Nebraska gets its shot under the lights Saturday night, and the stakes are easy to see. A win over Oregon would give Matt Rhule’s team a sixth victory, lock up a bowl berth this early in the season for the first time since 2016, and send a loud message that this program is heading somewhere real. With more Top 25 games waiting after the bye week, a win could also put Nebraska in the edge of the conversation around a possible College Football Playoff run.
Oddsmakers, though, still aren’t buying the Huskers just yet. DraftKings Sportsbook has Oregon as a 7-point favorite for the 10 pm local time matchup, despite Nebraska’s near-upset of Indiana last week.
The Ducks remain a team loaded with enough talent to be viewed as a national title contender entering the season, but the line has been a little curious given the personnel changes on their side. Dante Moore is out, and Oregon will go with a former walk-on, third-stringer at quarterback on Saturday night.
The betting total sits at 51.5, which suggests a decent amount of scoring in the Big Ten matchup. That fits with Nebraska’s issues defending the pass.
There’s definitely a case for Nebraska here, especially with Oregon potentially missing its top wide receiver as well. But the pick here goes the other way.
Oregon’s defensive line should create problems for a Nebraska run game that has not been nearly as effective since Big Ten play began. The Huskers were better than Indiana for three quarters last week, but their offensive struggles helped open the door for the Hoosiers to rally from a 17-6 deficit.
And there’s another concern for Nebraska tonight: it will be without two of its top safeties. That makes this one even tougher.
In Other News...
Matt Rhule Sends Clear Message After Nebraskas Painful Oregon Finish
Nebraska came up just short against Oregon, falling 17-14 in a game that turned late when junior quarterback Dylan Raiola entered in the fourth quarter and hit tight end Jamari Johnson for the winning touchdown. Afterward, Matt Rhule made it clear he was not interested in turning the loss into a referendum on his quarterback or his program, instead framing it as the kind of game that can teach a team where it still needs to grow.
Rhule pointed to fatigue and Oregons effective run game as part of the reason the Cornhuskers were unable to close it out, while also brushing aside any notion that the late kickoff was an excuse. For Nebraska, the bigger takeaway may be the standard these matchups provide, since Rhule emphasized the value of lining up against strong programs even when the result stings. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets A Clear Opening As Nebraska Brings Real Concerns
Nebraskas latest loss was another frustrating one in a season that keeps slipping at the edges, with the Cornhuskers falling 17-14 to Oregon after letting a fourth-quarter lead get away for the second straight game. The timing only adds to the concern, because the issues have started to look familiar: special teams havent been steady, the rushing attack has faded in recent weeks, and the injury list has made it harder to patch things together.
A bye week now gives Nebraska a little breathing room before Washington comes to Lincoln, but it also leaves a clear set of problems to sort through. The Huskies will see a team that has been competitive late into games and still found a way to lose them, which makes the next stretch feel especially important for a group trying to stop the slide and reset before the home matchup arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Defense Did Enough But One Problem Still Cost Them
Nebraska had every chance to turn a solid defensive effort into one of its biggest wins of the season, but the offense never quite matched what the defense gave it. The Cornhuskers led entering the fourth quarter and kept Oregon within reach for most of the afternoon, yet the Ducks were able to survive a tight, physical game and leave with a 17-14 victory.
The issue for Nebraska was up front, where the offensive line struggled to consistently hold up and let the game slip away despite the way the defense kept battling. Oregon got late help from Dylan Raiola, who came off the bench and sparked the comeback, leaving Nebraska to wonder how different things might have looked with even a little more protection and consistency on offense. [Read more 🡒]