As the college football season hits its stride in Week 9, the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2) welcome the Northwestern Wildcats (5-2) to Memorial Stadium for a crucial Big Ten showdown, with both teams vying for momentum and to become bowl eligible. Nebraska, favored by 7.5 points, enters as the betting darling with a 73% win probability, but Nebraska has some serious flaws that Northwestern is built to take advantage of.
Entering the 4th quarter of the Maryland game, I had hope for the first time in probably over a decade for Nebraska to come back and win. I didn’t have that “Here we go again” feeling. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders; I was finally about to witness Nebraska’s return to relevance, and with a team that refused to lie down and die. Then the Minnesota game happened. Minnesota didn’t just expose Nebraska; it read its diary aloud to the world, and I’m sure every team in the Big Ten took notes, especially Northwestern.
This Northwestern team has everything needed to give this Nebraska team nightmares: a solid O-line, a never-ending running game, and at least two defensive linemen who have a pulse. If the Cornhuskers have any hope of winning this game, there needs to be a massive change to the offense. We have to create a run game and make short, quick passes and screens to help extend it. Fast-developing plays are key to winning this game and every game left on the schedule. Dana also needs to be less predictable. He can’t just keep running the same pattern of run, pass, pass, punt. If we make it inside the 10-yard line, the game plan changes to: fade route, and two more random passes. It hasn’t worked 85% of the time this year, and it won’t get better.
On defense, the Blackshirts have to stop the run. It’s that simple. Northwestern runs the ball over 40 times a game, and that won’t change anytime soon. They have three solid running backs who are all looking to add a 70-yard-plus run to their statsheet. When the Wildcats can’t run, they pass to Griffin Wilde. That’s their whole offense in a nutshell. Stop the run, cover Wilde, and maybe don’t let a single play change how you call an entire game, and Nebraska will have success on defense.
This isn’t an easy game to predict after what we all witnessed last week. I thought Nebraska would deliver a statement win over Minnesota, but that clearly didn’t happen. This team has shown they are a mental rollercoaster. They can play lights out, never quit, and come back to win, or they can somehow think a Big Ten game is going to be easy and a for-sure win, get punched in the face, and just stand there and take it for four quarters. With that said, I think being at home and being embarrassed on National television last week might give them some extra motivation this week, but a win won’t come easily. I’m expecting a run-heavy, defensive slugfest of a game. Nebraska barely pulls out a win and becomes bowl eligible in October for the first time in nearly a decade. Nebraska 20, Northwestern 17.