Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor decided to get in the mix before Nebraska’s big game against Colorado. When asked to compare Buffs’ QB Shedeur Sanders to freshman sensation Dylan Raiola, Gbayor said there’s no comparison between Sanders and Nebraska’s own freshman star, Dylan Raiola. Gbayor, who suffered a bitter loss to Colorado last season, was not short of confidence in the Cornhuskers’ new talents. Dylan Raiola’s performance so far has been impressive, showcasing his potential as a true freshman. In his debut against UTEP, Raiola displayed poise and accuracy, leading Nebraska to a dominant 40-7 victory and setting the stage for a promising season.

Gbayor, who witnessed the frenzy of the Colorado fans last time, could only express disgust at Sanders. During a video uploaded on CU Buffs’ fan page, “We Coming,” Gbayor downplayed Shedeur Sanders as a small fry compared to Dylan Raiola. He was very direct about this when he said, “You can’t compare Dylan to Shedeur Sanders. Don’t do that. Dylan is a different man.” When further probed as to why Raiola is so special, Gbayor said, “Dylan is a dog. You’ll see on Saturday.”

When Gbayor took a dig at the Nebraskans, not only were the Cornhuskers able to shut the critics up but also back Gbayor’s boastful words with a strong nudge in the form of a victory. Nebraska’s defense arose in full force, and Raiola proved to be such an invaluable asset to it, particularly in this game. “I put all my trust in him, this team, and the guys blocking for him. We’ve just got to do our part on defense,” Gbayor said.

Gbayor’s comments alone have sparked lots of controversy, not to mention the fact that the victory has gone to Nebraska. The linebacker’s choice to blatantly disrespect Sanders in such a way may just have been petty tactics or cheap shots; what it was, however, was setting the marker out. 

Mikai Gbayor and Nebraska have backed their words, but what’s next for the Buffs?

It was electrifying when Gbayor made those comments about Shedeur Sanders, and now, with Nebraska triumphing over Colorado, the boys are indeed showing off. Nebraska’s posts in the last few days have been adding insult to Buffs’ injury. As for Shedeur Sanders and the CU Buffs, the sort of defeat is a wake-up call. It is always that they will have to recharge and work on their areas of problem, should they want to ascend to the next level of competition in future. It has also brought into the rivalry between the teams to another level with anticipation for consecutive matches in the future games.

Sanders and the CU Buffs could just analyze the situation and work to counter the criticisms that were leveled against them. It unveiled some weakness in their strategy and revealed how hard they were pressed in checkmating the Cornhuskers on the offense side. Gbayor utterances, especially those of this nature, have received immense attention in recent times due to Raiola’s performances and have become a topic of discussion amongst fans and analysts.