Nebraska Cornhuskers given notable chance to make College Football Playoff

The Nebraska Cornhuskers can make the College Football Playoff.

That's what ESPN's Heather Dinich wrote on Friday. ESPN's analytics give 32 teams a chance to make the CFP this season, and Nebraska is one of them.

The percentage chance given for the Cornhuskers to get in the dance: 10.3%.

Dinich sums up the case like this:

"Nebraska should take another step forward this fall, but even a three-loss Huskers team is a long shot for an at-large bid. Nebraska lost six games a year ago and is still trailing Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon in the CFP race. It might also be looking up at Michigan, depending on the outcome of the Sept. 20 game."

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The Cornhuskers' season could depend on their road game at Penn State on Nov. 22.

Nebraska doesn't have Ohio State or Oregon on its schedule this season, so the Nittany Lions will be their best shot at a marquee win.

Dylan Raiola's second season, if it's going to plan by that point, would have a chance at a Heisman-level moment if he could win in Happy Valley.

But even a loss there wouldn't doom Nebraska if everything else went right.

"Even if Nebraska loses at Penn State, the Huskers have plenty of chances at home to boost their playoff résumé, starting with the Michigan game," Dinich writes. "If Nebraska can win that one, it will have a strong chance to be undefeated heading into November against USC. That would make Nebraska relevant when it matters the most and give the Huskers some margin for error. Nebraska also ends the season at home on a Friday against Iowa. Home wins against Michigan, USC and Iowa would put the Huskers in the conversation."

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Dinich's one concern is Nebraska's nonconference schedule, which includes Cincinnati, Akron and Houston Christian.

But just having any chance at all is a good sign for the Cornhuskers. Now they've got to go out and play the season and prove that the analytics may have been correct.

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