This doesn’t really need to be repeated again, but the 2021 season is a big one in Lincoln.

Scott Frost is 12-20 in his first three seasons at Nebraska and there have been no postseason appearances. The good news? The Huskers easily have their most talented and most experienced team heading into the 2021 season. Will that finally translate to hitting at least 6 victories and returning to a bowl game?

Because of the struggles over the last 3 years, Nebraska is going to be under a microscope for most of the season. If it’s teetering on bowl eligibility, the pressure is only going to intensify.

Nebraska has an opportunity to show everyone it’s ready to take that next step and return to the postseason early in the year, playing Illinois in Week 0 on the national stage. The critics won’t be silenced even with a big victory, but it could set the foundation for Frost’s best season in Lincoln.

Before kickoff in Champaign arrives, I’ve got 5 bold predictions for the Huskers heading into the 2021 season:

1. Adrian Martinez (finally) provides consistency

There’s been plenty of criticism of Martinez over the last 3 seasons — some of it fair, some of it not. Even quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco said the senior quarterback needs to “take care of the damn football” this season.

Martinez has proven to be effective with his arm and his legs throughout his career but has also been incredibly inconsistent. A shoddy offensive line and a lack of playmakers at the receiver position has certainly contributed to his struggles. Plus, he’s been banged up at times over the last 3 seasons.

In 2021, there will be no excuses. Nebraska’s offensive line should be a lot better. The running game has plenty of options out of the backfield and Frost says this is the most talented wide receiver room he’s seen since arriving in Lincoln. With all the pieces in place, this will be the year Martinez finally provides some consistency for the Huskers.

2. The top two rushers are actually running backs

Nebraska has a pretty solid running back room this year. The goal is to have one primary back, and with Markese Stepp, Gabe Ervin and Sevion Morrison all in the backfield, the Huskers are more than capable of keeping guys healthy and splitting up some of the carries to not overload one guy.

Once again, that should help Martinez. The quarterback has either been the leading or second-leading rusher for the Huskers each of the last 3 seasons. I don’t expect that to be the case this fall. With so many options at running back, there’s no reason to run Martinez as much as previous years.

3. Nebraska’s defense allows fewer than 25 points per game

This defense is loaded with returning talent and athleticism. It’s already been a group that has shown gradual improvement under Frost’s watch, but this year it should be the best it’s ever been. This a team that returns Cam Taylor-Britt, Marquel Dismuke and Deontai Williams in the secondary; JoJo Domann, Luke Reimer and Garrett Nelson at linebacker; and Ben Stille and Damion Daniels on the line.

Nebraska’s defense is going to cause problems for B1G offenses.

The last time the Huskers allowed an average of 25 points or fewer for an entire season was 2016. This group is well-equipped to achieve that kind of success in 2021.

4. Taylor-Britt makes his case for B1G Defensive Back of the Year

In a league loaded with talented defensive backs, Taylor-Britt is still a player who deserves plenty of recognition. Last year, he totaled 28 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, 3 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions for the Huskers. He’s incredibly athletic and is capable of covering just about every receiver lined up across from him in the conference.

Naming Taylor-Britt the winner of the award is a hard leap to take because he’ll be competing with so many skilled players at the position. There’s little doubt he’s one of the best at his craft, though. Maybe he doesn’t take home the hardware, but he’ll absolutely be in the conversation at the end of the year.

5. No wins in November

Sorry to end this on a sour note, but it’s probably also how the Huskers’ regular season will end in 2021. Nebraska has an incredibly challenging month of November, playing No. 4 Ohio State, No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 18 Iowa to close out the year.

It doesn’t get much more difficult than that.

Upsets are always possible — it’s part of what makes college football great. But the 3 teams on the November slate are typically the ones playing their best football at the end of the season. Getting a win against the Buckeyes, Badgers or Hawkeyes isn’t impossible, but I’m not sure they have quite enough on the roster to take down of those opponents right now.