I’ve got to say, I’m jacked up to see the Colorado Buffaloes take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers this week. These two teams are primed for a great matchup, and I’m excited to break it down for you.

Let’s start with Nebraska. Last year, they were in so many close games, and with Matt Rhule at the helm now, you can see this team building something special. The man builds character like nobody else, and you can see it in how his teams play — tough, physical, and smart. That’s the Nebraska defense in a nutshell, and it’s only going to get better.

Now, Nebraska has a quarterback, Dylan Raiola, who’s going to be something special. He was a top 10 recruit in the country, originally committed to Georgia but flipped to Nebraska late. He’s got Patrick Mahomes’ quarterback coach working with him, and let me tell you, this kid throws the ball from all kinds of arm angles. He’s calm, collected, and poised, even in tough situations. Last week, he made some impressive throws, like that dime towards the back of the end zone where only his 6’4″ receiver could grab it. Nebraska’s offense has balance, and that’s going to make this a great test for them.

On the other side, Colorado has their own force multiplier in Shedeur Sanders. Last week, I saw something I loved from him — he responded to adversity after throwing an interception by leading his team down the field when they needed it most. He threw for over 400 yards, and with weapons like Jimmy Horn and Travis Hunter out wide, Colorado’s passing game is dangerous.

But here’s the thing — Colorado’s leading rusher had only nine carries for 20 yards. If they want to beat Nebraska, they’ve got to do a better job running the football. You can’t expect to win games with a one-dimensional offense. They were on the field for only 23 minutes last week, while their defense was out there for 37. That’s a problem. The defense didn’t generate much pass rush, and they struggled to stop the run. Can they improve? That’s the big question.

This game is a tone-setter for both teams. It’s going to be a shootout between two great quarterbacks, and it might just come down to who has the ball last. I can’t wait to see how it plays out!