A new College Football season is about to kick off, and with it, several programs are dreaming of making a deep run. Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers are one of those teams, and with Dylan Raiola leading the way, they’re aiming to be among the top contenders.
While athletic performance is one of the most crucial factors for achieving good results, the human element also plays a significant role. Interpersonal relationships are often decisive, which is why the QB and his head coach must maintain the best possible terms.
In a recent interview with Hail Varsity, Raiola opened up about his relationship with Rhule in recent times, describing it as a strong bond that’s giving many in the program reason to be optimistic.
“Our relationship is special,” he said. “Right now, me and him are like closer than we’ve ever been, and it’s pretty unique. I never thought I’d have a relationship like this with the head coach, especially in college.
Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
“But, at the time [of my commitment], it was, ‘Come in. Earn your stripes. Earn your teammates’ trust and respect, and we could do something very hard but very worth it.’ His Year 3, my Year 2, we’re ready to go. It’s exciting.”
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Rhule’s clear objective
The Nebraska Cornhuskers know what it means to win a National Championship, though recent history has seen that goal slip further from reach. Matt Rhule, a coach with plenty of experience, understands that it’s time to bring the program back into the national spotlight.
“I want to get to the College Football Playoff,” he said on the first episode of House Rhules. “I mean, that’s why we’re doing all this, right? Like, you’re doing all of this to have a chance to get to the College Football Playoff. And so I think what’s really unique, what’s interesting is, like, you look at Ohio State last year, my boy Ryan Day, former Temple Owl Ryan Day, right … When was the last time you lose the last game of the regular season you can make it into the playoffs? It’s never happened before. You can finish 10-2 … and the great job he did of getting him into the playoffs.
“And so for me, what I saw last year was like, hey, just get your guys to the tournament. So that’s our goal. Man, like, I mean, we want to be a great team. We want to win every game, we want to make people proud. We want to play the game the right way. There’s a lot of other things, but, you know, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. We want to go to the CFP, because once you get in, man, who knows what can happen? It’s the team that’s the hottest that makes it happen.”
Nebraska’s first challenges
Aiming to start the upcoming NCAAF season on the right foot, these are the first challenges the Cornhuskers will have to overcome if they hope to emerge as contenders.
- vs Cincinnati, August 28
- vs Akron, September 6
- vs Houston Christian, September 13
- vs Michigan, September 20
- vs Michigan State, October 4