Spring football is over. The transfer portal is closed. The calendar reads June. You know what that means? College football is almost here. It has now been five months since Michigan took down Washington in the national championship game in Houston, and we have made it through the hardest part of the offseason. We are well past the halfway point, and now, there's nothing but excitement to get us to the finish line. We are less than three months away from the start of the college football season, and Nebraska football is ready. Cornhuskers fans can't wait to see their team take the field for the first time.
The 2024 college football season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in a long time, and it's because of all the changes that are coming to the game in 2024. Let's start with the expanded College Football Playoff.
It's going to be interesting to see how the first year of the new 12-team College Football Playoff goes. The four-team playoff era is over, and having eight more teams make it is going to make a huge difference.
First of all, college football fans can breathe a little bit easier during the regular season. There's no worse feeling as a fan than seeing your team lose a huge game in the first weeks of the season before conference play even starts. In the four-team playoff era, that's as demoralizing as it gets. You know that one more loss is the nail in the coffin, and even with one loss (or in Florida State's case, zero), there is no guarantee that you will make it. Now, power five teams that go 10-2 should be pretty safe, and even some 9-3 teams will likely be able to make it.
The other big change is more football and a longer season. The College Football Playoff committee recently released the schedule for the 2024 playoff, and it is going to be an exciting month. Instead of three total playoff games played in the span of a week, we will get to see 11 games spread out over the span of a month. That is going to be a lot of fun.
Another huge change to the college football world this year will be with the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone as everyone except for Oregon State and Washington State found a new home. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are now in the Big Ten, Cal and Stanford moved to the ACC, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are in the Big 12.
The Big 12 did lose two teams, however, as Oklahoma and Texas are making the move over to the SEC.
All in all, big changes are coming to college football, and it should make for an exciting season. Things are going to look different, and not everyone is a fan of the new changes, but there is going to more football and more good matchups. That's a plus.
Nebraska football needs to find success this year
The past decade hasn't been kind to the Nebraska football team, and the Cornhuskers are a traditional college football powerhouse. They have one of the best fan bases in the country, and the fan base demands excellence. It has been a long time since they got it. When Scott Frost took over as the head coach for Nebraska, it looked like they were close to getting back to the top of college football. Frost had a lot of competitive teams, including maybe the best 3-9 team ever, but he never got the Cornhuskers back.
Now, Matt Rhule is the new head coach of the Nebraska football team, and his first season in charge looked very similar to those Scott Frost teams. There were a lot of chances for wins, but when it got time to crunch time, they often folded. The Cornhuskers yet again failed to make a bowl game, and now the pressure is on a little bit more in year two for Rhule.
The transfer portal is always an important part of the college football offseason, but it was relatively quiet for Nebraska this year. The Cornhuskers lost 10 players to the transfer portal and they also added seven new players. Here is one that seems poised for a good season.
Jahmal Banks, WR, Wake Forest
Nebraska football fans can't wait for the 2024 season because they are expected to have elite quarterback play from true freshman Dylan Raiola. One of Raiola's top targets is going to be Wake Forest wide receiver transfer Jahmal Banks. Banks has played four seasons with the Demon Deacons, and now he is ready for a fifth season with Nebraska.
Jahmal Banks got better and better each year during his Wake Forest career. His first two seasons were quiet, but he has racked up over 600 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons.
During his junior year, Jahmal Banks had 42 receptions for 636 yards and nine touchdowns. It was a breakout season for him, and he had a big year in 2023 as well.
Last year, Jahmal Banks finished the season with 59 receptions for 653 yards and four touchdowns.
Banks is an experienced guy and he is going to be one of the best WRs on this Nebraska football team in 2024. If Dylan Raiola ends up being as good as we think he will be, he will likely form a good connection with Banks, and he should make a big impact on his new team.
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