Matt Rhule is in his second year as Nebraska’s head coach. The Cornhuskers are led by a unanimous five-star prospect and Elite 11 finalist, a true freshman Dylan Raiola. After a five-win season last year, a breakthrough in 2024 could be are in the cards.

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) predicts how the Huskers will fare in their 12-game series.

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Below is a game-by-game breakdown of FPI’s outlooks for Nebraska’s 2024 campaign.

August 31: Nebraska vs. UTEP — 86.3% chance of winning

There is a world in which Nebraska starts the season 7-0. The FPI favors the Huskers through their first seven games, starting with their home opener against UTEP.

Speaking of home games, Nebraska will play four in a row at the start of the 2024 season.

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September 7: Nebraska vs. Colorado — 51.9% chance of winning

Ah, yes, another Nebraska-Colorado showdown, an early-season showdown — last year the Buffaloes rolled to a 36-14 victory behind 393 passing yards from Shedeur Sanders. But that was before Colorado pulled away and Nebraska got back on its feet.

That was also in Boulder, not Lincoln, where this year’s rematch will be played. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 49-21-2.

September 14: Nebraska vs. Northern Iowa — 88.4% chance of winning

Just like in the season opener against UTEP, Nebraska should have no problem with FCS Northern Iowa in Week 3. The FPI even gives the Huskers an even better chance to win this game.

By the way, UNI has to travel to Hawaii for the next game and then, after a week of rest, saddle up and take on the highest-ranked FCS team at the moment, South Dakota State. Ouch.

September 20: Nebraska vs. Illinois — 65.3% chance of winning

Nebraska concludes its four-game homestand with its third straight primetime matchup, this time on a Friday night against Illinois. The Huskers lead the all-time series, 14-6-1. They snapped a three-game losing streak to the Fighting Illini last year with a triumphant 20-7 victory.

It could be Nebraska’s turn to start piling up the wins. If the Huskers do that, they’ll be off to a good start in Big Ten competition.

September 28: Nebraska at Purdue — 54.3% chance of winning

The Big Ten West is no more, but the start of Nebraska’s league slate certainly feels normal. The Huskers play another former division opponent in Purdue in Week 5.

The question is, do the Boilermakers have their offensive line in order yet? If so, Nebraska’s secondary could get a test from quarterback Hudson Card and the Graham Harrell offense. That’s a big if, though.

Oct 5: Nebraska vs. Rutgers — 57.3% chance of winning

Finally, the Huskers welcome a former Big Ten East team to the table in Week 6. They host a rising Rutgers team that has a lot of good pieces in the fifth year of Greg Schiano’s second-round tenure as head coach.

The Scarlet Knights could play pretty good defense this year. Under coordinator Joe Harasymiak, Rutgers’ defense ranked in the top 50 last season in yards allowed per game (16th), points allowed per game (33rd), and both rushing yards allowed per game (43rd) and passing yards allowed per game (10th). Most of that group is back.

Oct 19: Nebraska at Indiana — 62.3% chance of winning

New head coach Curt Cignetti may eventually be able to turn things around at Indiana, but immediate results are a lot to ask. Indiana has a slim margin for error this season, especially with concerns about the depth of the offensive and defensive lines.

Nebraska is in Bloomington for this head-to-head matchup, but FPI expects the Huskers to come away with a win.

Oct. 26: Nebraska at No. 2 Ohio State — 8.6% chance of winning

So if Nebraska does indeed go into Ohio Stadium at 7-0, the Huskers will certainly be matched up against the best team in the country. The storylines will be rich, especially since Raiola was originally committed to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have a clear talent advantage on paper, returning 11 draft-eligible and starter-level players, plus they added some of the biggest names in the transfer portal this offseason, including safety Caleb Downs (Alabama), running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) and quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State).

November 2: Nebraska vs. UCLA — 54.9% chance of winning

After Nebraska takes on Ohio State, the team heads home for the first of two straight games against the Big Ten schools from California.

UCLA is expected to take a step back at the start of the DeShaun Foster era, but if Ethan Garbers flourishes as the full-time starting quarterback, perhaps the Bruins will turn heads in 2024. That scenario would make this a tougher “get right” game for the Huskers.

Nov 16: Nebraska at #23 USC — 26.7% chance to win

Next up, Nebraska travels to Los Angeles to play USC. Right now, the Trojans are one of three ranked opponents on the Huskers’ schedule. That number could change, however, and USC could either move up in the AP Poll or fall out of it — after all, Lincoln Riley’s group has four opponents ranked in the top 15 of the preseason AP Poll.

The million dollar question is: Has USC fixed its defense? Either way, winning this away game will be tough for Nebraska.

November 23: Nebraska vs. Wisconsin — 54.4% chance of winning

The Huskers close out the season with two rival games, starting with a home game against Wisconsin.

If Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke can approach the level of play he showed in 2021 as the ACC Rookie of the Year, the “Air Raid” Phil Longo offense will be in much better shape during the second year of the Luke Fickell era in Madison.

Nov 29: Nebraska at #25 Iowa — 40.3% chance of winning

Iowa has won nine of the last 11 meetings in the storied history of “The Heroes Game.” At this point in the year, the Hawkeyes could be playing not only for a shot at the Big Ten Championship, but also for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Nebraska will likely be able to improve its bowl status. The stakes will even be higher than usual.

ESPN’s FPI Final Record Projection for Nebraska: 6.5-5.5

ESPN’s FPI projects Nebraska to finish with 6.5 wins despite favoring the Huskers in nine of their 12 regular-season games. That said, Nebraska has a less than 60% chance of winning in five of the nine games in which it is favored, according to the FPI. So, according to the metric, there are a handful of games that could likely go either way for the Huskers this season.

Just getting six wins and reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2016 would be an accomplishment, though expectations are even higher for Lincoln in the second year of the Rhule era.