Nebraska Football: Can the Huskers Really Compete for the Big Ten Title in 2015?

Things are starting to come together for Mike Riley and his Nebraska football staff. With the addition of a few new faces, per Huskers.com, the Huskers assistant coaches are pretty much in place.

With the new year and the new coaches, Riley can finally get started. There's a recruiting class to complete and a brand new season to prepare for.

However, as it all takes shape, fans are still curious about one thing. Can Nebraska really compete for the Big Ten title in 2015? It was a question that was asked previously, and fans want an answer.

First and foremost, the Huskers will have to win the West division before the title talk can really begin. That's doable, especially with the West being the arguably weaker division in the Big Ten.

To win the West, Nebraska will have to get past Wisconsin and Minnesota. Fans can expect the Badgers to be an early favorite to get to Indianapolis in 2015, but the Gophers won't be forgotten either.

The good news for Nebraska is that Wisconsin has to travel to Lincoln in 2015. Home-field advantage could be exactly what the Huskers need in this matchup, too. The only time Nebraska has defeated Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten was at home in 2012. Maybe that's the charm.

On the flip side, Nebraska will have to travel to Minneapolis to face Minnesota this year. The Huskers have lost to the Gophers twice in a row, which will make this matchup more interesting. Being on the road will definitely add a higher level of difficulty for Nebraska as well.

Beyond that, Nebraska's 2015 schedule is manageable. There are possible hiccups along the way, but Riley and the Huskers could handle it.

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 5	BYU	Lincoln, NE
Sept. 12	South Alabama	Lincoln, NE
Sept. 19	Miami (FL)	Miami Gardens, FL
Sept. 26	Southern Miss	Lincoln, NE
Oct. 3	Illinois	Champaign, IL
Oct. 10	Wisconsin	Lincoln, NE
Oct. 17	Minnesota	Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 24	Northwestern	Lincoln, NE
Oct. 31	Purdue	West Lafayette, IN
Nov. 7	Michigan State	Lincoln, NE
Nov. 14	Rutgers	Piscataway, NJ
Nov. 27	Iowa	Lincoln, NE

From there, if the Huskers can make it to Indianapolis, it seems likely the opponent would be the Ohio State Buckeyes. That's the most worrisome part in the equation.

Ohio State will likely be the favorite to win the Big Ten again in 2015. After completely destroying Wisconsin 59-0 in Indianapolis and defeating Alabama 42-35 in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes are now CFP National Championship contenders. That will definitely hold some weight going into next season.

Even more worrisome is that the Buckeyes has accomplished what they have with their second- and third-string quarterbacks. Under head coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have shown they are resilient. They would make it very difficult for Nebraska to win.

The good news is that the Huskers' talent looks good for 2015. A previous look at the returning talent highlights a group that will bring some good experience to the table. On offense, that includes running backs Imani Cross and Terrell Newby, wide receivers Jordan Westerkamp and De'Mornay Pierson-El and quarterback Tommy Armstrong (even if his job is up for grabs).

On defense, Greg McMullen, Vincent Valentine, Maliek Collins and Nate Gerry are all returning, just to name a few. With Riley working to find an identity for the offense, the same should be expected for the defense. How these players are developed between now and September will determine how well they'll be able to compete against programs like Ohio State and Wisconsin.

One specific area that would benefit the Huskers is improving on how the team responds to adversity. Nebraska fell a part against teams like Wisconsin in 2014 when the going got tough. If Riley can correct that, the Huskers will absolutely be more competitive in the Big Ten.

So, can Nebraska really win the Big Ten? At this point, not many are predicting it to happen. BTN.com's Tom Dienhart has already given his early prediction for who will win each division in 2015. "East, Ohio State. West, Wisconsin. Yep, I know, not real sexy," he said.

That's not to say Nebraska can't give the Badgers (or the Gophers) a run for the West division title. Riley and his new staff definitely have their work cut out for them in 2015, though. That's no secret.

There's no telling what Riley will be able to do for Nebraska. Can he win the games needed to get to the championship? That's what's hard to say.

The Omaha World-Herald took a look at how programs fare under new coaches. Based on their findings, Nebraska's chances of winning big do not look great. "Just know that when a Power Five school replaces a college football coach — as Nebraska just did with Mike Riley for Pelini — nothing is guaranteed," they wrote.

That's the key. There are no guarantees. Several months out, Nebraska's chances at winning the Big Ten don't look great. Things can change, though.

Will they for the Huskers? Only Riley, his staff and time to prepare can truly answer that question.