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Nebraska Football Rated in Top 30 of Initial KFord Ratings

The Huskers are projected to be in top-25 territory this fall.
Kaleb Henry|
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola scans the field for an open receiver during the second quarter against Rutgers.
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola scans the field for an open receiver during the second quarter against Rutgers. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

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The first KFord Ratings of the summer are here and Nebraska football is exactly where many will have the Big Red to open the 2025 campaign.

Nebraska is listed at No. 28, just ahead of Iowa and BYU, in version one of Kelley Ford's preseason power ratings. This particular ratings is designed to be "purely predictive, or forward-looking. NOT a résumé ranking."

The KFord Rating is based on points per game above the FBS average. Nebraska is listed at 10.4, which means the Huskers are projected to score 10.4 more points a game than the average FBS team.

The SEC and Big Ten dominate the list, as they are most offseason power and early preseason rankings. The SEC has 10 teams in the top 18 and 11 total listed. The Big Ten has three in the top six, with nine total listed.

The highest non-Big Ten/SEC team is Notre Dame at seven. Clemson is the highest-rated ACC team at eight. The highest-rated Big 12 team is Kansas State at 20.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Kenneth Williams (25) celebrates with teammates after the 2025 Pinstripe Bow.
Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Kenneth Williams (25) celebrates with teammates after the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Version one of the 2024 KFord preseason ratings had three teams in the top 10 that ultimately missed the College Football Playoff. All three were out of the SEC: Alabama (4), LSU (9), and Ole Miss (10). That version also missed on four CFP teams, who were all outside the initial top 30: Arizona State, Boise State, Clemson, and Indiana.

2025 Preseason v1 KFord Ratings

  1. Texas
  2. Georgia
  3. Ohio State
  4. Alabama
  5. Penn State
  6. Oregon
  7. Notre Dame
  8. Clemson
  9. LSU
  10. Ole Miss
  11. Texas A&M
  12. Tennessee
  13. Miami (FL)
  14. Michigan
  15. Florida
  16. Oklahoma
  17. South Carolina
  18. Auburn
  19. SMU
  20. Kansas State
  21. USC
  22. Missouri
  23. Arizona State
  24. Louisville
  25. Indiana
  26. Illinois
  27. Texas Tech
  28. Nebraska
  29. Iowa
  30. BYU

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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