The No. 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers enter Big Ten Conference play after finishing 3-0 in the non-conference portion of the season. The Huskers are off to their best start since 2016, allowing the fewest points through the first three games since 2005. The team stands tall with true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who’s 59-of-80 passing for 670 yards and five touchdowns.
The run game continues to be a driving force, with 514 yards and two running backs cracking 100 yards total through the first three games.
Nebraska will now prepare for their Big Ten opener, as they host Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for Friday night at 7:00 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on Fox.
This will be the final game of a four-game homestand. The game will also mark Nebraska’s 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, a streak which dates back to 1962.
With the conference schedule in front of Nebraska, head coach Matt Rhule knows the importance of each matchup ahead.
Here are the rankings for Nebraska’s remaining Big Ten opponents.
The Bruins started conference play this past Saturday against Indiana, and the Hoosiers delivered quite the introduction to the Big Ten.
The 42-13 blowout loss showed that UCLA is a shell of its 2023 counterpart. Its defense surrendered 307 passing yards and four touchdowns off 25 completions. Quarterback Ethan Garbers meanwhile threw just 14-of-23 for 137 yards and an interception.
Garbers also fumbled the ball on UCLA’s first offensive snap, which Indiana recovered and swiftly scored on three plays later. Overall, the Bruins did not look good Saturday, and for that, they sit at the bottom of the rankings.
The Boilermakers got the short end of the stick Saturday, facing off against an angry No. 18 Notre Dame team that lost to Northern Illinois the week before. For that, Purdue is just above UCLA despite being demolished 66-7 by the Fighting Irish.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t ugly for the Boilermakers. Notre Dame ran up and down the field all afternoon in West Lafayette, finishing with 364 yards, having two players rushing for over 100 yards. The Fighting Irish also passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns, with two separate quarterbacks also cracking 100 yards on the day.
Purdue, meanwhile, only mustered 38 rushing yards and 124 passing yards. Quarterback Hudson Card struggled against Notre Dame, throwing for 124 yards. He was also sacked four times, resulting in -42 rushing yards.
A rough week for the Boilermakers, but this will arguably be their worst game of the season.
7. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana’s stepped up its game following the 31-7 win over FIU. The Hoosiers outscored their last two opponents 119-16 and will likely deliver another big win when they face Charlotte this week.
But the question remains: How will Indiana fare against tougher competition? The Hoosiers’ opponents’ combined record so far is 2-6. They’re off to a solid start, but their future won’t be determined until the more formidable foes arrive.
6. Wisconsin
Wisconsin took a big hit this past weekend, getting picked apart 42-10 by No. 4 Alabama at home while losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the season.
But with all that in mind, the Badgers did stand their ground for nearly the entire first half against the Crimson Tide. Alabama crushed any hopes for Wisconsin following a Badger fumble that resulted in a Crimson Tide touchdown. Then, following a missed Wisconsin field goal, Alabama struck swiftly with a two-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to go up 21-3.
If those two mishaps hadn’t occurred for Wisconsin, the game could’ve been a little more manageable. Braedyn Locke did finish 13-of-26 for 125 yards and a touchdown for Wisconsin, which is not a terrible start to the season considering the circumstances.
If Locke could fill the void left by Van Dyke, Wisconsin could still be a team to take with caution. But it’s too early to tell what the Badgers can do following the impact of the Crimson Tide loss.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois’ last two wins seem shaky. It struggled early against Central Michigan, a team that was blown out by FIU last week. But after entering halftime up 13-6, it pulled away in the second half to win 30-9.
Its win over then-No. 19 Kansas appeared big at the time, but following the Jayhawks’ 23-20 loss to UNLV, that does not seem to hold much weight now.
But the Fighting Illini do hold similar stats to Nebraska. Luke Altmyer is 54-of-78 this season for 647 yards and six touchdowns, the run game got 460 yards off 105 carries for four touchdowns, and the defense has six interceptions, and has held opponents to 26 points through three games.
But Illinois also comes into arguably the most hostile environment they’ll have all season with Nebraska hosting on a Friday night for the 400th Consecutive Sellout Game.
The Fighting Illini could play spoiler, but it’s going to have an uphill battle if it wants to.
Iowa slipped down a spot following its latest win. The Hawkeyes entered the fourth quarter leading Troy 24-21 before scoring two more touchdowns to put the game away.
But the Trojans‘ staying in the fight for three quarters shows more signs of Iowa’s struggles. Though the Hawkeyes’ offense clicked in the win, their passing defense slipped up at times, allowing 229 yards and two touchdowns to the Sun Belt team.
Iowa’s offense still has a lot of work to do if it wants to compete with the Big Ten, but if the defense continues to make miscues, the Hawkeyes could fall further down the list.
Despite not playing this week, Rutgers replaces Iowa at No. 3.
Under Greg Schiano, the Scarlet Knights are an in-the-trenches group that looks to control every game. With Nebraska, its first-ranked opponent on the schedule, Rutgers will enter the game looking to pull off the upset.
This dark horse will be tested this week with Virginia Tech. But if the Knights come out with a win in Blacksburg, they might be a challenge for Nebraska in early October.
2. USC Trojans
The No. 11 Trojans also rested up this week with a bye. But this week will be an indicator as to just how dangerous this team can be.
Heading to the Big House, USC has an opportunity to climb higher in the rankings in their matchup against No. 18 Michigan. With over 600 passing yards, 300 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns, the Trojans look to be the high-powered offense of the Big Ten.
For now, it seems to be a great matchup for Nebraska’s defense when it comes to the Coliseum in November.
1. Ohio State
The last team on the list with a bye week, the No. 3 Buckeyes now look to be the front-runner to win the Big Ten. With Michigan, Penn State and Oregon showing signs of a struggle, this is the season the Buckeyes need to strike.
With the well-balanced offense under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, along with transfer Will Howard, and the strong defense it usually boasts, Ohio State is as dangerous as ever.
Unless the Buckeyes suffer heavy losses over the next few weeks, it’ll likely remain Nebraska’s toughest opponent this season.
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Ranking Nebraska’s remaining Big Ten opponents for the 2024 season
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