College Football can be odd.
Nebraska handled the non-conference portion of their schedule, toppling the North Dakota Fighting Hawks 34-7 Saturday night. It was a game that could have been more lopsided, but Matt Rhule elected to have TJ Lateef and even Danny Kaelin see some action. Nebraska scored in every quarter, and only allowed one touchdown after a defensive penalty gave the visitors a fresh set of downs.
Looking at the bigger picture of the first three games, Nebraska only had one turnover.
They averaged over 46 points per game. The defense has gotten to the quarterbacks nine times in three games. Archie Wilson is at his career average for yards per punt at 39.5. The Huskers have limited turnovers, but penalties (20 flags for 175 yards, or 58.3 YPG) will be costly to Big Red if not fixed heading into the next part of the schedule.
Nebraska will face its first Big Ten opponent on the road when they travel to East Lansing to face the Michigan State Spartans. MSU is 2-1 after Saturday’s 27-10 loss to #3 Notre Dame. Their wins came over Toledo (30-20 in Week 1) and Eastern Michigan (35-7).
Michigan State and Nebraska are alike in that we don’t really know much about them based on the competition they played. Two MAC teams and an FCS team for Nebraska. Two MAC teams and a top-five team for the Spartans. It is in the crucible of the Big Ten schedule that truly defines what teams will be.
Another interesting storyline is the return of Pat Fitzgerald to the Big Ten. Say what you want about his time at Northwestern, he is a capable coach who can get the most of his team.
The Huskers have opened as a slim 4.5-point favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is at 47.5 points. It will be interesting to see if/how that line changes in the course of the week.
