Demands mount for Dylan Raiola: What does Nebraska fans expect from the second-year QB?

The clock is ticking for Dylan Raiola and Matt Rhule. The quarterback and head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers will face tremendous pressure in the college football season. Once the tryout phase is over, the media and fans will begin to demand results from the team, especially with the changes in their schedule.

Raiola came to Nebraska as a five-star prospect, and in his first year with the Huskers he completed 272 es on 410 attempts for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Under his leadership, the team finished with a 7-6 record and won the Pinstripe Bowl over Boston College.

Rhule, meanwhile, is two years into his tenure and was responsible for bringing Raiola to Lincoln. However, the results have not been there for the HC, who has a 12-13 overall record and 6-12 within the Big Ten. With this background, some analysts consider that this season will be decisive for the quarterback and the coach.

Why did Raiola come to Nebraska?

In the most recent episode of ON3, analyst J.D. PicKell stressed, "This is Dylan Raiola's team. We go as he goes. He's the leader. He's the QB1. That's our guy. We follow 15. The reason why I feel that way is that's why you brought Dylan Raiola to do at Nebraska."

The analyst assured that Rhule recruited Raiola to turn the Cornhuskers into "a team that can go compete for the Big Ten championship and make the college playoff." To do so, PicKell assured, Raiola will have to make a big push this season.

"He's got to level up in 2025," PicKell said. "You don't have the same defense coming back from a season ago, like last year," the analyst warned and stated, "Nebraska was, I believe, top-5 in returning production, had a ton of dudes back on defense. It's not the same way." Worse yet, a decision by Rhule increased the pressure to win.

An unexpected scheduling change

The program's decision to soften its schedule by dropping the series against Tennessee-one of the toughest opponents outside the Big Ten-and scheduling games against Akron and Houston Christian-allegedly easier opponents-caused a strong backlash against the coach.

Days before the change, Rhule had questioned the need to face tough opponents outside the conference. The HC seems to be thinking about getting wins that will put it one step closer to the CFP, but the media and fans accused him of having a "weak" or "cowardly" mentality.

This decision will undoubtedly increase the pressure on Rhule and Raiola. If a five-star second-year quarterback can't handle a seemingly easier schedule, it could be the death knell for Rhule and a severe setback for Raiola's hopes of being among the top prospects when his turn comes to go in the NFL Draft.