While I agree that the Husker hype is a little over the top, I think there is some basis in it. Their offense improved a lot with a freshman quarterback, and their execution on offense was pretty impressive. I would not be surprised if they have the best offense in the division, though Purdue and Wisconsin will be good on that side of the ball.
They had holes on defense, and I don’t think it was clear whether the defense, based on coaching, would thrive or founder even if those holes get plugged. As a result, I really think there is a wide variance in expected outcome on the defensive side of the ball, from almost as bad as last year to pretty good. If it reaches the pretty good stage, they may well win the division and could end up ranked in the top 10. If I were a pundit, they would be a tempting pick since it would show how I saw the talent and trend before they were good.
Personally, I think they finish fourth behind the Cats, Wisconsin and Iowa, but I also think their chance of winning the division is better than Iowa’s and pretty close that of either the Cats or Badgers. I also think they are much more likely than the Cats or Badgers to finish 6th. I have noted before that every team but Illinois has a shot this year, and there really is not a favorite among them.