Nebraska under Matt Rhule has usually done a fantastic job of winning games in the month of October. That absolutely has to continue this year. The October opponents are Michigan State at home, at Maryland, at Minnesota and Northwestern home. The Huskers have a real chance to go undefeated this month.
If I had to be really hesitant about any one game in particular, I would say it’s the game at Minnesota on a Friday night. Weirdly enough, the road game at Maryland would be number two, but only because
we see the Terrapins in the first half of the season, when they are actually sort of good. Nebraska has a real strong chance of going undefeated in October, which would be a massive boost to the Huskers’ aspirations this year.
I fully trust that Nebraska will get the job done this month. The Huskers would finish the month at 7-1, which would be perfect for the Huskers stretch run in November. Dylan Raiola has been phenomenal in the passing game and with the defenses coming up this month, all that needs to happen is to keep him upright (I know…right?).
The one caveat of all this will be the play of the defensive line. If they cannot plug holes in the run game, the linebackers and defensive backs will have their hands full. As we saw in the Michigan game, that didn’t go so hot. The D-line got virtually zero push, and if the opposing O-line got to the second level, it was game over. If the defensive line can control the line of scrimmage and keep teams to around 4 yards per carry, the Huskers should be fine.
The Spartan offense is a decent one, very capable of throwing the football. The great thing about Nebraska defensively is that the secondary is its strength. The Blackshirts secondary is the best in the nation in yards allowed per game. It will be tested, but I expect them to pass, much like they did against Cincinatti in the season opener. If you thought the Cincinatti QB was bad, look at his other games, he’s been really good.
Nebraska comes into this game as a double-digit favorite, and quite honestly, will be a favorite going into every game this month. This shows you what Nebraska is capable of, but they have to go out and prove it. The culture is better, you can see the guys have a stronger focus towards what they want to achieve. They don’t shoot themselves in the foot with game altering penalties and turnovers. Yes, they have left points on the board with some paly calling decisions, but Nebraska hasn’t beaten itself like it usually has in the last decade.
I know one thing to be true, and that is nothing is given, but earned. No one has given the Huskers any respect, but with the softer schedule this year, Nebraska can make people turn their heads and give them a proper look. The fundamentals are better, the team is better, and even with the loss to Michigan, the sky hasn’t fallen. We are one conference game in, and after this month, we will be singing a much happier tune in the conference standings. Go big red!
