Nebraska never had to worry about being relevant late in the season. For decades, the Cornhuskers were in the mix for the national championship, and they were must-see TV.

That’s all changed in recent years, to the dismay of Nebraska fans. But college football analyst Joel Klatt believes late-season relevancy might be returning to Lincoln soon, maybe even this fall. And it’s freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola who could be bringing the “it factor” back to Nebraska football.

Raiola didn’t disappoint in his Nebraska debut last Saturday in Lincoln, throwing for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions to lead the Cornhuskers to a 40-7 season-opening victory over UTEP. Raiola went 19-of-27, and Klatt believes if Raiola can remain efficient throughout the season and limit the turnovers that bogged down Nebraska last year, then the Cornhuskers might just matter again in November.

“If he is just a net positive for Nebraska, then Nebraska will be playing meaningful games for the (CFP) in November,” said Klatt on his podcast on Wednesday. “That’s actually the standard. Everyone has been talking about Dylan Raiola being the savior for Nebraska.

“But if you study them and see what they did a year ago, you’ll see this team was close a year ago. If they don’t turn it over last year, they are a far different team from a record standpoint.”

Raiola and the Cornhuskers face Colorado on Saturday night in a prime-time showdown in Lincoln. A win there would further elevate Nebraska toward playing relevant games late in the season.