Michigan returns 9 starters on offense and 4 on defense. This is a game in which Nebraska will NOT be favored to win. My crystal ball doesn’t forecast a Husker win, but if the Huskers can make sufficient progress by this time in November, who knows what can happen?
Note: You may want to watch the YouTube replay of last year’s Husker-Wolverine game. The Huskers had every chance to win the game, but a very late Adrian Martinez fumble deep in Husker territory gave Michigan a chip shot field goal to win the game.
Game #11 Wisconsin Badgers Conference: Big TenHome: Madison, WIGame Date: Saturday, November 19thGame Location: Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NEGame Time: TBAHead Coach: Paul Chryst 8th Year (11th overall)Last Year’s Record : 9-4Last Year’s Game: 35-28 Badger winLast Year’s Bowl Game: Beat Arizona State 20-13 in the Las Vegas BowlLast Year’s Ranking: UnrankedPreseason Ranking: #1 in the Big Ten WestTransfers Lost: 12Transfers Gained: 5HuskerMax: Game Page
This year’s contest will be a home game for the Huskers. But the home field hasn’t been much of an advantage for Nebraska. Although the last time the Huskers beat Wisconsin was at home (30-27) in 2012, the series since that time has been all Wisconsin (9-0).
Wisconsin is picked by nearly everyone to win the Big Ten West and it’s hard to argue with that.
Wisconsin hasn’t changed much through the years. Why? Because it doesn’t have to. The Badgers are like a really good steakhouse. Their menu isn’t going to dazzle you, but the steaks they dish out each Saturday are hard to beat. Opponents are going to get a dose of a huge offensive line, great running game, effective special teams and a stingy defense. Last year, the Badgers scored a modest 25.4 ppg, but get this: they allowed only 16.2 ppg. You don’t see a lot of flash out of either head coach Paul Chryst or his Badger teams.
No need. All the Badgers do is win.
It’s true the Badgers return only 5 starters on offense and only 3 on defense, but Paul Chryst can coach. Graham Mertz returns as the Badgers starter at QB. Wisky also lost 8 defensive players from last year’s team. How much will those losses affect this year’s team? Probably not much.
It would be a substantial upset if the Huskers were to win this game. I know, stranger things have happened. The game will be played at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. But until Nebraska can prove it’s a legitimate conference contender, it likely will be business as usual for Wisconsin in this game.
Game #12 Iowa Hawkeyes Conference: Big TenGame Date: Thursday, November 26thGame Time: 3:00 p.m. CSTVenue: Nile Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IAHead Coach: Kirk Ferentz 24th YearRecord Last Year: 10-4Last Year’s Ranking: #23 APLast Year’s Bowl Game: Citrus Bowl Lost to Kentucky 17-20Preseason Ranking : 2nd in the Big Ten WestTransfers Lost: 5Transfers Gained: 0HuskerMax: Game Page
Iowa is a team not unlike Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes are well-coached. They rarely beat themselves. They wait for the other teams to screw up and then they strangle them much like a boa constrictor with their defense and special teams.
Both Wisconsin and Iowa serve a steady diet of meat and potatoes. If you’re looking for Lobster Newberg or even Beef Wellington from either program, you’d better find another place to eat.
There’s nothing flashy about the Hawkeyes.
Proof of that is last year’s Iowa offense. Simply put, Iowa’s offense last year was bad. How bad?
How about 121st out of 130 Division 1 teams. That’s how bad. So how did Iowa manage to win 10 games last year.
Easy. Opponents must be prepared to play a full 60 minutes. If they don’t, the Hawkeyes will find several ways to beat you: defense and special teams are enough.
Nebraska just replaced 4 offensive coaches in the off-season. But Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz doesn’t devote that much attention to his offense. With this year’s addition of Mark Whipple, this will be the Huskers’ third OC in four years.
Note to Coach Frost: Maybe the solution isn’t Nebraska’s offense. Just sayin’.
Not since Bo Pelini’s 2014 team beat the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium has Iowa lost to Nebraska. Mike Riley was 0-3 and Scott Frost is 0-4. A seven game losing streak for the Huskers is going to have to end some time. This game looks to be another close one.
In fact, the last 4 times these two teams have met, the Huskers lost 28-31 in ’18, 24-27 in ’19, 20-26 in ’20 and 21-28 in Lincoln last year. That’s an average margin of defeat of only 4.8 points. Can Nebraska get out of its own way and finally beat the Hawkeyes? Stay tuned.
Note: Nebraska’s record vs Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa since Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011 has been 6-19 (Michigan 2-3, Wisconsin 1-9 and Iowa 3-8).
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