Nebraska Linebacker Issues Warning About Comparing Dylan Raiola to Shedeur Sanders

While many people around college football may not have realized prior to last season, Colorado and Nebraska have been rivals for eons.

The two teams faced off last year for the first time since 2019, as Deion Sanders' squad won emphatically over Matt Rhule's, winning by a score of 36-14. The big problem for the Cornhuskers was their quarterback situation, which they fixed by bringing in five-star freshman Dylan Raiola.

Raiola has generated Heisman buzz after just one game at the college level, and already has players on his team irrationally confident in him. When Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor was asked if Raiola helps them prepare for Colorado's Sheduer Sanders, Gbayor warned reporters not to compare the two players.

“You can’t compare Dylan to Shedeur Sanders,” Gbayor told the media. “Don’t do that. Dylan is a different man. The way he plays, the way he goes out there and attacks. Dylan is a dog. You’ll see on Saturday. I put all my trust in him and this team and the guys who’s blocking for him. We’ve just got to do our part on defense.”

Gbayor's comments are about as spicy as things have gotten between the two teams.  Rhule infamously went viral last year for criticizing Deion Sanders' portal method, and there was also some jawing at midfield before the game between Shedeur Sanders and some Nebraska players.

The two teams are coming off very different Week 1 showings, but each got stellar performances from the guy behind center. Sanders willed Colorado to a close 31-26 win over FCS power North Dakota State, throwing for 445 yards with four touchdowns.

Raiola, on the other hand, torched UTEP in his college debut, throwing for 238 yards and a couple of scores in a 40-7 rout.

Last year's meeting attracted over 8.7 million viewers and could reach or even surpass that mark this time around.

ESPN has the Cornhuskers favored by 7.5 points and also gives them a 60.4% chance of winning.

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