football Preview guru Phil Steele among the believers in Scott Frost at Nebraska. Yes, it is magazine season yet again for the diehard football fans. And for Nebraska’s diehards, things will look up after three years of Mike Riley, in the opinion of Steele.

Steele sees an increase of three or four wins compared to last year’s 4-8 finish in Lincoln with philosophy changes and overall team experience as driving influences.

Steele says, “In 2016, Nebraska was my No. 2 most improved team, and got to 7-0 before finishing 9-4. Last year, they were No. 126 on my Experience Chart, suffered some injuries, and their four wins were the fest since 1961 and five home losses the most since 1957. The shift to a pass offense failed miserably a second time (04-07 first). Finally the spread option is back and hometown hero Scott Frost comes off an undefeated season at UCF. With 15 starters back and 33 starts lost to injury last year, they move up to No. 86 on the Exp Chart. Nebraska has a Stock Market rating of +3.5 and the Huskers should open 3-0 and have fans and players believing. The only negative is a schedule which has road trips to Michigan, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Ohio State and Iowa! Nebraska is the only West team to pull three of the four East powers, but should still get back to a bowl.”

The shift away from a run-focused Nebraska came up multiple times during Steele’s write up. The entire breakdown, as well as all Big Ten predictions, is on sale now, but Nebraska’s keys offensively begin with a return to what works under Frost.

“Frost had a 54/46 (run-pass) mix at UCF in 2017 and averaged 48 points per game,” Steele said. “Seven starters return, and it warms my heart that the option will be back at Nebraska. I believe there will be a solid uptick in the offense.”

Experience may be improved, but new blood will be the theme of the Huskers offense. Adrian Martinez must make a second push in camp to win the quarterback job, but enters the summer as the favorite against Tristan Gebbia. Meanwhile, newcomers like running back Greg Bell are huge pieces for Frost, who returns a pair of all-conference caliber receivers in Stanley Morgan and JD Spielman.

Defensively, Erik Chinander enters his first year as a power-five coordinator. Chinander followed Frost to UCF after he spent most of the last decade working with Oregon. He also briefly worked for the Philadelphia Eagles during Chip Kelly's inaugural season.



“New defensive coordinator Chinander says his system is also a 3-4, but not as complex (as last season’s defense),” Steele writes. “And at UCF, the defense allowed 37.7 points per game in 2015 but just 24.6 in his first year (in 2016). With eight starters back, they will be much stronger.”