We caught up with Orange and Blue News publisher Doug Bucshon to get his take and prediction on Saturday’s game.

The 2021 football season is here, as Nebraska travels to Illinois on Saturday in a nationally televised Week Zero contest.

As we do each week, HuskerOnline goes in-depth with an expert that covers NU’s upcoming opponent.

In this week’s “Ask the Expert,” we caught up with Orange and Blue News publisher Doug Bucshon to get his thoughts and perspective on Saturday’s game in Champaign.

How has the transition been with Bret Bielema? What are the biggest differences between him and Lovie Smith?

“Since he was hired last December, Bielema’s experience as a college football head coach has been evident. He’s done a nice job managing the roster and getting players in place that will fit the schemes he wants to run at Illinois on both sides of the football. So far, he gets an A for his overall management of the program and his interactions with the media and fans. Now he has to show progress on the field.

“Bielema is a hands-on coach and is involved in every aspect of the team. That’s really the biggest difference I see so far between him and Lovie Smith. Lovie was an NFL guy through and through, never really engaged the fans or the students, and preferred to defer to his assistant coaches on recruiting and day-to-day management of the program.”

How different do you expect Illinois to be on offense?

“It will be a new look, that’s for sure. Under Lovie and former offensive coordinator Rod Smith, the Illini ran a spread-option attack. Bielema and his OC Tony Petersen have installed a pro-style system based on the power running game controlling the ball, though we don’t know for sure what it will look like since practices have been mostly closed to the media.

“Bielema set out early to change the quarterback room, moving the dual-threat guys like Isaiah Williams to different positions and bringing in Rutgers transfer Artur Sitkowski to back up Brandon Peters at quarterback. Expect the Illini to try to establish the run with a stable of running backs that includes Chase Brown, Reggie Love, and Mike Epstein.

“I don’t think it will look exactly like the offenses that Bielema used at Wisconsin and Arkansas – they’ll try to be more balanced. But the running game will be front and center.”

What are the challenges of switching into a new defensive scheme and playing a Big Ten opponent your first game?

“A lesser opponent like a Group of 5 team would have been much better to kick things off rather than a trial by fire. Bielema and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters have moved the pieces around and have guys lining up in spots that they haven’t played before in their college careers. They’ll get tested right out of the gate.

“Whether that experiment works, or if they’ll need to recruit to the scheme first before finding success, is one of the biggest questions for this team heading into the season. Two veterans who have previously played with their hands on the ground, Owen Carney and Isaiah Gay, will now line up at outside linebacker in the new 3-4 base defense. That’s something to watch on Saturday.”

Where do you see Illinois having the advantage in this game?

“That’s a tough one. The rosters seem pretty evenly matched, so I don’t see a talent advantage for Illinois in any phase of the game. If the Illini do have an advantage, it’s that they’re mostly an unknown commodity because of the coaching change.

“That presents a scouting advantage, though it’s debatable how significantly that will impact the outcome. Bielema has three seasons of film on Scott Frost-coached Nebraska teams. Playing at home is also a slight advantage. They’re expecting a good crowd at Memorial Stadium.”

What match-up concerns you on Saturday for Illinois?

“Husker’s quarterback Adrian Martinez against the Illinois linebackers. As a group, the Illini aren’t real fleet of foot in the back eight of the defense. They should be okay in the box, but if Martinez gets flushed, he’s going to beat these guys to edge and make some plays with his feet.

“Over the last several years, Illinois has had difficulty defending dual-threat quarterbacks, and Martinez has had some of his best games against them. He was spectacular in the 42-38 win in 2019 in Champaign, passing for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushing for another 126 yards.”

Finally, what is your score prediction and breakdown for Saturday’s game in Champaign?

“Quarterback play and ball security are going to pivotal. Whichever team is most balanced offensively and wins the turnover battle is going to eke out a win to open the season. It should be a fun game for fans, and it’s going to have a national audience as the only Power 5 game on tap.

“The Nebraska defense should be good this year and they have star power in Cam Taylor-Britt and JoJo Domann. It’s a big test for the Illini right out of the gate. Still, they’re going to be up for this game and play with an edge.

“It will be a close game and both teams have excellent kickers in James McCourt and Connor Culp, so maybe we’ll see a field goal as time runs out to win it.

“I’ll take the home team 34-31, as the Bret Bielema kicks off with a big conference win.”