Can Michigan State football start off Big Ten play with a notable win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers? The Spartans Wire staff is torn on that possibility, showing how much of a toss-up this game truly is...
Michigan State hosts undefeated Nebraska in the conference opener for both teams. Kickoff in this matchup is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
The Spartans come into this game looking to bounce back from a tough loss last week at top five Notre Dame. That was the Spartans first loss of the season, which drops them to 2-1 overall on the year.
Nebraska, on the other hand, has been essentially rolling since the season started. The Cornhuskers are a perfect 3-0 on the year, but this will
be their first test against a power conference team. Their first three wins have came against Ohio, Bowling Green and FCS foe North Dakota.
Let's take a look at our predictions for this week's matchup between Michigan State and Nebraska below:
Andrew Brewster
Prediction: Michigan State 20, Nebraska 17
I think Michigan State will come out of their loss to Notre Dame a better team. You hope that those lessons will help them.
Cory Linsner
Prediction: Nebraska 27, Michigan State 17
The Michigan State result against Notre Dame gives some hope for the future of this season, seeing the Spartans compete at a high level. Unfortunately, the offense still has not showed me that it is going to be able to score enough points against a strong opponent like Nebraska. A late score makes this look worse than it really is.
Robert Bondy
Prediction: Michigan State 27, Nebraska 23
One of us has the Spartans' winning, and the other doesn't -- so where do I land? I'm going to stick with my preseason prediction of Michigan State winning a nail biter against the Cornhuskers.
This is a true toss-up game to me, with a lot of unknowns still for both teams. The one key I'll be watching is the turnovers battle. I believe the Spartans' defense will be able to force a few mistakes from Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea that could change the game. If that happens, the Spartans will edge out an important win for their bowl chances this season.
Rest of our Big Ten picks
Interested in our picks for the rest of the Big Ten games this week? Click here to check out our picks against the spread for each Big Ten game on the schedule this week.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State vs. Nebraska: Score predictions, analysis from Spartans Wire staff
