Why Is Nebraska Ranked No. 24 in AP Poll Despite 2 Losing Seasons?

Despite finishing the past two seasons at 4-8, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were ranked No. 24 in the annual preseason poll which is issued by The Associated Press.

Of the nine other teams that have been ranked by the AP after two losing seasons, none of had a record as bad as Nebraska, according to FiveThirtyEight.

But, perhaps based on their pedigree instead of the current state of their program, the Cornhuskers are once again ranked as one of the top teams in the country.

“So, why Nebraska? Do the Huskers deserve the early recognition?” askes FiveThirtyEight. “A lot of the excitement comes from Scott Frost, in his second year coaching Nebraska. In Frost’s second year at the University of Central Florida, just two years removed from a winless season, his team finished undefeated. Husker fans and the media seem to expect a similar second-year bump.”

There actually is some precedent for ranking the Huskies so high. Of those previous nine teams that have been ranked after consecutive losing campaigns, six finished the season in the top 20 and all of them finished with winning records

The two teams in last year’s national championship game, No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama, reside at the top of the AP poll.

Sportsbooks across the U.S. are divided on whether the Tigers or Crimson Tide will win it all again this year, but most have either Alabama or Clemson as the national champion.

John Murray, the sportsbook director for the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, told ESPN he’d make Alabama a small favorite at -1 or -1.5 over Clemson if the two teams were to play on a neutral field this weekend. “I would have the game extremely close, but I think the market would have Alabama as a small favorite,” Murray said.

Georgia is the third-favorite to win the national title with odds around 6-1.

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