Mike: I kind of feel like Kevin Bacon/Chip Diller in Animal House. While not “all is well” by any means, it’s not time for rioting and panicking.
Unless the Huskers get boat-raced by Rutgers, that is.
Patrick: Once again, I have no idea what’s going on.
Andy: Two things are true: 1) Mike is 100% right. There’s problems, big ones, but the fact we should be 8-1 or 9-0 is a much better problem than just getting boat-raced and 2) the Rutgers game, while not quite the Kobayashi Maru, is a no-win scenario.
More on that below.
Jill: Just win a damn game.
Jarek: I would like to be bowl eligible now…
Wisconsin (-8) at Maryland
Patrick: University of Wisconsin 28 University of Maryland 13
Mike: Maryland got their bounceback game last week, while Wisconsin just keeps quietly playing decent football. Stinkin’ Badgers 34, Turtles 24
Andy: (Yawn) Maryland defied the odds by winning a conference game last week (yeah, Purdue), but back-to-back is too strong an ask. Wiscy moves to 7-3 as the call to hang on to Fickell is working thus far. Stinkin’ Batchers 24 Turtles 13
Jill: The Badgers should win this one even if their flight got cancelled. Wiscy 35 Terps 18
Jarek: Wisconsin is playing so relatively decent football. Maryland, eh not so much. Two cases of teams who kept a coach that was on the hot seat. Like Highlander, there can be only one. Wisconsin should win. Wisconsin 30 Maryland 17
Southern Cal (+8.5) at Indiana
Patrick: Indiana University 21 University of Southern California 17
Mike: I don’t think Indiana is a Top Ten team. I also don’t think Southern Cal is a Top 15 team. Hoosiers 23, Trojans 14
Andy: Indiana may not be as scary as last season, but dropping 5 spots during a bye week is the reason a formula, while not perfect, is still better than closed doors and committees. Southern Cal’s Ohio State upset lost luster after only a week, and I still think Indiana will frustrate the Trojans to something like the above picks. Hoosiers 20 USC 19.
Jill: A battle of good, not great, football teams. Hoosiers 28 USC 21
Jarek: This one will probably be a little closer than people think. USC has a strong offense, which Indiana doesn’t seem to this year. The problem is Indiana’s defense is far stronger than USC’s. Welcome to a weird Big Ten battle of attrition. Indiana 20 USC 17
Minnesota (+9.5) at Penn State
Patrick: University of Minnesota 32 Pennsylvania State University 24
Mike: The Goofs have dropped two in a row following an upset of Iowa. Penn State has been a pile of ‘meh all season long with a new coach. Trying to figure out how Vegas came up with this line. Goofers 27, Nitts 24
Andy: Minnesota has dropped 3 of 4 and, yes, the last two were UCLA and Indiana, but there’s also a mudhole-stomping by Purdue in there. Meanwhile, the Cyclones have won two straight and get P.J.‘s plastic-surgery rowboat at their new home in Happy Valley. Iowa State 27 Minnesota 10
Jill: I’m trying to figure out which game Andy will be watching…Penn State 28 Minnesota 27
Jarek: Iowa State East has looked a little better as of late, while Peej has kind of gotten derailed. Having said that, Minnesota does play a better brand of cold weather football. Penn State does have a decent running game, but if Rocco Becht has to throw the ball a lot, they’ll be in trouble. Minnesota 24 Penn State 20
Washington (-3.5) at Michigan State
Patrick: University of Washington 10 Michigan State University 9
Mike: Sparty got their rivalry win last week, and the Huskies got Demond Williams back fulltime. I think Williams has more staying power this week. Huskies 28, Sparty 17
Andy: The Spartans further exposed a Wolverines squad which continues to flounder offensively without knowing what defensive calls await them. But that’s about it for them. Pat Fitzgerald has not noticeably improved things in Year 1 and may be ordering Purge masks & firing up Camp Kenosha – under someone else’s name, of course. Washington 27 Sparty 10
Jill: I dunno what to think on this one except that the Huskies should be the better team. Washington 30 MSU 22
Jarek: A lot of this will depend on when Washington will actually get there due to the FAA grounding flights. It seems as though technology has taken a weird turn over the last two days. Washington is easily the better team, but will they be a tad jet lagged when they get there? Possibly, but not enough to lose. Washington 30 Michigan State 14
Nebraska (-14.5) at Rutgers
Patrick: University of Nebraska 27 Rutgers University 10
Mike: Enough is enough this week. Nebraska runs the dadgummed ball right up Buttgers’ rear ends and tries to get right. Huskers 31, Buttgers 9
Andy: So the no-win situation thing.
The Huskers should win. I don’t expect Dana Holgorsen’s firing to suddenly fix the penalty, kicking and sniper-level accuracy blasts to the feet to go away. But I do expect the Huskers to crack 20 points as Glenn Thomas at least avoids odd play calls at the end of longer drives. And 20 points alone should be more than enough. However, a victory over a flailing Scarlet Knights squad will only improve the mood to somewhere between “slightly” and “not at all”. If it’s close, it drops a little more. This is a negligible-upside, huge-downside game.
(I think Friday showed us where it goes if we Microsoft/FAA this bitch to a 5-5 record.)
Yes, Marshall and Chambliss are out, but Rutgers lost K.J. Duff which was the only thing Rutgers’ lousy QB’s had to scare the Huskers. Yes, they have a couple decent running backs, but this Blackshirts’ version isn’t 2025’s. The ragers have been too angry to notice, but Nebraska has gone from 100th to 11th in rushing defense.
As bad as the drops and overthrows looked against Illinois, Colandrea was still 32-43 and snapped his 5-game interception string. He gets an added cheat this week of a Rutgers D which has trouble with mobile QB’s. And, you what? Let’s say Hohl connects on a couple for final of Huskers 34 Rutgers 13 – Bluebonnet Bowl, here we come!
Jill: Is bowl eligibility motivation? Probably not, but winning a game should be. Nebraska’s offense will not be fixed but it should be enough. This week. There will still be at least one quarter of Husker fan meltdowns in the comments section. Huskers 34 Scarlet Knights 21
Jarek: I can’t believe I’m typing this, but this is a must win game. There should be absolutely nothing to worry about in this contest. Right…right? The last couple of times we have faced Buttgers, it has been one score, drawn out, terrible games. Does that change this time around? Probably not, but even in those close games Buttgers never really threatened to win. I see us winning, even if we don’t cruise to victory. Nebraska 24 Buttgers 10
