Nebraska at Maryland Preview and Prediction (CollegeFootballNews.com)

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Nebraska at Maryland Preview and Prediction
by Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com

Nebraska and Maryland are good football teams trying to find their respective ways in the Big Ten world. This is a pivotal game for both with what's coming next.

The Huskers started 4-1 with a tough loss to Michigan along the way, and they have a 50/50 game at Minnesota next, a likely win over Northwestern to follow, and USC, Penn State and Cockeye still to go, all around a suddenly dangerous date at UCLA.

Outside of the date with the Nittany Lions, it's more than manageable -- there's no Ohio State or Oregon -- but there can't be a slip here.

Maryland dropped a tough 24-20 home game against Washington, and the slide needs to stop now.

It has to go out to LA to deal with UCLA after this, and then comes Indiana, with Illinois and Michigan still to go.

There's a real chance the Terps will have to fight to go bowling if they lose this.

Nebraska at Maryland
Saturday, October 11 - 3:30 PM (ET) - Big Ten Network

Why Nebraska Will Win
The Nebraska defense is figuring out how to get off the field.

It might not always be a rock, but the pass defense leads the nation, allowing just 92 yards per game. There's pressure in the backfield, doing a fantastic job of forcing the issue on third downs.

Offensively, Dylan Raiola continues to be as good as any passer in America, hitting 74% of his throws and keeping the mistakes to a minimum.

Maryland's offense is effective, but it's the worst in the Big Ten at converting its third down chances, and it shows in the time of possession battle. But .......

Why Maryland Will Win
......here comes the Maryland pass rush.

Yes, Raiola is careful, but he'll also eat sacks instead of taking a chance to force a big play. That's a good thing overall, but Maryland should win its share of battles by getting to No. 15 often enough to matter.

On the flip side, the Maryland offensive line isn't allowing much of anything in the backfield.

The offense isn't turning the ball over, helped by the lack of pressure, and it's just as careful when it comes to not turning the ball over, with just three giveaways. So.........

Can the Huskers or Terrapins Run the Ball?
Cincinnati, Michigan and Michigan State all stalled the Huskers on the ground. Maryland hasn't been able to run against anyone, struggling against Towson, too.

The Terps won't make the major mistakes like Michigan State did last week against the Huskers, but they also won't be accurate enough to offset the midrange game of Raiola.

These two teams do a lot of the same things, but Nebraska does it a bit better.

Prediction
Nebraska 27, Maryland 21

Spread
Nebraska is favored on the road by 6.5 points

 

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Other Big Ten game picks:

INDIANA at OREGON (-7.5)
There's a chance Indiana gets off the plane with an air-tight performance tucked under its arm as it carves up the Oregon like a Thanksgiving ... duck. Or, the Hoosier team that couldn't run a lick against Cockeye will hit a brick wall against a Duck defense that enjoyed two weeks to prepare for what's coming. Everything will go according to the final script. Oregon will get the win, but Indiana will be just respectable enough in defeat to keep all College Football Playoff hopes alive and kicking. And again, win or lose, both teams should be fine. But first things first, these two ultra-fun teams will put on a heck of a show. Oregon 31, Indiana 23

Cockeye (-3.5) at WISCONSIN
Hope for the shootout, prepare for the struggle. It's Cockeye. It won't take any unnecessary chances, will rely on the defense and special teams, and it'll be more than happy to keep the tempo low and play the long game. Both defenses will look great, but the Cockeye offense will perk up when it's past the Badger 40. Cockeye 23, Wisconsin 13

MICHIGAN at USC (-2.5)
USC has one of the nation's best pass rushes, but it couldn't get behind the Illinois line two weeks ago, with a season-low one sack and two tackles for loss. It doesn't have to generate a ton of sacks, but it has to at least pressure Underwood. With two weeks off to sit and stew on the painful Illinois loss, USC will come out sharp with just enough offense to make Michigan press. This has to be a relatively low-scoring fight for Michigan to win, but it won't be. USC will pull this off, but it'll take a few quirky breaks in the fourth quarter to win. USC 30, Michigan 27

NORTHWESTERN at PENN STATE (-21.5)
Deep breath, everyone. Let's describe the UCLA thing this way - it was like an elite fighter getting caught with one unexpected punch that just so happened to perfectly land. And yes, Nico Iamaleava really is that good - a simple fact that got lost in all the dunking for leaving Tennessee for the Bruins - and Northwestern doesn't have him. Penn State is still one of the most talented teams in college football, and if it can somehow get through the rest of its schedule unscathed, it really could win the national title. But first, it's about to play a solid, methodical game against Northwestern for an easy win. Penn State 38, Northwestern 10

OHIO STATE (-14.5) at ILLINOIS
Ohio State is the best in the nation in tackles for loss allowed, and Illinois can't allow defenses behind the line fast enough. The Buckeye pass rush will bother Altmyer all game long, but he'll keep popping back up and will keep on firing. Can Illinois get any pressure on Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin? He's been brilliant, the Illini secondary has been awful, and it'll still be a good game deep into the second half, anyway. And then the Buckeye scoring spree will arrive. Ohio State 34, Illinois 13

PURDUE at MINNESOTA (-8.5)
No, and that's part of the problem. It's a Barry Odom-coached team, so it's coming at some point, but the Boilermakers have only forced one turnover so far, and Minnesota hasn't turned it over in the last two games. Minnesota won't bash away like it wants to, but it'll have a bit more of a passing game when it needs it to pull this out in a fun offensive firefight. Minnesota 31, Purdue 23

RUTGERS at WASHINGTON (-10.5)
N/A

UCLA at MICHIGAN STATE (-8.5)
Talent-wise? No. Soon, everyone will get that Iamaleava has the upside to be, as sacrilegious as this might seem, Jayden Daniels lite. However, Michigan State's Aidan Chiles has all the tools to be terrific. The Spartan offense is a bit banged up, but Chiles still has a great receiving corps to work with, the backs just need a little room to move, and the main man under center has to quickly get past the miserable performance against Nebraska. Even with the Penn State win, UCLA's defense should be the cure for that in a very, very entertaining game that might fly under the early game radar. Michigan State 34, UCLA 26

 

[That SOB Van Owen]

Wow, a couple games they didn’t just take the spread.

 

[Jim14510]

Should be the nail in the coffin if #2ndChoice gives up 23 points to Cockeye.