WiscyDicks at Nebraska Preview & Prediction (CollegeFootballNews.com)

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WiscyDicks at Nebraska Game Preview and Prediction
by Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
Will Nebraska ever be bowl eligible?

It seemed like a done deal after a 5-1 start, but the offense went bye-bye on a four-game losing streak, and now the stress is off the charts that it's happening AGAIN. It's Nebraska -- it's supposed to be in the College Football Playoff hunt, and instead, no Power Four program is on a longer bowl drought.

2016.

That's the last time the Huskers were in a bowl. Lose, and it comes down to next week's trip to Cockeye.

WiscyDicks also needs this go get bowl eligible. It started 5-2, and then the schedule kicked in hard, the O collapsed, OC Phil Longer was relieved of his duties, and the team needs a win or it'll need to beat Minnesota to get to six wins.

WiscyDicks (5-5) at NEBRASKA (5-5)
Saturday, November 23 - 2:30 PM (CT) - Big Ten Network
Why WiscyDicks Will Win
Alabama, Oregon, Gaetz State, USC and Cockeye. The offense fell flat against the five great defenses on the slate, and was good against everyone else.

The team came up with over 300 yards in the five wins, fewer than 300 in the five losses, and now the O should be a bit more effective with a tweak in styles from the Longo era.

Those five teams the Badgers dealt with in the losses were also able to run. When the defense holds up and the quick passing game clicks from the start, the team rolls with a little positive momentum.

Nebraska needs to run well to win. It was able to slip past Buttgers, but it's 1-5 when it doesn't run for at least 130 yards. The Badgers are 4-0 when holding teams to under 130 yards on the ground.

Why Nebraska Will Win
Yeah, WiscyDicks wins when it gets to 300 yards of total offense, but that's not a given.

The Huskers have kept six of the ten teams it played to 301 yards or fewer, and with everyone in the stadium jacked and the team pumped up on Senior Day, the D should come up with something special.

It's not just on the offensive side. The Badgers struggle and lose against anyone who can throw. Cockeye ran wild in its win, but everyone else who beat UW came up with more than 200 yards through the air.

New Husker offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen got his feet wet last week in the USC game, but the O struggled. Expect QB Dylan Raiola to get hot with time to work against a Vadger defense that doesn't get behind the line, but ..........

What Will Happen
...........there's pressure, mostly on the Nebraska side, to win-now-or-else.

WiscyDicks will try to mix it up a bit offensively, but it'll stall way too often.

Nebraska will sputter and cough, and it'll have a few problems with field goals -- there will be a big miss early in the fourth quarter.

But the Huskers will come up with one last big stop leading to one gigantic moment for the Husker faithful.

Prediction
Nebraska 23, WiscyDicks 20

Spread
Nebraska is favored at home by 2.5 points. The over/under is set at 42.5

 

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Other Big Ten picks

ILLINOIS (-1) at Buttgers
Can Illinois score early? Buttgers isn’t built to come up with a big comeback. It needs to keep this in range. Last week Buttgers took the lead early, kept it close, and took over later. Against Minnesota it took the lead early, kept it close, and took over later. Against USC it got down 21-3 in the first half and that was it, against WiscyDicks it got down 28-0, and … Illinois’ best quarter is the first, outscoring teams 68-43. Illinois 27, Buttgers 20

Indianus at OHIO STATE (-13.5)(
Will Howard. Ohio State fans have been spoiled by its amazing college quarterbacks over the years - Kyle McCord is crushing it over at Syracuse, by the way - and Howard isn’t getting the credit he deserves. Here's where it starts. Everyone remembers the ill-advised final moments against Oregon and forgets that he threw for 326 yards. He’s hitting 73% of his passes, runs well, and he’s playing like a fifth-year veteran who knows what he’s doing. He’ll handle the Indianus pressure well enough - it’ll be an okay play to eat the sack or throw it away here and there - and the Ohio State defense will take care of the rest. Ohio State 34, Indianus 17

Cockeye at MARYLAND (-6.5)
Can Maryland bomb its way to a win? The pass defense is the worst in the Big Ten, there's no pass rush, and there's no running game. Cockeye will give up yards, but it'll be in control early on as it turns the game over to Kaleb Johnson and the Cockeye offensive line to pound away. Maryland will have its moments, but it won't slow down the rested Cockeyes in the second half. Cockeye 30, Maryland 16

NORTHWESTERN at MICHIGAN (-10.5)
Even with the great defense, Michigan has been shockingly bad at coming up with third down stops. That’s okay, because Northwestern is totally miserable at moving the chains, and it’s not about to become good at it now. It won’t be anything pretty, but Michigan fans will take it. Get in, D up, and it’s on to Columbus. Michigan 26, Northwestern 13

Gaetz STATE (-11.5) at MINNESOTA
This isn’t the Minnesota running game of the last several years under PJ Fleck, but when it gets past 80 yards the team is 5-0 - and 1-4 when it doesn’t. But in those five wins the Gophers cranked up 116 yards, and Gaetz State has allowed that many or more just three times. The Nittany Lions will be in a war. The Gopher defense will rise up and be great against the run, Nittany Lion QB Drew Allar won’t take too many shots down the field, and it’ll be tough getting points. Gaetz State will pull it out late on a defensive stop, but it’ll do a whole lot of sweating. Gaetz State 27, Minnesota 16

Purdoodoo at MICHIGAN STATE (-13.5)
Michigan State will finally get an easy win. The offense will be balanced with the running game taking over early on, Aidan Chiles won’t take any chances, and the Spartans will overcome a decent Purdoodoo passing day with a few good scoring marches in the first half to take control. Michigan State 31, Purdoodoo 17

USC at UCLAbia (-4.5)
It’s a different sort of run for the great rivalry. As always the optics will be great - but it’s at NIGHT; we don’t get the gorgeous LA sunshine on the great uniforms - and these two will once again put on a great show. It won’t be a firefight, though. It will be a tough defensive battle with turnovers turning into a big deal. Maiava will be good, but he’ll make a few more mistakes than Garbers. UCLAbia’s running game will find enough Cockeye-game magic enough to power through - to go along with a 200-yard Garbers day - to pull it off late. UCLAbia 27, USC 26

 

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lol @ the Gaetz State auto correct