Nebraska finally gets the test everybody has been circling.
The Huskers are 5-0. Indiana is 5-0. The defending national champions are rolling into Lincoln, ranked No. 7 in the AP poll with 21 straight wins, and Saturday at 11 a.m. will tell us a lot more about Nebraska than the first five games did.
That’s the draw here. The points have been fun, the play-calling debates have been endless, and the questions about whether the Blackshirts can handle a serious running game have been hanging out there for weeks. Now comes the part where the answers start showing up.
Indiana has been clean and efficient, including a game at Rutgers with zero penalties and zero turnovers. Nebraska, meanwhile, has lived on false starts and holding penalties far too often, and that kind of sloppiness gets expensive against a team this sharp. Curt Cignetti has built a group that does not hand out easy yards.
The matchup that matters most is on the ground. Both teams have been excellent running the ball, and both have held up well against the run. That puts the spotlight right where SMQ wants it: Nebraska’s ability to slow Indiana’s rushing attack, and Nebraska’s own chances to pound away behind its line.
Indiana QB Josh Hoover has not thrown an interception this season, and that has a lot to do with how smoothly the run game has set the table. When you’re living in second-and-three and forcing defenses to crowd the line, life gets a lot easier.
For Nebraska, this is the kind of game where Dana Holgerson’s offense has to show something real. For the last two years, plenty of people have talked up the genius label.
Now it has to mean something on the field. SMQ sees this as a make-or-break kind of afternoon for Nebraska’s OC.
The Maryland game showed both sides of Nebraska in one afternoon. The Huskers stumbled early, then settled in and won 48-23.
That was a good finish and a good adjustment. But if Nebraska opens the game like it did in those first 20 minutes, Indiana could make it hurt fast.
Jamal Rule’s status looms large. He missed the Maryland game, and Jay sees Nebraska’s upset path starting with Rule putting together an exceptional afternoon while Anthony Colandrea adds another layer with his legs.
That doesn’t mean anyone is asking Colandrea to become Tommie Frazier. SMQ described the option look as an “almost” car crash in slow motion and wondered whether everyone involved had met before the snap.
The formula is pretty clear from there: use Colandrea’s mobility, keep feeding Kwazi Gilmer, and stop turning manageable downs into obvious passing situations with penalties. George also believes Nebraska needs a takeaway, and against an offense this careful with the ball, one stolen possession could swing everything.
The spread sits at 7½ points in Indiana’s favor, but the picks are all over the map. George has gone all in on Nebraska, calling it Nebraska 38, Indiana 34, with visions of a field rush and goalposts in danger.
Jay is taking Indiana 34-27 and still expects Nebraska to cover. Bob can’t settle on one script, which leaves him choosing between Indiana 45, Nebraska 8, or Nebraska 31, Indiana 30.
That’s the whole point of this one. Nebraska has already handled the part of the schedule it was supposed to handle.
Now we find out whether it can do more than that. The realist is uneasy.
The fan is leaning on hope. Indiana 34, Nebraska 27.
In Other News...
Nebraska Gets Rare Good News Before A Big Test Against Indiana
Three days before kickoff, Nebraska is getting a cleaner injury picture than it has seen in a while heading into a Big Ten test against Indiana. Only tight end Carter Nelson and linebacker Gage Stenger are listed as doubtful, while five players have remained out since the start of league play. On the other side, Indiana is dealing with its own mix of availability, though cornerback A.J. Harris and defensive end David Ndukwe are back in the fold.
That matters for a Nebraska team that has spent much of the season managing personnel issues and trying to keep its depth intact. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said running backs Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson have been practicing and could be available if needed, which at least gives the Cornhuskers some flexibility as they prepare for a game that could hinge on who is able to suit up and who can handle an expanded role. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Defining Test Against Indiana In Brutal Conditions
Nebraska gets a measuring-stick opportunity in Lincoln on Saturday morning, with Indiana coming in as the defending national champion and FOX carrying the game to a national audience. The matchup arrives with wind expected to be a major factor, which should put an even bigger spotlight on Nebraskas improved offensive line and how well the Huskers can handle a disciplined Indiana team that has earned plenty of respect for the way it plays.
For Nebraska, the challenge is as much about structure as star power, because this is the kind of game that can expose flaws quickly in rough conditions. Indiana arrives favored at the betting window, but the early kickoff and the weather figure to make this feel less like a standard Big Ten showcase and more like a test of poise, execution and coaching at every level. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Defining Week With One Big Roster Concern
Nebraska heads into this week with some clarity on the injury front, even if not complete comfort. Jamal Rule and Andrew Marshall are available as the Cornhuskers prepare to face Indiana, which helps stabilize a roster that has been trying to get itself organized at just the right time. It is the kind of update coaches and fans can at least build around, especially with conference play continuing to demand depth and flexibility.
Carter Nelson remains doubtful, though, and that is the detail Nebraska will keep monitoring as the matchup approaches. For a team trying to stack together enough healthy pieces to handle a meaningful stretch, availability can be as important as game plan. There is also broader Nebraska interest elsewhere this week, with former Husker Cam Jurgens landing in a trade from the Eagles to the Ravens, a reminder that the states football storylines rarely stay in one place for long. [Read more 🡒]