Greg McElroy is “bullish” on Nebraska entering 2022. Among the things McElroy pointed to during his assessment are the new offensive staff for Scott Frost and Vegas setting positive odds for the team entering the season.

However, McElroy admitted during his Always College Football podcast that he does see 3 major questions facing the Huskers ahead of 2022. If the team is going to reach its goals and succeed, McElroy believes they will need to answer these questions.

1. How does the new offensive staff come together?

McElroy was very positive on the addition of Mark Whipple as OC but noted the staff does need to come together quickly. With a new OC, WRs coach/passing game coordinator, RBs coach and OL coach, Whipple must show that the staff can work efficiently and effectively early in the season.

2. Is this offensive line gonna be able to protect anybody?

McElroy pointed to the offensive line as a potential weak link for the offense. He discussed how that unit underperformed in 2021, and the 3 best pieces of the line – all on the interior – are unavailable for 2022. (Two of those players graduated to the NFL while the third is suspended for all of 2022.)

3. Is Casey Thompson an obvious upgrade over Adrian Martinez?

The book on Adrian Martinez at Nebraska is well written. His turnovers and late-game miscues were apparent, particularly in 2021, but that doesn’t tell the full story.

McElroy pointed to the offensive line as something that likely held Martinez back, and is likewise something that Thompson must account for in 2022. Fortunately, McElroy is trusting Whipple to formulate smart play calls to keep his QB – and the offensive line – out of sticky situations this season.

Can Nebraska put it all together in 2022? We’ll find out right around the corner.