The Huskers are off to a rough start in the Big Ten Conference following their 31-24 overtime loss to No. 24 Illinois. As the conference enters week five of action, Nebraska’s schedule is shaping up to be a series of tests with questions that need to be answered.
Things now appear unstable for Nebraska defensively, as they had no answer for Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, while the Huskers offense continues to steadily improve under true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Through three games, Raiola has thrown for 967 yards and eight touchdowns, with two interceptions. His 967 yards are good for fourth in the Big Ten Conference. The freshman sits behind Kurtis Rourke (Indiana – 1,013 yards), Will Rogers (Washington – 1,048 yards), and Bill Edwards Jr. (Maryland – 1,155 yards).
Now that Nebraska is hitting the road for the first time this season, head coach Matt Rhule knows that it’s important for the team to just go out and compete.
Nebraska will travel to West Lafayette this Saturday to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT, and the game can be seen on Peacock.
Here are the rankings for Nebraska’s remaining conference opponents.
8. Purdue Boilermakers 1-2 (0-0)
Slipping to the bottom is Purdue. After falling big to Notre Dame, the Boilermakers struggled against Oregon State, falling 38-21 to the Beavers.
They fumbled on their first drive then threw an improbable pick-six on their second drive. It caused them to fall behind 24-7, but they closed the gap to 31-21 before Oregon State scored a touchdown to seal the win.
Purdue’s quarterback Hudson Card didn’t produce a great outing, throwing just 7-of-17 for 56 yards, a touchdown and the aforementioned interception. The Boilermakers stuck to the ground in the loss, rushing for 263 total yards and two touchdowns.
But Purdue surrendered 104 passing yards, 341 rushing yards and four touchdowns to the Beavers. Now Purdue is facing a Nebraska team that’s coming of a rough loss to No. 24 Illinois.
The Boilermakers didn’t look very good against an angry Notre Dame, so it’s hard to say how they’ll do against the Huskers. If the Boilermakers can’t clean up the miscues on offense and their defense, they’re in for a rough run through the Big Ten conference.
7. UCLA Bruins 1-2 (0-1)
After falling big to Indiana last week, UCLA faced a greater challenge traveling down to Death Valley to face No. 16 LSU.
Despite losing 34-17, the Bruins put up a fight against the Tigers, heading into halftime tied 17-17. But LSU shut down UCLA’s offense to pull the game away in the second half.
Ethan Garbers was 22-of-36 for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked five times for -51 rushing yards, resulting in the team finishing with just 14 yards on the ground. Garbers also coughed up two turnovers, throwing an interception and fumbling.
However, the Bruins’ fight against LSU shouldn’t go unnoticed. UCLA could pull off an upset against one of their Big Ten opponents down the line, but right now, it still has some work to do.
6. Wisconsin Badgers 2-1 (0-0)
Wisconsin was off this week following its 42-10 blowout loss to Alabama, so it’s hard to say where it can go following Tyler Van Dyke’s season-ending injury.
Braedyn Locke was 13-of-26 for 125 yards and a touchdown for Wisconsin in the loss to Alabama, but he could step up for the Badgers and get them back in the groove. Wisconsin holds a solid defense, and its run game produced 516 yards through three games.
Depending on how Locke pans out, Wisconsin could be dangerous to Nebraska, but only time will tell.
5. Indiana Hoosiers 4-0 (1-0)
The Hoosiers continue to pick up steam with a well-balanced showing against Charlotte. Though the 49ers closed the gap to 17-14 in the second quarter, Indiana quickly snuffed out the flame by scoring 35 unanswered.
Both sides of the ball continue to be a force to be reckoned with. The Hoosiers have outscored opponents 202-37 while making Curt Cignetti the first head football coach in school history to begin his career 4-0.
Kurtis Rourke is 71-of-94 for 1,013 yards and eight touchdowns, while the Hoosiers have rushed for 902 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Yet again, it’s hard to say how this team will stand against the Big Ten. So far, Indiana’s biggest win this season is against a struggling UCLA team. However, the Hoosiers’ offense alone is enough for Nebraska’s defense to be cautious.
Rutgers escaped Virginia Tech by the skin of its teeth. But acting as their first big test, the Scarlet Knights performed well in a hostile environment, putting together a 23-7 lead before the Hokies entered comeback mode.
The Hokies scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 23-23 with over four minutes left. The comeback started due to Rutgers’ punt team letting Virginia Tech get inside the Scarlet Knights’ 40-yard line.
Rutgers’ defense held Virginia Tech to 137 passing yards and 183 rushing yards in the win, reflecting the Scarlet Knights’s balance as a team.
Rutgers currently sits with 767 rushing yards for nine touchdowns and Athan Kaliakmanis is 45-of-72 for 646 yards and six touchdowns. These numbers are similar to Illinois’ balanced approach this season, and with Kaliakmanis facing Nebraska for the third time in his collegiate career, the Huskers could be in for a rough encounter with the Scarlet Knights.
3. Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 (1-0)
Iowa finally got its offense going based on its win against Minnesota. The Hawkeyes’ ground game gutted the Golden Gophers Saturday night, rushing for 272 yards and four touchdowns.
This along with another solid defensive outing allowed for Iowa to literally run away with the 31-14 win. Cade McNamara didn’t need to do much against Minnesota, throwing for just 11 completions off 19 passes for 62 yards.
This reflects the Hawkeyes’ offense this season as they now have 1,001 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns through four games, while Cade McNamara’s only thrown for 588 yards and three touchdowns.
Though Minnesota scored both touchdowns through the air, Iowa’s defense locked in for the second half, holding the Golden Gophers scoreless and allowing just 66 total yards.
If Iowa keeps up with the run game but can’t get the passing game going and its defense doesn’t slip up, Nebraska is likely in for a low-scoring game in Iowa City come Black Friday.
2. USC Trojans 2-1 (0-1)
Iowa wasn’t the only team that resorted to the run game. Unfortunately for the Trojans, they weren’t that team.
Instead, it was their opponent Michigan who ran for 290 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 27-24 win. But the Trojans still managed to stay in the fight since Michigan rarely resorted to the pass, ending the game allowing just seven completions off 12 throws for 32 yards.
USC’s offense got going in the second half after scoring just a field goal in the first two quarters. Miller Moss was 28-of-51 for 283 yards and three touchdowns on the day against a tough Wolverine defense, while the run game only produced 96 yards.
Right now, the Trojans’ offense holds a lot of similarities to Illinois, which is something that Nebraska’s defense needs to address. But with USC’s defense currently struggling, the showdown between the Huskers and Trojans is likely to be a shootout.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes 3-0 (0-0)
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes delivered another swift blowout on Saturday against Marshall. It demolished the Thundering Herd following a slow start, which saw Marshall strike first and stay with the Buckeyes into the second quarter.
After a Marshall penalty negated a muffed punt, the Buckeyes took off to their 49-14 win. Ohio State held the Thundering Head to 139 yards passing and 125 yards rushing. The Buckeyes meanwhile racked up 289 yards passing and 280 yards rushing.
Now Ohio State enters Big Ten action. Quarterback Will Howard has 795 passing yards and eight touchdowns, while the ground game has 723 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Buckeyes held their first three opponents to just 20 points, 340 yards passing, and just 200 yards rushing.
Next to USC, this is the most dangerous offense Nebraska will face all season. That, combined with an aggressive defense, makes this team the Huskers’ biggest test of the season.
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Ranking Nebraska’s remaining conference opponents for the 2024 season
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