Nebraska’s easy part is over.
After rolling through Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota, the Huskers finally step into Big Ten play Saturday at Michigan State, and this one should tell us a lot more about what Nebraska actually is. The non-conference slate went exactly how it was supposed to: three wins, 139 points, and the kind of businesslike dominance you’d expect from the older brother in a family reunion game.
Now comes the real test, and it’s a different animal altogether. Nebraska leaves Lincoln for the first time and walks into a matchup that could be tougher than Michigan State’s 27-10 loss to Notre Dame makes it look.
The Spartans were within seven at halftime against the No. 3 Irish and showed enough on defense to make life annoying.
At the same time, they also beat Toledo by just 10 after trailing in the fourth quarter. So yes, there are reasons to believe they can make this messy.
Nebraska, though, has looked sharp in ways that are hard to ignore. Anthony Colandrea has completed nearly 69% of his passes with eight touchdowns and one interception.
Jamal Rule is averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Jacory Barney Jr. and Kwazi Gilmer have both given the Huskers dependable targets, and the offensive line has surrendered only three sacks.
Those are video-game numbers. The question is what they mean once Nebraska is dealing with a real road environment and an opponent trying to make the game ugly.
Pat Fitzgerald knows that formula well. His Northwestern teams made a habit of turning Nebraska games into uncomfortable, slow-grind affairs where every possession felt like a problem. Michigan State will try to do something similar: shorten the game, get after Colandrea and make Nebraska prove it can stay patient and efficient away from home.
The answer, as has been the case all season, is simple: RUN THE DAMN BALL.
Nebraska does not need Colandrea dropping back 40 times. It needs Rule and the other backs to get fed, it needs Michigan State to have to stop the run, and it needs Colandrea to punish the Spartans when they crowd the box.
If the Huskers get an early lead, the pressure shifts right back onto Michigan State. The Spartans’ best chance is to turn this into a rock fight, keep it close and bother Colandrea enough to make Nebraska uncomfortable.
SMQ doesn’t think that happens.
So the real questions are all there for Saturday: Is Nebraska actually more mature and better coached? Does it have the better quarterback, the better running game and the better defensive front? SMQ thinks so.
The pick is Nebraska to win and cover, with the under as well. Nebraska 28, Michigan State 17.
A 4-0 start won’t mean the Huskers have arrived, but it would give everyone reason to shout GO BIG RED a little louder.
In Other News...
Nebraskas First MSU Injury Report Brings Early Roster Concerns
Nebraska volleyball kept rolling after a postponed match against Missouri, finishing off a straight-set win to move to 11-0. Andi Jackson was again central to the performance, piling up 10 kills, six blocks and two aces while the defense kept Missouri from finding much rhythm at the net. For a program that has handled nearly every challenge so far this fall, the Huskers continue to look like a team built to absorb disruption and keep winning.
The football side of the ledger offered a less comfortable update ahead of Michigan State, with the first injury report putting Carter Nelson out, Jordan Ochoa questionable and Bryson Webber doubtful. Early-week availability reports always leave room for movement, but this one gives Nebraska a little more to monitor as it tries to get ready for a Big Ten road test. Between the volleyball teams clean start and the football rosters uncertainty, the Cornhuskers are heading into the week with two very different kinds of momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Brings A Late Off-Field Twist Into Nebraska Showdown
Indianas buildup to the Nebraska game picked up an unusual off-field wrinkle as the Hoosiers continue to wait on the status of defenders Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt. The pair is tied to an eligibility dispute connected to a Colorado court ruling and the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model, turning what should have been a straightforward Week-to-Week personnel question into a legal matter with conference implications.
A Monroe County Circuit Court judge recently ruled both players eligible for the season, but the NCAA has already filed an emergency motion to stay that decision. For Nebraska, the uncertainty adds another layer to a matchup already carrying plenty of attention, with Indianas defensive plans still clouded until the legal process plays out and the Hoosiers learn whether Daley and Wyatt will be cleared to suit up. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Big Ten Opener Puts Its Fast Start Under Real Pressure
Nebraskas fast start is about to get a different kind of test as Big Ten play opens against Michigan State, with the Huskers installed as 5.5-point favorites. The matchup brings a sharper edge than the early-season schedule, especially for a Nebraska team that has leaned on its rushing offense, gotten key work from special teams and needs its quarterback to keep operating behind solid protection.
Michigan State has also shown signs of improvement under coach Pat Fitzgerald, which makes this less of a routine conference opener than the record might suggest. The numbers point to a game Nebraska should be able to control if it keeps winning in the trenches and avoids self-inflicted trouble, but the gap between a promising start and a real Big Ten statement is exactly what this weekend is about. [Read more 🡒]